On-site contemporary fine art gallery showcases local talent; demonstrates potential of the live/work units at Axis in Downtown San Jose

San Jose, California (January 22, 2010) — Last fall, Axis offered its walls to showcase local art via art@axis. This year, Axis is providing prime space to house an actual art gallery, located on-site in a street-level live/work unit.

The Axis Art Gallery is San Jose’s newest contemporary fine art gallery. Curated by local photographer Deborah Mills Thackrey, the Axis Art Gallery features emerging and mid-career contemporary fine art in all media including digital installations, all for sale in a “pop-up store” location at Axis, 38 N. Almaden Blvd., #101 (next to Hotel De Anza) in downtown San Jose.

“This gallery concept was sparked by the spectacular response from the public we received for art@axis,” said Thackrey, who was the curator for the art@axis collection of works by local artists that has adorned walls at Axis since Sept. 2009. “Axis was generous enough to lend space for local artists to display and sell their fine work.”

“The gallery will cater to Axis homeowners, neighborhood residents, downtown shoppers, and art collectors, as well as those who are new to art collecting and are curious about the products of the local art scene,” she added.

Aside from supporting the arts, Axis is using the gallery as a chance to show off its award-winning luxury high-rise condominiums and, specifically, its collection of live/work units.

Axis has eight live/work units, each with two entrances and private street-level access. They are priced from the mid-$300,000s for up to 1,845 sq. ft. They are called live/work units because city codes allow for residents to live there, while also conducting business out of the same location.

The situation is ideal for many types of small businesses that benefit from a street entrance for clients, vendors and customers. The kitchen and restroom is also handy for both the at-home professional and for visitors.

“Live/work units are an ideal situation for a solo practitioner or small business owner,” said Sandra Eaton, Axis community sales manager. “Axis offers great selections for the buyer which sees the value and convenience in mixing home and office.”

A live/work set up works for a wide-array of professionals, such as a graphic designer, public relations practitioner, insurance agent, therapist, yoga teacher, aesthetician, attorney, and many more. While The Axis Art Gallery is only a temporary installation or “pop-up store,” it does demonstrate the flexibility of the space for live/work users, such as an artist who needs a combination home, studio and storefront. While art will still adorn the Axis lobby and model homes, beginning Jan. 29, Thackrey will have regular business hours — noon – 6 pm., Wednesday-Saturday, and by appointment by calling (408) 623-9888) — in the on-site gallery to show and sell work for local artists.

The Axis Art Gallery will debut during a gala opening 5-9 p.m., Thurs., Jan. 28, at Axis. The preview reception will feature food, drink and music, as well as tours of model homes decorated with contemporary fine art. Tours of Axis and several well-appointed model homes will be available 5-7:30 p.m. The debut event is free and open to the public: RSVP to info(at)art-at-axis(dot)com.

“Silicon Valley’s emphasis on high tech tends to overwhelm and ignore the creative arts, as does having to live in the shadow of San Francisco’s notoriety as an arts mecca,” said Thackrey. “While the reputation of the local arts scene has suffered, the quantity and quality of artists is very good and that’s what this gallery will offer.

“We are thrilled to be able to showcase the area’s outstanding artists to a greater audience amidst such a beautiful venue,” she added. “And if visitors like what they see, they can buy the individual works of art — a great way to decorate their new condo at Axis.”

The association between art and Axis was formed when the condominium’s marketing team reached out to local artists to lend space in their beautiful new building as a showplace for original artwork. Thackrey answered the call for artists offering her company, Willow Glen Productions, to help curate the space in order to provide exposure for the many talented local artists she knows. Thus, art@axis was born last fall featuring 80 works by more than a dozen Bay Area artists filling the Axis lobby, 12th floor and penthouses from Sept. through early December 2009. A totally new collection of art for public viewing debuted a month ago. The art featured includes sculpture, paintings, photography, ceramics, and textile arts (both digital and traditional). The public is invited for viewing daily from noon to 5 p.m. and admission is free.

For more information about the Jan. 28 event, The Axis Art Gallery and the collection of art displayed at Axis, visit: www.axisartgallery.com.

Edwardsville, Ill. (September 18, 2009) — ”Eighty Moods of Maya Angelou,” a photographic exhibit from Lovejoy Library’s Eugene B. Redmond Collection at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (http://www.siue.edu/), will focus on the poet, educator, performer, and best-selling author Maya Angelou. The exhibit will open at the library Monday, Sept. 21, and will run through the end of October.

The exhibit is a testament to the rich and enduring friendship between Ms. Angelou and Redmond, professor emeritus of English language and literature at SIUE, said Howard Rambsy II, an assistant professor of English language and literature and curator of the exhibit.

The photographs showcase Dr. Angelou socializing with fellow artists, performing poetry, celebrating achievements with friends and family, and entertaining guests at her home in North Carolina. The vibrant versatility of facial expressions, body language and hand motions that Dr. Angelou assumes in the photographs confirms Dr. Redmond’s notion about the 80-plus ”moods of Maya.”

