Second Seating Returns

Busy days at Diverse Works recreating portions of 2009's Second Seating. I wish all seven of the collaborating artists were represented in this redo, but space did not permit. The original show was huge, covering over 2500 square feet. This Second Seating comeback shares about 2000 square feet with five other Idea Fund grantees. The gallery is full, the projects diverse. Where might we have hung Jesse's coffee cup batik? As a swath across a corner of the gallery? Maybe. I still have Gonzo's crazy orange and yellow chandelier, but his terrific table and four chairs are long gone. Ted Estrada's table is no long either and I bet those pinata parrots have flown off too. So, here's to all of the artists who participated in the original Second Seating and are not represented in this rehash called 'Six of One, Half Dozen of the Other'. I am preparing a folder with information about all the artists in that installation on Chenevert. It was way bigger than what we are recreating.
Last Friday, ES and moved two car loads of stuff from Sonny's place. Box after box after box stacked up in a corner of the DW gallery. Am I a hoarder or what?

Beautiful still life in a U.S. Postal box.

Worked Saturday on the Wall of Plates and got started on the banquet table. Rachel hung Mercedes Fernandez' two tall embroidered paintings and they look good.

On Monday, Paul and I picked up the table for the Clorox chandelier from Sonny's warehouse and then stopped by my house to pack - very carefully - the spun sugar cathedral and the Hughes Tool pipe lights. Thank you, Sonny, for loaning us your red truck for the second time.

Sugar cathedral arrives at Diverse Works all in one piece.

Paul and Taylor hung three chandeliers on Monday. All the light bulbs work. Hurray! However, the new structure for the Clorox chandelier has a larger diameter than I'd planned - can't control everything - so this morning I'll cut up a white tablecloth and knot in more widths of fabric between the swags of filigreed Clorox bottles. That mirrored ball light should be almost obscured and it's not YET. But it will be by mid-day today.

On Friday morning the Wall of Plates will be totally finished when Jose Solis delivers his totem of china cups and vases for the center piece. He's traveling from Brownsville with the work on Thursday. In a few minutes I am off to DW for another day of assembling.
DW has been great. They actually have folks who help with the installation. Paul was been wonderful. He rebuilt an entire new structure for the wall of plates. Rachel is terrific at overseeing and planning our progress. Taylor was a wonderful help yesterday. Wish she were there again today while I'm up on the ladder messing with the Clorox bottle chandelier.
I was surprised by all this assistance. I'd expected I'd have to find folks to help me get it all together. Couldn't have imagined all the help I'm getting from DW. Thank you, thank you.

OK, it's Tuesday and time to pick up those few remaining Clorox bottles from Sonny's and get on over to DW and up on that ladder. And after that, on to the banquet table which needs a lot of tweaking.

Second Seating Comeback

Second Seating, September 2009

Several weeks ago I received an email from Diverse Works. Second Seating, that full blown installation I created in 2009, has been selected for a rerun in July, along with a dozen other of the sixty projects  DW supported with Andy Warhol Idea Fund grants. Nice.
Especially nice, as I saved so much of Second Seating, most of it packed away at Sonny's place. I can never bear to get rid of an entire installation. For years, I held on to the enormous Styrofoam boulder that Carol Gerhardt and I made for Silicon Stones in 1985. In my back garden, there are at least a ton of the river stones we used in that Houston Center For Photography installation. I've moved them twice. Imagine.

This morning I went to Sonny's to sort through many, many boxes.  Emptied several big trash bags stuffed with filigreed Clorox bottles. Must give thought to how I will reconfigure a Clorox bottle chandelier. Much of the original chandelier was used for a commissioned piece after the exhibition closed. Made a bit smaller version that could be used in a dining room. But enough filigreed bottles remain so that I can create swags. Can the swags be turned into a Maypole on the DW ceiling with that twirling mirrored ball in its center?

Original installtion of Wall of Plates, 2009.

Sure hope that DW can/will actually move the Wall of Plates into their space. We'll have to cut the wall in half and reassemble, as their doors aren't big enough for it to pass through. Days ago, in the back garden, I spread out  the 10 x 20 foot patchwork table cloth that so many women helped piece together from those fabrics damaged during Hurricanie Ike. Sadly, I tore sections of it apart about six months ago for no good reason.  I will figure something out, create a smaller banquet table.

