Swamp Sex Robots, Pocket of Lollipops, Megamartyr @ Nudashank

Swamp Sex Robots (Montreal)

Pocket of Lollipops (Miami)

Megamartyr (Bmo)

plus DJ's Mark Brown and Jonathan Coward

@ Nudashank

405 W. Franklin St. 

3rd Floor

Wednesday 7.1.2009

9pm     $5

The 3rd Annual All Rap Round Robin @ Load Of Fun

July 3rd at Load Of Fun

9pm

$5

AK SLAUGHTER

FOOD FOR ANIMALS

HEIGHT WITH FRIENDS

MICKEY FREE

KING RHYTHM

JONES

PT BURNEM

THE PLURAL MC

RAPDRAGONS

LOLITA @ The Charles Theatre

Showtimes:
Saturday, July 4 at 11:30 AM
Monday, July 6 at 7 PM
Thursday, July 9 at 9 PM


1962 Stanley Kubrick. James Mason, Shelley Winters, Sue Lyon, Peter Sellers. 152 m. bw. View Trailer


Wild, marvellously enjoyable comedy, adapted from Nabokov's novel. James Mason is the lover of little girls, the smiling, obsequious, phony Humbert Humbert; Shelley Winters is Charlotte Haze, the culture vulture rampant; Sue Lyon is her sexy daughter, Lolita; and Peter Sellers (at his most inspired) is Quilty, Humbert Humbert's walking paranoia. Stanley Kubrick directed. (Pauline Kael)

Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Faustus @ The Annex Theater

Performances:
July 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
8pm

Preview night:
July 1

Cost:
sliding scale $5-$10

A Sculpture Show @ C. Grimaldis Gallery

John Van Alstine

Originally Posted at Citypaper.com
Little Giants
Group show focuses on the smaller works of big names
By Alex Ebstein
A Sculpture Show, C. Grimaldis Gallery's 2009 manifestation of its annual summer sculpture group show, features the small works of big names. For an exhibition whose bill includes Richard Serra, a gargantuan sculptor both in product and celebrity, the work is diminutive, and at times delicate. Some of the pieces in this exhibition look like maquettes for larger pieces, while others are explorations of form and material. Show's eight sculptors, having achieved some recognition for their larger pieces--some of which were seen in last June's Grimaldis @ Area 405--present a domestic-friendly set of works, as well as two dimensional drawings and sketches, which compromise little with the exception of scale.

Richard Serra

Placed front and center in the gallery's window pedestal, John Van Alstine's "Sisyphean Circle (Beijing XVII)" is probably most pleasing piece to imagine as a larger work. A graceful, flat metal ring stands upright from a curved red base. From the inside edge of the ring, a red pigmented steel joint suspends a sharp stone into the circle's center. The composition suggests a constant, impending motion--a guillotine movement of the stone or spinning of the wheel-like ring--while remaining frozen in its potential energy. Begging to be surrounded by action figures at this size, a two-story version of the structure would be awesome and terrifying. Unfortunately, Van Alstine's two other, smaller works--also metal circle/stone pieces--are comparatively static. Crafted from chunkier pieces of metal and welded haphazardly, the illusion of balance is lost.

John Van Alstine

Annette Sauermann provides a visual bridge between the two- and three-dimensional works with her two wall-bound sculptures and a series of three collages. In the past, Sauermann's worked with light, creating large, elaborate architectural installations to emphasize luminescence or to trap the glow of a light source. In a shift toward the two-dimensional, Sauermann's newer work consists of thick, flat concrete slabs fitted with translucent pieces of plexiglass and light filters. While drastically reserved, she continues to address light and architecture, minimally and materially. As if working backward from the room to the wall, it's a short reach from her concrete sculptures to her collage series. Compressing and flattening space and light, her collages on board are also crafted from cement, light filters, and sandpaper.

