Emily Sloan

Many Mini Residency at Koh-i-noor in Copenhagen

2012-01-15T19:45:00.007-06:00

In an effort to not spoil my "internationally unknown" artist status with a Many Mini Residency at Koh-i-noor in Copenhagen, I spent my residency time in the very local setting of my bathtub.

Sinking down in the bathtub until my ears are submerged and listening to the filtered and strangely distant sounds in and around my thin-walled house are a regular practice for me. During my Many Mini residency, I listened to downloaded traffic sounds from Copenhagen through the water of my bathtub in Houston, Texas. This was a very conscious yet meditative experience which allowed my mind to wonder and dream of being in Copenhagen. At times, I felt the sounds of Copenhagen were on the other side of the wall as they were brought into a close parallel with the sounds occurring around me my Houston dwelling and neighborhood.

About the Many Mini:
Many Mini Residency is a short-term residency program operated in conjunction with alternative exhibition venues in Europe and the United States. The name ‘Many Mini’ encompasses two main components of the project which is hosted in one room 24 hours a day for one week. The ‘Many’ describes the open call for proposals and the resulting multiplicity of responses and participants. The ‘Mini’ component of the residency describes the limited amount of time available and the scale of the room.

Many Mini Residency is open to applicants from all disciplines (art and non-art alike) and encourages participants to customize their residency experience. There is no minimum time-limit for a stay at the residency but the maximum stay allows use of the space for half a day. The space may be used for public programs, personal studio time, a rehearsal space, a dinner, or whatever the resident sees fit. Participants provide documentation and a short statement about their time spent in the residency to serve as both a record and a resource displayed online as the final component of the project.

In January 2012, Many Mini Residency will be hosted at Koh-i-noor, an artist-run independent project space in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 2004, the focus of Koh-i-noor is to create a space for experimentation and to have an influence on the discourse of contemporary art. Koh-i-noor aims to provide and uphold a collaborative, process-related and interdisciplinary, informal platform for open thought, information exchange and spatial experiments. Although operating within an international network, Koh-i-noor’s activities are also informed by and related to its local context and situation. Koh-i-noor seeks to ensure a critical distance and take position towards contemporary cultural and social conditions.

Many Mini Residency: Copenhagen at Koh-i-noor will additionally exist in conversation with other Many Mini Residencies; the first hosted by The Berlin Office in Berlin, July 2008 and the second hosted by Skydive in Houston, TX, July 2011. Many Mini Residency not only provides an opportunity for interaction among participants within each locale, but creates a comparable portrait of each city where the residency is held.

About Emily Sloan:
Internationally unknown multidisciplinary artist Emily Sloan is the founding reverend of the Southern Naptist Convention and chief caretaker and curator of The Kenmore exhibition object. Sloan is based out of Houston, Texas, and is hoping the Many Mini Residency has not spoiled her "internationally unknown" artist status. To learn more about her practice, please visit: www.emilysloanblog.blogspot.com

Craftism Revisited

2012-01-15T19:40:00.000-06:00

Artist Cat Coombes and co-conspirator Edward Lane McCartney, with "The Kenmore", have reprised their "Craftism"show and its accompanying manifesto to arouse renewed deliberation on the delineation between "Art" and "Craft". McCartney has created a small grouping of new jewelry inspired by his recent trip to France, the Var Department, and its chain of small 13th century mountain top villages.

"The Kenmore" is a small, cold, self-run exhibition object. Though it is mobile, it is usually located at Box 13 ArtSpace in Houston, TX. The Kenmore's mission is to keep ideas fresh through the opportunity of a unique exhibition context and the experience of collaboration. The Kenmore gallery object is the creation of artist, curator, and educator Emily Sloan and has been generously loaned by her for this exhibition.

Location until March 10:
Goldesberry Gallery
2625 Colquit Street
Houston, Texas 77098

Frank Billingsley discusses ShadeCloud; installation extended to February 24, 2012

2011-12-14T22:30:00.011-06:00

by Juan Gonzalez and Alyssa Ramirez of J & A Productions

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_paPApjF1Yw&list=UUV7YT4XCau1C3D1i8UGS3vg&index=1&feature=plcp

ShadeCloud by Emily Sloan
a sculpture court installation of lamp shades
August 25, 2011 - December 31, 2011---extended to February 24, 2012
SCULPTURE GARDEN
Opening reception August 25, 2011 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Art League Houston is excited to present ShadeCloud, an outdoor installation by Houston-based artist Emily Sloan in the Art League Sculpture Garden, which weaves together a diverse selection of new and recycled lampshades into three cloud-like structures that suspend from the surrounding trees.

The installation not only references the dynamic weather patterns characteristic of the Houston area, but also provides a unique source of shade for the local community, especially with the extreme heat waves we are currently experiencing within our city.

Art League would like to say a big thank you to Boheme and Spacetaker for their support and generosity through the Cultured Cocktails program, along with Sunbelt Rentals, Inc., as well as the local community for their generous donations.
Special thanks to Jason Ash, Rob Greenstein, Matt Jackson, Jill Nepomnick, Crystal Owens, Linda Phenix, Helena Gijsbers van Wijk, and Jim and Vanessa Wodehouse.

Above: SHADECLOUD at night. Photo by Jennifer Ash.

ABOUT EMILY SLOAN

Emily Sloan is a Houston-based artist who received an M.F.A. in Sculpture from the University of Houston (2009), a M.A. in Painting and Sculpture from Stephen F. Austin University, and a B.S. in Sociology and Social Work from Abilene Christian University. She also attended the New York Studio School and the Ontario College of Art and Design.

Her site specific installations include Burning House located on Highway 59 in Polk County, Texas; Sabine Street Bridge Lamp at Buffalo Bayou Art Park in Houston, and To Whom It May Concern, located on a private lot next to Lawndale Art Center. She has completed residencies at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vermont, and Labotanica and The Many Mini Residency at SKYDIVE in Houston, and is currently the Artist-in Residence at 14 Pews in Houston.

Sloan's performance art includes Napping Affects Performance (NAP), a participation and performance project, which is ongoing in Houston, as well as her Alta Ego performances as Zarvin Mindler. She has exhibited at venues including the Texas State Fair, the Cotton Bowl, the Dallas Contemporary, Lawndale Art Center, Redbud Gallery, Gallery 1724, and the Vermont Studio Center, and is currently the Curatorial Director of The Kenmore, a small, cold exhibition object measuring 36 x 24 x 24, which is located at BOX13 ARTSPACE in Houston.

Insperity Golf Experience Extended to December 25!

2011-12-04T14:12:00.009-06:00

Pictured above is "Winding Fence" by Emily Sloan.

For more information and hours, please visit: www.discoverygreen.com

Peppered!

2011-12-01T22:03:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of Nick Cooper.

NAPTURE!

2011-10-23T17:45:00.003-06:00

Rev. Emily of the Southern Naptists being interviewed by sleep deprived, undead on October 22, "The Day After."

The rested Reverend spreading the word about The Seven Blankets.

The rested Reverend's always-ready halo-pillow.

Photos courtesy of Lenard Brown.
Special thanks to Lenard Brown and Bobby Younce.

Up next at The Kenmore...

2011-09-18T14:19:00.002-06:00

Artist Jonatan Lopez will unveil a new multimedia installation examining his physical attraction towards "Beefy Men" at The Kenmore, located in Box13 ArtSpace, with "Beef: Cattle that is Reared for its Meat." This one night only event will take place on October 1, 2011 from 7:00pm to 9:30p.m.

For this work, the artist has immersed himself in an arduous examination of his physical attraction towards "Beefy Men." He has selected a few bulls from the herd incessantly pursuing them without their knowledge, luring them, acting out his desires, and using his own body as a research tool in an attempt to solve the mystery behind his obsession. His installation at The Kenmore invites us to enter the secret room of his darkest fantasies, a place where lust and transgression reign. Ingredients: voyeuristic footage, found organs, stolen photos, beef derived products, obsession. (Viewer discretion is enforced.)

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jonatan Lopez is an interdisciplinary artist. His works examine issues of debate within social and personal realms, often using empirical observation as research method. His performances and installations become surveys and social experiments that open valuable community discussion.

Jonatan has exhibited in numerous venues in Houston, from alternative art spaces like Project Row Houses and DiverseWorks Art Space to more traditional venues like Bayou City Art Festival. He enjoys curating and collaborating with other artists.
He currently lives in the Houston Heights with his partner and their three lab dogs.

ABOUT THE KENMORE
Not just another white cube, The Kenmore is a small, cold exhibition object measuring approximately 36" x 24"x 24". The Kenmore's mission is to keep ideas fresh through the opportunity of a unique exhibition context and the experience of collaboration.

ABOUT BOX13 ARTSPACE
BOX 13 ArtSpace is an artist run nonprofit innovative environment for the creation and advancement of experimental contemporary art in Houston. BOX 13 artists create this environment through the offering of affordable workspaces for emerging and established artists, dedicating five interior spaces to the exhibition of artistic explorations, a window gallery for installations and an outdoor courtyard space. BOX 13 promotes dialogue among artists and the art community on current trends affecting the arts.

GENERAL INFORMATION
On view: Saturday, October, 7pm to 9:30pm

CONTACT
Emily Sloan
The Kenmore
c/o Box 13 ArtSpace
6700 Harrisburg Blvd.
Houston, TX 77011
thekenmore@gmail.com
713-582-1198

Hair Washing and Story Recording this Sunday at 1724 Bissonnet

2011-09-08T19:55:00.006-06:00

As last year, this Sunday, September 11, 2011, I will be washing people's hair and recording their memories of "where we were and what we were doing on this day in history..." This event will take place from 10am to noon at 1724 Bissonnet (between Dunlavy and Woodhead), Houston, Texas 77005.

In my practice, I utilize hair washing for memory, story telling, cleansing, ritual and intimacy. Hair washing has been a vehicle for people to share stories for decades in salons. Additionally last spring, this ritual helped us to raise funds, similarly to a car wash as a fundraiser, for relief efforts in Japan after the tremendous earthquake.

(Photo by Dean Liscum.)

ABOUT EMILY SLOAN
Emily Sloan is an internationally unknown artist, curator of The Kenmore an exhibition mini-fridge, and founding Reverend of the controversial Southern Naptist Convention.

ABOUT GALLERY 1724
Gallery 1724 is a gallery, salon, home, and chicken ranch located in the Houston Museum District. The space features experimental rotating house exhibits.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Event time: Sunday, September 11, 8am to 12pm

CONTACT
Emily Sloan
c/o Gallery 1724
1724 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
gallery1724@gmail.com
713-582-1198

Insperity Golf Experience at Discovery Green

2011-09-08T19:46:00.003-06:00

Info. from the Houston Press:

The Insperity Golf Experience, a 9-hole mini golf course, opened at Discovery Green this month featuring holes designed by a local Houston artists. The course was curated by Clint Willour with various holes designed by The Art Guys, Elaine Bradford, Bill Davenport, Noah Edmundson, GONZO247 of Aerosol Warfare, Jonathan Leach, Jason Makepeace, Seth Mittag, Anthony Thompson Schumate, and Emily Sloan.

Park visitors can play a round on the miniature golf course from Sept. 1 through Nov. 27, 2011. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Thursdays – Sundays. Admission is $5 per adult player and $3 for children under the age of 12.

You'll find my work at Hole 1.

Photo by Marco Torres

ShadeCloud

2011-08-24T18:23:00.007-06:00

ShadeCloud is an outdoor installation located in the Art League Houston sculpture garden. It weaves together lampshades into four cloud-like structures that suspend from the surrounding trees. These structures provide shade and cool misting during the day and lamplight during the evening.

The installation not only references the dynamic weather patterns characteristic of the Houston area, but also provides a unique source of shade for the local community, especially with the extreme heat waves we are currently experiencing within our city.

The opening reception is Thursday, August 25 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. ShadeCloud will remain on view at Art League Houston through December 31, 2011.

(Photo by Jennifer Ash.)

Art League Houston and Emily Sloan would like to say thank you to Boheme and Spacetaker for their support and generosity through the Cultured Cocktails program, along with Sunbelt Rentals, Inc., as well as the local community for its generous donations.

Special thanks to Jason Ash, Jennifer Ash, Rob Greenstein, Matt Jackson, Catherine Morgan, Jill Nepomnick, Crystal Owens, Linda Phenix, Ann Rush, and Helena Gijsbers van Wijk.

Location:
Art League Houston
1953 Montrose Blvd.
Houston, Texas 77006

Questions, info.:
Emily Sloan---713-582-1198 or emily@emilysloan.com

OPERATION Nap Time, Houston Free Thinkers

2011-08-21T15:29:00.005-06:00

The Southern Naptists are joining the Houston Free Thinkers for OPERATION Nap Time, a response to the civil ordinance passed recently (http://bit.ly/r2U12y) which makes it illegal to hang out on sidewalks in the city between 11 am to 7 pm, and to raise awareness on a planned extension for the east side of town.

This will take place on Monday, August 22 from 11am to 7pm at Congress North of 59 outside downtown. PLEASE JOIN US!

To learn more, please visit: www.houstonfreetthinkers.com

We applaud this use of the power of the nap!

A "Midissage in the Mini Fridge" for Edward Lane McCartney's and Cat Coombes' "CRAFTISM: Preserving the Future of Art"

2011-08-14T15:08:00.003-06:00

There will be a midissage in the Mini Fridge from 1-5pm this Saturday, August 20 for Edward Lane McCartney's and Cat Coombes' "Craftism: Preserving the Future of Art." Both artists will be present, Cat will be performing a recitation of the Craftism manifesto and brooches will be given away.

