Create with Spirit

Crafty Graffiti

This is so beautiful to me.

I love it when something startling and different appears in the mundane world. This combination of dainty lace and industrial sharpness is so completely perfect to me.

It was crafted by the Dutch design house Demakersvan.

I love Google's translate option. When I translated this page it said:

Industrial production is for us a big source of inspiration.
The Big Miracle of how some products come about is a beautiful
phenomenon if you look at it closely. In our projects we often combine
the sensitive and the small with the powerful, large and industrial.

The Lace Fence project translates that line of thinking.
Fencing is a sign how we modified and cultivated our environment.
Like brambles, fences are rising rampantly around us.
What would happen if a patch of wire embroided would meet with
and continue as an industrial fence? Hostility versus kindness,
Industrial versus craft.

Just lovely. Reminds me of the guerilla knitting movement knittivism.

12 Principles of Creation Spirituality

Many people ask me what my faith tradition is and I always answer that I am an ordained Interfaith Minister and that my spiritual practice is creativity. This can be a bit confusing, as I don't attend church regularly and I don't subscribe completely to any established faith tradition. I am deeply in awe of all the faith traditions in the world and they all speak to me on some level, and yet they all do NOT speak to me on another level.

But, when pushed, the closest thing to an established faith tradition that I can subscribe to is Matthew Fox's Creation Spirituality.  I won't go into the history of the how and the why of the creation of Creation Spirituality in this little blog post. What I will share with you are the 12 Principles of this movement. Explore these ideas in your own life and see if they resonate!

1. The Universe, and all within it, is fundamentally a blessing.

 

Our relationship with the Universe fills us with awe.

 

2. In Creation, God is both immanent and transcendent. This is panentheism which is not theism (God out there) and not atheism (no God anywhere).

 

We experience that the Divine is in all things and all things are in the Divine. 

 

3. God is as much Mother as Father, as much Child as Parent, as much God in mystery as the God in history, as much beyond all words and images as in all forms and beings.

 

We are liberated from the need to cling to God in one form or one literal name.

 

4. In our lives, it is through the work of spiritual practice that we find our deep and true selves.

 

Through the arts of meditation and silence we cultivate a clarity of mind and move beyond fear into compassion and community.

 

5. Our inner work can be understood as a four-fold journey involving:

· awe, delight, amazement (known as the Via Positiva)

· uncertainty, darkness, suffering, letting go (Via Negativa)

· birthing, creativity, passion (Via Creativa)

· justice, healing, celebration (Via Transformativa)

 

We weave through these paths like a spiral danced not a ladder climbed.

 

6. Every one of us is a mystic.

 

We can enter the mystical as much through beauty (Via Positiva) as through contemplation and suffering (Via Negativa). We are born full of wonder and can recover it at any age.

 

7. Every one of us is an artist.

 

Whatever the expression of our creativity, it is our prayer and praise (Via Creativa).

 

8. Every one of us is a prophet.

 

Our prophetic work is to interfere with all forms of injustice and that which interrupts authentic life (Via Transformativa).

 

9. Diversity is the nature of the Universe.

 

We rejoice in and courageously honor the rich diversity within the Cosmos and expressed among individuals and across multiple cultures, religions and ancestral traditions.

 

10. The basic work of God is compassion and we, who are all original blessings and sons and daughters of the Divine, are called to compassion.

 

We acknowledge our shared interdependence; we rejoice at one another's joys and grieve at one another's sorrows and labor to heal the causes of those sorrows.

 

11. There are many wells of faith and knowledge drawing from one underground river of Divine wisdom. The practice of honoring, learning and celebrating the wisdom collected from these wells is Deep Ecumenism.

 

We respect and embrace the wisdom and oneness that arises from the diverse wells of all the sacred traditions of the world.

 

12. Ecological justice is essential for the sustainability of life on Earth. 

 

Ecology is the local expression of cosmology and so we commit to live in light of this value: to pass on the beauty and health of creation to future generations.

What Would Jesus Buy?

Finally got a chance to watch What Would Jesus Buy? The Church of Stop Shopping is definitely a sister to the Church of Craft.

Not just at Christmas time, but at all times of the year, it is a powerful choice to not buy, but to make instead. Craftaluja!