John Ruppert

While most artists include colorfully and materially consistent pieces--and in the case of Van Alstine, repetitive forms--John Ruppert includes both the most hulking, masculine structure, and alternately the most delicate, petite piece. The vertical, cast-iron shaft "Split Column" is unfeasibly balanced on its narrow point in a circle of black sand. Resembling a splintered tree trunk, Ruppert's organic form is simultaneously precarious and imposing. Ruppert's smaller, white plaster "Phobos #2 (Celestial Bodies Series)" is contrastingly fragile but more comfortably grounded. At just 10 inches high, "Phobos" consists of two slightly imploded blobs; the bottom solid, and the top form a lacey lattice.

John Ruppert, background, Chul-Hyun Ahn Foreground

Chul-Hyun Ahn, whose infinite light/mirror tunnels took a dramatic turn toward diorama at the end of last year, includes two minimal pieces: "Horizon," which is wall mounted, and the free-standing "Well 4." While most works in the exhibition are of souvenir status and would look comfortable in a home, Ahn's pieces veer toward the functional. "Horizon," a glass pane in front of a neon-bordered mirror, casts off enough light to serve as a cool, contemporary lamp, while it wouldn't be much of a stretch to see the round, glass-topped "Well 4" as a coffee table--neither of which is meant to be a slight. Ahn's smaller works remain distinctly recognizable and adaptable to every potential setting, blurring the line between art and design.

Jon Isherwood

The pieces in A Sculpture Show offer a similar impression to viewing the blueprints and architectural models of a building you've already visited. In many cases, the work and planning that goes into the model is more intimate and exciting than the resultant building, which is often taken for granted. These works allow a view into the development, process, and range that each artist has accomplished; a chance to reconsider familiar pieces and the planning involved.

Paper Jam @ Civilian Art Projects in DC

Robert Leef, JP Flexner and Edward Kelley

Paper Jam, organized by Anthony Dihle, highlights 27 East Coast artists/designers/printermakers who make music posters. The exhibition includes work from Baltimore's own Post Typography and Baltimore's former Jordan Bernier (now in Portland.) Paper Jam is the first show for Civilian in their new, enormous space which is only one flight below their previous digs.

Jordan Bernier

Post Typography

Anthony Dihle

Gregory Pizzoli

Post Typography

Brian Potash

Chris Cernoch, his poster for TV On The Radio was (aside from Jordan's and PT's pieces) hands down the most awesome.

Also featured in the show: Ana Benaroya, Rick Bowman, Chris Cernoch, Kate Crosgrove, Anthony Dihle (Dirty Pictures), Jefferey Everett (El Jefe Design), JP Flexner, John Foster (Bad People Good Things), Jeff Fry, Tim Gibbon (Dynamite Printworks), James Heimer, Edward Kelley, Daniel Kent, Chris Kline, Nick Kulp (Undercover Zero), Large Mammal, Robb Leef, Drew Liverman

Jordan Bernier

The show runs through the 27th of June, a Q&A with some of the included artists is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday June 25 from 6:30 pm - 8:30pm
More information available at Civilian's website

Kitchen Stories Opening Reception @ The Library

June 20, 2009

4:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Art On Purpose Presents Kitchen Stories

Coinciding with World Refugee Day, the reception is free and open to the public and includes a series of live cooking demonstrations led by immigrant participants. Gallery Conversation begins at 5:00pm

The Library Project: 1401 Light Street, Baltimore MD 21230
Directions

Midnight Movie @ the Charles Theatre this Friday! Videodrome!

Friday June 19th at Midnight
Charles Theatre
Videodrome
Directed by David Cronenberg
$6

Pile of Craft this Saturday @ St. John's Church

Saturday, June 20th
11-5pm
St. John's Church (2640 St. Paul St., Baltimore, MD 21218)
FREE and open to the public

Shop handmade and have fun at this year’s Pile of Craft, a DIY art and craft show. There will be over 50 amazing, local, crafty vendors showing off their astounding apparel, jewelry, accessories, ceramics, paper goods, fine art and so much more!

Drinks and snacks will be available from Red Emma’s Coffee Shop.
Visit the Pile Of Craft page HERE for more info and to check out the vendor list!

GRÜNDLEHÄMMER informational meeting and auditions

Greetings from the Baltimore Rock Opera Society!

