Hospital Garden

Lucas Hollow left Bear Mountain Picnic behindhand in Ypsilanti, Newmarket in late 2007. Having effected in Dayton, Ohio, Hollow has found a new people to launch the project Hospital Garden, which continues the loud, frayed-edged and serious sway that came discover of BMP. Hollow's latest self-recorded songs are now acquirable via AvE as Mailbox Demos. These tracks were originally circulated among friends to allow a testing of the waters, now that Hollow is without his BMP songwriting partner, President Sova. They will be the foundation for full band recordings later on. Though all you intend here is electric guitar and vocals, one crapper already tell that Hospital Garden is feat to be an intensified continuation of the BMP experience (anyone who saw them springy will astonishment if boost intensity is possible, but those that hit already seen Hospital Garden might attest that it is). Think of a fierce crystallization of Dinosaur Jr., Pavement and The Pixies and then imagine it as lo-fi as it crapper intend (almost). Mailbox Demos is acquirable here for free. It's also up on last.fm.

Bar in Lansing

Modern Purgatives

Cathartic Pipe's sophomore release. The boys are preaching the gospel of close government-engendered doom and annihilation; a full fledged apocalypse of the bowels and neural network of every man, woman, pupil and girl by compulsory consumption of atomic laxatives (of the brain). This is the modify of all things, and the finale is hearkened by the bellow of a trombone, bowed electric bass, springy electronic boxes with blazonry and legs, and a buzzsaw for a heart. This is the infernal vision of a single season afternoon; school is out and the world is over.

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Arts vs. Entertainment on Video

Today is FoI's bounteous day. Two Dogs, A Television is now acquirable on everyone's selection digital stores, AND the video for \"Point of Contention\" is eventually available. This was filmed on a frigid Feb period in Grass Lake, MI at Joshua's house with lots and lots of friends. Graham Mason, Dax de la Monta and Yoni Goldstein every worked rattling hard on this for a rattling long time and we're every ecstatic to present it to you today.

 
Fields of Industry - Point of Contention [HD version] from Arts vs. Entertainment on Vimeo.

Royal Shakespeare Company Partnership

Photo of the Week

Ohio State formally announced a partnership with the UK’s Royal dramatist Company Nov 7 at the University’s Board of Trustees meeting. President Gordon Gee calls the planetary partnership digit of the university’s most important initiatives, an opportunity for two world-class institutions to become unitedly to create a premier information for the study, teacher upbringing and production of Shakespeare, inspired by the methodology and highly respected practices of the Royal dramatist Company. The partnership – the first of its category in the US – is spearheaded by The Arts Initiative at river State, and includes the College of Education and Human Ecology, the Colleges of the Arts and Humanities, and the Wexner Center for the Arts. One of its frequent components will be a three-year teacher activity information centralised upon the Royal dramatist Company’s renowned “Stand Up for Shakespeare” information (above). Additionally, the Royal dramatist Company / river State partnership will establish a Young People’s dramatist Festival, tentatively designed for 2012. For more details, click here. (Photo: Ellie Kurttz) Below, visitors from the Royal dramatist Company join OSU leaders at the Board of Trustees meeting. From left, king Frantz, Les Wexner, Gordon Gee, Lady Sainsbury, Karen Bell, Jacqui O’Hanlon, Michael Boyd, Brian Edmiston, Vikki Heywood.

Notable News

The OSU/Royal Shakespeare Company partnership already is garnering some international attention. The UK's Birmingham Post has this to feature about it. A feature also appeared in the metropolis Dispatch.

What is The Arts Initiative at river State? It's the duty of Karenic Bell, associate vice president, erst known as the Office for Arts and Culture. Why the switch? To more accurately reflect our mission to advance the arts and impact our communities. Hope you enjoy the newborn blog for The Arts Initiative!

Ohio State recently created a video documentary about the metropolis Museum of Art's exhibition Objects of Wonder from The river State University, which features comments from Karenic Bell, associate vice president, and graduate Melissa Wolfe, curator.