This event is taking place at The Kenmore, within the first floor studio of Emily Sloan at Box 13 ArtSpace, 6700 Harrisburg Blvd., Houst...on, TX 77011.

The exhibition will remain on view, Saturdays from 1-5pm through September 10, 2011.

More about the exhibition:
Houston-based artists Edward Lane McCartney and Cat Coombes have inaugurated a new art movement at The Kenmore, located in Box13 ArtSpace, with Craftism: Preserving the Future of Art. The organization of the Craftism movement, unveiling of McCartney’s shrine to art, and presentation of the collaborative’s manifesto will occurred at the opening reception on August 6, 2011 from 7:00pm to 9:30p.m. It remains on view Saturdays from 1-5pm through September 10, 2011.

The exhibition mixes jewelry, installation, and performance in a context that demands audience participation. The physical aspect of the exhibition centers around the transformation of The Kenmore, a mini-Fridge curated by Emily Sloan, into a Plexiglas and gold-leaf, post-modern-gothic shrine to Craftism, holding a single, sanctified jewelry object, by Edward Lane McCartney. During the reception, Cat Coombes presented Craftism’s manifesto to begin the consolidation of the movement. As relics of the performance, the manifesto has been been left on display, and viewers may wear jewelry objects bearing excerpts from the manifesto out into the world.

The artistic goal of the collaboration between jeweler and metal artist Edward Lane McCartney and conceptual artist and art historian Cat Coombes is to seek out a new relationship between “art” and “craft,” in search of an art that features “depth and humanity” as core values. The statement they make may provoke frustration, anger, or relief: “All art is craft. All so-called ‘art’ that is not craft is art criticism, industry, or empty posturing.”

THE KENMORE
Not just another white cube, The Kenmore is a small, cold exhibition object measuring approximately 36" x 24"x 24". The Kenmore's mission is to keep ideas fresh through the opportunity of a unique exhibition context and the experience of collaboration. This project sprung from Aisen Caro Chacin's N Gallery, was initiated by Emily Sloan and is "run" (refrigerator humor) under her development and guidance. By its nature, The Kenmore remains a work in progress.

BOX13 ARTSPACE
BOX 13 ArtSpace is an artist run nonprofit innovative environment for the creation and advancement of experimental contemporary art in Houston. BOX 13 artists create this environment through the offering of affordable workspaces for emerging and established artists, dedicating five interior spaces to the exhibition of artistic explorations, a window gallery for installations and an outdoor courtyard space. BOX 13 promotes dialogue among artists and the art community on current trends affecting the arts.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Reception: Saturday, August 6, 7pm to 9:30pm
Midissage: Saturday, August 20, 1pm to 5pm
Open Saturdays from 1-5pm or by appointment

CONTACT
Emily Sloan
The Kenmore
c/o Box 13 ArtSpace
6700 Harrisburg Blvd.
Houston, TX 77011
thekenmore@gmail.com
713-582-1198

"Vacation" at Williams Tower Gallery

2011-08-14T15:06:00.003-06:00

(above: Greg Donner, Tepee Curios, 2007-8, acrylic on canvas, 32x44")

Please join us at Williams Tower Gallery from 6pm to 8pm this Thursday, August 18 for a reception for "Vacation", an exhibition featuring artwork by the following artists:

Adela Andea
Heimir Bjorgulfsson
Jay Davis
Greg Donner
Loli Fernandez-A.
Duncan Ganley
Dennis Harper
Paul Kittleson
Edward McCartney
David McClain
Neva Mikulicz
Tudor Mitroi
Paige Davidson
Lordy Rodriguez
Stephanie Saint Sanchez
The Art Guys
Patrick Turk

This exhibition has been co-curated by Emily Sloan and Sally Sprout. It opened July 28 and will remain on view through September 2, 2011.

Also on view at Williams Tower Gallery is Jay Giroux's "Redux." For more about Giroux, please visit: www.jaygiroux.com

Location and contact:
Williams Tower Gallery
2800 Post Oak Boulevard
Houston, Texas 77056

Emily--713-582-1198

Craftism Declares New Art Movement in The Kenmore at Box 13 ArtSpace

2011-07-29T17:14:00.001-06:00

Houston-based artists Edward Lane McCartney and Cat Coombes will inaugurate a new art movement at The Kenmore, located in Box13 ArtSpace, with Craftism: Preserving the Future of Art. The organization of the Craftism movement, unveiling of McCartney’s shrine to art, and presentation of the collaborative’s manifesto will occur at the opening reception of Craftism: Preserving the Future of Art, on August 6, 2011 from 7:00pm to 9:30p.m., and remain on view Saturdays from 1-5pm through September 10, 2011.

The exhibition will mix jewelry, installation, and performance in a context that demands audience participation. The physical aspect of the exhibition will center around the transformation of The Kenmore, a mini-Fridge curated by Emily Sloan, into a Plexiglas and gold-leaf, post-modern-gothic shrine to Craftism, holding a single, sanctified jewelry object, by Edward Lane McCartney. During the reception, Cat Coombes will present Craftism’s manifesto to begin the consolidation of the movement. As relics of the performance, the manifesto will be left on display, and viewers may wear jewelry objects bearing excerpts from the manifesto out into the world.

The artistic goal of the collaboration between jeweler and metal artist Edward Lane McCartney and conceptual artist and art historian Cat Coombes is to seek out a new relationship between “art” and “craft,” in search of an art that features “depth and humanity” as core values. The statement they make may provoke frustration, anger, or relief: “All art is craft. All so-called ‘art’ that is not craft is art criticism, industry, or empty posturing.”

Craftism Brooch, 2011, 24K Gold on Glass, 24K Gold Plate on Sterling, Paint, and Stainless Steel.

THE KENMORE
Not just another white cube, The Kenmore is a small, cold exhibition object measuring approximately 36" x 24"x 24". The Kenmore's mission is to keep ideas fresh through the opportunity of a unique exhibition context and the experience of collaboration. Inspired by exhibits such as "Cooler than Usual" at Aisen Caro Chacin's N Gallery, The Kenmore was initiated by Emily Sloan and is "run" (refrigerator humor) under her development and guidance. By its nature, The Kenmore remains a work in progress.

BOX 13 ARTSPACE
BOX 13 ArtSpace is an artist run nonprofit innovative environment for the creation and advancement of experimental contemporary art in Houston. BOX 13 artists create this environment through the offering of affordable workspaces for emerging and established artists, dedicating five interior spaces to the exhibition of artistic explorations, a window gallery for installations and an outdoor courtyard space. BOX 13 promotes dialogue among artists and the art community on current trends affecting the arts.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Opening reception: Saturday, August 6, 7:00pm to 9:30pm
Open Saturdays from 1-5pm or by appointment

CONTACT
Emily Sloan
The Kenmore
c/o Box 13 ArtSpace
6700 Harrisburg Blvd.
Houston, TX 77011
thekenmore@gmail.com
713-582-1198

A Movie with Marvin: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

2011-07-15T16:41:00.007-06:00

For a Many Mini Residency at Skydive ArtSpace, Zarvin Mindler hosted a movie night with friends to watch “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” This movie and former Broadway musical is inspired by a brothel outside of La Grange, Texas that Houston investigative reporter Marvin Zindler, Zarvin’s hero, helped bring to its knees.

Above: Skydive ArtSpace, 2041 Norfolk St., Houston, Texas 77098

The show offers a glimpse of some Texas history including some references to Houston. The majority of the viewers had not seen the movie with a few people having seen it when it first came to movie theaters in 1982—almost 30 years ago.

Above: Emily Sloan's character Zarvin Mindler acting out a scene in which Marvin Zindler's character Melvin P. Thorpe is de-wigged.

A Movie with Marvin: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

2011-07-11T21:31:00.003-06:00

This Thursday, July 14 from 10pm until mid-night, Zarvin Mindler is having friends over to watch "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (staring Dolly Partin!). This movie, whose story was once a Broadway musical, is inspired by The Chicken Ranch, a long running brothel outside of LaGrange, Texas, which investigative reporter Marvin Zindler had a hand in bringing to its knees.

This movie night is Zarvin's Many Mini Residency project and will take place at:
SKYDIVE
2041 Norfolk Street,
Houston, TX 77098
info@theskydive.org

Tactics for Napping in Rebellion

2011-07-11T11:46:00.002-06:00

Sunday, July 10, 2011http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
1-3pm @ SkyDive ArtSpace
as part of a Many Mini Residency

“NAP Church: Exercises for Rebel Nappers”
Prepared by Emily Sloan

Above: prepared materials and extra pillows, ear plugs, and eye coverings.

REBELLIOUS USES OF NAPPING:

To protest. Napping as a protest delivers a message and is fast, easy, recordable, and free.

To avoid undesirable events. Napping can make travel seem faster, can delay meetings, can block entrances, can create confusion, can get you dismissed from jury duty, etc.

To avoid danger (rebellious if unsupported in work environment, etc.). Napping can prevent work-related injuries and accidents endangering the environment.

One of the beauties of napping is it is a benign. By its nature it is anti-spectacle, but in an unexpected setting or situation can become a mild spectacle. Also, though there is often a stigma of laziness or time-wasting associated with napping, but when a group comes together to nap, non-nappers can begin to feel uncomfortable or agitated.

Many situations will require adaptation. A comfortable environment for rest may not be available. Hard surfaces, loud sounds, and annoyed non-nappers are potential interferences. Eye coverings and earplugs (when appropriate to safety within the environment) can alleviate these problems.

References: Glitter Bombing, Buck Wild trial, How to Get Away with Sleeping at Work by Adam Dachis

For more information, please visit: www.nappingaffectsperformance.blogspot.com

NAP-related Clarifications

2011-07-07T14:03:00.004-06:00

Clarification #1:
Neither NAP Church nor the yearly Southern Naptist Convention are operating as church-related get-rich-quick money schemes. Napping is FREE!

Clarification #2:
Despite flattering accusations, Napping Affects Performance, NAP Church and the Southern Naptist Convention have NOT made any claims to being a response to the Apocalypse...

...until NOW: Go ahead, sleep through the Apocalypse if you are lucky!

Clarification #3:
We DO advocate napping! We encourage a health-related sustainability practice, not unlike recycling and reuse encourage environment-related sustainability practices.

To learn more, please visit: www.nappingaffectsperformance.blogspot.com

"NAP Church: Exercises for Rebel Nappers"

2011-07-07T13:07:00.005-06:00

Sunday, July 10, 1-3pm, at SKYDIVE ArtSpace as part of a Many Miny Residency.

"NAP Church: Exercises for Rebel Nappers" by Rev. Emily Sloan
Napping Affects Performance’s NAP Church will meet for a Sunday nap on July 10 from 1-3pm. In addition to napping, we will be discussing rebellious napping strategies. This B.Y.O.P. (Bring Your Own Pillow...and blanket, yoga mat, whatever suits you) event of “two or more gathered” to nap is open to all faiths!

Location:
SKYDIVE
2041 Norfolk Street,
Houston, TX 77098
info@theskydive.org

About the Many Mini Residency:
Many Mini Residency is a short-term residency program operated in conjunction with alternative exhibition venues in Europe and the United States. The name 'Many Mini' encompasses two main components of the project which is hosted in one room 24 hours a day for one week. The 'Many' describes the open call for proposals and the resulting multiplicity of responses and participants. The 'Mini' component of the residency describes the limited amount of time available and the scale of the room.

About SKYDIVE:
SKYDIVE is an artist run exhibition venue unique to Houston. Its mission is to broaden the spectrum of the dialogue in Houston by bringing in artists from outside of Texas. The aim of SKYDIVE is to host a range of art practices that push the limits of their material forms, including non-traditional methods of sculpture, installation, video, performance, and works that engage the viewer through participation, as well as text and web-based projects.

SKYDIVE utilizes an open and collaborative model for producing its programming. A group of artists, curators, and other professionals function as Advisors to help create shows, invite artists, and collaborate in the mission and programming of the space. Participants in SKYDIVE will be invited to Houston for a sustained number of days, previous to the exhibition to make their work, interact with the Houston community and see the sites in Houston and surrounding areas.

About Napping Affects Performance:
Napping Affects Performance (NAP) and NAP Church are interactive performance projects by 14 Pews artist-in-residence Emily Sloan providing community naps in collaboration with various performances, including (but not limited to) collaborations with sound, word, touch, and the delivery of naps to various sites and/or contexts. In May and June of 2010, NAP operated out of Art League Houston with six weeks of continuous performances taking place during Art League’s regular hours of operation. Since then, followers and napophiles began meeting once a month for a Sunday naps and naptisms during NAP Church services.

NAP Church meets monthly for Sunday naps.

Salon des Refusés, People's Choice Cash Prize

2011-07-02T08:54:00.000-06:00

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Salon des Refusés last night! Congratulations to all of the artists and a special congratulations to Emily Connor for winning the $400 People's Choice Cash Prize.

