End of the Season SALE

This month flew by like the rest. I'm spending the next 5 days wrapping things up at the Gallery. You may want to take advantage of this sale if your in the neighborhood we have a lot of beautiful things left that need homes.

Temporary Mural Project Editon #6: Amanda Tollefson

Normally, I post about Sky High business over on the gallery blog, but I'm trying to stay focused on the pop-up shop through the end of the season over there so I decided to post this here.

For those of you who may not be familiar the Temporary Mural Project is an ongoing outside gallery that Aaron and I curate together. We invite Milwaukee based artists to create an 8'x 8' painting in their studio that is then installed on the East facing wall of our building where Sky High is located. Each mural runs for a duration of about 3 months with the idea that instead of a blank brown spot on our building, the rotating murals would brighten the community, promote growth and creativity in our neighborhood and give the artist street side exposure.

As of this afternoon I'm pleased to bring you the newest addition to the Temporary Mural Project- Edition #6: Amanda Tollefson, December 2011 - March 2012

Amanda tells us in her own words about this mural:

"The design was inspired by a "Bird of Paradise" bride's quilt from the 1850's, and I wanted to explore my sign painting style in combination with the aesthetic of quilt making. I have always been inspired by visionary sculpture environments, and I wanted to honor all the great ones that Wisconsin has. Represented on the mural are: Albert Zahn - "Birds Park" in Bailey's Harbor (not there anymore), Nick Engelbert - "Grandview" in Holland, Mary Nohl - cottage yard in Fox Point, Herman Rusch - "Prarie Moon Sculpture Park" in Cochrane, Tom Every - "The Forevertron" in Sauk City, Fred Smith - "Fred Smith Concrete Park" in Phillips, James Tellen, "Woodland Sculpture Park" in Sheboygan, Father Mathias Wernerus - "Holy Ghost Park" in Dickeyville, and Paul and Matilda Wegner - "Wegner Grotto" in Cataract. I chose works by these artist that are iconic and reduced the images to simple shapes. I also included other Wisconsin symbols like the state flower and state tree."


Mural detail


Goodbye beautiful Vanessa Andrew mural









Special thanks to John for taking a break from Bona Drag construction and coming by to help install today.

Book #2 is a GO!

It's official. We've been sitting on this news for a bit- but you always have to wait until the paper work is signed to announce exciting news so you don't jinx yourself. Princeton Architectural Press who published my last book Handmade Nation, will be releasing a book I am co-authoring with Sam Macon, my collaborator for the Sign Painter movie.

You can follow our progress on the film on our site and I'm sure I'll have more updates soon. For now I have my nose to the grindstone and am just staying focused.

Leif Goldberg: 2012 Terminal Fuze

For the past 5 years, maybe 6 even, I have been lucky enough to get my hands on the very limited Leif Goldberg calendars and bring them to Milwaukee.

If your not already familiar with Leif's silk screen work, it is a psychedelic mash-up of his dark humor, social awareness and ability to layer colors like no other. If you'd like to see more of his stuff, we had a show with him and his partner Erin Rosenthal at Paper Boat (my old gallery down the way) in 2008.

For now I'd get in gear and grab a copy of this year's Calendar TERMINAL FUZE. Silk screened edition of only 240 that just arrived today to the gallery. I only ordered 10, which means 9 because I obviously swiped one for our house. Calendars are $22 [tax included] and in my option worth much more. Like anything in the shop, I'll ship for an additional charge, holler.












Leif Goldberg: 2012 Terminal Fuze
Available now at Sky High Gallery
silkscreen edition of 240
16 pages // screened on both sides
Hangs flat: 16" x 5.5"
Ships flat: 8 x 5.5
A $22 color joy ride

Sky High: the pop-up shop is open!

Friday night was the kick-off party for December's pop-up shop in the gallery space. I'll be spending the entire month as shopkeeper if you want to swing by.





Check out the full post over on the gallery page & thanks if you already have come in to check out what we have in stock. I'm really excited about the way it turned out this year.

Stacey Rozich // Fleet Foxes

I know I said I wasn't going to post until after this weekend's Art vs. Craft madness, but I wasn't expecting to get the first interview with Seattle based artist Stacey Rozich who's illustrations define the new Fleet Foxes video for "The Shrine / An Argument" released just yesterday. Stacey is both a friend & work college & I am very proud of her. Knowing the challenges of making films I am humbled by what they created. It's really something other-worldly.

Please take a moment to read the very personal full interview with Stacey Rozich on the Sky High Gallery blog.

34 & Much Much More.

As my life seems to go in waves of really busy to mega busy, currently I am finding myself nearly in over my head. But, I'm an expert at rolling with it, 2 months will pass & I'll look back and think wow, that happened.

