7th Annual Family Day, Hosted by artpace

Recycle, Reuse, Reinvent! With Earth Day 2011 around the corner, Artpace’s 7th annual Family Day focuses on artists who bring new life and purpose to objects that might otherwise be considered waste. Join us in an eco-friendly block party on Saturday, April 30 from 1 to 4:30pm. The free, public event will feature green, contemporary art-making activities showcasing the work and techniques of current and past Artpace artists, as well as live acoustic entertainment and fun snacks. At Creation Stations and in artist-led workshops, kids and adults can participate in a variety of eco-inspired projects. Whether you like sculpting, collaging, drawing, or photography, we have activities that every member of the family will love! SAVINGS STREET Eco-Freestyle Zone  Get an early start on Chalk It Up (October 8, 2011) by trying out your eco-themed designs in our new Family Day Freestyle area on Savings Street.  El Tacomiendo  Enjoy tacos, tortas, vegetarian treats, and more from our tasty Taco Truck-in-Residence. Cash only, please. CREATION STATIONS Color Project  A lot of little things can make one big artwork. Be inspired by Artpace founder Linda Pace’s Red Project—select small found objects of the same color and assemble them together into a  work of art.  Location: Student Studio  New Identity Portrait Photo Booth  Have you ever wanted to be someone else? Dive through a pile of old costumes and put them to new use in this photo booth activity inspired by Arnoud Holleman’s 2006 Artpace exhibition.  Location: Student Studio  Made in San Antonio Reusable Bags*  Bring a shirt and leave with a bag! Save your used clothes from going into the trash with this fun sewing and printmaking project. *Please bring a used T-shirt of any size to participate.  Location: Student Studio  Newspaper Landscapes  Gabriel Vormstein creates drawings, paintings, and collages on newspaper. You can too with this environmentally friendly creative project inspired by the artist’s Hudson Show(Room) exhibition.  Location: Hudson (Show)Room Creation Stations are open to everyone throughout the day.  No sign-up necessary. ARTIST WORKSHOPS Riley Robinson  Robinson received his MFA in sculpture from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1994 and was an Artpace Window Works artist in 2005. 1:30 / 2:30 / 3:30 Location: Student Studio  Naomi Wanjiku  Wanjiku received her MA in design in 1992 from the University of California, Los Angeles, and was an Artpace Travel Grant award recipient in 2010. 2:00 / 3:00 / 4:00 Location: Conference Room Space in the artist-led workshops is limited, so please arrive early to sign up. EXHIBITION ACTIVITIES IAIR 11.1 Learn about the work of 11.1 International-Artists-in-Residence E.V. Day (New York, New York), Devon Dikeou (Austin, Texas), and Kelly Richardson (Toronto, Canada / Newcastle, England) through exciting exhibition-centered activities in each gallery. Event Schedule Saturday, April 30, 2011 1-4:30pm Courtyard Entertainment Conjunto Heritage Taller  with Rodolfo Lopez 1-1:45pm Singer/Songwriter Nicolette Good  1:45-2:30pm Fox Tech Wind Ensemble 2:30-3pm Drum Circle led by Jorge Ochoa 3-4pm Tours Ten-minute Tours 1:30 / 2:30 / 3:30 Accelerate the learning process with a quick, guided tour of our exhibitions, led by a member of our Education team! You are an  important member  of the Artpace family! Become a Fresh Art First member at the Household level, and receive priority registration to Family Day workshops. Go towww.artpace.org to join! Artpace San Antonio serves as an international laboratory for the creation and advancement of contemporary art. Artpace believes that art is a dynamic social force that inspires individuals and defines cultures. Our residencies, exhibitions, and education programs nurture the creative expression of emerging and established artists, while actively engaging youth and adult audiences.   445 North Main Avenue t 210 212 4900 f 210 212 4990 San Antonio TX 78205-1441  www.artpace.org HOURS  Wednesday-Sunday 12-5pm and by appointment There is no charge for admission.  Free parking at 513 North Flores Street.

My Volunteer Experience at Artpace's "Chalk It Up"

This past Saturday, I volunteered for Chalk It Up, an annual event hosted by Artpace, an organization that encourages cultural discovery through contemporary art. They house artists, teach classes, and have exhibitions among many other things. Honestly though, you should really check out their website, because they offer far too many activities and learning opportunities for me to try to explain all of them here.

As per the usual, I had a great time working alongside people who love to work within their communities. The group of people was uplifting, hardworking, and fun. It was a pleasure to see so many people of varying backgrounds, ages, and skills having a good time drawing beautiful pieces with chalk. There were several notable artists, school teams, and small organizations who came and produced very nice work.

Volunteer Opportunity: Pool Party @TheGuadalupe

I know it’s extremely short notice, but if you’re looking for something to do tonight, The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center is having a closing pool party reception tonight, and they need help setting up, running the event, and breaking it down. Below are the details:

Location:

Guadalupe Backyard
816 S. Brazos St.
San Antonio, TX 

Details from Facebook page

Chill out and enjoy refreshments poolside with San Antonio’s hottest artists. Join in the fun!

POOL PARTY CLOSING RECEPTION
THURSDAY, AUGUST 26 
6-9 PM | FREE
816 S. Brazos St. 

