Friday, September 19, 2014

What Happens in September Stays in September

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DIRT PALACE



SEPTEMBER 2014
 

JUNE'S WINDOW ARTIST NICK CARTER

(b. 1987 Philadelphia, PA) is a Providence artist and youth worker. He received a BA in Visual Art from Brown University in 2011. He was the Rhode Island Council on the Arts Painting Fellow in 2013, and the 2014 Harpo Foundation's Emerging Artist Fellow at the Santa Fe Art Institute. Recent solo exhibitions include Temporary Autonomous Moan at the AS220 Project Space Reading Room and Where’s the Bird Feeder? at RK Projects. www.nickcarter.us

I’ve been using abstract paintings, sculptures, and installations to examine how the context of an object affects its appearance. In June, 2014, I’m trying to make things that confuse the inanimate lens but lay bare their basic-ness to two in-person eyes (or one that changes places). For my Dirt Palace installation I divided the space into three ‘rooms’ using two large paintings on sheets of thin, white fabric. The semi-transparency of the sheets allowed their placement and lighting to become more than mere ancillary elements. Instead they collaborate with the painted surfaces in determining how the objects look. Abstract paintings and sculptures—made of acrylic paint, fabric, and found wood—are installed between the sheets, alongside panels of my studio walls and digital prints on fabric and paper.






AUGUST'S WINDOW ARTIST KRISSY ABDULLAH

Krissy Abdullah is an artist from Gainesville, Florida. She just finished a summer residency at the Dirt Palace, and is now heading to Pittsburgh to continue her creative adventures. Krissy works primarily with 16mm film, video, and performance, and more recently has been dabbling in screen printing. She likes creating bright neon environments that would naturally make anyone else wanna puke, and loves karaoke. She also loves the obsessive repetition of wrapping things (which probably has to do with some sadistic deep-seeded need to coddle something that she’s not yet ready to admit). This is her first solo installation work.



Dirt Palace participated as a site for the People's Climate March wheat pasting campaign


Providence is one of the 30 cities participating in the wheat pasting campaign for the People's Climate March in NYC. This particular image was designed by Favianna Rodriguez from Oakland, CA and screenprinted by Jesse Purcell of the Justseeds collective. peoplesclimate.org



MEET NEW DIRT PALACE MEMBER.......

Upon arrival to The Dirt Palace in July, Rachel spent an ungodly amount of time designing her living quarters to mimic the PBS Masterpiece Theatre sitting room. She was successful. As a result, Rachel can now be found seated cross-legged by candlelight in a leather chair in the exact center of her room, pupils dilated to black, crooning softly about literature.

WRITING: R.Lew is proud to announce her first self-published book, scheduled for release this coming November. This publication is a huge milestone, as it will be Rachel's very first piece of print work ("art you can weep, bleed, vomit, defecate, or urinate directly onto")

TWINGERS: solo saxophone composition/improvisation informed by intense physical endurance and ritual process


https://soundcloud.com/twingers

 September Shows 
@ PUFFERSS IV w/ many: Saturday, September 20th, 2014 [230 Oak St. Providence, RI]
@ AURORA w/ Chicklette, Yerri, Fatherfinger, Mincemeat or Tenspeed: Friday, September 26th
@ THEE ELDRITCH w/ Andrea Pensado, Sean Greenlee, Morgan Evans Weiler, Soft TargetSaturday, September 27th, 2014

VISUAL ART: In Memory of Dr. John David Lewallen (preview)




Rachel is enjoying her time at Dirt Palace very much
has work (including a collaborative piece with artist Coral Short) in two upcoming
exhibitions/screenings both opening on Saturday 20
th in NYC.