It's everything Andy at the Wexner Center these days! Andy Warhol: Other Voices, Other Rooms continues at the Wexner Center finished Feb 15, and features more than 700 items in virtually every medium that Warhol utilised —film, video, audio material, photography, painting, sculpture, drawings, wallpaper and more.

\"Wishes and Dreams\" by Retro-Blue is a new jazz CD featuring some OSU folks, including alums and instructurs from Music -- blackamoor Battenberg, Andy Woodson, Jim Curlis and Don Nichols. Find out more.

Oscilabot - Domino Effect

In activity of the superior immunity talking undergo of live Flatlands Collective, the Guyz visit a pie and invite reclusive synth-smasher Oscilabot over for a pre-game of hot mozzarella and cold-war tension soundscaping. Liberation guitar marches, electronic missile commands and mixing housing standoffs ripple through this live-to-tape-deck sizzler. Says one hard-to-impress collaborator on the playback en route to the important event, \"This is actually pretty good.\"

Student Artwork at Gateway

Artwork by MFA students Bethany Haeseler, above left (glass) and Talia Shabtay (painting) along with that by several other render students is taking center stage at the newborn offices for The Arts Initiative at South Campus Gateway. The office, headed by Karen Bell, associate evilness president, hosted an open house Nov 14, where OSU President Gordon Gee (below) crosspiece about the importance of orientating Ohio State as a cheater in the arts. Main topic of the evening was the recently announced partnership with Ohio State and the UK's Royal Shakespeare Company.

Notable News

Holiday render sale at Gateway! Glass students in the Department of Art will sell hand-blown holiday ornaments and more at The Arts Initiative offices at South Campus Gateway this Thursday from 4 to 7 pm. Stop by and browse!

The visit today by river playwright Sandra Dempsey to the Department of Theatre has been canceled.

The December issue of Artforum magazine each assemblage invites a broad spectrum of artists, critics and curators to revisit the assemblage in prowess and choose their \"top 10\" highlights. Two contributors in the current issue -- Ann Goldstein and Jack Bankowsky -- both picked the Wexner Center's aggregation Andy Warhol: Other Voices , Other Rooms as #4 in their crowning picks. To see their choices, click here.

Who's there?: The Ohio State Hamlet Project, an aggregation curated by grad students in the Department of Theatre as conception of a class assignment, brings together holdings on many aspects of Hamlet from the collections of the Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute (TRI). Ranging from artifacts to essays and playbills, covering multiple centuries and countries, the items designated by the curators emphasise the fascination that Hamlet and his interpreters move to hold for audiences. The aggregation joins the beginning stages of the dweller Hamlet Project, being celebrated by symposia and culminating in exhibitions crossways Europe in 2009-10. The OSU aggregation is attractive locate at the TRI and in the Department of Theatre. For more, click here.

The OSU School of Music presents its annual Musical Celebration Concert this Friday, Dec 5, at 8 pm in Mershon Auditorium. The popular, annual musical extravaganza celebrates the pass season and showcases the school’s some performing groups, from the OSU Symphony Orchestra to its Jazz Ensemble, Glee Clubs, Symphonic Band and more. Tickets available finished the Wexner Center Ticket Office (614) 292-3535.

AvE New YearLive Megablitz 2010

Starting the year out right with sets from Save Me From The Gallup Poll and Long Tones.

Save Me From The Gallup Poll (Eric)

Long Tones (Joshua)

Remembering Bettie

When I was a teen boy, growing up in a small North Texas town, I had a imagine of becoming a photographer. I was inspired by a azygos photograph on a calendar that would area me, along with jillions of others around the world. The woman in the photograph would also be haunted the rest of her life.

My papa was having his truck repaired at author Hayes’ gas station/garage in town. Hanging above a workbench, in enthusiastic oppositeness to the overwhelming smell of grease, gasoline and foam tires was a calendar graced with a represent of Bettie, exuberant, possessing a wide-eyed innocence. She appeared confident, and yes, nearly aggressive. She was the most bonny blackamoor in the world. Not exclusive did I conceive so, but also to jillions of others, whose cravings for this blackamoor prefabricated her the most photographed blackamoor in the world.

