Iceland Residency Exhibition Opening + Sam Bosma Artist Talk!

Thanks to everyone who made it out to the opening reception of the Iceland Residency Exhibition! We had a fantastic time celebrating the show, the artwork, and meeting with all of you!

The Iceland Residency Exhibition features new collections of artwork by the fourteen particiapting artists in the 2014 Iceland Residency. They artists come from a wide variety of backgrounds, mediums, and locations, and have each created a unique series inspired by their travels, conversations, and collaborations.



The opening events began with an artist talk by award-winning illustrator and comic artist, Sam Bosma! Guests filed in to watch Sam present on some of his current projects, narrative works, and thoughts on illustration. The talk was followed by a quick Q & A, where attendees could ask Sam about his experience in illustration, working with art directors, and about some of his most well known works for Fantasy Basketball and Steven's Universe.

If you weren't able to make it for the talk, you can listen to the audio recording of the lecture on the Light Grey Podcast here.



After the lecture, we opened the doors for the reception and creatives meet + greet! There were tons of contributing artists attending, local creatives, and art lovers alike! If you missed the opening reception, you can see the flickr page and documentation of the works here! The show will be on display through June 26th if you would like to stop by and view the life size photographs, hand bound zines, and intricate originals! You can also find all of the artwork and limited edition pieces on the Light Grey Shop!



Mark your calendars for the next opening on July 3rd! We have the opening reception of Patches + Stitches and artist talk by Teagan White. You can find all of the details on the facebook event page.

The Iceland Residency Exhibition opening was sponsored in part by Sewerd Co-Op and the Wedge Co-Op.

Podcast: Dressing For Adventure

Download the MP3, stream directly on Stitcher, or subscribe via iTunes!

Dressing For Adventure
Length: 00:51:40
Synopsis: We've got travel, workshops, residencies, and more coming up in the very near future and on this week's podcast Lindsay, Jenny, and Chris talk about preparing for adventure. Starting with our questionable choice in clothing, we branch out into predicting and solving possible problems, avoiding danger, and being open to veering off the script. True adventure means encountering the unexpected, and we celebrate that chaotic fact before we embark on our own summer excursions!

Show Notes:
Why I Wear The Same Thing to Work Everyday
Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men And Mountains
Exploration & Inspiration: A Workshop With Teagan White
Iceland Residency
Light Grey Game Night

Podcast: Buried In Time

Download the MP3, stream directly on Stitcher, or subscribe via iTunes!

Buried In Time
Length: 01:03:10
Synopsis: On this week's podcast, Jenny FINALLY reveals what was buried in the shallow grave hidden in her backyard! This shocking revelation leads us into a conversation about time capsules, precious collections, and the importance of remembering, and why you should peep into stranger's windows at night.

Show Notes:
Let's Celebrate the Art of Clutter - The New York Times
Exploration & Inspiration: A Workshop With Teagan White
Iceland Residency
Light Grey Game Night

Light Grey Game Night: Panic Level

The odds are stacked against you and time is running out. Failure is knocking on the door, and it all comes down to this final roll. Griping the dice tightly in your first, you take a deep breath as your teammates look on in hopeless despair. You close your eyes and toss the dice...

The room is silent when you finally bring yourself to peak at the results. The silence is broken by an absurdly obtuse string of expletives because those @#$%&!-ING DICE CAN @#$%&!ING EAT MY @#&*-ING @*&$! THEY'RE @*$^&-ING CURSED I *#%&@-ING SWEAR IT! THIS GAME CAN @#$%* ME IN THE *@#$%-ING! I'M GOING THE @*#$% HOME, @!#$%& YOU!!!

That foul language must mean it's time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, June 11th from 6:30 - 9:30 pm!

As you might remember, we're attaching a theme to each night to help people narrow down what games they might want to bring (although you're still welcome to bring whatever you'd like!). This week's theme is Panic Level, where we play games that push us to work together to overcome overwhelming odds!

Work together to keep out the undead and expose the scheming traitor in Dead of Winter, roll fistfuls of dice to stamp out disease and death in Pandemic: The Cure, and beat the clock as you defend against alien invaders in XCOM, among plenty of others! If you have a favorite boardgame, bring it!

So grab your friends, family or favorite stack of board games, and come play with us! RSVP via our Facebook event, and feel free to share! The more the merrier!

Artist Interview: Zoe-Zoe Sheen

Meet Zoe-Zoe Sheen. Zoe-Zoe has been taking art classes since the age of 14, and is now a graphic designer, freelance illustrator, studio artist, and creative living and working in Los Angeles, CA. She has worked as a graphic designer for the Social Impact Space and Share Our Strength at GOOD Magazine. Her clients include Disney Nature, Bon Appétit, UNICEF, Toms, Star Wars, Microsoft, and UPS among others.