A Church of Her Own

I just received my copy of the wonderful new book A Church of Her Own: What Happens When a Woman Takes the Pulpit by Sarah Sentilles.

First, a disclaimer - I was interviewed for this book and a big part of my spiritual story are highlighted in the chapter entitled Minister (n.) vs. Minister (v.), along with The Most Esteemed Callie Janoff, who co-created the Church of Craft with me.

I've been reading the book and it's a wonderful read. Sarah's writing style is very accessible - almost like I'm getting to peek into her journal and read all her intimate thoughts about her own path of ministry and spiritual service.

The layout of the book is wonderful. We follow Sarah's journey as she feels the call to ministry and discovers a lot of difficult challenges along the way. As we follow Sarah's journey, we also get to read the stories of many other women who have also hit challenges on their ministry paths. Some of the stories brought tears to my eyes, as I recognized the frustrating circumstances that these powerful, visionary women ran into when they tried to own their own power in a male-dominated world.

I feel that the deeper message of the book is incredibly powerful. A quote from the introductory chapter explains it well:

The problems faced by women ministers cannot be dismissed as "women's" problems. They belong to all of us, whether you have a female minister in your church or not, whether you attend church or not, whether you think your congregation is sexist or not, even whether you are Christian or not. None of us - even those of us outside the church - is exempt from the reverberations of religious institutions' failings. Churches' treatment of women and women's reactions to this treatment are symptoms of a larger problem, indicative of the broader ways the church needs to change. What we do and say and believe in church is connected to what we do and say an believe in our everyday lives. Our theology is linked to the state of the world - to war and poverty and environmental destruction and reckless consumerism - and it is time that we held ourselves accountable.

I truly think these stories would resonate with other women who have run into inherent sexism on their paths as well. It's an inspiring read and it certainly has helped me feel less alone on my path. It would also be an excellent read for any man that wants to understand the myriad ways that sexism can manifest in our culture.

The interviews are with women from all different faith backgrounds, including some wild, Interfaith revolutionary spiritual leaders like Callie and myself! I have to say, I was reading the book in a cafe and I got so many looks! The cover is quite austere - with a circle of golden crosses surrounding one lone female symbol, but don't let that scare you off from reading this wonderful book.  It is most definitely for people of all spiritual paths who are interested in understanding more deeply the role that sexism plays in our society and how we can transform our culture to a more encompassing and equal experience.

P.S. There's another great review of this book on the wonderful blog Viva La Feminista!

Crafting as Spirituality

I was just catching up on my reading (and listening) of the wonderful blog CraftyPod, when I found a very inspiring entry about crafting as a spiritual practice.

CraftyPod is put together by the wonderful Sister Diane, who up until very recently has been hosting the Portland Chapter of the Church of Craft.

In this entry, she interviews spiritual crafter Amy Kleene, who makes gorgeous and powerful ritual items for others.

It's a great segment.  Give it a listen for some wonderful inspiration.  There are some great comments as well!

September 2007 Craft-On & Other Opportunities

Every month the Church of Craft gathers and makes together. The following is my monthly e-mail, full of crafting opportunities throughout the Bay Area in Northern California. To subscribe to the Bay Area list, send an e-mail to trismegista@churchofcraft.org.

SEPTEMBER CRAFT-ON

Please join us this month for the monthly gathering of the Church of Craft!

WHEN: Every 3rd Sunday of the month
September 16th, 2007

WHERE: Rock Paper Scissors Collective
2278 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland, CA 94612

1pm - 5pm: Craft-On & Potluck
We gather and we make...come together in community and craft! Bring your current project and food/drinks to share.  Bring your friends too!  All are welcome. For more information, contact Tristy at trismegista@churchofcraft.org.

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PASTIME

You're a baseball fan who doesn't "get" artsy stuff?

You're a modern dance lover who can't stand sports?

Then this is the piece for you.

Bring a six pack, bring a blanket, bring a box of cracker jacks.

Though the performance is not super-long, bring sunscreen.

