DIY with Crafty Chica

Guest blogger Lydia Regalado is an arts educator, crafter and blogger who writes about people who gather to make things.

Kathy Cano-Murillo, also known as Crafty Chica at her product booth at Maker Faire.

It’s been two weeks since Maker Faire and I’m still going through all of my goodies and information that I picked up. There is one interview that I wanted to blog about, because she is such an inspiration to me, and that was with artist, author and syndicated newspaper columnist, Kathy Cano-Murillo, also known as Crafty Chica. I was able to ask Crafty Chica a couple of questions.

What do you think is the difference between art and craft?
You know there was a time when I used to think long and hard about that, but at the point that I’m at now I don’t pay attention to labels at all. I just focus on making things that I love, making things to inspire other people. When it comes down to it that’s the most important thing, and that goes for other kinds of labels too: from Latino, to Hispanic, to Chicana, art, craft, I just argh [scream]! I would rather focus on the things that I love to do. So to me, it’s all art in a way. If you love it and it’s your original work that you did, then that’s art, you know? That’s something you created. When it comes to a kit that you make from a one, two, three step; maybe that could be considered a craft? But then again, if you make it yourself and you add something extra to it, then it becomes art. So it’s just kind of like what came first: the chicken or the egg. To me, I just don’t really pay a lot of attention to the label aspect of it.

Can you tell me about your exhibition?
It’s called La Casa Murillo: A Life Size Shadow Box; it’s at the Heard Museum. When the Heard Museum approached my husband and I, that we would have a 1,000 square foot gallery to show our work, the first thing I asked was, “do we have to stick to the walls?” We decided to create our fantasy house, the house that people think we live in. Because they see all of our art work and think that our house is really cool, when really it’s like a workshop. So we created this house that has five separate rooms. They’re all boxed in like a shadow box, and everything is handmade. From a painted upholstered couch to a Styrofoam kitchen sink, all of it is painted to look real, and there’s over 500 handmade projects that my husband and I made all by ourselves over the past six months to put in there. We wanted to inspire people to add handmade touches to their house, recycle, transform ordinary objects into fabulous objects. So, there’s all different types of skill levels, over the top things, to little touches. And that what it’s all about!

The Murillo’s exhibition runs through August 2, 2009 at the Heard Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona. Besides the Crafty Chica product line, writing, and her webisodes on MyLifetime.com, what’s next for Crafty Chica? Her new book, Crafty Chica’s Guide to Artful Sewing, which will be out in February, 2009. If you can’t wait that long, I recommend Crafty Chica’s Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life. It’s full of great ideas and inspiring words.

Next up: Cake Decorating Classes at Cake Carousel
I am so excited! I’ve been signed up for these classes since early September. Cake Carousel offers North Texas a wide variety of baking supplies and classes. Located in Richardson, off of Central Expressway, Cake Carousel has classes for all levels and offers classes through out the year, and the price is so reasonable! The Basic Cake Decorating class is $45 for 5 sessions. Sweet!

Happy Halloween!

Big Thanks to AFI; Big Welcome to Asian Film Festival of Dallas

It’s the end of the month and that means we’ll soon be welcoming new film festival guest bloggers. In November, the Asian Film Festival of Dallas will pick things up. I’m looking forward to their posts.

It’s also time to say thank you to AFI Dallas, for blogging with us in October.

If you like movies, November’s going to be a great month to see them, at both The Dallas Video Festival and the Lonestar International Film Festival in Fort Worth. Look for coverage of both right here on Art&Seek.

Dia De Los Muertos

If you are looking for events to celebrate Dia De Los Muertos (or Day of the Dead for the gringos out there), there are is a slew of them out there on Saturday.

Among the highlights:

Learn how to make sugar skull sculptures at the Bath House Cultural Center. Be sure and stop back by for some Ghost Tales later that night.

30 local artists are participating in a Dia De Lost Muertos show over at Ice House. There will also be a performance by an Aztec dance group and guitar playing. Earlier in the day, head over there to learn how to make papel picado.

Local artists have created traditional altars that are used to honor loved ones over at the Latino Cultural Center.

