The Protest Purse
THE PROTEST PURSE
by Kulsum Tasnif
photography by Caroline Cockrell
Exhibition: May 4 - June 16, 2018
Artist Talk: May 5th, 4-6pm
First Friday: May 4th, 6-10pm & June 1st, 6-10pm
Project Statement
For the past months I immersed myself in stories of Muslim women, learning what inspires us to resist and to exist in these times of national chaos, global catastrophes, and day to day struggles. My resistance purses are portraits of contemporary human struggles and triumphs. They are empowering, bold, and collaborative, fueled by our collective passions; they serve as a documentation of an era in which voices are silenced, yet, remaining silent is not an option. This is an ongoing project that seeks to re-contextualize how we view protest, and allows insight into the hearts and minds of a diverse community of women. And I couldn't have thought of a better partner than photographer-friend Caroline Cockrell to join me on this journey called The Protest Purse.
THE LAB is sponsored by Allen Tate Realtors
CANstruction 2018
CANstruction 2018
Light Rail by Summit Design and Engineering with Monteith Construction and students from Wake Tech
April 6-26
Competition Build Day: Friday, April 6th
First Friday Reception & CANstruction scavenger hunt: Friday, April 6th, 6-9pm
CANstruction is a nonprofit organization that holds annual design/build competitions to construct giant sized structures made entirely out of canned food. The goal of CANstruction, in addition to providing thousands of pounds of food for hunger relief assistance, is to put a spotlight on the design and construction industry giving back to the communities they help to design and build. Architects, engineers, designers and/or contractors participate either by entering competing teams from their firms or by mentoring teams of students, local businesses, clubs or civic organizations. The theme for this year’s event is Save our Planet.
Summit Design and Engineering, a local architecture and engineering firm has teamed up with Monteith Construction and students from Wake Tech to build their entry Light Rail, using 3293 cans of food. The team will compete against other firms in the all-day event to help with hunger relief. Once the event is over the cans will go to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern Carolina. Come by and see how things turn out!
THE LAB is sponsored by Allen Tate Realtors
THE LAB: CALL FOR ART 2017-18
What is THE LAB?
Proposals for THE LAB are due by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, February 15, 2018.
THE LAB is a space programmed by VAE Raleigh to experiment with different themes and challenges for our creative community. Produced as part of VAE Raleigh’s exhibitions program, THE LAB provides artists a chance to exhibit in a highly-visible space and challenges them to incorporate a theme that will connect a run of six exhibitions. The theme for this call is COMMUNITY! THE LAB exhibits will run for roughly 3 weeks, and will be on view for one First Friday reception.
What is THE LAB?
THE LAB is a space programmed by VAE Raleigh to experiment with different themes and challenges for our creative community. Produced as part of VAE Raleigh’s exhibitions program, THE LAB provides artists a chance to exhibit in a highly-visible space and challenges them to incorporate a theme that will connect a run of twelve exhibitions. The theme for this call is COMMUNITY! THE LAB exhibits will run for roughly 3 weeks, and will be on view for one First Friday reception.
What do we mean when we say COMMUNITY?
We think of community in a very open way! Community can be a group of people that that share common interests, share a history, share a characteristic - community means a common bond is shared. This is an opportunity for you to work together, engage the public and have access to a great space to showcase your work. The golden rule—it must come from, engage, or interact with a community! We want you to work together with your community.
Artists and curators are encouraged to submit exhibition proposals that consider community in a variety of ways, possibly including:
> A collaboration between artists from the community
> A curated exhibition of works that tell a story of community
> An interactive exhibition and invites the community to interact
> An exhibition that incorporates another artistic practices of the community: dance, spoken word, stand-up comedy, musical performance, theatre, etc!
Simple examples to get you going:
> An exhibition of work by multiple artists individual works organized around your community
> An exhibition of works that were created collaboratively from your community
> Curate a body of collection of works by artists whose work you think communicates well with one another and tells the story of a community
EXHIBITION STIPENDS - $250.
