We've Migrated

The PSU MFA concentration in Art and Social Practice has moved to:
http://psusocialpractice.org/blog

Shine A Light: A Night at The Museum

For one night only, on Saturday, September 19 from 6 p.m.-midnight, the Portland Art Museum hosts Shine a Light: A Night at the Museum. The event consists of six hours of performances, installations, tours, workshops, and games by 15 artists drawn from Portland State University’s MFA, Art and Social Practice concentration, led by Harrell Fletcher and Jen Delos Reyes. The projects are centered on artist and audience participation and visitors are encouraged to experience the Museum’s spaces and collections in new ways.

Projects and events take place inside and outside of the Museum. Outdoors in the sculpture court, local bands Atole, Tu Fawning and E*Rock, will play throughout the day and visitors can watch an expert “dowser” uncover the colors and sounds of works of art, see a demonstration of printmaking at a mobile print factory and sample specially made beer brewed to complement individual museum objects for the event by Old Lompoc, Laurelwood and Lucky Lab. Inside, projects located throughout the Museum include “Learn to Count in Mon”, a project to save endangered languages, a break-dancing display, musicians, including Mirah, Joe Preston of the Thrones, Honey Owens of Valet, Christopher Doulgeris of Hooliganship, Alex Guy, Drew Slum, and Blacque Butterfly serenading select works of art, “Stranger Moments”, a roving theatrical tour of the Museum employees’ interactions in the galleries with strangers, video installations from the Northwest Film Center and much more.

Visit the following link for a PDF schedule of the night's events.

The Idiosyncratic Element Is the Precursor to Change

The Idiosyncratic Element is the Precursor to Change Avalon Kalin with Jonathan Legare

Autzen Gallery @ PSU | August 18-28, 2009 Reception 6-9pm, Saturday August 22, 2009

2nd Floor Gallery | Neuberger Hall | PSU Main Campus 724 SW Harrison & Broadway, PDX, OR 97201 Contact: rockp@pdx.edu

For over a year, PSU graduate candidate Avalon Kalin has been working with local cafe proprietor Jonathan Legare as the artist-in-residence of his southeast cafe and community resource center, LEGARE'S. The title of Kalin's graduate exhibition, The Idiosyncratic Element is the Precursor to Change, is an aphorism created by Legare himself. Acting as an experimental documentary installation, Kalin's show uses Legare's life and times as a starting point, and engages Legare's particular interests. These include the novels of Balzac, guns, custom motorcycles, philosophy, and the aphorisms of his customers, among others.

Opening Sunday

Disjecta is hosting both the Studio/Social Practice students for a group graduate exhibition:
It’s Possible
PSU MFA in Contemporary Art Practice | 2009 Graduate Exhibition

June 14-July 12, 2009
Gallery Hours: Friday-Sunday 12-6 pm
Opening Reception: Sunday, June 14, 2009 | 4-8 pm

8371 N. Interstate, Portland, OR 97217

Statement:

The Department of Art at Portland State University and Disjecta present It’s Possible, an exhibition of work by the 2009 graduates of PSU’s Master of Fine Art in Contemporary Art Practice program. Opening with a reception on June 14 and running through July 12, the exhibition brings together work reflecting two years of intensive, interdisciplinary research by students in the Studio Practice and Social Practice streams of the newly expanded MFA.

Exhibiting artists:

Katy Asher
Steve Baggs
Vanessa Calvert
Varinthorn Christopher
Damien Gilley
Bethany Hays
Avalon Kalin
Laurel Kurtz
Sandy Sampson
Rebecca Shelly
Cyrus Smith
Eric Steen

Box Set: The M.O.S.T. Remastered

The Autzen Gallery at Portland State University
In conjunction with the PSU Department of Art
Is proud to present the 2009 PSU MFA | Studio & Social Practice | Graduate Exhibitions:

Box Set: The M.O.S.T. Remastered | Katy Asher

May 18, 2009 – May 29, 2009 | Autzen Gallery @ PSU
2nd Floor Gallery | Neuberger Hall | PSU Main Campus
Tuesday-Friday 12-5 PM
Closing Reception Friday, May 29 | 6-9 p.m.

In Box Set: The M.O.S.T. Remastered, Katy Asher reconfigures the gallery space into a museum displaying the complexities and rewards of working as part of a collaborative arts group. Organized around artifacts and an interpretive archive space, Asher introduces visitors to The M.O.S.T. – a tight knit social group whose membership prior to their dissolution in 2008 included Khris Soden as “The M.,“ Katy Asher as “The O.," Jen Rhoads as “The S.”and Rudy Speerschneider as “The T.” The exhibition focuses on the cosmology, worldview and philosophies related to the group itself and the group’s primary area of research, Mostlandia.

On display are the complete archives of artifacts from all 30 projects created by the group between 2003-08. The objects displayed give a glimpse into the breadth of the group's conceptual interests, ranging from a 63-card trading card set to handcrafted ambassadorial uniforms, a specialized stamp kit and free ice cream sandwiches. * Asher provides access to volumes of emails and file cabinets packed with research and meeting notes showing the depth of the group's investment in the collaborative decision making process.

*While supplies last!

Mark Dion

Last week Mark Dion came to the Portland State MFA Monday Night Lecture Series to show us some of his work. It was nice to hear him talk about the work and see someone use only 35mm slides in this digital age. Following the lecture he invited anyone interested to go see his Neukom Vivarium at the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park, and a few of us decided to go.

Mark decided it would be best to take the train up the Seattle, so we all got tickets and planned on meeting up before boarding.

