TRIBUTE TO 25 YEARS OF MAGIC: THE GATHERING and THE ULTIMATE FANTASY Artists Announced!

We are thrilled to announce the artists of the upcoming Tribute to 25 Years of Magic: The Gathering and The Ultimate Fantasy exhibitions! Get ready to sling some spells, summon creatures, and explore all the realms of the fantastical on July 6th, 7-10pm at Light Grey Art Lab! To celebrate the anniversary of this important piece of pop culture, over 100 artists will be recreating their favorite Magic: The Gathering cards or developing original new worlds in the Ultimate Fantasy! Stay tuned!

MTG Tribute Artists: Jeff Menges, Andrew Olson, Michael Meier, Paige Carpenter, Stephen Wood, Jake Skalish, JB Casacop, Evan Montiero, Christopher Hegland, Piya Wannachaiwong, Robert Young, Diana Van Damme, Carisa Swenson, Jeremy Carver, Victoria Balbes, Alex Stone, Angela Rizza, Travis Purvis, Andrew Soman, Felipe Gaona, Ellen Schofield, Charlotte Vandawalker, Christopher Schons, Jai Kamat, Chelsea Harper, Colin Foran, Dylan Briones, MJ Pajaron, Sheena Klimoski, Danielle Storey, Nick Lasovich, Allen Geneta, Robson Michel, Lucas Durham, Laura Galli, Lorenzo Massaro, Pablo Rivera, A.Lundell, Inka Schulz, Christopher Hanson, Jacob Walker, Cody Larson, Brian Gilman, Joshua Zentner, Galacia Pokos, John Bivens, Sarah Huisken, George Outhwaite, Mike Jasnowski, Kevin Jay Stanton, Darnell Lysius-Dicette, Grace Kim, Calvin A., Nadia Rausa, Rio Burton, Jonathan Hill, and William Zolla

The Ultimate Fantasy Artists: Jeff Menges, Stephanie Cost, Andrew Olson, Kristina Carroll, Christina Rycz, Stephen Wood, Brett J. Ikenberry-Humphrey, Karlen Tam, Reiko Murakami, Rob Dunsmuir, Sarah Lindstrom, Corinne Reid, Kat Lyons, Sarah Morris, Michele Giorgi, Marisa Erven, Chris Norden, Amanda Kiefer, Breana Melvin, Rory Carson, Catherine Unger, Shafer Brown, Cleonique Hilsaca, Joe Casanova, Hunaid Taj, Emerson Rabbitt, Thad Stalmack II, Tashi Reeve, Karina Rehrbehn, Natalia Pierandrei, Olivia Pecini, Grace P. Fong, Preston Stone, Tom Kilian, Maggie Ivy, Steven Skorjanec, Diego Gisbert Llorens, Sam White, Miko Maciaszek, Bianca Bautista, Michael Edward Smith, Christina Qi, Dani McCole, Deena So`Oteh, Anna Rogers, Katherine Souza, Jabari Weathers, Jenny Sun, Jacob Whitlow, Jessica Bishop, and Jimmy Ellerth

Skate or Die Opening Reception

We invite you to join us for the opening reception of Skate or Die, coming October 10th!

Skate or Die is an art exhibition of artist-designed skate decks with a death metal slant. The show features dark, gorgeous, and macabre-inspired designs by sixty artists from around the world. The original artwork will be used to create limited edition, vynal images on hardwood decks.

Sneak Peek of work by Kate O'Hara

By showcasing the artwork in this unique and functional form factor, we appreciate the influence skate culture has had on our society and to view this counter culture work as true art. And in addition, to not forgot why it exists, hoping collectors will slap some trucks on their newly acquired masterpiece and skate it home!

Sneak Peek of work by Angela Rizza

These decks include bones, twisted forms, feared beasts, and eery landscapes- Come see the entire collection at the opening reception on October 10th from 7-10pm. You can find all of the event details, see the full list of participating artists, and help spread the word on the Skate or Die Facebook event page here!

Stacks Preview

We are just TWO weeks away from the opening reception of STACKS: A limited exhibition zine exhibition and creative project! Coming August 1st, 2014, this unique show commemorates the past thirty years of memories, experiences, cultural phenomenas, and global changes! It is a celebration of our recent history and the moments that have shaped us all!

