George Ingmire film selected for National Film Registry

George Ingmire completed a poignant short, titled "Think of Me First as a Person," out of an unfinished film he found, started by his grandfather in 1960. George discovered the audio track first, on an old VHS tape, and later discovered the film and a legal pad with notes for completing "Think of Me First as a Person," as well as reels and reels that George's grandfather had shot since the 1940's, of his family, of friends playing spy games, and silkworms. George's description of the film: "'Think of Me First as a Person' is a loving portrait about raising a child with Down’s Syndrome. The father’s narration lends a remarkable poignancy to this film, as he details his son’s birth, playful nature and eventual need to receive training in an institute far away from home."

Following is an excerpt from letter from Dwight Swanson of National Home Movie Day, who saw the film when it screened here at Zeitgeist last August:

....Good Morning,
Today is one of the happiest days of my career as an archivist because George Ingmire's "Think of Me First as a Person" has been named to the National Film Registry.... After the screening this summer at the Zeitgeist I was so moved by the film that I asked George if I could show it at the Association of Moving Image Archivists' conference in November. My colleagues were so blown away by it that they suggested that we push it for the Registry this year. I am on the National Film Preservation Board, the board that recommends titles to the Librarian of Congress (though ultimately it's up to him to decide), as is a colleague of mine who
has a daughter with autism (so she was a particularly strong backer of the film). We managed to get it screened at the NFPB meeting in November, and then it was shown to the Librarian earlier this month....

see George's website for more info or for screeners:
http://www.miabuelo.com/dwight/index.htm

a story at Daily Press:
http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp-16293sy0dec29,0,1120792.story?track=rss

Search for Meaning on Julia Street

Dear Julia Street,

I attended your openings earlier this month intending to write a positive piece of criticism on any one show that would knock my socks off. Unfortunately, each one of your galleries was a greater disappointment than the last. You may not like it, you may not want to hear it, but there is a difference between art and High Art, and for years you have been in denial of which one you represent. Worse yet, you’ve convinced yourself that you‘re in a different league (read: better) than the tourist galleries on Royal.

Your shows this month featured works that rely solely on their process of creation. In other words, gallery after gallery you exhibited well-executed art that forgot to be well-thought-out. Julia Street, if High Art were pure aesthetic, looking at pretty pictures, would we not be satisfied to stay home admiring our wallpaper?

Step up and be the epicenter of High Art in New Orleans you claim to be. However, if you are content displaying well-constructed, but empty objects (cause thought don’t sell!), then call yourself what you are: a row of consignment boutiques.

Best,

Ning Bordes

Art and Death in New Orleans

I received this message from Mary Len Costa of the Arts Council of New Orleans today regarding Jacqueline Bishop's commentary on NPR entitled "Art and Death in New Orleans" about Art in New Orleans amid the violence.

"Hello:

The radio commentary below from New Orleans’ visual artist Jacqueline Bishop came out of California NPR station. It did not originally played on our local NPR station. It is good to hear someone say that the ARTS ARE BACK AND OPEN FOR BUSINESS in New Orleans. This commentary has gotten such good response from around the country, that the California station has asked Jackie to do a monthly commentary on arts in recovery in New Orleans.

Listen to the commentary: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6761681

Mary Len Costa

Director of Public Art"

ALVAR ARTS at the Alvar Branch Library

I just received this in my inbox from my good friend Zé:

"Tomorrow night, Tuesday, Jan 16, from 7-9pm is our second presentation of ALVAR ARTS at the Alvar Branch Library.

Our featured artist is Deirdre Favreau, who will present a selection of her digital photographs
and discuss issues of beauty, pattern, scale and the playful use of Adobe Photoshop software.

Refreshments will be served.

The Alvar Library is located at 903 Alvar Street in Bywater. For more information contact Anne Gisleson at (504) 813-2818 or alvarart@gmail.com.

Hope to see you there! "

Neighborhoods: 1508 Crescent St. Gentilly

The second "Neighborhoods" event will be held this Saturday night, January 13, 4-8 pm, at the home of Belinda Tanno, Joe Threat and their daughter Leah in Gentilly. The "Neighborhoods" project, instigated by Robert Vicknair, is a series of one-night-only site-specific art and sound installations in homes of New Orleanians that have returned and hope to rebuild.

The first project was "Neighborhoods: 679 Jordan Ave," at the home of Kathleen Kraus in Holy Cross. "Kathleen's house was a hub of creative activity," Robert said. In order to bring some of that activity back to her now darkened neighborhood, Robert invited a group of artists to create pieces for her gutted house and its position near the levee, and had musicians play or create sound for the space. Robert created a piece as well: since elections were the week before, Robert collected piles of political neutral-ground signs and cut them into house silhouettes. He painted them and installed them along the levee outside Kathleen's front door (see picture.)

