FA Gallery opening Dec. 19

Igor Tishin & Erik Formoe

Anatomical Formula

Western Portraits

(Paintings on Wood and Canvas)

19.12.2010 - 15. 1. 2011

The opening ceremony on Sunday19December 7:00pm

 
FA Gallery is honored to invites you to participate in an artistic workshop offered by two European artists, Igor Tishin from Belarus residing in Belgium and Erik Formoe from Norway.

The workshop will run for two days starting Monday 20th December 2010, where the artists will show their experiences by using live model. Both artists will brief the participants on how to deal with the human body in a contemporary and modern way, in addition to identifying the coloring techniques. This will train participants on how to prepare a painting and the early stages of constructing a portrait and drawing sketches before entering in the process of drawing directly on the canvas or cardboard.

Igor and Eric are very well-known in terms of the artistic scope in Europe. Both had global participations and won many important awards from various international countries, their work is currently displayed in a number of museums, in addition to their participation in international biennials and auctions such as the Venice Biennale and the Biennale in Cairo and Spain, among others.

The workshop will be a great and vital opportunity for artists, students and art lovers to learn about the experiences of the two guests.

"FA Gallery" will open a joint exhibition of the artists on Sunday 19th December at 7:30pm, titled "Anatomical Formula?.

Up on completion of the workshop FA Gallery will present a certificate signed by Eric and Igor.


Subscription fees:

80 KD, paid in advance. (Special discount for students).

Materials required:

- FA Gallery will provide canvas, cartoon and papers only.

-  Participants should bring their own drawing board and colors (charcoal, pencil, acrylic, watercolor or oil, etc).

Time:

4 pm - 8: 30 pm including half hour coffee break

Note: seats are limited, first come first serve.


Nouf AL,ammari

P.R Consultant.

FA Gallery- Modern and Contemporary Art

Owned by OTB Creative Concepts

Kuwait:

Tel:      00965 22 49 5971

Fax:     00965 22 47 0055

Mobile: 00965 99860830

Email: libro_nf81@hotmail.com <mailto:libro_nf81@hotmail.com>

P.O.Box 27869 Safat 13139 Kuwait

Souq Al Watanyiah , Fourth Floor, Office 405-406

Sultan Gallery opening Dec. 20

Sultan Gallery cordially invites you for the opening of 'And We Were Together Speaking Through Silence' - an exhibition in collaboration with Cuadro Fine Art Gallery by Manal Al Dowayan from the 20th of December until the 6th of January, 2011.
 

The opening will be held on Monday 20th December from 7 - 9 PM in the presence of the artist.

19th Dec 2010 - Gallery Tilal - Sabhan Adam Exhibition

Dar Al Funoon opening Dec. 15

Dar Al Funoon and JAMM have the pleasure to invite you the preview and book launch of Reza Derakshani on Wednesday the 15th of December 2010 at 6 pm in Dar Al Funoon.

The artist will be present to launch his book in Kuwait and will have a book signing session during the previews.

Modern Arab Art conference December 14-17 in Doha, Qatar

The Museum of Modern Arab Art is expected to be completed in 2011.

The Association for Modern and Contemporary Art of the Arab World, Iran, and Turkey (AMCA) is organizing its first conference, titled “Modern Arab Art: Objects, Histories, and Methodologies.” This two-day event will be hosted in collaboration with Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Qatar, and will take place December 14–17, 2010, in conjunction with the museum’s inauguration events.

The museum will use its preeminent collection of modern and contemporary Arab art as a catalyst for critical and creative exchanges across diverse audiences, and this conference will bring together both established and emerging scholars working throughout the world in order to interrogate potent issues of concern that define and shape modern Arab art today. The conference will also historicize and contextualize the production of modern Arab art and modernity—and by extension the “contemporary”—through thematic and historiographic inquires into the field.

no ban on DSLR cameras!

haha, now the Kuwait Times admits it never verified the info and printed a false story! typical Kuwait! http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MzAwMTg4ODg1

DSLR cameras banned in Kuwait??!!???!!