"The Poké Life", 1996, Preview by Matt Rockefeller

The show takes viewers on a journey through time, 1984-2014, seen through the eyes of sixty creatives. Topics include an illustrated story of the Legend of Zelda, Pokemon, Back to the Future, Lost, hairdos of the 80s, wondering the streets of New York, bad decisions, childhood crushes, and more.

"Free Reign", 2008, Preview by Jaime Willems

We are thrilled to present this project and all of the perfectly crafted pieces. Zines are made in a variety of formats with screen prints, foil covers, full color pages, fold outs, ink drawings, and more. The zines are limited edition and hand signed by the artists. There are only a couple of zines available! They will be here at Light Grey Art Lab and available on the online shop by August 1st.

"The Phoenix Lights", 1997, Preview by Ashley Huebner

Each of the contributing artists are given all of the zines from the exhibition. They are able to keep the entire timeline and collection as an opportunity for future collaboration, communication, and to enjoy our shared experiences.

"Scarred for Life", 1990, Preview by Adriana Bellet

We hope you join us for this epic event and project! You can find more details about the opening reception on the Facebook Event Page here! There are more previews and details to come!

In Place Artist Discussion and Book Signing!

Magers & Quinn Bookstore
January 19th from 2pm-4pm
Artist Talk and Discusison

This past year, we have had the honor of celebrating a group of incredible concept artists and illustrators through out In Place Art Book and Exhibition. In Place is filled with a collection of full-color illustrations of some of the most breathtaking, sacred, and interesting real-life places around the globe.



From the legendary mountain range in the Bavarian Forest to the Illuminated Caves in Japan, a bustling city center in Lisbon, Portugal to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, In Place takes you on a journey to some of the most exotic locations, the landscapes that inspire us to explore and move us to create - it is the places we yearn for and dream of.


Kelly Smith

It is not just these magnificent views that make this project special, but all of the artists who made this project possible. January 19th from 2pm-4pm, we are hosting an artist talk and discussion at Magers & Quinn Bookstore. The Light Grey team will lead the discussion, sharing insight about the process, collection of artwork, and inspiration, as well as ask some of the participating artists about their experience in creating and understanding these places. We would love for you to attend and spread the word about this event!


Sam Bosma

You can see more information and invite friends and family on our Light Grey Events Page You can also see the listing for this event on the Magers & Quinn Calendar or facebook page.

Thanks and we hope to see you here!


Angela An

You can see the full list of participating artists and more about the In Place Book here on the Light Grey Shop.

Artist Interview with Jenn Tran

Meet Jenn Tran, a concept artist, developer, and creative, living and working in Seattle, WA. Jenn graduated from the University of Washington with a triple focus in Political Science, Art History, and Human Rights, and then went on to attend the DigiPen Institute of Technology for animation and concept art. She is currently an environment artist at Harebrained Schemes, working on projects such as Shadowrun Returns. Jenn is a terrific concept and freelance artist, sharing her work through video games, exhibitions, and children's books.

Jenn is one of the current artists Light Grey's 6 Degrees Exhibition, and we are pleased to celebrate all of her work and accomplishments! Through this interview, we get to know Jenn Tran, her personal trials and breakthroughs in creating, and some of her biggest sources of inspiration.


We are continually impressed with your professional work and environments. Could you describe your role as a visual developer?

Currently I'm the environment art lead, so most of my work is comprised of original concepting, making sure the art style stays consistent, and producing/managing our environment team. I mostly focus on environment work and high level concepts, design, the look and feel, and game asset creation. I also do a lot of world building for game levels which include set dressing and lighting.


Can you tell us about your studio practice and how you make time for all of the projects you want to do?

I'm honestly still trying to figure out exactly what my "studio practice" is. I love my job and the work I do there, but I guess what drives me to create art outside of work is trying to find a voice in my personal work. It's something I feel like I'm still developing. However, I am always gathering references/inspiration, studying, going to figure drawing, and continuing to explore more illustration and ideas.


What are some of your biggest considerations? Color, theme, types of landscapes, types of characters?

