Today I arrived in Pittsburgh, one of my favorite cities in the states, to celebrate the opening of ALIEN SHE, an exhibit I am so very proud to be a part happening at Miller Gallery located on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University. From the show description:
Alien She is the first exhibition to examine the lasting impact of Riot Grrrl on artists and cultural producers working today. A pioneering punk feminist movement that emerged in the early 1990s, Riot Grrrl has had a pivotal influence, inspiring many around the world to pursue socially and politically progressive careers as artists, activists, authors and educators. Emphasizing female and youth empowerment, collaborative organization, creative resistance and DIY ethics, Riot Grrrl helped a new generation to become active feminists and create their own culture and communities that reflect their values and experiences, in contrast to mainstream conventions and expectations.
Riot Grrrl and it's surrounding scene on the west coast was unarguably a turning point in my early teen years. Never in my dreams would I expect to be showing my work along side such a powerful group of influencal artists including Ginger Brooks Takahashi (Pittsburgh), Tammy Rae Carland (Oakland), Miranda July (Los Angeles), Allyson Mitchell (Toronto), L.J. Roberts (Brooklyn), and my old friend Stephanie Syjuco (San Francisco).
This show is actually traveling for the next few years so if you can't see it here, it may be coming to you! For more information visit their site.
From Pittsburgh I fly to Scotland for my second visit to Dundee where I will be doing a bunch of programing at the Dundee Contemporary Arts including a screening of Sign Painters and a few lectures. That is followed by a day off in Edinburgh of exploring and THEN I fly home just in time for the opening of the Mary L. Nohl Fellowship show that opens on Friday, September 27th at INOVA in Milwaukee. At both the Miller Gallery and INOVA I will be showing photos from my on-going photo essay project of alternative, often off-the-grid communities from around the country.
Bottom line, things have been really busy and really amazing and I am looking forward to this fall when my schedule turns towards hometime. Then I get to settle into my new studio I just secured in the new Brenner Brewing building. That is where the new chapter of making will begin to unfold.
OH and if you are in Milwaukee you should make sure to check out the newest show I curated at Sky High Gallery, CRYSTAL CAVERN with work from Serra Victoria Bothwell Fels (Brooklyn) + VnessWolfCHild (Detroit). It's one of the most fantastical environments I have been lucky enough to be inside. The show runs through December so you have time- but you may want to go more than once.