The assemblage was 1950 and pin-ups were every the craze. A pin-up woman or pin-up help is a help whose mass-produced pictures encounter wide appeal as imbibe culture. Although pin-ups are commonly relegated to the backwards room of a garage, the girls themselves were ofttimes as not well-respected glamour models, fashion models, and actresses.

The practice of business photographs of bonny women in magazines dates backwards to the 1890s. However, the constituent pin-up was first genuine to in England in 1941. The photos of pin-up models were cut from the favourite magazines and newspapers of the period and pinned up on the walls of jillions of garages, lockers of service men, and in mettlesome dens around the world.

By the 1920s, a number of famous women were prefabricated modify more famous by their pin-ups. Among them were, Jewess Pickford, Greta Garbo, Clara Bow, Joan Crawford, and Barbara Kent. Most of the celebrities move for pin-up photos were considered stimulate symbols of their day, but likely as not were only stylized versions of what whatever intellection a particularly bonny or attractive blackamoor should look like.

In the 1930s, the pin-up fury institute more espousal and pin-up calendars were existence institute on display at the community pharmacy. The list of famous women who would bear for these agitating photos grew to include; Josephine Baker, Joan Blondell, Marlene Dietrich, Dolores del Rio, Jean Harlow, Sonja Henie, Ruby Keeler, Gypsy Rose Lee, Carole Lombard, Myrna Loy, Sally Rand, Ginger Rogers, Barbara Stanwyck and Mae West.

Guggenheim Features Hamilton Work

Ann Hamilton (Art) has an artefact -- manlike posture -- in a newborn exhibition, The Third Mind: dweller Artists Contemplate Asia: 1860-1989, at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The exhibition, which unsealed Jan 30 and continues until Apr 19, features 250 works by 100 artists and literate figures in a panoptic arrange of media, including the site-specific commission by Hamilton. The show explores the impact of continent art, literature, music and philosophical concepts on dweller art. Hamilton's example was created for the Guggenheim's rotunda. Focusing on themes of sending and transformation, she devised a mechanism that traverses the entire Guggenheim balustrade, in the modify of a albescent cloth \"bell carriage\" with Asiatic bells inside. As the detain spirals down, the cleansing bells ring. The system is propelled by a pully system and weights imperturbable of thousands of cut-up books. According to Hamilton, the elements of manlike posture create a visual metaphor for the processes of \"reading which leaves no material trace but which might forever change you.\"

Notable News

Drums Downtown VI comes to the Riffe Center's Washington Theater this Fri, Feb 27, and Sat, Feb 28 at 8 pm. The favourite production features percussion, dance, prowess and multimedia, with OSU’s Percussion Ensemble and guest students and faculty from OSU Dance—a tour de force collaboration! Click here for details and ticket info.

Calling artists! river Staters Inc. and Major Campus Events Committee (MCEC) are interested in your talents. During the week of April 20, the groups module host Festival of the Finest to background the artistic variety and skills of OSU students and enrollee groups. Any and every mediums, from fine prowess to performance, are welcome to apply. Click here for guidelines and an application. Submissions and questions should be directed to applications.osu@gmail.com by 5 pm March 6.

The river Film Office launched the river Film Music Video Challenge Feb 18. A creation team has 3 weeks to partner with a musical act, create a concept, dispense the penalization video and post it (to be judged) on the official YouTube contest site. Winners module be selected from a commission of professionals in the penalization and film/video industries.

Arts Alley Invites Proposals

The Arts Initiative and South Campus Gateway are teaming up to create \"Arts Alley,\" conception of the Arts Initiative's aborning artist program fashioned to help creative, talented entrepreneurial artists compose their lives and create impact in Columbus. The partnership provides aborning artists with programming and flat space in the Gateway, starting this fall, with the intention of artists antiquity community, exhibiting and selling artwork, performing, teaching and offering open lectures and/or flat talks. An covering for acquirable space for aborning artists is acquirable now; deadline for proposals is Sept 7. To access the covering and related list of guidelines.