Aaron wins the prize this week for planning early birthday celebrations. On Monday, 6 days before my actual day of birth, November 20th we took a 24 hour trip. My birthday falls on the week of Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving means that Art vs. Craft is soon to follow- which = me being slightly nuts & don't get to really relax. We drove down to Chicago & I was really excited when we pulled up to Longman & Eagle, a delicious restaurant owned by some friends that also has a few beautiful rooms you can book upstairs. It was my first time staying there and I highly recommend it.

Our dinner was fantastic. The room was great. Breakfast back downstairs was incredible. We didn't have to leave the building. Thank you Aaron for being such a thoughtful man & making my birthday special.


The thing about Longman & Eagle is that it is perfect down to the smallest details- mix tapes in every room, good ones. My favorites were the Folks & Raps.

After I check off turning 34 off the list on Sunday, eat a lot of food with friends on Thursday, remember to stop and reflect on why I am thankful for my rad life-- next on the list is Art vs. Craft. I can hardly believe it but this is the 8th year we have done the show, and to be clear, not the 8th show, the 8th year. For the first two years I used to coordinate 2 events a year. Then I started working on Handmade Nation and got too busy. So if your near, you should come, 100 vendors selling some of the best handmade goods in the Midwest.


Poster design by the Little Friends of Printmaking

A few days to wrap up that event then Sam & I head out for a quick 2 day shoot for the Sign Painter Movie. Home on Thursday November 30th just in time to see my old friend Solana who will be in town for a day. She is the tour manager for Beriut, so if we get home in time I'll get the extra bonus of going to that show at Turner Ballroom. Solana lives in Porto, Portugal so I don't get to see her often- the last time was actually when I went to visit her there almost 2 years ago.

Then, I have one day of prep and the second annual Sky High Gallery Holiday pop-up opens. You are all invited on December 2 to the open house from 5-10pm. I'm really excited about the inventory I've collected for the pop-up this year, it's pretty lovely.


Cursive typewriter // Sky High Gallery pop-up Menu

I probably won't be posting here for a few weeks, keep up with me on twitter if that's your thing.

Told you, 100% non-stop.

The Poor Farm

Wikipedia explains poor farms as "country or town-run residences where paupers (mainly elderly and disabled people) were supported at public expense".

The poor farm I went to this past Sunday was in Central Wisconsin, about 2.5 hours from Milwaukee and it used to be just that. There was even a jail cell in the basement and a small cemetery out back where the residents who passed away were buried. But, for the past 3 years the Poor Farm in Little Wolf, WI has housed a contemporary art space run by Michelle Grabner & Brad Killam who are known for their many contributions to the art world such as The Suburban and from what I gather from talking with them and seeing the space myself is that it's only going to gather momentum as a destination point for both art appreciators and artists themselves.

I had heard about the Poor Farm from reading Mary Louise Schumacher's art city column and just had never found the time to make the trip. Like most things that I finally find time for, now that I've been I'll be going back every August for their annual opening party.












Images 4-6: collaborative project with Peter Barrickman, Celeste Verhelst, Perre Kerch, Xav Leplae + friends (Milwaukee)


Upstairs


Inspirational posters by Alex Jovanovich (New York) + Nicole Perez (Chicago)





Images 9-10: The Catalyst by Yvette Brackman (Copenhagen)




Guillaume Leblon (Paris, France)




Lily Cox-Richard (Ann Arbor)




found this dude & was gifted a book from Michelle & Brad


I was in love with the lettering on the barn out back which still reads "Waupaca County Home"

Many thanks to Mary Louise for taking me this past Sunday to be inspired by this space. And also to Brad & Michelle for the tour, cake and greens from their winter garden. It was yet another reminder to take advantage of what is near-by and to always be thankful for those who are establishing conventional and crazy art spaces, those who make up the programing/keep the lights on and of course the creatives who make beautiful and undefinable work to fill them up.

Photo set here.

IT WAS A GRAVEYARD SMASH

Best holiday of the year. Best city to spend it in. Milwaukee you prove yet again that this is home,where I am supposed to be.


Designed by Kim Krans.


Getting ready.


My ALL SEEING costume inspired by Micaela O'Herlihy.


Heather & Sarah, sisters.


Vinnie


J. Toms


Ashley & Ryan


Jonny O.


Gia & Hannah


Kenny & Nick


DANGER: Party Punch


Sam V. wins the tallest costume.


Halloween romance.


Aaron went barefoot the entire party.


Goodnight Halloween.


The morning after.

Thanks to everyone who helped prepare & make this happen.

Thanks to our friends who flew from both coasts to hang.

Thanks to our friends who drove from out of town (Kentucky & Chicago) to party.

Thanks to everyone in Milwaukee for keeping the sexy out & keeping it real weird & spooky.

And the biggest thanks to party hosts Heather & John for having the most raging (dare I say) first annual WHO DIED? Halloween party.