We are super excited to announce that Allen Tate Realtors is partnering with VAE to support THE LAB. This partnership allows VAE to offer a $250 exhibition stipend for each monthly exhibit.
DEADLINE
Proposals for THE LAB are due by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, February 15, 2018.
THE PHYSICAL SPACE
Located in the storefront of our main gallery space at 309 West Martin Street, THE LAB offers artists the ability to make their exhibition the front face of VAE.
THE LAB features 2 large windows, 4 walls, 14' ceilings, and just over 550 sqft of floor space. The floor is concrete and cannot be drilled into. Electricity is available in the space. There is ample natural light and track lighting. Artwork that is light-sensitive may not be the best fit for THE LAB as there is no way to block out the sunlight completely, but we invite you to show us how it can be done in your project proposal!
1 - WALL: this wall separates THE LAB from VAE’s Main Gallery space. The wall is 19’10” wide and 12’9” tall.
2 - WALL: This wall is 11’2” wide and 9’ tall.
3 - SWINGING WALL: This wall is mounted on large, sturdy hinges that allow it to swing away from the wall, exposing the building's electrical panels. Artwork mounted on this wall should be done so in a way that makes it secure enough to move with the wall. Artwork placed in front of this wall should be easily moveable.
4 - WINDOW: The window is 10' wide and 12'6" tall to the ceiling. At the base of the window is a 17.5" section of brick and cannot be drilled into. Atop this section is a 6.5" wide wooden ledge. The two clear window panes are 86" tall with VAE's logo in the corner 60" from the bottom ledge. Above these two clear panes of glass (103.5" from the floor) is a 4" piece of wood, with the possibility of installing a hanging rod.
5 - PATH OF TRAVEL: This is an invisible line along the gallery floor between the left side of VAE's front door and 1- Wall. This is the designated path of travel for gallery visitors. The line spans 21'. The floor cannot be drilled into or altered in any permanent way.
6 - WINDOW: The window is 10' wide and 12'6" tall to the ceiling. At the base of the window is a 17.5" section of brick and cannot be drilled into. Atop this section is a 6.5" wide wooden ledge. The two clear window panes are 86" tall. Above these two clear panes of glass (103.5" from the floor) is a 4" piece of wood, with the possibility of installing a hanging rod.
7- WALL: This wall is 19'6” wide and 9’ tall.
THE CEILING: The ceiling is 12'6" tall and made of tin. Nothing can be drilled into or nailed to the ceiling. Objects less than 2lbs can hang from the ceiling using magnets.
SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL
ELIGIBILITY
THE LAB call-for-proposals is open to all artists, artist teams and curators. Proposals must show promise and good conceptual grounding that are collaborative in nature. Applicants do NOT need to be VAE members to apply, although at least one participating exhibitor/collaborator will have to be a member at the time of the exhibition. Read more about becoming a member of VAE! All media is encouraged. The cycle will run September 2017 - August 2018 (skipping December).
APPLICATION EVALUATION
Applications are evaluated by VAE staff and guest curators. Applicants will be notified via email by July 15th after the review of the status of their application.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
Application materials include project statement, contact information for participating artists, resume(s), image inventory, 5-10 samples of your work, and $10 for members / $15 for non-members application fee. Detailed guidelines for applying are below.
> Project Statements should be no longer than one page and should describe your proposed collaborative idea.
> Resumes should show prior exhibition history.
> Image Inventory should provide important details about the support materials submitted. Your inventory must contain the following information for each sample: the filename (“01_LASTNAME_TITLE.jpg”), title, medium, dimensions, retail price (if applicable) and year of completion. Upload your inventory as a .doc or .pdf.
> Application Fee must be processed in order for your application to be considered complete. You will be directed to the payment page after you have submitted your completed application.
