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Light Grey Art Lab
  • ART SHOP
  • ABOUT
    • About Us
    • Contact
    • CV
  • THE GALLERY
    • Group Exhibitions
    • Solo Collections
    • Featured Collections
    • Gift Shop
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Event Calendar
    • RENT + PARTNER
    • Blog
    • Podcast
    • Young Mystics
    • CALLS FOR ART

WINTER MAKERS MARKET AT LIGHT GREY ART LAB

WINTER MAKERS MARKET
JOIN US IN CELEBRATING 30+  LOCAL ILLUSTRATORS, 
SMALL ARTS BUSINESSES, COMIC ARTISTS, CRAFTERS, 
PUBLISHERS, AND MORE IN OUR WINTER MAKERS MARKET


AND THE LIGHT GREY FINAL SALE 
ARTWORK, FRAMES, FURNITURE, FIXTURES
END-OF-YEAR & END-OF-SPACE SALE

Handmade bags, postcards and prints, artisan teas, screenprints, risograph zines, art books, and so much more! Join us at Light Grey Art Lab for the Winter Makers Market on December 5th from 12-5 pm – a sale and celebration of some of our favorite local creators and small art businesses! We invite you to shop small, support artists, and check out all of the creative and crafty things they made for the market. We will have artist booths set up from 12-5 pm, along with a holiday wrapping station, card-making station, refreshments, and a big Light Grey Art Lab sale of products, fixtures, and art resources. 

Minneapolis-based Uncivilized Books has been publishing smart comics and graphic novels for over a decade. They’ve published books by some of the best cartoonists in the world: Gabrielle Bell, Matt Madden, Peter Wartman, Joann Sfar, David B., Peter Wartman, Alan Moore, Noah Van Sciver, and many more. They’re currently serializing Ginseng Roots, a major new work from Craig Thompson (Blankets). 

Cattail Workshop crafts useful, durable soft goods from natural materials in South Minneapolis. Items include totes, backpacks, work aprons, tool rolls, and more! The artist mainly works in waxed canvas, hemp, and organic cotton. 

The goal with Tenderheart Studio is to facilitate healing for the artist and others by using illustration, writing, and herbalism as tools for connecting with each other and the land. Works include illustrations, screenprints, original artwork, t-shirts, and tarot-inspired imagery. 

Come shop our end-of-space sale of artwork, projects, desks, frames, equipment, and furniture in preparation for the big move! Light Grey Art Lab has been a staple in the Twin Cities illustration community for the last decade, hosting events, classes, and collaborative projects for new and seasoned creatives alike. This past month, we announced that it will be moving away from the space in the Whittier Neighborhood, and transitioning into publication, creative travel programming, community events, and interactive workshops among other endeavors

While you are here, check out the work from the newest show, The End is Nigh Exhibition, a collection all about the end. The End is Nigh Art includes nearly 200 artists from around the globe. Each artist has created work about notable symbols, processes, rituals, clothing, and cultural figures of death, burials, and the beyond. Artists from around the world have contributed to this project, and often chose topics from their own cultural heritage and mythology about creatures, the afterlife, and mysteries surrounding death. Each artwork is accompanied by a written description by the artist.

The End is Nigh is the final exhibition and project created in the Minneapolis gallery space– but is the end ever really the end? Light Grey Art Lab continues to offer creative travel programs, make interesting projects and creative prompts, pop-up events, online classes, and more. Follow along @lightgreyartlab


Light Grey Art Lab is a women-owned, community-oriented arts organization bringing practicing artists together to teach, collaborate, and explore.
For over ten years, Light Grey Art Lab has hosted interactive workshops, exhibitions, and public events for the Twin Cities art community. And aboard, Light Grey Art Lab hosts international creative travel programs and unique experiences. Since opening in 2012, Light Grey Art Lab has exhibited and collaborated with thousands of illustrators, designers, concept artists, and makers of all types. 

Gallery Hours: Wed-Friday 4-8pm, Saturdays 12-7pm, Sundays 12-5pm

WINTER MAKERS MARKET ARTISTS:

Ashley Masog, Beth Rapatz, Ellis Anderson, Jen Beaupre Designs, Jill Kittock, Jocelyn Suzuka Figueroa, Yao Jian, John Wilson Barlow, John Vogl, Tenderheart Studio, Kyle R Harabedian, littlebearillo, nh.elic, Mushki Arts, Homemade Salt Art, Stacie Kammerling, Cattail Workshop, Theodore Kidd, Uncivilized Books, Mia Frances Stratman, Claire McKevitt, Gavin Hladio Nixon, Max Paulin, Katelynn Van Dusseldorp, Rammy McKee, and others.

Sunday 11.21.21
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
 

MAKE MY HOLIDAY 2021 – Partners Announced!

Make My Holiday Art Swap Partners Announced!!

Thank you to everyone who applied to be a part of this year’s Make My Holiday Art Swap with Light Grey Art Lab! This morning we matched artists with an old fashion, fish bowl-style drawing, and we are excited to announce the pairs! Search for your name to see who your partner is for this year, send them an email, a big hello, tell them about yourself, and provide a shipping address :D

We attached the rules again below for convenience, but truly just have fun and make something special for the holidays and New Year, ship it to your partner, then share what you made.


There are only a couple of rules!

1. Send something you made! It can be ANYTHING — prints, stickers, an original drawing, a letter, a mixtape, a zine… anything goes as long as you made it!
2. Please contact your partner to let them know where they can send your package and send a few notes about yourself! We love this part, as people often share a list of things they love, what kind of work they like making, any hobbies or interests, or share social media info so you can keep in touch!
3. Please ship your package to your partner before the new year! *It does not have to arrive by the holidays, but shortly after would be great! The National (US) last day for priority mail is the weekend of Dec 18th, and of course, international deliveries may take a while. Send your partner the tracking number so they can watch for the parcel.
4. Take a photo of your package (the one you are sending) and what you receive to share on social media! Tag @lightgreyartlab so we can see all the cool things you sent and received. You can also use #LGALMakeMyHoliday and we’d love to see it!


Katie Santoro - katie.santoro@hotmail.com
Lauren Cooper - lecooper94@gmail.com

Margit Berman - margitberman@yahoo.com
Steph Salileng - s.salileng@gmail.com

Lizbeth Rosas Real - Lizbeth.rr.illustrator@gmail.com
Stephanie Lailine - stephanieartdesign@gmail.com

Jess Schultz - jessikschultz@gmail.com
Sonya Katashonova - not.sonya.k@gmail.com

Amanda Surveski - Asurveski@yahoo.com
Dana Kingery - Dana.rose.kingery@gmail.com

Craig - craig@fireshapes.com
Eli Purdy - epurdy22@moundsparkacademy.org

Ines Borba - info@inesborba.com
Neo Aarnikotka - neoaarnikotka@gmail.com

Sebastián Flores - ForeverZeroDragon@Gmail.com
Dina P - dinasciart@gmail.com

Robin Wang - robinkherman@gmail.com
Liz Gollner - liz.gollner@gmail.com

Stephen Kissel - hello@stephenkissel.com
Haley Jurena - Haleyjurena@gmail.com

Stasia Kasse - Kassestasia@gmail.com
Vivian Steckline - vivians.illustration@gmail.com

Michayla Grbich - michayla.grbich.art@gmail.com
Bevan Breaux - bevanbikoillustrate@gmail.com

Mike Jasnowski - mjasnowski@gmail.com
Victoria Chiu - Jelly_bean_star@hotmail.com

Rachel Johnson - rayjart@gmail.com
Jen Beaupre - jenbeaupre.designs@gmail.com

Hannah Jerrie - han.jerrie@gmail.com
Casey Hunt - hunt.casey@gmail.com

LM Perttula - lmperttula@gmail.com
Cassidy Wall - Cassidylyn.wall@gmail.com

Anisha Cam - Yanganisha@gmail.com
Alekai Newton - Aleknewton@gmail.com

Ashley Masog - ajmasog@gmail.com
Ngan Huynh - nh.elic311@gmail.com

Sandra Tobolíková - tobolikovasandra@gmail.com
Nadia Rausa - hello@nadiarausa.com

Reagan Ward - Reagan.e.ward@gmail.com
Isabelle Lin - made.by.echo@gmail.com

Kymberli Janine - kymjanine@gmail.com
Kate Gottfredson - Kategottfredson@gmail.com

Sarah Dostie - sdostieart@gmail.com
Stacey Lo - maivfolk@gmail.com

Haiwa Wu - hwustudio@gmail.com
Kristýna Ordeltová - kikiordeltova@seznam.cz

Veronica Shomo - vronicashomo@gmail.com
Alyson Cominio - alyson.cominio@gmail.com

Rachel Beenken - Rachelbeenken@me.com
Aster Foley - easternfolly@gmail.com

Kaija Thorson - KaijaThorson@gmail.com
Ameer Malkosh - ameermalkosh@gmail.com

Holly Huebner - holly0720@hotmail.com
Elizabeth Kellogg - Ekellogg242@gmail.com

Daniela Go - dgo.drawing@gmail.com
Christina Keyser - christinakeyser28@gmail.com

Kelsey King! - Kkingart@gmail.com
Caroline Dougherty - thousandwrecks@gmail.com


tags: MakeMyHoliday
Saturday 11.20.21
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
 

MAKE MY HOLIDAY -- ART SWAP FOR MAKERS!

Hello creative folks — we are excited to announce the details and invite you to be a part of this year’s Make My Holiday Snail Mail Art Swap!

We absolutely love this time of year. Giving is on everyone’s minds and what better way to spread happiness and cheer than sending something through the post to someone special! For the past ten years, we have hosted a Make My Holiday Art Swap, and it is always a pleasure to see the fun things people create for one another!

Everyone is welcome, and we encourage you to join us if you’d like to share your work and meet another great artist!

How it works:
• If you’re interested in sending a fun end-of-year gift to another wonderful creative, put your NAME and EMAIL in the comments by November 19th.
• Then, we’ll match everyone up with a partner and send you an email on the weekend of November 20th so you can follow up for information on where to send a package and get to know them! Once you are matched up with a partner, it is your responsibility to reach out and say hello, make the work, and send it by mail.

There are only a couple rules!

1. Send something you made! It can be ANYTHING — prints, stickers, an original drawing, a letter, a mixtape, a zine… anything goes as long as you made it!
2. Please contact your partner to let them know where they can send your package and send a few notes about yourself! We love this part, as people often share a list of things they love, what kind of work they like making, any hobbies or interests, or share social media info so you can keep in touch!
3. Please ship your package to your partner before the new year! *It does not have to arrive by the holidays, but shortly after would be great! The National (US) last day for priority mail is the weekend of Dec 18th, and of course, international deliveries may take a while. Send your partner the tracking number so they can watch for the parcel.
4. Take a photo of your package (the one you are sending) and what you receive to share on social media! Tag @lightgreyartlab so we can see all the cool things you sent and received. You can also use #LGALMakeMyHoliday and we’d love to see!

To participate, add your name and email in the comments of this post. We will use that as a way to match everyone up for the swap!


