MTA Arts for Transit Commission!

105th Beach Station in the Rockaways, is being transformed. Callie Art is moving in, after a three-year planning period. The station attendant today seemed quite happy with the new art.

I still remember the day I got the call telling me that I won the commission. They had brought in about 15 artists to present our work for five stations in the Rockaways. I had heard about the open call for art from the Rockaway Artist Alliance, which I have been a member over the years. My love for the sea brought me out to Fort Tilden initially. My friend wanted a car sticker to park there, so agreed to bring me to meetings. I was living in the city at that time, so it was quite a hike, but well worth it.

Fort Tilden is a quiet place, with a lot going on. They have a small theatre, fields for rugby and baseball, a garden, an art gallery and studio space. I digress, this story is about the commission, and so I will get back on track here! So a bunch of us were chosen out of hundreds of entries and we brought in design boards with our station concepts and the process was explained to us. Artists were chosen by neighborhood boards and the MTA. My work reflected the ocean and the creatures residing there. So I guess it was a good fit! It meant so much to me to taken on such a serious level as an artist. My day job manager has been trying to convince me that "IT" is my profession, that art was a hobby. I am trying very hard to prove her wrong. Many famous artists supported themselves and families for years by being insurance agents, accountants and other everyday professions until they made it, or died. I hope to support myself as an artist for at least a few years before leaving this world.

Back to the commission. After being given your station address and a huge contract to abide by, you have to choose a fabricator. I choose one that had done another station that I was impressed with. The MTA also decides the material in which your art will be created in for the station. Mine was to be in faceted-glass and epoxy; I had never worked with glass before. My fabricator told me that my artwork translated very well into this medium. I am, of course, thrilled.

So three final designs are sent to the fabricator who then translates them into "cartoons". He sends the life size cartoons to us (the MTA and me) for approval. We mark them up and send them back. Then I make the big trip, down to Baton Rouge to look at glass samples. Part of your payment from the MTA is used for this trip. I meet Erskin, who is a lovely and talented man, and then his wife, who is entertaining as all heck! I see where the work is to be created, tell him that I want glass with impurities in it. I want to imagine seaweed, eggs, and seawater in the glass. The piece is titled Vast, and it contains three panels, Egg Masses, Jellyfish, and Creature. I am not very good with titles. I am not afraid of words, but would much rather paint then write.

That said, here I am writing a blog that is way too long by now. Have I still got your attention? If so, I shall continue. So Erskin creates the panels, but this is all done only with the OK from the MTA about each step taken. Three years later the station is done with it's renovation, the thing that makes this all happen in the first place, and the panels are ready for shipping. They arrive while I am on vacation. It is not until three weeks later that I finally get out to visit the install. Two out of the three panels are up. I am thrilled and finally get to do my photo shoot!

OK, it all comes down to my love of photography. In this instance I got to be part of the creation in what I was shooting. The panels are brilliantly vibrant and the light coming through is amazing. I am so excited that they turned out so well. When you give up total control of a creation, you never are quite sure what you are going to get. This was a great ending to a three-year venture in the realm of artist collaboration, working with the MTA and having people believe in my art so much that it will be there for the next 100 years, hopefully.

Next up, planning their coming out party. I found the perfect pub for everyone to gather at after seeing the work. So I am good to go! Thank you for listening to my journey. Callie

Leaving your comfort zone!

Roger Manning, 1987, photo by Callie Hirsch

Get out of your comfort zone! Give up that which is cozy and warm. Take a chance on something you would love to do, but have been too afraid to try.

How can we learn new things if we do not put ourselves out there? I just finished reading Patti Smith’s book, titled “Just Kids”. It was about her starting out her life in NYC with the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe by her side. I read this book as slow as I possibly could, loving it the whole way through. We all need to feel not so all alone, hearing her story made me realize that everyone has the same fears, and we all have the means for survival.

I went to the places she spoke of, but so many years later. I came to New York City to attend college in 1983; she came to get an education from living life in the city. My night life consisted of Danceateria, the Limelight, and the Palladium. In 1985 the Palladium was converted into a nightclub by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager of Studio 54 fame. My friend P. worked as a graphic designer for them, her office was in the basement. We used to go there at night, seeing Steve in the Michael Todd room in the back where Basquiat painted the wall behind the bar. Keith Haring painted the backdrop on the stage, and Kenny Scharf decorated the basement walkway to the bathrooms infur and neon. I was lucky enough to see Andy Warhol in person, judging some drag talent show there. They held the MTV awards there one year and I was standing on the balcony with Tina Turner while Grace Jones was on stage. It blew me away to be so close to so many people I respected and admired.

Today it is a residence hall for New York University, which is where I happen to work. Life can be funny that way, time certainly changes things. It makes you aware of the need to appreciate things in the moment.

Make your own artist residency.

Creating your own artist residency is necessary at times. It is not always easy to get into one, or take off the month or two required to attend, so why not create your own? We are artists, what we do is create, right? My manager denied me time off for a two month residency in Finland, so to keep my sanity I turned a trip to Mexico into a artist residency of my own.

With five friends along I had to carve out time for myself in which to paint. Inspired by an immense amount of wildlife and awed by the small village in walking distance, I had little trouble being creative. Staying out of the sun was my incentive to seek out a perfect shady spot to set up my studio.