> 5-10 samples* of your work**. All files should be named like so: 01_LASTNAME_TITLE.jpg, 02_LASTNAME_TITLE.jpg, 03_LASTNAME_TITLE.mov, etc.
Still images should be uploaded as jpegs, should be at least 1000px at their widest dimension, not to exceed 2MB per image. Follow the filename format for works as indicated above.
Video samples should be edited to no longer than 2 minute excerpts. It is strongly preferred that video & audio artists submit their work online through clips or url addresses to online sharing formats like hulu, vimeo, youtube, or dropbox. Videos submitted as uploaded files should be submitted as Quicktime files whose width is no larger than 720px and file size is no larger than 10MB (as that is the largest file eligible for upload on our entry software). Please only submit video art or video documentation of an art piece that requires video to be fully experienced. Do not send video walk-throughs of static exhibitions or video slide shows. While web-hosted submissions are strongly preferred, video and audio samples can be submitted on CD if necessary. Please contact Erika Corey to make arrangements. Follow the filename format for works as indicated above.
Audio: Audio should be submitted as separate MP3 files. Each track should be no longer than 2 minutes. Follow the filename format for works as indicated above.
Web-based: Web-based work should be submitted as a URL listed in the work sample list. Please only submit web-based projects. A portfolio website that features audio/video art and still images will not be considered.
*Artists applying with still images only should send 5-10 jpegs. Artists applying with video only should send 5 samples maximum. Artists applying with audio or web-based work only should apply with 5-10 samples. If you are sending a combination of file types, keep in mind that one video or audio file is equivalent to five jpegs and adjust your sample number accordingly. Extra submitted files will not be reviewed.
**If the work you are proposing to exhibit in THE LAB is still currently in progress, no problem! You can submit .jpeg drawings of what you expect the work will be like, or you can rely solely on images of past work and your written narrative to describe the work you are proposing. It’s your call! THE LAB selection panel is interested in both the work you are applying to show and your past work.
Incomplete or inaccurately assembled applications will not be considered. Notifications of acceptance or rejection will be sent via email. Please update your contact information if anything changes before you receive notification.
EXHIBITION SLOTS
July 2018
Opening Reception: July 6, 6-10pm
Install: July 2-5
Deinstall: July 27-28
August 2018
Opening Reception: August 3, 6-10pm
Install: July 30-August 2
Deinstall: August 31 - September 1
September 2018
Opening Reception: September 7, 6-10pm
Install: September 3-6
Deinstall: September 28-29
October 2018
Opening Reception: October 5, 6-10pm
Install: October 1-4
Deinstall: October 26-27
November 2018
Opening Reception: November 2, 6-10pm
Install: October 29-November 1
Deinstall: November 23-24
February 2018
Opening Reception: February 2, 6-10pm
Install: January 29 - February 1
Deinstall: February 23-24
March 2018
Opening Reception: March 2, 6-10pm
Install: February 26 - March 1
Deinstall: March 30-31
April 2018
Opening Reception: April 6, 6-10pm
Install: April 2-5
Deinstall: April 27-28
May 2018
Opening Reception: May 4, 6-10pm
Install: April 30-May 3
Deinstall: May 25-26
June 2018
Opening Reception: June 1, 6-10pm
Install: May 28-31
Deinstall: June 29-30
THE FINE PRINT
EXHIBIT INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE
Artists are allotted 4 days to install their work. The installations must be fully complete by 2pm on the Thursday before the First Friday reception. Gallery staff is happy to support you during the installation of your exhibit, but the bulk of the responsibility of installing your work is on you. VAE provides wall vinyl signage for each show. Any maintenance required during the duration of the exhibit (other than turning the space on and off) is also up to you. If the exhibition requires regular interaction (like turning a piece on and off morning and night) from gallery staff it is up to the artist to make certain that the components can be operated while standing on the floor and that there are written directions for operating the pieces. At the end of the exhibition it is the artist’s responsibility to return the space to its original state by painting, spackling, sweeping (or whatever is needed). VAE is happy to provide spackle, sandpaper, brushes, rollers, drop cloths, etc., but if extensive repainting (or repairs) is required the artist may be asked to contribute money to purchase supplies, or to put down a refundable deposit prior to installing.