Participating Artists of the 2011 Salon des Refusés

2011-06-30T09:37:00.003-06:00

The participating artists of the 2011 Salon des Refusés:

James Arp, Marty Arredondo, George Bibb, Christi Bruecher, Karen Brasier-Young, Greg Budwine, Linda Buikema, Sondra Chambers, Ana Champion, Lisa Chow, Jing Chung, Lim Chung, Margaret Colvin, James Ciosek, Emily Connor, Felipe Contreras, Kenn Coplan, Richard Crishock, Kevin Cromwell, J. Culp, The Davenport, Harry Dique, Steve Emery, Alicia Esquivel, Valerie G., Daryl Gannon, Bryan Gardner, Diane Gelman, Helena Gijsbers van Wijk, Sarah Gish, Candice Goodwin, Nell Gottlieb, Mitch Samuels “graystar”, Demetre P. Grivas, Mary Hallab, Rachel Harmeyer, Sue Burke Harrington, Janet Hassinger, Wes Holloway, Jane B. Honovich, Reema Houwari, Eugene Hughes, Mike Hunt, Peter Janecke, David A. Jaros, Cecilia Johnson, Kym K., Irish Klenow, Kristen Kramlich, Diane LaFranca, Jennifer Lang, Jerry Lara Bea, Karen Lastre, Robyn Lehmer, Renato Lenzi, John Linden, Chris Lylerly, Mic McAllister, Eileen McClellan, Van McFarland, Tina McPherson, Lori Miglioretti, Merilee Minshew, Carol Musik, James Myres, Victoria Narkin, Anita Nelson, Bernice Peacock, Christian Perkins, Donna Perkins, Low Brow Pilgrim, Linda Posey, Mason Rankin, Cary Reeder, Sue Reeves, Stephanie Saint Sanchez, Greg Scott, Karen Smith, Becky Soria, Tahamina Spain, Rosalind Speed, Frances Carter Stephens, Christine Stevens, Kamila Szcesna, Saralene Tapley, Martha J. Terrill, Chris Thompson, David Veale, Wayne Ward, Diane K. Webb, Sarah Whatley, Caitlin Williams, Dave Wood, Michael Wooten, Lee Wright

People's Choice Cash Prize to be voted on during the opening, one vote per person so bring your parents! The winner will be announced shortly after 9pm. Prize money has been generously donated by Marv Chasen & Mike Rudelson.

Salon des Refusés drop-off update

2011-06-26T19:10:00.002-06:00

Monday, June 26 we will only be able to accept a limited number of small works no larger than 2 foot by 2 foot due to space. If you have friends coming with larger works, please notify them.

Salon des Refusés drop-off update

2011-06-26T19:10:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow, we will only be able to accept a limited number of small works no larger than 2 foot by 2 foot due to space. If you have friends coming with larger works, please notify them.

Salon des Refusés: Artwork Rejected from Lawndale Art Center's The BIG Show 2011

2011-06-21T10:20:00.006-06:00

Salon des Refusés is an exhibition of artwork rejected from Lawndale Art Center's 2011 "The BIG Show."

Location: Gallery M Squared
(339 West 19th St., Houston, TX 77008)

Opening date: Friday, July 1, 2011, 6:30-9pm
Opening Music provided by DJ Esteff/Stephanie Saint Sanchez.
(www.lachicanalaundrypictures.com/dj-esteff.html)

On view: Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm
Closing date: Saturday, July 9, 2011

Important dates and times for artists: (Artwork will not be accepted before these dates/times.)
Drop off: Sunday, June 26, 1pm to 5pm
Drop off: Monday, June 27, 5pm to 8pm
Artwork Pick-up date: Sunday, July 10, 3-7pm

Details:
*One entry per artist.
*Entered artworks must have been rejected from Lawndale Art Center's The BIG Show 2011 and meet Lawndale's entry requirements.
*Artworks must be accompanied by their label from The BIG Show.
*$5 to $10 suggested donation, 100% of which will go to the bar/reception
*Please note: space is limited.
*Priority will be given to artists NOT in The BIG Show.
*Work may be turned away.
*Artists may bring one page of information (such as a statement or bio.) to be included in a notebook about the exhibition.
*People's Choice Cash Prize to be voted on during opening, one vote per person so bring your parents! Prize money has been generously donated by Marv Chasen & Mike Rudelson.

Questions? Please contact Emily at emily(at)emilysloan(dot)com or call 713-582-1198.

Thank you, and best of luck either way!

About Gallery M Squared...
Gallery M Squared founded in 1991 is located in the historic Heights Theater at 339 West 19th Street. The gallery represents American artists of different generations and handles work in all types of media, including painting, sculptures, photography, film, video, drawings and printmaking. The mission of the gallery is to collect, preserve, research and exhibit fine and decorative art. The gallery owner's are Max Boyd Harrison and Mike Kubis. (www.gallerymsquared.com)

About the Salon des Refusés: Artwork Rejected from The BIG Show...
The Salon des Refusés: Artwork Rejected from The BIG Show is an independent exhibition organized by Emily Sloan of artwork rejected from Lawndale Art Center's jurored exhibition, The BIG Show. It is inspired by the Salon des Refusés held in Paris in 1863. The original salon of 1863 consisted of artwork rejected from the official Paris Salon. Exhibiting artists of the Salon des Refusés of 1863 included Paul Cézanne, Édouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, and James Whistler among others. Following in the spirt of a statement from Napolean III about such a salon of "Wishing to let the public judge...," this current day version allows Houston-area artists the opportunity to share their work regardless of a juror's selection choices...though they must at least have tried! (www.emilysloan.blog.blogspot.com)

Fit to be Tied! (My BIG Fat Group Wedding)

2011-06-14T16:40:00.004-06:00

14 Pews artist-in-residence Emily Sloan will host Fit to be Tied!, My BIG Fat Group Wedding this Saturday, June 13 at 14 Pews. The event will begin at 1pm with a meeting of those relishing life marriage-free, followed by vow writing, contracts and interviews from 2-4pm. The main event, a group ceremony will take place at 4pm with a reception of cake and wedding photographs following at 5pm.

“There are so many facets to marriage including desire, avoidance, struggles for rights, and struggles involving individuality and property,” said artist Emily Sloan. “I am looking forward to the experience of the sharing of unique views through interviews, vows, and pseudo-contracts. The ceremony itself will then be the icing on the cake where the audience can vocalize and share their interpretations with a group.”

Organizer/Host/Blessed Reverend: Internationally unknown artist, Emily Sloan has projects including Napping Affects Performance (NAP), a participation and performance project hosted live for six weeks at Art League Houston and ongoing in Houston, east Texas, and upstate New York; Wash and Hair Wash (a benefit for Japan), public, all day performances hosted by Gallery 1724 (Houston); Salon des Refusés: artwork rejected from Lawndale Art Center's The BIG Show (2010-2011); Funeral Party, a life and death experience performed at 14 Pews, January 1, 2011 (upcoming again in 2012); TX BI 2011; a public art project for Art League Houston to be unveiled later this summer, and is the artist-in-residence at 14 Pews where the Southern Naptist Convention was recently hosted.

In her free time she enjoys impersonating and experiencing life as investigative reporter Marvin Zindler through her alter ego, investigative performer Zarvin Mindler. http://www.emilysloanblog.blogspot.com/

About 14 Pews: Located at 800 Aurora St., Houston, Texas 77009, this Houston landmark is the oldest white wooden church in the Heights. Built in 1924, it has housed the Sunset Heights Church of Christ, Aurora Picture Show, and is now home to 14 Pews. 14 Pews is a non-profit microcinema providing regular screenings of independent documentaries and feature films, along with 4 annual film festivals and several affordable film/video educational classes. For more information, please visit: http://www.14pews.org/

Special thanks to our patron saint, Saint Arnold, for sponsoring the event with beer.

Southern Naptist Convention Public Service Announcement

2011-06-07T22:16:00.002-06:00

Nikki Araguz, Michael Galbreth, Mattress Mack, Stephanie Saint Sanchez and Cressandra Thibodeaux testify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmEQQQ5GYoM

What is a Naptism?

2011-06-06T09:17:00.002-06:00

What is a naptism?
When someone believes in and is committed to a regular practice of napping, they are ready for naptism. Naptism involves an outward professing of this belief and then a ceremony of being laid to rest and doused with feathers. The believer then awakens to a new lease on life provided by regular restful, healing naps and the abolishment of any shame regarding napping.

Naptisms will be offered this Sunday, June 12 during the Southern Naptist Convention hosted by 14 Pews, 800 Aurora St., Houston, TX 77011.

THE NAPTURE!

2011-06-02T17:30:00.004-06:00

The Napture is based on the prediction that humans are increasingly becoming insomniacs. There is already evidence pointing to it being true as humans stay awake for 16-18 hour stretches on average while most animals engage in napping throughout the day (just think of how much our pets sleep!). The invention of the light bulb has affected this change as have societal pressures. People staying up through the nocturnal hours fuels insomnia and increases the usage of environmental resources while daytime sleeping is demonized as laziness. Technology is also keeping people "wired" for longer hours.

Naptists believe we need sleep for survival. If not practiced, it is predicted that on the set date of October 21, 2011 non-nappers will be left awake in an insomniac hell.

About Napping Affects Performance: Napping Affects Performance (NAP) and NAP Church are interactive performance projects by 14 Pews artist-in-residence Emily Sloan providing community naps in collaboration with various performances, including (but not limited to) collaborations with sound, word, touch, and the delivery of naps to various sites and/or contexts. In May and June of 2010, NAP operated out of Art League Houston with six weeks of continuous performances taking place during Art League’s regular hours of operation. Since then, followers and napophiles began meeting once a month for a Sunday naps and naptisms during NAP Church services.

Napping Affects Performance, Universal NAP Church, and the Southern Naptist Convention are organizing the "NAPTURE: Don't be Left Awake!" event to be held in Houston, October 21, 2011 at 14 Pews. For more information, please visit: www.nappingaffectsperformance.blogspot.com

Southern Naptist Convention, Where Two or More Gather to Nap!

2011-06-01T08:37:00.011-06:00

The Southern Naptist Convention is congregating Sunday, June 12 at 1pm at 14 Pews. Please join us for napping, naptisms, and preparing for the upcoming NAPTURE!

This is a very busy weekend as the Southern Baptist Convention is also taking place!

The Southern Naptist Convention is open to all faiths!

For more information, please contact Emily Sloan at 713-582-1198 or emily@emilysloan.com or visit: www.nappingaffectsperformance.blogspot.com

About Napping Affects Performance: Napping Affects Performance (NAP) and NAP Church are interactive performance projects by 14 Pews artist-in-residence Emily Sloan providing community naps in collaboration with various performances, including (but not limited to) collaborations with sound, word, touch, and the delivery of naps to various sites and/or contexts. In May and June of 2010, NAP operated out of Art League Houston with six weeks of continuous performances taking place during Art League’s regular hours of operation. Since then, followers and napophiles began meeting once a month for a Sunday naps and naptisms during NAP Church services.

Napping Affects Performance, Universal NAP Church, and the Southern Naptist Convention are organizing the "NAPTURE: Don't be Left Awake!" event to be held in Houston, October 21, 2011 at 14 Pews. For more information, please visit: www.nappingaffectsperformance.blogspot.com

About 14 Pews: Located at 800 Aurora St., Houston, Texas 77009, this Houston landmark is the oldest white wooden church in the Heights. Built in 1924, it has housed the Sunset Heights Church of Christ, Aurora Picture Show, and is now home to 14 Pews. 14 Pews is a non-profit microcinema providing regular screenings of independent documentaries and feature films, along with 4 annual film festivals and several affordable film/video educational classes. For more information, please visit: www.14pews.org

Save the Date: Fit to Be Tied!!!---at 14 Pews, Saturday, June 18, 2011

2011-05-27T10:16:00.014-06:00

Schedule of Events:

1:00-2:00pm---"To Tie the Knot or Knot?": A meeting of those relishing life MARRIAGE FREE! Includes: group discussion, single ceremony, interviews

2:00-4:00pm---"Knot-tying Prep, Negotiations, and Interviews": vow writing, contract negotiations, and interviews.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

4:00---Group Wedding Ceremony, Hand fastings--Hear others profess their do's, don'ts, won'ts, can'ts...join in or watch

5:00-7:00pm---Reception: cake, wedding photos and dancing!

Organizer/Host/Blessed Reverend: Internationally unknown artist, Emily Sloan has projects including Napping Affects Performance (NAP), a participation and performance project hosted live for six weeks at Art League Houston and ongoing in Houston, east Texas, and upstate New York; Wash and Hair Wash (a benefit for Japan), public, all day performances hosted by Gallery 1724 (Houston); Salon des Refusés: artwork rejected from Lawndale Art Center's The BIG Show; Funeral Party, a life and death experience performed at 14 Pews, January 1, 2011; curating the TX BI 2011; and is the artist-in-residence at 14 Pews. In her free time she enjoys impersonating and experiencing life as investigative reporter Marvin Zindler through her alter ego, investigative performer Zarvin Mindler.

About 14 Pews: Located at 800 Aurora St., Houston, Texas 77009, this Houston landmark is the oldest white wooden church in the Heights. Built in 1924, it has housed the Sunset Heights Church of Christ, Aurora Picture Show, and is now home to 14 Pews. 14 Pews is a non-profit microcinema providing regular screenings of independent documentaries and feature films, along with 4 annual film festivals and several affordable film/video educational classes. For more information, please visit: www.14pews.org

Zarvin Mindler at the Art Car Parade

2011-05-27T06:48:00.012-06:00

Zarvin Mindler visits the Houston Art Car Parade 2011 to support this amazing Houston event and share appreciation to the Art Car Artists for their dedicated work!

Above: Meow for the pick-up pussy, THUNDERPUSS! (A La Chicana Laundry Production expertly crafted by and Richard Solis and Henry Lozano.)

Greeting and thanking Stephanie Saint Sanchez for her dedication to (you-guessed-it) picking up pussy! Thanks for looking after those that stray!

Wow! Zarvin really liked this style of wearing underwear as outwear! It's contagious!!

Zarvin greeting Karen Olds with Bubbles LaRue!

Zarvin with Bonnie Blue! Bonnie, the Rock Lady, organized a group of over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders in support of breast cancer survivors! She rocks!