Enter the Wildest Sunglasses or Wackiest Sun Hat competitions. Play the Berries & Cream game, in which the first person to find and eat their strawberry wins. And wait till you see the Rubber Duck Race; artists from the exhibition and local reporters compete in a race around the pool using only their breath to move the rubber duck.

Plus kids’ crafts, beach music, fresh fruit kabobs, Hawaiian pizza, and more!

Also be sure to get your Folklórico Chanclas for sale by the Guadalupe Dance Company.

FYI: It’s your last chance to buy priority placement for engraved bricks & paving stones before the first installation next to “La Veladora” by Jesse Treviño.

Please come out and show your support. To see other opportunities that may interest you check out their page of events here.

I'm back

So, I’ve been away from my blog for a few days. Seeing as how I try to post something everyday, that might seem a little strange. The truth is my temporary hiatus was intentional. I was going through a series of unfortunate events that forced me to take a step back and reevaluate where I was headed both personally and professionally. I found that my writing was beginning to suffer and I didn’t want any of the negativity and uncertainty I was feeling to spill over into my blog. Out of respect for you and for myself, I wanted to hold off until I felt I was ready to provide quality content. I spent the past few days in introspection and I’ve evaluated the things I’ve needed to evaluate and made the difficult decisions I’ve needed to make. On Monday, I received a thank you card in the mail. In it, they wrote that my “passion and desire to do good things for the world is contagious.” That card couldn’t have come at a better time, and helped me with some of the things with which I’ve been struggling. With that said, I’m back and ready to continue moving forward. Below are some of my personal resolutions:

I will to stay in San Antonio…for now

Due to a number of circumstances, I was seriously considering leaving San Antonio and moving to D.C., Austin, Detroit, Chicago, Buenos Aires, Barcelona, or London. Although one of these destinations is a very real possibility sometime in the future, I feel as though I have unfinished business here in San Antonio. I feel an obligation to leave a place better than I found it, and I have much work to do here before I can feel truly confident that I have given at least as much as I have taken from this city. I will continue to be the best colleague and bring the most value I can to those with whom I work. However, besides work, I have a passion for literacy and want to help build stronger literacy and literature programs for people of all ages and backgrounds. Literacy has the beautiful effect of leading people to make better decisions and providing a feeling of self-confidence and self-esteem.

I will become more involved in cultural education

I feel that cultural education is extremely important in a society as diverse as this. Better understanding various backgrounds, histories, arts, etc. leads to the celebration and exploration of differences rather than the condemnation and dismissal of them. Unfortunately, many people are either unaware of cultural education opportunities or simply don’t have access to them. Recently, I’ve gone to a few productions hosted by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center of San Antonio and have seen the tremendous value this hidden gem provides within the community.

I will become more active in my volunteer activities

Volunteering has provided me with some of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Recently, I haven’t made the time to be as active as I would like. That will change immediately. This past weekend I helped out for about six hours with Munny Maker, a fundraising event hosted by, and for the benefit of, the San Antonio chapter of the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts). I’ll talk more about that tomorrow, but it was amazing and I had a really good time. Some events I have coming up are the Great Strides 5K run/walk to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Chalk It Up!, hosted by Art Place San Antonio, and Oh Snap! in Austin, which will help raise money for students abroad who want to study at UT Austin. I’ll keep you informed on these and other opportunities. If you want to get involved with anything I talk about, let me know and I’ll try to put you in contact with the right people. Also, if there are events you need help executing, feel free to let me know.

Brian Flynn of Hybrid Design and I at the end of the Munny Maker event. He was a very inspirational guest speaker.

I will make time to relax

I tend to work so hard and so long that I often forget to do things like sleep, eat, look at stars, sleep, workout, catch a movie, sleep…well, you get the picture. My day normally starts at around 5:00 a.m. and ends at about 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. the following day. I love being busy, but I need to make sure I don’t let life pass me by. Mom, I hope you’re reading this. The need to relax applies doubly to you!

I will stop neglecting emotions with some of the decisions I make

I tend to be of the Plato philosophy that true, rational thought, devoid of emotional influence, leads to better decisions. I’ve found this is not true, and can actually be the wrong decision in many situations. Thank you to everybody who told me I don’t need to be completely objective about everything. It’s finally starting to sink in. I would name all of you, but this post is already long enough.

I will make this blog more valuable to you

I’ve always had the reader in mind whenever I write any of the posts that appear on this blog. However, I want to make sure I’m brining the greatest amount of value that I can to you. Therefore, moving forward, I want to add value by providing more posts on which you can act. Expect to see more spotlights on socially conscious businesses and entrepreneurs. Expect to see more advice on leadership, marketing, and personal/professional development as guest posts from other people with different perspectives. Eventually, I will introduce a calendar of events with information on how to get involved. If there is anything you want to see more or less of, please let me know. If you agree or disagree with something you see here, leave a comment. Call me. Text me. Your voice is always welcome here. My hope is that through open dialogue we can learn from each other and leave places better than we find them.

Volunteer To Gain Valuable Work Experience

There are many reasons you should volunteer, but some people need a little more persuasion than others. If you are one of these people, consider volunteering in order to gain valuable work experience. Yes it takes time away from something you could otherwise be doing, but typically the experience is rewarding and fun. Also, volunteering is a great way to meet like-minded people who are movers and shakers in the community. Volunteering increases your work experience by increasing your leadership, problem solving, and communication abilities. Find something you’re passionate about and donate some time to it.