MONEY
The only fees associated with this exhibit are the initial application fees ($10 members / $15 non-members). VAE does extensive online marketing of its shows (including your own page on the VAE website), but does not print postcards. VAE cannot offer any financial support for projects in THE LAB.
SALES & COMMISSION
You do not have to offer salable work in THE LAB. Should you decide to, VAE earns 30% commission on the sales of members’ works, and 50% on sales of non-members’ works.
QUESTIONS? EMAIL ERIKA!
To see examples of previous LAB exhibitions, click here!
Off Route Journals
Off Route Journals
presented by Betsy Peters Rascoe, Mike Cindric, & Sam Cox
Join us as we celebrate the unique people and landscapes of Eastern North Carolina.
April 7 - 27, 2017
Opening Reception: April 7, 6-10pm
Project Statement
North Carolina’s coastal plain has a fertile landscape and rich agricultural and cultural history. Yet, the counties between Interstate 95 and the coast remain a blank spot on many North Carolinians’ mental maps. Most experience the region as a blur of pine trees, fields, and gas stations as they rush towards the beach. What can we learn by slowing down and engaging Eastern North Carolina in a conversation on its own terms?
Click here to continue following the conversation on Facebook.
interface I Ely Urbanski
interface
Ely Urbanski
February 3 - 23, 2017
I have been collecting clothes from friends, family and my previous exhibitions visitors. These clothes are the matrices for my monoprints on fabric. Most of the clothes have a story, they were worn for a long time, the person who owned the clothes had an emotional attachment to it, they only used them in special occasions, etc. What I noticed is that those clothes have one thing in common: they are stories of relationships. A material reminder of an interaction with a living person, with someone they missed or a particular situation in their lives.
I believe that what I transfer to the substrate (a piece of fabric, a reclaimed sheet) is not only the material image but also part of the memory|energy of the clothes and their owners|users.
interface
Ely Urbanski
February 3 - 23, 2017
Opening Reception: Friday, February 2, 6-10pm
Project Statement
I have been collecting clothes from friends, family and my previous exhibitions visitors. These clothes are the matrices for my monoprints on fabric. Most of the clothes have a story, they were worn for a long time, the person who owned the clothes had an emotional attachment to it, they only used them in special occasions, etc. What I noticed is that those clothes have one thing in common: they are stories of relationships. A material reminder of an interaction with a living person, with someone they missed or a particular situation in their lives.
I believe that what I transfer to the substrate (a piece of fabric, a reclaimed sheet) is not only the material image but also part of the memory|energy of the clothes and their owners|users.
Our bodies, like pieces of clothes come in different fashions, colors, patterns, but the invisible part of our beings are made of the same common raw material and manifests itself through our positive or negative actions.
As it is invisible, we may not notice it at first glance, but if we take the time to focus on a conversation, a story, actions|behaviors we may start seeing the character of a body. The same way, if you allow yourself to see the invisible part of my works you may picture the memories, the stories, the interface.
About Ely Urbanski
Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. Her father a photographer and her mother a dressmaker, influences seen in her works. Ely studied Art Education at the University of São Paulo where she studied with well-known printmaker Evandro Carlos Jardim.
From 1993-1995 she lived in Tokyo. Returning to São Paulo she started a series of works on fabrics, using sewing and drawing as an attempt to add trip memories and experiences to her prints.
From 2005-2011 she lived in Suzuka, Japan. During this period she developed a series of prints where the matrices were articles of clothing. Because of the lack of equipment, she used her own weight as the pressing instrument. During this time she participated in several group exhibitions and had her own solo show in Suzuka.