We are thrilled to talk with Zoe-Zoe today to share her unique and multidisciplinary studio practice, as well share her sources of inspiration, motivation, and upcoming projects! Zoe-Zoe has participated in several past Light Grey Exhibitions includes the Expletive Type Show and the recent Guts Exhibition, and the Make My Holiday Annual Art Swap! You can read more about Zoe-Zoe's practice below and follow her projects on her website here!

Could you tell me about your studio space? Where do you work, what materials are you surrounded by?

My studio space is a desk in the other half of my room. I post up notes and sketches from other current projects on my wall. I always have a watercolor/gouche project in progress, so that is always setup on the left of my desk. When I need more space, I'll work off the floor! I have materials for all kinds of projects: paints, brushes, pens/markers, drafting tools, stuff for dyeing textiles, stuff for sewing, fabrics/ felt, sculpey clay, sculpture tools, linocuts, other craft materials for things like jewelry, all kinds of watercolor/drawing papers, corrugated cardboard (cause you never know), drawing boards, easel, lightbox, plexiglass, wood panels, clamp lights, and more. It is all organized by type in drawers and flat files. I also have research materials like books or printouts.

Fun fact, I like to collect adorable "kawaii" things. I decorate with little vignettes around my room. I'll randomly make up narratives and voices when I pass by them. 



I see a lot of experimentation and play inherent in your work- Do you have a creative philosophy? What are you motivated/inspired by?

I'm a playful and curious person. It carries over into how I think and work. I do some projects just so I can mess around without any expectation. I’ll use whatever- charcoal, ink, acrylic, cardboard stamps to make messy patterns on newsprint or make silly characters out of sculpey. I want to have fun and continue honing skills. For my personal work, I try to create an experience, something that can incite wonder, curiosity or joy. 

My motivation is pretty simple: I love making work, illustrations, paintings, objects. I think about those things constantly especially when I’m away from my studio. I keep a notebook with me at all times and use my Evernote to build ideas- it keeps me excited about what is next. Narrowing down what inspires me is hard because there's a lot! The world is rich with things to learn, absorb, experience, that it's all reference material. I get excited about anything whimsical, things that strike me as having a bit of magic and hidden attributes. 



Could you talk a little about your approach to materials? There is a lot of cross over between illustration, design, and objects, and they all share a common sensibility.

Illustration is relatively new to me. I did a lot of vector based illustrations as a designer, and now I’m working on bringing in more experience from painting. I had teachers that strongly encouraged taking risks and experimentation- advice that goes really well with my curiosity. It's fun learning what a material can do, what its characteristics are, and how they interact. And when using Photoshop and Illustrator, I'll apply different combinations of brushes and gradients.

What has been your favorite piece to date? 

My first watercolor painting on wood panel I did about 7 years ago. Not really about the piece itself but what how I was working on it. It was the first piece where I experimented with a new process. It started me on a path of these large wood panels that I painted surreal figures in watercolor. I don't have the space to do those paintings now, but I think about them a lot. 



For the Guts exhibition, you were ask to investigate one subject and it's insides. Could you tell us about your concept and creation of your Guts work?

The connection between thought and physical embodiment is really weird to me. That something abstract like imagination and compassion can be contained into a squishy pale peach organ or how we view ourselves can be disparate with what we see in the mirror. My concept focused on dissociative disorders. In short, these disorders create a lack of connection between a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of self. Dissociative disorders have a wide range from gaps in memory to multiple identities.

For GUTS, I wanted to create a piece reminiscent of a scientific illustration with cross sections.  The first sketches I had looked very different, my original idea had a full figure in it, I also did some sketches using a sphere or pyramid. Once I locked down my composition I used tracing paper to refine details and color. I was originally going to do the illustration in gouache so I did some tests on paper. I realized I wanted to have a more flexible way of working so I switched to a hybrid of illustrator/photoshop/painted aspects. I used the tests I did to help inform how I wanted texture to work. The style of illustration for my Guts piece is a new thing I'm trying.  

What is your creative community like? Do you often get a chance to collaborate with other artists?

Mostly designers and painters. Since doing creative work can get solitary, it's nice when I get to work with other artists. So far I've collaborated mostly with my friends, a few I worked with on client based projects, so not everything was a personal project. I would love to collaborate with more illustrators though. It’s exciting to get people together with different interests and skills.


