The Portable Library Project

PLP at Mixed Media, Hamilton

2010-06-18T19:38:00.003-04:00

I apologize for this rather late update on last weeks PLP reception at Mixed Media in Hamilton. The opening was loads of fun...the James Street Art Crawl was incredible, with hoards of art-hungry observers packing the streets and galleries until nearly midnight. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to see The Portable Library Project, and for all the kind feedback. Thanks also to Dave Kuruc of Mixed Media for hosting the project in his incredible store and for all his help along the way, as well as PLP artists Stephanie Vegh, Sheila Jonah and Fiona Bailey for coming out to see the show! And...thanks again to Fiona and her partner Patrick for the ride back to T.O!

The Portable Library Project is on view at Mixed Media until July 3rd.

Photo courtesy of hamilton.ca

PLP at Mixed Media, Hamilton

2010-06-03T21:39:00.006-04:00

The next showing of The Portable Library Project opens in a week at Mixed Media in Hamilton. The opening will coincide with Hamilton's monthy James Street Art Crawl. See above (and below!) for all the details. Hope to see you there!

The Portable Library Project is a multi-dimensional mail-art/bookmaking project involving the creation of small works exploring ideas surrounding archiving, ephemera, journalling, libraries and incorporating an art practice into everyday life. The 18 participating artists span several artistic disciplines, from performance art to fibre-based art; from photo-based art to craft to sculpture and installation. Artists involved in the project are based across Canada, and are from as far away as Seoul, Korea.

Invited artists were sent/delivered an empty cigar box, roughly the size of a hardcover book. Over the course of one week, participants were expected to create a 'book' a day, reflective of each person's day-to-day activities and artistic process. Books were ideally made while on the go; boxes were intended to be carried with the participant, where books were to be added and collected each day for seven days.

Participating artists:
Aimee Lee (Seoul, Korea)
Amber Landgraff (Toronto)
Cara Spooner (Toronto)
Daphne Gerou (Toronto)
Debbie Danelley (Winnipeg, MB)
Deborah Margo (Ottawa, ON)
Fiona Bailey (Toronto)
Jen Pilles (Oakville, ON)
Laura Calvi (Halifax, NS)
Laurie Kang (Toronto)
Margaret Flood (Guelph, ON)
Margaret Legue (Forest, ON)
Morag Schonken (Halifax, NS)
Sheila Jonah (Toronto)
Simon Rabyniuk (Toronto)
Stephanie Cormier (Toronto)
Stephanie Vegh (Hamilton, ON)
Sylvia Ziemann (Regina, SK)

The Portable Library Project is organized and curated by Tara Bursey.

Poster design:  Tara Bursey

PLP at Mixed Media, Hamilton

2010-03-19T12:02:00.004-04:00

There has been a new development on the Portable Library Project front...the third PLP exhibition has just been scheduled at a great little shop/gallery called Mixed Media in Hamilton. The opening is on June 11th, 2010 and the show will run until July 3rd. Opening night will coincide with Hamilton's well-known James Street North Art Crawl, that happens the evening of the second Friday of each month.

More on Mixed Media, from their website:

Mixed Media is Hamilton’s only independent art shop. Having only been open since October 2005, this locally owned and independent store is already creating a stir in the local arts community. Specializing in art and printmaking supplies, specialty paper and stationery products. Mixed Media also features locally made gift items, greeting cards, books and magazines and a pretty cool art gallery. We strive to do things differently and creatively and hope to inspire a few bystanders along the way.

Mixed Media is located in the historic James North neighbourhood of Hamilton, Ontario. This diverse cluster of restaurants, shops, churches and galleries makes for an interesting day out. Just a short walk away from both Downtown Hamilton and the beautiful waterfront area.

For even more on Mixed Media, check out their website, as well as this short video which features an interview with Dave Kuruc (owner of Mixed Media) about the changing face of Hamilton, and it's creative community.

More info and a flyer for the opening to come in May.