Notable News

Twenty river open school teachers are back from their activate to Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, (above) where they spent a hebdomad exploring experiential activity techniques with the Royal Shakespeare Company actors and educators. Their trip, and a related hebdomad of workshops at river State, are conception of the partnership between OSU and the RSC. If you haven't seen the blog detailing their experiences, click here.

An opening getting for Window of Hope, an exhibition at the Fresh A.I.R. Gallery in downtown Columbus, is tonight (Aug 24), 5:30-7 pm. The exhibit includes works by 16 women living at the YWCA Columbus Women's Residency, and is a window for sharing images of their hope, survival and strength. The exhibition runs through Aug 28 at the gallery, 131 N High St. For info, call 744-8110.

Feed your Soul, a benefit for Available Light Theatre, is Sat, Aug 29, 6:30-9:30 pm at the Riffe Center's Studio 2. Hors d'oeuvres, performances and a silent auction are included; performance entertainer is Karen Bell, associate vice president, the Arts Initiative. For listing information.

Arts in the Alley Grand Opening!

Don't woman the Oct 8 inaugural celebration of Arts in the Alley -- the newborn arts community sponsored by the Arts Initiative at river State and South Campus Gateway. The two organizations welcome newborn partners -- including the river Art League, Couchfire Collective and a assemble of local emerging artists -- in front spaces in the Gateway Alley, an arts and recreation district just soured High Street between 9th and 11th Avenues.

The daytime includes the 6-9 pm inaugural reception for Works by Ian Magargee (below) in the Arts Initiative offices, 1568 N High St. The solo exhibition features super scale, nonrepresentational paintings by Magargee, a recent OSU MFA graduate. At the aforementioned instance that evening, the river Art League opens its doors in its newborn expanse just crossways the alley (1552 N High St) with an inaugural reception for Dreamsters Union, works by Joey Monsoon.

Also that evening, threesome teams of emerging artists converge in their newborn expanse at 1570 N High St in the Alley. They’ll inform transmission prowess with a springy DJ, VJ and springy feed, along with visual artwork for sale and a arrange of short, springy performances.

See what The Other Paper has to feature about Arts in the Alley.

Notable News

Speaking of Arts in the Alley and beatific things event in the arts. . . check discover what Chris Purdy has to feature on his WOSU journal in his piece, The Arts are Thriving in Columbus, Ohio.

The OSU Faculty Club presents Curtis Goldstein: Paintings finished Oct 23. A reception is planned at the Faculty Club, 181 S Oval Dr on campus, on Friday, Oct 2, 6:30-8:30 pm. Goldstein is a metropolis artist and OSU alum who expresses his river roots finished his paintings of city scenes (below). He also is known for his large murals in Columbus.

OSU Art faculty members Ann Hamilton and Michael Mercil announce the opening Oct 4 of Murmeration, a sound artefact at Teardrop Park, Battery Park City, in New York. The unique artefact brings the calls of more than 350 disorderly shuttle species, which reside in or are migratory visitors to New York City, to the park. Their avian calls mix with sounds from frogs, crickets and spring peepers, sonic to visitors finished speakers settled within resonant chambers of fivesome drainage basins scattered throughout the park. The artefact also participating Ben Rubin and clarinetist Ned Rothenberg.

All river State students, faculty, staff and visiting scholars are solicited to submit photos to the 2009 International Photography Competition. All entries must have been taken right the US and should be creative, original, and of high quality. A Best of Show module be selected, as well as 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards in the mass categories: People, Places and Food. Winning photographs module be exhibited in Bricker Hall Nov 16 - Dec 31. Deadline for entries is 5 pm, Wednesday, Oct 16.

Musician, Inc.: The Working Artist is a free half-day conference Friday, Oct 9, for students, faculty or staff interested in the law, technology and playing of the music industry. Speakers cover topics including recording, press, booking, law and playing as they relate to musicians. revolutionary Dodson from Saving Jane module be one of the panelists. The event is from 1 to 5 pm at RPAC, 337 W 17th Ave, on campus. It's organized by the Sports and Entertainment Law Association. For info, occurrence Kristi Wilcox, wilcox.164@buckeyemail.osu.edu

A Bridge Life: Finding our Way Home is a documentary flick by Josh Grossberg, with a singable score composed by OSU's Steven Glaser, that module be screened at 7 pm Weds, Oct 7, at the Wexner Center. Grossberg and Glaser module inform the film, which follows Dan Sheffer, a Florida loan officer, who traveled to the metropolis Astrodome to bring Hurricane Katrina victims back to Florida.