GOOD Magazine + UPS Small Business Collaboration

What are some of your other sources of inspiration? (books, media, artists, hobbies, etc.)

Animism has to be my favorite concept. It's why kawaii things are awesome. Minimal abstract paintings, toys, flowers, plants, the ocean, gradients, things that glow in the dark, fantasy illustration, cartoons, gestural patterns, pastel colors are some things that inspire me a lot. I frequent sites like Vimeo, Dribbble, Tumblr, Artsy, also Instagram has led me to artists I like.

What is your dream project? What would you love to do if time was no issue? 

Music and art videos. That is- if my dream project also came with a dream budget. I would like to create sets of stylized colorful worlds that I can choreograph weird narratives in with characters.

What projects do you have on the horizon? Where can people find your artwork?

Since I want to do into more editorial illustrations, I have a series on food I'd like to start. Right now I'm working on finishing a watercolor illustration of zombie arms scratching a record and a gouache abstract painting on wood.  I like to have a couple going on so I'm never bored. You can see my work at my portfolio site: zoezoesheen.com. I post a lot of process/fun stuff on my instagram (@zzsheen) and tumblr (twozee.tumblr.com).



Other thoughts or advice?

Have fun, if your not enjoying the work you do then something is out of balance and you might end up burned out. 

Thanks! Zoe-Zoe was one of the contributing artists to the Guts Exhibition. You can see this her work alongside the 60+ artists on the Light Grey website here!

Light Grey Game Night: Future Perfect

As you unplug from cyberspace and lower the blast shields on your ship's cockpit, you find yourself in the center of a stalemate between waring alien races... that must mean it's time for another Light Grey Game Night! Rev up your hyperdrive, brush up on your 1337 H@xOr skills, and update the firmware on your universal translator, because where we're going, we don't need roads... So mark your calendar for stardate Thursday, May 28th from 6:30 - 9:30 pm!

As you might remember, we're attaching a theme to each night to help people narrow down what games they might want to bring (although you're still welcome to bring whatever you'd like!). This week's theme is Future Perfect.

Survey the galaxy and conquer planets in Eminent Domain, commit futuristic larceny in Infiltration, defend against alien invaders in XCOM, or assemble a fast and nimble fleet to face off against your opponent in Star Realms, among plenty of others! If you have a favorite boardgame, bring it!

So grab your friends, family or favorite stack of board games, and come play with us! RSVP via our Facebook event, and feel free to share! The more the merrier!

Podcast: Sam Bosma Artist Talk

Download the MP3, stream directly on Stitcher, or subscribe via iTunes!

Sam Bosma Artist Talk
Length: 00:48:18
Synopsis: This week's podcast features Sam Bosma's artist lecture, which took place at Light Grey Art Lab this past Friday, prior to the Iceland Residency Exhibition Opening Reception. Sam Bosma is an illustrator and comic artist who's work has won awards from the Society of Illustrators, Spectrum Fantastic Art, and the Ignatz Committee, as well as being nominated for an Annie Award for his work on Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe. Sam talks about his progress as an artist, moving between illustration, animation, and comics, his process and inspirations, and more.

Show Notes:
Sam Bosma: Website - Tumblr - Twitter
Iceland Residency
Light Grey Game Night

Podcast: The New Crust

Download the MP3, stream directly on Stitcher, or subscribe via iTunes!

The New Crust
Length: 00:56:36
Synopsis: New and exciting things are always happening in the world of art; people are innovating, movements are happening, and ideas are being shared. On this week's podcast, Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris talk about ownership. When is an original idea no longer original, and when do you claim ownership over an idea, a piece of artwork, or an experience?

Show Notes:
Iceland Residency Opening Reception
Iceland Residency
Light Grey Game Night

Artist Interview: J Zachary Keenan

Meet J Zachary Keenan. Zach is an illustrator, designer, and art educator based in Minneapolis, MN. He is most known for his brand design, advertising, and hand typography. His work ranges from packaging to screen printing to animations and sound. He has worked with clients such as Readymade Magazine, the Walker Art Center, MPR, Target, Piece Studio, and many others. In addition to freelance projects, Zach is also teaching Design classes at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. We have had the pleasure of working with Zach on several exhibitions including HOT PARTY, the Expletive Show, You Can Do It, and the current Guts Exhibition.

His work is vibrant, playful, and filled with visual puns! We are thrilled to talk with Zach today about his studio practice, thoughts on illustration and design, and upcoming works! You can read the interview below, as well as see his work here: jzkeenan.com.



Hi Zach! Could you tell us about your studio? What materials do you most enjoy?

