Jasmine chats with Erin Ivey.

When I first heard about the Musical Kaleidoscope Project created by Austin’s own Erin Ivey, it sounded like an old-time carnival with attractions for everyone. Showcasing Erin’s latest music and joined by multiple singers, two bands, a tap dancer, a trumpet player, a slam poet, aerial dancers, a cellist and an mbira player, how could we get bored? Well, the show did not disappoint.

Blue Lapis Light performs with Erin Ivey at the Long Center.

Based on Erin’s interest in the interdisciplinary arts and inspired by Arsene Dupin, she created a show chock full of artists willing to take their talent and present it in a new way. As she performed her latest songs, the other artists weaved in and out of the show, creating a multi-faceted production. For example, while Erin sang her haunting ballad “All in Time,” aerial dancers Blue Lapis Light, suspended by just two pieces of cloth hanging from the ceiling, created a sensual dance above the stage.

The intimate setting in the Rollins Studio Theatre at the Long Center was perfect for Erin’s creation. We got a taste of so many Austin talents but most delightfully, we enjoyed Erin’s sweet and sultry version of Texas folk music. We’ve got our fingers crossed that this becomes an annual event!

EXPLORE: Check out these links to learn more about Erin Ivey:

• Erin Ivey’s Myspace
• Erin Ivey’s Twitter
• Erin Ivey’s Blog

WATCH: B-boys and tap dancers and aerial dancers! Oh my! Check out the video for clips from the show and to see our chat with Ms. Erin Ivey:

MORE: Learn more about the other performers at the Musical Kaleidoscope Project:

• The Finest Kind – Hammond M3 organ trio – Rolf Ordahl, Ross Alexander, JJ Johnson
• Red Corner Rhymers – Cheryl Kaderli, JC Baxter, Matt Howard, Gregg Irick
• Blue Lapis Light aerial dancers
• Ephraim Owens on trumpet
• Mike Henry as M.C.
• Jon Dee Graham on guitar
• Stephen Doster on guitar
• Joel Laviolette on mbira
• Danny Malone – song & dance man
• Matt Shields – tap dance
• Erin Meyer & Noel Gaulin – projection design
• Brian Standefer – cello
• Libby Kirkpatrick – voice

Jasmine chats with Joel, co-owner of Austin Art Garage

Like a lot of you, we really appreciate art but find it hard to come up with all that dough to afford it.  This very problem inspired Jake Bryer and Joel Ganucheau‘s warehouse art gallery, the Austin Art Garage.  Housed within an inconspicuous row of metal-sided buildings off South Lamar, it kinda reminds me of a 1980′s New York City loft, complete with raw concrete floors and tall ceilings. And every square inch of the main gallery is covered with paintings and sculptures.  You’ll even find work by our friend Jackie McCormick!  Plus after a recent expansion, they now have a second room to feature a special artist each month.

Small paintings by September's featured artist Catherine Hart

Brad Stovall is their featured artist in October.  The opening reception is on October 8th, but you can actually preview his work in the featured gallery starting today. His dynamic, jazz-inspired paintings will be right at home in our music-loving town.

In case you missed September’s featured artist Catherine Hart (mentioned in the video), follow these links to learn more about her art and jewelry:

Catherine Hart’s art
Catherine Hart’s jewelry
Catherine Hart’s blog

WHERE: Austin Art Garage, 2200 S. Lamar, Suite J, 78704

WATCH: 2-Minute introduction to the Austin Art Garage, featuring an interview with founder Joel Ganucheau and lots of pretty art work.

SEE: Scroll past the video to see pics of some of the art at Austin Art Garage.

INTERACT: Follow Austin Art Garage on Facebook or Twitter.

COMMENT: Where do you find art in Austin that fits your budget?  Help the rest of us out by sharing in the comments!

Painting by jewelry designer Jackie McCormick

Austin-inspired art by Austin Art Garage co-owner Jake Bryer

Cute, creepy little sculptures!