As an artist in games I see a lot of amazing concept art. At the same time I'm discovering and starting to fall in love with visual development for feature film animation. I’m inspired by both, and it sometimes feels like a vicious tug-of-war because they are immediately so different. I admire the technical skill and complexity of concept art both in games and film, however I'm drawn to the design, simplicity, and clear storytelling of animation vis dev. I'm starting to experiment with elements in that realm in my personal work.



Could you talk about the piece you created for the 6 Degrees Exhibition? What were your sources/stories/motivation?

Originally, I wanted to do an illustration of my favorite coffee shop in Seattle. But when it came time to create my piece for 6 Degrees I was in a different mood. I was super busy with work and at the same time trying to sort out some personal feelings regarding relationships, where I was with my art, and having just received news that my parents wanted to separate. At the time I was also reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. A quote in the book by Charles Darwin stood out to me - “A shy man no doubt dreads the notice of strangers, but can hardly be said to be afraid of them. He may be as bold as a hero in battle, and yet have no self-confidence about trifles in the presence of strangers". It seemed to describe my mood perfectly and the image I created for 6 Degrees came from that. I wanted to share the idea that home and comfort can just be a little quiet time in a really busy world.


The 6 Degrees Exhibition is all about promoting other artists, sharing and connecting within our world, and about the influence of places we call home. You spend every day developing new worlds and places for games. Can you share this process? What considerations do you have to make a place special, memorable, and feel real?

Working at a small game studio, you have easy access to the art director, environment artists, character artists, writers, and level designers, to help develop what a place should look and feel like. In that way, we are able to easily share ideas and connect with one another. In terms of process, I'll usually start by brainstorming with the art director or receive an initial brief to work with. I will then go onto researching/exploring/concepting out ideas either on my own or with the environment team. After we have a high level concept, the environment team will generate content for implementation into the level. This would be game assets such as props, decorative elements, architecture sets, etc. When we start integrating content for art level passes, we'll work more closely with the team to really nail what we want the world to feel like.


What is the most monumental project you have worked on?

The most monumental project I've worked on is Shadowrun Returns. Shadowrun Returns was an indie game that was funded through Kickstarter and came out in July. I'm proud of this project because it's an example of what can happen when a group of smart, talented, passionate people get together to make something cool. It is a really good feeling seeing everyone's hard work pay off and having the opportunity to be a part of it.


What are some of your biggest sources of inspiration?

Right now my biggest source of inspiration is CTN Expo (Creative Talent Network). The convention was more than a month ago but it exposed me to a lot of new art/artists. While I was there I went on a tour at Walt Disney Animation Studios. It was amazing being able to see the work that goes into creating a feature animation, both in the past and present. But I think the highlight of the Expo was just meeting a bunch of artist I admire online. I got a lot of great feedback and advice on my portfolio. Everyone was incredibly kind. Seeing all the talent at CTN made me want to work harder, but actually meeting them inspired me to be more humble and helpful to others.

This time of year, especially, we are thinking about deadlines, new goals, motivation, and changes. Do you have any goals or projects for the new year?

Be more organized, meet more deadlines, make more art. Be a nice to people. Don't adopt anymore cats.

Thanks Jenn! It is great to hear about your inspirations and methods of making! You can check out more of Jenn Tran's work on her website or blog here. You can also see Jenn's work on the Light Grey Shop and Digital Gallery along with all of the 80+ artworks in the 6 Degrees Exhibition.

6 Degrees Opening on December 6th!

Join us this coming Friday, December 6th from 7pm-10pm, for the opening reception of 6 Degrees! We are thrilled to finally share all of these wonderful pieces with you!


Belmont Harbor by Casey Crisenbery

6 Degrees features the work of nearly 100 artists from around the globe who have invited you into their living rooms, to their favorite places around their hometowns, to the hotspots of the city, and to see the items and people that help define who they are today- this show is about hometown pride, the celebration of place, and the collective voice.


Beijo by Ricardo Bessa

All of the beautiful and perfectly crafted postcards will be on display at the gallery as well as a select few available for purchase. Each artist participating in the exhibition, gets an entire set of all of the postcards in hope of continuing to spread, share, and promote one another. It is the perfect time of year to remember our homes, our influences, and the importance of our connection to one another!