My current studio is small. And it fills up fast. I like having raw materials around that inspire me. Usually, my organization method is “stacks of things,” which gets out of hand sometimes. I have bins of markers and pens that I probably should have discarded because they no longer lay down a clean, crisp line. But the marks they make still hold value for me. I love how a tool affects the process of making. A sharp knife will cut but a dull knife can give an unexpected result. I try to find beauty in the unexpected.



What is your creative process like? How does your process differ depending on the medium you're using? How is it the same?

With illustration and design, my final products tend to be digital. So I try to keep the initial process analog for as long as possible. I alway start with a sketchbook and a pile of content that relates to the task at hand. I like to think that whatever the medium (ink, pixels, wood, plastic, sound, etc.) or the type of project(imagemaking,brand design, art direction), my aesthetic sensibility and critical thought provides a common thread throughout everything I do. I’m not sure if that’s true—I hope it is!

What inspires you? What imagery you are drawn towards using in your artwork, and what about it excites you?

Visually, I really enjoy folk art and old rural signage—from all different cultures. The creator maybe isn’t so classically trained, but she/he is driven and passionate about what they’re making. Visual communication, self expression and a person’s life experiences all come together to make that final beautiful thing. On a larger scale, I’m motivated by nature and the outdoors. I think nature is one of the few things that we all have in common.



What are your favorite creative resources?

Everything, seriously. The cities (MPLS/STP) are a great resource. There’s enough cultural institutions, libraries, food and good people around to help my head get unstuck. Can you talk about your idea and process for creating your piece for Guts? What inspired you? How did the idea form? What did you encounter in the process?

I knew immediately that I wanted to make something tactile. And I wanted to talk about “guts” in surreal and magical terms. I think I started with a pallet of images, colors and textures that I like, and then figured out how that could represent the theme. I also wanted to present a contrast between natural textures ( the wood from the tree) and bright, saturated colors. Whenever I have the chance to work in 3D space, I look for ways to work 2D elements into the piece. I really love pattern, especially on a surface where the physical attributes have an effect the graphic. The whole process was a complete experiment. I had a clear image in my head of what I wanted to make, but I had never worked with a lot of the materials that were used to make the final piece.



Are you working on any exciting projects? What are some of your "dream projects" that'd you'd really like to work on?

I just started developing some creative concepts for a food truck. What a wonderful canvas to work with! I’d really love to do more super large scale work, in environment or retail, where pattern and material ideas could be let loose in a big space. I don’t know what that would be, specifically. But somebody should get a hold of me if they do.

Thanks, Zach!

You can see Zach's piece for the Guts Exhibition on the Light Grey website here! You can also follow Zach's work on his website and follow new projects on tumblr.

Iceland Residency Exhibition Sneak Peek!

Mark your calendars for the next opening reception and event, May 22nd from 7-10pm!

We are proud to present a two-part reception and creatives meet + greet featuring the Iceland Residency Exhibition, as well as a public artist talk by celebrated comic artist, Sam Bosma!


Preview by Maike Plenzke

The Iceland Residency Exhibition features new work, prints, originals, and books by the fourteen artists who participated in last year's residency. In August 2014, we traveled through Southern Iceland, exploring the landscape, making artwork, and sharing our unique practices through workshops and conversations.

Artists include Bryan Paul Patterson, Chris Hajny, Claire Hummel, Colin Foran, Gloria Pizzilli, Jenny Bookler, Kali Ciesemier, Maike Plenzke, Manuel Kilger, Meg Munt, Mike Freeman, Lindsay Nohl, Sam Bosma, and Teagan White.


Preview by Bryan Paul Patterson

The artist talk will be from 7-8pm, then stick around to view all of the artwork and say hello! You can find more information on the Iceland Residency Exhibition Facbeook page here! Prints and pieces will be available on the Light Grey Shop starting May 22nd!


Preview by Manuel Kilger

The event is sponsored in part by Seward Co-Op and The Wedge.

Podcast: Talking Guts With Pajau Vangay

Download the MP3, stream directly on Stitcher, or subscribe via iTunes!

Talking Guts With Pajau Vangay
Length: 00:43:39
Synopsis: As our current exhibition, Guts: What Lies Within, comes to a close, we decided to take the topic in a more literal direction, and reached out to Pajau (PJ) Vangay, a researcher who's working on her PhD in Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology. A lot of PJ's research revolves around our guts, or more specifically the microbes within them. On this week's podcast Lindsay and Jenny pick PJ's brain about all kinds of guts-related topics, like how our fixation on cleanliness might be changing our bodies, fecal transplants, how your microbiome might shape your life more thank you know, and how your pets can help build a microbiological bridge to a loved one, and more.