Detail of patchwork banquet tablecloth.

This morning, I covered the floor with plates and other paraphernalia. Just had to see what remained. I have plenty to work with. I sense already that I am going to be in severe edit mode. After all, I am sharing the DW gallery space with other Idea Fund artists.

Here's hoping though, that even a reduced Banquet Table will look something like this. Found the rooster and all the pieces of that glass chandelier this morning. Everything is ready for re-installation. Thanks, DW, for offering literally offering a second seating for Second Seating.

Finally

The flight back from Seattle seems eons ago. Just looked at this downloaded photo. How beautiful it was to be flying over the mountains at sunset. And seeing it all from an upgrade into first class. I declined a glass of wine when offered, which was probably a mistake, or not.
Finally, I am getting some work done, after days spent in bed or in efforts to rehabilitate myself. I am totally, totally tired out. Without energy. All week long.
However, I spent the better part of this day with Melissa, pouring over the blanks on the Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) final report form which must be filled in and gotten to Neighborhood Centers by mid-week. Then, they can complete their portion and send on to HAA for review. Finally, NCI should receive a check for $5000, the remainder of the special opportunities grant for which they applied and were awarded on my behalf last September. HAA doles out these grant funds in two parts. In my case, that is OK, as I raised so much more money that I used to pay invoices as they arrived. I cannot imagine what artists must do about paying folks and vendors in a timely manner if they don't have ready cash at the time of delivery. Whatever, tonight and tomorrow, I'll write the narrative and then on Monday get some advice from HAA staff on allowable categories for funding and then work with Melissa once again on the expenses pages.
After we finish the HAA final report, I have a second final report to give Diverse Works for The Idea Fund grant. It's simpler, but still, it has both narrative and budget information.
I suspect few if any thank you letters for Second Seating will be drafted until these two reports are wrapped up.
I am still pondering items to put in gift baskets for folks who did so much for Second Seating. "The Making of Second Seating" - that would be the book - is only partially laid out at blurb.com, an on-going endeavor that will be finished even later this month. It's intended for funders and folks who might like a remembrance. And I think it will be a good item to put with new grant proposals, as they occur. At least, I think it will give panels and curators something concrete to peruse, for if I can make art, collaborate with others, raise funds, promote, give parties and generally create an all around successful project, funds should be granted. Enough.You probably suspect caffeine for this burst of words and you would be correct. Caffeine got me through the work of today and it's obviously still guiding my fingers on this keyboard. I finally unpacked my second suitcase this morning, though my dresser is loaded with stuff to put in a multitude of drawers, closets and other spaces.
It's still freezing outside and each day more plants shrivel and brown. I finally wrapped my little sea grape bush, the one which has been growing so nicely since early this spring. Its leaves are now frozen brown and stiff as paper. Hope the roots make it. Hibiscus is gone, as are all the potted plants. The croton plant, I've put in the screen porch. Trailing flowering vines are brown at the front of the house. Will those roots survive? Hope so. The evergreen wisteria is just that - green all over. Can't imagine that the Carolina jasmine will bloom in a few weeks as is it usual habit.
So, it's dark now and I need to check out the refrigerator for some supper and then, if I am still on a caffeine high, I'll get back to the HAA final report narrative. If not, I bundle into bed and read and wish I had some Netflix movies. I've sent them all back and the new choices from my queue are in transit. My bed is littered with books and newspapers. It's been a luxurious week, even though I've though I've felt absolutely flat, no pun intended. Talking about energy here.

Thursday

Brought home another tub of oysters shells. That makes four tubs and more to come. I go each day now to pick up more. The shells are all off behind my studio (which was my garage) and I don't think the stench or the flies are bothering anyone. I'll pour a little Clorox water on them from time to time and let the sun and heat and bugs take care of things.
Catarina was over today to sew on the banquet chandelier. I hardly know how to describe it or photograph this piece. It is so bizarre and yet it seems to work. Here's a photo of it but really needs to be hanging against a simple background. Have no idea what kind of light bulbs I'll use with it.