Zarvin with the breast cancer survivor group. Some in the group decided to refer to Zarvin as "Dr. Zarvin" due to the clean white suit!

Zarvin taken for a ride.

Bonnie Blue sharing the wealth of pink beads.

Rochelle's view...

Bonnie in mirror.

Bonnie's husband on a bike. Check out that crowd! A fabulous turn-out!

More amazing cars:

Special thanks to Bonnie Blue and Women Who Rock!

Zarvin Mindler: Public Appearance at PODA (Portable On Demand Art)

2011-05-26T08:00:00.014-06:00

Thursday, May 19, 2011: Zarvin Mindler makes a public apprearance at PODA (Portable On Demand Art) at Discovery Green! PODA is a project of Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) as part of the American Association of Museums 2011 Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo.

Above: Zarvin at large.

Zarvin deciphering Aerosol Warfare Codes.

Zarvin peeking-in-a-pod. (Jillian Conrad)

Zarvin shaking hand with a man in a striped shirt.

Zarvin spots a fourth PODA titled "Box of Curiosities". There are also whispers of it curiously being referred to as Box 13...Is this to throw Zarvin off?

Zarvin shakes hand of man in blue shirt.

Zarvin horrified that the alcoholic refreshments have been depleted.

Special thanks to: Emily Link, Dean Liscum and Alex Tu.

What Goes on Inside White Cubes? Zarvin Mindler Defrosts the Facts from the Frost-Covered

2011-05-26T07:57:00.003-06:00

PRESS RELEASE

What Goes on Inside White Cubes? Zarvin Mindler Defrosts the Facts from the Frost-Covered

For Immediate Release-- HOUSTON (May 1, 2011)—Acting upon an anonymous tip that Box 13 ArtSpace has been using a refrigerated “white cube” slyly referred to as “The Kenmore” for more than perishables, Zarvin Mindler organized a frost-biting sting. Mindler infiltrated Box 13 with what she referred to as her “Everyone’s An Artist” tactic. This tactic involved Mindler claiming to be a performance artist with her crew disguised as her photography artist friends and documentarians.

Once inside, Mindler discovered the icy cover-up to be much larger than just The Kenmore. Mindler reported finding up to 10 refrigerated cubes and the possibility of even more. She made her way through several of these cubes, including one coyly guarded by the distraction of its Boxer artist/owner keeping his legs perpetually in the air in an effort to thwart Mindler. Mindler stated, “Although this was a fascinating feat, I refused to allow it to distract me from getting to the bottom of what is going on inside these white cubes! The shenanigans only made me more determined to defrost the facts from the frost-covered. ” In full transparency, Mindler also commended one of the Boxer artists for his impeccably clean black cube containing clean surfaces, fresh foods, and a thermostat.

Upon finally locating The Kenmore and searching inside, Mindler reported the horror of discovering ritual food dolls including some crackers with her own likeness. A Boxer artist who has requested to remain anonymous made the outrageous claim that the dolls were not part of a ritual but were the cast of a sitcom called “The Freshleez…” that was housed in the The Kenmore and produced by La Chicana Laundry. These allegations of further abuses by additional appliances currently remain under investigation.

Above image: Zarvin Mindler next to a photo of her role model Marvin Zindler

Zarvin Mindler determinedly working around legs perpetually in the air. (above)

Zarvin Mindler commends a Boxer. (above)

Zarvin Mindler horrified at the discovery of ritual food dolls including some crackers with her own likeness!

About Zarvin Mindler:
Zarvin Mindler is an investigative performer whose primary method includes Boxer artist Emily Sloan modeling herself after former Houston Press and KTRK-TV investigative reporter, Marvin Zindler. Among Zindler’s many contributions to the local culture, he hosted the infamous “Rat and Roach Report” which included investigating public ice machines for slime. Zindler, Mindler, and Sloan further share a soft spot for the elderly, the working class, the eccentric, designer make-up, white hair and blue glasses.

About The Kenmore and Box 13 ArtSpace:
Not just another white cube, The Kenmore is a small, cold artist-run exhibition object located within Box 13 ArtSpace in Houston, Texas. The Kenmore is just one example of the innovative projects ongoing at Box 13 ArtSpace. Together, they aim to keep things fresh!

Special thanks to Dean Liscum, Trina McIsaac, Tudor Mitroi, Mark Ponder, Bobby Younce and Box 13 ArtSpace.

Southern Naptist Convention, Call for Proposals from Committed Naptist Brothers and Sisters

2011-05-13T13:52:00.004-06:00

The Southern Naptist Convention is seeking proposals, papers and artworks related to napping and conducive to sleep. The 2011 Convention will take place beginning at 1pm on Sunday, June 12 at 14 Pews, 800 Aurora St., Houston, TX 77009. If this call appeals to your heart of hearts, please submit a proposal to Rev. Emily for consideration. Proposals and questions received at emily(at)emilysloan(dot)com or 713-582-1198. The deadline for proposals is May 31, 2010. This call is open to all faiths.

(Pictured above: Ruby "Lips" Woodward, Napping Affects Performance, 2010)

About Napping Affects Performance: Napping Affects Performance (NAP) and NAP Church are performance and participation projects by Emily Sloan providing community naps in collaboration with various performances, including (but not limited to) collaborations with sound, word, touch, and the delivery of naps to various sites and/or contexts. In May and June of 2010, NAP operated out of Art League Houston with six weeks of continuous performances taking place during Art League’s regular hours of operation. Since then, followers and napophiles began meeting once a month for a Sunday naps and naptisms during NAP Church services. NAP and NAP Church are organizing the Southern Naptist Convention to be held in Houston, June 12, 2011 at 14 Pews. For more information, please visit: Napping Affects Performance.

About 14 Pews: Located at 800 Aurora St., Houston, Texas 77009, this Houston landmark is the oldest white wooden church in the Heights. Built in 1924, it has housed the Sunset Heights Church of Christ, Aurora Picture Show, and is now home to 14 Pews. 14 Pews is a non-profit microcinema providing regular screenings of independent documentaries and feature films, along with 4 annual film festivals and several affordable film/video educational classes. For more information, please visit: www.14pews.org

We're doing it again! The Salon des Refusés 2011: Artwork rejected from The BIG Show 2011!

2011-05-02T23:00:00.020-06:00

Announcing a Salon des Refusés of artwork rejected from Lawndale Art Center's "The BIG Show."

New location: Gallery M Squared
(339 West 19th St., Houston, TX 77008)

Important dates and times:
Drop off: Sunday, June 26, 1pm to 5pm
Drop off: Monday, June 27, 5pm to 8pm

Opening date: Friday, July 1, 2011, 6:30-9pm
On view: Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm

Closing date: Saturday, July 9, 2011
Pick-up date: Sunday, July 10, 1-5pm

Details:
*One entry per artist.
*Entered artworks must have been rejected from Lawndale Art Center's The BIG Show 2011.
*Artworks must be accompanied by their rejection slip/label from The BIG Show.
*$5 to $10 suggested donation, 100% of which will go to the bar/reception and advertising
*Please note space is limited.
*Artwork may be turned away.
*Artists may bring one page of information (such as a statement or bio.) to be included in a notebook about the exhibition.
*People's Choice Prize to be voted on during opening, one vote per person so bring your parents! Prize money has been generously donated by Marv Chasen & Mike Rudelson.

Questions? Please contact Emily at emily(at)emilysloan(dot)com or call 713-582-1198.

Thank you, and best of luck either way!

About M Squared...
Gallery M Squared founded in 1991 is located in the historic Heights Theater at 339 West 19th Street. The gallery represents American artists of different generations and handles work in all types of media, including painting, sculptures, photography, film, video, drawings and printmaking. The mission of the gallery is to collect, preserve, research and exhibit fine and decorative art. The gallery owner's are Max Boyd Harrison and Mike Kubis.

About the Salon des Refusés: Artwork Rejected from The BIG Show...
The Salon des Refusés: Artwork Rejected from The BIG Show is an exhibition of artwork rejected from Lawndale Art Center's jurored exhibition, The BIG Show. It is inspired by the Salon des Refusés held in Paris in 1863. The original salon of 1863 consisted of artwork rejected from the official Paris Salon. Exhibiting artists of the Salon des Refusés of 1863 included Paul Cézanne, Édouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, and James Whistler among others. Following in the spirit of a statement from Napolean III about such a salon of "Wishing to let the public judge...," this current day version arranged by artist Emily Sloan allows Houston-area artists the opportunity to share their work regardless of a juror's selection choices...though they must at least have tried!

Sweet Throat

2011-04-16T13:20:00.006-06:00

Title: Sweet Throat
self-portrait with mouth cavity filled and overflowing with sugar
2011

About the work: Sweet Throat is about grit, gagging, over-indulging, the senses and something good gone wrong. Whether reading Aurora Brackett's poem (below), viewing Sarah G. Sharp's artwork, or reflecting on my own health and internal states, I feel a sense of longing to connect to oneself, and struggling to climb and look beyond. This lead me to create the experience of being filled with a mountain peak of sugar crystals overflowing from my mouth. Similarly to the poetry, I am examining my own capacity and limitations.

The Other Side
by Aurora Brackett

a broken jaw
a brown may
symphony of light
from unseen
open source

gnathic: of or relating to the jaw

isn't this where desire lives
this first hinge
opened

hope in the waxed crease of lips

my jaws are mountains

in wanting you I wander

this is not a blazen
I have love my own name

this place
my crest
is restlessness

this place is basalt
nascent

the other side
spouting light

that catches
in my teeth
like sugar

This collaboration will be included in Sarah G. Sharp's project "From Dexter to Sinister."

More about Sarah G. Sharp:
Sarah G. Sharp is an artist who uses everyday materials to explore the construction and expression of individual belief systems and their relationship to a larger “community.” She holds an MFA in Studio Art and an MA in Modern and Contemporary Art, Criticism and Theory from Purchase College, SUNY. Sarah is the recipient of a Getty Research Institute Library Research Grant and a BRIC Arts Media Fellowship. Her work has been exhibited and screened in numerous venues including The Aldrich Museum and Real Artways in Connecticut and Frederieke Taylor Gallery and Stephan Stoyanov Gallery in New York. Sarah's collaborative initiative From Dexter to Sinister will be included in the exhibition Here, There and Everywhere, part of the Transcultural Exchange Conference to be held in Boston in April, 2011. The publication of her oral history interview with the artist Elaine Reichek for the Smithsonian Institute’s Archive of American Art is forthcoming. Sarah is currently a lecturer in the New Media Department at Purchase College, SUNY and will teach Video Production in the Art Practice Graduate Program at School of Visual Arts in New York in 2011. She lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

Thank you to Daniel Alt and Jill Nepomnick for their help with the performance.

TX BI 2011: A Celebration of Texas-based Bisexual Artists

2011-04-15T00:11:00.003-06:00

PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Emily Sloan
emily@emilysloan.com, http://curationmyth.blogspot.com
713-582-1198

TX BI 2011: A Celebration of Texas-based Bisexual Artists

For Immediate Release—HOUSTON, TEXAS (April 15, 2011)— TX BI 2011: A Celebration of Texas-based Bisexual Artists: a group exhibition curated by Emily Sloan, on view at Curation Myth Ministries, Box 13 Artspace, April 30 through May 21.

Daniel Adame, Sasha Dela, Ben Tecumseh DeSoto, Ryan Hawk, Koomah, Traci Matlock, Y.E. Torres, Addie Tsai and Julia Wallace are the selected artists for the exhibition. Work presented includes performance, photography, video, and zine. The exhibition is curated by Emily Sloan and on view in her studio/exhibition/meeting space Curation Myth Ministries within Box 13 ArtSpace. The exhibition coincides with the Texas Biennial also on view within Box 13 ArtSpace and has a reception on Saturday, April 30 from 7-9:30pm.

“This show is very exciting as it offers a setting for a micro-dialogue of bisexuals operating outside of both homosexual and heterosexual communities” said Emily Sloan, curator of the exhibition and studio resident of Curation Myth Ministries. “I wanted to open my studio to other artists to give them a chance to share their unique vision. The show being in the same building during the same time as the Texas Biennial just adds yet another layer of excitement!”

In addition to the opening night of Saturday, April 30, the exhibition will be open to the public on the following Saturdays from 1pm to 5pm: May 7, May 14 and May 21. Saturday, May 21 at 2pm there will be a closing artists' and curator's talk.

Attached image: Traci Matlock, photograph, 2011

For more information, please visit:
Emily Sloan (www.emilysloanblog.blogspot.com)
Curation Myth Ministries (www.curationmyth.blogspot.com)
Box 13 ArtSpace (www.box13artspace.com)

--
Emily Sloan
Curation Myth Ministries
Box 13 ArtSpace
6700 Harrisburg Blvd.
Houston, Texas 77011
emily@emilysloan.com
713-582-1198

Reenacting Marvin Zindler

2011-03-31T11:11:00.005-06:00

Historic reenactments are underway based on flamboyant Houston news icon Marvin Zindler's criminal photography from the 1950's! Reenactments are taking place around Houston this spring and summer with several sessions in July at the Museum of Printing History where his photography from the 1950's is on view.

Please contact me at 713-582-1198 or emily@emilysloan.com or leave a comment here if you would like more information or to participate.

Thank you!
Emily

At the Hair Wash...

2011-03-31T08:27:00.000-06:00

Hair Washing Benefit for Japan, this Sunday, March 20 from 10am to 6pm

2011-03-18T06:10:00.001-06:00

Hair Washing Benefit for Japan, this Sunday, March 20 from 10am to 6pm.

