Artscape usually happens over the hottest weekend of the year, and 2015 was no exception. Leezle and I headed downtown in the late afternoon. We enjoyed limeade, people watching and the air conditioning of the Ebb & Flow exhibit, where Drink Like a Fish can be seen.
Thanks to Kim Domanski for another great exhibit.
I’m delighted to say I was invited to participate in an ArtScape exhibit this year. I’ve submitted a handful of my dioramas to the show. Here’s the scoop:
“People say that the book is dead. Kindle is just far more convenient. Newspaper ink gets all over your fingers. Who needs a map when you can have SAT NAV? Perhaps you’ve seen one too many Hoarders episodes, and your clutter is beginning to look ominous. For whatever reason, society is starting to throw away its tangible objects and is calling for the demise of paper. The good news for rejected paper is that there seems to be a trend of artists who are collecting the detritus. Now that these objects are starting to lose hold on their original purpose, artists are beginning to rescue these paper-based products and breathe new life into them.”
– Emilyann Craighead, Curator
June 25-August 4, 2012
Reception: Friday July 6, 6-8 pm
The Gallery at CCBC, Catonsville, Building Q
Summer Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 10 am to 5 pm, Saturday: 10 am to 3 pm
For more information, please visit our website at http://www.ccbcmd.edu/adim/
CCBC Catonsville is located off Baltimore Beltway (695) Exit 12, Wilkens Avenue West. Follow Wilkens Avenue West to Valley Road. Make a right on Valley Road to the college entrance. CCBC Catonsville is served by MTA bus route 77. The Gallery is in Building Q.
Sponsored in part by the Baltimore Office of Promotion in the Arts and M&T Bank as an ArtScape 2012 Showcase Gallery.
Mount Royal Avenue is now circus peanut free. It returned home safely after being on display in Baltimore city for 149 days.
There are several features about this piece that I haven’t yet shared – the PVC backbone contains actual circus peanuts. And the inside of the sculpture base is manned by these two fellows who kept an eye on things for me, since I obviously couldn’t be there.
Now you know.
And, there’s more to the story.
More than 350,000 people were expected to attend this year’s ArtScape, now in its 29th year and the biggest yet. ArtScape is America’s largest free Art festival and generates more than $25 million in revenue. Every year, the citizens of the east coast unite to collectively bake our brains under an atomically hot sun. Here are some pics from this year.
My kids and I made circus peanut shirts using left over paint from the giant peanut.
There is something really cool about watching people hug art. I watch a guy actually LICK the circus peanut, but couldn’t get my camera out in time. There are no teeth marks. Yet.
I received some much needed Art Therapy on the Charles Street bridge from Cocoa, while Leezle manned the phone.
The girls and I visited our comics at the Comic Strip exhibit at Penn station (previously discussed).
Here’s the Midway banner on the Charles Street bridge.
The girls illustrated messenger bags at the Target tent.
The art cars were amazing, as was the air guitar exhibition.
I tried to glue circus peanuts to the Throne of Glory, but it was in constant use.
Me and my baked brains.
Here are a few of my favorite Sondheim finalists in the Fox building gallery.
I’m sad it’s over, and relieved everything went well. Now it’s back to the drawing board.
Do you like Circus Peanuts? Please cast a vote. I must know.
The GIANT Circus Peanut is finished. It’s installed on Mount Royal Avenue in Baltimore, by MICA, and will be on display through November as part of the Here, There, Anywhere exhibit. This is the “making of” post. I had some help and thank the following peeps.
My initial thought was to use a metal pipe in the center, and build an armature from chicken wire that I could then “paper mache” with house wrap, Baltimore City Papers and the like. My concern was that I’d have to shred the house wrap into slices so thin that it would take weeks to get it smooth, and also that it would be too heavy.
Here’s what I ended up doing instead.
I made a template by piecing together paper into an 8′ x 4′ sheet. I cut out the shape of the peanut and taped the edges with packing tape.
I made the base of the peanut from 2×8’s, held together with decking screws.
I put half-inch PVC pipe in the base for support – very light, and very strong. And, as a bonus, I put some actual circus peanuts into the pipe before gluing the pieces together.
I was going to have three pairs of pipe support, but it was too much, so I removed the center section.
Once the base was assembled, I cut out the “slices” from sections of Owens Corning foam insulation. I used vinyl gutter downspout sections as spacers, held in place with heavy duty foam safe construction adhesive. The bottom vinyl spacer is screwed and glued to the base, and then glued to each section of foam. It ended up being very sturdy.
The original idea was to sculpt the sides to be somewhat rounded, but it proved too difficult to accomplish (well) in the time I had left, so I removed them. I used bamboo skewers as supports between the layers. They are cheap, strong and I needed something to hold the foam spray in place until it hardened.
I’ve used this foam in my home before – it was satisfying playing with it here. Once it cured, I carved the exterior shape, and the divots on the face.
The girls and I did most of the spackling.
I’m pretty sure it weighs over 300 lbs – it was difficult to move and harder to install. :) Just ask RJ.
Please come to ArtScape and see it in person!
If you’re interested in what happened with the peanut, there’s more to read here and here.