PLP at Roberts Street Social Centre

2009-10-12T21:01:00.011-04:00

Here are some photos from the day of the opening at Roberts Street Social Centre! Thanks again Sarah Evans of RSSC and Morag Schonken (and Suzy, pictured above!) for helping put on the show. Everything looks super!

The Portable Library Project is on display at Roberts Street (in the Anchor Archive Zine Library) until November 1st. Their hours of operation are Tuesday from 6-9pm and Sunday from 2-5pm...if you're in Halifax, be sure to check out the show before the end of the month!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photos: Morag Schonken

PLP at Roberts Street Social Centre

2009-10-04T15:46:00.012-04:00

Well, it's that time again! The second Portable Library Project show opens in one week, at Roberts Street Social Centre in Halifax. Thanks so much to everyone who helped put this show together, specifically Sarah Evans and everyone at Roberts Street for their help and enthusiasm, and my good friend (and PLP artist) Morag Schonken for helping co-ordinate the exhibition. Stay tuned to the blog for photos of the show and press from Halifax!

*****

The Portable Library Project is a multi-dimensional mail-art/book-making project involving the creation of small works exploring ideas surrounding archiving, journaling, libraries, ephemera, and incorporating an art practice into everyday life. The 18 participating artists span several artistic disciplines, from performance art to fibre-based art; from photo-based art to craft to sculpture and installation. Artists involved in the project are based across Canada, the US and are from as far away as Seoul, Korea.

Invited artists were sent/delivered an empty cigar box, roughly the size of a hardcover book. Over the course of a week, participants were expected to create a 'book' a day reflective of each person's day-to-day activities and artistic process. Books were ideally made while on the go; boxes were intended to be carried with the participant, where books were to be added and collected each day for seven days.

How do working artists fit artistic production into everyday life? Challenging oneself to make work outside of a studio setting is one way. One element of The Portable Library Project serves as a challenge to artists to adopt a portable art practice to fit the demands of the life of a working artist, which often entails a job or two in unrelated work environments. The portability of the book format is a natural basis for the project, which also encourages artists to explore and comment on the relationship between the book and the art object.

Participating artists:
Aimee Lee (Seoul, Korea)
Amber Landgraff (Toronto)
Cara Spooner (Toronto)
Daphne Gerou (Toronto)
Debbie Danelley (Winnipeg, MB)
Deborah Margo (Ottawa, ON)
Fiona Bailey (Toronto)
Jen Pilles (Oakville, ON)
Laura Calvi (Halifax, NS)
Laurie Kang (Toronto)
Margaret Flood (Guelph, ON)
Margaret Legue (Forest, ON)
Morag Schonken (Halifax, NS)
Sheila Jonah (Toronto)
Simon Rabyniuk (Toronto)
Stephanie Cormier (Toronto)
Stephanie Vegh (Hamilton, ON)
Sylvia Ziemann (Regina, SK)

October 11th-November 1st, 2009
Opens Sunday, October 11, 2-5pm
Anchor Archive Zine Library
at the Roberts Street Social Centre
5684 Roberts Street
Halifax
http://www.robertsstreet.org/n/
Poster design: Tara Bursey

PLP at lowercase gallery

2009-07-10T13:52:00.006-04:00

Here are some photographs of the PLP installation at lowercase gallery, taken the day before the opening on July 4th. Thanks so much to everyone who made this happen: Brandy Fedoruk and Rebecca Dolen of the Regional Assembly of Text, and Jo Cook who oversees lowercase gallery. All three ladies are incredible zinesters/bookmakers in their own right. For images and info of some of their work, check out the "Little Books" section of the Regional Assembly of Text's online shop and Jo's publishing project, Perro Verlag.

Stephanie Vegh on the Portable Library Project

2009-07-10T13:43:00.003-04:00

Participating artist Stephanie Vegh was kind enough to post about the first showing of the Portable Library Project on her blog. She also wrote a bit about the process of making her awesome contribution, which was inspired by the Dashiell Hammett's Red Harvest. Find her post here. Thanks, Stephanie!

Laurie Kang

2009-07-01T14:39:00.008-04:00

Sadface

(2008)

Collage on paper.