Performance artist Emily Sloan will recreate her hair washing performance with all proceeds going to the Red Cross.

This is a "drop-in" event. Both participants and observers are welcome.

If you would like to help out (i.e. assisting participants, providing refreshments, etc.) at any time during the event, please contact Emily at 713-582-1198 or emily@emilysloan.com

Location:
Gallery 1724, Contemporary Art Salon
1724 Bissonnet St. (between Dunlavy and Woodhead)
Houston, Texas 77005

www.gallery1724.blogspot.com, gallery1724@gmail.com

NAP Church: Daylight Saving Time Travel

2011-03-18T06:09:00.000-06:00

pics coming!

(NAP) Church: Daylight Saving Time Travel

2011-03-13T10:22:00.002-06:00

Houston, TX - Art League Houston is excited to announce NAP Church: Daylight Saving Time Travel, a collaborative art performance between Emily Sloan’s Napping Affects Performance and Patrick Turk’s Time Travel Research Institute Presents: in recognition of Daylight Saving Time, which begins March 13 at 2:00 a.m. The performance will take place in the main gallery on Sunday, March 13, 2011 from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eye coverings, ear plugs, and a limited number of cots will be provided. Yoga mats and sleeping bags are also welcome. This event is free and open to the public and all faiths.

The Time Travel Research Institute Presents: and (NAP) have come together to create NAP Church: Daylight Saving Time Travel, an environment for visitors of the gallery to come and catch up on their lost hour of sleep. “The first day of Daylight Saving Time is the perfect time to take a nap at The Time Travel Research Institute,” said Emily Sloan, napping minister and naptician from Napping Affects Performance. “Patrick Turk’s light installation offers an organic and spiritual environment that is ideal for adjusting one’s physiological time clock.”

About Napping Affects Performance
Napping Affects Performance (NAP) is a performance and participation project by Emily Sloan providing community naps in collaboration with various performances, including (but not limited to) collaborations with sound, word, touch, and the delivery of naps to various sites and/or contexts.
In May and June of 2010, NAP operated out of Art League Houston with six weeks of continuous performances taking place during Art League’s regular hours of operation. NAP and NAP Church are organizing a Southern Naptist Convention to be held in Houston, June 12, 2011.

For more information or to book a naptism or mobile nap, please call 713-582-1198 or email: nappingaffectsperformance@gmail.com or visit: www.nappingaffectsperformance.blogspot.com

About The Time Travel Research Institute Presents:
Prepare to enter the surreal and extraordinary research laboratory of artist and quasi-scientist Patrick Turk, whose recent studies in quantum mechanics and atomic sciences have generated an interactive light installation that playfully explores the phenomenon of time travel through a series of sculptural works that combine three-dimensional collage with electronic mechanisms, LED technology and futuristic design.

About Patrick Turk
Patrick Turk is a self-trained Houston-based artist from Galveston, Texas. His works have been exhibited throughout Houston in galleries including Art Storm, Lawndale Art Center and Rudolph/Projects/Art Scan, as well as galleries in Galveston, Texas and Los Angeles, California. His works have been published several times in Mung Being Magazine and include high profile commissions for the 2009 Houston Art Car Parade Poster, as well as the Philokalia album cover by Golden Cities.

ABOUT ART LEAGUE HOUSTON
Art League Houston is one of Houston's longest operating non-profit visual arts organizations and was the first alternative art space in Texas. Founded in 1948 and incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1953, Art League Houston (ALH) was created to promote the public appreciation of and interest in the visual arts. During the past 62 years, ALH has provided over 785 exhibitions to the Houston community, showcased the work of nearly 12,000 artists, and instructed over 36,000 students through the Art League School and outreach programs.

Free Naps at Little Woodrows

2011-03-13T10:21:00.001-06:00

images coming...

Artist-in-residence at 14 Pews

2011-02-28T18:03:00.006-06:00

14 Pews has invited me to be their first Artist-in-residence! For more information, click on the link or read below...

From Steven Thomson of Culturemap:

First 14 Pews artist-in-resident Emily Sloan plans free marriage service among summer events

The nascent microcinema 14 Pews made its mark on the New Year with a performance artwork by Emily Sloan. Entitled "Funeral for the Living," the piece included visitation and eulogy writing services and an open service in which participants read eulogies, notes, confessions, resolutions and sang songs. In addition, participants were invited to contribute items to be burned in a funeral pyre. To enhance the community appeal, attendees brought their favorite funeral foods for a potluck, which followed the service.

Now, Sloan has been honored as the first artist-in-residency at 14 Pews.

"When I first founded the organization, I wasn't thinking so much about a performance arena, but I found that it really honors the space," says 14 Pews founder and director Cressandra Thibodeaux of the converted church, originally home of the Aurora Picture Show.

During "Funeral for the Living," participants enjoyed a New Orleans-style jazz band and rejoiced over a collective fire in the backyard.

"The space was so engaged," recalls Thibodeaux, who had previously envisioned the venue as an arena for theater. "I stood back and thought, 'Wow, this is such a great performance art space.'"

"14 Pews, being a church building, was a fit for the funeral, as it will be elemental to whatever else I do there," Sloan told CultureMap in an e-mail.

"I think she's just a great performance artist," Thibodeaux says. Sloan's position will allow her access to the site for curatorial needs, recording equipment, as well as the ability to host a potential fundraiser. "It's more of a platform," explains the director.

Along with hosting a second "Funeral Party for the Living" on Jan. 1, 2012, Sloan has devised two events for this summer: On June 12, 14 Pews will host The Southern Naptist Convention (in reaction to the June 12-15 Southern Baptist Convention). "I'm getting several artists to collaborate," Sloan says, dropping names of Houston performers, including a professional whistler. After the performances, the group will nap in union inside 14 Pews.

One week later, on June 18, she plans to conduct a "Free Marriage Service."

"All day we're going to be performing weddings. I'm ordained, and it's a free church and free party," Sloan says. "Part of it will be like a workshop with the of writing of vows, discussing commitment and redefining contracts."

A graduate of the MFA program at University of Houston, Sloan has emerged as a leader in the contemporary art scene with such projects as Gallery 1724, Napping Affects Performance and The Kenmore, an exhibition forum located within a mini-fridge at BOX 13 Artspace.

Also on tap this year at 14 Pews: a production of Tony n' Tina's Wedding, conducted with puppets. "I just ordered the lyrics," Thibodeaux shared, adding that she's beginning the search for qualified puppeteers.

From the 14 Pews website:

14 Pews is proud to have Emily Sloan as our Artist in Residence. She will develop two site-specific shows for us. Emily Sloan practices art inspired by healing and mourning rituals, ceremonies, longings, and social contexts. Outcomes include performance, object making, social involvement and spaces, and curating for unique venues including The Kenmore. In 2010, Sloan has had a solo show at Redbud Gallery in Houston, Texas; Napping Affects Performance (NAP), a participation and performance project at Art League Houston which is ongoing in Houston, east Texas, and upstate New York; Wash, a public, all day performance hosted by Gallery 1724 (Houston);organized a Salon des Refusés showcasing artwork rejected from Lawndale Art Center; and founded NAP Church.

In 2011, the artist hosted the inspiring “Funeral Party for the Living” at 14 Pews. For 14 Pews, Sloan will continue to develop performance and participation projects, which stimulate audience involvement and are steeped in the atmosphere of a church. For more information about the artist and related projects, please visit: nappingaffectsperformance.blogspot.com, and www.emilysloan.com

Funeral Party for the Living

2011-02-18T22:43:00.017-06:00

Funeral Party for the Living took place on January 1, 2011. It is one of several ritual projects I utilize in my art practice as an ongoing exercise to explore healing and death rituals. The audience participates in actions encouraging realizations of the brevity of life and aiding in connecting to the present.

Front of the 14 Pews church with mourning wreaths on the doors.

View from behind the desk of the "Eulogy Writing Deaconesses." During the visitation before the funeral, a eulogy writing service was available for attendees needing assistance or last minute advice.

The fashionably mournful.

A "Eulogy for Art" was read.

A brass band lead by Nick Cooper.

The back yard funeral pyre where participants said good-bye to such things as addictions, jobs, bras, lovers, and hemeroids, among other things.

The funeral food potluck included foods such as ambrosia salad, funeral pie, severed arm cake, cooper coins for the afterlife, and sweet funeral wine.

All images courtesy of 14 Pews.

Press links:
coming.......

Ice Staffordshire

2011-02-18T21:37:00.002-06:00

These ice sculptures are modeled after Staffordshire ceramic dogs my mother collects. Seeing them in the impermanent material of ice reminds me of the fragility of her and the power of objects--whether as surrogates or collectibles.

This ice sculpture is dedicated to a Staffordshire Terrier, referred to as Scrappy, I helped a friend rescue. Scrappy seemed unusually aware, keen to people and situations. My friend kept the dog as his own. I longed for this dog or at least to know her condition and location. Neither the friend nor his father would tell me what happened to her...

NAP Church at Little Woodrow's, Sunday, January 23, 2011

2011-01-22T11:57:00.000-06:00

For Immediate Release-- HOUSTON (January 19, 2011)—NAP Church, arranged by Napping Affects Performance and Emily Sloan to take place at Little Woodrow’s, 4235 Bellaire Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77025, on Sunday, January 23, 2011 from 1pm to 4pm. This event is in conjunction with artist June Woest’s RoadsignUSA project including a nearby billboard designed by artist Mari Omori inspired by “Napping Affects Performance.” The sign was unveiled on August 26, 2010 and will be removed shortly after Sunday’s service.

A prayer meditation tailored to each participant will be available for individuals throughout the period. "Drop-ins" are welcome anytime between 1 and 4pm. Eye coverings, ear plugs, and a limited number of cots will be provided. Yoga mats and sleeping bags are also welcome. This event is free and open to the public and all faiths.

“I am looking forward to sharing a time of uplifting napping at Little Woodrow’s Ice House, especially as it is playoff season” said Emily Sloan, napping minister and naptician from Napping Affects Performance. “This is the perfect time to put aside the burdens we daily carry around and just rest. It is also a great opportunity to share with people about the upcoming Southern Naptist Convention to be held in Houston on Sunday, March 13, 2011."

About Napping Affects Performance: Napping Affects Performance (NAP) is a performance and participation project providing community naps in collaboration with various performances, including (but not limited to) collaborations with sound, word, touch, and the delivery of naps to various sites and/or contexts. In May and June of 2010, Napping Affects Performance operated out of Art League Houston with 6 weeks of continuous performances taking place during Art League’s regular hours of operation. Collaborators with the project include: Mari Omori, Kisa Parker, Beth Secor, Julia Claire Wallace, June Woest, Ruby “Lips” Woodward, Art League Houston, El Rincon Social, the Heart of Texas in Nacogdoches, Lawndale Art Center during The BIG Show, Little Woodrow’s, NOTSUOH, and St. Rose College in Albany, New York.

For more information or to book a naptism or mobile nap, please call 713-582-1198 or email: nappingaffectsperformance@gmail.com or visit: www.nappingaffectsperformance.blogspot.com

For more information about RoadsignUSA, please visit: www.junewoest.com

About Little Woodrow’s: The original Little Woodrow's “by the railroad tracks.” The first location is a little smaller and also a little quieter than the others. Inside you’ll find a big long bar full of regulars enjoying the company of one of our long time bartenders. This place has pool tables, dart boards, trivia, Golden Tee Live, and an on-call naptician! For more information, visit: www.littlewoodrows.com

Funeral Party for the Living to take place January 1, 2011 at 5pm

2010-12-23T08:24:00.002-06:00

"Funeral Party for the Living" will take place on New Year's Day at 5pm at 14 Pews. The event will include visitation and drinking, eulogy writing assistance, a funeral service open to the public to speak, sing, etc., a funeral sound procession created by the audience along with whatever instruments/sound makers they'd like to bring, a funeral pyre for burning symbolic items contributed by the public, and a funeral food pot luck and recipe swap, so bring a dish!

Funeral attire is encouraged.

This event is free and open to the public. Observers are welcome.

Contact info.: emily@emilysloan.com, 713-582-1198

For more info. visit: www.thelivingwake.blogspot.com

Please feel free to re-post and share this event!

Organizer/host: Internationally unknown artist, Emily Sloan was born on April 1, 1983 outside of Beulah, Texas to John Bartholomew Sloan and Sue Nan Hoya Sloan. She presently survives and practices art inspired by healing and mourning rituals, longings, and social contexts. Outcomes include object making, performance, social involvement and spaces, and curating for unique venues including a contemporary art salon, The Kenmore: an exhibition object, and a secret gallery hidden behind a bookcase. In 2010, Sloan has had a solo show at Redbud Gallery in Houston, Texas; Napping Affects Performance (NAP), a participation and performance project at Art League Houston which is ongoing in Houston, east Texas, and upstate New York; Wash, a public, all day performance hosted by Gallery 1724 (Houston); organized a Salon des Refusés; and founded the Universal Nap Church.

About 14 Pews: Located at 800 Aurora St., Houston, Texas 77009, this Houston landmark is the oldest white wooden church in the Heights. Built in 1924, it has housed the Sunset Heights Church of Christ, Aurora Picture Show, and is now home to 14 Pews. 14 Pews is a non-profit microcinema providing regular screenings of independent documentaries and feature films, along with 4 annual film festivals and several affordable film/video educational classes. For more information, please visit: www.14pews.org

Funeral Party

2010-12-06T09:41:00.000-06:00

Performance: Entwined

2010-12-06T09:38:00.002-06:00

Entwined is a performance of hair giving. It was performed on November 19 (the Friday before Thanksgiving) with a group I have worked with as a Healing Artist for approximately a year and a half. To bound our relationship even tighter, I offered everyone in the group a lock of hair they could cut off and keep as a memento of me and a passing on of power.

