Tribe Report Archives March 15, 2007

Martin de Vore

Beware The Ides Of March!

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Looking Into History Back

Well, I actually made it to town last Wednesday for a whirlwind tour. And a pretty decent one at that. My Houston trek began with a stop at 19th Street to see the Ray Phillips exhibition at M2 Gallery. It rocked! My favorite pieces were Siren, Wish, Knock Knock and Adam. I am not alone in thinking that the subjects of Adam and Siren are Ray and Rosie, but Ray assured me via e-mail that they are NOT. Nevertheless, in the placement for the show, Max Boyd Harrison cleverly positioned both Siren and Adam directly across from each other, with a bed in between them symbolizing contested space. After showing me that, Max gave me a tour around the room explaining how -- in his opinion -- the paintings told a story about Ray and Rosie -- if you followed the paintings in a certain order from a selected starting point. Max's explanation made total sense but it -- like most entertaining theories -- is circumstantial. I once did the same thing in my 11th grade term paper, utilizing five Beatles albums to prove conclusively that Paul McCartney was dead. It also made total sense and I got an "A" on the paper. But, even though it was a strong circumstantial case, it wasn't the reality. Like Max's theory. But it does make a great story and generates interest when the tale is told. And that is a good thing. I also got a full report on Ray's show's opening from both Max and Michael Kubis. All in all, a nice visit. From there, I was summoned to Mehak Bagai's place to retrieve some paintings of mine that are going to be in upcoming shows, before Mehak left for New Mexico to work on a movie. After bidding Mehak farewell, I then proceeded to see the Overlord Mitch Cohen at his new place of employment on Bissonnet. Ever the gracious host, Overlord Mitch served up coffee and outlined some of his future imperial plans. Fortified by the Cohen caffeine, I resolved to press on. And I did. I stopped at the Watercolor Arts Society-Houston's (WASH) headquarters to visit with Bridgett Vallery but she was engaged elsewhere. After seeing some great watercolors at WASH, I left Bridgett a note and continued on my way, eventually winding up at Eastman-Smith Gallery to visit with Stäcy Smith. Stäcy and I had a great conversation about the local art scene and the future of the various tribes. After departing Eastman-Smith Gallery, it was back to Humble. That was to be my one road trip for the week. But it was not my only contact with our fellow tribe members. I also had various telephone conversations throughout the week with Aimi Dunn, Lynn Michaels, Terrence Boggs, Sorange Castillo, Laura Hodges, Michelle Graczyk and Overlord Mitch Cohen. A footnote to the week occurred tonight, Wednesday, March 14, here in Humble. I was finishing my international correspondence and about to begin to write this week's Tribe Report when Michelle Graczyk stopped by and whisked me away with her to a tavern for an hour. Now, I have returned from that foraging expedition and am sitting here employing my quadridigitalic typing skills to generate this communique. So there you have it!

Martin Notes

• To Sarah Parker: Welcome to our treehouse.
• To Alexis Andrei: Terrence says that you are back in Houston. If you are, e-mail me or call me. Mitch or Mercado can give you my number.
• To Lynn Michaels: I got your voicemail and will work on it.

Currently On View....

Gus and Wayne's Excellent Adventure

At Redbud Gallery, Corpus Christi artist Jimmy Pena's New Works, exhibition of graphite on large scale wood panels, is on view through April 1. For more information please contact Gus Kopriva at GAKOPRIVA@aol.com or visit the Redbud Gallery Web site at http://www.redbudgallery.com

At Ggallery, Restless, artworks of Kenneth E. Parris III, will be on view through March 21. For more information about this exhibition, go to: http://www.ggalleryhouston.com/ for more information or, to make an appointment, please contact Wayne Gilbert at wayne@digimag.com.

Redbud Gallery and Ggallery are located at 303 E. 11th St. Houston Texas, 77008. Gallery hours are from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, or by appointment.

Stop the Presses

Check out this article about Marie Weichman's upcoming trip to China: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/art/SOA/homepage/news%20stories/wells/wells.html

Question And Answer Time....

Yes, it's been awhile. Here are the questions I have received during the last month via e-mail, text message, cell phone call or by in-person contact.

• You seem to be sick a lot lately. Are you really sick or are you a hypochondriac? I'll let you know when -- or if -- I ever get well.

• I see the same names over and over again in this column. Why is that? Why don't you talk about different people? Because we are the only ones who matter! Just kidding. Seriously, those who send me things will find themselves in the Tribe Report. I am not a mind reader, so unless someone sends me news about themselves, or their work, how the hell am I supposed to know about it? You let me know what's going on. I'll write about it.

• There are local galleries who have good artists and good shows that I never see mentioned. Why not? See the above answer.