Laurie Kang is a photo-based artist born in Toronto, Canada. She currently lives and works between Toronto and Montreal.

Sheila Jonah

2009-07-01T12:39:00.009-04:00

Magpie Box

(2009)

"Magpie Box is a visual diary of treasures collected in travels in downtown Toronto over seven days. Setting the parameter that all items must be “found” in my regular environment, I spent time like a magpie searching for the “shiny” and colourful, the unusual and unique, the mundane and commonplace – pieces of detritus that one encounters daily. Each tiny accordian book reflects my movement and activities daily over the span of a week as well the state of the recycle bin at the warehouse and my friends waste baskets. An addictive weeklong mini bookmaking experience now all housed in the recycled cigar box."

Sheila Jonah is a Toronto based visual artist who delights in the daily game of collecting bits and pieces, ephemera, old books, pieces of wood, used cool stuff, thrown out treasures and anything that can be recycled for printmaking, papermaking or handmade artist books. A graduate of OCAD majoring in Printmaking, Sheila has studied and made art in New Zealand, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Vancouver (which by far has the best skiing and kayaking). She now spends her time in the Historic Distillery District in downtown Toronto working at PROOF Studio Gallery and drinking Balzac’s Coffee, eating Soma chocolate, Eccles cakes and happily printing away.

PLP at lowercase gallery

2009-06-29T22:04:00.010-04:00

I'm leaving for Vancouver this Thursday! The Portable Library Project's first public showing, at lowercase gallery in Vancouver, opens this Saturday at 4pm. Read the following for all the details, and check out this weekend's other festivities brought to you by the ladies of the Regional Assembly of Text!

The Portable Library Project is a multi-dimensional mail-art/bookmaking project involving the creation of small works exploring ideas surrounding archiving, ephemera, journalling, libraries and incorporating an art practice into everyday life. The 18 participating artists span several artistic disciplines, from performance art to fibre-based art; from photo-based art to craft to sculpture and installation. Artists involved in the project are based across Canada, and are from as far away as Seoul, Korea.

Invited artists were sent/delivered an empty cigar box, roughly the size of a hardcover book. Over the course of one week, participants were expected to create a 'book' a day, reflective of each person's day-to-day activities and artistic process. Books were ideally made while on the go; boxes were intended to be carried with the participant, where books were to be added and collected each day for seven days.

Participating artists:
Aimee Lee (Seoul, Korea)
Amber Landgraff (Toronto)
Becky Johnson (Toronto)
Cara Spooner (Toronto)
Daphne Gerou (Toronto)
Debbie Danelley (Winnipeg, MB)
Deborah Margo (Ottawa, ON)
Fiona Bailey (Toronto)
Jen Pilles (Oakville, ON)
Laura Calvi (Halifax, NS)
Laurie Kang (Toronto)
Margaret Flood (Guelph, ON)
Margaret Legue (Forest, ON)
Morag Schonken (Winnipeg, MB)
Sheila Jonah (Toronto)
Simon Rabyniuk (Toronto)
Stephanie Cormier (Toronto)
Stephanie Vegh (Hamilton, ON)
Sylvia Ziemann (Regina, SK)

The Portable Library Project is organized and curated by Tara Bursey.

July 4-31, 2009
Opens Saturday, July 4th, 4 pm (BBQ at 6pm)
lowercase gallery
at the Regional Assembly of Text
3934 Main Street
Vancouver

http://theportablelibraryproject.blogspot.com

Poster design:  Jo Cook

PLP Exhibition Dates

2009-03-10T22:30:00.005-04:00

I am thrilled to announce the first confirmed tour dates for the Portable Library Project!

July 2009
lowercase gallery and reading room
at the Regional Assembly of Text
3934 Main Street
Vancouver, BC
Opening: Saturday, July 4th. 4pm

October 2009
Roberts Street Social Centre/Anchor Archive
5684 Roberts Street
Halifax, NS
Opening: TBA

I will be traveling with portable libraries in tow to Vancouver to mount the first exhibition in July. Wow! For more on the lowercase reading room and the Regional Assembly of Text, read on, or check out their blog and website.