Show Notes:
Knights Lab
Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues
Iceland Residency Opening Reception
Iceland Residency
Guts
Light Grey Game Night

Artist Interview: Daniel Shaffer

Meet Daniel Shaffer. Daniel is an illustrator living and working in Baltimore, MD. Daniel is know for his colorful illustrations and narrative images. His work has been shown in various galleries and recognized by the Society of Illustrators. Daniel has participated in the BOSS RUSH! Guts, and upcoming COSMOS projects with Light Grey Art Lab, and we are thrilled to showcase his artwork! You can read all about his expriences, resources, and thougts on illustration. You can also see more of Daniel's artwork on his website and blog here!

Hi Daniel. Could you tell me about yourself?

I grew up in a city called Decatur which rests right outside of Atlanta, GA. I have really fond memories of Decatur and the neighborhood I grew up in. Decatur is lush with vegetation and tall oak trees and it smells really beautiful during the Spring and Fall. As a kid I was always using my imagination to become dinosaurs and animals, and I was interested in drawing and painting from imagination. I pretty much knew I wanted to be an artist when I was in Elementary school. After high school I attended the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) for four years and got my BFA last May. It took me a year in college to figure out that I wanted to become an illustrator.

You recently participated in the BOSS RUSH Exhibition, and much of your artwork in inspired by video games and media. Could you talk a little about your inspiration- are you attracted to the characters, story lines, bad guys, etc?

The BOSS RUSH! Exhibition was actually a turning point for me stylistically. I think once I graduated from college, I felt like I had a ticking clock behind me to get jobs so I started making a mad flurry of work. During this time I made a massive amount of experimental illustrations with shifting subject matter and style. At one point I was working completely flat and was pretty inspired by Joan Cornella's comics. I have always enjoyed gross humor so it was fun to paint a lot of butts and blood. What I really love though is color and atmosphere. I decided that my love for video games would be a good conduit for creating illustrations that pushed those two themes. When I saw the BOSS RUSH! call for artists I jumped on the opportunity because I thought it would be a good way to push myself to create a more polished piece than the illustrations I had been making prior. From there I decided to continue making movie and game related pieces because I knew that the passion was already there so all I had to do was create the image that I wanted.

Majora's Mask for BOSS RUSH!

Your work includes lots of playful characters, humorous scenarios, and dramatic moments. Could you talk a little about storytelling and image making. What is most compelling to you when creating artwork?

I grew up watching cartoons and anime so I was exposed to a lot of different ways to tell a story through images. Studio Ghibli had a really big impact on me as a developing artist and as a growing boy. The movie Princess Mononoke was a treasure trove of inspiration. In the third grade my friend rented the movie at a sleep over and I watched it for the first time. I don't think my mom would have been too happy that I had watched such a violent movie, but I couldn't stop thinking about it- I felt like it was one of the greatest creations known to man. I remember running as fast as I could through the little forest behind my school pretending I was running with wolves. So much of the world was unknown to me so I had to make up what I believed could be true. I think that's what's so compelling about making artwork. You get to create whatever you want in your own way.

Princess Mononoke

What is your favorite piece/project to date? What do you want to work on more?

I think my favorite piece that I've made was my tribute to Princess Mononoke. Not because it's dedicated to Princess Mononoke, but because it was a piece where I felt like I had unlocked something in myself that made the piece flow really well for me. It was one of the first times that developing the composition, colors, and lighting felt really natural to me and I just kind of knew what needed to be done. I definitely would like to continue doing tribute pieces, but I would also like to start working on my own children's book.

For the Guts Exhibition, you were tasked with investigating the insides of something. Could you tell us about that project, what you uncovered, and what you wanted to share?

For the Guts Exhibition I decided to choose the mythological Cosmic Turtle as my subject matter. Commonly in the mythology surrounding this creature, the turtle is swimming in space while holding a flat earth on its back that is being supported by four white elephants. Terry Pratchett actually wrote a series called Discworld that takes place on the earth that is supported by a cosmic turtle. I have yet to read the series, but it sounds really interesting. I decided to put a twist on the myth by making the action take place within the shell of a turtle creature instead of on top. I liked the idea of the shell creating a micro system of entities and foliage, while also protecting an entire universe which is represented by the white orb in the center. I thought this provided an interesting concept that could indicate an infinite number of cosmic turtles holding an infinite number of universes and how fragile this system is. It's scary and interesting to think about how the death of one Cosmic turtle could affect all the others that lie within it.