Everyone is welcome — please help us spread the word to anyone you think might like connecting with another creative this season! : D
Lots of love from all of us at Light Grey Art Lab!

Wednesday 11.10.21
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
Comments: 61
 

THE END IS NIGH -- ARTISTS ANNOUNCED

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Hi Everyone!

A huge thank you to all of the folks that have signed up for the End is Nigh Exhibition! We had nearly 400 individuals apply to be a part of the project, so it has been a pleasure looking through all of the portfolios. This will be the final show that we have in our current gallery space, very bittersweet, so we are looking forward to making it extra special!

In the coming days, artists in the project will receive a big email and information pages about how to submit artwork and what is involved in the project. If you didn’t make it in the gallery project, but still want to make something, please feel free! We will be sharing works throughout October tagged #lightgreyartlab or #lgaltheendisnigh #projectnigh

Save the date for the opening reception on October 29th, 2021 from 7-10pm!

The opening reception will include work by all 200+ artists, installed works, drinks, and a costume party since it is Halloween weekend. More details on the opening coming soon — masks and social distancing will still be required.


THE ALLEGORY: Alex Conkins, Alexxander Dovelin, Allen Geneta, Allie Strom, Amanda Ware, Angela Hsieh, Angela Rizza, Ashley Mackenzie, Camilla Roeder, Casey Hunt, Cassandra Mazur, Celyn Eira Davies, Chelsea Harper, Cristina Bencina, Cynta Camilia, Ellie Martin, Helen Mask, Karen Kuo, Karina Rehrbehn, Kiran Joan, Lauren Duda, Mana Srisudthayanon, Megan Russell, Morgan Madeline, Natalie Nelson, Rachel Maves, Renée Park, Riotbones, Sheena Holm, and Yusra Shahid

THE CHARACTERS OF DEATH: Al Polston, Alessandra Fusi, Alyssa Maynard, Bayla Arietta, Becca Olene, Bethany Sellers, Brit Austin, Caitlin Ono, Caroline Dougherty, Chloe M. Giroux, Christopher Hegland, Cleonique Hilsaca, Dave Kopka, Dennis Madamba, Em Allen, Erik Krenz, Fran Matsumoto, Grace Fong, Jacquelin de Leon, Jay Schriber, Jess Seto, Jessica Bishop, John Vogl, Karyn Lee, Kate Gottfredson, Kate Sheridan, Keli Kristine, Kestrel Blue Hendrickson, Kiki Kita, Kira Night, Kring Demetrio, Kristin Siegel-Leicht, Laura Catherwood, Lauren Emmons, Lilith Wu, Lynn Nguyen, Mary Grace Corpus, Molly Magnell, Monica Amneus, Nadia Rausa, Nancy Zhang, Nate Hillyer, Rachel Handley, Sebastián Flores - Forever, ZeroDragon, and ShinYeon Moon

MISC, OMENS, OBJECTS, SCIENTIFIC: Alex Belardo Kostiw, Amanda Surveski, Ambi Sun, Ann Fry, Anna Stead, Asa Ora, Brigitte La, Carrie Alyson, Cassie Hart, Chelsea Housand, Chris Sisti, Christopher Payne, Cindy De la Cruz, Coral Moore, Donte D’Amico, Em Varian, Emily Considine, Emily Poole, Emma McDonnell, Faryn Hughes, Gels Caletrío, German Shible, Gina Beneduci, Jamie Loughran, Jeremy Holder, Jordan C. Witt, Justin DeVine, Kat Lyons, Katlyn Griffin, Kaylee Rowena, Laura Brett, Lydia Guadagnoli, Madeline Dall, Mar Delmar, Marla Klein, Melissa Duffy, Michayla Grbich, Noël Clark, Rachel Beenken, Rachel Bostick, Raven Warner, Robin K Herman, Roxanne Rainville, Shannon Kuguenko, Sharya Wick, and Veronica Shomo

TOMBS, TOMBSTONES, MONUMENTS: Adam Hoppus, Alic Parkes, Allegra Lockstadt, Andrew James Christensen, Angie Hewitt, Anine Bösenberg, Ash Rudolph, Ashley Hohnstein, Ashley Masog, Benjamin Lam, Brock Brown, Carly A-F, Chris Olsen, Dana Kingery, Diane Guzman, Erin Bennett, Evangeline Gallagher, Grace Kim, Jacob Yeates, Jess Schultz, John Barlow, John Wilinski, Jordan Burby, Kaeti Vandorn, Katherine Kuehne, Kayla Kowalyk, Kelsey King, Kyle Harabedian, Kymberli Janine, Leigh Luna, Liz Gollner, LM Pederson, Lydia Fusco, Lys Reese, Maks Miner, Meagan Meli, Pa-Luis, Rachel Sandoffsky, Rafael Mayani, Robin Sheldon, Ry Macarayan, Saleha Chowdhury, Sally Tennant, Sam Sherrill, Samantha Lin, Sarah Webb, Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn, Sophie Morse, Stephanie Lailine, Taylor Mauldin, Tom Wiener, Yuko Okabe, and Yunroo

WEARABLES: Alanna Stapleton, Amanda Clarke, Amber Arnoldsen, Amber Rankin, Anouk van der Meer, Ariana Blaeuer, Ariel Mika Gorski, Arielle Marcum, Ashley Floréal, Azalea Haylock, Barbara Guttman, Benjawad Ouafa, Camille Chew, Chelsea Chung, Duachaka Her, Emily C McLean, Emily Castillo, Geonette Marie, Gianne Encarnacion, Ha-Young Lee, Hannah Jerrie, Heather Christianson, Iris Monahan, Isabel Burke, Kait Bartlett, Karen Krajenbrink, Kim Bogeman, Lachlan Herrick, Lindsay Dale Scott, Lucy Comer, Lyvian Sieg, Melissa Somerville / Fried Unicorn Studio, Mia Stratman, Michele Phillips, Mike Jasnowski, Missy Weir, Nicole Pisaniello, Patricia Thomasson, Peony Gent, Torey Butner, Ulana Zahajkewycz, Victoria Skellan, Vivian Magaña, and Zoe Vanden Berk

Sunday 09.12.21
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
 

Quiet, sublime, and inspiring -- moments from the Iceland Residency + Art Camp 2021

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This past month, we had the pleasure of traveling with a group of wonderful creatives through the countryside of Iceland. We spent several weeks in the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in Western Iceland, walking along waterfalls, making homemade soup and warm dishes, plein air painting, having discussions about the creative practice, and exploring the wild landscape.

After two years of the pandemic, we are so thrilled to be able to safely travel and connect with artists from around the globe! You can find photos from our recent journey on the Light Grey Flickr here.

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We still have more promised 2020 programs — they will be coming soon! We are working as hard as we can to make sure that when we can travel, it is safe and possible with travel restrictions.

Wednesday 09.08.21
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
 

The End is Nigh Exhibition -- CALL FOR ARTISTS!

TheEndisNight_Graphics_callforart_flip.jpg

The dust covering this hallowed space laid like a blanket over everything with its still, velvety softness. It had been ages since this space resonated with the music and movement that had made it a sanctuary for so long. We shuffled forward and broke the silence-- disturbing the stillness and watching the ghostly dust rise up from the floorboards just to be captured within the colorful streams of light from the stained glass windows. We could see that despite the age, this was a vessel that held countless stories, both visible and invisible. The walls were covered with symbols and allegories, and all around us the surfaces were decorated with inscriptions and sculptures paying homage to the idea of finality. 


Impermanence is both comforting and terrifying. We held hands and thought about time, and space, and history, and humanity, spirituality and the cosmos, and the great beyond... We have always been, and will always be, temporary.

This too, shall pass…


THE END IS NIGH
An end of year exhibition about finality.
Opening October 29th, 2021, 7-10PM

Light Grey Art Lab, Minneapolis, Minnesota


Join us for an amazing Halloween exhibition about the Allegories, Symbols, Stories, Characters, and Ritual surrounding death -- we want to investigate everything we can about how cultures and societies prepared for, honored, symbolized, and spoke about the great sleep. We will be decorating the walls of our space for a giant experience honoring the end, and would love to have you be a part of this project. Read on for more details!

But before we continue -- there is no delicate way of saying this--- this exhibition will celebrate our last show in our Whittier / Minneapolis space. It’s been 10 wonderful years of hosting art shows, classes, workshops, and more here and it feels very weird saying that this is THE END… but truly, is anything ever the end? Like the Death card in Tarot, the end of something makes way for new growth. Light Grey will live on beyond the walls of our space, and we will continue to do fun, collaborative programming in all the ways we love in 2022 --- just not here. We’ll call it an evolution -- a reinvention -- a reincarnation. Thank you to the thousands of people around the world that have shown up and collaborated in any form with us! Don’t worry, we’ll see you in lots of other formats. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT OUR STORY + WHAT’S NEXT!

That being said --
We are looking for artists that want to create a work of art about death in one of the following categories for an exhibition as well as participate in a comprehensive softcover zine / book featuring all of the works from the show! The exhibition / book has five categories:

  1. Allegory (to be made into faux stained glass windows in our space! -- we have 11 huge 13ft windows and will be turning them into giant storytelling pieces to be seen from inside and outside!) (this category will have a template that will be provided for the window clings)

  2. Characters of Death (in history, folklore, legend and culture)

  3. Tombs / Tombstones / Monuments

  4. Wearables / Ritual Garb / Burial Outfits and Objects

  5. Misc  -- Omens, Tools and Ritual Objects, Science

  • THINGS TO NOTE: We are looking for an even amount of folks in each category so we will be jurying to make the sections even. Please note your top 3 categories in order of interest so we can try to get you into the category of your choosing!

  • More information will be provided on how to send artwork / timing / contract / other information on how to see the show in person or online / sales of work will be provided to all of the participating artists in a shared sign-in page. As always, artists will be able to price their work as they see fit, and the gallery has a 40/60% split in favor of the artist and the work will be available and fulfilled via our online shop as print-on-demand.

  • We will be printing and preparing the works for each artist for the install, printing and shipping a copy of the limited edition show book out to everyone involved in the project along with the printed work at the end of the exhibition for $46 (national) and $66 (international). There is no need to send original pieces, so in order to expedite the exhibition, we are taking digital files only for this show. 

If you are interested in participating, please comment below with your name, email, a link to your work online (can be a website / social media showing your work, etc.) and your choice of category. Please only comment here, do not send an email as it’ll get lost in the shuffle when we jury the exhibition!)

Example:
Lindsay Nohl
instagram.com/lindsaynohl.tattoo
hello@lightgreyartlab.com

  1. Allegory

  2. Tombs

  3. Wearables

** But I’d be happy / flexible to take any category if these aren’t available.

Important dates & deadlines to note.

Monday August 30th- September 8th Call for Art

Sept 10th: Artists Announced

Sept 24th: : Artist Information Form, Contracts Due, and Print-on-demand services due

September 30th: Press Deadline. If you would like your work to be included in our press package, please submit it before this date! 

October 6th: All final artwork files, paperwork, and print-on-demand information due.