Above: We are discussing Victorian traditions of hair saving, exchanging and hair work. In some cultures and stories the sharing of hair is a sharing of power. Hair is also significant as a part of the body which will not rot.

Reading 19th century sayings such as "when this lock of hair you do see, think of me."

Above: A selection is made from the nape of the neck.

Above: A participant gives me a lock of their hair.

Photography courtesy of Crystal Owens.

Rebirth Ritual

2010-12-06T08:04:00.001-06:00

"Rebirth" is a ritual event that took place at El Rincon Social on Sunday, November 14. A truck bed filled with blessed fluid was utilized for participants to be buried/submerged in and then reborn as part of a ritual of beginning anew.

The rebirthing process...

Photos courtesy of Michael Brims and Emily Sloan. More photos to come.

Water Break

2010-12-06T07:48:00.006-06:00

Water Break: pick-up truck, tarp, water, release
Action took place following a performance of "rebirth" at El Rincon Social in Houston, Texas on Sunday, November 14.

Truck before:

Unidentified woman near water hose/umbilical cord as the truck is being filled with water.

Water Break:

(Above photo courtesy of Heili Geistert)

Red Sheet placenta was released as well.

Feather Break

2010-12-03T22:21:00.009-06:00

Feather Break: pillow feathers, fans, birdblock

Feather Break is by nature a work-in-progress currently set-up at Box 13 ArtSpace. During the November 13 opening, it was on and off due to power surges. By the following weekend for ArtCrawl, it ran steadily.

Set-up:

Interior view...

Photos by Emily Sloan or Merilee Minshew.

Performance: Rebirth / Breaking of the Water

2010-11-09T15:30:00.009-06:00

"Rebirth" is a ritual event to take place at El Rincon Social on Sunday, November 14 from 5pm to 10pm. A truck bed filled with blessed fluid will be on hand into which participants may be buried/submerged and reborn as part of a ritual of beginning anew.

The evening will end with "The Breaking of the Water" from the truck onto the earth.

These performances are dedicated to Houston performance artist and Performance Art Houston event organizer Julia Claire Wallace and are part of an evening, called “heyBABY” celebrating her soon to be born daughter.

This event is open to participants and observers.

Nacho Mama's Fridge!!!

2010-11-09T15:02:00.001-06:00

“Nacho Mama’s Fridge” is a group show of art-for-sale-at-irresistibly-affordable-prices celebrating both generosity and democracy in art with most art priced under $20 at The Kenmore, Box 13 ArtSpace, November 13- December 31, 2010. The opening reception is Saturday, November 13 from 7pm to 9:30pm.

Bonnie Blue, known for her “Women Who Rock” series encompassing portraits on rocks, shoes, bras, and an art car, Cody Ledvina, artist and co-founder of “The Joanna Gallery” in Houston, Texas, Veronica Jackson, Houston-based poet and painter, Merilee Minshew, artist and jewelry designer, Jarrod “Toonzi!” Perez, cartoonist, comic artist and creator of “Screwed-Up Comics”, Keith Reynolds, artist and founder of “The Houston Entertainicle”, Madeline Robinson, capturer of personalities, Lindsey Simard, painter of watercolor hipsters, and Kristi Wilson, current resident at The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft present work at The Kenmore at Box 13 Artspace this Saturday. The exhibition is curated by Emily Sloan.

The majority of the artists in this show sell their works at extremely affordable prices on a regular basis in an attempt to share it with more people and provide themselves with a quick turnaround in their invested materials and time so they can keep creations flowing. Several other artists interested in this idea and approach have joined in creating “irresistibly affordable” art especially for this show. Unlike the refrigerator art a proud parent may exhibit, all of the works are for sale! Additionally, nachos will be served during the opening.

Image: Sweet Meats, earrings by Merilee Minshew

Location:
The Kenmore
Box 13 Artspace
6700 Harrisburg
Houston, Texas 77011

Contact The Kenmore at 713-582-1198 or thekenmore@gmail.com

Performance: Turning the Pages of The World's Largest Book!

2010-09-28T13:41:00.013-06:00

Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom, the world's largest book, is 5 feet by 7 feet and weighs nearly 150 pounds. MIT's Michael Hawley is the book's creator. On Friday, September 24, I turned the pages of this book for approximately 3 hours.

This book is in the collection of the Museum of Printing History in Houston, Texas.

Performed by Emily Sloan.
Photos courtesy of mitch samuels grystar.

A special thanks to the Museum of Printing History, Amanda, Charles and Anne.

Funeral Food

2010-09-27T23:15:00.004-06:00

Saturday, September 25 was the last day of labotanica's School of Latitudes. For the occasion, I prepared self-serve, pot-luck style funeral food (a.k.a. casseroles, cake) along with a wall of photographs from the Eulogy/Wake Workshop held privately for the latituders on Thursday, September 16. The wall was painted pink and had mirrors covered with a black cloth referencing my research into Victorian mourning rituals. Mirrors were covered to prevent the deceased's soul from becoming trapped in them and to prevent mourners from seeing their own reflections and possibly leading to their own demise.

ABOUT WAKE: Wake is an interactive performance project comprised of explorations of death rituals including the writing of (living) eulogies and hosting of (living) wakes. The mission of the project is to encourage participants to (but not limited to) review life through the contemplation of death and to connect to the present.

Waves at The Children's Aquarium in Dallas, Texas

2010-09-27T19:31:00.004-06:00

These wave-like sculptures of mine were installed last week at The Children's Aquarium in Fair Park, Dallas, Texas.

Ariane Roesch and Christoph Hüppi, RJ Curatorial Experiences, Inc.

2010-09-23T07:14:00.005-06:00

Ariane Roesch and Christoph Hüppi Debut New Work in a Two-Person Exhibition curated by RJ Experiences, Inc.

On view at The Kenmore, Box 13 Artspace, September 18- October 21, 2010.

Above: RJ Curatorial Experiences, Inc. (Rachel Hooper and Jonathan Leech) installing their exhibition.

Ariane Roesch installing.

"More Heat." by Ariane Roesch

"More Heat" details.

Paintings from Christoph Hüppi's "Get to the Point" series.

Hüppi details.

Christoph Hüppi and Ariane Roesch. (above)

Opening reception on Saturday, September 18, 2010.

A special thank you to Jonathan Leach, Rachel Hooper, Christoph Hüppi, and Ariane Roesch.

Living Eulogy/Wake Workshop with School of Latitudes

2010-09-23T07:09:00.003-06:00

Hair that won’t rot even when I’m gone…objects that I can’t take with me yet I mourn when they are lost…comfort in funeral food…the writing of living eulogies to explore being alive…and planning living wakes of ritual, honor, celebration and wonder.

Wake is an interactive performance project comprised of explorations of death rituals including the writing of (living) eulogies and hosting of (living) wakes. The mission of the project is to encourage participants to (but not limited to) review life through the contemplation of death and to connect to the present.

On Thursday, September 16, eleven members of labotanica’s School of Latitudes participated in a private living eulogy workshop at the home of one of the latituders. Presented are images from that event…

For more information, or to participate in a Wake-related event, please contact Emily at emily@emilysloan.com

Living Eulogy Workshop

2010-09-14T14:08:00.002-06:00

A private Living Eulogy/Spilling the Dirt/The Story So Far/Last Bio You’ll Ever Have to Write! Workshop will be held at latituder Carrie’s home on Thursday, September 16 starting at 6pm. The workshop will be conducted by Emily Sloan for the latituders of the School of Latitudes. Afterwards, we will have a pot luck dinner (of course!). If you are unable to bring food, don’t worry, its not a Judgement Day party (we won’t hold it against you).

Wash Day

2010-09-13T12:43:00.002-06:00

Wash is a performance about cleansing, ritual and intimacy. A full day at Gallery 1724 in Houston, Texas was devoted to the washing of hair including anointing with oils. There were twenty participants and numerous observers. It was a nicely paced day of washing and talking. During Wash, conversations included memories of September 11, 2001, memories of having their hair washed by their mothers, and the love and pampering of having their hair washed by someone else. We also discussed comparisons to foot washing and baptism, vulnerability, and the intimacy of touch, particularly to the head.

The performance was documented through photographs and sound.

Above photo courtesy of Dean Liscum and Sophie Simons.

Photos courtesy of: Heather Korb, Dean Liscum, Merilee Minshew, Sophie Simons, and Emily Sloan.

Floor before, with foils...
Floor after, foils with imprint from traffic...

Wash---one day only, September 11, 2010

2010-09-04T10:54:00.004-06:00

Wash is a one day performance of the washing of hair to take place on Saturday, September 11, 2010 from 9am to 5pm at Gallery 1724, 1724 Bissonnet St. (between Dunlay and Woodhead), Houston, Texas, 77005.

Wash will be performed by Emily Sloan and the participating audience.

“It is the ritual situation which makes the hair “powerful”, not the hair which makes the ritual powerful.” --E. R. Leach

This event is free and open to the public.

Napping Affects Performance at Little Woodrow's

2010-09-04T10:51:00.002-06:00

Mari Omori and June Woest created a "Napping Affects Performance" sign on the 4200 block of Bellaire Boulevard in Houston, Texas.

Friday, August 27, from 5pm to 8pm, Napping Affects Performance administered naps next door at Little Woodrow's (4235 Bellaire Blvd., Houston, Texas 77025) from 5-8pm. There were many inquiries about the project and the time slots filled with five nappers napping from 15 minutes to an hour.

Napping Affects Performance and RoadSignUSA: napping at Little Woodrow's bar

2010-08-27T10:13:00.007-06:00

Mari Omori's and June Woest "Napping Affects Performance" sign went up yesterday on the 4200 block of Bellaire Boulevard in Houston, Texas.

Friday, August 27 (tonight!) from 5pm to 8pm, a naptician from Napping Affects Performance will be providing naps next door to the sign at:

Little Woodrow's
4235 Bellaire Blvd.
Houston, Texas 77025
713-661-5282

Please join us!

RoadsignUSA: napping affects performance

2010-08-19T15:20:00.004-06:00

Above image: Self-portrait by Mari Omori

Artists Mari Omori and June Woest have a project called RoadsignUSA which will be recognizing the Napping Affects Performance project through a billboard to be unveiled next Thursday, August 26. The location of the billboard is: 4200 block of Bellaire Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77401. On Friday, August 27 from 5-8pm, Napping Affects Performance will be nearby at Little Woodrows with a mobile nap station set up for napping. Come join us!

From June Woest's blog:

Mexican farmers take siestas after lunch. In China, males are seen on their factory breaks napping in public on rigid vehicle barricades. Since Japan has embraced corporate naps for public health, maybe it is not counter intuitive to think American women and men can learn to relax during the day and still compete in the labor market of global competition.

RoadsignUSA #4 recognizes Emily Sloan's performance art and participation project titled, (NAP) Napping Affects Performance. It makes the conflict between sleep and stress more public, and more fun. The image for this roadsign was drawn by artist, Mari Omori, was inspired by Emily's project (NAP). Mari's reclining figure mimics her actual experience with (NAP) at one of Emily's Power Nap Stations around the city.

Emily, a social worker at one time, will deliver Mobile Naps to your workplace- and as part of the (NAP) experience, bring a cot, clean linens, pillow, face mask and ear plugs.

Call 713-582-1198 or eMAIL emily@emilysloan.com

http://www.nappingaffectsperformance.blogspot.com

labotanica, School of Latitudes, WAKE

2010-08-11T15:52:00.004-06:00

I am about to begin a residency at labotanica's School of Latitudes. While at labotanica, I will be working on "WAKE." Check out labotanica at: www.labotanica.org

More coming soon about "WAKE"

Salon pics

2010-08-11T15:52:00.001-06:00

coming soon...

CLEANSE...

2010-08-05T16:00:00.004-06:00

CLEANSE took place at The Foundry on Saturday, July 31, 2010. While participants lay on their backs they were wiped clean three times with a cloth soaked in cool water. They were then wiped down with tea tree oil to cleanse and offer a tingling sensation. This was especially refreshing due to the heat and humidity of the August evening. Afterwards, they were allowed to rest until they were ready to "rejoin" the world. Eucalyptus oil burned throughout the process.

This process is symbolic of how bodies are customarily wiped clean after death. As the participants were not dead, they had the gift of returning the the "rest" of their lives.

Something to Put Something On--Saturday, July 24 at Box 13 ArtSpace in Houston, Texas

2010-07-22T10:08:00.009-06:00

“Something to Put Something On” features Martha Clippinger’s, Russ Havard’s, and Isaac Powell’s explorations involving paintings on objects or object-like forms. In their artwork, the "something" and the “something it is on” become equally important. This exhibition is curated by Emily Sloan.

(Above image courtesy of Isaac Powell.)

Russ Havard and Isaac Powell both arrive at their creations from a painting background. Their artworks consist of paintings on elaborately constructed forms. In their writings about their artwork, both artists mention arriving at this physicality of form from physical limitations. Havard's delicate landscapes on intimate, curved forms evolved into their current state after his finding out he had an auto-immune illness, while Powell addresses the challenges of being handicapped with visual problem solving as seen in his finely rendered paintings on forms with shelves, sleeves and propped pieces.

Martha Clippinger addresses the object first and often creates pieces to be experienced in the round. Clippinger utilizes found objects which she then paints. These objects are collected from sites all around her, often initially in the form of scraps and discarded materials which are then given a new life with colors and patterns. She links her attraction
color and pattern to an upbringing surrounded by domestic fabrics such as upholstery and her grandmother’s quilts which adorned every bed in their house.

