In addition to all the witchy happenings tonight, there will also be a most spectacular showcase of avant garde music video art and performance. The lineup for “We’ll Do It Live” reads like a who’s who of video art, so if this stuff turns you on at all, you probably won’t want to miss one of the more interesting and under-publicized performances at Trinity Rep’s Pell Chaffee venue. $10 with student ID (also discounts for teachers, fire fighters and police)$15 otherwise at the door Featuring: Richard Devine,  Brian Kane,  Nalepa,  Duncan Laurie,  Aerostatic,  David Last,  VJ Benton C,  Robotkid and  Todd Thille

This is apparently big news in Scandanavia.

Am I right that we gain a bit more cred if we can prove that we’re not shut-ins, riddled with blood clots, playing Second Life, in Second Life? In our spare time, we are:

Fox Pt Community Gardeners

Rabble, and rabble-rousers:

Giant party-boy hat erectors:

Thanks to Erica S for the photos.

Apart from being a total baller who drives to the beach in her rad boat of a car to go surfing AND opening up a  much needed consignment shop for local apparel and jewelry designers with, similarly balling Devon King of Wabisabi/77Designs,  Lucille Clothing designer Karen Beebe is a pretty fly artist. Come check her out for yourself as she sends some of downcity’s hottest down the runway at Tazza tonight. If you rush you can make it over for the final of two runway shows! Also, I’m pretty stoked that she worked with  Lustre Kings’  Moon Bain to develop this season’s prints as his aesthetic is second to none.

  I just popped by the Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College, which I sort of assumed wouldn’t even be running a show during the summer, and was pleasantly surprised to come across Protest, a show featuring photographer LeRoy Henderson that will be up through early July.

Henderson shows the struggles of Americans as they take to the streets, in New York and Washington, to protest both the Vietnam and Iraq wars.  The banners and slogans are worth documenting, but the most interesting part of the black-and-white photos are the people holding them.  Who, for instance, are the two made-up women in 2005 holding the Billionaires For Bush signs?   Or the woman from 1969 with the sign that says “Give me one good reason I should fight in Vietnam. Arm black men to fight for freedom in America.”  The most striking images, though, are the ones that aren’t easy to place–a man kneeling in a field, or a shadowy figure with sunglasses.

The photographs question the protesting individual.  A man lies face-down on the ground while a dopey-looking cop stands over him, but the demonstrators in the background look like confused tourists more than anything.  And the Billionaires For Bush are interesting, but are they really as striking as the groups of Iraq protesters hidden behind giant masks?

As a whole, the photographs raise interesting questions about the nature of political demonstration: after the sixties, can Americans demonstrate without seeming unoriginal?  After public protests about Vietnam didn’t work, does the public even listen to protesters anymore?

yes indeedee.
an Assistant Director in fact.

see the posting on
criagslist.

or on the RISCA blog (but not quite yet)

As much as I enjoyed bumping uglies in the cool spring air with the 18+ crowd that showed up in droves for The Steelyard is Burning, I must say I’m excited to get back to basics this Saturday at  Firehouse 13. Sammy Bananas and Jackson are out of town so it will be  Mr. Certified Max and  I holding down the residency with local  superstar  DJ Morgan Louis throwing in a healthy dose of his own special blend. I promise I will try not to play the ridiculous remix I have of  Rick Roll’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Also, a big shout of love to Andrew Oesch who designed and printed this month’s poster.Providence Is Burning featuring Certified Max, Micah and Morgan Louis starts at 10pm this Saturday, May 31 at The Firehouse 13, 41 Central St.RSVP to providenceisburning@gmail.com for free entry before 11PM, $5 w/out and thereafter. 

The Knight Gallery recently opened up on Ives St, a few blocks down from Daily Dose HQ.  The current show is called “Roman Ruins and Natural Disasters,” and features work by RISD grad Amanda Dauber.  Reception 6-9 on Friday.

Every month the printshop has classes, but most months I forget to post them on the Dose, which is entirely foolish.
FORTUNATELY, this month (the good month of June), i remembered! but enough about me. let’s talk about YOU (and your post-accredited pseudo-underground alternative learning experience). (more…)

Registration has begun for the Steel Yard’s Summer Community Courses!

The season will kick off in June with two blacksmithing courses, Beginning Blacksmithing and Forging Steel Jewelry, both taught by visiting artist April Franklin. The rest of the summer is packed with offerings in Ceramics, Jewelry, Metalworking, and Bike Maintenance. These courses will fill up fast, so sign up early and spend your long summer days making and exploring at the Steel Yard.

The Stairwell Gallery presents
“Human Mold”
new work by Brian Chippendale
Collage, Prints, Drawings, Sculpture, & whatever else gets dragged in

OPENS Monday May 19th
reception 6-9 pm

Closing party Friday, June 6th 6-9pm

New pieces will continue to sprout throughout the duration of the show

I’m getting pretty amp’d for  The Steelyard is Burning tonight. I know because I woke up jittery and anxious at like 6:30 this morning and began compulsively adding my favorite jammies to my already ample playlist. Just imagine the vibes and wonderful people at a normal  Providence is Burning (the next installment of which is coming on May 31, 2008 at Firehouse 13) and crank them up about four gagillion times.  Jackson and I,  Certified Max and a bevy of artists and industrialists of all stripes will be holding it down in a rainproof tent with a battery of subs by our sides. Come check out dope lights by Power Posse and cold brews by Gansett cuz 27 Sims is gonna get loopy tonight at 10pm.

First full Waterfire of the season.

5 pm: Champion
Champion The documentary of Danny Trejo, a former addict who became the middleweight boxing champion of the California prison system. He has since gone on to appear in over 100 movies, including Heat, Spykids, and Desperado. Free

10 pm: The Debo Band and What Cheer? Brigade
What Cheer? Brigade The darlings of all home-grown talent, this “punk rock marching band” has played the nation, toured Europe, and have been known to surface at any moment, any time… marching out of dark alleys to seize crowds.

Debo Band is an Ethiopian band from Boston.  $7 Adv / $10 Door

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Via Boing Boing, and Jon Gold.

Steven Pennell, a gentleman and a scholar, is looking for all types of media to include in the URI Feinstein gallery’s summer show. Great chance to get your work into the downtown windows without being a Yale grad (yes, that’s a swipe at the fact that so many of the art windows are unrepresentative of the local artists who live here). 

CALL FOR ART, ARTIFACTS, OBJECTS AND STORIESforBENEATH THE BAY an educational exhibit at URI Providence Campus Gallery 80 Washington St.July 1-August 21with Gallery Receptions July 17 and August 21 form 5:00-9:00pmThe exhibit will include art work in all media (including sculpture, construction and collage) along with photographs, artifacts and educational materials about Narragansett Bay as a source of transportation, food, work, and recreation from prehistory to the future. The exhibit will explore some of the contemporary environmental concerns facing the Bay. This is not merely an exhibit of pretty pictures of the ocean.Application Deadline June 1, delivery of work June 24 & 25 by appointmentTo apply provide name, contact information, type of work, title(an image-300dpi for artwork is helpful but not required)For information and application,Contact: Steven Pennell 401-277-5206 or spennell@etal.uri.edu