Emeralnd City Summer by Justin Oaksford

These postcards are original screen prints, photo transfers, risographs, letter press, and digital prints. They are incredible usable postcards (or one of a kind prints for your own collection!) This exhibition is a print-maker's dream!

The opening reception will include all of the first editions of the postcards, lots of refreshments, and a giant map where we can pin our own hometowns and locations. Let's see how far we reach!


Song of Storms by Matt Rockefeller

You can check out the entire collection of work on the Light Grey Shop or the 6 Degrees digital gallery on the Light Grey Website! You can also see more information about this event on the 6 Degrees Facebook Page here.

Light Grey Black Friday

Mark your calendars for November 29th- December 2nd! It's Black Friday, one of the most feared and exhilarating unofficial holidays, and we thought we could use this weekend to host a giant art sale and our annual Light Grey fundraiser!

We are happy to announce that we will be having Light Grey Black Friday, a four day art sale and event, featuring hundreds of exhibition archival prints, limited edition books and decks, paper toys, and more all for a discounted price. These are works from our past exhibitions including Night of the Exquisite Corpse, The Light Grey Tarot, Station Zero, Girls: Fact + Fiction, In Place, and more. These projects are near and dear to our heart, and we would love to share them with all of you.



You can check out all of the details for the sale on the fundraiser event page here.

The event will take place here at Light Grey Art Lab
Friday, November 29th from 10am-7pm
Saturday, November 30th, from 10am-7pm
Sunday, December 1st, from 12pm-5pm

Cyber Monday, December 2nd ON THE LIGHT GREY SHOP!



This event is not just a large sale, but our Light Grey Fundraiser. All proceeds from this event will go towards future exhibitions, collaborative printed projects, classroom materials, and printing costs. Every purchase goes towards making these projects and large scale collaborations happen. We appreciate all of your support and participation.



About Light Grey Art Lab: Light Grey Art Lab is a gallery, classroom, and event space located in Minneapolis, MN. Run by a small team of artists, Light Grey holds new monthly exhibitions featuring up to 150 artist each month, published collaborative projects, weekly podcasts, lectures, classes, workshops, traveling workshops, and more. Our goal is to bring together all types of creatives for learning, collaboration, and creation.

Station Zero Recap!

Huge thanks to everyone that came out to party with us this past Friday at the Station Zero exhibition opening reception!

I've got to hand it to the amazing people of the Twin Cities for their awesome ability to get into the fun and participate in the super silly stuff we do at Light Grey. I can't thank everyone enough for creating all tof these amazing tin-foil hats and actually wearing them around for the entirety of the exhibition!
I didn't think it could be possible to see such a diversity of bright, shiny headwear in one place!



We had incredible time! Tons of futuristic music, lots of action at the photobooth (thanks, NASA, for being awesome, too) and many artists making their way to Light Grey for the reception! It was great seeing some of you guys here in person! It was a total blast.








I couldn't resist. This one is of my dear sister, Victoria, who got a little too excited about space.

I have a hunch that no one could hold a straight face when taking photos in front of our photo-booth. Some of the faces people are making in these photos are priceless.
I'll let you check out the rest for yourself!

See all of the amazing photos on our Flickr set here.
And if you couldn't make it, don't worry, the exhibition is up for another several weeks and is also online here and forever on the site!

Station Zero Opening Reception

Get ready for Station Zero!

Light Grey Art Lab's newest exhibition will bring you on a journey through the most epic and adventurous ideas in artwork and science fiction. From galaxies light-years away to brain swapping machines, urban technological landscapes to the experimental science labs of the future, this exhibition is all about science, cover art, re-imagined designs.

"God Rising (World Without Stars)" by John DeLucca

Inspired by the beautiful, bizarre, and neon covers of vintage science fiction novels, each artist was given a book, with the challenge to redesign and illustrating the covers. The original book covers will be on display alongside the giant collection of our contemporary revisions: large-scale, awe-inspiring, and celestial posters!

Such an awesome collection of work!

"What Strange Stars and Skies" by Ariel Elliott

Station Zero opens Friday, July 19th from 7-10pm. There will be space themed food, a giant photo booth with science fiction props, aluminum foil hats, and the official opening of our Light Grey Shop! For more details about the reception see our facebook event.