Detail from "Axis Wheel" by Lizzy Wetzel

The economic recession is making times tough for all of us.  But as much as I want to save money, it’s hard giving up what I love most: checking out the latest art in town.  Luckily, Austin’s a city with more daily events than we can possibly attend.  And with galleries, museums, collaborative art spaces and arthouses all over the city offering free openings and exhibitions, anyone can find something to fit their taste.

Rachel’s posts on debt, money awareness and budgeting inspired us to find new ways to keep your hard-earned dollars in the bank while still getting your culture on.  Check out our guide to upcoming and on-going art happenings you can enjoy without spending a dime:

Austin Museums with Free Events

• The Blanton Museum of Art is free every Thursday.  Check out my post about their current exhibit featuring Uruguayan artist Francisco Matto.
• The Harry Ransom Center on the University of Texas campus is always free.  Yay!  Head there to view their original Frida Kahlo painting Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, which isn’t so cheap at $13 million dollars.
• Wanna experience the outdoors from the inside?  Laguna Gloria features an exhibit Grounded by 10 local artists inspired by the museum’s grounds.  Suggested donation of $3 leaves the cost up to you.

Austin Galleries with Free Events

• One weekend left to catch Lizzy Wetzel‘s solo installation The Medicine Show at Women and Their Work.  Take a mini vacay by entering her “multisensory” double landscape installation.  The trip is gratis.
• L. Nowlin Gallery is one of Austin’s new and few photography galleries.  They have a free closing reception this Saturday from 6-8pm featuring the black & white documentary style photography of the owner, Lesley Nowlin.
• Go grassroots at Spiderhouse this Sunday with Artseen Alliance.  Homoscope, a series of short queer films, starts at 8:30pm followed by a hot dance party.  Entry is free, so you can enjoy the drink specials without breaking the bank.

Eastside Art Spaces with Free Events

Installation by Heather Tolleson

• Mixing a free community garden (volunteers get free produce!) and an anti-gallery workspace, Co-Lab‘s M.O. is to present a new exhibit every week.  You can catch their September 5th opening of local artist Heather Tolleson‘s installation, Imperative from 7-11pm.
• Despite their normally limited hours (Wed & Sat 1-5pm), the non-profit pump project art complex are opening their doors this Saturday from 7-10pm for the opening of Cantanker Magazine‘s 3rd annual catalog release  titled Anxiety.  Share the unease of the times with your fellow art-goers.
• Enjoy abstracts in the old world at the East Side Show Room.  Jennifer Chenoweth‘s collection of abstract oil paintings will be celebrated with a closing reception this Sunday from 6-9pm.

Do you participate in Austin’s art scene without paying an arm and a leg?  Let us know your tried and true methods in the comments!

The GRAVITRON, my favorite childhood ride

As a kid growing up in San Antonio,  two of my favorite annual events were the carnival and the Stock Show & Rodeo.  So when my friend emailed me a couple weeks ago with a list of several events for her birthday weekend, my eyes lit up when I saw the last item: CARNIVAL/RODEO!!!  In all its caps-locked, multiple exclamation-pointed glory, she wrote it with the same childhood joy and enthusiasm that those words inspired within me.

Officially, the event is known as the Bastrop Homecoming and Rodeo, a five-day event featuring a carnival, a rodeo, three days of bands, and a parade.  Armed with cameras and a lot of cash (for beer, fried Twinkies and funnel cakes, of course!), we made the 30-minute drive out to Bastrop.  After paying the $10 entry fee for the rodeo, we ran straight to the stockyards to snap some photos and shoot some video of the young cows.  Channeling my inner child, I beckoned the disinterested livestock to allow me to pet them; they just stood there.

Fast Ferris Wheel in Texas

Grabbing a seat in the bleachers, we popped open some beers.  Watching the cowboys ride (and sometimes fall off) the bucking bulls was impressive, but my favorite part of the rodeo has always been the rodeo clown.   Running around with a fake ass crack hanging out, his jokes and silly antics always seem to take away a little of the tension of the rodeo events.