After the earthquake of 2011 in Japan, she decided to return to Brazil.
Back in Brazil and trying to rebuild her life she met her future husband online. In December of 2013, she arrived in North Carolina and became Ely Urbanski in January 2014.
Ely has been developing her art in Snow Camp, N.C. She creates prints on paper (monoprints, woodcuts).Other projects use clothes as matrices for her prints. Most of them are donations from friends or her exhibition visitors. Some of the donors participate in video recordings where they talk about the stories behind the clothes they donated. Interacting with the local community has been an important part of her creative process.
If you would like to participate in the exhibition, Ely Urbanski will be collecting clothes and recording interviews at VAE on the following dates:
2/4 (Sat) 12-4pm
2/8 (Wed) 3-6 pm
2/10 (Fri) 3-6 pm
2/11 (Sat) 12-3 pm
2/16 (Thu) 11am-3pm
2/18 (Sat) 12-4pm
2/22 (Wed) 11-2pm
2/23 (Thu) 3-6 pm
Dreams Deferred
A community art project inspired by Langston Hughes' poem, "Harlem"
Documented by Ariyah April & Veronique Moses
Dreams Deferred
A community art project inspired by Langston Hughes' poem, "Harlem"
Documented by Ariyah April & Veronique Moses
January 6-26, 2017
Opening Reception: January 6th, 6-10pm
First Friday Do-Over: January 13th, 6-10pm
Artist Talk: January 21st, 11am
Join Ariyah & Veronique for a casual conversation with opportunities to ask questions of some of their photo subjects: Mr. Henry "Hank" Williamson; Lea Salas; Sonja Matheny; Tavi Hawn; Mark Alkins; and Anuragini Barman.
Harlem
by Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore-
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over-
like a syrup sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
Project Statement:
Magic marked in ink are the uncurbed dreams of a child, “when I grow up, I want to be a doctor, fashion designer, track star, a mother.” Our dreams evolve as we move through life, some remaining constant and others fading into time. As an adult, we may reconcile that there are no gold medals on the shelves or open-heart surgeries on the calendar, but what happens to the elusive dream that remains close and fleeting?
“Dreams Deferred,” titled from Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem,” is a photography-and writing-based storytelling project examining what becomes of a dream and the people behind them. It invites the viewer to bear witness externally, and to reflect internally. “Dreams Deferred” is a collaboration between two local photographers, Ariyah April and Veronique Moses, with the local community.
In his poem “Harlem,” Hughes asks: “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore—and then run?” April and Moses explore whether lifelong dreams chain us or lead us to hope.
“Dreams Deferred” profiles six dreamers analyzing their own big wins and big losses. No matter the circumstances or perceived external differences between them— and the viewers— the gut-survival need for dreaming is evident. With thought on their own elusive dream, dreamers set out to answer Hughes’ poignant question and to further identify their dreams with one of the potential scenarios Hughes leave us with. Moses and April have posed their six dreamers in a dual documentary portraiture reflecting both the weight and hope of such dreams and visually inspecting Hughes’ six potential scenarios.
Alongside the profiles, “Dreams Deferred” features an interactive and evolving installation collecting the community's contributions over the course of the exhibit. All visitors are encouraged to record their own dreams on a piece of the installation, allowing them to (anonymously or not) speak their truths, share and reaffirm them. The community art piece symbolizing dreams still in flight signifies our collective dreams and strikes a profound statement about interconnection.
April and Moses are emerging documentary artists impassioned to continually share the stories of those whose voices often go unheard and undocumented. Their own experiences serve as the driving forces to expand this contextual lens aimed at frankly removing the perceived barriers around us.
“Dreams Deferred” embody the same humility and servitude when it comes to depicting the realities of its dreamers. The hope is that participants leave the exhibit with insights into their fellow humankind, as well as a sparked ignition for driving their own lives.