2015 B & A Show - "Peace Makers"

     2015 B & A show in Tokyo has ended.  The show was reviewed here.   In this article, my work was mentioned which is grateful.   I really appreciate the people who installed the work for me, and the people who participated in making this work by adding the threads.

     This show was about world peace, commemorating the 70th anniversary since the end of WWII.  My work expresses my wish for world peace which starts from peace between individuals.  I wanted to share this wish with other people by asking them to add more thread pieces to my work.  The show was also celebrating the 20th anniversary of B & A Ministries. I thank God for their long dedicated ministry.  

　Here are some photos that were sent from Japan.  Thank you, Rev. Machida, the founder and the president of B& A Ministries, and Ms. Reima, the writer of the article, for sending these photos!   They look great!  So exciting to see many threads were added.

Photos by Rev. Toshiyuki Machida

                                           

Photos by Reima Shinjo

                                          

                                         

Upcoming 2015 B & A Show

     The annual B & A Show in Tokyo is going to start on Dec 1st.  The theme for this year's show is "Peace Maker." This is a group show commemorating the 70th anniversary since the end of WWII.  This show is also celebrating the 20th anniversary of B & A ministries.  58 artists are participating in this show.

　毎年開催されているB&Aショーが今年は１２月１日から始まります。今年のテーマは「平和を作る」。今回は第二次世界大戦後から７０周年を記念した展示会です。またB&Aミニストリーズの２０周年記念展示会でもあります。今回は５８人の作家が作品を展示します。

　　　　　　　　　

      A couple of pieces by Kathe Kollwitz, a German artist who went through hardship during the two world wars, are going to be exhibited, too.

　今回は２つの世界大戦の時代に生きたドイツのアーティスト,　ケーテ・コルヴィッツの２つの作品も展示されます。

      I have been participating in this show for four consecutive years now.  I am not be able to attend this year but I sent my work by mail.  Thanks to the help by other members of the group, the work is going to be installed.  The title of the work is "Bloom" and it expresses my wish for world peace.  It has pretty much the same concept as the work that I entered to this group show last year, but this one is an interactive installation.  Here are the planned images of the work.  If you are in Tokyo area, hope you can check it out and add thread pieces to it.

　この展示会に私は４年連続で参加させて頂いています。今回は出席はできませんが、作品を郵送して参加させていただきます。他のメンバーの方々のご協力により、作品をインストールして頂くことになり、感謝です。作品のタイトルは「Bloom」。平和への願いを表現した作品です。去年出品した作品とほぼ同じコンセプトですが、今回は来場者参加型のインスタレーション作品です。作品のイメージ写真はこちらです。もしお近くにお住まいでしたら、ぜひ、足をお運びくださり、糸を付けていただけると感謝です。

2015 B& A Show "Peace Makers"

Date: 1 Dec. - 6 Dec, 2015　10:00am - 18:00pm

Opening Reception:  1 Dec., 14:00 - 18:00

Place: Kumin Gallery, Meguro Art Museum, Tokyo

2-4-36 Meguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-0063, Japan

2015 B & A Show 「平和をつくる」

日付： 2015年12月1日－6日 10:00am - 18:00pm

オープニングレセプション：  12月1日 14:00 - 18:00

最終日は16:00pmまで

場所：東京都目黒区目黒２－４－３６

目黒美術館区民ギャラリー

Upcoming Show - A Time to Sojourn

There is going to be another show for this year.  I appreciate being invited to Gallery XII, a cooperative galley in the heart of downtown Wichita, for their once a year guest featured artist show. The show will be up there for two months.  Gallery XII is Wichita's first cooperative gallery.  It's been operating since 1977!  It is a precious gallery for the people in Wichita. Here is the postcard image that they created for the show.

Date:  Nov. 27th. - Jan. 26th.

Opening reception:  Nov. 27th, 5:30 - 10:00pm

Gallery XII
412 E. Douglas, Wichita, Kansas 67202
Open Mon - Sat,  10am - 4pm
316-267-5915
www.wichitagalleryxii.com

Upcoming 2015 Arts Council Juried Art Exhibit

My painting "Sojourner #23" was accepted to the 2015 Arts Council Juried Art Exhibit at CityArts, Wichita, KS.  The exhibition is going to start on Friday, October 30.   This year's Juror is Brian Hinkle.  This is the fifth consecutive year that my works were accepted to this juried show.

CityArts
334 N. Mead St. Wichtia, KS 67202
Final Friday Gallelry Opening:  Oct. 30, 2015, 5:00pm - 9:00pm

Botanica Fall Project -- Pumpkin Emoji Amphitheater

For Botanica's fall project, each of us was going to make two pieces, one with natural materials, and another with pumpkins.  My idea of making an amphitheater using pumpkins for the circular shaped seating area got approved, so after I finished installing my "Prairie Origami Cranes and Nest,"  I started making this amphitheater.

The site for the piece

 A load of pumpkins

 I painted emoji faces on each pumpkins.  Each one shows different emotion.

 Setting them up

From the stage side                                  

Zoomed up views of the actors.  The waterfall sounds like opera singing.   

The view was pretty spectacular with bright orange color and many round pumpkins placed along the circular elements of the site.  While I was setting it up and painting the faces, I saw people saying "Whoaaaa!" They were walking around the piece, looking at the details, smiling at them, and taking photos of the piece.  I was thanked by many people for making this work.  