"The lowercase reading room, “one of the richest collections of unusual zines and artist-made books in the country,” is located at 3934 Main Street in Vancouver, BC. Assembled from the combined collections of Jo Cook, Rebecca Dolen and Brandy Fedoruk, the reading room houses over 500 books in a 9′ x 3′ space at the Regional Assembly of Text, a gift store of hand-made textual oddities. Open seven days a week from noon until 5 pm, the reading room provides a quiet place to read or research the endless possibilities for self-publishing. There are full-colour comics, photocopied grocery lists, zines about personal obsessions and enthusiasms. There are pamphlets and manifestos, the rude and crude and X-rated, alongside lovingly handstitched books with fur-lined covers. An afternoon of browsing may uncover books about holidays from hell, brochures about the end of the world, a survey zine about New Year’s resolutions and a quiz about toast.

"The first systematic defence of one’s right to self-publish was written by John Milton in his Areopagitica in 1644. Milton argued that the survival of an ideology-based state hinges on its tight control of ideas and that state control is impossible to challenge unless self-publishing is allowed. Whether or not the authors of the books in the lowercase reading room collection have read Milton, they share the impulse to create works without censorship. The self-publisher has a dream: she sees the world and its variety of creatures and inventions, she hears the many forms of speech and sees its written symbols, she is not afraid of inconsistencies. She welcomes accidents and the beauty of human imperfection that is edited out by homogeneous ideologies."

Stephanie Vegh

2009-02-21T10:17:00.009-05:00

Dashiell Hammett's Violent Masterpiece Red Harvest
(2009)

"This library contains seven distillations of a second-rate paperback print of hard-boiled detective writer Dashiell Hammett’s Red Harvest, which depicts the disorientation and downfall of the Continental Op as he struggles to purge the criminal lifeblood of the corrupt mining town of Personville, familiarly known as Poisonville. The individual book-objects are tactile interpretations of key elements of the narrative, each attuned to the commonplace violence of Red Harvest with its masculine trappings of leather, gin and dead matches for cigars long since extinguished."

Emerging artist and writer Stephanie Vegh was born in Hamilton, Canada in 1980, where she studied Art and Comparative Literature at McMaster University. She completed her MFA at the Glasgow School of Art and has since served as Artist-in-Residence with the Repton School in Derbyshire, England and written essays and articles for various galleries and publications throughout the United Kingdom and Canada.

In 2007, she returned to Hamilton where she serves on the Boards for Directors for Hamilton Artists Inc. and The Print Studio. Her drawings have been included in group shows in Hamilton, Toronto and Winnipeg, and she will be mounting her first significant solo exhibition at the Leeds College of Art and Design in 2010.

Margaret Legue

2009-02-17T21:33:00.009-05:00

Hoarding Memories
(2008)

"My current practice is centred around certain historical aspects of WWII with allusion to social/political movements of the 60s-70s. A lot of my research is done through libraries and museums...I'm interested in the archival/journaling aspect of (The Portable Library Project) in that it's an integral part of how i conceptually base my art, taking a look at past historical events and propaganda from a contemporary standpoint."

Jen Pilles

2009-01-23T19:32:00.007-05:00

I Wish I Hadn't Done That
(2009)

Jen Pilles is a third-year illustration student at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario. She is founder/co-founder of the Welland Zine Library, OCAD Zine Library and Sheridan Zine Library.