The Matricide (An Artificial Grammar for Nature) Opening Reception 6-9pm at CP Projects Space
and
Turning to Night, Screening 8pm, at Le Petite Versailles
Over the summer Cry Me a River was screened in (Not) Here, (Not) Now at Videology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfVaWEFsl1E

Pippi collaborated with artist JD Raenbeau for the zine covers of Guilt by Association. Other featured artists in the project Callie Barker, Kristen Bisson, Hovey Brock, Tina Chavera, Amy Dolan, Quinn Dukes, Alexandra Hammond, Unnur Leifsdottir, Brandi Martin, Bryan Moore, Sam Nichols and Lauren Woods.
Zine photo
Scream Queen Headquarters has reopened its doors.
Muffy had a great time as the MC of this year's Foo Fest at AS220.
There were awesome performances all day and the Providence Comics Consortium did amazing things as the artists in residence.
She decided to make a different costume to introduce each act, it was a blast.
Muffy has been diverting her sadness about the end of summer by focusing on Halloween approaching.
Her etsy shop has a slew of Halloween items starting at $5 check them out at www.muffybrandt.etsy.com  or stop by her booth at the RISD Alumni Sale on October 10th on Benefit St.
A lover of sales, gimmicks, cheap thrills, and prizes, Muffy is running her first ever online giveaway.
One lucky winner will get a bronze handmade witch finger pendant!
Entries can be made via Instagram @muffybrandt  

Jieun’s summer has been rich with small pleasures and though it’s coming to a close, she couldn’t be more excited. Why, you ask? The only thing greater than a summer pleasure is an autumn one! 
She quit her job of 3.5 years making and restoring books at the end of July and is taking the world of 95% self employment for a spin. 
Otherwise, the objects shifting in and out of the room might alter themselves, but the room has remained the same. (a metaphor)
New things in the shop. Here is a Scorpio for all you Scorpios out there!
-From: A Scorpio






ALISON NITKIEWICZ


Life has been a real whirlwind of change lately. Summer was cool and Alison took some nice trips to nature, was the 'road dog' on tour, swam, had fun, etc.  
Some artistic higlights included being part of the National Poster Retrospecticus show at Machines with Magnets, making posters, and other stuff, etc.
She has work up at the RISD museum for the Outpost Journal release party this Thursday, September 18th 5-9 pm, open to the public! drinx snax n art
Here is a pic of the installation! 
Now it is Fall, which is a time for new things and nice activities such as apple picking, viewing foliage, and wearing a halloween costume.  Fall is probably her favorite season.
She has been spending a lot of time with dogs lately which is quite enjoyable and also has spent a lot of time in the big apple. Here is a pic of her holding a really cute alien dog.
Pixilation Party!
Watch the Video
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Pixilation Party! Shot in the course of an hour and a half at the last RISD Design the Night Artist Lab. Jeremy Harris made the soundtrack. Carolyn Genari and Maggie Nelson were awesome assistants. Hollis Mickey is such a great co-ordinator. And the performers, obviously were the best in the world. Thank you times a million! 

Want to see a bunch of Xander's movies? Go to the Pawtucket Film Festival Sunday September 28th 2pm


Nina spent her summer teaching herself how to weave, trying to get over her fear of table saws, and hunting for blueberries. She exhibited a piece in Anchor Studio's show, "Freshly Made: Environment," and created a psychedelic pigeon costume for a friend's mini-noise opera. She recently returned from a week of camping in the biggest state, and wishes that she'd managed to bring a caribou back with her to the smallest state. She also has a website! ninaruelle.com

***DIRT PALACE LIBRARY HI-LITES***

MONTHLY PICTORIAL TREAT FROM THE DUSTY SHELVES OF THE DIRT PALACE
FURTHERING THE QUEST TO SPREAD FUN
LIKE GIN AND JUICE, MOSTLY GIN