"Something to Put Something On" will open Saturday, July 24 from 7pm to 9:30pm at Box 13 ArtSpace, 6700 Harrisburg, Houston, TX, 77011.

(Above image courtesy of Martha Clippinger.)

(Above image: Russ Havard's "Skyline.")

Artist bios

Martha Clippinger grew up in Columbus, Georgia, and it was there that she experienced the art of regional eccentric artists. She left the South to pursue a BA in Art History at Fordham University and later received an MFA in Visual Arts from Mason Gross School of Art, Rutgers University. Since then she has worked as Coordinator of New York Semester on Contemporary Art at Drew University. Recent exhibitions include Jettison: New Ideas in Abstraction at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee and I wanna be somewhere, Daily Operation, New York. She is a recipient of the Marie Walsh Sharpe Studio Fellowship for 2010. Past awards include: the Nadine Goldsmith Artist’s Fellowship at Vermont Studio Center, University Merit Scholar Award and Teaching Fellowship at Rutgers University, and Vasari Lecturer at Fordham University. She currently lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn where she is the creator and organizer of the basement gallery space, The Dirty Dirty.

Based out of Lufkin, Texas, Russ Havard is represented by George Billis Gallery in New York, New York and Los Angeles, California. Havard has exhibited at The Museum of East Texas in Lufkin, Texas, the Longview Museum of Fine Art in Longview, Texas, the Art Museum of Southeast Texas in Beaumont, Texas, Blue Star Art Space in San Antonio, Texas, The Jones Center for Contemporary Art in Austin, Texas, and the Bath House Cultural Center in Dallas, Texas. Havard’s artwork has been featured twice in New American Paintings and is in the collections of Time Life Corporation, Washington, D.C., Longview Museum of Fine Art, Longview, TX, and Vector Corporation, Dallas, TX.

Isaac Powell is a recent graduate of the MFA program at Washington State University who now teaches painting and drawing at Eastern Kentucky University. Powell interweaves the themes of life, growth, reproduction, and creativity with those of his own personal history in his still life and landscape depictions. Having been born without a right hand, the flora in his work directly references the body, its appendages and digits. By addressing his own anxieties through the imagery of plant cuttings and graftings, he has developed his own vocabulary for confronting both awkwardness and beauty. Powell feels compelled to displace this physical handicap by creating highly crafted hand made supports and structures for his paintings and drawings.

Losing sleep: Let's open our eyes to the facts and make proper rest more than a museum piece

2010-07-18T13:12:00.001-06:00

Losing sleep: Let's open our eyes to the facts and make proper rest more than a museum piece
Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle
July 16, 2010, 8:29PM

For just six weeks this summer, a dim, hushed room at Art League Houston displayed a relic from the past: people taking naps. Called N.A.P. — short for Napping Affects Performance - and designed by artist Emily Sloan, the space offered soothing gray walls, soft white noise, and cots outfitted with immaculate sheets and fresh pillows. Visitors were welcome to lie down for a nap - and for much of June, many did.

Sloan's room was an art piece, but its celebration of daily downtime without shame, multitasking, or furtive checking of e-mail is backed up by science.

Adequate sleep is endangered in the United States, a deficit strongly linked to the chronic health problems draining us economically and politically. Too little rest, for example, has been shown to throw off hormone output that regulates satiety after eating and the ability to process sugar. Dozens of other studies link inadequate sleep to obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

And it's not just medical students and pilots who are tired. Americans overall get an overage of only 6.9 hours' sleep a night - an hour less than we slept in 1960 and 15 to 25 minutes less than we did in 2001, sleep physician Lawrence Epstein wrote in Newsweek. These seemingly small quantities of rest can have a stunning effect on functioning. Just 20 to 30 minutes of napping can measurably improve mood and performance, the National Sleep Foundation reports. And in one NASA study of sleep-deprived pilots and astronauts, a 40-minute nap boosted performance more than 30 percent - and alertness by 100 percent.
Sleeplessness may have the most pronounced effect, though, on children. All of the 31 major studies of children's sleep and weight gain showed strong correlations between too little sleep in childhood and obesity either in childhood or years later. Meanwhile, families that police their children's sleep habits with an old-fashioned rule about bedtime also achieve the 21st-century holy grail: higher test scores, according to the nonprofit SRI International research center.

While afternoon naps may have served an evolutionary purpose, the rhythms of U.S. culture pretty much make them impossible. Nonstop accessibility by phone and computer, plus social pressure to work relentlessly, undermine many a decent night's sleep at home. Siestas seem unthinkable. Yet it's become clear that proper sleep is one of the cheapest, most potent tools we have to help rein in our national health care bills.

It would take a concerted effort to re-cast the workday nap as a respectable - even responsible - activity. But it was also tough to get Americans to quit smoking. Reviving the nap, in fact, might be surprisingly popular. The cozy Art League complex isn't usually the site of protests, but as Sloan's show neared its closing date, scrawled placards appeared on the tree and walls outside: SAVE THE NAP ROOM. It could have been the work of angry art lovers. But maybe it was the whisper of a silent majority, yearning for the focus and peace that comes from 20 minutes of socially approved shut-eye.

For more info: http://nappingaffects performance.blogspot.com/

Claudia Kolker

Sweet Dreams: Emily Sloan NAP (Napping Affects Performance) by Nancy Wozny

2010-07-16T16:19:00.002-06:00

Click here or read below: Sweet Dreams: Emily Sloan
NAP (Napping Affects Performance)
by Nancy Wozny in VISUALSEEN

It all started with an invitation—for a nap. Emily Sloan invited me to snooze as part of NAP (Napping Affects Performance), a performative installation at Art League Houston. How could one resist an invitation to nap?

I have always had mixed emotions about napping. As I move deeper into my 50s, I worry about becoming one of those people who nap on and off all day. Yet, I remember the heavenly state of my children, who napped during their early years as all children do. Once, my sister asked why my baby son slept so much of the day when he didn't actually do anything.

Do we need to shut down as well? How can that be an artful experience?

Sloan addresses these questions with humor, rigorous investigation of collective aesthetic activities, and her own whimsical ethos, which permeates every aspect of the project.

When I finally arrived for my scheduled nap, I was immediately struck by the sense of calm in the Art League building. Something was different. Wandering through the halls, I came upon a door with a sign that read, “Shhh, we are napping, come in.” I was drawn
to the ambiguity in the statement. We are asleep but we want you to come join us. Felt just odd enough.

The room projects peace and serenity. Blue-gray walls yield an uncanny warmth. The color extends only three-quarters to the ceiling, sending a grounded feeling. A white table, with delicate lamps on either side, recalls my teenage bedroom. Cots gracefully set around the room have a tiny hint at a clinical environment, as does Sloan, who appears in full naptition garb. Sloan was on duty the entire run of the show. “It was extremely fulfilling to be a part of the project every day,” she says. “I felt relationships grow, saw people awed by its simplicity and beauty, and enjoyed the many, often repeat visits.” The quasi-medical perfume is part of the fantasy. I am thinking of public napping stations in some future world, where people would be encouraged to take a break from anything they are doing to refresh, and simply let the world slip away for a cat nap during the course of their hectic day.

Now is a good time to remember that about half of the world engages in some form of mid-afternoon siesta, if not sleep, it's a rest and a welcome break. Currently, the siesta is under siege as the manic pace of the Western world slowly creeps southward.

A few young men are wrapping up their naps. They sit quietly on their cots speaking softly. Sloan leads me to my cot, bringing fresh linens. The temperature in the room is perfect. Before I drift into blessed snoozeville, we share a few words on our sleep thoughts. She speaks in a hushed tone, even though the young male nappers have since left the room. Although our chat qualifies as an interview, I am aware she is preparing me for the nap.

She's quite knowledgeable about sleep science. Yes, it's a science—and a mystery—hence a suitable territory for art. Every night we willingly become temporarily paralyzed for 4-8 hours. Currently, approximately 50 % of the population people suffer from insomnia at some point in their lives. Just about every one of the body's processes is affected by lack of sleep. Scientists still do not know why humans sleep, but they know for certain that without out, it we lose function rapidly.

Eventually, we wind up our chat and I am ready to take my nap. I had been thinking about it all day, and it was time for me to claim my nap prize. Sloan returned to her post at the front of the room where she stands guard, reading or crocheting.

I slept. I dreamed. I became an art object, a sleeping one. I woke up-refreshed, full of calm energy and focus, as if my battery got an upgrade. That's the power of the nap.

Sloan experimented with the NAP, concept prior to the Art League show. “I had performed performance/participation art pieces around the idea of a community naps. For example, a story and nap arranged in a bar, a cuddle puddle/bedtime story as at a performance intermission to rejuvenate an audience for the remainder of the evening.”

Over the course of NAP Sloan has held several community naps, many have been sold out. Although I was not able to partake in a community nap, the idea seems like a sound one. Imagine your boss or your mother suggesting everyone take a group snooze. Productivity would go up and children would fight less and do better in school. Beth Secor read bedtime stories, and Ruby "Lips" Woodward whistled lullabies. Like a good clinician, Sloan kept meticulous notes on her blog, where she charting her experience and those of the participants. “I learned how willing/eager people were to connect with such a project. I think it had to do with the atmosphere--it almost became a sacred place to visit, whisper, be calm,” says Sloan. “Also the need for rest, reminiscing about grade school community naps--the project and space itself almost became a security blanket.'

Sloan also delivered naps if you were deemed lucky enough to be selected for a visit from the mobile nap unit. “The Mobile Naps grew out of the NAP project, and they will remain ongoing. The idea of an unforeseen context, and having participants pick a context, is something I am very interested in,” she says. “ Also, it is fun to bring the magic and permission to nap to them.”

Sloan has always been interested in the intersection between public art, public service and social spaces. She's drawn more to the slippery roles between art maker, curator, orchestrator and performer. NAP effortlessly flows between these roles. “In addition to art, my background is in Social Work,” she says. “On several occasions, I was asked if I was a social scientist, so the project really seemed to integrate the two well.”

Ending NAP came down hard on the community. Protests ensued. As with a nap itself, the show needed to end. A consultant was on hand to help those cope with the grief. She held a NAP station during Lawndale's The Big Show.

Sloan's project has re-framed the nap for me. It's not the same as going to bed at night. I take more naps now, in service to my writing and the art that I am writing about. It's a respite from the day, a pause, a welcome interruption of constant activity. It's decadent, luxurious, restorative and creative, all the things art should and can be. “From the beginning, the amount of people coming to nap exceeded my expectations. I continued to be amazed throughout the project by the returning nappers and new nappers,” muses Sloan. “This both distilled the project and was a pleasant surprise. The NAP project was magical for so many including myself.”

"Salon des Refusés" @ Gallery 1724

2010-07-10T21:00:00.011-06:00

"Salon des Refusés" is a exhibition featuring artwork rejected from Lawndale Art Center's The BIG Show 2010. The exhibition will be on view at Gallery 1724, 1724 Bissonnet St. (between Dunlavy and Woodhead), Houston, Texas 77005 from July 9 through August 7, 2010.

Bonnie Blue's Women Who Rock Art Car!

Below: Salon entrance.

Janet Hassinger and her artwork.

All images courtesy of Emily Sloan.

The Kenmore's "The small Show"

2010-07-10T20:30:00.018-06:00

The Kenmore presents "The small Show" at Lawndale Art Center. Artists: Aisen Caro Chacin, Loli Fernandez-A, Valerie Powell and Emily Sloan. Opening July 9 through August 7, 2010.

Drop-off and installation with Loli Fernandez-A.

Below: Drop-off and installation with Valerie Powell.

Below: Drop-off and installation with Aisen Caro Chacin.

The Kenmore at Lawndale Art Center's "The BIG Show."
"Outer Sculpture Garden" by Valerie Powell.
plastic, magnets

Below: "miscellaneous" by "The small Show" curator Emily Sloan.
miscellaneous

Below: "Homage to Judd" by Loli Fernandez-A.
butter

Below: "The Freezer Gallery" by Aisen Caro Chacin.
Recording of Unchained Melody, strawberry ice cream, peas.

Art model Bobby Younce and The Kenmore.

Art to see! Performing Models to Draw!

2010-07-10T19:17:00.014-06:00

This is an independent drawing/painting group I work with at Art League Houston. I organized a patio drawing session/show outside of Art League Houston and Inversion Coffee on Friday, July 9 from 6-9pm.

Power Nap Station at Lawndale Art Center

2010-07-08T22:24:00.002-06:00

There is a lot to see at Lawndale Art Center's The BIG Show 2010! Take advantage of "The BIG Show Power Nap Station" to rest, rejuvenate, and replenish your energy as you take it all in!

Putting things into perspective at The BIG Show preview party.

2010-07-08T21:19:00.011-06:00

I scored an invite (that included bringing a guest) to attend Lawndale Art Center's The BIG Show 2010 preview party. Art model Bobby Younce was my guest and aided me in giving the artworks perspective by posing next to them. Bobby is approximately 69 inches tall.

Above: Bobby with Zepeda.
Top: Lint on Black Rug, Pill Bottle and Hairbrush (sexy mirror image: IMG_1213)
Bottom: Green Room with Teddy Bear and Old Bra (sexy mirror im- age: IMG_708)

Bobby introducing the audience to The Kenmore's "The small Show."
Artists: Aisen Caro Chacin, Loli Fernandez-A, Valerie Powell, Emily Sloan (curator)

Below: Bobby working it...in front of Stuart Kimbrell's "The Virgin Mary."