Pastime

A dance about baseball (and everything else)

"Baseball seems to have been invented solely for the purpose of explaining all other things in life." -- Roger Angell

CONCEIVED AND CREATED BY Chris Black

SCORE BY Erik Pearson

PERFORMED BY Felipe Barrueto-Cabello, Kevin Clarke, Aura Fischbeck, Catherine Galasso, Courtney Moreno, Kyle Orf, Julie Sheetz, Andrew Ward

BENCH COACH: Bret Hitchcock

Saturdays and Sundays, 1:05pm

September 15th & 16th in Justin Herman Plaza Park (Embarcadero at Washington St. in downtown San Francisco, CA)

September 22nd & 23rd in Precita Park

(Precita Ave. and Harrison St. in the Mission, San Francisco, CA)

September 29th & 30th in the Golden Gate Park Peacock Meadow

(JFK drive near Fell St. entrance, between McLaren Lodge and the Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco, CA)

Lawn seating means kids, lawn chairs, coolers and blankets all welcome -- arrive early for the best seating!

Musical score will be broadcast via transistor radios -- if you've got your own, bring it!

Maps and more information can be found here.

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OLAFUR ELIASSON AT SFMOMA

Saturday, September 8, 2007 - Sunday, February 24, 2008
at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
151 Third Street (between Mission and Howard Streets)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Telephone: 415.357.4000
Fax: 415.357.4037
Map and directions

From the SFMOMA website:

Widely heralded as one of the most important artists of his generation, Olafur Eliasson nimbly merges art, science, and natural phenomena to create extraordinary multisensory experiences. Challenging the passive nature of traditional art-viewing, he engages the observer as an active participant, using tangible elements such as temperature, moisture, aroma, and light to generate physical sensations. The works assembled for this presentation — the first U.S. survey of this Icelandic artist's oeuvre — date from 1993 to the present and reflect all facets of his creative practice.

Encompassing sculpture, photography, and large-scale immersive installations — including a newly commissioned kaleidoscopic tunnel that envelops the Museum's steel truss bridge — these projects are intentionally simple in construction but thrilling to behold, sparking profound, visceral reactions designed to heighten one's experience of the everyday.

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SHARON SISKIN PODCAST

Sharon Siskin was one of my favorite teachers in my Masters program at John F. Kennedy University.  She is highlighted on this month's Arts & Healing Network Podcast.

Have a listen - she is so inspirational!

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CIRCO ZERO'S SOL NIGER

A new work of contemporary circus, performance, politics and ritual with choreography by Keith Hennessy.

Created in collaboration with
Seth Eisen, Sean Feit, Emily Leap, Max, and Brett Womack

Only 8 Shows!
Thursday - Sunday, September 20th - 23rd
& Wednesday - Saturday, September 26th - 29th.
All shows begin at 8pm.
at the Project Artaud Theatre
450 Florida St. @ 17th Street
San Francisco, CA

$25
except Thursday, September 20th & Wednesday, September 26th which is pay what you want

TICKETS
or call (800) 838-3006
Cash only at the door.

MORE INFO

VOLUNTEER
4 ushers are needed every night. See the show for free!
Organize your friends to do it together. Arrive at 6:30pm.
Email Sonya Smith to find out more.

WHAT IS SOL NIGER?
Sol niger is Latin for black sun and refers metaphorically to a solar eclipse. In alchemy Sol niger is a fresh perspective on surviving the loss of light, suggesting that some things are better seen in shadow.

Sol niger is a performance by Circo Zero. A dedicated team of circus, dance, music, and visual artists have been working for over a year (in France and in the US) on an alchemical spectacle investigating darkness and the possibility for renewal.

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8TH ANNUAL EXPO FOR THE ARTIST & MUSICIAN

The Expo for the Artist & Musician has begun and runs through Saturday, September 15th, with a diverse array of events, workshops, screenings, panels, connections and a colossal showcase of local-arts organizations.

Tuesday, September 11
Pinhole Photography Adventure
Cellspace, 5-7 pm, 9/11
Learn how to make your very own pinhole camera and create paper negatives using photographic paper. Materials provided. Limited to 5 students.

Wednesday, September 12
"$56 Million & Where's the Art?"
CounterPULSE, 1310 Mission @ 9th St.
A panel and audience-led dialogue focusing on SOLUTIONS, that starts with the question: What can San Francisco do to better leverage the abundant community support for the arts? With: Frances Phillips (Haas Foundation), John Kilacky (SF Foundation), San San Wong (SF Arts Commission), Krissy Keefer (Dance Brigade), Colleen Marlow (Art Head)

Bookbinding Tutorial
Cellspace, 7pm-8:30pm, 9/12
This hands-on tutorial will cover everything you need to know to make your very own softcover-bound notebook -- perfect for journaling, recipes, and more! Materials provided, but students are also welcome to bring in any special paper they have.

