Recreational Aesthetics @ Darke Gallery

For the month of August, I have DARKE gallery for a studio as their artist in residence for 2012.  During this time, I will be working on "Enlight" an exhibition to open Friday, August, 30 from 6-9pm. 

Additionally, Saturdays in August from 2:00 to 4:00 PM are open residency days for "Recreational Aesthetics".  This is a time the gallery is open to the public both to see what's going on and to be distracted from such.  Refreshments and parking provided.
 
August 4: Please Don't Tell My Parents
August 11: "Water, Water Fresh and Clear" hosted by special guest Carrie A. Nation
August 18: How Galleries Remind Me of Churches 
August 25: Is that a Baby Ruth in the Swimming Pool?!
 

Location:
Darke Gallery
320 B Detering @ Feagan
Houston, TX 77007
713-542-3802
www.darkegallery.com

and The Kenmore's Artist-in-Residence is...

Sasha Dela!

Look for her work on Friday, August 31 from 6-9pm at The Kenmore within Darke Gallery.

Location:
The Kenmore
c/o Darke Gallery
320 B Detering at Feagan
Houston, TX 77007

Tactics for Napping in Rebellion

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 Church: Exercises for Rebel Nappers"

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.

Southern Naptist Convention Public Service Announcement

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

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

What is a Naptism?

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!

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!

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

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

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

Funeral Party

Performance: Entwined

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

"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.

Feather Break

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

"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.

Funeral Food

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

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