Friday, October 29th, 2021: Exhibition opens! 

Thank you so much and we hope you can join us!

Questions? Please send a note to hello@lightgreyartlab.com and/or gallery@lightgreyartlab.com and we can help!

tags: CallforArt
Tuesday 08.31.21
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
Comments: 377
 

Pandora's Box + The Tomb Artist Feature: Jerry Liu

Pandora’s Box and the Tomb, our latest exhibitions, opened at Light Grey Art Lab this June. Each show features adventurous, mysterious, and fantastical works centered around the ideas of what might come out of Pandora’s Box, and what might we find hidden in a tomb. These exhibitions are also part of a large-scale international art swap, where each participating artist gets an edition of each other’s works in the mail.

You can view all works in the exhibition on our website! Click here for Pandora’s Box and click here for the Tomb.

Jerry Liu– who also contributed work to our previous project, World Roulette– participated in both art swaps and exhibitions. He is a visual development and character design artist, currently living in Portland with his two cats. We asked Jerry a few questions about his work for the exhibition as well as his personal and professional artworks. Let’s dive in!

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Hi Jerry! Tell us about yourself and your artistic practice.

I was born and raised in Sichuan, China. Growing up, I always loved doodling on the wall of my parent's house, and drawing always brought a sense of satisfaction and calmed me down. However, I never considered art as a lifelong career at that time; after all, there’s no artistic gene in my family. But everything changed after I graduated from high school. I started to think about my future, and it’s hard to see myself in a future without creativity. I repeatedly asked myself, where do I see myself in the future. And in the end, I can’t hide my passion for art and animation, so I made a reckless decision to follow my heart to pursue my dream in animation.

In the end, I decided to go to San Francisco and study at the Academy of Art University to study Visual Development, where I met some amazing teachers and inspiring friends. After graduation, I was lucky enough to join LAIKA, where I have always dreamed of ever since I was little. So I packed my packages and moved to Portland. I was so amazed by the talented artists there. When I look back to the bold decision to pursue animation, I’m really glad for that big step.

“Seal the Box” by Jerry Liu for Pandora’s Box

“Seal the Box” by Jerry Liu for Pandora’s Box

“The Tomb” by Jerry Liu for the Tomb

“The Tomb” by Jerry Liu for the Tomb

You participated in both of our recent international artist swaps and exhibitions, Pandora’s Box and the Tomb. Can you tell us more about the works you created for each show?

First of all, this was an amazing experience and I’m so grateful to participate in both exhibitions. Pandora’s Box seems a valuable “present” but also a curse and unexpected troubles, and the story of Pandora’s Box is very poetic to me. John William Waterhouse and Gustav Klimt are some great influences to me; the women and their brush strokes are so dreamy, romantic yet powerful, and this is exactly how I imagine Pandora’s Box. So I wanted to illustrate a version of Pandora that corrects her own mistake and takes her responsibility and seals the box.

I was obsessed with movies that related to the tomb, it’s thrilling, adventurous, and mysterious, so I just naturally drew to this exhibition. I love drawing on Photoshop, but there’s some traditional artwork charm that harder to show in digital artwork, such as rough texture and flaw. But imperfection makes it perfect, and I just want to include that in my artwork as well, so I added some texture to show gold leaf effect. And the result is far better than I expected.

What things outside art help shape your artistic practice? Hobbies, quotes, books, places?

I love taking a walk after dinner and exploring different neighborhoods, and since I moved to Portland, I started hiking with my friends, and it’s always helpful just go out and see the world. Things inspire me anytime and anywhere– it can be some kids’ chalk doodles on the path, or light shining through the forest and casting some random spot, or an ancient object from a local museum.

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What drew you into the field of visual development?

I love cartoons and films, and I love the creative world that is beyond our reality. And I watched a lot of animations and every time, I just can’t stop thinking of the artists behind those genius works. Animation has countless possibilities and creativities– those imaginary worlds gave me whole new perspectives and visions. So after high school, I decided to study what I have been passionate about, so I went to San Francisco to study animations. At first, I got to learn both animation and visual development, and in the end, I just knew that I’m more drawn to design and to be creative, so I decided to focus on Visual Development.

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What plans do you have for your work in the future? Any upcoming projects coming that you can speak about?

I think people are my favorite things to draw; I’d love to create more memorable character designs and tell a good story. And besides studio work, I’m always trying to improve my character design, and soon, I will publish an art book in China, called “Drawings From Saturday”. It’s a book that included most of the drawings I did in my spare time or after work. The book is more like a combination of doodles and polished work, because I used to get upset easily over some crappy drawings, and my friend told me don’t get stressed out about imperfection and don’t get overly protective about the drawing, and just keep drawing, art is a journey not a goal, so just enjoy the present and be creative. So I just want to deliver the same idea in this art book.

What is your workspace like? What about your space creates a good environment for your practice?

My workspace is very minimal– Mac, tablet, notebook, and some art prints on the wall. I get distracted easily if I have too much thing going on, so I always try to keep my workspace neat and clean. So I can be more focused. But I recently find some cool plants, maybe I will get some in my workspace, haha.

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What advice would you give to an artist who is dealing with artist block?

I think art block is hard for everyone; I often ask my friends and seems like everyone has a different approach. Personally, I will go look at the different art forms, such as photography, floral arrangement, or just go Pinterest and browse random stuff and get inspired. Practicing gesture drawing is something I do often during art block, I will just use the cheapest printing paper and just doodle stuff, sometimes a good film will be a boost to inspire me to draw. I think the most important thing is not stressing out in art block, just enjoy what you like and find something that inspires you.

In your own experience, what are the characteristics of a good artist?
I think art is very subjective, and art comes in different forms, and various expressions. It’s hard to say for each artistic approach. But as a visual development artist, I think a solid foundation, a good understanding of the pipeline, and good teamwork. Animation is teamwork and as part of the team, being good at cooperating, taking feedback, and fixing it is very important.

Where can people find more of your work?

You can find my works on my Twitter, Instagram, and website!

Thanks, Jerry! Best of luck on your work and future projects!







tags: interview, pandora's box, the tomb
Saturday 07.24.21
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
Comments: 1
 

Meet our new team member, Kait Bartlett

We’ve got big ideas here at Light Grey Art Lab! Although this year comes with a million challenges, we are looking forward to a day where we can have an art show, travel, connect, and learn together safely!

First, we want to thank all of you that have contributed, collaborated, exhibited, traveled with us, or even showed up at a gallery event! This last month, we celebrated our 9 year anniversary — almost a decade of creative projects and lots of great people showing up to get involved. Thanks for being around for the ride and we are looking forward to many more future events when it’s possible!

Over the years, we have had the opportunity to work with great team members and interns, and it is always a pleasure to include new voices and opinions in the conversation. Okay, and now for the big news — we are here to welcome Kait Bartlett!

Last spring, Kait was our gallery intern, working on Senior Show and the World Roulette Kickstarter Campaign. Kait graduated from MCAD in spring 2020 (what a time!) and we are happy to bring her on for community-based projects. Kait will be assisting with the physical art gallery, hanging shows, community classes, and showcasing artwork online.

To welcome Kait, we’ve made a mini interview below — we hope you enjoy and say hello sometime!


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Kait, can you tell us a little about your creative background

I grew up in Blaine, Minnesota, and I’ve been living in Minneapolis since I started school at MCAD. I graduated in spring 2020 with a degree in illustration! In school, I first focused on drawing and painting, but later shifted to illustration when I realized how much my favorite media influences my style and what I wanted to make art for. Outside of my creative practice I love playing video games— my current faves are Paradise Killer, Sayonara Wild Hearts, and Hades. Listening to music, though, is my number one pastime. I could go on forever about album art, design, and packaging, and the inseparable relationship between music and visual art. I also have an ever-growing collection of Kirby merchandise.

What are you looking forward to the most?

I’m looking forward to contributing my ideas for projects, working with an immense amount of super rad artists.

What is your personality type, identifiers, zodiac?

I’m an INTP and a Virgo! I’d like to think I could be chaotic good but my alignment is really more lawful good. The characters I’m most like would be Sailor Mercury, Zelda, and Neo from the Matrix.

What would be on your personal mixtape?

1. Reptilia by the Strokes
2. Computer Blue by Prince
3. Francis Forever by Mitski
4. Shining Star by David Bowie
5. GfC by Albert Hammond Jr.

This was the hardest question for me!

What is the biggest lesson you learned this year?

I learned (and am still learning) how to recognize and name what’s causing me stress or anxiety! It’s kind of a big deal. When I can’t realize what’s causing those feelings it’s harder to address them, but when I do know it’s a lot easier to figure out how I can resolve them.

What is your favorite quote or mantra?

I watched Cowboy Bebop for the first time last summer and really latched onto both Spike’s motto “Whatever happens, happens”, and the ending card that says “You’re gonna carry that weight”. The first is self-explanatory, but I think the second really emphasizes that who you are is everything you’ve experienced and you’ll continue to carry that with you your whole life, whether it’s good or bad.

Next time you stop in the gallery, say hello to Kait!

Saturday 04.24.21
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
 

ARTISTS ANNOUNCED!

Thank you so much to everyone who applied to be a part of the upcoming project and snail mail swaps — Pandora’s Box + The Tomb! More details and the celebration in our brick and mortar space will be announced this May (project/show coming in June!)

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PANDORA’S BOX:

Aden Wilke, Aisleen Romano, Amelia Gluba, Annemieke van Barlingen, Ashley Masog, Aster K. Foley, Becca Olene, Beth Sparks, Blythe Dockham, Brittany Shively, Casey Hunt, Cecilia Palacios, Cindy De la Cruz, Clara Dart, Cyelowyn Willey, Cynta Camilia, Dana Edwards, Daphinie Cramsie, Emma McDonnell, Grace Kim, Haley Potter, Hannah Sayre, Heather Franzen, Hope Yu, Jacob Yeates, James Lavella, Jenny Wells, John Barlow, Joshua Heinsz, Josie Quack, Julia Lundman, Justin DeVine, Kailey Whitman, Kait Bartlett, Kamal Saggu, Kara McGuigan, Karina Rehrbehn, Kate Gottfredson, Katherine Botts Whitaker, Kathleen Jennings, Katie Eberts, Kayla Kowalyk, Kristin DeBoom, Kymberli Janine, Lindsay Nohl, Liz Pulido, Lizbeth Rosas Real, LM Pederson, Lora ChauDavis, Lydia Fusco, Mackenzie Hanesack, Maddy Wilson, Maggie Wauklyn, Margaret Blachnicka, Margaret Gissing, Megan Russell, Monica Amneus, Nadia Rausa, Nicholas Smith, Paige Hender, Patricia Thomasson, Rachel Beenken, Robin K Herman, Robin Lewallen, Robin Sheldon, Sara Wilson, Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn, Stephanie Cost, Stephanie Lailine, Trisha Previte, Ulana Zahajkewycz, Will N. Hanson, Winnie Liu, Wren Sauer, Yunroo, and Zhanrui Liu




THE TOMB:

Alex Mitchell, Allison Gardiner , Hurthibise, Allison Morris Lesch, Amanda Bell, Blue J, Caitlin Russell, Carmen Chow, Caroline Dougherty, Casey Hunt, Cassandra Mazur, Chiny Soukhoummalay, Ciara Cagemoe, Cindy De la Cruz, Cyelowyn Willey, Daphinie Cramsie, Elizabeth Gasse, Erin Elizabeth Hunter, Geonette Marie, Hannah Sayre, Jacob Whitlow, Jenny Wells, Jess Schultz, Joey McCormick, John Barlow, Jonathan Randazzo, Jordan Goshe, Josh Hames, Justin DeVine, Kaeti Vandorn, Kait Bartlett, Karin van de Kuilen, Kate Gottfredson, Kyle Harabedian, Lachlan Herrick, Lauren Ring, Lelia Woods, Lia Harmon, Linda Winder, Lindsay Nohl, Liz Butler, Liz Gollner, LM Pederson, Lynn Nguyen, Lysandra Nelson, Mahnoor Tahir, Megan Russell, Melissa Sisk, Michayla Grbich, Missy Lovegren, Monette Wan, Monette Wan, Monica Amneus, Nadia Rausa, Nancy Muller, Natasha Blush, Olivia Shetler, Peyton Stark, Rachel Beenken, Rebecca Bradley, Reed Underwood, Robin Lewallen, Robin Sheldon, Sally Tennant, Scout Bennett, Shafer Brown, Shane Tolentino, Sophie Morse, Stephanie Cost, Stephanie Lailine, Sunshine Gao, Tom Wiener, Vivian Steckline, Weiwei Xu, Yunroo and Zhanrui Liu

Wednesday 04.21.21
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
 

CALL FOR ARTISTS! : PANDORAS BOX -/- THE TOMB!

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PANDORAS BOX / THE TOMB

CALL FOR ARTISTS • SUBMIT BY APRIL 14TH!

You trace the design atop the lid with a slow, deliberate finger. The light of the full moon spills out over the hall — a forbidden place to all but the souls from ancient times. Were the stories true? Did it matter? The dampness of the night air had already seeped into your clothing an hour ago, yet the discomfort was nothing compared to the electric rush of adrenaline that pulsed through your veins. No one has ever seen the contents of the chest — there were only legends warning of what could be within. What mysteries, what terrors, what traps, blessings, treasures….. no one knows. You swallow hard, muster the courage, and open the lid.

•••

PANDORAS BOX / THE TOMB
A Mysterious Snail Mail Swap
Hosted by Light Grey Art Lab in June 2021
SUBMIT BY APRIL 14th — Details below!

What would you do if a secret chest filled with wonders showed up on your doorstep? What could be inside? This spring, Light Grey Art Lab is creating two very special universal swaps for folks looking to make magic with us! Please read through all of the details below for information on how to participate!

WHAT IT IS:
This call for art is for TWO DIFFERENT THEMED SWAPS! About once a year, Light Grey hosts a themed call for artists where each artist makes an edition of a work of art and ships them to the gallery secretly. Once at the gallery, we distribute one of each artist’s work into amazing packages containing ONE OF EACH OF THE ARTWORKS IN THE ENTIRE COLLECTION and we ship it back to each participating artist! Every participant gets the whole stash and gets to open a magical box full of mysterious goodies at home!!

For this call for art, we are accepting small items of any type! This can be zines, prints, postcards, stickers, pins, patches, jewelry, mini sculptures, temporary tattoos, washi tape, mini ceramics, fabric items, photos, or anything else you can think of that is thematically appropriate to the box you’d like to join in.
*** PLEASE NOTE : All artists will have to create up to 100 copies of the item of their choice, so think of something that makes sense for you! The final number of pieces will be determined by the final artist list!
*** IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN BOTH — we will try our best to make this call as accessible as possible, but please note in your comment whether you want to do both, or would like to do one, but are ok with either. Thank you for helping make this clear for us as we jury!
••• All artists will be responsible for creating their own edition of work and shipping it to the gallery, as well the return shipping of the package. Each person can choose a format that makes sense for you!


There will be a virtual celebration online for everyone that can’t join us in Minneapolis in JUNE (DATES TBD) — and a showcase of the items at our brick and mortar space in Minneapolis for exhibition locally. We are still limiting hours right now while we cross our fingers that COVID continues to get outta here — and we will be posting more information regarding any public viewing hours for the collection as we get more information :)

Like all of our projects, we make these swaps to get to know other artists, and join forces to make something together! You are welcome to apply for one or both boxes below!

THE TOMB

PANDORAS BOX

This chest is filled with treasures, artifacts, maps, codes, ancient relics, weapons, items for the afterlife, lore, and relics from days gone by.

This chest is filled with secrets, creepy crawlies, magical talismans, baubles, spells, spirits, poisons, potions, amulets, demons, dark and deadly items.

TO PARTICIPATE:
1. Choose the box above that you’d like to make a piece of work for
2. Leave a comment with your NAME, EMAIL, LINK TO YOUR WORK (can be a link to any web presence!) and YOUR PREFERENCE FOR WHICH BOX YOU’D LIKE TO JOIN!
3. Please note if you want to do one box, or two — and what your preferences are. Please make it clear if you would like to do BOTH boxes, or would prefer to do one box, but are ok with either topic.
4. Leave your comment IN THIS BLOG POST (please do not email it, thanks!) by APRIL 14th and we will be announcing the final artist list for both via email

Example:
Lindsay Nohl
lindsaynohl.com
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
I WOULD PREFER “THE TOMB”, but would be happy to do either.

•••

IMPORTANT DATES & DETAILS:
APRIL 14: CALL FOR ART ENDS
APRIL 15-18: ARTIST LIST ANNOUNCED
JUNE 1: Please note that all editions will have to be shipped and collected at the gallery by this date in order to be able to be in the box on time!
MID JUNE: (Date TBD) Packages Shipping and ONLINE CELEBRATION & VIEWING HOURS AT LIGHT GREY ART LAB in Minneapolis, Minnesota

•••

Thank you so much and please send us a note if you have any questions!!
A full artist sign-in page will be provided to all participants after the jurying is over and artists are announced!
This page will provide more information on how to get your work to the gallery, more specifics and resources for how to participate, and a FAQ for artists new to our space!
— Light Grey Art Lab
hello@lightgreyartlab.com or gallery@lightgreyartlab.com

tags: CallforArt
Thursday 04.01.21
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
Comments: 176
 

NEW YOUNG MYSTICS SERIES

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Young Mystics has moved online!
We are excited to connect, share, and learn virtually!

If you've been looking for an opportunity to connect with other creatives, tarot readers, or dive into something new, these classes may be for you! Participants will learn about a variety of topics such as secret symbols of the tarot, regional mythology, ancient history, herbalism, the metaphysical and beyond! Classes will include interactive discussions, Q&A's with special guests, and lectures by Light Grey Art Lab.


Intuitive Reading: TAROT
A Young Mystics Online Course
Thursday, March 11 @ 7:30pm - 9:00pm CST
$30

*PLEASE NOTE!* This course is one of a 6-part rotating series that can be taken as a complete course or individual lessons. We will be offering these 6 thematic classes twice during the Winter / Spring schedule so if you miss one, you can catch the second session later in the spring. The full list of topics includes: Intuitive Reading • The Suit of Wands • The Suit of Cups • The Suit of Swords • The Suit of Pentacles • The Major Arcana.

Join Light Grey Art Lab Instructors Lindsay Nohl & Jenny Wells for an enlightening evening of learning how to harness the power of your intuition and using it to better understand the Tarot and your practice.

Intuitive Reading

If you've ever been overwhelmed by the idea of "memorizing" the meanings of 78 cards or felt shy speaking your readings to others without the little book, or just generally don't know how to begin getting to know the Tarot, this course is for you! Building a Tarot practice can be easy, and intuitive, and often builds off of strengths you already possess. Tarot is a great tool for both divination, as well as practical problem solving using your personal power as a guide. This course demystifies the Tarot practice for those looking to build confidence in their own readings and reading for others and teaches methods for how to read intuitively and effectively.

Themes covered in this class include:
• Getting to know your deck and choosing one for great readings
• Methods for "Getting in the zone" and harnessing your personal magic
• Myths of the Tarot, How to approach the Scary Cards, and Telling the Future.
• Customizing a simple, but effective study practice
• Learning methods for how to read intuitively with your own deck
• Approaching the upright and reversed interpretations of the cards
• We will also learn several great calendar / time-related spreads and discussing great resources for further study.

tags: young mystics
Friday 02.12.21
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
Comments: 1
 

World Roulette -Shipping + Updates!

A huge, huge thank you to everyone that backed the Kickstarter this fall <3
We appreciate the support and helping us make an incredible project during this difficult time!

The World Roulette project brought together 150 illustrators and concept artists to create fictional worlds at random — a chance to discover, imagine, and build stories beyond the norm. In addition, we worked with 40 professional concept artists, everything from visual designers to language experts, to write a compendium about how to build worlds. You can find the Kickstarter and more about the project here.

And now, as get get closer to the end of the year, our Kickstarter items are starting to arrive! We’ve been working around the clock to get the book, deck, and additional items complete. You can see the preview of two pin designs below! If you want to check out the pre-sale or get a copy, head on over to the Light Grey Shop here.

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We’ll be providing updates and news very soon!

Thanks for your patience this fall and we wish you a safe and warm holiday season.

-Light Grey Team

Friday 12.18.20
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
 

WORLD ROULETTE - COMING SOON!

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Light Grey Art Lab’s upcoming exhibition World Roulette, brings together artists from around the globe to create unique, fantastical, sublime, and original worlds. Join us in a celebration of the exhibition and collaborative book, starting Aug 28th-Sept 28th, 2020. All works will be available through our online shop. Curbside pickup is available for local patrons! Please see the health and safety section below!

Imagination is a beautiful thing, so let’s imagine infinite worlds together. We’ve all seen shows where someone gets a hold of a time machine, stumbles into a portal, or steps into an alternate reality generator, and the main character is tossed into space, unlike anything they’re used to. Rick and Morty, yes. Bill and Ted, exactly. Futurama. .Star Trek. . . what would it look like if the fabric of our world was tossed into a bag and randomly assigned -- would we survive, thrive, find a new way of life?

We built a time machine -- a worldbuilding randomizer that includes four essential design categories: Ecosystem, Resources, Important Attitudes or Attributes of the People, and Imagined Time Period (Age of Darkness, the Blight, The Long Sleep, etc.) Each artist used the randomizer to create a fictional world inspired by their four prompts and got to work creating -- designing a new landscape, a totally different planet, a different outcome, changes to our resources, species, animals, etc. We are so proud to put these illustrations together to talk about the process of worldbuilding, but beyond that, all of the beautiful and complex ‘ways of life’ that we can imagine.

Opening Reception Weekend:
The exhibition will be on display through September 28th, 2020, and visible on the virtual gallery on the website and online shop (shop.lightgreyartlab.com). The reception will include black and white originals or framed prints from each of the artists. The event is free and open to the public. Click here to see the facebook event.