The second Neighborhoods project will feature art by Scott Saltzman, David Sullivan, Jonathan Traviesa, Robert Vicknair, and Monica Zeringue; sound by Anton Gussoni, and SpartieTucker, and music by the Panorama Jazz Band. "It's a rescusitation, an effort to bring art back into Belinda's home, whose studio was destroyed as well," Robert says. Robert wants the neighbors included too - a family that's rebuilding on the same block, Trish Chapham, and her mother, Verna (who was a riveter at the Higgins Boatyard during WWII) were interviewed and photographed. Three other families who were displaced from the neighborhood will be remembered in installations as well.

There is no electricity at the site of the installation, but food and drink will be served. Robert received a grant for this project, and another one is planned for Mid City later this spring.

In Memory of Our Beloved Friend

Helen Hill
1970 - 2007

Driven to give freely to those in her community. Motivated by a kind and loving spirit.

An obituary from "The State" - Columbia, South Carolina's newspaper located here:

http://www.thestate.com/mld/state/news/obituaries/16401958.htm

Details for expressions of support:
"In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to “Doctors Without Borders” or to the Helen Addison Wingard Scholarship Fund at Columbia College, Columbia."

Also, look at
www.helenhill.org
for more info and links.

Digital Filmmaking Workshops at NOVAC

Digital Filmmaking Workshops through NOVAC's newly formed Digital Filmmaking Institute

Introduction to Final Cut Pro – Intensive
Saturday and Sunday, January 13th and 14th

Digital Filmmaking Production Intensive
Saturday and Sunday, January 27th and 28th

Find all the details at www.novacvideo.org

People of New Orleans

During my family’s evacuation from Hurricane Katrina I was shocked at how the press handled the catastrophe. Like the government the press was not prepared for such an event. On top of that they did not have an idea of what New Orleans was really like before the storm. It takes people living in New Orleans to talk about New Orleans. Simon Dorfman took on the challenge of documenting the event from the perspective of the people who lived it. His project is appropriately called “People of New Orleans”.

“People of New Orleans” is a collection of video interviews of people from all over the New Orleans area. Simon began his project with these parameters: the interviews would be five minutes in length with very little questions and posted to his website unedited. The interview would be lead by the interviewee with only a few questions at the beginning to get the ball rolling. These parameters evolved as the project went on and the interviews became longer. However, Simon stayed true to the other rules and did not edit or manipulate the interviews. In addition, visitors to the website can make comments about their reactions to the videos and the Katrina event as a whole. The comments add an interesting aspect that reveals the perspective of those outside of New Orleans within the affected areas and from other parts of the country.

I came away from Simon’s website refreshed to hear the thoughts of New Orleanians about their evacuation, their return home, and their rebuilding efforts. Since the storm passed the state and local governments have not been able to bring the resources together to bring the city as a whole into a rebuilding mode. As this process occurs or does not occur, the people of New Orleans are left to rebuilding the city themselves. Like so many things in New Orleans, rebuilding is a grass roots effort. Simon’s work to reveal this to the rest of the world is indeed needed.

You can find Simon’s website at http://www.peopleofneworleans.com, browse the many videos and feel free to leave your comments. You can also subscribe to the RSS feeds available on the site as well.

Don't forget to leave a comment in the "Blog Name Suggestions" entry giving your ideas on a good name for this blog!

-Tim Best

Art in Action

One of Elizabeth Underwood's many visions - a web portal for presenting and encouraging New Orleans-based site-specific work that addresses devastation and healing. Maps lead you to sites and artists write about their motivations. Read her manifesto at the website. A summary of Elizabeth's motives: "action creates connection and connection heals, encourages dialogue, and fertilizes "the environment" with the seeds of change." Elizabeth is right on--is there a better place to try out the social function of your art than here? Shown here is the Hurricane Free Zone project by G.A.S., which addresses how people who live in conditions beyond their control often have very little to comfort them other than "collective positivity" - a brilliant rip on "Drug Free Zone" signs.
-Courtney Egan

Artspot's "Artistic Ancestry" Festival gets some press

This is what I'm talking about folks, right here. Artspot received little press before and during the festival. Of course, you can't review something before you see it. But when artists like these grace your humble city, a little research into their impressive reputations and a preview is just the ticket to promoting an event that may not ever happen again.
That's what this site's for. Before and after the fact. You think someone's stuff is good, go ahead and preview their upcoming show here with an interview, some writing, some links, etc.
Is the audience for performance art "finite"? as stated in the review? What is it that limits that audience?

Blog Name Suggestions

We need a name for this blog
got an idea?
Comment with your suggestion and lets talk about it.