THE PIT

West Prize Road Trip!

It was a lonnnnng and (un)eventful friday road trip. And by (un)eventful, I mean (1.) we didn't get into a wreck or anything like that, and (2.) we arrived at the Barnes Foundation after it had already closed. uneventful.  We did, however, manage to roll up to SEI just in time to celebrate the announcement of the West Prize Grand Prize winner (chosen from among the 10 finalists)

Somehow I managed to forget my camera, so I'll have to post pics from HDB's iPhone after she sends them to me. In the meantime, here are a few pictures from the actual event (last Friday night @ SEI in Oaks, Pennsylvania) and CONGRATULATIONS to the Grand Prize Winner:  Ryan McLennan

above: Paige West speaking about the West Collection

above: Rob and Heather (Rob Carter was one of the 10 winners last year--yay!
and this year his videos were played during the Grand Prize announcement)

Another thing we noticed while perusing the works on view was this audio tour option (we love the idea!):

reading for Thursday

"Blatant gropers, a stalkerish type and an excitable visitor"--whoa.

Shark attack. oy.

This is old news, but in case you haven't read Roberta's controversial advice to The Whitney, here it is.

Art in odd places--call for submissions

ARTISTS! AIOP (Art In Odd Places) currently has an open call for submissions. Do you knit graffiti on public benches? Or sneakily install tiles of Space Invaders? See the description and links below. DUE MAY 14TH

Art in Odd Places (AIOP) invites artists working across disciplines to propose projects for the festival's sixth installment (October 1 – 10, 2010). Taking place along 14th Street from Avenue C to the Hudson River in New York City, we encourage proposals that explore this location's rich history, configuration, and heterogeneous communities. The forthcoming edition of AiOP is informed by various interpretations of the term CHANCE, including proposition, luck, randomness, risk, and opportunity. Within this context, artists are given the opportunity to apply their practice to an unconventional structure—playing off the idiosyncrasies inherent to the urban plane.

With emerging formats of communication, our culture has become a fertile ground for broad intersections between individuals, ideas and situations. This has resulted in unpredictable exchanges, relinquishment of control, surprise collaborations, and instances of spatial revelation. AiOP 2010: CHANCE intends to provide passersby with a new perspective of an otherwise familiar environment through site-specific installations, social and spatial interventions, video and audio projects, performance, new media, and other inventive practices. In addressing the distinct manifestations of chance, the festival aims to broaden the public’s outlook on art, city dwelling, and social conventions.

2010 guest curators: Yaelle Amir and Petrushka Bazin. AiOP Founder and Director: Ed Woodham.

Visit www.artinoddplaces.org for artist application and guidelines.

SHOUT OUT to ArtSlant for posting this info!

too busy to blog?

sad but true. it's busy over here at Mixed Greens! If you haven't already, you still have time to check out Joseph Smolinski's exhibition, "Beginning of the End", on view until April 17th. I will be posting more arts-related reading links and fun stuff soon, but to keep you satisfied in the meantime, here are some pictures from the opening reception:

I spy Joseph (above)

I spy Chris Coffin and Joseph Smolinski (above)

very crowded

just beyond Smolinski's sculpture, "Broken Bough"

Checking out Chris Coffin's drawings in the flatfile

other shocking news

Did everyone know about this?????? I didn't. I'm still in shock. That was a wonderful publication.

Holy misprepresentation, Batman!

Paddy Johnson broke the news on this story we'd been hearing around town regarding the Verge Art Fair and some upsetting news regarding artists' works being held as collateral by the Dylan Hotel.  I found one paragraph of Paddy's post ESPECIALLY troubling, and thought I'd post it again here because it seems like it should be front page news:

According to the account published on Lindquist’s blog, problems began early. Lindquist claims he participated in the fair because the website touted figures such as curator Dan Cameron and collector Beth Rudin DeWoody as members of the selection committee. I contacted Cameron and Rudin DeWoody last week to confirm their association with the fair, and both were upset to learn their names were used without permission. Although each had some nominal contact with the fair neither were involved with New York’s selection.

[Art Fag City, "Verge Art Fair Denies Disputes with Dylan Hotel Over Held Art Work", published Wednesday, March 31, 2010]

WHAAAA??? That's definitely news-worthy. 

SHOUT OUT: Blanche

above: image of "Blanche" taken from ArtBeat @ Seattle.gov

SHOUT OUT to "Blanche", a sound installation & sculpture by San Francisco artists Peter & Sue Richards. You can read about the project here, here and here. The Pit is especially fond of it since it sort of looks like a shark.

April Fools (& some real news/reading)

It's up to you to guess which is "real" and which is an April 1st trick:

Christies not auctioning vintage vino anymore?

USC undergrads are curating museum shows?

James Franco in the Venice Biennale?

Pace and Wildenstein splitting?

Back to normal?