I did get more light bulbs for the oil pipe drilling parts that I had made into lamps. I them them and not sure whether they'll be on the floor or on a table during the exhibition. They come in series of one, two or three all linked together with transparent wires. The idea was a good one.

Also baked some more dishes today. They'd been 'drying' on the kitchen counter for a day after being written or drawn on. Can't remember where I found those two painted red compotes, but I like them and drew with gold all over them. They looked gorgeous in the oven.
Have to get busy on the invitation postcard next. I am meeting with the folks at Diverse Works tomorrow and that's a good thing.

Warhol Foundation Initiative: The Idea Fund Meets 'Second Seating'

January 6, 2009 is a very good day. I'm back in my own house, my eyes did not open until nearly 10:00 a.m., body and soul are rested from hours and hours of sleep. And that is only the context for this very good day. At 10:15, I returned a call from Diverse Works and learned that I am one of ten Houston artists to receive The Idea Fund grant made possible by a Warhol Foundation Initiative. Happy new year!

I have to say that receiving this grant just gave my whole psyche a boost. A really big boost. There is something so important about having others believe in your idea and frankly, 'its worthiness'. And 'Second Seating' now has a terrific credential that will make it so much easier for me to gather additional funding from East End businesses and private underwriters.

Thank you, Diverse Works, Aurora Picture Show and Project Row Houses for selecting 'Second Seating.' It was one of over 100 applications and one of ten 'winners.' Thanks for 'seeing' that 'Second Seating' works on several different levels: as art, as community building and as promotion for an old urban neighborhood and its industries.

After hearing about the other winner's projects, I 'see' that each of theirs will also work on several levels. 'Second Seating' is in good company.

This week I am moving 'stuff' for 'Second Seating' into large studio space - meaning that it's just about the size of Irma's exhibition space - so that I can begin the real work of manifesting these tables and chandeliers and scrims/tablecloths. This studio space is another really big gift for this project. I knew when I asked and the answer was yes that 'Second Seating' was meant to be.

So, tomorrow morning I have an appointment with another potential funder. I'll have lots to talk about. The Warhol Foundation may just be the magic words that will make this a project with which they want to be involved, even with layoffs and economic tough times. That will certainly be the hope.

I'm off to Irma's for a late lunch and a look at the tables and chairs that she's collected to see if any can be used for 'Second Seating.' If so, I'll add them into the inventory at the studio on Harrisburg. Which, by the way, needs a name. No, not the actual name of the building or owner, but a 'Second Seating' name.


And later this month, Irma and I will drive to South Texas to talk about tin can chandeliers and table top ideas with Jose Solis and Teodora Estrada, two artists who'll be joining this project. Above is a tin can piece Jose made years ago that I bought for the Greater East End Management District. Call it it sun and an apt visual for the district's tag line, "The New Day Begins.'

It's also time to get back with Jesse Sifuentes, an East End muralist who'll be a part of 'Second Seating'. I believe The Idea Fund grant will make 'Second Seating' more real to these three artists and that we will now begin work in earnest.

Back to The Idea Fund. Here's what the Aurora Picture Show's website says about it:

"Through the Warhol Foundation Initiative, Aurora Picture Show, DiverseWorks and Project Row Houses have come together to support art at its source by providing direct grants to artists. The Idea Fund recognizes that Houston is home to a vibrant and energetic arts community, and that adventurous ideas deserve adventurous support.

The Idea Fund provides cash awards to Houston-based, artist-generated or artist-centered projects that exemplify the unconventional, interventionist, conceptual, entrepreneurial, participatory, or guerrilla artistic practices that occur outside of the traditional frameworks of support.

The Idea Fund provides cash awards to up to 10 artists, associations of artists and/or curators that create and showcase new work that involves the public via process, production, or presentation. The Idea Fund will accept proposals from artists/curators focusing on the visual arts, performance, film, video, new media, social practice, and interdisciplinary projects.

Projects may include an exhibition or exhibition series; a public art project; a one-time event or performance; the ongoing work of a collective, collaborative, or artist space; an online project or publication; an artist residency; a series of screenings; and more. The Idea Fund seeks to support new works with the resulting project activities accessible and presented to the public."

Happy new year 'Second Seating' !