The screams (or maybe the creaking sounds) from the rides at the carnival next door made it hard to concentrate on the rodeo.  Although my childhood favorites, the Zipper and the Gravitron, were both at this carnival, my youthful nerves of steel were not–especially after seeing many of the rides shake and sway.  When it came time to choose a ride, we settled for a “less terrifying” open air ride. As you’ll see in the video, my friends had a great time.  I, on the other hand, held on for dear life.  I was proud of myself for not screaming on the Ferris Wheel, despite it being the fastest Ferris Wheel I’ve ever ridden on.

Check out the pics and video montage, below, showing some of the sights and sounds of the carnival and Rodeo.

Have you been to the rodeo lately? What do you think: childhood fun or anti-vegan nightmare?  Do you remember your favorite carnival rides?

In the 2-minute video, try to spot the following:

• 

  MOO COWS!!

  A cowboy lasting more than 8 seconds

• The ZIPPER
• Children chasing calves
• A big white bunny
• Betty Boop flip-flops (!!)
• a first-hand view from ON THE RIDES!

The Midway was full of stuffed animals...AND CARNIES!

This rubber ducky game was too difficult to win

Who needs health food when you have fried twinkies!?

At a friend’s party a few weeks ago, I noticed a woman with some dangly earrings that looked like large white flower petals.  When I complimented her, she told me her friend, local artist and jewelry designer Jackie McCormick, had made them. Wanting to see more of this whimsical work, I got Jackie’s info and scheduled an interview.

Jasmine chats it up with Jackie McCormick

At her home/studio, Jackie greeted us with a plate of freshly baked cookies.  After showing us around her house, we sat down on the couch and instantly started chatting like old friends.   She radiates positive energy and overflows creativity, characteristics reflected in her jewelry designs.

Art is not just Jackie’s passion, it is her life. In addition to designing jewelry, she paints her own pieces to sell or works as a muralist for In Your Space Collaborative Arts. As a jewelry designer, Jackie works with best friend Laura Chrisco to create flirty and feminine jewelry for their label, Awaiting Alice.

Made from fake flowers and beads, each Awaiting Alice creation is inspired by the nonsensical world of Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland.  In fact, many pieces are labeled with quotations from the fantastical children’s book.  You can find their work in local Austin stores or on etsy.com, a forum for artists who make and sell their own work.

Check out the 3-minute video below to hear her story and discover where she finds her inspiration. After watching, scroll past the video to see photos of some of my favorite jewelry pieces from Awaiting Alice. Enjoy!

Visit any of Jackie’s four websites:

For jewelry: www.awaitingalice.etsy.com
For Jackie’s artwork: http://www.austinartgarage.com/jmccormick.html
Her personal website: www.jackiegrace.com
Her day job: www.inyourspaceart.com

photo by Beard Papa on Flickr used under Creative Commons

On Wednesday night, my boyfriend TK and I traveled over to the East Side for Austin Poetry Slam‘s weekly Wednesday event at Red’s Scoot Inn.  I’d never actually been to a poetry slam before and came to find out it’s not purely a spectator sport.

The Austin Poetry Slam’s website states that a poetry slam is “a group of poets competing, usually for cash, with three-minute performances of their works.”  These performances are judged by several teams composed of audience members.  Scoring is based on points between 1 and 10 with one decimal place to break ties.  We, the remaining audience, were encouraged to cheer or boo the judges’ scores which made it impossible not to be a part of the fun.

The night started with a teaser poem of three members of the Austin Poetry Slam team.  As the men waxed poetic about the female orgasm, I realized no subject matter was taboo.  This was reinforced throughout the night with topics including politics, immigration and sexually abusive uncles.  Each poet bared their soul and their art to the audience with real and raw emotion, kinda like art therapy or performance art.  The more expressive performances seemed to elicit the greatest response from the audience.