Protecting Life (Cosmic Turtle) for the Guts Exhibition

Could you describe your creative community? Locally or online? What things do you look for in a community?

At the moment I am still living in Baltimore right next to the MICA campus. I live in an apartment with artist and friend

Matt Rockefeller

. A lot of this past year has been dedicated to Matt and I working alongside each other in our in home studio. We often give each other feedback on the projects we're working on and also take breaks to go outside or play through different video games. At the end of June I am going to be moving back home in Decatur, GA to save some money. I will have lived in Baltimore for 5 years so the shift back home will be an interesting change for me. Community is still a concept that I'm learning about and take for granted. I was born with a chemical imbalance that makes my anxiety levels sky rocket pretty easily so I typically maintain a pretty small group of friends so that I'm not over stimulated. With that said, I think I need to be surrounded by an artistic community/atmosphere that share some of my core values in life. It also helps if my community is surrounded by lots of vegetation and animals! I would much prefer my view of the sky to be blocked by trees than blocked by buildings.

As an young illustrator, what is the most valuable piece of information/advise you have received?

I'm not sure if anyone ever specifically told this to me or if I just decided it was good advice on my own, but I would say the most valuable advice for me has been to just keep making work. I have only grown after making hundreds of things. The journey is often difficult and can sometimes feel hopeless, but I have found that as long as I keep producing work I will grow and improve as an artist.

Arrival

What are some of your biggest sources of inspiration? (books, media, places, games, people, etc.)

As I mentioned before, Studio Ghibli has had a profound influence on me. Beyond that I would also say that Calvin and Hobbes influenced my thinking about the world. I was introduced to Calvin and Hobbes as a little kid. My dad bought me one of the compilation books that has lots of comics in it and I was immediately hooked. I really love how Bill Watterson writes his characters. There is something that is just so charming about the world that Calvin and Hobbes live in. It always makes me happy to read his comics.

What projects do you have in the works? What direction do you see yourself going in the next year to two? Any dream projects?

I'm in a transition period at the moment, so I don't have any specific projects in the works. I have been working on a collection of zines with my friends Boya Sun and

Matt Rockefeller

that will have the work of a bunch of different artists in them. The title of the collection is Bloom, and it won't be finished for a while due to the number of zines and artists we're working with. There will be more information about that in the future though. As for my direction, I would say that I want to head into book publishing in some form. I also want to do editorial work, so I'll be building up clientele to work with in the coming months. In the future I would like to work on my own children's book. I have wanted to do that since I was a little kid. I'll be working on a story in the near future!

Thanks, Daniel!

You can find more of his work on his

website,

blog

, and the Cosmic Tuttle piece on the

Light Grey shop here!

The Guts Exhibition will be on display and online through May 15th.

Podcast: Take Your Pick

Download the MP3, stream directly on Stitcher, or subscribe via iTunes!

Take Your Pick
Length: 00:54:03
Synopsis: The summer is almost upon us, and people are thinking about new jobs, new paths, and new projects! With half of us being teachers, there's a lot of questions and anticipation flying around and it's got us thinking; how much agency do you really have when starting, and advancing, your professional career? On this week's podcast, Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris talk about searching out options, making goals, knowing what's right for you, and happy circumstances.

Show Notes:
Iceland Residency Opening Reception
Iceland Residency
Guts
Light Grey Game Night

Light Grey Game Night: Master Plan

Deep in your heart, you know you've got what it takes. You've got the drive, the foresight, the resources... and most importantly, you've got a master plan. That must mean it's time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, May 14th from 6:30 - 9:30 pm!

As you might remember, we're attaching a theme to each night to help people narrow down what games they might want to bring (although you're still welcome to bring whatever you'd like!). This week's theme is Master Plan. That wonderful moment you survey the board near the end of a long, hard-fought game, and realize that the last piece of your Master Plan™ is about to click into place. And there's (hopefully) nothing your opponents can do about it.

So come prepared to unleash your grand strategies as you outflank your enemy in Kemet, scheme behind the scenes in Lords of Waterdeep, or team up to save the world from destruction in XCOM: The Board Game, among plenty of others! If you have a favorite boardgame, bring it!

So grab your friends, family or favorite stack of board games, and come play with us! RSVP via our Facebook event, and feel free to share! The more the merrier!

Podcast: Everything Is A Waste of Time Except It's Not

Download the MP3, stream directly on Stitcher, or subscribe via iTunes!