"One Million Tomorrows" by Jesse Tise

You can also view the entire collection of artwork on the online Station Zero Gallery and on our Light Grey shop! Hope to see you here!

Artist Interview: Elana Schwartzman

Meet the super talented, motivated, and go-getter local artist, Elana Schwartzman. Although she is currently running her own printmaking studio, Elana actually has a background in marketing and communication. She has worked with nonprofit, for-profit, and electoral organizations and campaigns throughout the Twin Cities, with a particular emphasis on social media strategies and online development. About four years ago, she began printmaking, and since has started Fontlove, a letterpress studio working with nonprofit organizations and collaborating with other creatives! Wow! Elana is the perfect person to interview for the You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It exhibition, a show all about flexing your creative muscles, getting out there, and getting to work.

 
 
Can you tell me a little about yourself, your background, and interests?
I am a Minneapolitan by way of the Chicago area, and I've lived here for about 13 years. My background is actually in non-profit work – while doing communications for a small organization, where I had to do everything from PR and social media to web content management and publications, I discovered that I loved graphic design. Around that same time I took a class in letterpress printing at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts – and fell stupid in love with it. Typography has always been of intense interest to me, but I also love the machinery involved in letterpress printing, and the smells and textures of things like ink and paper. I stayed in communications for several years before jumping into the deep-end and freelancing. I am self-taught and constantly worried that someone will come and strip me of my (metaphorical) graphic designer / printmaker badge. When not worrying about that (or cleaning ink off my hands) I love to walk the lakes, drink local beer, and make snarky commentary. I have been a collector for as long as I can remember, and I obsessively look for vintage objects and ephemera with the patina of everyday life. 

How did you get started in printmaking? 
 Like all kids, I was creative when I was young and unencumbered by the inhibitions of adulthood. I was a mostly solitary kid, but I took a lot of art classes. I still remember taking a printmaking class when I was 9 or 10, and how much I loved it. One of the prints I made then still hangs in my mom's bathroom. Then, I grew out of it. I felt like I didn't have natural talent (I can't draw a likeness to save my life) and I was passionate about social justice and working in a field where I could make an impact. But bit by bit, I found that I loved the parts of my job that let me be creative. The 2008 Obama campaign had a huge impact on me – I saw the power of typography, of Hoefler & Frere-Jones' Gotham typeface, to bring a movement together and inspire people. The Shepard Fairey poster that reached down and influenced many people, not just those that pay attention to graphic design or street art. I started playing around with basic relief printing in my apartment, carving linoleum, and then took the class at MCBA. I got truly addicted, buying my first press before that class even ended and haven't looked back since. I now have four vintage presses and operate a full-time letterpress and graphic design business. 



How did Fontlove begin? What was it inspired by? 
 It began in stages. At first it was just me, in my basement studio, teaching myself to print and hating everything I made while falling more and more in love with the process. It was a confusing time. Then came the "notebook stage" – I carried Field Notes notebooks around with me everywhere and jotted ideas for products I would love to make, or make up pretend schedules for what my day would look like if I quit my job to pursue this full time. There were a lot of pro/con lists, too. Then there was the "oh crap, I have all this stuff, now I should put it to use" phase. Like I said, I'm a collector, and I pretty quickly had spent a lot of money on equipment, so I got to work getting good enough to be a printer for hire. I would say that it was inspired by the obsessive need to print/make stuff. 

Most of your work is text based. What are some of your favorite phrases, words, subjects to work with?
I usually start with the typeface. Because I work with real moveable type – both metal and wood – it's not just like the endless options on your font menu on a computer. You really get to know a typeface, and understand in a physical way what it means for a font to be "condensed" or "italic" and how those are best applied to a given situation. I don't necessarily have favorite words or phrases, but I do have favorite letters. The uppercase R in the typeface Antique Extended is one of my all-time favorites, and it's one of the reasons I used it in my work for You Can Do It Put Your Back Into It. My grandfather used to say that one should "plan your work and work your plan", which I love on its own as a motivational phrase – but it also uses a lot of R's. 

