Absrd Comedy posted my article! Woohoo

http://www.absrdcomedy.com/2014/07/02/art-sculpture-subjects-just-friends-claims-artist/

Sam Friedman in Detroit

Remember the good ole’ days when you were served a meal on an airplane or had your gas pumped at the gas station? Those were the days when there was no such thing as hand sanitizer or selfies and you had to be in New York City to see a world glass art exhibit? Well my friends, the times they are a changing! This past weekend I had the pleasure to attend yet another huge and successful gallery opening at the Library Street Collective in Detroit. Yes, you heard me right…DETROIT. Detroit is now the new go-to Mecca for artists from all over the world. In fact, one of newest and coolest new art exhibits in Detroit is actually in a parking structure! The “Z Lot,” is a flashy new place to park your car off Library Street and Grand River and boast over 25 of the most notorious street artists from around the world. Among these hoody wearing, paint covered, tattooed and tougher then nails personas exists Sam Friedman, a soft spoken lovable guy from Brooklyn, whose dad still helps him make his canvases. Friedman is the only Jewish artist who painted in the structure. He is a New York native who grew up Jewish and still feels spiritually connected to Judaism. His work is simultaneously loose and precise with choices of colors that are near perfect. "Sam Friedman could be compared to a discerning curator of a botanical garden or patient botanist... on a planet in another solar system far away from the natural laws on earth" says Matt Eaton local artist, gallery partner, and curator living in Detroit. He is currently exhibiting his new works in a one-man show called “Easy” at The Library Street Collective in Detroit, which opened on May 10th and runs through July 10th. The Library Street Collective specializes in cutting edge modern and contemporary fine art with a primary focus on artists who developed their skills in public art spaces. I had a chance to catch up with Sam while he was travelling between his shows in New York and Detroit. He told me that over the past 5 or 6 years he has focused on making abstract and landscape paintings. Rather then re-creating a realistic landscape on canvas, Sam’s paintings aim to express its essence. No single work of art can hope to express the complex spirit of a landscape, much less the infinitely sophisticated ecology (or nature) that it sustains, so Sam paints what he feels the landscape is evoking, and if you ask me, and the hundreds of people who have purchased his paintings, it’s working. Make sure to visit Sam’s work before July 10th at The Library Street Collective and stop by Floor 2 of the Z Lot for his mural, heck, take a selfie in front of it, #ZLOT!

Detroit Artists Market

The annual Detroit Artists Market (DAM) Scholarship and Exhibition Program opening this Friday at DAM's midtown gallery. It features work by 10 Cranbrook graduate students, all finalists for the John F. Korachis Scholarship Award, as well as a few alumni. There was a great variety of work to see this year, including fabric sculptures, ceramics, painting, and even an artist who dabbles in scrimshaw. If you missed the opening, which was jam packed, and in a good way, make sure you stop by when the gallery is open to check it out. The gallery store is filled with a lot of great new art and artists, they really kicked it up a notch, since the last time I visited. the show runs through April 5. Detroit Artists Market 4719 Woodward Avenue Detroit Below is a picture of the first place winner Katy Richards work and a couple others I enjoyed.

Fiber work by artist Kari Cholnoky

Mark Sengbusch schrimshawed acrylic on canvas

THE DIRTY SHOW! International Erotic Art Exhibition

Last night the 15th annual Dirty Show opened in Detroit at it's new location in the Russell Industrial Exhibition Space. The space was a genius idea in itself. I'm guessing there will be many new events happening in this enormous, raw and edgy exhibition center. I have been to this show for many years, and have learned a lot of the art is really meant to just shock you. Not shock you like eeewwwww gross, I mean shock you like WHAT THE FUCK! (I suppose that is why they call it an international erotic art show) For those of you that know me, I do not shock easily, but this year there were several pieces that made even me blush. For instance: (and this was one of the milder ones I thought I could post) Fez by Tony Waligorski. The performances are definitely the highlight for the crowd. (aka my husband and his friend Doug) Amateur acts including, girls using giant feather fans to reenact a burlesque show, a giant blow up of the female body where you could actually unzip her and take a peek inside ( I passed), several bondage displays, and let's not forget the twins acrobatics on the stripper pole. (Betcha 5 bucks they aren't really twins) Crowd watching is by far my favorite activity. I saw a man dressed in yellow vinyl with the word pig on his back, another man wearing a leash which his date carefully pulled as she walked him through the exhibition, and a lot of trannies, bad trannies too, did I mention a lot? (In case my mom reads this http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tranny) Usually after opening night, there are a lot more pieces sold then this year, I only saw about 4 or 5 red dots, but then again I didn't see anyone helping with sales. The ticket price went up again this year, but I will always pay whatever the admission is because The Dirty Show is just that, Dirty. Below I picked 3 of my favorite pieces from the pool of work I considered erotic or dirty, but not gross get me a puke bucket. I took pictures of the artist cards so I could remember their names, but apparently my camera was drunk last night so I only know the first piece is by artist belozero. I will get the the other artists names today and will update it then.