NEW GALLERY HOURS: Light Grey Art Lab is open Wednesday- Friday 4-8pm, Saturday 12-7pm, Sunday 12-5pm.

SAFETY: Guests will be required to wear masks for the duration of their visit, limited capacity in the space, no food provided, restrooms are temporarily closed to the public. Light Grey Art Lab will continue to clean and keep the space as safe as possible. All works, originals, and prints will also be available through the Light Grey Shop.

WORLD ROULETTE BOOK -- KICKSTARTER COMING SOON:
Accompanying the project, Light Grey Art Lab is designing and publishing a 220 page, limited edition artist book featuring all 150+ artist black & white illustrations, written narratives, written content and discussions by worldbuilding professionals, and additional narratives by Light Grey Art Lab. The book will be created and available through Kickstarter starting mid-August.

Artists Include: Adam S. Doyle, Alaina Cooper, Alex Conkins, Alex Mitchell, Alex Vanderplank, Alyssa Van Hulle, Amanda Brady, Amanda Lo, Ami Cai, Amita Sevellaraja, Andrea Pereira, Angela Hsieh, Angela Rizza, Angela Taguiang, Anna Christiano, Anne Yeoh, AnneMarie Rogers, Annemieke van Barlingen, Anyu Rouaux, Ard Su, Ariana Bläuer, Ashley Caswell, Ashley Mackenzie, Ashley Nicole DeLeon, Ashley Stoddard, Austin Reinkens, Autumn Brown, White Bones, Benjamin Mills, Beth Sparks, Bevan Breaux, Bianca Bautista, Billy Budgen, Bonnie Branson, Brock Brown, Asa Ora, Carmen Chow, Carson Brown, Casey Hunt, Cassandra Mazur, Cecilia Palacios, Celine Choo, Chamisa Kellogg, Charis Loke, Chelsea Harper, Chelsey Schmitz, Chi Ngo, Chloe Chan, Christina Sisti, Cindy De la Cruz, Clara Dart, Cleonique Hilsaca, Cornelia Li, Courtney Godbey, Cynthia Yuan Cheng, Dana Kingery, Darla Okada, Dorri Johnston, Drew Montgomery, Ellen Schofield, Emily Abeydeera, Emily Altman, Emily Walus, Eray Gakci, Fanny Berthiaume, Fran Alvarez, Frankie Gula, George Outhwaite, Haley Potter, Hannah Sayre, Heather Curfman, Hope Yu, Hunaid Taj, Jameela Walgren, James Firnhaber, Jasmin Dreyer, JB Casacop, Jeff A. Menges, Jenny Wells, Jess Schultz, Jessica Bishop, Joana Neves, Jordan Goshe, Jordan Patrzalek, Joshua Zentner, Julia Woli Scott, Justin DeVine, Justin Yu, Kaija Thorson, Kaitlin Bartlett, Karen Shangguan, Kate Gottfredson, Kate Swazee, Kathleen Jennings, Kathy de Castro, Kayla Egle, Kayla Stark, Kelsey King, Kiki Kita, Kirsten Gould, Kring Demetrio, Kristin Bandy, Kristin Siegel-Leicht, Kyle Harabedian, Lauren Emmons, Lauren Franklin, Leah Giles, Leah Zobott, Lindsay Nohl, Liz Pulido, Lucy Comer, Mary Grace Corpus, Max Dlabick, Megan Rivera, Megan Wyreweden, Michayla Grbich, Miguel Co, Missy Lovegren, Morgan Moen, Natalie Arenzon, Natalie Briscoe, Nico Ecenarro, Rachel Quast, Rebecca Bradley, Rebecca Hu, Saleha Chowdhury, Sam Schechter, Sarah Jaques, Sarah Spencer,Shafer Brown, Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn, Shawn Pedralba, Sheena Holm, Stephanie Cost, Stephanie Webster, Steven Sugar, Sunita Balsara, Tanuja Ramani, Thali Demeter, Tom Wiener, Victoria Skellan, Vincent Boyer, Vivian Wu, Will Kelly, Wisinee Chanwittayapat, Yunroo, Zagawah Soe, Zhanrui Jerry Liu

Sunday 07.26.20
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
 

SENIOR SHOW FEATURE: CHELSEA CHUNG

In May, Light Grey Art Lab launched the virtual exhibition Senior Show 2020 to showcase the incredible work of 2020 graduates! This project is a celebration of emerging artists and giving them a warm welcome into the creative community. Through the generosity of this community, hundreds of grads have been provided with resources, connections, gifts, and more to give them a boost during these uncertain times. Take a peek at the amazing breadth of work featured in the show!

Meet Chelsea Chung, one of the participating artists of Senior Show 2020. Chelsea recently received her BA in Art from the University of California Santa Barbara’s College of Creative Studies, as well as a BS in Paleobiology. She is an illustrator and game developer interested in horror, romance, and existentialism–ideally all at the same time, but sometimes not! You can find more of her work here.

Process (left) and finished piece (right) for Chelsea’s thesis project.

Process (left) and finished piece (right) for Chelsea’s thesis project.

“Hour of Emergence”, your thesis project, deals with themes of changing identity and things that are out of one’s control. Can you talk about what interests you about these themes?

I’m the type of artist that can’t separate themselves from their work, or at least not entirely. Lately, I’ve realized that a lot of my concepts have to do with the idea of escaping the inevitable– do people run away, fight back, accept their circumstances, or fundamentally change? I often wonder about how different types of people might react when they’re desperate. So it’s not as much “interest” as it is a compulsion.

Can you describe the journey to becoming the artist you are today?

I followed in the footsteps of many artists, which was non-stop fanart until I was able to become interested in my own original art thanks to the horror genre, which seriously came out of nowhere. I started training seriously in college and experimented a ton until I realized that I enjoyed games the most. Illustration also comes very naturally to me. Since my university didn’t offer extensive art education specifically for entertainment or commercial arts, it was a lot of fumbling to teach myself technical skills. Today, I’m a messy jumble of games, cutesy or romantic stuff, and horror. My never-ending journey is figuring out how to make my body of work less Frankensteinian. 

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Who and what are your current inspirations in media? Movies, books, other artists, music, video games, etc?

I think what completely encompasses the kinds of stories I’d love to make is Swiss Army Man. It’s known as the farting zombie movie, but it also has a message about loving yourself and letting yourself love in the face of death. And all three apply to a zombie. It’s great! I tend to like my media bleak, but not nihilistic. I feel like that’s an important distinction, especially now. 

Other than that, I consume horror podcasts or movies pretty much every day. I’m also always keeping up with the work of contemporary artists. Asumiko Nakamura, João Ruas, Sam Wolfe Connelly, more game artists than I can count. Music is most important for my inspiration, however. I put whatever I need on repeat. Lately, it’s been a lot of BLOO’s It’s Not Love, I’m Just Drunk, then a mix of anything angsty, followed by R&B or K-pop to keep me going.

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If you could do anything in the world, what would your artist dream job be? Or perhaps a dream project?

The job of my dreams is making earnest, meaningful games with people I trust and admire, as well as being involved in community-based efforts to improve the games industry to be safer, more diverse, and sustainable. In my dreams of dreams, I’d also be able to have personal projects and table at conventions to buy lots of merchandise and give lots of compliments! I’m not sure if it comes across in my work, but I’d also really love to work on a queer dating sim one day. (I’m available for a while now, just saying…)

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What inspired your interest in developing games and visual development art?

I’ve always been playing games, thanks to my older brother, friends, and cousins. I didn’t consider the game industry as an option until I replayed Bastion by Supergiant Games as a freshman in college, and realized that this stunning game was made by a relatively tiny group of people. That was an “aha” moment that experiences like these were possible for me. Like, OK, this is my style. I paid a lot more attention to game development after that. I respect AAA games so much, but I might turn to dust in that kind of work environment. 

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What’s next for you? Or what do you hope is next? Do you have any projects planned or in the works?

Things are very uncertain now, but I’ll be applying to studios or day jobs, doing some serious art training, and working on a few games– both of my own and with other people. I just finished the first prototype for a tabletop game about a highschool occult club, so I’ll keep the ball rolling with more projects, spooky or not. If I don’t deliver, you can personally come for me! Really! 

Is there anything else you would like to share?

To LGAL, thank you for this opportunity! To sponsoring artists including my own, thank you for supporting us! To my fellow graduates, we got this! Let’s take care of each other, and fight for each other. I’m terrible with social media but you can find me on Twitter to keep up with what I’m up to. 

Thanks Chelsea! We wish you luck with your future endeavors!

You can find more of Chelsea’s work on her website.

To see more senior thesis projects, check out Senior Show 2020!

tags: artist interview
Friday 06.26.20
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
Comments: 1
 

SENIOR SHOW FEATURE: JASMINE SOOMPHOLPHAKDY

If you haven’t seen the galleries yet, this May/June, Light Grey Art Lab hosted a virtual exhibition to showcase the work of art grads from around the world! This project is to celebrate their work, connect them with industry professionals, and welcome the grads to the greater creative community!

Find the Senior Show Galleries here : lightgreyartlab.com/seniorshow2020

Meet Jasmine Soompholphadky, one of the artists in the Senior Show 2020 exhibit. Jasmine is a recent animation graduate from Maryland Institute College of Art. You can find more of her work here: cool-beens.com

My name is Jasmine, or some may know me as Beens. I’m a Lao 2D animator who also likes to dabble in 3D, play video games with friends, make funny jokes, and eat flamin’ hot flavored foods. I hope to work in the TV animation industry in storyboarding, but I can see myself doing anything.

Still from Jasmine’s thesis project, Hack Attack. View Jasmine’s thesis animation here.

Still from Jasmine’s thesis project, Hack Attack. View Jasmine’s thesis animation here.

Can you tell me about the event that inspired Hack Attack? What about the event interested you in focusing your thesis around it? 

Talking about the inspiration of Hack Attack is always slightly embarrassing to me because it really puts a timestamp on how recently I was playing ROBLOX. Sometime during my junior year of college, my ROBLOX account was hacked. I like to check in on it every now and then because it's something very close to my heart that I’ve had for more than ten years. One day, I caught that my account’s username and password were changed, and all of my items in the game were gone. I was able to email the game and get my account recovered. While thinking of ideas to do my thesis on, I just kinda thought of this story like, wouldn’t be funny if one of my characters had this happen to her? And by using her chaotic energy, she travels through computers to attack the culprit– WITH A KNIFE? Then I developed the story around that joke. I decided to pick this as my thesis because, by the end of junior year, I fleshed out the story so much and had so many jokes I wanted to make. My multiple jokes made me want to make this thesis, but also kept me working on it. I never got sick of making my film, cause after one joke I had another joke I wanted to make next! 

Still from Hack Attack. View Jasmine’s thesis animation here.

Still from Hack Attack. View Jasmine’s thesis animation here.

You experienced what the being on the internet was like for kids growing up in the early 2000s, which is evident in Hack Attack. What about these platforms influences and inspires you?