What is your favorite part about traditional printing? What other materials and mediums inspire you?
Letterpress printing is a centuries-old process. I am most interested in working with the original tools of the trade – wood and metal type, old halftone cuts, borders and ornaments. That means that my work is often defined by my constraints. I can't just make the text bigger or smaller. I can't use a font I don't have. Kerning involves physically carving up the type, sawing through wood or lead. I find these constraints inspiring, and it has defined my personal style. I love the imperfections of the type and the variations in inking and texture – but it's also what I have to work with. 

What is your studio practice like?
Currently, it's a bit of organized chaos. Day to day I could be working for a client on digital graphic design, printing business cards or invitations for hire, or printing personal projects for my Etsy shop – and sometimes all three. And the reality of working for yourself is that a lot of my time I'm also replying to emails, sending proposals, and data-entering receipts. I work in the front half of a storefront studio with huge windows and lots of light. I'm a very neat person at home, but my studio tends to be an explosion of type, paper scraps, failed experiments, and bits and pieces of inspiration. I love to try new techniques, like pressure printing or experimenting with overprints – but those things rarely make their way into my work for show or sale. 

What is your biggest motivation when you are stuck on a project? 
I usually get stuck when my confidence takes a dip. So if something isn't going right – the inking is inconsistent, the impression is wonky, the registration is tough, or I'm just not liking the way it's turning out – I take a break and make something else that I know will be successful and look beautiful. I do tend to get easily demoralized, so my biggest motivation is just to remember that there will be clunkers and there will be stars, and a lot in between, and not to sweat it too hard. Unless it's a paying client, when my motivation is making sure they get the highest quality printed goods I can provide. There are no shortcuts in letterpress, really. 

Can you talk a little about collaboration? How do you collaborate? What is the best thing you have collaborated on? (For both person projects and Fontlove)
To me, getting to work with a wide variety of talented and passionate people is the second best part of freelancing. I'm really fortunate in my graphic design practice to work primarily with non-profit organizations that share my passions and interests, and in my letterpress work I tend to work with other creative types. Even when I'm printing someone else's design, it's a beautiful coming together of process and product. I also really love collaborating on personal projects, especially with artists that have strengths where I am weak. I made a beautiful set of cards with the artist Lisa Luck of Hello Lisa!, and got to work with artist/man about town Andy Sturdevant on an infographic for Common Roots Cafe. Both involved hand-lettering and illustration, and it was so much fun to incorporate those things into my designs when they are normally not in my wheelhouse. 

Do you have any favorite resources, books, blogs, sources for inspiration?
Too many! Present & Correct is a London-based stationery shop, but they curate a fantastic collection of vintage packaging and ephemera (much of it letterpress-printed). I have always been very inspired by maps, and I love exploring the David Rumsey Map Collection, which has a fantastic digitized archive. For excellent wood type references, I go to either the Rob Roy Kelley Collection at the University of Texas, which has uploaded and identified many specimens of wood type, or David Wolske's Letterpress Daily blog. 

What is your dream project? Something you have always wanted to make/do? 
If they would let me hang out at Hatch Show Print, that would be my dream. I could clean type, sweep the floors – whatever! They are a huge source of inspiration for me and I would love to be around that shop and absorb things by osmosis. What is the best piece of advice you ever received and why? I don't know if he would even remember telling me this, but my former boss Jeff Blodgett once told me, "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Sometimes I feel that this philosophy flies in the face of the typical M.O. for printers and artists, but if I was striving for perfection, I'd never be doing what I am doing now. I believe in getting things done and moving forward, while being true to yourself. 

Who are you inspired by? Other artists, musicians, teachers, etc. 
The list is very long. There is a select group of hugely talented letterpress printers working today, and thanks to the power of social media I get to see their work and process pop up on my phone every day. Besides my Instagram feed, one inspiration is the photographer Vivian Maier. She was an amateur street photographer whose work was never discovered or shown until a collector bought a box of undeveloped negatives from an auction house after Maier stopped paying for her storage locker, just 2 years before her death. The images are arresting, with a powerful energy, but she took them for herself and never saw most of them. There is something I like about that. I also am very inspired by sign painters, folk artists, craft beer brewers and pretty much anyone that makes things by hand in an impractically slow way in small quantities. 

Thanks, Elana!

You can see more of her work and projects at fontlovestudio.com and see her work on the Light Grey shop here