A large puppet procession, complete with music, is going down over at Rose Marine Theatre in Fort Worth.

These are just a few of the events. A complete listing of local Dia goings on is available on our calendar.

Print Gets Hit

Publications are hardly immune to the economic forces that have been hurting the arts.

The Christian Science Monitor has shut down its weekly print edition after a century of continuous publication. So has Canada’s National Post (in two provinces, anyway). The Dallas Morning News recently laid off newsroom (and production and Al Dia ) staff. And now Conde Nast has ordered a five percent cut in staffing and another five percent cut in budget from all its publications (including the New Yorker, Vanity Fair and Wired).

In addition, Men’s Vogue and Portfolio, which had expanded to 10 issues a year, have been cut back to just two. There go a lot of intelligent book and culture reviews.

Dave Isay of StoryCorps and Blow-up Bras

Did we mention Dave Isay of StoryCorps is coming to town Monday? Ok, we did. But I’m going to do it again. Because it gives me a chance to share one of my favorite StoryCorps pieces, in which Betty Jenkins, 94, recalls creating a bit of an international incident when she crossed continents in an unpressurized plane while wearing a blow-up bra. Go on, just listen.

Like all StoryCorps segments, this one just wouldn’t be the same if Ms. Jenkins hadn’t recounted the adventure herself. And it leaves me with many, many unanswered questions - what was this then-young woman doing flying to Argentina in the ’30s or ’40s? And how can I meet her today? And what if we’d had Homeland Security back then?

If you have a favorite StoryCorps piece, let us know. And hope to see you Monday in Plano.

ON_game at UT-Dallas

Detail from Matthew Bourbon’s His Nature

Do video games possess any artistic merit?
Kyle Kondas and John Pomara have assembled an exhibition on the UT-Dallas campus that attempts to prove (or at least explore) that possibility.

ON_game is really two shows in one. At last Friday night’s opening reception for ON_game and Tony Vincenti’s between, Kondas told me that the gaming premise flows in two directions: works based directly on gaming elements, and works indirectly inspired from games played long ago (and I’m talking the 80s).

The pieces clearly belonging to the gaming universe made me a little more open-minded toward the aesthetic value of that multi-billion dollar industry. Behold the Matthew Bourbon detail above - that’s art, baby.

Some of the best pieces seemed to have no relationship to the show’s premise, like Kim Owens’ Lounge. Kim hasn’t been in front of a gaming console since her cousins’ Atari in the 80s, and I got the feeling she was slightly perplexed at having been asked to participate. Maybe it takes a gamer (and I am not) to see the connection. But if the art is good, I don’t really care if it fits the premise.

Kim Owens’ Lounge

The show is equally divided between video and two-dimensional pieces. Now I love video more than you ever will, believe me, but I cannot move away from the Kim Owens piece when this is what awaits on the next wall:

Look closely and you’ll see the positioning of the work between wall and onlooker. Nowthat’s how to put a monitor in an art show.

AFI Announces 2009 Chairman

The AFI Dallas International Film Festival announced Wednesday night that Steven and Anne Stodghill will serve as co-chairs of the 2009 festival. Mr. Stodghill is a Dallas attorney with Fish & Richardson P.C. and an avid moviegoer (as you might have guessed).

And lest you think that he’s just some local power player (which he certainly is judging by the crowd gathered at the announcement at Arlington Hall at Lee park), he’s also spent some time on a film set as well. He starred alongside Owen and Luke Wlson in 2005’s The Wendell Baker Story, directed by Luke and Andrew Wilson. Who did he play in the film? You guessed it: a lawyer.

If you don’t see the AFI crew around town much over the next week or so, it’s because most of them are jetting off today to Los Angeles for AFI Fest, AFI Dallas’ big brother festival. In talking to some of those folks last night, it seemed pretty certain that they will be bringing in some special screenings toward the end of the year with big-name talent coming in for the events. Since they haven’t made any announcements yet, I don’t want to spill the beans, but I can tell you that one event that sounds like it’s 98 percent a go will bring to town an Oscar-winning actor and director.

When I get confirmation, I’ll be sure to elaborate.