Digitally Retouch & Enhance Your Photos
Cellspace, 7-9pm, 9/12
Discover how Photoshop can help you color correct, crop, erase mistakes, and generally enhance the quality of your digital images. Students are encouraged to bring in a CD or an external hard-drive containing their images. Limited to 7 students.

Thursday, September 13
Puppetry 101 at Cellspace, 7pm-9pm, 9/13
Make affordable puppets for theatre and storytelling in no time at all! Materials provided, but please bring any others you wish to experiment with!

Sewing Demo
Cellspace, 7pm-8:30pm, 9/13
Our sewing junkie will teach you the basics of threading and using the machine, and present quick shortcuts for altering clothes.

THE FIRST EXPO EXHIBITOR SALON
Cellspace, 7:30-10:30pm, 9/13
A reception, workshop and discussion salon presented by Pandora's Trunk and Expo for the Artist & Musician. This is the first-ever Expo Exhibitor Salon, a pre-event gathering that offers a chance to meet and connect with the exhibiting organizations at the Expo, in a more low-key and conversational environment.

Church of Craft in the East Bay Monthly

I forgot to mention that there is a lovely article about the Church of Craft, San Francisco in the East Bay Monthly.  It's written by the delightful Kate Madden Yee and it really captures the fun and freedom of a Church of Craft meeting.  Enjoy!

August Craft-On & Other Opportunities

Every month the Church of Craft gathers and makes together. The following is my monthly e-mail, full of crafting opportunities throughout the Bay Area in Northern California. To subscribe to the Bay Area list, send an e-mail to trismegista@churchofcraft.org.

AUGUST CRAFT-ON

Please join us this month for the monthly gathering of the Church of Craft!

WHEN: Every 3rd Sunday of the month
August 19th, 2007

WHERE: Rock Paper Scissors Collective
2278 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland, CA 94612

2pm - 5pm: Craft-On & Potluck
We gather and we make...come together in community and craft! Bring your current project and food/drinks to share.  Bring your friends too!  All are welcome. For more information, contact Tristy at trismegista@churchofcraft.org.

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PROPOSALS ACCEPTED FOR ARTWORKSF 2008 EXHIBIT CALENDAR

Entry Deadline: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 at 5pm

ARTworkSF is now accepting proposals for show ideas to feature in their 2008 Exhibit Calendar. They are looking for original and innovative show ideas that address contemporary trends, thoughts, directions or perspectives.

Prior curatorial experience is preferred, but not necessary.

For the proposals that are selected, ARTworkSF will provide the venue, budget, professional installation, hosts, and sales staff for the artists' reception. They will collaborate with you and assist in all aspects of the curatorial process as necessary, including (but not limited to) marketing, exhibit layout, design and administrative support.

Your submission must be submitted in CD format with: a one-page description of your show, including title; a proposed artist list which includes at least 4 Bay Area artists (3 of which must be current ARTworkSF members); and jpg images of the proposed work (72 dpi, 3" x 4").

Mail or deliver your submission to:
ARTworkSF Gallery
49 Geary Street, Suite 234
San Francisco, CA 94108

Questions? Contact curator@artworksf.com.

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AMERICAN CRAFT SHOW IN SAN FRANCISCO

Fort Mason Center
August 10 - 12, 2007

250 artists and their latest jewelry, furniture, clothing, home decor and more. Enjoy wine tastings, lectures on craft and design, and "celebrity" walking tours.

New this year: Craft 4 Kids, in which artists present clothing, furniture, jewelry, toys and accessories designed especially for kids.

Buy your tickets online.

Everyone can view live glass flameworking, welding, torch cutting and blacksmithing, courtesy of Oakland's The Crucible and their Educational Response Vehicle - a restored 1960 fire truck with a full metal shop on board.  Live demonstrations will be held Saturday, August 11th from 10am to 6pm.

Admission: $12 per person, $18 for a two-day pass, children 12 and under go FREE!

For more information, call 800-836-3470.