WE AINT GOT TIME TO FUCK AROUND

Monday, September 15, 2014




JUNE

DRIPPING HONEY MOON

presents "Pizza World"- A dead body's journey through alternate realities stuffed with paranoia,
existential crisis and pizza, by the artists of RHD's Cool Collective.
The Cool Collective is happy, strange people fearlessly traversing the outer realm of
creativity, consciousness and all your favorite breakfast foods. We are experimental artists
and musicians hell bent on having fun and assembling drawings, dreams, sounds, cats, pizza
and nightmares into weird realities.
The Cool Collective consists of members of Resources for Human Development Rhode
Island (RHD-RI). RHD-RI is a non-profit arts-based studio program that serves adults with
a range of disabilities. We provide therapy, education and artist management services
with a focus on production and community integration. We also organize monthly gallery
and performance events and our artists show their work around the country. At RHD-RI, we believe
creative expression breaks down barriers between people with and without
disabilities and provides our participants with a sense of identity within their community. www.rhd-ri.org
Get connected to the weird, wonderful and outside. Like us! Facebook Keyword: RHD-RI

NEW BLOOD!
We die a little bit each time we bid somebody adieu, but the pain of this miniature death is appeased by excitement about NEW PEOPLE! We're so pleased to be getting to harbor Krissy Abdullah (for the summer) and Nina Ruelle (till we don't know when!). Introductions below (unbeknownst to either of them, they both have things to say about quahogs), and their first library pics are at the bottom of this newsletter. 

Nina is pleased to be newly nested into the dirt palace. She has been busy hunting for
flowers on Valley Street, teaching herself to weave, and figuring out the best way to
use her five buckets of shells from winter quahogging. She has dreams of creating
colossal embroideries and tiny lamps and wishes she had three more arms to do
things with because she's just too damned excited about everything right now.

Krissy Abdullah was raised by alligators in the swamps of the Suwanee, and
educated by the merpeople of Weekiwachee, where she received a Bachelors
degree in expressive synchronized swimming.
Since leaving her Florida native land, Krissy has been spending her summer
residency at the Dirt Palace with an intensive study of Don Bousquet, and
researching what a Quahog is (she is still not sure). When she’s not busy
learning the ways of Rhode Islanders, she locks herself away in the AS220
darkroom, where she cooks up kooky experiments with 16mm film. Or
sometimes you can find her in the DP screen printing room, making things
like patches for her friends’ band or crazy wallpaper designs.

Anyone want their living room wallpapered? Also, Krissy just bought a
domain name! But she still hasn’t figured out how to build a website, so
in the meantime check her out at krissyabdullah.tumblr.com
GO GATORS!!!!! 

  
Over the past 5 weeks Xander has been taming the wild beast that is her 
fabric collection. She's finally got it down to under 50 boxes/milk-crates!  As part of this 
epic re-organization effort Xander also made five new quilts and a movie that 
form the basis for her installation Quilt Movie/Fabric Theater which is on view 
right now at the Bell Gallery at Brown University as part of the 
show Going Nowhere with old/new pals: Peter Glantz, David Udris, 
Kevin Hooyman, Jenny Nichols, & Tatyana Yanishevsky. Movie Soundtrack 
by Jeremy Harris
http://vimeo.com/97554473



In the spirit of further (late) spring cleaning she put some posters up on the Dirt Palace etsy...
After a hiatus her web store has also resumed business.  


Muffy has been loving the warmer weather, starting seeds, growing as much as possible on the fire escape, and happy to learn that there was no reason to be intimidated by bulbs.
DWRI Leterpress did a phenomenal job hot foil stamping boxes for her witch finger pendants.  The rainbow holographic foil is absolutely swoon worthy, and the drawing byHeather Benjamin is out of control.
Muffy is offering a flash sale on her witch finger pendants, a total of 5 discounted for all the witches who aren't rolling in it.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MuffyBrandt
lately she's been really psyched about instagram, @muffybrandt
see you at the beach!
Here is a picture of Jieun's plants from above.
In jewel news, Jieun has been dabbling in the world of hair pins.
Check em out at almanacforjune.etsy.com.