 

Sprucing up the Alley

 

Arts in the Alley -- the new subject accord at South Campus Gateway -- has a sort new look! Banners were installed this hebdomad along buildings in the alley and along High Street to draw tending to the area. The installation, created by creator Adam Brouillette, pairs images of passers-by with artwork by topical artists, and communicate questions such as \"Are you stipendiary attention?\" and \"Does art attain your accord better?\" Arts in the Alley is a forward-thinking collaboration with South Campus Gateway and the Arts Initiative that brings together subject and recreation organizations within a commercial development, creating a spirited and open accord sacred to learning, commerce and the arts. Stop down at the Gateway and take a look!

Notable News

Dispatch building critic Michael Grossberg devoted his building blog to news about the OSU/Royal Shakespeare Company partnership and this week's meet by eight RSC guests to campus. Take a look here.

The Arts Initiative welcomes the Wexner Center to South Campus Gateway! The Wex's just-announced flick cooperation with Campus Partners at the Gateway Film Center will bring innovative planning and add to the energy in the Arts in the Alley community.

ARTillery is currently hunt vendors to move in the Allied Arts Holiday Extravaganza, a two-day event Dec 12 and 19, designed to wage topical artists with a scene to sell their work before the holidays arrive. The assemble -- which recently took up residence in the Shoebox at South Campus Gateway -- is looking for energized and motivated artists who produce quality objects for understanding including ceramics, jewelry, photography, painting, printmaking, sculpture and wearable items. The event will be at the past Skye Bar space at South Campus Gateway both days noon-6 pm. For details, click here. ARTillery is a program of Allied Arts sponsored by the Arts Initiative and South Campus Gateway.

Learn the Shim Sham! Talented touch dancer Jenai Cutcher (above) is offering grown beginner touch diversion classes every Weds at 5:30 at the Shoebox in the South Campus Gateway as part of the Arts in the Alley activities. Come when you can, pay what you can. solon details on Jenai's JamJam Productions website.

Please tie the Arts Initiative at Ohio State for A Talk with the Royal dramatist Company: \"Building Ensemble with Ohio Teachers” on Thursday, Nov 19, 4:30-6 pm, at the Event Place at South Campus Gateway. Karen Bell, associate vice president, OSU, will moderate a commission communicating and open conversation with representatives from the UK’s Royal dramatist Company, Ohio State and local schools. A unplanned getting follows the program. Panel members include Jacqui O’Hanlon, director of education and king Rubin, actor, Royal dramatist Company, along with Brian Edmiston, associate professor, OSU, and Amy McKibben, region school teacher from Reynoldsburg. Admission is free but space is limited.

Please RSVP to ellwood.1@osu.edu.

Royal Web Feature

The main page of the OSU website is curently running a video and story about the Arts Initiative’s cooperation with the Royal dramatist Company. The feature follows the prototypal assemble of topical edifice teachers (above) working with the RSC over the summer, and highlights the university’s commitment to the arts, outreach to topical public edifice children, activity and antiquity planetary relationships.

The piece was beautifully produced by Kristen Convery and Jake Housh in river State’s New Media Unit. It module also be promoted via river State’s social media platforms, and in Connect, the e-newsletter for OSU alumni and donors.

Notable News

Please join the Arts Initiative at river State for A Talk with the Royal dramatist Company: \"Building Ensemble with river Teachers” on Thursday, Nov 19, 4:30-6 pm, at the Event Place at South Campus Gateway. Karenic Bell, associate vice president, OSU, module moderate a commission discussion and open conversation with representatives from the UK’s Royal dramatist Company, river State and topical schools. A casual getting follows the program. Panel members allow Jacqui O’Hanlon, director of activity and king Rubin, actor, Royal dramatist Company, along with Brian Edmiston, associate professor, OSU, and Amy McKibben, middle edifice pedagogue from Reynoldsburg. Admission is liberated but space is limited.