I really was a 2000s/2010s internet kid. My family was never able to afford gaming consoles, so most of my life has been me using my dad’s home PC we had in the house since he worked with computers. My first memory of computer games is going on Barbie or Polly Pocket websites to play their flash games. I remember there was one game where you choose a flower to paint nails and stuff? LOVED that one. The most impactful one to me though is ROBLOX, of course. These old sites really inspire me because of nostalgia 100%. However, I think just the chaos, creativity, and the unknown of the internet is what really inspired me. Everything was so stylized and crazy. Nothing was really censored– not in a nasty way though. But because of that, the internet was full of creativity. I feel like the internet now is more reserved, conscious, and lacking in creativity. Every website is the same. Everyone’s trying to look like an iPad! I miss funky website designs and funky games. ROBLOX used to have new top games every day made by regular kids– did they suck? Yeah. Were they fun? Oh man, they were. Now everything seems too serious and made perfect enough that people can make a dollar off of it. I feel nostalgic for the old internet because of its creativity and how unpredictably chaotic it is, and it inspires me in my work.

Still from Hack Attack. View Jasmine’s thesis animation here.

Still from Hack Attack. View Jasmine’s thesis animation here.

Do you have any new projects planned, in the works, or that you hope to do?

Right now, I’ve been doing doodles of this kappa character I reworked from my old one, and its been really fun to draw! I made up some little scenarios, but I decided to take up animating some real short-shorts of it. I also animate snippets from the radio show Time Crisis with Ezra Koenig on Beats 1 for fun, so I’ll definitely be continuing to do that. I actually currently have another short for that in the works, I just had to shelve it for a bit because I decided to change the concept of it. Just personal projects and doing things for fun for now. 

Still from Time Crisis with Ezra Koenig Animated. Watch here.

Still from Time Crisis with Ezra Koenig Animated. Watch here.

What other media inspires you and your work?

Things I always look back to are Tekkonkinkreet, Adventure Time, and Apple and Onion, which is my current favorite. I love the 3D works of Julian Glander. Japanese mascots inspire me as well, and I started to like Kappas after becoming a fan of Kapal from Shiki City, and of course, ROBLOX. Music-wise, my favorite band is Joyce Manor! I also have been listening to Inner Wave, Ecco2k, Girlfriends, Chicano Batman, and Now, Now, Every Children (But only their In The City ep/Cars album).

What advice would you want to pass along to aspiring artists?

Art is hard. Especially now that I’ve graduated, things don’t come easy. I’d say to make sure you have fun and you like what you do. Experiment a lot and figure yourself out and don’t be afraid to bend the rules to keep practicing what you want to do. Also, manage your time well and don't overestimate yourself. It’s easy to take up a lot of things and overwork yourself– you really gotta know and figure out who you are. It doesn’t come easy but have confidence, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and make work! Not everything is going to be perfect either; sometimes you just gotta make something bad to make something good. Practice, practice, practice, and move on, and keep making!

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What personal goals do you have for your artistic practice?

My personal goals… right now it’s financial-wise. It’s hard to think of anything else right now. But my goal is to make meaningful content and make people laugh. I want to make people happy! So it always makes me happy to hear that I’ve made someone’s day with a video. And sometimes people keep going back. I’m glad that something I made can make an impact on someone’s day.

Thanks, Jasmine! Best of luck with your career!

You can find Jasmine on Instagram, Twitter, and see more of her work on her website.

If you would like to see more projects from Senior Show, click here!

tags: artist interview
Friday 06.19.20
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
Comments: 1
 

WORLD ROULETTE ARTISTS ANNOUNCED!

Hello from Lindsay and Jenny at Light Grey Art Lab!

We hope you are all well and doing great! We are looking forward to reopening the gallery very soon, planning some responsible get-togethers, classes, and reconnecting! Keep an eye out for updates and new ways to get involved soon. A great way to stay in touch is by signing up for the Gallery Newsletter and following @lightgreyartlab

Thanks so much to everyone who applied to the World Roulette Exhibition and project coming this August! The project includes an otherworldly exhibition of worldbuilding and a collaborative book with black and white illustrations by artists in the project. This book will be a fundraiser for the gallery and projects like this! We are looking forward to showcasing your artwork and building new worlds together! Please save the date for the opening reception weekend, August 14th-16th, 2020.

Artists Include: Adam S. Doyle, Alaina Cooper, Alex Conkins, Alex Mitchell, Alex Vanderplank, Alyssa Van Hulle, Amanda Brady, Amanda Lo, Ami Cai, Amita Sevellaraja, Andrea Pereira, Angela Hsieh, Angela Rizza, Angela Taguiang, Anna Christiano, Anne, AnneMarie Rogers, Annemieke van Barlingen, Anyu Rouaux, Ard Su, Ariana Bläuer, Arielle Jovellanos, Ashley Caswell, Ashley Mackenzie, Ashley Nicole DeLeon, Ashley Stoddard, Austin Reinkens, Autumn Brown, White Bones, Benjamin Mills, Beth Sparks, Bevan Breaux, Bianca Bautista, Billy Budgen, Bonnie Branson, Brock Brown, Calvin Bauer (Asa Ora), Cara McGee, Carmen Chow, Carson Brown, Casey Hunt, Cassandra Mazur, Cecilia Palacios, Celine Choo, Chamisa Kellogg, Charis Loke, Chelsea Harper, Chelsey Schmitz, Chi Ngo, Chloe Chan, Christina Sisti, Cindy De la Cruz, Clara Dart, Cleonique Hilsaca, Cornelia Li, Courtney Godbey, Cynthia Yuan Cheng, Dana Kingery, Darla Okada, Dorri Johnston, Drew Montgomery, Ellen Schofield, Emily Abeydeera, Emily Altman, Emily Walus, Eray Gakci, Evan Kang, Fanny Berthiaume, Fran Alvarez, Frankie Gula, Gabrell Guazon, Gaia Bordicchia, George Outhwaite, Haley Potter, Hannah Sayre, Heather Curfman, Hope Yu, Hunaid Taj, Jameela Walgren, James Firnhaber, Jasmin Dreyer, JB Casacop, Jeff A. Menges, Jenny Wells, Jess Schultz, Jessica Bishop, Joana Neves, Jordan Goshe, Jordan Patrzalek, Joseph Murphy, Joshua Zentner, Julia Woli Scott, Justin DeVine, Justin Yu, Kaija Thorson, Kaitlin Bartlett, Karen Shangguan, Kate Gottfredson, Kate Swazee, Kathleen Jennings, Kathy de Castro, Kayla Egle, Kayla Stark, Kelsey King, Kiki Kita, Kirsten Gould, Kring Demetrio, Kristin Bandy, Kristin Siegel-Leicht, Kyle Harabedian, Lauren Emmons, Lauren Franklin, Leah Giles, Leah Zobott, Liliana Lopez (animalcomun), Lindsay Nohl, Liz Pulido, Lucy Comer, Mary Grace Corpus, Max Dlabick, Megan C Smith, Megan Rivera, Megan Wyreweden, Michayla Grbich, Miguel Co, Missy Lovegren, Morgan Moen, Nadia Rausa, Natalie Arenzon, Natalie Briscoe, Nico Ecenarro, Phoebe Francis -Aylward, Rachel Quast, Rebecca Bradley, Rebecca Hu, Saleha Chowdhury, Sam Schechter, Samia Ahmed, Sarah Jaques, Sarah Morris, Sarah Spencer, Sarah Webb, Shafer Brown, Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn, Shawn Pedralba, Sheena Holm, Shreya Gupta, Sriya Singh, Steffi Kick, Stephanie Cost, Stephanie Webster, Steven Sugar, Sunita Balsara, Tanuja Ramani, Taylor Mauldin, Thali Demeter, Tom Wiener, Victoria Skellan, Vincent Boyer, Vivian Wu, When King, Will Kelly, Wisinee Chanwittayapat, Yessenia Rodriguez, Yunroo, Zagawah Soe, Zhanrui Jerry Liu

Wednesday 06.17.20
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
 

SENIOR SHOW FEATURE: JULIE STONE

This past week, we launched SENIOR SHOW 2020! We want to send a big shoutout, congratulations, and way to go to all of the artists who are emerging into the creative community right now! This project started with a simple idea of trying to do something meaningful in the midst of the pandemic, and has been such a powerful experience bringing together young artists from around the globe and connecting them with professionals, resources, teachers, mentors, and more! 

Throughout the project, we raised over 14k for student scholarships, project sponsorship, in-kind donations, over 100 one-on-one meetings, and more! We are excited to celebrate the diversity and talent of the class of 2020! If you have a moment to take a peek or spread the word, it would be very meaningful to the grads! You can find their work here: lightgreyartlab.com/seniorshow2020

Over the next month, we will be highlighting some of the grad work, connections between sponsors, and some of the meaningful moments in the beginning of their art careers!


Meet Julie Stone, one of the artists in the Senior Show 2020 exhibit. Julie Stone is a recent illustration graduate from Arts University Bournemouth. Julie is originally from Austin, Texas. You can find more of her work here: juliestoneillustration.com

I've really loved living and drawing in Bournemouth in the south of England in the last three years, and have found the university and area creatively stimulating and inspiring. My practice has found its home in the editorial field, as through the course I found myself drawn to the visual language of editorial illustration, which often utilizes the power of metaphor and symbolism. 

Cognitive Dimension:

This is the next image from that article, which illustrates the importance of following your interests and doing deep-focused work.

Describe your creative journey so far? What have been some pivotal moments in shaping who you are/would like to be?

Although I of course always loved drawing, when I was about 15 I began making digital art commercially and publishing it via the online community of DeviantART, which I'm sure many artists of my generation would admit to starting on, although maybe reluctantly! After becoming experienced with Photoshop and discovering a love for the creative process, I decided to develop this skillset further in higher education, and did a two year art and design course in the UK where my mom lived, which gave me a qualification equal to A-levels here, or AP in the States. During that time, I explored lots of different avenues of design, such as various printmaking and 3D techniques, and even a bit of film. I eventually decided on illustration, as I found the experience of following a brief and successfully solving the potential client's problem to be quite rewarding. I then began the BA Illustration course at AUB, and, following a series of workshops on the field of editorial illustration, found where I fit into the illustration industry best. I think the challenges in the level of problem-solving and the quick turn-arounds common in this area really push and inspire me to make some of my best work. 

We all have a favorite professor that helped shape our practice. Can you share your most impactful schooling moments -- any of your favorite quotes, connections, lessons that resonated with you?

I was most inspired by the visiting industry professionals who gave lectures and workshops, specifically Eleni Kalorkoti and Richard Allen, two editorial illustrators who gave amazingly helpful workshops and advice, and who encouraged me to continue down this pathway. They told me I had a good instinct for visual metaphor and should trust my gut feelings and ideas, and I felt this support by two professionals helped validate my passion for the area.

A lovely tutor from college who also really motivated me was Zoe Kemp , whose print-making sessions were always something I looked forward to as a way of opening up my practice and developing new ways of working.