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MOTORIZED, QUILTED FERRIS WHEEL

Along with Santa Cruz artist Iman Lizarazu, Susan Else just completed a moving, quilt-covered ferris wheel. The entire piece, spokes and all, is covered with stitched layers of commercial and hand-dyed cotton. The sculpture is four feet across, with twelve, cloth-covered gondolas and fifteen fabric riders. Not only does a motor make the wheel go round and round, but the work incorporates a recording of Boardwalk noises: screams, clanks, rumbles, calliope music, and voices broadcasting safety instructions.

Titled Above the Boardwalk, the piece is now on display at the the Museum of Art & History @ the McPherson Center in Santa Cruz, CA, as part of an exhibition honoring the hundredth anniversary of  Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

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CRAFT MY RIDE

Inform Ventures is collaborating with Scion (a Toyota car) on a design competition for craft-makers called Craft My Ride. The competition challenges crafters to create handmade car accessories for the new Scion. The first-place winner will receive a 2008 Scion XD. 2nd place wins $1000 and 3rd place wins $500.

Submissions will be received between September 10th and October 22nd, 2007.

For more information, contact:

Dee Murphy
Public Relations & Marketing Specialist
Inform Ventures, LLC
3361 Glendale Blvd., Suite 1
Los Angeles, CA 90039
(323) 906-0736
Fax: (323) 906.0725
email: dee@inform-ventures.com

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LA-LA-LOVLIES

Please meet one of the newest members of the Church of Craft - Miss LaLa.  She has a wonderful blog which I will let her introduce herself:

I've been a crafty girl since birth, or at least that's how it feels! My mom started me on counted cross stitch early and that's how I spent many summer days - fingers glued to cross stitch projects - forsaking the outdoors because of the sense of timelessness that I got lost in (and still do) during crafts. Later, my mom got me into stained glass and I loved that too. We also dabbled in ceramics, both creating and staining them. Now that I'm older, I love embroidery, felt, sewing, crocheting, knitting, aromatherapy, candle making, and honoring the divine in everything I do! While I've been doing mostly fun art in the past, recently I have become interested in art that expresses resistance to injustice. Also, I love sacred art, specifically iconography of the goddesses and community sacred spaces that honors the Divine. But of course, I'm a sucker for cutesy art that makes me all squishy inside! So this blog is my effort to share my continuing exploration of crafty endeavors and creating social change through beauty, culture and craft. Enjoy!

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PROJECT FARASHA

This project's mission is to raise money for Iraqi Refugee children, and create an art exchange between American and Iraqi children. The organizers are looking for more artists to be involved with the project, help hand out "exchange kits" and to donate artworks to an auction being held in October 2007. 

Find out more by visiting the website.

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THE URBAN GREEN

And please meet another new member of the Church of Craft - The Urban Green.

Here is, in their words, what they are all about:

We believe appreciation of nature within our homes is essential for the health and happiness of our neighborhoods. Love of nature drives our commitment to reducing our negative impact and promoting more sustainable practices for the protection of natural resources. The modern urban ecosystem requires both environmental stewardship and achievement of social justice in order to protect and promote well-nourished and vital communities. While fledgling and tender still, this vision for a balanced urban ecology is the heart of The Urban Green.


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That's it my beautiful crafters!  See you August 19th at Rock Paper Scissors Collective!

Tristy

Rubbish Vortex

Just came across this really cool blog that is actually totally blowing my mind - GooseFlesh. It is created by Helle Jorgensen, a horticulturalist and former research geneticist in Sydney, Australia. Among many gifts, she is an expert in knitting with plastic bags.

She is collaborating in a bigger project at The Institute for Figuring called the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef, which they define as:

...a woolly celebration of the intersection of higher geometry and feminine handicraft, and a testimony to the disappearing wonders of the marine world.

This Reef has been inspired by the principles of hyperbolic crochet originally developed by mathematician Dr. Daina Taimina.

In 1997 Dr. Taimina discovered how to make models of the geometry known as hyperbolic space using the art of crochet. Until that time most mathematicians had believed it was impossible to construct physical models of hyperbolic forms, yet nature has been doing just that for hundreds of millions of years. Isn't it interesting that the so-called "feminine arts" (and therefore "less than" and certainly not scientific) are what brought this complicated structure into form?

It turns out that many marine organisms embody hyperbolic geometry - like kelps, corals, and sponges.

