OPEN SPACE Beacon

Universal Electric Windows Approval

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:59:00 +0000

In addition to all the amazing comments we have received about the Electric Windows project, Last week Mother Nature gave us her approval in a way only she can.

Stencil show opening.

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:41:00 +0000

I know this post is a bit on the late side, but here are some great pictures from the Stencil Show opening. Special thanks to CLOUD for rocking out on the MPC, Tim and Ivan for keeping the visitors hydrated, and Keegan Ales for the great beer!

Stephen Clair live at Open Space

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 22:52:00 +0000

View the work from The Electric Walls show

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:55:00 +0000

All the work from the show is up online at flickr now!

View The Images

THANKS!

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Mon, 19 May 2008 16:02:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who came out and helped make the Electric Windows weekend a huge success!

PICTURES FROM THE LAST 2 DAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sun, 18 May 2008 02:07:00 +0000

VIEW THE WORK FROM THE ELECTRIC WALLS SHOW

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sat, 17 May 2008 16:36:00 +0000

All the work from the show is up online at flickr now!

View The Images

Friday part 2.

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sat, 17 May 2008 04:53:00 +0000

Another long day!!! wow we set up all the painting frames in Jeff's garage and Elbow Toe, Jim and Tina Darling, Kiji, Daryll, Ripo, Overspray's artist " I Love my Boo" painted there all day while Riiisa and Rick Price painted in the Beacon Studio building. We only had 8 artists total working on pieces today but the painting went amazing today, everyone had a great time and got a good start on their pieces for tomorrow. In addition to working on the paintings, Kevin from ACI braved the rain and got up on the cherry picker and installed 3 of the pre-printed banners and they look amazing.Greg from Cool hunting came out and shot video all day, thanks Greg!

The weather for tomorrow looks good, everyone pray for big orange circles!!!

Soggy Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:17:00 +0000

Last night was a late night, we built 16 rectangles for the painting frames, working till midnigth but we got it done!

Well I guess the rain dances didn't quite work because we have a fair bit of rain today... We are still painting today though, will be at Jeff's garage and The Beacon City School board was gracious enought to let us use the Stage at Beacon Studios.

it's going to be a great day!

So if you are painting today, come on up it's still on!

Tomorrow is looking awesome weather wise so come on out!

Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:23:00 +0000

Thursday was another crazy day (and it's still going...) it started off early and on a lighter note with bobby's afro which was nice after yesterday's craziness with John at the hospital (more on that later...) But after that we went over to Beacon to get started. We had to finish building the frame pieces today and help Steve and Kevin with the pre-install hardware on the building. We put up a test banner temporarily (if you were watching the web cam all day you saw it) After that I went to Home Depot and got the rest of the wood, good times... Then it was back to Jeff's hangar to cut and drill.... Shawn Trail came by for a bit to help us out. Thanks Shawn! Then it was off to the train station to pick up Jim and Tina! hooray! tomorrow is going to be a great day. everyone do a "no rain dance" for us.

Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:04:00 +0000

So today we built the first painting frame. They are massive! but witha few adjustments i think they are going to work great! Our good friends Brian and Dan helped us out cutting and drilling all the lumber for the remaining 8 frames, Thanks for all your help guys!

We also received all of the painting materials today! including the 7 pre-printed banners, a canvas for each of the 24 windows.

We also met up with Shawn Trail and Sussane Moss to talk about the music for Saturday. Although our stage hookup fell through and we won't have a stage for the bands( if anyone has a stage they want to let us borrow for Saturday let us know) From what they told us today the music is going to be amazing!

Tuesday (4 days to go)

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:16:00 +0000

Tuesday, as I expect the rest of the days of the week to go, started early and went late. The day began by coordinating a pick up of all the lumber and supplies for the painting frames we are building for this weekend. Jeff and our good friend Brian went over to Brewester to Pick up the 60 12 foot 2x4's necessary to build our 8 painting frames for the weekend. After they left I went to the train station to pick up Ripo and his brother who were coming to drop off the rest of Ripo's pieces for the gallery show. Ripo and His brother went exploring around Beacon and I went to pick up the Next Step Flyers then I had to head into the city to pick up Bobby and John at JFK and then over to Bushwick to get our Sabatoz spray paint from Logan at his studio. Aside from the traffic getting to JFK and going the wrong way on Conduit Ave for a few miles the trip was good and we managed to fit 4 big boxes of paint and luggage for 2 people into the car.