Cara Spooner

2009-01-16T17:53:00.012-05:00

Movement Maps
2008

"By creating daily movement maps that documented both dance and pedestrian movement, the subjective nature of place and perspective became my priority. The personal scale, accuracy and symbolic notation was explained through a fragmented legend on the back each map which included things such as who I interacted with, topics I discussed, recipes I used as well as the poem from that day's 'poem-a-day'. (a task I have been practicing since March)"

Since completing her BFA at York University, Cara Spooner has been involved in many performance and installation work as both a performer and choreographer. She has performed with the Integrated Dance Artists Collective, Matthew Romantini, the Parahumans, Yvonne Ng, Bluemouth Inc. and has presented solo work at Series 8:08. She has choreographed for the Toronto Fringe Festival, Labspace Studios, Ladyfest, Pleasure Dome's Toronto New Works showcase, Art Harvest and will be collaborating with American artist Robin Lasser on a performance installation in the coming year. Recently Cara and Alicia Grant created a performance/installation for 20 performers and 20 household objects titled 5x4. Their site-specific dance/film interactive installation The Residents was presented as a part of Toronto's Nuit Blanche 2007 at the Casa Loma stables and was named the "#1 pick of the night" by the Toronto Star. Cara and Alicia have also performed their site-(un)specific pieces It/Out/In as well as Mourning Sunshine as a part of the St. John's Festival of New Dance in June 2008 which was also named 2008's 'best site-specific dance piece in Canada' by the Globe and Mail. They will be debuting a new collaborative performance installation as a part of the 2009 programming at Xpace Gallery titled Draft 4.

Simon Rabyniuk

2009-01-16T17:38:00.006-05:00

Dirt Workers (7 Days in 21 Movements)
2008

"For a period of seven days I collected and saved the inconsequential paper markers of my movement and consumption; a collection that I added to, with the shiny bits, that caught my eye, glittering in the gutter. Each days holdings were composed -- loosely grouped by time of day found -- and scanned; then divided into three. A basic photocopy transfer technique was used to embed the 21 images onto off-white, machine made, insubstantial paper."

Simon Rabyniuk makes full confession of the misdeeds of his youth. A few cigarettes, a few mouthfuls of meat, a few annas pilfered in childhood from the maidservant, two visits to a brothel (on each occasion he got away without “doing anything”), one narrowly escaped lapse with his landlady in Plymouth, one outburst of temper, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University (2006) — that is about the whole collection.

As the middle child, of Jim and Cathie Rabyniuk, he has been socialized in the art of diplomacy and peacemaking -- while on average receiving 10 less hours per week of parental attention then his siblings -- diplomacy and peacemaking emerged as tactics for establishing an equitable distribution of love within his family.

He is currently exhibiting a series of diptych paintings in King City, ON, in a space where social skills are work-shopped with children with autism or Aspergers Syndrome. He has also recently lent his volunteer support to the Toronto Free Library, taking place at the Toronto Free Gallery.

Deborah Margo

2009-01-04T20:58:00.008-05:00

Made in Cuba and Canada
(2008)

Gouache, coloured pencil, ink, markers, seeds and plant matter, pastel paper, glassine paper, collaged magazine paper, thread and scotch tape.

"The title of the book and the author's name are not written on the spine or the cover of the book. Nevertheless, the title can be inferred by the pieces of text on the box's various exterior surfaces. To be explicit, the book is a cigar box made in Cuba with it's final destination and transformation occurring in Canada.

"The seven object/books are text-less. Instead their contained leaves and seeds are signs of past and future growing seasons. Each one contains something different that can be identified by the sample found in the small glassine envelope attached to the “cigar” form by thread. In alphabetical order – but not representative of their placement in the box – there are: Basil leaves, Gideon’s Trumpet seeds, Hollyhox seeds, Marigold seeds, Mint leaves, Myrtle leaves and Scarlet Runner Bean seeds.

"In remembering what the box originally contained, I made my own “cigars” based on some of the plants I tended this past summer as a professional gardener working in the Ottawa region."

Deborah Margo was born in Montreal in 1961 and currently lives in Ottawa. She received an undergraduate Fine Arts degree from Concordia University in Montreal (1984), and a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia (1990). Her work combines different disciplines including sculpture, painting, drawing, photography and ephemeral installations persistently questioning the contextual identities of public and private spaces. In addition, she has experience as a curator, writer and, since 1999, has been teaching painting and sculpture at the University of Ottawa.