Everything Is A Waste of Time Except It's Not
Length: 00:51:07
Synopsis: On this week's podcast, Jenny, Chris, and Lindsay talk about what, if anything, constitutes a waste of time? How do you balance and keep from dedicating too much time to anything unworthy of your master plan? We touch on failed projects vs experimentation, recreation vs practice, and planning vs execution, plus a whole lot more.

Show Notes:
Guts
Light Grey Game Night

Iceland Residency Exhibition Opening + Artist Talk with Sam Bosma

Mark your calendars for our newest exhibition and upcoming events, May 22nd from 7-10pm!

We welcome you to attend a public artist talk and lecture by New York based illustrator and comic artist, Sam Bosma from 7-8pm. The talk will be followed by the opening reception and creatives Meet + Greet! You can find all of the details on the facebook event page here!



About the Exhibition:

Iceland is home of some of the world’s most interesting vegetation, mythological spaces, dramatic landscapes, and creeping glaciers. Every inch of rock is a reminder of the violent history of the land, and every moss formation a reminder of the intricate and sublime life forms that thrive on the volcanic ash. Iceland draws you in with boiling earth pots, waterfalls, wild horses, and coastal creatures- it is a landscape full of inspiration, mystery, and intrigue.

In August 2014, Light Grey Art Lab brought fourteen diverse artists to explore Southern Iceland - to adventure together, create artwork, coteach, and collaborate. The Residency experience provided a platform for unbridled creative and natural exploration. Opening May 22nd, Light Grey Art Lab is proud to present Iceland Residency Exhibition, showcasing collections of new artwork made in response to the Iceland Residency, reflecting on personal experience, growth, and new perspective.


Preview photograph by Bryan Paul Patterson

The artwork will include original paintings, printmaking, and illustrations, as well as large format and experimental photography, zines, artist books, and more! The exhibition features new work by Bryan Paul Patterson, Chris Hajny, Claire Hummel, Colin Foran, Gloria Pizzilli, Jenny Bookler, Kali Ciesemier, Lindsay Nohl, Maike Plenzke, Manuel Kilger, Meg Hunt, Mike Freeman, Sam Bosma, and Teagan White.

PATCHES + STITCHES Artists Announced!

A huge welcome to all of the artists selected to participate in the upcoming Patches + Stitches Exhibition! Mark your calendars for July 3rd for a very special two-part opening reception and artist talk with local illustrator,Teagan White! Teagan is participating on the Patches side and will be leading a lecture and 2.5 day workshop that weekend, July 3rd-5th. You can see all of the details on the workshop here! More details for the exhibition and opening coming soon!.

Patches + Stitches Artists:

Aidan Vitti
Amanda Brown
Ashley Hohnstein
Angi Pauly Llobet
Asia Scott
Britt Hutchinson
Cai Vail
Chris Stavitsky
Chelsey Hughes
Christian Moser
Christopher Hegland
Claire Hummel
Daniel Fishel
Emory Allen
Glen Lowry
Hannah Culbert
James Lavella
Janelle Gramling
Jason Norman
Jonathan Randazzo
Kim Ku
Leigh Luna
Lillian Duermeier
Lindsay Nohl
Mira Ko
Patricia Thomasson
Rhys Jones of Lowwbones
Rob Krete
Rory Phillips
Sam Gerstner
Sarah Hedlund
Sarah Julson
Teagan White
Theresa Ptak
TJ Kelley III
Adam Pritchett
Agnieszka Grochalska
Alanna Stapleton
Alexxander Dovelin
Anika Starmer
Anne Ulku
Ashley Yazdani
Chloe Giordano
Clarissa Bean
Courtney Wirth
Eloise Biddlecombe
Erika Rier
Erin Lux
Francesca Gabrielle
Jenny Bookler
Josh Weatherlake
Kara Beckner
Kate Walsh
Katlyn Griffin
Kayla Wasil
Lana Crooks
Linda Winder
Luisa Uribe
Mackenzie Mollo
Meg Hunt
Melissa Stanley
Natalie Rowe
Rachel Frankel
Rachel Wingard
Rob Krete
Rosa sj Chang
Savannah Schroll Guz
Shanalee Hampton
Shiela Laufer
Suzanne Long
Toni Hall
Ulana Zahajkewycz
Vanessa Port
Yinfan Huang

Guts all over the walls! Recap of the GUTS exhibition opening reception.

Thanks to everyone that came by for the GUTS opening reception!

Hey! Thanks to all the awesome artists and visitors that made the GUTS opening a huge success! We had gorgeous weather, an awesome feature in the City Pages A-list section (Thanks so much, Jessica Armbruster, for the shout out!), and slew of people wanting to come out and dissect all sorts of topics with us!