The artist statement is here.  

The complete view of my outdoor installation "Pumpkin Emoji Amphitheater"

Botanica Fall Project -- Installing a Nest and Origami Cranes

This is the site for the nest.  I made the nest by interlocking the twigs and tree sticks, without any wires nor nails, just like birds do.  

A load of sticks  

I see weddings going on almost everyday.  Congratulations!  Now the cranes were installed.

This site gets gorgeous shadows in sunny afternoons

Black and white view

Shadow crane

While I was making it, people came in to the nest and started taking photos one after another.  Love it!

Completed views of my outdoor installation "Prairie Origami Cranes and Nest"

My cranes move!

This piece is going to be up there for the month of October.  The artist statement is here.

Botanica

701 Amidon St, Wichita, KS 67203

(316)264-0448

9:00am - 5:00pm

Botanica Fall Project -- Making of the Origami Crane Element

After some brainstorming, I decided to make a mobile origami cranes and their nest for the site of the arbor and pathway area.
Since it is outdoor, strong and durable materials were needed for the armature.  So with the steel rods,  I made a simplified but good enough design to suggest the form of an origami crane.

After measuring, cutting and bending the steel rods, I got a help with welding part.  

I did put a helmet, though, to assist him.  Here is my selfie. 

Nine cranes were made.  They have slightly different postures.

Then I added the twines and the wires.  They serve as an armature for the surface.

Natural materials such as tall grasses, twigs, and leaves were inserted to the surface and they were ready to be installed at the site in Botanica.

Botanica Fall Project -- Choosing the Sites

I am making outdoor installations at Botanica, a botanical garden in Wichita, KS. This is a part of the October event at Botanica.  These outdoor art works are going to be featured at an big event called Bootanica, which attracts about 5,000 people.  I am one of the four artists who are making sculptures and installation for this project.  We are going to make some fall themed works as well as some pumpkin oriented works.  We decided to collaborate in some parts of the project.   I'm going to show the process of making the works in the next couple of blogs.

In August, we visited Botanica to look for the potential sites for our works.  I was attracted to these two particular areas;  one is the arbor and the pathway area with circular windows and another is the circular shaped seating area with waterfalls. They are juxtaposed to each other in the same garden called Beverly R. Blue Teaching Garden.

Site 1

I like these circular windows.  They remind me of the circular windows at Japanese traditional rooms which we often see in architectures in old places like Kyoto.

Site 2

This area looks like an amphitheater.  The waterfalls sound like singing from the stage.  

Video Session for Installation "Rewinding" and Dance Performance

     My installation piece "Rewinding" is a very emotional piece expressing various human conditions.  I was hoping to collaborate with a dancer and film the dance performance interacting with the piece. I am so glad that this video session happened today thanks to my friends' help.  Can't wait for the finished product including my interview and narration.  Videographer: Kylie Brown, Dancer: Rheanna Johnston, Choreographer: Brooke Johnston  Photos: Chiyoko Myose

Only a Couple of Days Left

My solo exhibition at Carriage Factory Gallery in Newton, KS is ending soon.  I will miss the show.  Many threads were added to the installation piece and quite a lot of  paintings have found their new home.  They will go to different counties in Kansas including Harvey County, McPherson County, and Sedgwick County.  One painting will go all the way to Florida!  Only a couple of days left till the end of the show. 

3 AM in Sojourner's Journey
May 30 - July 18
Carriage Factory Art Gallery
128 E. Sixth Street, Newton, KS, 67114
(316)284-2749

Open Hours:
Tue- Fri, Noon - 5:00pm

Sat. 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

3 AM in Sojourner's Journey at Carriage Factory Gallery in Newton, KS

Thank you to those of you who already visited my solo exhibition at Carriage Factory Gallery in Newton KS!  I have been to the city of Newton several times and got to know the town better now.  What a lovely town with cute shops, restaurants, old historical buildings, and a railway station!

This railway station is the reason for the title of the show, "3 AM in Sojourner's Journey -- East Meets West"  This is the closest passenger train station to the place where I live, which makes it very significant for me.  It is the beginning of the journey to anywhere.  I learned that the Amtrak trains from the east and from the west meet near Newton once a day, around 3 AM.  Literally,people coming from the west meet people coming from the east meet here.  I feel this is what happens through my art.  I feel that as a person from the east, I can meet and communicate with people from the west through my art.  Here are some of the views of the railway station.

The gallery is just one street north of the railway station.  This is the outside view of the gallery.  This building is a historical building which used to be a carriage factory, but has been used as an art gallery and was renovated recently.  It is a three story building, and each floor is used for different function, for another show, the permanent exhibit, and the members' gallery.  It also has a little shop for small artworks to be purchased.  The gallery is also hosting art classes regularly.  The board president Susan Koehn described this gallery as a "smell the roses place."  I think it is.

The main gallery on the first floor where my solo exhibition is held has several partition walls which makes the space divide almost into separate rooms.  I took some panorama view photos of the show.  Hopefully, this will give you an idea what the show looks like.

I see more threads were added to my installation.  Thank you for participating in making this piece!   The show is still up through July 18th.  

3 AM in Sojourner's Journey
May 30 - July 18
Carriage Factory Art Gallery
128 E. Sixth Street, Newton, KS, 67114
(316)284-2749

Open Hours:
Tue- Fri, Noon - 5:00pm

Sat. 10:00 am - 5:00 pm