Please RSVP by Nov 11 to ellwood.1@osu.edu.

Check discover the activities in Arts in the Alley this Thursday, Nov 5, 6-9 pm. A number of events are designed that daytime in the subject community that's sponsored by South Campus Gateway and the Arts Initiative. The Ohio Art League gallery presents the inaugural reception of Effervescent, works by Laura Alexander, curated by Somer Mager. The exhibition continues in the gallery until Nov 28. The aforementioned evening, the Allied Arts in the Shoebox, crossways the Alley from OAL, module become to life with music and a DJ, along with a panoramic range of artwork for sale from local, emerging artists. The Arts Initiative space -- also in the Alley -- module be open with large-scale work by Ian Magargee.

Commotion in the Alley

Arts in the Alley came alive last night (Dec 3) with lots of gallery openings and activities in the South Campus Gateway alley. wife Weinstock (above with Dance's Dave Covey) famous the opening of her solo aggregation In the Overlap installed in the Arts Initiative space, while Jenai Cutcher's OSU tap diversion class (below) poor in the new wood, sprung diversion story there, with tunes provided by DJ Lisa McLymont.

 

Across the alley at the river Art League gallery, the popular period Thumb Box Show opened with a panoramic variety of entireness -- all 6 x 6 x 6 inches or small -- on pass (right). And in The Shoebox (below), large-scale photographs from featured artist Dave Kube were on pass along with graphics from ARTillery member artists and an interactive arts activity from (Mix)ed Media.

Notable News

The Emerging Artist Studio -- a short, weekly radio feature from the Arts Initiative on WOSU's new Capital City Radio -- has begun transmission on Fridays at 7:40 am and 12:33 pm. The shows, hosted by Karen Bell, each feature an interview with a topical emerging artist. They're also available in podcast form; you can listen to the prototypal four features.

The 10,000 square foot past Skye Bar at South Campus Gateway is being revamped into ARTillery's prototypal annual Holiday Art Market on Dec 12 and 19, noon - 6 pm. Enjoy springy music, unique gifts and original artwork from more than 35 topical artists, from ceramics, render and adornment to photography, fibers, ornaments and more. Prices play at exclusive $1! The prototypal 30 shoppers module receive liberated tickets for the Art Market raffle, featuring artwork donated by topical artists. Bring the full family for Kids Holiday Craft Workshops and Holiday Movies attractive place in The Shoebox during the sale, and follow around on the 19th for the river Art League Holiday Mirror comedienne in the Skye Bar at 8 pm. The Holiday Art Market is brought to you by Allied Arts in the Shoebox, a information of the Arts Initiative.


ARTillery is currently accepting applications for its featured creator information for 2010. Featured artists show their work in a unaccompanied exhibition within The Shoebox space, with an opening reception on Arts in the Alley First Thursdays (corresponding with receptions at river Art League and the river Arts Initiative) and have the opportunity to participate in ARTillery's creator lecture series. For complete application details and to apply, please go here. Deadline Dec 31. Contact Kate Dowell at artilleryohio@gmail.com with questions.

 

Arts in the Alley Celebrates 2010

Visit Arts in the Alley this Thursday, Jan 7, 6-9 pm to kick soured the newborn year! The street -- a collaborative venture with the Arts Initiative, South Campus Gateway, Campus Partners and river Art League -- module become to chronicle with a gallery opening, comedy sketches, penalization and more.

Sketch By Number presents Your New Year's Resolution Sucks, two 20 time shows at 6:30 and 7:30 pm, admission free, in the Arts Initiative space. Dwayne Blackaller’s “Act-O-Matic” provides entertainment around the shows. The opening getting for This is not a Coincidence, artwork by Dan Gerdeman, whose impact centers on conversations, pop culture, flights of fancy and imprints on our psyche, takes place in the Shoebox space. DJ and VJ entertainment module be provided. Plus, a newborn aggregation is on view at the river Art League gallery and continuation of works by Sarah Weinstock is in at the Arts Initiative Space.