Glazed Impression Studio

Located in the quaint city of Berkley, Glazed Impressions by Miles Stearn is the go to pottery studio if you are looking for a one of kind gift. When you enter his studio/gallery space you will always be greeted by Miles or his lovely wife Jill. They both are warm and inviting, and I have to say, never before have I witnessed an artist taking so much time to tell people about his work. Passion comes to mind. Here is a man who loves what he does and it truly makes him happy. Nothing like being impressed by an artist who is living the dream! About 2 years ago Miles bought the building and completely renovated it. "It was a huge mess, but Miles had vision and boy did it show", said his wife and partner in art Jill Kraizman. Jill also teaches art to 6 and 7th graders in Southgate, but whenever she can she is right by Miles' side helping make his art business thrive. And thrive it does. I was there for well over an hour and every customer that came in got the VIP treatment and almost always walked out with a one of a kind piece of Miles' pottery. If you are in Berkley, stop buy the studio. Miles also spends his weekends in the summer participating in art fairs across Michigan, including the Ann Arbor Art Fair. The studio is located at 3784 12 Mile Road in Berkley. Call ahead for open hours, 248-345-7169

Innerstate Gallery

It is absolutely amazing what is going on in Detroit in the art world. Last year on a tour of the Quicken Loan offices I spoke to some employees who work at Bedrock, a Quicken company. Something one of them said really stuck with me. They said after all the survey's and studies on how to revitalize the once great city of Detroit, they all had one theme in common. GET THE ARTISTS ON BOARD!! Yes this is true. Not just because the artists will move to Detroit, but because art connects us all. It plays a major roll in many of our lives. Some of us more then others, but you have to admit you see art every day. So now we talk about Innerstate Gallery. The owners are so in touch with the community, they have created a gallery and online art store that is literally booming! The current exhibit they are featuring is Versatile featuring the artwork of graffiti artist COPE2. Also located on the side streets of the Eastern Market, the red dots (meaning sold artworks) were more abundant then any gallery opening I have seen in Birmingham in the past year. If you like art, this is a must see gallery. Check them out on the web and on Facebook. Support these artists and you are supporting our great city of Detroit. http://innerstategallery.com https://www.facebook.com/InnerStateGallery?directed_target_id=0

Red Bull House of Art Detroit

Something really exciting is happening in Detroit, and so many people still don't know about it. Enter The Red Bull House of Art Detroit. Located in Detroit's Eastern Market district, this cavernous underground space, once used as a prohibition hideaway has been transformed into a raw artist studio space. This is the 6th cycle in the art gallery space where artists who work in a variety of media, from oil paintings, to fiber to steel sculptures get a chance to show Detroit what they can do. It is a chance for a new crop of artists to get some amazing exposure. I have been to every one of the new cycle openings. It is jam packed with people, energy and great music. I even saw one of the members of the band the Rascals getting down on the dance floor this past cycle. The artists have just eight weeks to create an entire body of work for the exhibition. “It’s supposed to represent a variety of different artists and mediums,” said Matt Eaton, who curated the show. “I’m curating personalities, people who are passionate about what they do and the process. I think it turned out being a diplomatic broad selection of work without forcing my taste. "The mission here, obviously, is to give people wings," said Matt Eaton, director and curator of Red Bull House of Art. "It's absolutely not a matter of finding the coolest artists. It's a matter of finding the most passionate artists with the most to lose if they take any risks, and giving them an opportunity to really take risks." Join the Red Bull House of Art Facebook page and get to the next cycle opening!