Featured Artist, Lana Crooks, came out for the event in full force, staying to eat donuts and chat on the podcast with us. I have to say, it was an incredible time in the days leading up to the exhibition when we watched everything come together all at once.

Take a peek at all the photos from the night HERE!


Time to explore the insides! "Exposure" by Kristina Drake

If you haven't had a chance to take a look at all of the pieces in the exhibition, now is the time. There's a great mix of 2d and 3d, lots of literal and metaphor heavy work in the show and plenty of things that will quench your thirst for knowledge. The show will be up through May 15th - and you'll have plenty of time to check out the work either online or in person.

All of the delightful specimens are up on the shop through the 15th!


Thanks, everyone, for stopping in!


Doors open, great weather, great company.


Walls lined with guts of all types: (from left to right) "Missing You" by Lindsay Anne Watson,"Mummified" by Maggie Ivy, "Cosmos" by Brandon Robertson, "A Floating Home Deconstructed" by Philippe Poirier, "The Planetarium Hypothesis" by Chris Kindred

Definitely stop by and say hello if you're in the neighborhood!

2.5 Day workshop with Teagan White! July 3-5th!

Join us for an awesome new workshop led by illustrator, Teagan White!
Registration is open to locals and travelers - full list of details or to sign up, click here.

EXPLORATION & INSPIRATION
An illustration workshop with Teagan White
http://teaganwhite.com

July 3 - 5th (Friday Night, Saturday and Sunday)
18 spots available

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THE WORKSHOP:
This workshop is open to locals and travelers! We believe that the best way to expand your creative practice is by connecting with other like-minded people in an environment that promotes exploration, innovation and discovery.

In this new 2.5 day workshop, illustrator Teagan White will share her perspective on what it’s like being an artist committed to two very distinct working styles, both influenced by her connection with the natural world, and why she makes exploration and discovery out in the wild environments of Minnesota a necessary part of her practice. Participants will be encouraged to explore their own stylistic spectrum, look to new sources of experiential inspiration to fuel a new body of work, and learn new ways of expanding their practice authentically through a series of demonstrations, discussions and studio sessions, both out in the (literal) field during a day at Lake Maria State Park and at Light Grey Art Lab.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Teagan White’s artist lecture and Q&A session on Friday Night at Light Grey Art Lab
• Meet other Twin Cities creatives at the Patches & Stitches Exhibition opening reception and Meet & Greet
• Artists wishing to diversify their practice will be prompted to engage with previously unexplored techniques, styles, or concepts
• Artists with multiple "styles” will gain insight into ways of promoting the spectrum of their capabilities and balancing a multi-faceted career.
• Travel to gorgeous Lake Maria State Park for a series of exploratory art-making sessions and time out in the field as Teagan discusses how the natural world influences our creativity.
• Participate in outdoor (and internal) exploratory sessions to help stimulate ideas for new projects and ways of working.
• Revealing the our personal authenticity and bringing our personal passions into every aspect of our practice.
• Opt in to barbecue and bike to the fireworks in Minneapolis with the Light Grey Crew and local artists on Saturday, July 4th.
• Explore alternative ways of making during demos and studio sessions.
• Chat with Teagan about your personal practice during one-on-one working sessions.

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Teagan White is a freelance illustrator specializing in intricate drawings of flora and fauna, playful watercolors of animal characters, and illustrated typography. Her clients have included Target, Papyrus, American Greetings, Penguin Random House, Disney Hyperion, Nike, Honda, Ford, Wired Magazine, and the Washington Post. She lives and works in Minnesota, where she spends her free time following tangled animal paths through forest and field, attempting to befriend gulls on rocky lakeshores, picking wildflowers, and collecting animal bones.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL DETAILS / REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Podcast: Talking With Lana Crooks

Download the MP3, stream directly on Stitcher, or subscribe via iTunes!

Talking With Lana Crooks
Length: 00:53:18
Synopsis: The Guts exhibition is finally here, and on this week's podcast we talk to featured artist Lana Crooks. Lana is a member of the OhNo!Doom collective and gallery director for Clutter Gallery. She constructs creatures from fabrics and found objects as a textile sculptor and purveyor of faux specimens and soft curiosities. We talk with Lana about everything from her past, her process, her thoughts on mixing client work and gallery work, and much, much more.



Show Notes:
Lana Crooks : Website - Instagram - Twitter - Facebook - Shop
OhNo!Doom
Every Day Original
Rotofugi
Stranger Factory
Designer Toy Awards
DesignerCon
Chicago Drink & Draw

Guts
Light Grey Game Night