ALISON NITKIEWICZ
Alison finally has a custom URL: www.alisonnitkiewicz.com !
Soon to be photographed properly and added to her webpage are the following:
She made this lamp as a part of Outpost Journal's Hidden Gem Project.  Now hanging in the front stairway of the Dirt Palace! 
She also got to make some posters for Whore Paint and Magic Lantern. Contact her atalison.nitkiewicz@gmail.com if interested in one!

In other news, Alison just got back from a week long trip to Nova Scotia.
It was very beautiful. Here is a picture she took of a scenic vista.


Scream Queen headquarters will resume business in August when Pippi returns from NYC




***DIRT PALACE LIBRARY HI-LITES***

MONTHLY PICTORIAL TREAT FROM THE DUSTY SHELVES OF THE DIRT PALACE
FURTHERING THE QUEST TO SPREAD FUN
LIKE GIN AND JUICE, MOSTLY GIN
KRISSY'S PICK: I break for Quahogs, by Don Boustuet. An obvious pick from
the Floridian. But I just can't get over these bizarre jokes! For example:
"Channel 36 news has a National Geographic Special on the odd, nomadic
movements of Rhode Island television anchor people"..... What??! There's also 
The quahog walks among us, a sequel!


NINA'S PICK: The Pictorial Encyclopedia of Insects
An English translation of a 1969 Czechoslovakian insect guide. Includes an all too accurate 
ode to the moth; "a very injurious pest."

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

ICY SPRING


DIRT PALACE
 

Dirt Palace Performs
at Harvard

BYO: PERFORMING FEMINISMS
with A.L. Steiner, Bulk Purchases, Malik Gaines/My Barbarian
and A.J. Murphy,  
Friday, March 28
7 pm 
Sert Gallery
Co-sponsored by the Harvard College Women's CenterWomen, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; and the the Provostial Fund Committee for the Arts and Humanities at Harvard University.
The Living as Form exhibit will be open for viewing through April 6th.
Check out this photo of some of us at the opening!

 