We stopped for a qiuck slice of broklyn pizza at Sal's and a cocktail at the Alligator Lounge in Williamsburg and then onto the BQE listening to Funflex's 90's at 9pm all the way home....

Rissa Boogie to take Above's spot

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:56:00 +0000

With one window now open, we had to find another artist to paint this weekend. Hudson Valley local Riiisa Boogie stepped up to the plate and accepted our invitation and is going to paint this weekend.

Above won't be able to make it.

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:49:00 +0000

Yesterday we received word from Above that due to some unforeseen personal matters, he will not be able to attend and paint at Electric Windows this weekend. Above, Our thoughts are with you and your family.

Electric Walls Opening and more....

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:12:00 +0000

This Week is already going too fast....
Today I thought it was Monday and it's actually Tuesday and this blog was supposed to go up on Saturday.... But I digress, literally, to Friday night.
We stayed at the gallery late hanging the first round of the Electric walls Show, I say first round because we have to re-hang it because a few pieces got stuck at the post office and a few pieces are coming this week. Saturday, we took care of some last minute prep for the show and even found time to discuss the traffic patterns for the street closure with Steve Gold, the mayor of Beacon who has been extremely supportive of the Electric windows project. But after our meeting we put out the wine and slipped into our fancy shoes and for a few hours we chatted with friends and gallery visitors about the woork and the upcoming weekend...Everyone that came by was super excited about Electric Windows. So apparently the buzz is out there and people are planning on checking it out/ We even heard a few rumors that it wasn't happening and people were emailing us expressing their concern and askig for our assurance that it will indeed go on as planned. And i can safely say today that yes, Electric windows is still on for the weekend of May 17th and it's going to be awesome!

Kalene Easton And I spent all day Sunday celebrating Mothers Day at Inisfree gardens in Millbrook. Although it is no longer free, it is one of the most beautiful places in Dutchess County and i recommend it to everyone.

Monday was a hectic day that consisted of Taking care of loose ends. We set up our web cam on the site, set up our cafe press store to help raise a little money for the project (this entire project has happened through material donations, voulenteers and self funding) and got all the artist bio's on the site for all to see and explore.

That basuically brings us up to date. there will be much more info as the week progresses, I promise.

2 weeks and counting....

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:20:00 +0000

Poughkeepsie Journal Article

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:31:00 +0000

The Poughkeepsie Journal wrote a great article about the tote show in their Southern Dutchess "Focus" Section. For some reason the article did not run online so here is the "paper version"

Beacon Soul book release

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:38:00 +0000

This Sunday from 4pm to 6pm we are proud to host the release of "Beacon Soul" a commemorative hardcover book celebrating the first year of the Beacon Art Salon.
Book will be for sale and many of the artists will be attending. see you there!

The "TOTE BAG" site is up!

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 03:25:00 +0000

All the totes are ready to view and purchase online!

CLICK HERE to check them all out!

lots of Totes!

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:00:00 +0000

you will have to wait a little bit for it to load, but it's neat.

Full Tote Site Coming Soon...

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:21:00 +0000

Sorry for the delay.
We are very close to having our tote site up. Very soon you will be able to see and purchase all the wonderful totes from the show...

keep an eye on this space: www.openspacebeacon.com/totebag

in the mean time check out the post below for the full show wrap-up.

A great tote show!

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:15:00 +0000

Putting this show together wasn't easy. We had a vision of what it should look like and what kind of work we would get, but it wasn't up to us it was up to the artists that we asked to be in the show and at the end of the day we sent out 125 tote bags to 125 artists from across the world and crossed our fingers...
A week before the show was about to open we had received 5 bags, and we were worried... But a few days later, like we hoped, the bags just started coming in. UPS, FEDEX, DHL USPS all were coming twice a day every day, the bags were arriving at a record pace and we were opening boxes and piling them up, all right down to the wire (artists work best under pressure:) and all the bags were absolutely amazing! We had no idea how many of the 125 bags would make it back to the gallery but out of the 125 bags we sent out we got 105 back. It really makes it all worth it when you can get so many amazing artists to donate their time and talents to such a great cause.
So now that we had all the totes it was time to get down to business and hang the show. We rigged a post and nail system that worked out great and once that was all set we got to hanging...