My favorite poem of the night, by a woman named Chrissy, described a psychotic tale of asking her man to get married, just for one night.  She spoke with such energy that I strained to catch every utterence so I wouldn’t miss any of her word play.  You can check out her quick-witted delivery in the video below.

It takes real courage to stand before strangers, perform and then immediately receive judgment on your ability.  It’s awe-inspiring to watch.  For a quick sample, check out the 2-minute video to see a few of the night’s poets.  It’s gritty, raw look fits the event perfectly.  With low lights and just a point and shoot camera, I was able to capture what a poetry slam is really all about: emotion.

If you like what you saw, you can find the Austin Poetry Slam weekly at Red’s Scoot Inn until August 12th.  Starting August 19th,  you can find them in a new venue,  The Independent at 501 Studios.  Also, head out to their dance party tonight at Beso Cantina! If you find that you really love poetry slams, head to Florida in August for the national competition!

Solid Gold Boutique joins Austin Fashion Week with an Eastside Block Party

Last night we attended Solid Gold Boutique‘s Eastside Block Party for Austin Fashion Week.  Showcasing the latest line from local fashion designer Rene Geneva Design, the shop promised food, drink, hot tunes and a really good time.

To clue you in: Rene Geneva is an anomaly in the fashion industry.  She practices an eco-conscious approach to design and production while creating modern, fierce clothing and corsets.  From eco-friendly fabrics to carbon neutrality and donating fabric scraps to local schools, Rene attempts to leave no eco-footprint.  She even  helped build a solar electricity project for a Nicaraguan women’s sewing co-op.  When did green fashion get this hot?!

Prepping a model before the photo shoot

I’m a former assistant of Rene’s, so I was excited to see the progress she had made in the last four years.  I got to the event a little early, which gave me plenty of time to check out everything before the masses arrived.  Perusing Rene’s new clothing, I found hemp silks, slinky bamboo-cotton blends, lacy ruffles??  Flirty and feminine–not what you expect when you hear “eco-chic.”  I still think her corsets are super sexy, mixing warrior with sexpot for a really unique look.

Rene Geneva Design was recently accepted into the Ethical Fashion Preview at Nolcha Fashion Week in New York City.  Nolcha Fashion Week is held simultaneously with New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to promote independent and emerging designers.  She’ll be part of the show on September 14th at the Carlton Hotel on Madison Avenue from 10am to 12pm so check it out if you’re in the area!

Check out the pics below for party pics and a look at Rene’s collection.  [Also, check out my full flickr set of Solid Gold Boutique's Austin Fashion Week Party]What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

Bronze Corset Top from Rene Geneva

Organic Western Dress by Rene Geneva

Silky bridal corset and dress by Rene Geneva

A true Texas beauty outside Solid Gold Boutique

Rene Geneva and Tolly of Austin Eavesdropper

Discussing Matto with Kaela Hoskings

A couple of weeks ago, my boyfriend TK and I hit up B Scene, the monthly art party at the Blanton Museum of Art (@blantonmuseum on Twitter).  The theme of the night was “The Modern and the Mythic,” based on the works of South American artist Francisco Matto.  By incorporating a South American theme into the evening’s festivities, the Blanton captured the spirit of Matto’s life and work .

After grabbing some food and drink, we strolled through the gallery to check out Matto’s work.  Living his entire life in Uruguay, Matto is best known for his modern abstraction of universal symbols and everyday surroundings.  I really enjoyed his geometrically shaped sculptures of the human form.  They were often made of primitive materials such as weathered wood and then painted.  Video and photos are forbidden at the Blanton, but you can learn more about Matto and even preview some of the exhibit here.

One of my favorite parts of the evening was a painting activity where we got to paint in Matto’s style.  Since he uses common and basic symbols in his works, TK and I created our own mini-Matto masterpieces.  Sadly, we forgot to pick them up before we left!  It was also nice to salsa dance to local latin-alt band Maneja Beto.  They really helped set the festive mood of the party. [Download their song "Campanera" (mp3) courtesy of local music blog, Covert Curiosity.]