We've Reached 'Peak' Wellness - Most of it is Nonsense:

This is the header image for an article by Outside on current trends and company products which claim to sell wellness. The article then goes on to outline several dimensions of wellbeing and how to nourish them. I did a series of editorial illustration mockups for this article as part of my final project.

What is the biggest overall lesson you've learned through your creative education? What advice would you want to pass along to other students?

Probably just to keep a very open mind, listen to everyone and try everything, but then also keep true to your core identity and language as an artist. I think if I had missed out on some key events or not tried something because I was afraid of failing, I wouldn't have found myself where I am now. Also try to avoid using extensions, because they don't exist in the industry and I think it's best to be able to treat deadlines for what they are. 

A lot of your work has to do with metonymy, symbolism, and metaphor. Can you talk more about what you find interesting about these symbols or themes? 

I initially just loved the play involved in the visual juxtaposition of unexpected things and would fill up sketchbook pages with lots of different parallels and combinations of imagery when tackling a topic. I began to add more meaning and symbolism to the images over time and felt most successful when I managed to find a visual metaphor that struck a happy balance between being easy enough for a viewer to follow but still rewarding enough to decipher. When researching for my dissertation, I found theorists who backed up my ideas, such as Berlyne, McQuarrie, and Mick; they found that the complexity of the visual metaphor is in direct correlation with the resulting appreciation of the image. So I think both the initial gratifying puzzle-solving on my part, and consecutively on the part of the viewer, is what interests me most. I also think the visual metaphor is extremely effective in editorial, as it often can hook readers in immediately with wit and originality. 

In moments of doubt or confusion, what motivates you?

I think I just need to remember to trust my gut and experience and try not to be convinced by the false feelings that come with imposter syndrome, especially now that I've finished uni. Doodling in a personal sketchbook also really helps me remember why I started this journey, which is because of the amazing feeling of just being creative.

Physical Dimension:

This illustration shows that moving your body and stretching is beneficial in many ways, and specifically for your brain's health.

What things outside art help shape your practice? Hobbies, quotes, books, places, fantasies?

I guess my hobby of watching beach sunsets influenced me more than I realized, as I sometimes struggle to not insert a setting sun into scenery! The three years I spent in China from 2012 also had an influence on my work I think, by living amongst all the colour and warmth, and also sparking my interest in traditional Asian art. The gradients and colours I use are often inspired by lovely historical Japanese woodblock prints. Going back to influences outside art, I would say cinematography is a hugely inspiring source of ideas and creative juice. I find psychology really interesting as well, and I love exploring the way the mind works in response to visuals, as well as general wellbeing and mindfulness in life.

What is next for you? Or what do you hope is next? Do you have any projects in the works?

I'm currently taking a small break from working during this time, and using it to refocus and plan. I'm still keeping busy getting ready to promote my university's online senior show and growing my online presence, and hope to soon get back to making work which is fulfilling and in line with where I want to go as an editorial illustrator. In the future I hope to gain the help of an agent, but will try and start off my freelance career and business promotion in a big way later on in the year! 

Is there anyone or anything you would like to give a shoutout to?

My parents, and my dad specifically, for being so so supportive of me following a creative career from the start. I feel really lucky to have parents who understand the importance of doing what you love, and who believe in me and my work!

Wellbeing Calendar:

Another aspect of my final project is this year calendar, which I intended to risoprint in two colours before facilities were made unavailable. It serves as a reminder of various daily habits which improve your health and wellbeing, all of which are included in text at the bottom of the calendar.

Thanks, Julie! So excited to follow along with the next stages of your career!

If you would like to see more Senior Show projects, click here!


tags: artist interview
Monday 06.08.20
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
 

NEW CALL FOR ART! -- WORLD ROULETTE!

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CALL FOR ARTISTS! Join Us for a new group exhibition!
Submit your details by JUNE 5th below!

WORLD ROULETTE
An Exhibition About Worldbuilding at Random
Opens August 14, 2020

You sprint wide-eyed across the dark sandy dunes. You don’t look back.

The rough cloth bag you carry is still clutched tight to your chest. There is no way to hide your footsteps out here… you will be caught, you know it… it’s just a matter of when. You’re running a race that can only be won by stamina and tenacity.
”Go… go…. go…” You breathe through your teeth on every exhale.

In a world of thieves, you believe that the only way to survive is to be sharp and quick — you’ve been playing this game of social poker since you could speak and you’ve grown up knowing that trust is a rare commodity. Everyone here is hiding, or hiding something. Today you are doing both. With so few resources, each item is a prize to be won and each morsel of food is a difference between life and death. Find it, consume it, discard it, find something else. The cycle continues.

You reach the dry, dark wooden ruins of an old settlement and slip inside a nearby structure. The windows have long since been broken by the blowing sands and the ceilings feel low from the tall drifts of windswept sand that are swallowing the buildings with each storm. The moon barely reaches inside these structures so you should have a moment to rest where no one can see you. You slip around the corner quietly and crouch down and hurriedly inspect the contents of your bag— the sound of your heart beating in your ears.

From the far corner of this darkened room, you hear something… stir?
“
Well, what do we have here?”

•••

Imagination is a beautiful thing. So let’s imagine infinite worlds together. We’ve all seen media where someone gets ahold of a time machine, stumbles into a portal, or steps into an alternate reality generator and the main character is tossed into a space unlike anything they’re used to. Rick and Morty, yes. Bill and Ted, exactly. Futurama… Start Trek… you see where we’re going. We are looking for individuals that are up for the challenge of answering the question… what would it look like if we were tossed into a world based on these four categories of great importance:

  1. Ecosystem (ex. Temperate Rainforest, Tundra, Coral Reef, Low Oxygen Atmosphere, Underground Cave System, Glacial)

  2. Resources or Elements of Importance (ex. Lapis Lazuli, Charcoal, Cork, Fishing, Fossils, Ancient Ruins, Hunting, Quarries, Geothermal Heat)

  3. Important Attitudes or Attributes of the People (ex. Warring Families, Spiritual, Elders as Leaders, Musical Tendencies, Strong Constitution, Body Modification, Lack of Sanitation)

  4. Time Period (1300s, 1890s, 2500…)

HOW IT WILL WORK:
After June 5th, participating artists will have access to a web page where, when you click on the link, it randomizes unique prompts from these four categories above (the examples above are to help give you an idea of the diversity of the types of things that can pop up, but there will be many, many more) and provides you with a scaffolding on which you can create the most terrifying, futuristic, incredible, insane worlds imaginable.

You get three “rolls” of the dice and will have to choose your favorite combination, then draw away!

THE EXHIBITION:
Each artist can create one black-and-white “piece of work” for this exhibition. This can be a full illustration of a space or place, a collection of little vignettes of life in your world, a page of trinkets, collections of items, costumes or other drawings. Anything that pertains to your world is fair game! In addition to your piece of work, we will be asking each artist to submit a little blurb about their world, including a name and paragraph providing some context that can be shown alongside the artwork.

While we traditionally show at our brick-and-mortar gallery in Minneapolis, we are still navigating how to best showcase the work in person — so in the meantime, we will be launching a virtual exhibition within our online gallery, which will go live on August 14th, 2020! In addition, we’ll be providing more details as we get closer about the rules and best-practices for seeing the show in person.

If you’ve never participated in a show with us before, it’s easy! You do not have to create the work until you’re selected to be a part of the exhibition, so as soon as the call for art is over, we’ll be jurying the group and then sending out a welcome email to all involved. All artists are welcome to create one piece of work based on the show theme, and can price their work as they see fit! We have a 60%/40% commission in favor of the artists and will be offering print-on-demand sales via the online shop. This show, just like all of our exhibitions, is open to international folks, as well as local artists! All of the details will be sent out in a log-in page for your convenience as soon as the jurying is complete!

The full collection of works will be on display online and sold through our online shop for the duration of the exhibition!

THE ZINE:
We are also going to be printing a limited edition zine of the exhibition / project for those that would like to opt-in to have their work included! Proceeds of the zine will go toward the gallery so we can continue to create awesome projects for the creative community during this crazy time.
For those of you that are new to the gallery, Light Grey Art Lab has been a community arts organization in the Twin Cities for 8 years and we’ve hosted all sorts of fun exhibitions, projects, and workshops for people to get involved in. The pandemic has hit us particularly hard, as we’re unable to host public events and are unable to travel at the moment due to health and safety concerns. That means we will be continuing to try to create projects to help us keep the lights on while we navigate our new normal (particularly for the rest of 2020 until things get a little less scary) and will be turning to online and printed projects to help keep making a difference in the community! A button to opt-in to have your artwork included in the zine will be on the artist information form to all participating artists. Thanks in advance for your support!

We will be launching a presale for anyone interested in purchasing a copy and participating artists will have the option of purchasing the zine at cost.

***

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN JOINING US FOR THIS SHOW, SEE BELOW!

All you have to do is put your name, email, and a link to your work online in the comments below!

EXAMPLE:
Lindsay Nohl
Hello@lightgreyartlab.com
instagram.com/paperbicycle

We will be jurying the artist list after JUNE 5th and will be sending an email to all creatives at that date with more information on how to send the work!

Thanks again and looking forward to exhibiting with you!
Questions? Send us a note! hello@lightgreyartlab.com

tags: CallforArt
categories: Calls for Art
Friday 05.22.20
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
Comments: 240
 

SENIOR SHOW 2020

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HEY! If you haven’t heard yet, we are working on an incredible project to support graduating artists!

The exhibition is a giant virtual gallery of the world’s collective commencement exhibitions for Spring 2020. We have made it very easy for students to participate in the virtual gallery by asking for a single virtual exhibition installation applied to one of the walls in the Light Grey Art Lab exhibition space in Minneapolis. This project is designed to give the students a chance to install/curate their work, similar to a commencement exhibition, and envision their collection on display. Graduates will then have their work virtually exhibited alongside their peers from schools around the globe in an effort to provide the visibility and connection they deserve at a time like this. The virtual exhibition will launch May 22nd, 2020 and will be promoted through the month of June. The galleries will be available for viewing on the Light Grey Art Lab website, featured via social media, and through promotions from our media sponsors.

Find all the details, apply to participate, support the students, or become a project sponsor: lightgreyartlab.com/seniorshow2020

tags: CallforArt
Friday 05.01.20
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
 

Year-in-review: Some LGAL highlights and memories from 2019

Happy New Year from the Light Grey Art Lab Team!
We hope 2020 is filled with positivity, exploration, and community! :D

2019 has been an interesting and pivotal year for almost everyone we know. Between moving spaces, changing jobs, adopting a new lifestyle, or trying to make a difference in a new way, it seems clear that this last year has been so important for personal and creative growth! Even some of the major themes in the residency workshops were about chasing the unknown, self-care as artists, and pursuing extracurricular activities. It is beautiful and inspiring to witness people making choices/changes about their practice, hopes, and ambitions! Whether your change in 2019 was big or small, we wish you comfort, inspiration, and fresh perspective going into the next year!

