ArtSceneAK #316 August 29, 2004

VOL 03 ISSUE 16 August 29, 2004

	NORTHERN LENS: RAY KING REIGNS AT CHUGIAK HIGH SCHOOL
NORTHERN LENS is the name Philadelphia sculptor Ray King has given his latest installation at Chugiak High School near the upper parking lot. A thirty foot tall ring of trusses on a six foot pedestal, Lens has the distinction of being among the most valuable of Anchorage's public art assets, commissioned for around $140,000. King designed the structure in virtual 3D software on a Mac G4 and then led a team of assistants to produce the finished piece. Everything including the glass is specially fabricated or modified to King's specifications. The trusses are constructed of stainless steel tubes and are wider at the base than at the top, which can be seen in the photo at right. An 800 pound plate with a highly polished bracket attaches the trusses to a custom truncated concrete cone. The scale and presence of the sculpture are unmistakeable.
		TRUSSES & TENSILE WIRES:SCIENCE King kept ArtSceneAk and others aware of his progress on the installation. "Hello everyone, The crane is scheduled for 3PM, Thursday to place the "Lens" with the glass attached onto the conical base. The welds have been reworked and approved by the inspection service. We have one more weld that will be done when the lens is up as it is not accessible on the ground. The sidewalk ring is cast and Northwood will hook up the lighting this morning so we will have illumination for Thursday night." The dichroic glass is manufactured with laminated plates and cut to a succession of triangular shapes in this piece. Other works by this internationally respected glass artist also involve supporting these individual glass elements with stainless steel wires and rods, often attached to trusses. The effect is constantly changing, as can be seen at left where the bottom lights look blue, where they appear red in the lead photo. The index image for this issue gives a further example of the rainbow range of the fresnel mylar layer in the glass.
		LENS: ENGINEERED STURDILY King's expertise extends to representing himself on his website, a good place to learn more about his talents and other commissions. He kept busy while in Anchorage running his crew and it is too bad there wasn't time to salute this artist and solicit his remarks in a lecture to locals. He had praise for Warren Carthers new glass installation at the International Airport. Northern Lens, while beautiful and distinctive as an object, also has the intrigue of expertise. It serves as a model of what can be accomplished using science to expedite art.
		FIRE LAKE:ART OF THE RINK The Harry J McDonald Recreation Center at Fire Lake above Chugiak has several robust works of art associated with the ice rink. A large figure skate outside (by Mike Sirl in 1995) is topped by a floppy bow. (not shown) In 1984, Robert Feldman made the identical steel silouhettes seen at left painted in grades of orange to red suggesting motion. Although not much was attempted with this simple cutout design, it retains an elemental appeal and identification reinforced by its location next to the main entrance. The road to the Center is quiet in late August, so much so that ArtSceneAK surprised a little black bear warming his behind on the macadam afterward.
		GRIZZLY SOW W' CUB:SIRL CUSTODY Some times you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you. Grizzly Sow with Cub is Homer resident Mike Sirl's latest sculpture, installed in the landscape outside the State Courthouse. Sirl does a lot of slamming with a hammer to achieve his likenesses in steel, and creates an abstract realism that is rustically satisfying. The work involved is debilitating in spite of or because of the intensity of will which drives Sirl to make hard copies of objects both wild and domestic. The gesture of this mother and child reunion is one of protective awareness. The cub leans back into the Sow as it stands for a better look at whatever is causing both of them to point their ears across the plaza. Another homily about bears is worth remembering in the context of human relationships: Don't get between a bear and her cubs! Mike Sirl helped design and build the world's largest chocolate waterfall at the Alaska Wild Berry business off International Airport and New Seward Highway.
		MUSEUM-AMERICANS:COMMUNITYThe BridgeBuilders teamed up with the Museum for a special event on the giant expanse of lawn that is slated to be cluttered with trees after the expansion. This event was an effort to show the Museum's desire to increase its relevance in the Community. Each enclave was hyphenized with the word American. This format is familiar as Italian-Americans or even African-Americans, but since when has there been a category called Hawaiian-Americans or Alaskan-Americans? Visual art was most ably represented by the fabrics presented by the Peruvian-Americans and was notable in its absence in most other booths. Costume and dance seem to be the major cultural identifiers, clung to as points of distinction in the homogeneous American experiment. Pew Charitable fund released a report in late July called "Art Museums in Transformation: An expanded version of the Program for Art Museums and Communities" The book introduction is available online and synopsizes the efforts of other institutions similar to the Anchorage Museum which have also addressed community 'relevance'. Another byword was questionable during the July visit by expansion planners. Lead Architect David Chipperfield was impressed that there was 'no interest whatsoever in an integrated gallery' and, being blunt, said "you need to sort out integration. I sense that everyone is holding on to agendas." He seemed frustrated that no central authority was accepting decision making responsibility in the face of his generic suggestions. Chipperfield and associated teams are set to espouse 'Final Design Concepts" September 21 at the Museum.
		BORN TO BE: SPENARD MURALISTS Woodland Park Boys and Girls Club encouraged a group of Spenard kids to work out on the cinderblock wall facing the south playground, and they came up with a jig-saw segmented creation which expresses their feelings about Alaska and the USA. "This is where I (was) born to be myself" is just one of the sentiments expressed in text, and graphics depict an underwater world, a castle and dragon, a bear family, a map of Alaska and a globe of the Earth. The kids obviously had a lot of fun and a sure adult hand to guide their efforts, and everybody is pleased with the results.
