The Autumn Report
Posted by: amber | From: September 20, 2006
Summer is over. TBA is over. The RACC grant deadline is gone. I am now free to sit on my couch and read a novel. So be it. Taking advantage of the suddenly stormy fall weather and the lack of immediate pressures, I have been lying around a bit for the last few days. It's given my brain a chance to process the many performances and art shows I was fortunate enough to see during the TBA festival. It's given my body a respite from the frantic rushing around I've been doing for the last few months. It's very good.
The TBA report:
Due to immersing myself in multiple performances per day over an eleven day period, my thoughts and ideas have been colliding and deflecting off each other, much like a cloud of tiny insects you might ride your bike through on a summer evening. I saw Laurie Anderson, heard stories from the Spalding Grey Project, walked across the stage of Vivarium Studios (a group of lovely French people), watched The Nature Theater of Oklahoma make a dance out of putting their hands in their pockets, and discussed statistics with the rice-piling Stan's Cafe (a group of lovely English people), only to name a few. TBA was a mind boggling overload of amazing performances, without enough time to process all the ideas that were offered. I fear that I came up short in my position on the press corps, if only because it will take me until February to make sense of all the things I witnessed. And February, in internet time, is something like a decade. Who will care in February? I may not have proven myself as the blogger with the most instant art critiquing finesse. But I will still care in February, in the dark of winter. Perhaps then my ideas will flow forth, having organized themselves into articulate, carefully formulated paragraphs. I look forward to that.
The Project Report:
After spending many leisurely months researching and stitching in the privacy of my kitchen, I was forced by my own ambition to push my project ideas onto the world. This summer I applied for a grant in hopes of getting support for my urban planning project. Ultimately, the grant was written. More importantly, I was required to put myself at the mercy of many people who offered their resources, gave me feedback, and discussed ideas with me. All I had to do was ask for help. I'd rather beat my head against a wall than ask for help. It was an excellent exercise for me.
Coming Up:
I will be showing work in Olympia at Artwalk, applying for a few more grants and shows, and eagerly anticipating the arrival of my sister's baby. Oh, and maybe I can spare a few more evenings to just sit on the couch and read.