For those of you who don't already know, the Baltimore Rock Opera Society (BROS) is an organization formed to bring this unique style of performing art to a Baltimore audience. Their very first production, entitled GRÜNDLEHÄMMER will be premiering in Baltimore the first weekend in October, 2009.

There is a big public meeting scheduled for next Thursday JUNE 11th for everyone to get informed about what is going on with the production and to find out how to get involved. They are currently a small group with a very limited budget so they will need all the help they can get to make this rock opera as awesome as it needs to be. Come say hello, hear about what they've done and what they are hoping to do still, sign up for crew positions and maybe hear some of the music.

In addition, there scheduled auditions for cast on JUNE 17th and 18th at the Sky Lofts Artist Community in Highlandtown. Time slots will be starting at 6:30 and 8pm

INFORMATION MEETING
THURS June 11th
2901 N. Calvert St.
7pm
Follow the signs to the 2nd floor.

AUDITIONS
June 17th and June 18th
Sky-Lofts Artist Community

3701 Bank Street (SkyLofts.net)

6:30 pm and 8 pm both nights.

One prepared monologue and one prepared song are preferred but not required. (We will have material to read). Come with your list of conflicts, and dressed to move.

Email BALTIMOREROCKOPERA@GMAIL.COM with any questions, inquiries, RSVP for auditions etc.

Midnight Movie @ the Charles Theatre this Friday! The Serpent and the Rainbow!

Friday June 5th at Midnight
Charles Theatre
The Serpent and the Rainbow
Directed by Wes Craven
$6

DCAC 20th Anniversary Gala @ Halcyon House

The District of Columbia Arts Center celebrated its 20th year of support for DC's emerging artists at the Halcyon House in Georgetown:

Steve Frost

Nathan Manuel

Kim Hackett and Jenny Walton

Max Cook, Philippa Hughes and Steve Frost

Philip Barlow and Jeffry Cudlin

Cory Cochran

Erik Jackson

Buck Downs

Fire performers

For more information on the DCAC, visit their website

VS. Opens @ The Windup Space Friday, June 5

Sean Murray

Who Can't get down with some Gamer art? Vs. an exhibition of art by local illustrators, comic book artists and video game designers opens at the Windup Space this Friday, June 5 from 7 - 9pm

From the press release:

Baltimore-based artists working in the visual entertainment fields of video games, comic books and illustration will exhibit their personal work in VS., a new gallery show at The Windup Space during the month of June. An opening reception for VS. takes place Friday, June 5 from 7-9 p.m. at the bar, music and arts venue located at 12 W. North Ave. in the heart of the Station North Arts and Entertainment District. The show ends on July 31^st.

Each of the 14 artists in the exhibition will interpret the theme of conflict from a fine art perspective. It may be literal -- Bigfoot vs. Cookie Monster -- or conceptual -- Nature vs. Nurture.

Artists include video game environment artist and landscape painter Colin Campbell, graphic novel artist Brian Ralph (“Cave-In,” “Climbing Out,”) video game concept artist and Spectrum Gold winner Jeremy Enecio, video game concept artist and freelance illustrator Sean Murray and children’s book illustrator and fairy tale-inspired fine artist Jaime Zollars.

Art Opening at the Charles Theatre Workers Art Wall!

City Dwelling, Summer Swelling
June 4 - July 31 2009
Opening Reception: June 4, 7 - 9pm
Charles Theatre Workers Art Wall

Featuring works by Kristin Tata, Jennifer Strunge, Nicholas Often, Sara Seidman, Antoinette Suiter, Justin Durel, Willie J. Taylor, Melody Nadia Often, Bob Myaing, and Joe Delano


Plus Blow Pops!

Nicole Shiflet: Marching For Digits @ The John Fonda Gallery

Nicole Shiflet's Marching For Digits
Curated by Sidney Pink

John Fonda Gallery at Theatre Project
45 West Preston St.
Opening Reception: Thursday, June 4, 6:30-8:00pm
On View June 4 - July 12

John Fonda Gallery is please to present Nicole Shiflet’s first solo exhibition at the gallery. Titled Marching for Digits, the show consists of new paintings that explore Nicole’s fascination with interstitial moments that she documents into the fictional narratives of her paintings.