Mark told us his favorite sushi place was in between the train station and the Seattle Art Museum, so when we arrived we all ate sushi. After eating we headed over to the Museum where we got a quick tour from the Contemporary Art Curator Marisa Sanchez.
Unfortunately the tour was cut short so we could get to the Vivarium in time, and when we got there all of the docents who care for the piece were waiting to meet Mark. Immediately after walking through the doors Mark was greeted with a round of applause, which must have felt great as it his first time to see the piece since the opening in 2007.


Many of the docents had questions for Mark and a lot of them just wanted to hear him talk about the piece. Everyone was happy to be part of such a great work of art and have the artist there to see what they had been up to.

After a little while we had to say our goodbyes and get back to the train station. It was a nice trip to Seattle and I think we all had a great time.

Harrell Fletcher and Cyrus Smith on WK Radio

Just recently, Harrell was invited to sit in for a conversation with DJ Safi on Weiden Kennedy Radio, an online radio station headed up by the advertising firm of the same name. Cyrus Smith of Art Talk AM on the Radio was also in the studio for this brief conversation about Harrell's work, and the Social Practice Program in general.
(listen)

Building in the Post-Apocalypse

BUILDING IN THE POST-APOCALYPSE
By Eric Steen

An exhibition that explores and documents options of community, collaboration, and education through socially engaged practices.

Please see below for details about times, events, and goings-ons.

APRIL 10TH-23RD

MK GALLERY

2000 SW 5th (2nd Floor) Portland, Oregon

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

Go to beerandscifi.com/exhibition for schedule updates.
Some events appear twice because they are in multiple categories...

GALLERY HOURS:
Monday - Thursday 9-5
Saturday April 18th, 12-4

ARTISTS RECEPTION:
Thursday April, 16th
3-6pm - Public Social University event
6-9pm - Exhibition Reception
9-12pm - Sci-Fi Screening: Panic in the Year Zero & The Man From Earth

SCHEDULED ACTIVITIES:
April 13th - Monday - 10pm - Sci-Fi Screening - The Man Who Could Work Miracles
April 16th - Thursday - 3-6pm - Public Social University event
April 16th - Thursday - 6-9pm - Exhibition Reception
April 16th - Thursday - 9-12pm - Sci-Fi Double Feature (see above for titles)

MOVIE SCHEDULE:
Daily movies subject to change:
April 13th - Mon. - playing all day - The Lathe of Heaven
April 13th - Mon. - 10pm screening - The Man Who Could Work Miracles
April 14th - Tues. - playing all day - The Man Who Could Work Miracles
April 15th - Wed. - playing all day - Fantastic Planet
April 16th - Thu. - playing until 3:00 - The Man From Earth
April 16th - Thu. - 9-12pm screening - Panic in the Year Zero & The Man From Earth
April 18th - Sat. - playing 12-4pm - Panic in the Year Zero
April 20th - Mon. - playing all day - The Man From Earth
April 21st - Tues. - playing all day - A Boy and His Dog
April 22nd - Wed. - playing all day - Silent Running
April 23rd - Thurs. - playing all day - The Lathe of Heaven

Art Talk AM on CORE Radio

[Art Talk AM on CORE Radio]

For the next few weeks PSU's own Art Talk AM will be contributing to Disjecta's CORE Radio initiative. CORE Radio is a platform for community voices to offer thier perspective on the pressing cultural issues facing Portland. Made possible by a grant from the Reigonal Arts and Culture Council, CORE Radio is being headed up by Zefrey Throwell of Art International Radio. Have a listen to this interview with Brian Seureth, the Executive Director of Disjecta.

(listen)

If you are interested in getting involved with CORE Radio, contact Disjecta here!

Aerobic Exercise Break

Exercise break in class...this 'butt-writing' was inspired by Boseul Kim of the Otis Public Practice MFA Program in Los Angeles.  We met her and others from Otis and CCA recently during our field trip to San Francisco.  She said this was the most embarrassing thing she could imagine as a kid and then performed the writing of her name for us in Korean, LIVE!

Special Presentation Series

To enhance the PSU artist lecture series, artists in the MFA program have been organizing a Special Presentation Series of one hour presentations on diverse topics that might not be specific to art. Almost every Friday from 7-8pm at Legare's cafe [SE 16th & Clinton, Portland]. To get each month's schedule, get on the PSU Art Department's email list. To organize a month of presentations, contact Avalon at avalonkalin[aaattt]yahoo[ddoottt]com

above is one such presentation by Abraham Ingle on "how to record the lives that surround yours."

Lecture at Camousen College in Victoria, BC

A group of us joined Harrell in Victoria, BC for Assume Nothing, a symposium on the subject of "New Social Practice." That Friday, a few of us were able to join Harrell for a talk on our work, and the program in general at Camousen College. Harrell started the talk with an in depth look at Learning to Love you More, and then passed the podium to Jen, Connie, Ariana, Helen, Hannah, Zach and Cyrus for a series of brief presentations. Here is a shot of Zach talking about Build Something Together.

Public Social University

The undergrad social practice class has organized a new series of Public Social University events. Please check it out.

Build Something Together

Zach has started a new service where he serves as free handyman to people in need of building help, technical or maunal. The project is called Build Something Together, and Zach has just recently released the new version of buildsomethingtogether.com where you can find information about his different skills, check on projects in progress, look at previous projects, check the schedule, and you can even submit your own proposal.

Would you like to build something together?

New Website

We've been working on a new website. It can be found at psusocialpractice.org.
Take a look.