Redmond, who was in the vanguard of the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s, said he has had an enduring friendship with the author-poet. “My friendship with Maya will be 40 years old in 2010,” he said. “Maya always called me one of her special brothers. So, I’m excited because we have known each other four decades, and now we will share this ritualed ground together again.”

Maya Angelou was born April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, spending part of her childhood there before moving to Stamps, Ark., where she endured the effects of racial discrimination but began developing a deep awareness of the value and values of black folk culture as well as African American artistic thought.

Over the years, Ms. Angelou increased her interest in the arts, taking up dance, acting, singing, and creative writing. In 1970, her bestselling autobiography, ”I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” was published; since then she has authored dozens of other celebrated books.

“Lovejoy Library’s Eugene B. Redmond Collection is one of the greatest post-civil rights collections of African American culture ever assembled,” Rambsy said. ”It contains hundreds of books, magazines, rare program booklets and flyers, audio recordings and historic posters.” The collection also contains more than 150,000 photographs of literary artists, musicians, entertainers, supporters of the arts and political activists, which Dr. Redmond himself has taken over the past four decades.

Speaking about the collection, Redmond points out that SIUE is a fitting place for his work to reside because the University has always been his home, first as a student and then many years later as a faculty member. “While I had offers from other places across the country, I felt SIUE should be the place where my papers and, as the Chancellor says, the place where my legacy should rest. I’m excited my collection is here at SIUE because I’m homegrown, a homegrown kind of guy.”

Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia to open in Times Square

Houston, TX (June 5, 2009) The icon of paleoanthropology–the famous 3.2 million-year-old hominid known as Lucy — will travel to the world’s most iconic landmark, New York’s Times Square, for display from June 24 through Oct. 25, 2009.

“Recent scientific research conducted on Lucy illustrates that she still has stories to tell,” said Dirk Van Tuerenhout, curator of anthropology at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. “Even though she lived more than 3 million years ago, Lucy continues to give us clues about what it means to be a human.”

With 40 percent of her skeleton intact, Lucy remains the oldest and most complete adult human ancestor retrieved from African soil. Other important paleoanthropological discoveries will also be represented including an overview of known fossils discovered in Africa, Asia and Europe which completes the current account of human evolution as it is known to scientists today, setting the stage for a more in-depth presentation of the importance of Ethiopia’s fossil record.

Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia opens at Discovery Times Square Exposition™, a new state-of-the-art exhibition facility located in the former printing presses building of The New York Times at 226 West 44th Street. “Over the past decade, wondrous exhibitions traveling the United States have bypassed New York time and again simply because no venue existed to host them,” said James Sanna, President and Executive Producer of Running Subway Productions. Discovery Times Square Exposition creates a world-class home in New York for great exhibitions that bring fascinating and engaging art and artifacts to light in dramatic immersive environments. We look forward to enriching New York’s dynamic and unsurpassed cultural landscape.”

More than 100 artifacts illuminate Ethiopia’s rich heritage. See early stone tools found in Ethiopia; a wide selection of objects from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church such as illuminated manuscripts and processional crosses; a selection of Korans from the holy city of Harar, the fourth most important site in Islam; and the first coins minted by an indigenous African civilization. Paintings, musical instruments, implements of daily use, a scale model of the famous Church of St. George in Lalibela and more will also be on display.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to introduce “Lucy” to the people of New York City because she evokes a strong response from everyone who sees her, and as such, she is the ultimate goodwill ambassador for Ethiopia,” said Joel A. Bartsch, president of the Houston Museum of Natural Science. “Lucy not only validates Ethiopia’s claim as the Cradle of Mankind, she also introduces viewers to the rich cultural heritage that has flourished in Ethiopia over the course of the last 3,000 years, and to the vibrant country that Ethiopia is today.”

Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia is an international exhibition organized by The Houston Museum of Natural Science in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Exhibition Coordinating Committee. It is nationally underwritten by The Smith Foundation and Ethiopian Airlines.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science–one of the nation’s most heavily attended museums–is a centerpiece of the Houston Museum District. With four floors of permanent exhibit halls, and the Wortham IMAX® Theatre, Cockrell Butterfly Center, Burke Baker Planetarium and George Observatory and as host to world-class and ever-changing touring exhibitions, the Museum has something to delight every age group. With such diverse and extraordinary offerings, a trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, located at One Hermann Circle Drive in the heart of the Museum District, is always an adventure.

Santa Fe, NM (May 19, 2009 ) — When the New Mexico History Museum opens in Santa Fe on May 24, visitors will see a 20-foot metal sculpture crawl along an exterior wall, mimicking the life-giving Rio Grande. Inside the sculpture, a magical mix of sculpted resin and strategic spotlights turns apparently mundane objects into an amazing array of shadows.

Cutting-edge contemporary art in the nation’s newest history museum? It could only happen in New Mexico, where artistic traditions have had millennia to grow deep roots and produce the sweetest of fruit.

