Charlotte Street Foundation identifies the needs and fuels the evolution of an ever-changing multidisciplinary arts ecosystem, acting as its primary provocateur. We cultivate the contemporary, the exceptional, and the unexpected in the practice of artists working in and engaging with the Kansas City Art Community
Happy Spring to everyone! Spring is a time of renewal for all living things and I personally, am totally feeling it. This renewal is showing up in my artwork, garden, and daily life. It has been a crazy couple of months but I think that things are finally coming together.
Following the NCECA madness and it’s pre and post events I feel like I’ve been out of the studio for ever! It feels really good to be back at it full throttle. Before sharing more about whats been happening, please enjoy a couple images of from the show opening of, “Sheriff Joe and His Deputies.” This was the KU Alumni Ceramics show that was up during NCECA.
On the 24th of March Charlotte Street Foundation opened their second show of the Visiting Curator Series, “The One Thing That Can Save America.” The show is at Paragraph Gallery and the curator talk will be on April 30th (show closing). The show includes a good number of the Charlotte Street Residents from various media. I highly recommend checking out the show before the closing at the end of the month.
The exhibition, curated by Jessica Baran (Fort Gondo & Beverly Gallery, St Louis, MO) includes new works by visual artists Max Adrian, Hannah Carr, Molly Garrett, Paige Hinshaw and Lara Shipley. The Archive Collective and Paris of the Plains Podcast will occupy Project Space with new media installations made specifically for this exhibition. Writers Jason Preu, Danny Volin, and Lucas Wetzel have poetic and fictional work written during their residency periods collected in the publication “The One Thing That Can Save America,” which was also compiled and designed specifically for this exhibition.
I recently had two pieces in two group shows in Lawrence, KS. One show is at the Percolator. It is a fantastic show on climate change called, “Heating Up : Artists Respond to Climate Change.” The show will be up until April 23rd. There are many other events coordinated with the show like a panel discussion, poetry reading, environmental choreography and a Haskell Wetlands Restoration Day. More information can be found here.
https://www.facebook.com/events/234496763552499/
The piece above is my work from the show, “Heating Up.” It is made entirely of hemp. The natural color scheme is created by using undyed hemp in combination with naturally dyed hemp colored with local (Kansas/Missouri) medicinal plants. Below is a poem that I wrote for the work.
The Earth Doesn’t Need Us : We Need It
The second group show that I have a piece in is the annual Lawrence Arts Center Benefit Art Auction. The auction event is coming up on April 23rd. There are over 150 works in the show from regional and national artists of all media. It is a great one to check out, don’t miss stopping by the Lawrence Arts Center! The featured artist this year is Kris Kuksi.
Move Birch : Leaving a Mark hemp, wool, alpaca, bamboo
I just went out to San Francisco to visit my brother, sister-in-law and nephew. While I was out there I went to revisit an installation that I did during the Medicinal Art Tour over the summer. The photos below show the piece installed on the first day and how it is in its current state. I feel very humbled that it has been embraced and welcomed by the community there. I will be doing another one or two installations in San Francisco coming up in May.
Right before I left for San Francisco I was featured in a national knitting magazine, Knit.wear. I was the artist for the magazine’s “Finishing” article. I feel very honored to have been featured in this wonderful magazine. The photo that was featured was taken in Charlotte Street’s very own Paragraph Gallery. More information about the magazine, digital copies and tangible copies can be found at the following link.
http://www.interweavestore.com/knitwear-springsummer-2016
Right before heading back from San Francisco I heard back from Alex Anderson from KCMetropolis, Kansas City’s Online Journal of the Arts. He updated me that the interview he did with me was edited and uploaded to their website. I feel very good about the writing he did in response to our interview together. Please take a moment and read the article he wrote. I am very proud of it and excited to share it with you all. The article can be found at this link.
http://kcmetropolis.org/issue/march-30-2016/article/at-one-with-nature
Yesterday I installed one of weavings in Downtown KC at a site that I pass every day I go to the Charlotte Street Foundation Studios. Here are a couple images of the piece installed. It is made of hemp and wool that is either natural in color or colored with natural dyes. Go see the piece while you can, 7th and Walnut!
For now, it is back to the grind. Today until July is going to be crazy busy with many beautiful tasks. I am looking forward to what the Spring has to bring all of us here at Charlotte Street. We are all looking forward very much to opening up our studios to you and the general public on April 29th and 30th. Stay tuned for more information about open studios but mark it down in your calendars. You won’t want to miss the events scheduled for that weekend! Thank you so much for your time and reading our blog!
Live and Dye Naturally
Neil Goss
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