In addition to hanging all the totes and making sure they looked great, we had a window display concept to realize and it took a few tricks but in the end it looked just as we had hoped.

It was down to the wire getting ready for Saturday night's opening, and we were working right up to it and a little after... but it all came together and everything went great! We had an amazing turnout and great weather. So many artists and friends came out to check out all the amazing tote's. Special thanks to Knox Robinson for keping the music proper during the opening (and stepping up at Next Step) And thanks to Nicole Horton Heather Sioux, Ken Bolton, andJeff Ashey and our intern Tim for all your help in getting ready for the show, we couldn't have done it without you!

Dick Crenson and Franc Palaia wonder, "why totes?"

Mike O'Driscoll came all the way from the Bronx (via a recent transplant from Seattle)

Maureen Beck and her family

Dan Funderburg and August Heffner made the trip from Brooklyn

Knox Robinson on the decks

Nancy and Jean came over from Carmel

Pearl and Blk Jks discuss totes

Dave Heasty and his lovely wife contemplate their carbon footprint

Kalene, Randy and Megan talk about the complexities of putting together a tote show

viva la totebag!
Keavan Rivers and GrandmaTom Moore says "peace out, tote show"

Next step was a blur...

Next Step

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:23:00 +0000

This Saturday it's on!
Next Step coming at you again.
Bring your Dancing shoes.

Piggy Bank Restaurant
448 Main Street
10pm - late
$5
Live Music and Live Painting

Plastic Problems: Open Space Turns to Totes

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:02:00 +0000

Beginning April 12th, our gallery will present TOTE / BAG, its first annual benefit show. Receiving contributions from a wide variety of artists, this event promises to reexamine our assumptions about art, production, and consumption. Broadly, it is a response to the general excesses of consumer society. Yet here we focus our target on a single and deceivingly innocuous counterpart: our daily use of bags. In this way the TOTE / BAG show acts in the realm of everyday life, bringing our most common and perhaps mundane activities to the forefront. Rather than simply highlighting the issue, the show proposes an active and ecologically conscious response: artists plan to supplant these problems with a kind of production that is steeped in the DIY ethic. At the same time it manages to return creative invention to the otherwise nefarious realm of sales. The proceeds from the sales of the show will go to the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, a New York based organization committed to environmental advocacy and education.

Against the repetitions of mechanical production, a process that has left a tangle of homogeneous plastic in its path, our gallery will present a selection of colorful handmade tote bags. At first glance it may seem to be a rather obvious critique of the clutter and residue of consumerism. However, in observing the quality and personality with which these artists disrupt such a wasteful process, the show offers much more in the way of positive response. In addition to serving as commentary on the nature of consumerist society, we posit the suggestion that our system of production can be inflected with color and creativity. In this way the TOTE / BAG show separates itself from the cynical tradition of commodity-based art. While artists in the past such as Koons or Steinbach had worked to harness the idea of art-commodity to a kind of resignation or complacency with capitalism, the artists to be featured prove to reclaim the tools of production with a refreshing sense of optimism.

In organizing this ecologically conscious event, we have grounded our vision locally by linking up with Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. The efforts of the latter have been immense in protecting and preserving the Hudson River, its tributaries and related water bodies. They also played an active role in familiar local issues, such as the Manhattan west side water front, Indian Point nuclear reactors, and the New York/ New Jersey Harbor dredge spoil disposal. Reaching thousands through environmental action programs, educational opportunities, and public exhibits, their presence in the Hudson Valley has had an undeniable impact on the ecosystem.

As promised: Pictures from the Opening and from Next Step

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:36:00 +0000

Pictures from Patrick Winfield's Opening

The Man of the hour.

The spread - Thanks Patrick's mom!

The gallery was spacked at one point it was difficult to walk from one end to the other.

Shane and Girard on the decks.

Pictures From Next Step

Nicole and Jeff reflect on the night.

Tom Moore getting down on the painting board.

Heather in Red

Break Beats cutting it up.

Another happy, diverse, dancing crowd

Riiiisa Boogie, TC and Ken

Kieth From Zahara Studio and his friend

The finished canvas