• What has made you happy recently? To know that my dear friend Fatima's surgery appears to be successful and will lead to a complete recovery. And, to see Chloe the Wonder Dog in good health when I went to Marie Weichman's last week.

• What is the deal with the references to the "goo" and Lacey Crawford? Lacey has been planning to do a bronze of my face -- beard and all. To keep my beard intact -- and to prevent me from looking like a dog with mange -- Lacey has to put something she refers to as goo on my face before the mold is made. Even then, I will probably lose a few whiskers. So, the plan is for Lacey to goo me and cast me and immortalize me as soon as our schedules align. Mehak Bagai says she wants to film it and post it on the Internet as a podcast or on YouTube. Whatever.

• In your column, even though it's in good humor, you pick on Terrence Boggs of Elder Street Gallery a lot. Why is that? Because Susan pays me to.

• I am confused when you refer to Diversionists and Post-Diversionists. What is the difference? It's OK. They are confused too. The simple answer? There were six original Diversionists: Michael-Ann Belin, Suzanne Delorme, Rachel Green, Laura Hodges, Catherine Hangen, and Martin de Vore. Technically, Tim Snider was also a Diversionist since he met the one unique requirement to be in the group, but he never really participated. The Diversionists were a rigid group with set meetings, once a week, at members' homes. The Diversionists formed in September 2004 and split up in November 2005 at the peak of their name recognition, although they had been heading toward extinction for awhile. In January 2006, after a two-month break, Michael-Ann Belin, Martin de Vore and Suzanne Delorme more or less (actually less than more) reformed as Post-Diversionists, or P-Divies for short. The entry requirement was the same but the parameters are very different. There are no formal meetings, no real structure -- it's more of a very loose confederation that members can choose to associate themselves with, or not. And members can come or go as they please. As of March 2007, the Post-Diversionists include: Michael-Ann Belin, Aimi Dunn, Martin de Vore, Sorange Castillo, Mehak Bagai, Suzanne Delorme, Susan Goettsche and Mitch Cohen. In all probability, Stäcy Smith and Lacey Crawford will soon be included in the group. Once you are a Post-Diversionist, you are always a Post-Diversionist, even if you are gone for a long long time. It's kind of like being a member of the Illuminati.... It will be interesting to see how Wikipedia explains it all one day. My own feeling is that a year from now, we all will probably be known as former Post-Diversionists.

• Why do some artists get better press coverage than others? Those that do, submit their information by deadline, in AP style, with their images at 300-dpi resolution and 800 pixels in width.

• Did someone really try to sell you a rat disguised as a bird? Yes, they did, and I am glad that the wings were not operational!

Coming Up....

Motion Sensors Activated

On March 24, at 8 p.m.. the Dru Rey Ensemble Art in Motion will be at Gallery 19 serving up live improvisational music and painting for a suggested $5 donation. And, let's not forget 19th Street's version of the Battle of Naseby, the Gallery 19 Art Battle and live music every first Saturday from 3-7 p.m. If you are interested in playing a set, or battling, call Gallery 19 at (713) 426-2414 or e-mail at g19heights@sbcglobal.net. Gallery 19 is also currently looking for new artists. Log on to http://www.gallery19heights.org, send your info and Gallery 19 will call you to set up an appointment.

The Elders Have Spoken...

Elder Street Gallery's next event is March Colors, part of the Inner Art Corridor's 2nd Annual Open Studios 2007 event on March 31. For more information on Elder Street Gallery or its upcoming events, visit the Web site at http://www.elderstreetartist.com/. To learn more about displaying work at Elder Street, contact Terrence Boggs at (281) 250-4889 or e-mail terboggs@yahoo.com.

Myriad Voices

On Saturday, March 31, from 6-9 p.m., nine Houston artists working with varied media and artistic concepts invite the Houston community to engage in a dialogue about topics relevant to today's concerns and experiences -- current social and political subject matter, our natural environment, and personal narratives. Featuring works by Anila Quayyum Agha, Andis Applewhite, Lucinda Cobley, Divya Murthy, Rame Hruska, Mari Omori, Emily Sloan, Katherine Venemen and Marie Weichman, the show opens at Intexture and features a musical performance by David Dove. Intexture is located at 1815 Southmore Blvd. in Houston. The show runs through April, by appointment.

