OK,
HERE is one for the blog.
I have recently been accepted, as 1 of 10 Reclaimed Materials Artists from the Southeast, to show my tire art work at the ReArt Exhibition, at Reuse Conex.
What is Reuse Conex? Well it its being billed by its host, the Reuse Alliance, as the first national Reuse conference and expo of reuse!
The event is being put on by the Reuse Alliance, a non profit devoted to promoting the concept and practice of Reuse, by supporting the Reuse sector, an important but often overlooked facet of the sprouting Green Economy.
You can check it out at: http://reuseconex.org/
So just what is Reuse? Well,
Renovating an old house or building instead of tearing it down and building a new one, restoring an old car or bicycle, or making a collage out of old magazines, even buying a tshirt at the thrift store, are all examples of Reuse.
This is distinguished from recycling which would, say, melt the car down to make another car. According to Reuse proponets such as the Reuse Alliance, recycling is a more energy intensive (though they have perhaps never tried to flip a tire inside out!... but still, I do see their point). Reuse presents it own host of challenges, which today's artsist / designer quickly warms too.
So basically, the conference will be a chance for businesses like The Scrap Exchange, the Habitat ReStore, and a rainbow of other businesses from across the US, to share our work, learn from each other and possibly forge partnerships for collaborations. Wow, to be honest, I really don't know just what I'll find!...
I do know that I will get to set up my booth there at the event, to tell people about the work I do with tires in my business, Reptire Designs. Obviously, this is an awesome oppurtunity for an emerging artist like myself. Perhaps I can also sell some of my art there, but to be honest, this is not as high of a priority for this event, as just getting my name out there. I have also offered the organizers of the event the use of some of my larger sculptures for around the event grounds, to help create a memorable atmosphere there at the Raleigh Hilton. Hopefully, they will take me up on them!
Not that the event is lacking in this department. There will also be movies, and a ReFashion show, which I am particularly looking forward to checking out- An artist/designer idol of mine, Atom Cianfarani, who created her own fabric from innertube rubber, and works with another designer to create fashion that is out of this world, seems connected with the Reuse Alliance. I am wondering if I will get to meet her at the event....
I currently have alittle more than month to get ready. Aside from building a giant tire sculpture, refining my booth, and creating smaller sculptures to sell, I am working like mad to pull together a website, (among other promotional materials) which will be a big step for me. This event will be getting national exposure, and thanks to the internet, quite probably international exposure as well. So, to be frank, I have got to be ready to announce my presence to the world.
Here we go!
to learn more about the event, you can check out the web page at www.reuseconex.org
You can learn about the Reuse Alliance at www.reusealliance.org
And also, you can learn about the keynote speaker, Garth Johnson, at his fascinating blog site: Extreme Craft. He is the Author of a newly published book called "1,000 Ideas for Creative Reuse", and a very sharp tack at that.
Should be interesting...
Reclaimed-wood Builder and Reptire Collector Howard Staab enjoying magwi knot at the Scrap Exchange
I can't think of anything more rewarding for an artist than to see someone interacting with their artwork. Photo by Laxmi Haynes
Sammy and Dannette contemplate
Photograph by Laxmi Haynes
Cascade Colony of Knotlets
They would go with your jacket, would they not Claire?
Laxmi Resplendent
Mavis In The Mist
Photograph by Laxmi Haynes
Tire Amazement
Photograph by Edie Cohn
