Silence

Lance Bass PSA for Day of Silence (Source)

Day of Silence - April 25, 2008.



Check it:
Day of Silence
Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network

Oh Josiah

Josiah McElheny presenting at MoMA (Source)

This is the e-mail that I sent to my friend today.

Here's a consolation prize if you can't make it on Friday:
He's just so smart. I love his voice.

Jan

Yup - I heart Josiah McElheny, and I get to see him tomorrow. If you haven't gotten your tickets, get 'em here. I almost forgot about his lecture since it's been so busy on my end. It'll be a nice way to end the week.

Turn Off

Black Out @ Google for Earth Hour (Source)

Don't forget to turn your lights off today (March 29, 2008) for an hour from 8pm to 9pm your local time for Earth Hour. Reduce your carbon footprint. I might take a nap during that hour. I am absolutely pooped.

Yay, the city of Seattle is on board.

Google should leave their homepage black all the time.

Check it:
Earth Hour

California Dreaming

the Beholder (Source)

For those in San Francisco, please check this out:

California Dreaming
April 4th through the 27th at Rare Device.

California Dreaming is about living and making art in California. 9 local artists are participating in Suzanne Shade's first curated show with Lisa Congdon of Rare Device. The finished pieces are coming into the Beholder. If you can't make it, you can find the pieces on the fantastic online art site/gallery the Beholder.

Stop by for the opening:
Friday, April 4th from 6-9pm.
Rare Device
1845 Market Street
San Francisco

Artists featured:
Mike Monteiro
Timothy Buckwalter
Lisa Congdon
Scott Barry
Martha Rich
Suzanne Husky
Naoki Mitsuse
Eric Sheib
Jennifer O'Keeffe

Check it:
the Beholder

Happy Sweater Day!

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood Episode 1468 Opening (Source)

Today will inevitably turn into one of my favorite unofficial holidays. It would've been Mister Roger's 80th b-day today. Remember the cat on the show who spoke with "Meows?" I miss that puppet. Anyway, I'll take a sweater day any day. I'm a sweater whore ... I am. We have a twofer today. It's also Spring! (Actually it's a trifecta for me: Happy Birthday, Mark!)

Come and take a look at my sweater collection sometime. (Is that the best pick-up line or what?)

Enjoy the day.

Calling All Northwest Chainsaw Woodcarvers and Admirers!

Roadside Chainsaw Woodcarver (Source)

I'm loving the whole idea of power tools now that I'm welding (which I love, BTW). While I might have to build up enough courage to pick up a chainsaw, I think it might actually be intriguing to watch bearded and flanneled chainsaw woodcarvers do their thing - there's something really oddly alluring about that image (maybe it's just me). I've been privy to some exciting news for those of you interested in seeing such a scene. And I quote:

Woodchips will fly when PEMCO Insurance hosts a chainsaw woodcarving competition on March 29th and 30th. Come partake in some good old-fashion Federal Way fun from 9 a. m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday as you’ll get to vote on your favorite carving. The competition takes place at 1411 SW Dash Point Way in Federal Way, with the winning statue replacing the Bigfoot Sculpture stolen from Dr. Tom Payne’s office last year. There will also be prize drawings and giveaways for the wee woodcarving fans who attend! (Thanks for the heads-up, Easton!)

I love it. I absolutely love the fact that it's a competition to replace a "Bigfoot Sculpture" - only in the Northwest! I might have to clear my schedule to check this event out.

Watch the commercial again ("... a mythic thunderbird dying to get out ..." brilliant! Kudos to the person who wrote the narration!):

Roadside Chainsaw Woodcarver (Source)

Check it:
We're A lot Like You

How Excited Am I for Josiah McElheny?

Josiah McElheny. The Last Scattering Surface. 2006.
Hand-blown glass, chrome plated aluminum, rigging, and electric lighting.
Courtesy of the artist and Donald Young Gallery, Chicago. (Source)

In my head I'm partnered with Josiah McElheny. I know it's strange; he's cute in that strange/nerdy/odd way. There's something about him that gets me purring. He's not only a genius with glass, he's actually brilliant in the larger sense of the word. I love listening to him speak about his work; my knees go weak whenever I do. He's fantastic, and he's coming to Seattle to speak and to exhibit The Last Scattering Surface (2006) at the Henry Art Gallery - the piece is a commentary on "the Big Bang". He speaks on April 4, 2008, at Kane Hall - University of Washington. The exhibit begins on April 5! "The show will be open for an hour after the lecture, too - for lecture ticket-holders." (Thanks Betsy for the update!) I can't wait.

Buy Tickets:
Josiah McElheny tickets available at Brown Paper Tickets

Check it:
Josiah McElheny at the Henry Art Gallery

Red Boots and More at Cinders

(Source: Cinders Gallery)

I've been meaning to acquire a piece or two more by Matthew Feyld, since I love tremendously my first purchase by him. Matthew has a blog and has posted some more of his richly colored and thoughtful artwork for his forthcoming group show, "Where Is It Slowly Going," at Cinders Gallery in Brooklyn (*sigh* my old stomping grounds). For those of you lucky enough to be in the vicinity, check it out. The show runs from February 22nd to March 23rd. I can't get enough of those red boots!

Coincidentally, Jason Polan (whose hand I now own and whose fingers I not-so-secretly covet) is showing at Cinders as part of a group show called "Brevity's Rainbow" - "A Galaxy of Tiny Artwork." The show runs till February 17.

Check it:
Cinders Gallery
Matthew Feyld
Jason Polan

Excuse the Dust ...

Experimental Portrait #2 (Source)

As some of you might have noticed, my posting have been quite infrequent (to say the least). I do have a legitimate reason. There's a lot of exciting things happening "behind the scenes." Here's a little hint: a redesign is in the works. In fact, I'm almost done with it. So it shouldn't be too long before SprampBlog gets spramping again. So stay tuned, check out some of my other fave blogs while you wait:

Palms Out Sounds
The Yellow Stereo
Made In Brazil
Pink Is the New Blog
Towleroad

Ciao ciao ... jan

Nerds, Geeks, and Dorks Unite!

You thought I was kidding about my nerds, geeks, and dorks thing. I might be a teacher of all things visual (really, I am, at the college-level - can you imagine?), but a large part of my heart is occupied by all things science-y. (I actually tried to be a scientist way back when, but I just couldn't see myself in a lab coat; and my organic chem. teacher literally kept asking me what kind of soup I was making at every lab session!) For great and timely science oriented writing, might I suggest a subscription to one of my fave mag's, Seed. I have one. Because of which, I've just been sent an invite to a panel on science writing, sponsored by the Seed Media Group and Harper Perennial, the latter publishes the fantastic anthologies that all start with "The Best Of "... Unfortch, I can't be there to attend. Me: Seattle. Event: New York City. But I encourage fellow nerds, geeks, and dorks, and all admirers in the city to go.

When: Thursday, September 27, 2007 - 7pm.
Where: Borders, Columbus Circle, New York City
What, Why, and Who: Seed Media Group and Harper Perennial present a panel event with contributors to The Best of Science Writing 2007. Jesse Cohen, series editor for Harper Perennial's The Best of Science Writing, will lead a discussion with Sylvia Nasar, Robin Marantz Henig, and Patricia Gadsby, this year's top science story contributors.