The whole project is genius and Jorgensen's part in the project is totally amazing. She calls it The Rubbish Vortex.  She is basically crafting these amazing sea creatures out of the recycled plastic bag "yarn." Her pieces are staggeringly gorgeous and her blog is really fun to read. She really shows you the whole process - what inspired her originally, the path she takes to learn how to make what she saw, and then her amazing explorations and improvements to that original idea.  Very crafty and so inspiring!

Again, this is what is all about for me - creating with spirit.  This artist is paying attention to all the trash and garbage in the world and is transforming what she comes into contact with into breathtaking pieces of beauty that have a greater message about our oceans and the lives that depend on them.

Helle’s blog also contains a comprehensive tutorial in how to make plastic-bag yarn. So you can make your own wild creations!

The full Crochet Reef will be exhibited in Los Angeles in 2008 and I am seriously thinking about traveling down there to see it.

Also, FYI, Helle is eager to collect plastic bags from around the world to incorporate into her project – especially colored bags (most plastic shopping bags are white and she’d like her Rubbish Vortex to have flashes of color.) Email her to find out where to send the bags.

June Craft-On & Other Opportunities

Every month the Church of Craft gathers and makes together. The following is my monthly e-mail, full of crafting opportunities throughout the Bay Area in Northern California. To subscribe to the Bay Area list, send an e-mail to trismegista@churchofcraft.org.

JUNE CRAFT-ON

Please join us this month for the monthly gathering of the Church of Craft!

WHEN: Every 3rd Sunday of the month
Father's Day, June 17, 2007

WHERE: Rock Paper Scissors Collective
2278 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland, CA 94612

1pm - 2pm: Sunday School
We are so very lucky to have our beloved Melissa show us the fun and mysterious ways of felting! Don't know what felting is? This tutorial gives you an idea. Melissa will bring supplies and some inspiring books to peruse. Bring a few dollars to donate to our wonderful teacher!

2pm - 5pm: Craft-On & Potluck
We gather and we make...come together in community and craft! Bring your current project and food/drinks to share.  Bring your friends too!  All are welcome. For more information, contact Tristy at trismegista@churchofcraft.org.

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INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED ART & CARTOONING INSTRUCTOR NEEDED

Instructor is needed ASAP - classes start June 18th! You would be teaching 6th - 10th graders for $20 - $32 an hour.

For more information email Jennifer Ounjian, Student Life Supervisor at Contra Costa College: College for Kids Program in San Pablo, CA at (510) 235-7800 x 4407.

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PHOENIX PUBLIC ART PROJECT

Photography Project: Life's a journey for all the throwaway stuff in our lives. Every bottle, box, container, cell phone and battery starts in one place and winds up in another. Some head to the dump, others to the recycling center. What is that journey like? Where does it begin, meander, and end?

The Phoenix Public Art Program is looking for photographic artists to answer these questions with vivid images that explore the recycling process and its role in helping to sustain the environment.

Application deadline: June 22, 2007
Estimated budget: $35,000
Contact Rebecca Blume Rothman, Public Art manager for more information at (602) 495-0893.

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PREPARE FOR THE PLAYA!

Nikki Doran  of Wild On The Inside has organized Prepare For The Playa! It's a great way to get ready for Burning Man 2007. Check it out this Sunday, June 10th at Mighty, 119 Utah Street in San Francisco, CA from Noon - 7pm!            

Burning Man 2007 is almost here and there is so much left to do! Don't Panic! Come to the first Buy Local for the Playa. Find just what you are looking for: outrageous fashions, domes, playa furniture, lights and more. Also learn how to sculpt and color your hair, or take a poi-spinning lesson. There will even be a raffle to win a Burning Man 2007 pass with all the proceeds going to fund the Burning Man arts community!

Prepare for the Playa continues with two more dates with new vendors and performers - July 22nd and August 12th!

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ONE NIGHT STAND 2007

Entry Deadline: Wednesday, June 20th at 5pm.

A single evening of performances and art in celebration of the human body and an exploration of sexuality through nude, erotic and fetish imagery and themes. A portion of the proceeds benefit San Francisco Sex Information and Artists Resource Center of San Francisco.