Besides honoring more than 400 years of cultural interactions, the New Mexico History Museum, opening May 24, is delighted to include works by Kumi Yamashita and Paula Castillo in its permanent collection and on public display. Their intriguing creations come courtesy of the 1% for the Arts initiative, also called the Art in Public Places Program.

Started in 1986 as a way to keep the arts alive and present, the Art in Public Places Program requires a 1 percent set-aside in every public building budget of more than $100,000 for cities, counties and the state. The money is used to acquire public art to display in, on, or around the building.

At a time when public funding for cultural endeavors is at risk, the program provides a stream of revenue that helps enrich our citizens’ lives while supporting artists and craftspeople. It echoes the WPA initiatives of the Depression era, when artists’ and craftspeople’s paintings, furniture and architecture achieved a pinnacle that stands today. The New Mexico History Museum is proud to continue in that tradition by working with artists who are crafting their own interpretations of what it means to be in New Mexico.

Kumi Yamashita works heavily with light and shadow in ways that defy description. (A video of her displaying a few of her pieces on a Japanese TV show, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulzyrV8IjE0, has been a You Tube sensation.) She’s crafting two pieces for the Museum’s second-floor interior:

• Fragments consists of 40 cast-resin tiles arrayed in an oval shape. Though they appear to simply be colored blocks, when lit, they reveal the shadows of human faces – actual New Mexicans, whose photographs she took on a statewide tour.
• Untitled begins with a simple frame in the shape of New Mexico. When lit, it casts the shadow of a man sitting on the southern border while gazing at the stars.

“One of the issues I focus on is the boundary we create within ourselves by categorizing the world,” Yamashita says. “Through my work, I wish to remind ourselves of how we preconceive what is around and inside us. Knowledge, ideas, and values are too often accepted without questioning. Can we find a way to evaporate ourselves from a pond and condensate over an ocean? Can we see a common thread that connects all things?”

Yamashita has been a visiting artist and guest lecturer at universities and academies in the United States, Turkey, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Japan, and has received residencies such as the Roswell Artist in Residence Program, the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, the Millay Colony, the Aomori International Art Center and the Border Art Residency in New Mexico. Her work is on permanent display in public spaces in Seattle, Osaka, Hokkaido, and Tokyo and is a part of museum collections in Boise, Idaho and Shimane.

Paula Castillo is a well-known, native New Mexican artist, based in Cordova. She frequently works with discarded pieces from industrial metal fabrication processes and is preparing four works for the Museum’s exterior:

• A set of benches sculpted to resemble the mountains of New Mexico, will be placed to the left of the Museum’s main entrance at 113 Lincoln Ave.
• On the west face of the Museum, Dos Arboles, Dos Hermanas (Two Trees, Two Sisters) will begin at ground level, then climb 32 feet high, cresting the roofline of the Museum.
• Rio Grande Colcha, an image of the Rio Grande and all of her tributaries in a colcha, or traditional Spanish embroidery, design, will span 20 feet across the west face of the museum.
• On the wall of Museum’s second-story patio terrace, Castillo will craft an excerpt from the Nambe Pueblo Tewa poem, “My home over there, Now I remember it.”.

Collectively, the pieces reference mountains, trees, rivers and homes – a simple yet profound way to understand the connection between the natural world and the cultural history of New Mexico. Castillo says she intends to introduce visitors to the always contingent, personal and human-scaled history of New Mexico.

“For me, form is complex and adaptable with all of its hundreds of fluid and solid systems: regional watersheds, train sounds, star flows, off the interstate, waving at someone,” she says. “Like hydrogen attaching to oxygen in a flowing hexagonal movement or a group of people laughing at an absent minded gesture, I see form as alive and emerging from itself in an easy flash.”

Using art to help tell the story of the people who were and are the fabric of New Mexico was only natural. Dr. Frances Levine, director of the New Mexico History Museum, notes that art has been, and continues to be, a vital part of the state’s culture.

“Artistic expression has played an important role in New Mexico’s culture from its earliest days,” Dr. Levine says. “From Native American pottery and weavings through Spanish devotional objects of colonial life, to the Taos Artists and WPA craftspeople. Our collections at the New Mexico History Museum celebrate those traditions, and their roots continue to bear fruit today. The works of Paula and Kumi help us connect the Museum to this longer artistic history. We are pleased that these works relate to our history and to the present.”

Loie Fecteau, executive director of New Mexico Arts, the agency that oversees the 1 Percent for the Arts program, calls public art “the most democratic of all the art forms because it really does belong to all of us.”

“New Mexico has long been recognized as having one of the strongest and most innovative public art programs in the country, which I think is really fitting given the historical importance of the arts in our state and the way the arts are treasured and embedded in our many diverse cultures,” Fecteau says. “Our Legislature is really to be commended for having the foresight to create our state 1 percent for public art program more than 40 years ago,” Fecteau said.

Fecteau notes that the program has placed more than 2,200 pieces across New Mexico in each of the state’s 33 counties.

Art is a subjective media; it allows the viewer to take what they will from it, to draw their own conclusions. In the same way, the New Mexico History Museum sets out to allow visitors the opportunity to decide for themselves what “really” happened.