Morag Schonken

2009-01-04T20:45:00.008-05:00

Morag Schonken Volume One thru Seven
(2008)

Morag Schonken has created a poetic and provocative response to the experience of living. This journey is remembered, embedded in her skin. Schonken's pieces are each an awakening of a moment and all with a comment on how we are imprinted by each other, the environment and ourselves. Born in Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, she is a fibre-based installation artist. She currently lives and works in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Schonken has a fine arts diploma from the Toronto School of Art. She interned at Propeller Gallery in Toronto in 2006-7. An avid traveler, she has lived and created in Australia, Singapore, England, Africa and Canada. She has since moved to Winnipeg to participate in the Foundation Mentorship program through Mentoring Artists for Women's Art (MAWA) as mentee to Shawna Dempsey. Most recently she has shown in The Swag Bag Project; The Exhibition at The Semai Gallery and Fixed/Variable at MAWA.

Fiona Bailey

2008-12-16T21:31:00.005-05:00

October
(2008)

Original photographs with hand and machine stitched wool and polyester on silk.

Fiona Bailey studied Textiles at Sheridan College, where she graduated with honours in 2007. Fiona's work uses original photography, a life long hobby, as a fabric. She tea stains and distresses each photo, to look worn and aged. She further develops the photos with needle felted wool, and hand and machine stitch, making them into functional art objects. Fiona's photographs are never reprinted, making each piece truly unique.

Fiona loves old things that have a lot of character; houses and architecture, furniture, dishes, textiles and quilts, little trinkets and of course vintage fashions. She finds treasures beyond material ones at second hand stores and rummage sales, where she gets many ideas and inspiration. She is a collector of discarded things; she used to collect people's grocery lists found on the floor or in carts at the grocery store, and now her preference is for hand embroidered wall hangings found at second hand shops.

Amber Landgraff

2008-12-15T23:18:00.006-05:00

Communicating Essentials
(2008)

"I set myself the task of distilling my collection of philosophical texts into their essentials. An obsessive reading of texts that could be found in my apartment took place over the course of a week and a half. A close reading with an eye for essentials changed the way that I related to the words - each time an essential was found became an event."

Amber Landgraff is an emerging artist living in the Toronto area. Her work often takes the form of performative gestures and public interventions. Recent exhibitions include the Infinite Exchange Gallery 2008 (Sub Zero, ICA, San Jose) and Eyelevel Re-shelving Initiative 3 2008 (Eyelevel Gallery, Halifax). She has also exhibited performances and installations in Toronto, Edmonton, and Guelph.

Stephanie Cormier

2008-12-02T12:38:00.004-05:00

The Showoff Collection
(2008)

Stephanie Cormier lives in Toronto, Ontario. Her practice is conceptually based and includes photography, video and sculpture installation. Stephanie studied at the Ontario College of Art and Design where she completed her BFA. Her work has been exhibited across Canada as well as internationally and has earned several national awards and grants. Most recently Stephanie’s work was featured in Carte Blanche: Photography 1, a publication of Canadian photographers and also Mix Magazine.

Daphne Gerou

2008-11-29T19:33:00.009-05:00

(Less Than) Beautiful
(2008)

Daphne Gerou is a Toronto based visual artist whose overall art practice points to drawing as a primary medium. She studies fine arts at the Toronto School of Art, and is currently pursuing an Art History undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto. Gerou's work has been included in group and curated exhibitions in Toronto, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina and Berlin. Her work has also appeared in literary publications such as Vallum and Fireweed. Gerou has received grants from the Ontario Arts Council, and drawing awards from both the John B. Aird Gallery and the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition.

The materials that I used to create the books in my library were either on hand, or came to be (like the matchbook) throughout the course of the project. The theme that emerged in the books is one that points to interpersonal dynamics and the human experience in general. The theme that emerged in my creative process is a tension between pretty packaging and not-so-pretty content. I called the library "(Less than) Beautiful."