Walk In The Woods/Atmospheric Landscapes

OK, it's time for another show at M2 Gallery. Would you prefer to take a nice Walk in the Woods or sit back and view Atmospheric Landscapes? Well, why not do both? And at the same time! On Saturday, March 17 (yes, St. Patrick's Day) from 7-10 p.m., architect/artist Bede Van Dyke presents new works to the public. Van Dyke's works will appeal to both left and right-brained individuals. Walk In the Woods offers the viewer a safe, reality-based body of work. Logic, math and science lead the individual on a stroll where facts rule. Out of chaos comes order -- pattern and knowledge emerging to engulf the viewer and keep them grounded. Atmospheric Landscapes leads the viewer into the big picture of intellectually-based possibilities. The viewer is forced to rely on feelings, philosophy and imagination. Beliefs, special perception and future potentials project the viewer into the realm of inner self where tranquility, peace and true bliss await. Both bodies of work co-exist and represent what it means to be a physical and a non-physical being. Van Dyke's work has been sought after and purchased by many individuals as well as corporations including: Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, Michigan and Trendway, Inc., Holland, Michigan. His work has been shown numerous times at the Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, Michigan, the Holland Area Arts Council, Holland, Michigan and The Arts Alliance Center at Clear Lake, Houston, Texas. This show runs through April 15. Of course the fabulous M2 punch will be on hand in both of its variants. AND...the rumor is that Max Boyd Harrison will be in costume as a leprechaun for this event. That's just a rumor, of course, but -- when I was last at M2 -- I DID see a green hat with a buckle and green weskit in the office. For more information, contact M2 Gallery at (713) 861-6070 or via e-mail at m2-houston@sbcglobal.net. M2 Gallery is located at 325 W. 19th Street in The Heights in Houston.

Tribal Drums

The skinbeaters have been pounding away.

• From Karen Rezai: Booker-Lowe Gallery has extended the show “Listening to the Land” featuring the works of Australian Brendon Darby. Brendon’s collection of abstract oil on acrylic on paper paintings and his charcoal drawings portray the landscapes of Australia, as experienced by the artist during his extensive travels. Booker-Lowe Gallery is also pleased to be a sponsor for the upcoming Inner Art Corridor Open Studio Tour on March 31 (http://www.innerartcorridor.com). Booker-Lowe Gallery will be open from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. that afternoon and will highlight Aboriginal works from the central desert of Australia.

• From Overlord Mitch Cohen: For April, JetBlue is bringing a '40 foot RV to the Yale Street Arts Market to show folks what's like to fly on their airlines. Should be fun! And....look to your left, I've started a new page for art classes. Fill it up! Instructions are there. Cheers!

• From MaryAnn Lucas: I invite you all to the Old Town Spring Wine and Art Festival on March 17-18, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. I will exhibit paintings and pottery - just look for the signs once you get there. The entry is free but you must buy tickets if you want to sample wines. Also, I have landscape and nature paintings -- framed originals and matted prints -- on sale through April at Mercer Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Mercer Arboretum is located at 22306 Aldine-Westfield Rd. in Humble (but actually much much closer to Old Town Spring than it is to Humble), 1 mile north of FM 1960. Mercer is open daily from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

• From Marie Weichman: Let's start with Wednesday, March 21, Artist's Saloon at Winter Street Studios, 7 p.m. I'll be one of two artists giving a presentation of my work including works in progress. It'll be Q&A time! Sponsored by BBAP and Spacetaker. Food and drink... I hear there'll be whisky! Then, Saturday, March 31, Myriad Voices, at Intexture on Southmore. Group show curated by Anila Agha. 6-9 p.m. This is a show I'm excited to be part of. Coming soon, Friday, May 4, at 6 p.m., I'm having a Huge Pottery Blow Out Sale! And finally, I'm collecting small things that we overlook in any given day.... dead insects, plants, bones, round things, sharp things, red things, soft things, etc.... I need 24 of each and each thing must be able to fit inside a 3" x 4" zip lock bag. If anyone has something like this to give me, I'll take it!

• From Dean Swanson: The March Houston Heights Restoration /Historical Committee meeting will be held on Thursday, March 15, from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at 1214 Heights Blvd. This historic 1905 deeded property was purchased by J. C. Stiel in 1911 and resold to J. C. Matthews in 1912. The home has been described as a "prarie style Queen Anne" using "balloon framing." A former owner filed preliminary paperwork in 1991 with the Texas Historical Commission as a good example of the Queen Anne style. This home was on the 1992 Heights Association Home Tour and won the "Most Improved" home that year. The current owners, Chris and Nikki Thornton, purchased this beautiful home in 1997 and they will explain the extensive restoration and 2003 addition done on this property. They will describe "balloon framing" method and will answer questions for those considering restoration with pictures to illustrate the restoration process. Antique pieces purchased at local shops may also be viewed. The Houston Heights Restoration/Historical Committee does not require membership in the Houston Heights Association and all meetings are open to the public monthly to learn about history and restoration in keeping with the neighborhood. Please let me know if you have a restoration project, historical structure or historical information or photos pertaining to the Houston Heights to share at future meeting sites and to better spread the neighborhood historical knowledge. Contact me at: restoration@houstonheights.org or telephone me at (713) 880-2832.

