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Anyone who grew up crafting with pony beads and cord will recognize the iconic beaded lizard. Dangling from backpacks traveling to and from grade school, trading colorful designs with friends, and crafting these tiny reptiles together are fond memories that come to mind when admiring at Jeff Rubio’s giant creaturely sculptures.

Invoking queerness, nostalgia, and joy, the artist taps into childhood experience by creating large-scale versions of the youthful pastime. Based in Philadelphia and working out of the historic Bok building, Rubio first molds dozens of ceramic pony beads, substantially oversized in comparison to the typical craft material. They then introduce vibrant rope to string together each piece to form the evocative, recognizable lizard shape. Rubio also fashions large steel paperclips onto several of their pieces to transform them into keychains, again connecting to the act of crafting as a kid, scrounging around for materials, and working with the most accessible supplies.

“In my studio, I find myself surrounded by tokens of my childhood—Tamagotchis, action figures, and Happy Meal toys. While these artifacts hold great sentimental value, they’re often a lot smaller than we recollect,” Rubio tells Colossal, explaining further:

The artist continues to create works drawing from their adolescent memories, focusing on iterations of Tamagotchis, Mr. Potato Head, and more. Rubio is anticipating a forthcoming group show at Commonweal Gallery, opening this November. To see more of their process, check out their Instagram and website.

Photo by Ian Shiver

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Jeff Rubio Chains Ceramic Beads and Childhood Memory in Giant Lizard Sculptures appeared first on Colossal.

The highly anticipated Red Earth Fallfest is back, and it promises to be a day filled with vibrant celebrations of Native cultures.

The annual event willtake place on Saturday, October 14th, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, captivating attendees with an unforgettable parade, an all-day art market, and an opportunity to experience the Red Earth Youth Powwow.

Red Earth Fallfest is proudly presented by Red Earth, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Native arts and cultures through education, festivals, and art markets.

The festivities will kick off with a magnificent parade, led by Tribal leaders, princesses, dancers, community organizations and more. Spectators can line the streets of downtown Oklahoma City to witness the procession, which starts promptly at 10:00 am.

The parade route will begin at NW 6th Street and Walker Avenue, heading southbound on Walker and culminating near the Myriad Gardens on Sheridan Avenue.

Following the parade, the enchanting Devon Lawn of the Myriad Gardens will transform into an extraordinary Art Market, showcasing a diverse range of arts and crafts. From intricate beadwork to stunning paintings, visitors will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of Native artistry. The Art Market will be open to the public from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, providing ample time for attendees to peruse the unique creations and find treasures to take home.

In addition to the Art Market, the Youth Powwow will take center stage, captivating audiences with awe-inspiring dances and mesmerizing drumbeats. Commencing at noon, the Youth Powwow will continue until 5:00 pm, culminating in an unforgettable award ceremony.

This showcase of youthful talent and cultural heritage will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on all who attend.

Red Earth Fallfest is a family-friendly event, and admission is free for all. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and picnic baskets, as they indulge in a day of festivities, cultural immersion, and cherished memories.

Red Earth Fallfest is made possible through the generous support of Allied Arts, Changing Winds Society, Chickasaw Nation, Cricket Wireless, KFOR News4, Kirkpatrick Family Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, Oklahoma Arts Council, OKC Powwow Club and Tinker Federal Credit Union

To participate in the Red Earth Parade or for additional information, please visit the official website at www.redearth.org or contact (405) 427-5228.

CHICAGO — More than 500 workers at the Art Institute of Chicago and its school who were in the vanguard of a union-organizing wave by museum staffers in Chicago have ratified their first contract.

By an overwhelming vote, the workers approved a four-year agreement that over its life will increase wages from 12.25% to 16.25%, with lower-paid staff getting the largest percentage gains. The contract approval was announced Tuesday in a joint release from the museum and the workers’ union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

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Anders Lindall, spokesman for AFSCME’s Council 31, said workers will get immediate wage hikes from 3.25% to 5.5%, plus a one-time bonus of $1,100 to $1,300 based on seniority. Lindall said around 350 workers attended ratification meetings in the last week, with about 95% favoring the contract.

“We got a lot of good wins in the contract,” said Briana Shucart, a member of the union’s bargaining committee. “We had a lot of ground to cover” during 53 bargaining sessions, she said.

She highlighted rules governing grievances, layoff notices and job recalls and a commitment for regular labor-management meetings.

Shucart said many worker concerns grew from cutbacks ordered after the onset of COVID-19.

“The pandemic was a moment where people realized companies are not going to be there for them,” said Shucart, who has worked in enrollment marketing at the school for more than two years.

The museum joined the workers in praising the agreement.