	-OPPORTUNITIES- 9/9/04 deadline extended OREGON ARTS COMMISSION Public Safety Training Academy Art Selection Committee is interested in public artwork that reflects the spirit of protection and service that represents the Department. $180.000 budget for two art zones. RFQ's at OAC. 9/20/04 deadline CITY OF HOUSTON ARTIST REGISTER has an RFQ for artists wishing to participate in their Public Art program, expected to spend several million dollars in the next 5 years. 9/24/04 deadline KING COUNTY COURTHOUSE seeks portable works of art (excepting videos) for purchase program. 9/30/04 deadline INDIAN ARTS & CRAFTS BOARD of DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR seeks listings for a nationwide directory. Copies of tribal documentation required. Info. Contact 1849 C St., NW, MS 2058-MIB, Washington, DC 20240 or call toll-free 888.278.3253 for application 10/01/04 deadline RASMUSON FOUNDATION ARTIST GRANTS applications accepted for $25,000 Distinguished Artist, $12,000 Mid-Career, and $5000 Project Awards. Contact Helen Howarth for the scoop 10/1/04 CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO CENTRAL SUBWAY seeks artists RFQ Budget exceeding $2,000,000. 10/1/04 deadline HOMER COUNCIL ON THE ARTS seeks participation in ”Heroes, Saints, and Sages” Mail Arts Show, PO Box 2318, Homer AK 99603 contact 907-235-5966 10/15 AMHA EARTH FIRE AND FIBRE EXHIBITION solicits artist submissions. Juror David Revere McFadden, chief curator at the Museum of Arts and Design $4000 awards, $20 entry fee. Prospectus. 11/1/04 ALASKA STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS ARTISTS IN THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM is accepting applications from artists with something to teach. $1000/week. Contact 907-269-6682 or use online form. WRITING FOR THE VISUAL ARTS by Mashey Bernstein & George Yatchisin Sylvan Barnet advises how to write about the arts, this book by University of California Santa Barbara professors offers guidance in the writing required of an artist. Beginning with student papers, and progressing through statements to grant writing and beyond, this book is recommended by ArtSceneAK for those who wish to polish their 'narratives'. NEXT: STATE FAIRLY FEEDBACK Aggravated again?! Get a NO Prize for proving us wrong. Let us know you love us or hate us and tell us about your upcoming event or opportunity and get a No, Thank YOU. Help correct attribution errors you suspect. SHORTCUTS: When we use your 100 word reviews of any show you've seen recently, sweet and sour, you'll earn a free limo ride some First Friday. Form makes it easy. cf also ART IN ALASKA , a partial listing of links to Museums, Galleries, and individual Artists around the state.	REALLY BIG HEADS: BUZZ SCHWALL Donald 'Buzz' Schwall and Yngvil teamed up to produce the play BIG FRIENDLY GIANT and the enormous heads were guests at a recent party in Spenard described below. One of the characters is shown at left peering through the smoke of barbeque with an expression of alert expectancy. The puppets were 'stars' in the Alaska Theater of Youth's Summer Conservancy. PHILO & AL:WYNE STUDIO BENEFITTime Changes and Bruce Farnsworth have been developing an arts fusion around Alan Lightman's Einstein's Dreams for a future performance possibly in the Mountain View 'Arts District' and Spenard Art District doyenne Sheila Wyne dedicated her annual studio bash to raising funds to assist production. Chief among the attractions was the opportunity to sponsor a TV with a contribution and then pay for a melon to load the catapult operated by creator Jeff Good to assault the wall. In the battle between watermelons and televisions, early returns had the TV's still burning even though occasionally dislodged by a globule. Until, that is, Robert Curtis-Johnson, director of Bob's Shorts and president of the state movie preservation non-profit, stepped up in his kilt with a melon of destruction which finally burst a tube convincingly. An .avi file that shows the trebuchet in action is available by clicking the photo of the Wall of TV's. Chuck your melons into the wall of TV's in the BACK ISSUE Index. Thanks and Welcome to a new Subscriber in Anchorage and to a continuing supporter who needed to be refreshed on her password and said gratefully: "Thanks, Don. You're the BEST!" Also the ONLY! Taliah Lempert writes from NYC:"I'm happy to announce the Bicycle Coloring Books are now available! 10"x12" with 26 pages to color and it comes with a set of 8 crayons in a snap handle bag. The book combines my two favorite things, painting and cycling, in an active way. It looks great, & makes a fun gift." Shala Dobson wrote to say: "We liked your salmon (NASCAR Jack) a lot. Good Work. We have been up at the lake working on proposals." Ah, the rigors of the artist's life. A theater enthusiast moving south asked to be removed from the ArtSceneAK announcement list: "Much appreciated your newsletters while in Anchorage. Break a leg, and keep up the great work." Candyce Hoskins wants us to know she is back in town and online. Two upcoming exhibitions of note: Public Art exhibition at the Museum September 21 through November 14. and Paint Out artists in Anchorage showing results of Andy Sonneborn's organizational efforts at Paint Spot in AK at 610 West Second Street, reception Friday September 3. Publisher's note: "This issue marks the 6oth edition of ArtSceneAK, reviewing Alaskan Art and Alaska Artists twice monthly in an electronic format. Big shout outs to the folks who in 32 instances decided to subscribe in support of my efforts, and to the 60 people who registered to be notified of Fresh BACK ISSUES." Ricker continued to reassure his readers, "You can tell me anything about your art; I'm going to write what I'm thinking anyway, so don't worry!" Seriously, thanks for your indulgence since Issue #1, and ArtSceneAK will keep sticking it to the Man!