Bobby napping at "The BIG Show Power Nap Station" to rejuvenate before putting more art into perspective.

Bobby and a woman in similar pink bottoms created by Lisa Paula Patrick called "Any Guy Can Hold a Girl's Hand."

Thank you Bobby Younce for your expertise in putting things into perspective at The BIG Show! Thank you Lawndale Art Center for hosting!

Salon des Refusés will open @ Gallery 1724 on Friday, July 9!

2010-07-03T16:04:00.006-06:00

Please join Gallery 1724 for "Salon des Refusés" opening Friday, July
9, from 8pm-10pm. The exhibition will close August 7.

"Salon des Refusés" is an exhibition of artworks rejected from the Big
Show 2010 at Lawndale Art Center, 4912 Main St., Houston, Texas 77002.
The BIG Show will be opening the same evening from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.

A special thanks to all participating artists!

Fariba Abedin
Melinda Ainsworth
Joel A. Bender, Jr.
Bonnie Blue
Deborah Bright
Will Brooks
Greg Budwine
Douglas Cason
Vachu Chilakamarri
Gabriel Craig
Hillary Cumberworth
Anthony Day
Ronald Dykes
Jennifer M. Dunn
Bill Fester
Jeff Forster
Reema Forster
Helena Gijsbers van Wijk
Stephanie Guajardo
Rachel Robertson Harmeyer
Janet Hassinger
Sarah Hazel
Jane B. Honovich
Cynthia Hoyt
Cecilia Johnson
John M. Linden II
Carrie Marbello
Caroline Z. Marcos
Laura "Mic" McAllister
Van McFarland
Edgar Meza
Merilee Minshew
Deborah Moore
John Nichols
Richard Nix
Annette K. Palmer
Donna E. Perkins
Chasity Porter
Valerie Powell
Preetika Rajgariah
Gilbert Ruiz Jr.
Steve Ruth
Mitch Samuels "Grystar"
Charlie Jean Sartwelle
Louise Schlachter
Carol Scott
Rachel K. Skov
Emily Sloan
Karen Smith
Madilyn Stein
Marie-Pierre Stien
Texas Pizza
Cookie Wells
Tangerine Williams
Sally Worthington
Julie Zarate
Zepeda

Gallery 1724 (www.gallery1724.blogspot.com) hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11am to 6pm. Stop
by, or call 713-582-1198 for an appointment.

Drawing Dreamland - Large Scale Drawing

2010-07-03T16:03:00.001-06:00

"Drawing Dreamland" is a children's art project I designed and implemented for Art League Houston.

Dirty Drawers on the Patio

2010-07-03T11:33:00.005-06:00

This is a show/opportunity to participate I am organizing for an independent drawing/painting group that meets at Art League Houston.

One night only! Art to see, performing models to draw!

"Dirty Drawers on the Patio"
outside of Art League Houston
1953 Montrose Blvd.
Houston, TX 77006

Friday, July 9 from 6pm to 9pm

Models: Bobby and Stephanie

Artists:
William Bailey
Hagit Barkai
Amanda Candler
Cholla
Richard Clark
Jess Coleman
Denise Crow
Gena Haber
Byrne Jackson
Rhonda Lanclos
Rona
Bill Tone
Liz Wagar

...and YOU, come draw with the group!

The small Show within Lawndale Art Center's The BIG Show

2010-06-30T17:45:00.008-06:00

The Kenmore's "The small Show" within Lawndale Art Center's "The BIG Show" will open Friday, July 9, 2010 from 6pm to 8pm inside Lawndale Art Center, 4912 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002. "The small Show" will remain on view at Lawndale Art Center through August 7, 2010.

Participants:
Aisen Caro Chacin, The Freezer Gallery
Loli Fernandez-A, Homage to Judd (pictured above)
Valerie Powell, Outer Sculpture Garden
Emily Sloan, curator of "The small Show" and owner of The Kenmore and its miscellaneous items

Drop off for Salon des Refusés--Monday, June 28 and Tuesday, June 29

2010-06-30T16:09:00.017-06:00

Mary's sign.

The gallery parking lot! Reporter Virginia Billeaud Anderson was on hand interviewing artists as they dropped-off their artwork.

Signing in...

A pizza was delivered?

Even the pizza delivery artist had to sign the waiver!

Art...

More art...

Mobile Naps are ongoing...just call for an appointment!

2010-06-27T12:08:00.005-06:00

The doors to the Nap-Site at Art League Houston have closed, but the Mobile Naps will continue. You can schedule a Mobile Nap or find out more about them by calling 713-582-1198.

For additional information visit the (NAP) napping affects performance blog.

Many thanks to Art League Houston for hosting the project!

Highlights from (NAP) napping affects performance

2010-06-27T10:26:00.002-06:00

www.nappingaffectsperformance.blogspot.com

(more to come)

Salon des Refusés—call for artworks rejected from Lawndale Art Center’s The Big Show 2010.

2010-06-09T11:39:00.006-06:00

Salon des Refusés—call for artworks rejected from Lawndale Art Center’s The Big Show 2010.

Details:

*must be an artwork rejected from Lawndale Art Center’s The Big Show 2010 (present The Big Show entry label)

*one entry per artist

*Location: Gallery 1724, 1724 Bissonnet (between Dunlavy and Woodhead), Houston, TX 77005 (www.gallery1724.blogspot.com).

*Delivery times and dates: Monday, June 28, 4pm-9pm and Tuesday, June 29, 4pm-6pm.

*Exhibition dates: Friday, July 9 through Saturday, August 7, 2010

*Note: Artwork may be turned away due to size and available space.

*No juror

*No prizes

*Free to enter!

For additional information, contact Emily Sloan at 713-582-1198 or emily@emilysloan.com

Thank you!

“Salon des Refusés" will open Friday, July 9, from 8pm-10pm at Gallery 1724 located at 1724 Bissonnet (between Dunlavy and Woodhead), Houston, Texas 77005. The exhibition will close August 7. "Salon des Refusés" is an exhibition of artworks rejected from the Big Show 2010 at Lawndale Art Center, 4912 Main St., Houston, Texas 77002.

Drawing New Connections

2010-05-25T17:53:00.011-06:00

"Drawing New Connections" is the culminating exhibition at Cage Elementary where I was an artist-in-residence this past spring through Art League Houston's Artbound! program funded by Target. As part of the residency, I collaborated with three teachers in incorporating art into their curriculum. "Drawing New Connections" features artworks created through various projects we completed. The show is currently on exhibit in their school cafeteria.

Special thanks to Art League Houston, Cage Elementary, Brook Brooks, Yamel Melchor, Cecilia Valdez, and Linda Phenix. -emily

(NAP) CAM

2010-05-24T17:58:00.009-06:00

view from the (NAP) cam at Art League Houston.

About (NAP): (NAP) is a performance and participation project providing community naps in collaboration with various performance projects, performances involving the delivery of naps to various sites/contexts around Houston, Texas and an ongoing free nap site at Art League Houston. The free nap site can be utilized anytime during Art League Houston hours, Mondays through Fridays 9am-5pm and Saturdays from 11am-5pm. Stop in anytime, or reserve a spot by calling: 713-582-1198.

Take a NAP!

2010-05-04T14:14:00.012-06:00

Napping Affects Performance (NAP) opens Friday, May 14 (6-8pm) at Art League Houston and runs until June 25. NAP is a free service and a participatory/performance project offering people a place to take a nap. NAP’s relation to performance is two-fold: its benefits on day-to-day functioning and the context participants are placed in while experiencing performance art whether a reading, interaction, etc.

Participants may drop-in or make an appointment to nap by calling 713-582-1198 any time during Art League Houston hours (Hours: M-F 9am-5pm, Sat. 11am-5pm). Special group/community events including bedtime stories and lullabies will be scheduled throughout the run of the show.

Special events include:

Friday, May 14---*Opening reception*, Kisa Parker from the University of Houston's Moore School of Music will perform Brahms' Lullaby (Opening is 6-9pm, performance is at 7pm)

Sunday, May 23---Julia Claire Wallace, performnace art, 2pm.

Saturday, June 5---Beth Secor will treat us to a storytime starting at 1:30pm.

Saturday, June 19---Ruby Woodward a.k.a. "Lips" will be whistling lullabies starting at 1:30pm.

The projected affects of NAP are a more restful community, a unique experience of performance art, and a new context for artists performing.

NAP can be followed at www.nappingaffectsperformance.blogspot.com. For an appointment to nap, please call: 713-582-1198.

Location:
Art League Houston
1953 Montrose Blvd.
Houston, TX 77006
Hours: M-F 9am-5pm, Sat. 11am-5pm
May 14-June 25, 2010

card trick

2010-04-30T15:40:00.001-06:00

card trick

Self-Cleaning Fridge/Feather Blast at The Kenmore

2010-04-29T10:02:00.004-06:00

fridge, feathers, fans...installed at The Kenmore in Houston, Texas.

Healing Arts / Soup Club

2010-04-25T11:03:00.009-06:00

Art League Houston's Healing Arts program just wrapped up the spring session. We have a show opening this Friday, April 30 at Art League Houston!

Soup Club image.
A couple of us made and exchanged soup every week.

Power Nap / Cuddle Puddle with Bedtime Story

2010-03-29T17:29:00.008-06:00

A power nap was arranged in the middle of Performance Art Houston's performance night at El Rincon Social. Audience members were invited to refresh themselves with a power nap-cuddle puddle in the upstairs loft. A timer was set for 10 minutes, and I read the group a short story called "Not Tired" from Else Holmelund Minarik's "Little Bear's Visit". Afterwards, everyone was refreshed for experiencing the remaining performances.

Photo courtesy of Matthew Glover.

teaching as performance...

2010-03-29T17:25:00.007-06:00

My adventurous drawing class...

Curation Myth

2010-03-29T17:20:00.004-06:00

My office and book as part of my curatorial residency at Bluffer Gallery ...

Inside the book...

Farewell to Rosebud...

2010-03-15T11:01:00.008-06:00

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.
---Robert Herrick

Our dear chicken Rosebud passed away Thursday afternoon, March 11, 2010. Tim and Rosebud are pictured above.

Rosebud and Rita.

Rosebud at an opening being carried around after a broken toe. Smitty Regula, creator of the Hen-a-tron, watches in the background.

Rosebud and friends.

Photos courtesy of Mary Scheible of Click Photography and Emily Sloan.

Creation Myth

2010-03-02T16:07:00.006-06:00

Creation Myth is a wall of collaborative drawings created by children with additional drawings added by adults. It is an attempt to work from a beginner’s mind as described by the saying of Shunroy Suzuki-Roshi as: “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.”

The initial collaborative drawings were created by 9 to 10 year olds participating in Art League Houston’s Artbound!, a program developed to bring art into Title 1 schools. Additional drawings were added throughout the duration of the exhibit culminating in one large artwork.

-Emily Sloan

Special thanks to Sebastian Forray, Brook Brooks, Yemel Melchor, Cecilia Valdez, Linda Phenix, Artbound! (funded by Target) and its participants at Cage Elementary, the University of Houston's graduate painting wing and the participating audience.

Window Duster

2010-02-25T18:06:00.005-06:00

window, feathers, fans...installed in a window at N Gallery in Houston, Texas.

Image courtesy of Brian and Stevie McCord.

The Kenmore...a new project

2010-02-19T12:54:00.012-06:00

Not just another white cube, the Kenmore is an artist run gallery space measuring 6"x6"x10". It is operated by Emily Sloan and housed in the freezer of her mini-fridge at Box 13 ArtSpace in Houston, Texas. It is part of a project with Aisen Caro Chacin's N Gallery. The Kenmore is a space developed to keep ideas fresh through the opportunity of a unique exhibition context. Follow us at: http://the-kenmore.blogspot.com

Not the Family Jewels!

2010-02-12T19:44:00.014-06:00

"Not the Family Jewels!" is an exhibition exploring non-precious and in some cases “not-so-wearable” wearable artworks . Artists include: Gabriel Craig, Arthur Hash, Lauren Kalman (shown), Masumi Kataoka, Katja Korsawe, Edward McCartney, Gwendolyn McLarty, Erika Pahk, Natalya Pinchuk, Gary Schott, Amy Weiks, and Kristi Wilson.

Some materials and approaches in the show include credit cards, fishing bobs, felt, performance, rawhide, rubber bands, seed bombs, terry cloth, video, vintage quilt remnants, and zip ties.

March 2010, the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) will be meeting in Houston for their annual conference. So timing, along with my own artistic interests in non-traditional materials (if there is such a distinction) and exhibition contexts (in this case the body) fueled my interest in sharing these artists’ work.

Show location:
Gallery 1724
1724 Bissonnet
Houston, TX 77005

Opening reception: Saturday, February 6, 8-10pm
Curator’s talk at 7:30pm

Closing reception: Thursday, March 11, 7-10pm
Show runs through Sunday, March 14, 2010.

Click here and here to read/see more on the show!

Mina and Dan Graur as “walking” art exhibitions. Mina generously loaned two pieces from her collection for the exhibition.

Puppy Pile in a Bar...

2010-02-08T21:25:00.012-06:00

January 29, a puppy pile was performed at NOTSUOH in Houston, Texas. A score of "Please join me in a puppy pile" was presented on a sign for the audience to read and decide whether to participate. I chose the score and had painter Heather Strange paint the words on the sign for me. This was to bring the event even further from my control as I knew it already would be performed in public. Writer and educator Emily Bludworth read Miranda July's short story "This Person" while I lay on blankets next to the sign. Three people joined me.

Heather Strange

Start of pile...

Emily Bludworth reading next to pile.

Audience at Notsuoh.