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“The Art Institute deeply values its employees and is happy to have reached a contract agreement that meets the needs of our staff and allows us to continue providing a world-class education and cultural experience,” Alexandra Holt, executive vice president for finance and administration at the Art Institute of Chicago, said in the joint news release.

Museum staffers, joined later by those at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, began their campaign for union recognition in 2021 and started bargaining in May 2022. The employee groups are technically separate but they negotiated jointly as Art Institute of Chicago Workers United.

Following their activism, workers at other museums and cultural institutions in Chicago affiliated with AFSCME. The union has signed up members at the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and the Newberry Library. They are in various stages of contract talks.

The Art Institute agreement boosts the minimum wage to $17 an hour and $18 in 2025. Lindall said the wage floor prior to the deal was $15.80. He said money will continue to be available for merit raises.

The employer agreed to pay a higher percentage of health insurance premiums after the contract’s first year.

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AFSCME also represents about 600 nontenure-track faculty at the School of the Art Institute, where bargaining continues.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire – Copyright Chicago Sun-Times 2023.)

Art Uptown Gallery” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:1500,”y2″:1125,”width”:1500,”height”:1125}”>

By now, big changes to downtown Sarasota are nothing new, but here comes another that will alter the Main Street strolling experience forever. After 43 years, Sarasota’s longest-standing art gallery, Art Uptown Gallery, is closing at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26.

The close is due to a change in property ownership this summer that would bring the rent into the current market rate sphere by at least quadrupling it—a rate the nonprofit gallery just can’t afford.

A sign in the window bids the public farewell.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:22,”x2″:516,”y2″:679,”width”:516,”height”:657}”>

On June 7, the long-time previous owners sold to local commercial real estate mogul Christopher Brown, under the LLC, Big Lot, for just over $2.7 million. The sale was brought on by the unexpected death of one of the previous owners, art lover and Sarasota resident Ellen Heritage, whose “mourning widow just wanted to liquidate,” says Evelyn McCorristin Peters, who is among the gallery’s resident artists and also serves as its treasurer.

“Ellen Heritage was a kind woman and supported the arts. She was the only reason we were able to be there,” Peters says.

Thanks to Heritage’s patronage, the 27 artists who led the gallery each paid just $150 in dues every month, which in large part paid for the $1,000 monthly rent.

“It gave us an opportunity to flourish as artists and help the ones living from their art. At some point in time, it would have ended but we didn’t expect it to happen now,” Peters says.

Under the new ownership, the rent was set to jump to $4,000 in the short term and the long-term rate would be $7,000 a month.

“There was no possibility to afford that,” Peters says. “We thought about not having paid staff, [the gallery has two employees], but we realized there was just nothing else we could do.” But she also says the increases are understandable. “I know that people who make the investment want to make the going rate,” she says.

And that rate, for a roughly 2,000-square-foot commercial storefront space in the heart of downtown Sarasota, is “anywhere from $8,000 to $10,000 a month,” according to the new owner, Brown, who would know. He owns 35 pieces of commercial property across the county and is the landlord at the Mexican restaurant El Melvin just a couple doors down from the gallery. He also owns Joe’s, the Summer House, The Cottage, The Hub Baja Grill, The Beach Club and Mad Moe’s Sports Pub and Grill, among other high-profile locations. We wrote about the hospitality investor here when his portfolio first caught our eye.

“It’s unfortunate,” he says of the gallery closure. “I like to support the arts and thought I was by offering $4,000 at first. But they wanted to negotiate substantially from there. They weren’t even paying insurance and taxes. It was possible because the previous owners had paid off the building, so it was all just profit for them.”

The gallery, unpretentious and inviting, is run by and for 27 local year-round resident artists who do everything from sculpture to glass, mosaic, ceramics and oil and acrylic paintings. What made it different from most galleries is that only 20 percent of each sale was garnished by the gallery. In many places, that number is upward of 50 percent. The artists also set their own prices, and pieces can range anywhere from less than $100 to $7,000. When resident artist and gallery member Marlane Wurzbach greeted shoppers and browsers, she encouraged questions and said, “I know all the artists because I”m one of them.”

Art Uptown Gallery artist Marlane Wurzbach’s work at the gallery. This series focuses on historic local buildings.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:50,”x2″:949,”y2″:883,”width”:949,”height”:833}”>

When there were decisions to be made, they didn’t always agree, but they voted and the majority won. “We were in control of everything,” Wurzbach says.

Although the foot traffic at its central location is unmatched, the value sat beyond its walls.

“In a lot of galleries, the artists don’t get to meet each other,” Peters says, “It was a real support system as well.”

