The World's Still Spinning

I wasn’t raptured yesterday, but I did find the week I seemed to have lost.

I try to convince myself that I’ve got a memory for upcoming dates and times that’s spot-on AWESOME. Really, who am I kidding?

Earth to Richetts: If it’s not on your Microsoft calendar, it doesn’t exist.

All last week I was counting the days until the first week of June, when my month of art, fun, more, art, more fun begins. Small detail, though, I was counting 7 days too few.  Phew.

Ya, ya…like you’ve never done this.

This is not exactly a bad thing because I’ve been so crazy-busy, then I got sick and slept for about 3 days. So the 7 days I wasn’t counting are greatly needed and appreciated.

With this “extra” time, I’ve been hanging art and making up recipes involving beer. The art’s in the image above. Hopefully it’ll be juried into the “Mine the Chatter” show that opens  June 10^th in Escondido.  This piece is so long, there’s no ceiling at my house where I can hang it without it hitting the floor. Probably shoulda thought that through a little better.  

No matter, on to the beer recipe:

Take three 16 ounce glasses, fill one with the biggest-baddest-darkest ale you can get, fill one with diet coke, fill one with ice. Pour equal amounts of the badass beer and the diet coke into the glass of ice.

Drink it in good health, while enjoying Cruisin’ Grand in Escondido on Friday evenings. Be sure to have a bratwurst with it, too.

Renée

Proud Mama Keep on Burnin'

"He'll Go Far" from the 2009 ART + SCIENCE exhibition by yours truly.

It’s official, and I officially get to announce it: the absolutely awesome Escondido Arts Partnership/Municipal Gallery, one of the last non-profit city galleries left in California, has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.  And I am feeling like a “proud mama” right now.

In announcing the awardees, NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman said, “NEA research shows that three out of four Americans participate in the arts. The diverse, innovative, and exceptional projects funded in this round will ensure that Americans around the country continue to have the opportunity to experience and participate in the arts.”

I could not agree more.

Receiving an NEA grant is a huge honor. It’s also a ton of work getting to the point where an organization can even apply. I know this because I chair the EAP/EMG’s Board of Directors and have watched the organization expand and grow, even as the local economy has tanked. Last year, the BOD knew the organization was ready to apply for an NEA grant, but it was still a daunting thought. To make a first-time NEA grant application takes about 40-80+ hours. Yet the EAP/EMG has only one full-time employee, the amazing Executive Director Wendy Wilson, and one paid Volunteer Coordinator, The equally amazing Kellene Nguyen (who works less than 10 hours per week).  The other 1000+ staff hours needed per year to run the Gallery and all its programs come from volunteers.

For a non-profit gallery to receive an NEA grant the first time it applies speaks volumes about the credibility and high esteem in which it is held at our city and county levels. It directly reflects the City Council’s support of its Municipal Gallery over the years, allowing the EAP/EMG infra-structure’s growth and financial stability to reach this level where our municipal gallery can manage a federal grant confidently and responsibly. The EAP/EMG was eligible to apply for this grant in its role as the City of Escondido’s official arts agency and holder of 501 (c) 3 non-profit status.

Per the conditions of the grant, the $10,000 which the EAP/EMG will receive for Federal FY 2012 is to be used towards the Art + Science exhibition, Aug. 9 - Sept. 30, 2011, and the Recycled Art & Runway Event, October 7 - Nov. 4, 2011. Both these exhibitions will be sending out calls to artists over the next few months. If you want to enter either of them, go to www.escondidarts.org  and click on the EXHIBITIONS tab for more information.

TTFN,

Renée

How ‘Bout That Face Book?

Compute This One

I have a niece who is so funny when she tells a story, she could go into a five-minute rift about changing her toddler’s diaper that would leave you wishing you’d slipped on your Depends.

A little while back, when she was a professor at a local private college, she had me side-splitting over the come-to-the-table talk she gave her students regarding the appropriate use of emailing/texting one’s professor.

Examples on the “Don’t do it list” included the student who’s T-Mobile addiction had her texting updates every 30 minutes on how her assignment was going. And the one who wanted to know if Wikipedia would be an acceptable source-reference for his paper on global warming.

O.k.  I exaggerate.  But not much.

All this got me thinking about some people “Who-Shall-Be-Nameless” and their griping that they don’t like FB because there are so many hits on their walls from people who:

a.       they don’t know

b.      post trivial stuff such as how their day’s going, gonna go, or has already been--feel free to borrow that sentence for the next time you’re teaching a class in irregular English verbs

c.       want to be friends, but Who-Shall-Be-Nameless has never heard of them, and the friend-seeker already has 3,281 “friends” but no profile picture (cautionary note: don’t freakin’ accept!)

Still, there’s good stuff a-plenty on FB. Like the efficient way it processes one’s use of the DELETE button (uh, hello!!!). Or the pics of your relatives who you love. And their kids who you never see in-person but once every 5 years. And your aunt, who’s nearly 80 and posts great stuff on her/your wall.

Ah, but wait! I believe Who-Shall-Be-Nameless has experienced an epiphany! What has brought about this amazing 180? Could it be the May 8^th showing of Nature’s mixed-media performance art masterpiece, the arrival of WSBN’s grand niece, Adeline Rose?!?! Why yes, I think that’s it.

Oh, so now the every 30 minute posts are of use. And the “how the project’s going” updates are awaited with breathless anticipation.  What, you say you’re trying to send Adeline a “Friend” request, and she’s not accepting? Hum. Perhaps in another 14 years…

Until next week,

Renée