Hard Times Ahead for …

… art museums.

… art auctions.

… classical music organizations, opera companies, orchestras.

… social-shindig fundraisers for arts groups.

But not cable TV.

Image from unspun.shiftcomm.com

Christmas in November

Guest blogger James Faust is the Director of Programming for the AFI DALLAS International Film Festival.

As the Director of Programming for the AFI DALLAS International Film Festival, my job is to curate an international film program … which means watching lots of movies. I love this. I love movies. This November is going to be great. Like opening presents on Christmas Eve, there are a slew of great films opening and screening at other film festivals around the world.

A notable example is the upcoming AFI FEST in Los Angeles. This year’s fest is filled with the usual award contenders and international festival buzz films. I am most looking forward to seeing Steven Soderbergh’s Che, with Benicio Del Toro in the title role. Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler seems poised to give Mickey Rourke the comeback he needs (not sure we want it, but …).

Locally, I can’t wait for the Dallas Video Festival (November 6-9th). This year’s line-up is filled with some of my favorite films of the year. Body of War is an extremely personal look at one man and his post Iraqi War experience. It has great Texas ties and is produced and co-directed by Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue with music by Eddie Vedder. Powerful film. The other film I am looking forward to seeing again is Cannes Festival darling The Pleasure of Being Robbed. An audience-polarizing film that showcases an amazing new voice in American independent cinema. This simple look at a woman’s kleptomania has sparked great conversations outside many a theater across the festival world. I’m feeling giddy with anticipation.

Breathe.

OK, the Dallas Video Festival is also presenting my favorite film event of the year. Don’t get me wrong, I love our own festival, but this Guts N’ Glory thing that AC Abbott and Bart Weiss have put together makes me want to pick up a camera and shoot a film. I don’t want to steal Bart’s’ thunder … I’m sure he will talk about this in his blog. Ten teams shooting film… NOT VIDEO…film! The crews will make their short film and not see the final product until the day of the event. At the event, each team will perform music or present the dialogue live in the theater. Sometimes the films don’t go so well, sometimes it’s the most viscerally exciting thing you’ll see in a movie theater. A must see. So, yes, if you like film, Christmas has come early.

Make Space for Artists: Design-a-Studio

Guest blogger Sarah Jane Semrad is Executive Director of La Reunion TX.

Collaboration. It’s not just a way to generate ideas and maximize resources… For La Reunion TX, it’s a way to create focus group! Please join us Thursday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. in the Center for Creative Connections as we present to North Texas “Make Space for Artists : Design-a-Studio” at the Dallas Museum of Art. Remember Make Space for Art? That’s the international juried architecture program La Reunion TX held last year and the beginning of this year. We received 68 awesome sustainable ideas from 19 countries of what we should build on our 35 acre site in Oak Cliff. We took one component of the winning entry - from Dallas’ own Bang Dang - and created a spinoff to “design-a-studio”. We’re curious: What does a painter need in her studio? A photographer? A dancer? A writer? A geek writing code? How can we dream - design - create - build a place on 35 acres in Oak Cliff that satisfies all those needs?

Old skool pencil and paper entries are welcome, and those who fancy themselves remotely tech savvy are encouraged to use the free software program Google Sketch Up. My 9-year-old Eva plays with it all the time. It’s really easy! And fun! Free Google Sketch Up workshops are slated throughout the program, which wraps Feb. 12. We’ve poked around on the Internet - nothing has been done like this before as far as we can tell.

Join La Reunion TX, The Dallas Museum of Art and community partner Corgan MediaLab as we launch this innovative program next week. We’ll begin with a brief program and video in the C3 Theatre and then have a tour of the Tech Lab space. And if you’re an artist (working in any media) in North Texas, be sure to submit shots of YOUR studio space to the Online Artist Studio Tour that Art&Seek is hosting in conjunction with Make Space for Artists.

Come one, come all. The Make Space for Artists: Design-a-Studio program is open to artists, students, musicians, lovers of art, designers, architects and anyone interested in learning a new skill on the computer. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top entries at an awards ceremony in February.

See ya November 6!