They hosted and organized their own exhibitions, with members coming in on the last Saturday of every month to hang their work and strategize for future events. They plan to continue meeting informally and Wurzbach says it won’t stop her from producing. The gallery’s website will have updates and continue to be a placeholder for the artists, which leads users to each artist.

“I’m hoping we’ll all think of each other to recommend each other if someone finds a new gallery to work with,” Wurzbach says.

Some artists will take a break, others will move to their working studios and some will move to new galleries, and they’ll continue to work and sell online. “Everyone will have to go back to marketing themselves. You have to market yourself more than you work,” Peters says.

Eight art studio units on the second floor are remaining, where artist tenants are paying little to stay—for now.

As for the gallery space, “it won’t be vacant for 30 days. It can be retail or restaurant. There’s been lots of activity and interest,” Brown says. The new lease will be roughly $10,000 a month. “Plus, they’ll pay their share of taxes and insurance,” he says. “But I would like people to know that I tried to work with the gallery.”

According to Sarasota County records, the building at 1367 and 1373 Main St. was built in 1909. Although it’s not specifically designated as historic, it is part of the overall downtown historic district on the ​​National Register of Historic Places. (Read more about its history here.)

Another beloved destination next door was included in the same deal. Cafe Amici at 1373 Main St. sold in the same transaction for $780,400, representing a total of $3,500,100 for the buyer.

The Italian fine dining restaurant Cafe Amici, located at 1373 Main St., is staying—for now.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:1170,”y2″:591,”width”:1170,”height”:591}”>

Cafe Amici has been a family-owned classic Italian fare favorite for almost 24 years. Although it’s staying for now, pending negotiation on the new rent, its rent has roughly tripled overnight, says Massimo Nigri, who co-owns the restaurant with his brother Achille.

Amici’s lease is up in April, and although Nigri says the new owner would like them to stay (no wonder; have you tried their ossobuco?), he’s weighing other potential locations where the brothers would own both the successful business and the building. As for the sudden rent hike, “it’s not his fault,” Nigri says “It’s all of downtown. Rents are getting crazy.”

“I am interested in individual repeated attempts, which sometimes lead to failure,” says Baptiste Debombourg. “The impression of impotence generated by such situations, and by the individuals themselves, simply highlights the fragile and endearing nature of the human being.”

The French artist is known for large-scale installations that repurpose utilitarian objects like cafe chairs, staples, and windshields into elaborate, immersive artworks. Enormous sheets of glass cascade from the windows of an abbey or slosh around inside of a courtyard, often using many tons of the fragile planes to accomplish a sense of undulating motion.

Debombourg’s most recent work, “Black tide,” combines black lacquer with broken glass, silicone, and other materials to flood a Quebec gallery. A powerful gush buries everything in its wake like a tidal wave, landslide, magma flow, or oil spill. Furniture is half-submerged and strewn throughout the deluge, referencing environmental disasters that humans both cause and experience.

“My inspiration and influences come from everyday life, and more specifically, from day-to-day objects that condition our lives,” Debombourg says. Architecture plays a crucial role in his site-specific installations, providing openings, boundaries, and elements that inspire each work. In “Aerial,” for example, classical columns and high windows at Brauweiler Abbey, a former Benedictine monastery in Pulheim, Germany, inspired a set of giant drape-like windows that appear to billow from the walls as if pushed by a strong wind, turning viscous at the bottom and oozing across the floor.

Debombourg is currently working on several projects, including an installation scheduled to open in November at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest, Romania, curated by Anca Mihuleţ. A commissioned, permanent artwork for Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland, is also slated to open in February. Explore much more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

Detail of “Black tide”

“(R)evolve” (2017), windshields, wood, nails, screws, and paint, 8 x 8 x 4.5 meters. Installed at Eduardo Secci Gallery in Florence, Italy

Detail of “(R)evolve”

“Aerial” (2012), 33/2 laminated glass from Glas König, wood, nails, and white paint, 3 x 12 x 4.5 meters, two ons of glass. Installed at Brauweiler Abbey in Pulheim, Germany

Detail of “Aerial”

Detail of “Aerial”

Detail of “Aerial”

“Acceleration field” (2015), white laminated glass, wooden structure, screws, nails, paint, silicone3D, 11 x 7 x 1.8 meters, 250 meters² glass at four tons. Installed at Fondation Antoine de Galbert in Paris, France, with technical assistance from Léa Marchalwith the support of Wellmade and Saint-Gobain

Detail of “Acceleration field”

Detail of “Acceleration field”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Tons of Broken Glass Flood Architectural Spaces in Captivating Site-Specific Installations by Baptiste Debombourg appeared first on Colossal.