You can view the work on my website: www.CallieArt.com then just click on Trocones, Mexico 2011. It was a wonderful mix of play and work, and such a grand adventure. The architecture of the cabanas was such that whole walls were missing, no doors or locks. The shower had a door to the back yard, while the views from the bed were that of the sea. Nighttime skies were filled with dramatic lightening storms. It felt safe enough, but still, we were in Mexico and who hasn't heard the stories of kidnap for ransom murders? Not much sleep was attained, but the days were relaxing and the nights full of humorous story telling. Off the beaten path, saving money by vacationing in a hot spot during the summer, and finding good travel companions equals an experience outside the realm of normalcy. The day job was forgotten, dreams of becoming an artist full-time were entertained, and taking the city out of the equation was wonderful. A highly recommend getting away any way you can. Run...

In Memory of Cheryl B.

Diagnosed with Stage 2b Hodgkin’s lymphoma in November 2010...

Cheryl was a writer, a poet, but I first knew her as a co-worker at NYU. She worked at the bookstore, I fixed the phones there. Turns out we both hung around with the same band, The Maul Girls. Hanging out turned into into volunteering with the monthly event around the Village called Bra Bar (The brain child of Jane Friedman, who was manager to Patti Smith back in the day). Jane was our mentor, she introduced us to the generation of performers before us, artists like Judy Nylon, Penny Arcade and Brenda Bergman and the Bodacious Ta Ta's. Bra Bar was home to the next generation of performance artists, broke and trying to survive in NYC in the 90's.

Cheryl was sexy, super intelligent and loved surrounding herself with artistic types. She demonstrated a wonderful sense of professionalism in everything she tackled. She was super sensitive, extremely caring, and deep down a really good person. She tackled battles in her lifetime, she was not fearful of change. Instead she wrote about them, and once on paper, was able to share many common themes others wrestled with as well. Her writing gave her strength to deal with her life, and in turn, empowered others.

Cheryl had cancer at a very tender age, she was just really starting to have her dreams realized and come to fruition. She was invited to take part in international performances, wrote a book, and started blogging about her life with cancer. wtfcancerdiaries.com = WTF Cancer Diaries, where she told stories about her illness, the way it weighed down on her, how it affected those loved ones surrounding her. Her honesty is painful, she showed such bravery and was not afraid to share her fears, desires, loves. She was well loved and will be greatly missed...

http://www.callieart.com/Writers/writer_cherylb.html ~ To view her work

http://wtfcancerdiaries.com/about/ WTF Cancer Diaries

http://theblist.blogspot.com/

Cheryl B. ~ a writer, performance poet and literary series producer in NYC.

Contributing Writer/Editor at GO Magazine

Cheryl co-curated Sideshow: The Queer Literary Carnival

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http://www.myspace.com/maulgirls/videos/video/52003849

The Maul Girls! "Chunky Black Shoes" video

After shooting this video at CBGB's they showed up to my Master's Thesis art show at NYU, still in make-up. Good times....

Collaboration of Artists

Performing at ABC NoRio, singer-songwriter, Brenda Kahn, took part in a tribute to the celebration of the artist space. She performed her latest song, Salome, which she had just finished writing that night. The next day we spent several hours video taping the new song to put up on you-tube. It was taped at Callie Art Studio, and after numerous takes were entertained, the final video ended up very similiar to the one we started with. Sometimes a project works in a circular motion.

http://youtu.be/MspGj7sulwc

This blog is devoted to the importance of collaboration. It is challenging to work with others, but well worth the efforts. It takes you in directions outside of your comfort zone. As an artist you expand your knowledge base of what you are capable of doing. Several times I have worked this way in my career as an artist, and although not always fruitful in an obvious way, it takes you places....

http://www.callieart.com/Studio%20Sessions.html ~ to see photos and video clips

Group show, opening in May in NYC!

N.A.W.A.
National Association of Women Artists, Inc.
122nd Annual Exhibition

Closes May 31, 2011

* All Welcome!

Sylvia Wald and Po Kim Gallery

417 Lafayette Street 4th Floor
New York City (below Astor Place)

212.598.1155
http://www.waldandkimgallery.org/

Callie Hirsch

Unrestricted Passion, 2011

Acrylic on stretched canvas

An exciting group show with over 230 pieces being shown. It is vital to be part of a artist collective to create connections, see how others are surviving as an artist, and to get feedback on the direction your artwork is taking. I belong to two such NYC based groups, NAWA and The Pen and Brush Club. Both are geared toward women artists. In a man's world a woman needs to find a place where her voice can be heard, or in this case, her art to be seen!

The Annual Exhibition is from May 3rd - May 31st, 2011, at the Sylvia Wald and Po Kim Gallery,
NYC. On a sad note, Sylvia Wald passed on earlier this year. She was a respected and brilliant artist.

With over 230 members exhibited there, it was a well attended opening reception. The show is worth exploring to see the experiences of these women and how it unfolds in their art. Art is visual story telling, and these women have an enormous amount to share.

The Home Design Show at Pier 94

The HomeDesign show in NYC this weekend was very impressive. I had never been before and was quite taken by how many artists were present, showing their art, and trying to get the attention of designers. A few of my fav's were James Kenndy and Jedeiah Morfit, shown below.

Jedediah Morfit

James Kennedy

They started a new venture this year, "the artist project", showing 130 artists which they put in a unique area above the ground floor. I spoke to one of the artists about what it took to get in, how much it cost, and what he hoped to get out of the show. It cost a lot of money for an artist, for a four day show. He was hoping to get noticed by design professionals. His collection of photographed, then painted flowers, would look great in any hotel lobby, large, colorful and glossy.

The show was fun, except that, like any fancy show with the best in everything, you wanted to make numerous purchases at outrageous prices. I stayed focused on observing presentation by artists, and what worked best. Surrounded by creativity and great talent, I wondered if I could ever partake in such a venue. It would consist of four days of continuous selling of yourself. Some artists are not cut out to sell their own work, but until you get yourself a sales team, this is one way to do it.