Debbie Danelley

2008-11-17T00:05:00.006-05:00

ReBound
(2008)

Winnipeg artist Deborah Danelley graduated from the School of Art- University of Manitoba in 1997, gold medalist in the Diploma Program with Major in Printmaking. Since then she has been working actively as a visual artist. To produce art every day is not a stretch – listening to the subtle clues, voices and signs that lead artists to do what they do is another thing that takes practice and focus. The materials used are recycled from three or four books and the text was found within them, sometimes added by their previous owners as if to leave a message for someone to find for themselves one day.

I have simply taken the messages I “found” each day for a week and “rebound” them for others to find yet again.

Aimee Lee

2008-11-14T15:03:00.009-05:00

I wear yoga pants
(2008)

Aimee Lee is an interdisciplinary artist who works in performance, book & paper, installation, and text arts. Born in New York, she received her BA in Visual Arts from Oberlin College and her MFA in Interdisciplinary Book and Paper Arts from Columbia College Chicago. She trained as a classical violinist, with later studies in jazz and improvisation. Her movement studies include contact improv, modern dance, trapeze, acrobatics, hula, and breakdancing. She has appeared in performances for the Chicago Cultural Centre, Museum of Contemporary Art, Glass Curtain Gallery, PAC/edge Performance Festival, and Tic Toc Performance Festival.

Under the Bionic Hearing Press imprint, Aimee's artists' books reside in numerous collections, including the Joan Flasch Artists' Book Collection, Museum of Modern Art Library, Oberlin College Clarence Ward Art Library Special Collections, and King St. Stephen Museum in Hungary. She has been granted residencies by Art Farm, Jentel, Ox-Bow, Ragdale, Vermont Studio Centre, Weir Farm Trust Art Centre, and the Interdisciplinary Residency of Art and Ecology in Mexico. Funders include the U.S. Fulbright Program, Puffin Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts Special Opportunity Stipend Program, and Manhattan Graphics Studio.

Aimee currently resides in Seoul, Korea, as she researches the Korean hand papermaking tradition as a Fulbright Researcher.

Sylvia Ziemann

2008-10-25T19:04:00.007-04:00

Fragments
(2008)

Sylvia Ziemann graduated from the Alberta College of Art and Design in 1983 with a diploma in painting, and in 1986 received her B.F.A. in painting from the Nova Scotia College of Design. While she is primarily a painter she has engaged in performance, installation art and is currently working with sculptural mediums. She is one of the initiators of the artist trading card chapter in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Laura Calvi

2008-10-17T15:03:00.017-04:00

~~I, Cuba~~
(2008)
7 cards with text, ribbon, 1 clear pouch containing ash remnants of original, 1 found feather

Born in Rome, Italy and educated in Canada, England and France, Laura Calvi received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (now NSCAD University) in 1995 and a Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts from Toronto's York University in 2004. A writer and interdisciplinary artist with areas of interest encompassing site-responsive installation and public art, performance, sound and language based work, her works have been presented in group and solo exhibitions in Halifax, Istanbul, Barcelona, Toronto and the US. She has also participated in residencies in Istanbul and at Alberta's Banff Centre for the Arts.

Winding its way through spaces between articulation and silence, the work has tended toward creating environments or situations for the viewer in which various attempts at negotiating a communication or proximity to an expression of verity might collapse an expected response.

Call for Submissions

2008-09-06T17:04:00.006-04:00

This is the original call for submissions that was put out for the Portable Library Project. Please note that submissions are now closed.

***

The Portable Library Project is a project involving the creation of small works exploring ideas surrounding archiving, journaling, libraries, ephemera, and incorporating an art practice into everyday life.

Invited artists will be sent/delivered an empty cigar box, roughly the size of a hardcover book. Over the course of a week, individuals will be asked to create a 'book' (loose interpretations of 'book' welcome) a day reflective of each person's day-to-day activities and artistic process. Books are ideally made (mostly) while on the go; boxes are intended to be carried with the participant, where books will be added and collected each day for seven days.

This project will culminate in a web-based archive, an exhibition, as well as the inclusion of each Portable Library into a local alternative library for viewing and circulation.

Send all expressions of interest (with a bit about yourself and 1-2 jpgs of recent work) and questions to Tara at cleanteen@hotmail.com