We hit the road (drove to the airport) and made our way to Boston. What a great town. We checked out the Contemporary Museum and the Harvard Art Gallery-both every nice. The highlight for me was the new Whole Foods grocery store where there is a most lovely yellow Art-o-mat machine. Again my wares where nowhere to be found but that was because I SOLD OUT!!!!! I did make a purchase from my friend Victoria Brown, who hosts the “mats” in in New Mexico. And a few days after we got back home, my inventory card arrived with my stats from Boston–yippee! Now back to work.
Whole Foods Art-o-mat Boston
Art-o-mat inventory card
Back in May I became obsessed with the Art-o-mat project–
http://www.artomat.org/
I did get accepted–yippee! and in Nov, I received my first check–yippee again. I am not looking to make a ton of money from these sales but I have joyed my interactions with the machines. The whole concept is fun for the artist and recipient of the art. I am blown away by being included in the “mat” at the SMITHSONIAN!!!!
Art-o-mat locations/inventory list
I have made a point to check out the “mats” when on the road. So far, my path has not crossed a machine containing with my work but I am nothing if not persistent! Here are the “mats” I’ve visited in 2014:
Mulvane Gallery Topeka KS
“Cave-mat” Santa Fe, NM
Community Convention Center
“Mat-hilda” at El Centro Santa Fe, NM
WOW! What a fun show. This was amazing on lots of levels. I was accepted to event in the first place was wonderful then to make it out to Santa Fe and back to Kansas City without too much difficulty in my 2005 “Clown Car” (with newly installed cruise control) was equally astounding. This is the first time we’ve been to New Mexico in Dec–beautiful weather except fog in Texas (aren’t they having a drought?!?!) I found out at my booth space would be bigger than expected, so that required a bigger setup than I had planned. Like some crazy game of “Tetris” in the back end of my hatchback, the car was loaded AND we could see out of the rear window, mostly. In Santa Fe and at the event I met up with some friends and met new vendors and customers who were delightful. At one point all the people at my booth had a Kansas City connection! Here’s the summery in photos.
Trunk with booth set up
Rearranging the Deck Chairs on the Titanic
Booth display
Here’s what I’ve been doing lately. I should be focusing on smaller items for the Recycle Santa Fe event in a WEEK! Instead I’ve been obsessed with these belts made from bike chain. I’ve made these three,so I think I’ve got it out of my system for now. I do like them but they use up a lot of links in the process. Back to the basement to bust up more chain. If you are in the Sante Fe area, the show is Dec 5,6,7–please visit.
http://recyclesantafe.org/
Bike Link Belts
There is a fabulous hardware store in Kansas City–Harry Epstein’s at 8th & Central. What a great store–much more than hardware. They have tools, hardware and military surplus from all over the world. They have a cache of vintage military flatware (mostly forks) from WWI. They are big and clunky–probably awful for eating but great for other purposes.
First thing I thought of when I saw the fork with the hole in the handle was how cool it could be as a bracelet. The steel proved to be quite stout and actually brittle- I broke off one tine and the tip off another. This bracelet requires a strong grip to manage the clasp and a small wrist to wear it.
Second inspiration came from the upcoming centennial celebration of Kansas City’s Union Station which happens to be located just north of the Nation World War I Museum. The pendant is cut from the fork handle. The red crystals represent poppies from Flanders Field (read the poem).
Finally,with the Halloween season soon upon us, it seemed like the orphaned fork tine and a decapitated fork would be appropriate for more sinister adornment. I made a fang-like pendant and earrings.