Arts in the Alley is at South Campus Gateway, N High St at 10th. Artwork above: My Castle, Dan Gerdeman, Acrylic on Panel. 2009

Notable News

WOSU TV's monthly arts and society news program, Artzine, produced by Cindy Gaillard, recently featured the OSU/Royal Shakespeare Company partnership, transmission the video created by Jake Housh and Kristen Convery from University Relations. Watch it here.

Whistling in the Dark Theatre Company presents Sundays @ 7 -- weekly staged readings starting at 7 pm in the Shoebox, 1570 N High St, in the street at South Campus Gateway. Upcoming shows allow Top Gun (Jan 10) by Chip Proser, directed by Kal Poole; The Faculty Room (Jan 17) by Bridget Carpenter, directed by Liz Martin; and Tis Pity She's a Whore (Jan 24) by John Ford, directed by Andrew Blasenak.

Sketch Comedy by Sketch by Number comes to Arts in the Alley the Second Saturday of each period in the Shoebox, 1570 N High St at South Campus Gateway. Sketch by Number is a community of young writers, jokesters, editors, philosophers, artists, managers, and trash talkers who believe that comedy is the greatest vehicle to any topic. Shows begin at 8 pm. $5 at the door.

Jam Jam Productions and (Mix)ed Media foretell the execute of 3rd weekday Birthday Bashes at The Shoebox. Each period module celebrate the chronicle and society of a famous, or sometimes infamous, arts figure whose birthday falls that given month. On Thursday, Jan 21, the program remembers an dweller crook with the first birthday bash of the season: The Al Capone Speakeasy. Come to the Shoebox for Jazz era dance, music, style and 1920s style merriment. Festivities start at 7 pm. Pay what you can.

Opus Artz - space painting e-book

Opus Artz - space and environment specialist Dr. CM Wong's mammoth 161 page e-book is now available on release at the good folks at CGsociety store and 3DTotal.

Here is what they had to say:

3D Total: Space Painting - Tutorial eBook

This mammoth 161 page eBook is an extremely detailed exploration
of the techniques and design approaches behind creating epic and lavish digital artwork relating to the theme of Space and Science Fiction.The series is divided into three main categories; Planets & Starfields, Transport and Environments and spans across 12 in depth chapters in total. The tutorials on offer cover a multitude of techniques and useful tips and tricks to painting all aspects of space and deals with the tools in Photoshop used to create such effects.

The author covers a multitude of the aesthetic considerations behind producing the wide array of both digital and traditional artwork alike,
as well as much of the scientific theory relevant to the design process ensuring a measured and realistic approach to the subject matter.

We look at traditional sketching techniques common to many design studios and how these practices work hand in hand with digital methods and all along ensuring a practical approach to solving the artistic issues, producing both plausible and yet imaginative concepts.

Karma Voting?

The use of the Karma button on a website is simply another sign of a delusional belief that we have the elitist right to judge another individual. I do not believe Karma is a good idea when used in the way it is being used here.

Karma is nothing more than moral causation. It was “invented” in India and later explained by the Buddhist as a perception of a totally ill-balanced world. It speaks to the inequalities and manifold destinies of individuals and the many grades of those individuals.

In the context of message boards, karma “voting” satisfies the need of lower class individuals to attempt to even out these differences, to seemingly give themselves some measure of importance and equality. It is a race for superiority, a false belief of the measure of the individual. It is used by the uneducated in a false attempt to increase their own mental, moral and physical qualities over another. The more karma one achieves, the more virtuous and holy they are, while demeaning others as poor, miserable individuals in spite of their own honesty and piety.

In truth, no individual can alter another person's karma. Karma is a natural occurrence. There is nothing in this world that happens by blind chance or accident. Strictly speaking, nothing happens to man that he does not deserve for some reason or another, and the act of another individual cannot change ones true karma. Anyone who attempts to alter another person's karma is falsely acting as a god of sorts. And, who among us would believe that anyone who acts as a god is not delusional? Or an elitist?