The Palace of Dirt requests thy presence at...
~~~A ROYAL FEAST~~~
A Fundraiser for projects of Ye Olde Dirt Palace!
(like the traditional DP brunch, only this time it's a dinner! ...nay, a FEAST!)
On the 11th of April, in the year 2014
from 7:00 until 11:00 pm
$10 - 20 suggested donation
Regal Attire Encouraged! 
Feasting! Merriment! Debauchery! Candles! Guest DJs! Guest Chefs! 
Let us greet the coming springtime with good cheer! A festive and joyous occasion for all! 

 
 
FEBRUARY WINDOW ARTIST TATYANA YANISHEVSKY

Tatyana Yanishevsky strives to knit every day. She is smitten with fibers and texture, particularly mohair, silk, wool, and lace patterning
She is currently preoccupied with 'things that hang'  and expressing weight and heaviness with a light material such as yarn. She delights in the tension that occurs when a knitted object tapers to a very thin point. Her objects, created by accumulated stitches, accumulate themselves, forming and exploring relationships through repetition, iteration, and collections.


MARCH WINDOW ARTIST GEOFF MULLEN

Geoff Mullen was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1979, where he lives and works today. Primarily working within the discipline of music, his recent projects have included site-specific installation, sculpture, photography, collage, educational workshops, and performance. As a solo artist, Geoff has performed work throughout the USA, Canada, and Europe, in venues ranging from concert halls, clubs, museums, galleries, basements, schools, streets, and city gardens. His solo music has been released on most available audio media, and he is the founder of Rare Youth, an independent record label dedicated to the support of local (RI) experimental music. Geoff is currently pursuing an MFA from the Milton Avery Graduate School of Arts at Bard College.


 
The Dirt Palace was also pleased to have artist Coral Short stay for a short artist residency at the Palace during February. You can read her blog about ithere. 

Muffy just got back from SXSW Renegade Craft Fair and though shell shocked by the cold start to spring she is glad to be home.
She was assigned to share a booth with an incredible artist who dyes and etches eggs using the traditional Ukranian techniques, she was awesome.  Muffy had great company and learned more than she ever thought she would about properties of emu and goose eggs.
She is very excited to have started a line of jewelry, long in the works.  
Her first piece is a classic Halloween Witch Finger made into a pendant, available in bronze or silver.  It is perfect for casting and conjuring for an occasion or the everyday.
Check the Witch Fingers out in the new jewelry section of her website where she has original pieces and vintage kitsch charms. 
She is so grateful to Jieun and Liz Novak for their sharing of jewelry making and casting knowledge, thanks guys for your generosity, and encouragement.
Check out their shops


 
Jieun has just been moving along the Life Line. Hoping and dreaming for more warmth: Is it too late for March to be out like a lamb?
Here's a poster she drew/printed recently for the last Magic Lantern screening. 

Here are a few new night-themed jewels up in the shop. Check em out:www.almanacforjune.etsy.com
Use coupon code SPRINGWITCH for 10% off before April 1st! 
 
Thea Ulrich really wants it to warm up and actually be spring but has been largely disappointed. For this she has been hiding away from the outdoors and working on some new video pieces. Here's a still:
 

 
She also just completed a series of portraits of fellows at Harvard Law School - the full series to come soon on her website - but here is a sneak peek of 3 of them!
Thea has also started her first-ever blog; a simple and unnarrated documentation of drawings of faces and figures...though she is already a little behind on updating it...CHECK IT out: http://dorotheaulrich.wordpress.com
 
 


ANGELA DIVEGLIA

Angela spent the late winter making art happen in the Providence Community Library - in February, she planned and hosted a comics workshop for teens and adults led by the excellent folks from the Providence Comics Consortium. In early March, she hosted a (surprisingly successful) adult book diorama contest, replete with excellent snacks and charming book-lovers. The event was planned in collaboration with some excellent librarians and with Matthew Lawrence of Not About the Buildings (and host of the Providence adult spelling bee). This flattering article about the diorama contest notes that Providence librarians "have your book nerd game in serious check." Awesome. The dioramas are up in the gallery at Craftland until early April, if you want to check them out.
When she's not at the library, Angela's been crocheting modular lumpy things and mass-producing paper flowers.

Alison has some projects in the works, but more about that in next month's digest! Here's a hint for now... 
And here is a picture Al took of Grave Digger winning Monster Jam last month. 


 
 
Xander just returned from Senegal where she played vicious games of wari with merchant friends in the street. Here are some photographs that she took of animals that she saw, she's not sure of why all of them are wearing t-shirts...but one thing is sure, the goats do really love to eat everything.
Here's an updated re-make of the movie that she made where she takes one frame of every object in the Dirt Palace. This version is called "I blame society". 



Now that Xander's back you can once again order copies of Witch Fingers (https://www.etsy.com/listing/175414719/witch-fingers-book?) from the Dirt Palace Etsy..(hurry up and get one before they're gone, the Maroon covers are already sold out)

 



RECTRIX will be performing at The Overnight Bach Marathon April 4th/5th at Manning Chapel, Brown University 7pm - 7am 
andApril 25th 26th at April Dinner Theater

Pippi prophesizes the future for Coral Short. There are many Mothers of the Dirt Palace, this is just one.




***DIRT PALACE LIBRARY HI-LITES***
 
MONTHLY PICTORIAL TREAT FROM THE DUSTY SHELVES OF THE DIRT PALACE
FURTHERING THE QUEST TO SPREAD FUN
LIKE GIN AND JUICE, MOSTLY GIN


This month's hi-lite is a sweet thick zine by our friend Ryan R. It's like well over 50 pages and held together with one brass tack. A good antidote to endless winter. Somebody please stop me from getting a crab-soda skeleton guy tattoo