Submissions can explore: The human form from either an erotic or non-erotic perspective; Fetishes/paraphilias (paraphernalia and practices); The physical expression of sexuality/sensuality (i.e., tantric and other sensual practices and beliefs, sexual positions, sexual lifestyles); Cultural or philosophical beliefs about sex, sexuality and the body (i.e., courtship and dating rituals, power dynamics, gender roles); and Emotions and feelings related to or arising from expression of our sexual and/or erotic selves (i.e., love, passion, desire, etc.).

Curator:  Matt McKinley, Chief Curator ARTworkSF Gallery
Show Date: Friday, August 3, 2007  (one night only!)
Reception: Friday, August 3, 2007 5 – 9 pm

SomArts Cultural Center
Bay Gallery
934 Brannan Street
San Francisco, CA

Participants must reside in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Each artist may submit 1 - 6 images for consideration. Work in all media and styles, including sculpture, video and installations will be considered. Please send prospectus requests to: cfa@artworksf.com.

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CHILDISH THINGS

301 BOCANA Gallery is pleased to present a group exhibition:
CHILDISH THINGS
Contemporary artworks by 35 artists exploring a range of childish things.
Co-curated by Teresa O'Connor and Kelly Kozak

June 9 – July 7, 2007
Opening reception: Saturday, June 9, 6-8pm

Childish Things began as an idea to bring together a range of contemporary artworks that explore themes of childhood – whether real or imagined, poignant, humorous, or challenging.

The aim of this exhibition is to focus attention on the inherent value of child-like qualities as they are expressed in artwork - spontaneity, delight, surprise and mischievousness, as well as more serious aspects of childhood – memory and loss, fears, and trauma.

While much of the subtext of the works in Childish Things is directed toward adults, the exhibition is appropriate and engaging for children as well.

Comprised of contemporary works from both established and emerging artists, and a range of media including painting and drawing, print and photography, sculpture, artist books, installation and conceptual, Childish Things presents a multitude of perspectives, and invites us to reflect on the importance of being childish.

This exhibition also marks the 1 year anniversary of 301 BOCANA Gallery, so come to the reception and eat some cake and ice cream, and listen to a special musical guest.

For additional information contact:
Teresa O'Connor
415.225.5427
301 BOCANA Gallery
301 Bocana Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

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HAND-CROCHETED PIECES DESIRED

The wonderful and inspiring artist Leah Libow is looking for hand crocheted pieces in white, crème, beige or tan - small, medium and large sizes - in circular shapes.

Your donated crocheted pieces will be used in the Forest Floor Project in Shoreline, WA.

This image is an example of what she is looking for.

When Leah first encountered Hamlin Park in Shoreline, WA, she discovered a small circle of trees which held inside its bosom the remains of a fallen tree which looked to like the legs and waist of a woman emerging from the earth.

Each time she came upon this site it grew more and more sacred. After a few visits she realized that she had to mark this site as sacred by engaging with it as well as creating an installation inside and on it.

She is going to cover one section of the forest floor with white, beige, or crème-colored crocheted doilies. These pieces will be sewn together on site so as to fit the area and to include spaces for the trees and other foliage in the area. Donations of crocheted pieces from other women that have been crafted, inherited or purchased or have been gifted are welcome.

The installation will take place in Summer/Fall 2007 or 2008, depending on how fast she can get permission from the park and how many crocheted pieces she receives.

The purpose of this installation is - through the use of traditional women's craft (including the making of these objects) juxtaposed with the forest (dark forest floor, trees, etc), to make visible the feminine force in nature and to make visible what Leah believes to be an ancient and sacred site.  Her hope is to include Women suffering from chronic disease in the project as a way to help them transform dis-ease into a transformative process.  Her hope is also to move the viewer into re-membering their connection to the sensual - to the earth. And of course, because creating things makes her happy!

If you would like to participate in this project:

1. Write her a letter including any stories you have that go along with the pieces: Ancestral Motherline stories or where you discovered this particular piece.
   
   
2. Please attach, with red thread, a name tag with: Your first and last name; Your mother's first and last (maiden) name; Your grandmother's first and last (maiden) name; Your great-grandmother's first and last (maiden) name; and on and on (as much as you know). Make sure the thread is red, the tag is white and the writing is black (and legible!)
   

Donations can be sent to:
Leah Libow
115 Prefontaine Place South #401
Seattle, WA 98104

For more information, call Leah at 510-467-2302.