Shiflet’s paintings use bright color, simple organics forms, and detailed line work to create rich environments. Her work evokes scientific imagery and yet seems to exist inside fantastical landscapes, as if from a children’s book. She plays with the scale of her subject creating a duel sense of micro and macro.

Decoy @ Creative Alliance

Originally Posted at Citypaper.com

The Illusionists
Looks can be deceiving in this smart, polished group show

By Alex Ebstein

Decoy, the exhibition currently on view at the Creative Alliance, makes you look twice and question what you see. Each of the art works in this show, curated by Erin Cluley, causes you to waver between its surface attraction and a deeper message, which you reconsider upon each viewing. Visually airy with an array of edgy undertones, Decoy lures you in and dares you to be shallow.

Jenny Mullins' drawings of majestic birds, with their detail and clean stylization, resemble both postage stamps and propaganda posters. In each image, the birds are bound and constricted by rope, or disfigured by belts and sequined, yellow hoods. Dotted with a barrage of arrows and aggressive flag poles, it is uncertain whether the images are supposed to read as victorious or sympathetic. In "Sacrifice to the Economy," a single bird of prey's feathers bulge against bindings, and strings trail out of the composition from the tiny arrows along its back. With its head obscured by a traditional falcon hood--albeit one bespangled with sequins--the bird is either blinded against the violence being acted upon it or made vulnerable by its hooded condition. Verging on satirical illustration, Mullins plays on contemporary American tensions and the constriction of national pride.

Paul Jeanes' oil paintings of lush cloud formations offer the initial impression of photographs taken from an elevated or hovering perspective, and they're hung along the back wall of the exhibition to create such an illusion. The hand and the medium become obvious at a closer range, but the images then reveal hidden details--a flock of birds, a helicopter--invading otherwise pristine cloudscapes. Jeanes' artist's statement claims that the paintings--from his series, "Not to Touch the Earth (1000 Skies for Mies van de Rohe)"--are based on the view from the van de Rohe-designed Highfield House in the Tuscany-Canterbury neighborhood. In a similar celestial study, Jeanes includes a grid of small paintings of the moon. Next to the imposing cloud triptych, the small images, while charming, are relatively unambitious, and the moments captured are less interesting.

Michael Mansfield's two charcoal drawings examine views from space. At their massive scale--100 by 100 inches and 104 by 132 inches, respectively--the drawings appear to be elegant, topographical data charts of remote or imagined islands. Indicating a satellite's perspective and mapping unidentified landmarks by using nodes of varied sizes, the information relayed becomes a pattern of indeterminable possibilities: clusters of people, military units, cell phone towers, McDonald's locations, etc. Mansfield simultaneously celebrates the awe of technology and examines the unease of its potential by letting his viewers fill in the blank as to why such data is being gathered.

Robert Horvath's tantalizingly slick, shiny paintings look like exotic floral still-lifes from afar, but up close they reveal a germ-like, organic structure more akin to a science project. The gaseous bubbling, cell-like structures billow and glow against their stark, black backgrounds. The radiant, bulbous forms have an uneasy hostility, like an unstoppable, alien disease--think The Blob, only prettier--swelling across the paintings' surface. Hanging on either side of Kendra Lee Hebel's "Sugarpus"--a set of three costumes made from resin and hair--Horvath echoes Hebel's more obvious play on the value of beauty.

Hebel's three dresses, worn by white mannequins, directly contrast the clean form of the body with physical anomalies and asks--not so subtly--which is more interesting. The tactile, overpowering dresses, made of synthetic hair and rubber silicon, mimic body hair and growths, while cut and presented like delicate ballet costumes. Worn by live models during the opening, and undoubtedly made more startlingly organic through movement, "Sugarpus" finds exoticism in moles, hair, and cancerous growths.

Decoy is a smart show, successfully drawing parallels and pairing works one might never have considered complementary. Bringing together artists working in a variety of media, size and subject matter, Cluley presents a realized exhibition with an overall message and curatorial statement: Things aren't always what they appear to be. While the exhibition is positively polished, attractive and professional, if you get stuck on the surface, you're missing the point.