• From David A. Brown: Come check out the March Artist Saloon featuring Daniel Adame, Anthony Thompson Shumate and Marie Weichman on Wednesday, March 21, at 7 p.m., at Winter Street Studios, located at 2101 Winter Street. Know what else? It's FREE! The salon and the saloon meet at the Winter Street Studios Gallery. Artists and art afficionados gather for drinks and an informal converstaion about art. Artists will present and give a short talk about their work. After the artist talk there will be the opportunity to ask questions/begin a dialogue with the artists. Every third Wednesday of the month, Winter Street Studios, Spacetaker and Buffalo Bayou Art Park will host The Artist Saloon, an evening of artist interaction and libation where three artists will present, in an informal atmosphere, creative dialogues/talks/presentations about their work followed by a question and answer period where the audience can glean further insight into the artist, the artist’s aesthetic and creative process. Designed to introduce local area artists to one another, The Artist Saloon will be led by two to three artists working in differing artistic arenas (performing, visual, literary, etc.) in order to foster conversation/cross-disciplinary pollination between artists and their chosen media.Daniel Adame uses his body as an art tool to record traces of his movements. Anthony Thompson Shumate, a multimedia artist and designer, has an M.F.A. in sculpture from the University of Houston (2005) and a BFA from the University of Texas in San Antonio (2001). He is the recipient of several arts and advertising awards including a 2006 New Works Fellowship for Emerging Artists from the former Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris County, an ArtPix Grant for Las Pozas: Steps and Falls, a CD-ROM produced in partnership with photographer/videographer Rob Ziebell, and six ADDY awards from the American Advertising Federation. Marie Weichman, born in Wyoming and raised in Texas has been working as a ceramic artist since 1988. As a mixed media artist Weichman has had studios in Washington, Georgia, Connecticut and Texas. Currently she is living and working in The Heights area of Houston. Having earned an MFA from Texas Tech University, Weichman has developed an extensive exhibition record. Weichman’s solo exhibitions include the mixed media installation, “Honey Bear, Honey Bear. Honey, Can You Bear Me?” and the recent “Midnight Snack” at Redbud Gallery. Her work has been included in a number of group shows including the 2006 South Coast Clay exhibition in Mobile, Alabama. In 2003, historian Glen Brown included an image of Weichman’s work in a paper for Ceramics: Art & Perceptions, vol. 54. During the summer of 2007, Weichman will be traveling to Jingdezhen, China, for a two-month artist residency where she will produce several works in porcelain and mixed media. These works will be included in a touring, three-person exhibition after her return. Along with creating works of art, Weichman has been behind the organization of many group shows nationally and internationally. In 2000 she facilitated Small Works From Texas, an exhibition that traveled to Hong Kong, China and was curated by Marti Geiger-Ho. Weichman co-created You Don't Know The Half Of It with Huntsville-based cultural patron Ed Loera in 2002. Their collaborative project involved non-represented visual artists from Texas in an exhibition that followed a night of Texas based singer-songwriters in the round. Weichman is a founding board member of Empty Bowls Houston. For more information, visit http://www.spacetaker.org/event/?event_id=5804 or call (713) 416-2633.

Do you have something you'd like to send along? If so, get out those digital drums and e-mail me at: mldevore@gmail.com .

Tribal Drums To The Eighth Power

These messages are definitely worth multiple hearings....

• From David A. Brown: Hi folks -- I need your help! I was nominated for a community service award from the Houston Grand Opera. There is SMS or text voting that opened today. Please text the phrase "everafterhim" to 66937 then select "a" for me. Thanks!

• From Julie Zarate: I am working on an upcoming show in May at Bohemeo's with artist Mark Pinon and a solo show at Talento Bilingue de Houston is on the 2008 horizon!

• From Keith Hollingsworth: For The Love Of Art featuring work by Keith Hollingsworth, Brian Zievert, Bettie Donovan, Shizuka Laurent and Jeff Brailas is currently on view through April 29 at the ArtCar Museum, located at 140 Heights Blvd. For more information, call (713) 861-5526.

Coda

Remember, I am not the Oracle at Delphi, so if you have a show or event coming up that you want me to mention you have to send it to me at: mldevore@gmail.com

That's it for now.

Until then, keep creating art, viewing art, buying art and supporting your fellow artists of all tribes.

Martin L. de Vore is an artist and journalist once again living in Humble. Martin is a member of the Artists At Large and Post-Diversionist tribes and is currently engaged in international relations as well as spending time with his Great Granny.

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