Maneja Beto gets the crowd dancing

While at the event, we got a chance to speak to Kaela Hoskings, Interim Director of Public Programs at the Blanton Museum.  In the video, Kaela tells us a little more about Francisco Matto and explains how the Blanton was able to translate his ideas and spirit into the event.

Thanks to everyone who met us at the event.  If you couldn’t make it out, look for us at next month’s B Scene, which will have members of the Austin Improv Collective!

Did you make it out to the B Scene this month? Tell us about your favorite part of the event in the comments!

While watching the 3-minute video, try to spot the following:

• 

  Guest painted image in the style of Francisco Matto

  Meat on sticks!

• A white jellyfish
• Lovely audience made art pieces
• Some hot salsa dancing
• Jasmine covered in paint

My friends Roger and Molly have joined a blossoming scene here in Austin; they’re backyard gardeners.

Roger and Molly Baldwin

Molly works at the Great Outdoors Nursery and has brought her love and knowledge of gardening to her home in South Austin.  [Check out Republic of Austin's video interview with the Great Outdoors founder Tom Tinguely].  With the proper soil and a little attention, their garden is producing fruits, vegetables and herbs.

Roger says their family enjoys meals harvested from their garden 5 to 10 times a week.  From eggplants and artichokes to onions and peppers, their garden provides a colorful array of food.

Do you have a backyard garden?  Tell us in the comments about your experience growing your own food in Austin!

Check out these photos to see what Roger and Molly are growing this season and to learn a little about organic gardening:

Red Anaheim Pepper

Jalapenos, an Austin staple

Artichokes

Roger and Molly plant marigolds in their vegetable garden because of their non-toxic insect-repelling qualities.

These oranges are only 1" in diameter at this stage.

Mint thrives in Roger and Molly's garden.

The less common round zucchini

Basil, a versatile herb

Since they had planted so many onions, Roger and Molly decided this onion was too small.

A pepperoncini seedling

Roger and Molly named this white eggplant Casper.

Local Austin artist Wes Holloway donated work to this year’s ArtErotica [See our comprehensive post on ArtErotica for more info on the show].  He chatted with me via email about his experience of the event.  Here’s what he had to say:

1. Have you been a part of ArtErotica before? What did you think of this year’s event?

 

Austin Artist Wes Holloway

WH: This was my first year participating in ArtErotica.  I guess you could call me an ‘ArtErotica virgin’ haha.  I didn’t really know what to expect, but it was actually a lot of fun.  I was surprised it was so crowded, but i liked that that many people would come out and look at artwork all for a good cause.

2. What made you interested in donating your work to ArtErotica?

WH: I donated a watercolor and ink sketch on paper.  I was interested in submitting a piece because as an artist you always look for a way to showcase your work to a new audience, and this was a good way to reach a large number of people who are interested in your type of work.  I also wanted to see what kind of work other Austin artists were up to.

3. What inspires you to create sexually-charged imagery?

WH: Sexually charged imagery has become a common thing in my work recently.  As a quadriplegic man, i like to investigate body image, sexuality, and images of beauty in what some people may consider different, vulgar, repulsive, or “gross.”  Its a great way to get conversation going about these types of issues, especially in todays views of people with disability.

4. What was your favorite work of art at the event?

WH: I really enjoyed the mix of work.  Some were fun and playful, while others were a little more serious.  There was really something for everyone.  Its really hard to pick a favorite, but I got a big kick out of a large pink, ruffly pinata type piece, titled ‘Glitterus’.  I laughed pretty hard, and i think thats a lot of what ArtErotica was about….a night of fun & art with a side of charity.

Watercolor and Ink Sketch donated by Wes Holloway to ArtErotica 2009

Are you an artist who donated to ArtErotica? Let us know about your experience in the comments below!