We look forward to collaborating and traveling with many of you in 2020!
A sincere thank you for being a part of the creative community and sharing your work,

-Light Grey Art Lab
Jenny Wells, Gallery Manager

At the beginning of 2019, we wrote four interviews reflecting on generosity and resolutions.
Click here to read our thoughts at the beginning of the year:
”Spreading Positivity” by Niky Motekallem and Jenny Wells
”Awareness and Giving in Artistic Communities” by Jasmin Dreyer and Lindsay Nohl
”Creative Power to Change the World” by Emory Allen and James Lavella
”Using Your Creative Voice” by Jessica Roux and Calvin Bauer

Our process at the gallery is similar to working on client projects. We spend months researching, getting the ideas together, and figuring out a plan before we can get lots of artists involved in the process! It is always a combination of big brainstorms, crunching numbers, and making sure we can pull it off — you should see our intense spreadsheets! Our travel research often includes reaching out to locals and topical experts, museums, and deep dives into the history, culture, language, and geology of the spaces we are exploring. For the many things that happen in the gallery or in concept, a lot remains behind closed doors — part of the inner workings of the mysterious force that we love so much. Thanks for your patience as we work through the details of each new project — we are always excited for the stages when we can finally reveal what we’ve been doing and involve the community!

Below, we have shared some of our year highlights! This year, we had the opportunity to travel with so many incredible creatives and put on some pretty great exhibitions. We look forward to collaborating in 2020!

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February 2019 — Lovesona, Innuendo, and Tasteful Nudes Exhibitions
You can find more about these projects in the gallery archives here.

The delicate curves of a body emerge through the settling dust of chalk pastel. The artist peers over their drawing board at a trusted model, reclining elegantly on their vintage lounge sofa. Their masterpiece is complete… The Tasteful Nudes Exhibition included 50+ creatives and is a celebration of the sensual, the subtle, and the sensory aspects of the human form.

Innuendo was collaborative exhibition of artwork and goods featuring playful allusions to the lewd and salacious. Participants created a range of limited edition art objects including pins, postcards, stickers, zines, patches and more that dance around taboo subjects with humorous imagery. 

#LOVESONA Online Project + Exhibition celebrating creative singles!
Creatives have a unique way of looking at the world and themselves, and we want to celebrate what makes them great partners. Participants in the #LOVESONA project drew a portrait of themselves or a creative friend, wrote a bio about their/their friends’ deepest passions and interests, and then shared it with the hashtag #lovesona! Along with the profiles, you can check out interactive content and activities on the Lovesona instagram

EXHIBITION PHOTO GALLERY
SHOW INTERVIEWS: Adiana Bellet, B. Mure, Ashley Floréal

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March 2019 — Light Grey Art Camp International: Greece Mythology and Sacred Sites Tour

Team Siren’s nomadic journey included visits to ancient spaces in Greece, museums, and ruins from along ago. Team Siren explored the streets and history of Athens, traveled to Delphi, and the monasteries of Meteora. They learned about the rich history, greek gods and mythology, pottery and building techniques, and created work together among statues and mountain tops, and got to know one another through intimate family-style dinners and conversation.

We recently posted photos from the adventure on our Flickr, which you can check out here!

Painting from the temples of Meteora

Painting from the temples of Meteora

Artist, Mallory Heil, learning about pottery and ceramics

Artist, Mallory Heil, learning about pottery and ceramics

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Team Siren sharing a traditional meal and wine.

Team Siren sharing a traditional meal and wine.

May 2019 — Light Grey Art Camp: Grand Teton National Park

Team Mink traveled through Grand Teton National Park, hiking along the remote lake trails, watching for birds and wildlife, learning about native history, swimming in natural pools, and making work together. This time of year is fairly quiet in the park, so we had the opportunity to sit and paint by the water, wander through the dense pine forests, and get to know each other over workshops and late-night bonfires.

Some of the most memorable parts of this trip include ‘personal firsts.’ Our group went kayaking along the islands on Jackson Lake, and this was the first time many of the artists had been kayaking. On top being a new experience, Jackson lake is pristine, bright blue, and formed by glaciers along the Grand Tetons — it was a beautiful moment to share together! Other favorites include a rock skipping competition, visits to the National Museum of Wildlife Art, and the epic journey to a remote hot spring in the mountains.

TEAM PHOTO GALLERY

Team Mink at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park

Team Mink at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park

Artists kayaking on Jackson Lake

Artists kayaking on Jackson Lake

Artists wade the waters in Kelly Warm Springs.

Artists wade the waters in Kelly Warm Springs.

May 2019— Light Grey Art Camp: Yellowstone National Park

Team Red Fox traveled to Yellowstone National Park, exploring the Mammoth Hot springs, boiling pots, viewing herds of bison and elk, spotting lichen and natural formations. Artists also learned about geology, lava, hydrothermal activity and the history of the parks. Team Red Fox also had the opportunity to horseback ride through the national forest and explore Quake Lake.

Some of our team’s favorite moments include climbing the boulders in Northern Yellowstone, watching grizzly bears at Mammoth Falls, sketching herds of baby bison in the park, making s’mores and bonfire snacks at the house, and painting by the waterfalls.

TEAM PHOTO GALLERY

Artists wander the paths along the Yellowstone Geyser Basins

Artists wander the paths along the Yellowstone Geyser Basins

Team Red Fox Horseback riding in the national forest

Team Red Fox Horseback riding in the national forest

Team Red Fox in North Yellowstone

Team Red Fox in North Yellowstone

June 2019- Light Grey Art Lab Norway Residency Program + Norway Art Camp

Artists traveled to the Handangerfjord outside of Bergen, Norway for this year’s Light Grey Art Lab Norway Residency and Art Camp Programs. The teams spent their days wandering by nearby waterfalls, identifying plants, swimming in the fjord, and learning about traditional techniques, crafts, foraging, and history. Some of the workshops included spoon carving, rosemaling, knitting, Norwegian boat building, and much more.

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NORWAY ART CAMP PHOTOS

Artists share their expertise through residency workshops

Artists share their expertise through residency workshops

Making paper flowers inspired by local flaura

Making paper flowers inspired by local flaura

Artist learn Norwegian rosemaling techniques

Artist learn Norwegian rosemaling techniques

Matt Moss teaching a spoon carving workshop

Matt Moss teaching a spoon carving workshop

Spoon Carving and team crafts

Spoon Carving and team crafts

Traditional Norwegian longboats in the Handangerfjord

Traditional Norwegian longboats in the Handangerfjord

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July 2019- CURIO Residency Exhibition + Reunion

We shared a space, hiked along rocky trails, brainstormed over warm food, chatted about life, our creative dreams, personal growth, and opened ourselves to new experiences, camaraderie, and friendship. We experienced thoughtful workshops and beautiful moments throughout the program. The CURIO Exhibition reunited our artists-in-residence to create collections of work based on their experiences together. Moments in the landscape, emotional connections, and artistic discoveries, all presented in curated, collaborative mini-exhibitions.

The opening reception also included an artist reunion — we had nearly 30 artists fly in for the event and get together <3 It was really great to see everyone in Minneapolis!

Click here for more details about the CURIO Exhibition.

Collaborative zine by artists Marcella Tamayo + Susanna Selici

Collaborative zine by artists Marcella Tamayo + Susanna Selici

Collaborative zine by Team Vatn

Collaborative zine by Team Vatn

Artists come to Minneapolis for a mini reunion weekend!

Artists come to Minneapolis for a mini reunion weekend!

Watching fireworks along the banks of Lake Harriet

Watching fireworks along the banks of Lake Harriet

AUGUST 2019 - Light Grey Art Lab Iceland Residencies + Iceland Art Camps

Northern Iceland
Jenny and Julie led the residencies and art camp programs in Northern Iceland, where artists were able to explore some of the most rugged, volcanic, and sublime landscapes. Day trips included visits to Ásbyrgi Canyon, troll-inspired lava fields such as Dimmuborgir, basalt waterfalls of Dettifoss, Selfoss and Godafoss, northern bird cliffs, basalt beaches, museums, and much more. Each team has a unique itinerary, getting to experience remote spaces, learn about local flora and fauna, and site specific mythology.

The Westfjords
Lindsay, Matt, and Kelsey led the residency and art camp programs in the wild Westfjords. The Westfjords are lonely and vast space with tiny towns and lots of amazing locations to get lost in! We played with arctic foxes, saw Minke whales play in the fjords, hiked to the top of the mountains and got lost in the fog. We foraged for natural foods in the landscape and made meals out of herbs, berries, and local vegetables the way the locals would centuries ago. There was even a little talk of Glîma — Icelandic wrestling and who may come out on top as champion of the programs.

LIGHT GREY ICELAND PHOTOS

Team Ice Bear at the base of Godafoss

Team Ice Bear at the base of Godafoss

Team leaders, Jenny and Julie, getting ready for Whale Watching

Team leaders, Jenny and Julie, getting ready for Whale Watching

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Team Narwhal at Selfoss

Team Narwhal at Selfoss

Artists foraging bilberries

Artists foraging bilberries

Artist, Emily Bury, painting along the basalt rocks

Artist, Emily Bury, painting along the basalt rocks

Residents painting in the Westfjords

Residents painting in the Westfjords

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Light Grey Founder and travel leader, Lindsay Nohl, exploring tide pools in the Westfjords

Light Grey Founder and travel leader, Lindsay Nohl, exploring tide pools in the Westfjords

September 2019 — Visit Costa Rica

In Sept, we flew down to Costa Rica to connect with our local partners for the LGAL Art Camp program to Costa Rica. We explored the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, La Fortuna, hiked around the Arenal Volcano and explored some of the natural hot springs and rivers. We spent our time talking with local ecologists about Costa Rica sustainability, animal rehabilitation, learning about local cuisine, and connecting with local tribes and craftspeople! <3 We cannot wait to bring artists to this unique and incredible wild space!

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September 2019 — The World’s of Kyle Ferrin Exhibition

Light Grey Art Lab in partnership with Leder Games, presented the retrospective exhibition by illustrator, Kyle Ferrin. The Worlds of Kyle Ferrin exhibition included over 80 unique illustrations and works that showcase his contributions to the contemporary board games industry and works that dive into fantasy worlds and imaginative communities filled with goblins, ghouls, and forest creatures. Kyle Ferrin is a graphic artist and illustrator working in the Board Game industry. He is best known for his work on Root and the Vast series of board games. He primarily works with pen, ink, and digital color and brings cute and quirky characters to life via his expressive, dynamic style.

Find more details about the exhibition here!

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The fall was a time for planning new things! We had the best idea for a new program and launched the Scotland RPG Tour this fall! We’re headed to the U.K next year to have a one of a kind adventure steeped in fantasy! We’ve prototyped a few new formats for group shows (which we are excited to share with you). And we did a lot of seemingly boring things in order to take care of business. As you all know, there is a lot of work that isn’t as glamorous, but is definitely part of what makes Light Grey possible!

Thank you again to everyone that has contributed energy, time, and creativity to 2019 with us! We are so very grateful!

Lots of love from the Light Grey and our helpers!

Tuesday 12.31.19
Posted by Lindsay Nohl
Comments: 6
 
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