Who among us has commanded water to seek it’s own level, that fire should burn or that the sun shall give life? These are intrinsic characteristics. Karma is neither fate nor predestination imposed by another. It is one’s own doing reacting on oneself, and only the individual has the power to divert the course of their own karma to any extent.

No, the use of karma on a message board is nothing more than an illusion, a lie to those who are led to believe that it will make some difference in the scope of things. And, yes, someone, perhaps more than one of the 252 users of this board believe in this false karma. I believe it is laughable and an insult to the intelligence of others on the board.

I have attempted to show the absolute idiocy in the choice of this “feature” as a “tool”. It does nothing more than feed the idiots who believe that it is a truism and ends up destroying what is claimed to be a community. In a real community, individuals strive to come together as equals for the common good, hence the word “community!”

If one really wants to create harmony in the community, they will strive to pull people together, be honest in all that they do, help others even at the cost of their own well-being and be a good person!

You have to question why anyone would want to put into place a tool that works against the very community that they have tried to create. Anyone with a shred of intelligence sees that this is counterproductive. Or is it really just a form of reverse karma? And, if so, it is pure genius?

Reverse karma has been associated with the sages and prophets over time: The sun being the center of the solar system and the world being round and not flat are two concepts that were immensely unpopular at the time of their first suggestion. In the spectrum of life: it is sometimes the unpopular 2-percent of opinions that change worldview.

Bottom line: I don't care about judged karma. I absolutely know that I am in control of my own karma and it cannot be altered by others.

Bioshock 2 illustrators Opus Artz join Tiga

Opus Artz Joins TIGA - press release



Bioshock2 Illustrators Join TIGA

Extract:

Versatile British art studio wants to raise the profile of 'games as art'

London-based art outsourcing group Opus Artz – which has recently produced concept art for Bioshock 2 – is the latest company to join games industry group Tiga.
The firm has international clients based in the film, game and publishing industries, with services ranging from key art to industrial design and concept art.
As well as providing its services for Bioshock 2, the group is also playing a part in Southpeak Interactive’s Edge of Twilight project.
The company’s founder, Dr Chee Ming Wong, said the group wanted to join Tiga to “raise the profile of video games as the 8th art”, and at the same time linked that concept to a speech made by Denis Dyack.

Opus Artz Joins TIGA

03 September 2009

TIGA, the trade association representing the UK’s games industry, today announced Opus Artz as its newest member. 

Opus Artz is a visualisation centric art outsourcing studio based in London, UK with a global client base in film, games and publishing. Services include Key Art, Industrial Design, Illustration and Concept Art. Current projects include Bioshock 2 (Xbox360, PS3, PC) for 2K Marin and Edge of Twilight (Xbox360, PS3, PC) for Fuzzyeyes / Southpeak Interactive.

Dr Chee Ming Wong, Director and Founder of Opus Artz states: “At Opus Artz we pride ourselves on our personal touch, providing professional and experienced support with the aim to ensure that our client’s products are the best available on the market. We live, dream and breathe art and work collaboratively with our clients to deliver exceptional results on time and on budget.”

On joining TIGA Wong stated: “We believe in the impact of producing great concept art that contribute towards making games successful. To both inspire and define a unique visual art style and thus distinguish and enhance the overall production process.”

“We would like to work with TIGA to raise the profile of video games as the 8th art [as proposed by Denis Dyack at Silicon Knights]. There is phenomenal talent in our industry and the visual beauty of some games can literally take your breath away. We would like to see more done to promote video games as a medium which inspires, immerses and enthrals its users, rather than simply as a pure entertainment platform.”

“In addition, we would also like to work closely with TIGA on improving the links between academia and industry with regards

to the Visual Arts. We have noted TIGA’s work to bring industry and educators together and we welcome this.”

Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO stated: “Opus Artz have a very commendable ethos of cross participation and art exchange between all levels of disciplines, artists and groups across the entertainment industry. This is something that TIGA also aims to foster within the games industry and among creative industries, academia and others through the Play Together initiatives. We look forward to working closely with Opus Artz on this and other programs in the future.”

Link: Opus Artz Joins TIGA