Multi ministry camera ban frustrates artists

Published Date: November 20, 2010
By Abdullah Al-Qattan, Staff Writer 

KUWAIT: After the ban three ministries placed on photography, most Kuwaiti youth are a bit confused about what to do with their cameras if they can't use them in public and why such laws were implemented in the first place. The Ministry of Information, Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Finance recently came to the conclusion that photography should be used for journalism purposes only. This has resulted in the ban of Digital Single Lens Reflex Cameras (DSLRs) in public, on the streets and in malls
.

What most Kuwaiti photographers have come to wonder is how such a decision could be reached by authorities, especially considering that digital cameras and cell phone cameras have the same abilities. What most people think of photography as a hobby has become a bit misguided due to the fact that the country has so little exposure to art. While using a DSLR, passersby may wonder if the camera is being used for the wrong reasons.

Mohammed Al-Eisa, who picked up photography as a hobby more than 10 years ago, said that he has decided to take photos of animals or still life due to the fact that these subjects don't mind having their picture taken and don't make a scene. "I started facing problems the very first day I bought my camera," Mohammed added.

What often happens is that a big black camera tends to worry people. Taking a picture of a stranger would seem like much less of an issue if you were using a more discreet camera or even a cell phone. Mariam Al-Fodiry said that she has faced similar problems with her hobby and that being a girl doesn't help at all. She said that in some cases it makes the problem even worse. "Switching to abstract and landscape photography was one the options I considered after getting into enough trouble," Mariam said.

Majed Al-Saqer said that sometimes people stop him while he is in his car with his camera, as if he were planning to kill someone with it. He said that he isn't sure what the real problem is, whether it is people taking photos of each other or the size of the camera.

original stories: 
http://www.248am.com/mark/kuwait/cameras-and-photography-banned-in-kuwait/
 http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MzAwMTg4ODg1

14 young Iranian artists

Dar Al Funoon has the pleasure to invite you to I Am Not Half the Man I Used to Be an exhibition by 14 young Iranian Artists on Monday the 22nd of November 2010 at 7pm. The show continues to December 9th.

Dar Al Funoon Gallery

Al Watiah, Behbehani compound, House #28

Kuwait, Kuwait

"I Am Not Half the Man I Used to Be" presents a selection of works by 14 artists and examines how artists as human beings in an Islamic society can flourish their goals despite the seeming restrictions which are imposed upon them by their society and traditions.

Artists presented in this show are: Reza Abedini, Samira alikhanzadeh, Saba Alizadeh, Azarakhsh Asgari, behroo bagheri, Ghazel, Babak Golkar, Ghazaleh Hedayat, Mahboube Karamli, Mandana Moghddam, Romisa Sakaki, Behrang Samadzadegan, Eilya Tahamtani, Houri Yaghoubi

Ai Weiwei’s studio party cancelled?

Read the full article and see more photos at:   Ai Weiwei’s studio party cancelled? Art Radar was there | Art Radar...

Art Radar Asia  Posted on November 9, 2010

So the media thought the Ai Weiwei party was cancelled … but it wasn’t. Only a handful of the press were there – Reuters, South China Morning Post, Le Monde and a few others. A few hundred people turned up to the artist’s studio, which served as a venue for music, food, overnight residence and political presentation.

As controversial Beijing artist Ai Weiwei remained under house arrest in Beijing for planning a protest party, his “party of politics” went into full swing at his soon to be demolished $1.1m (£670,000) studio in the Jiading district of Shanghai. It was an ironic celebration of the decision made by authorities to tear the building down after they had persuaded him to build it. Ai publicly cancelled his party via Twitter and through the media on Saturday. He led the authorities to believe it wasn’t happening, only for it to go ahead on Sunday afternoon from 12pm.

People had travelled from far across China, staying and sleeping at his studio from Wednesday to secure a place at the long dining table, which crossed the central courtyard. The feast included dishes of stewed beef, pork and asparagus, fresh bread, white rice and the promised 10,000 local river crabs. Local chefs and kitchen-hands made and served the food from a small room at the front of the building, viewed through an open window which turned into a public viewing platform.

The crabs, considered a local delicacy, were used at the party as a jibe at officialdom. In Chinese, the word for river crab, hexie, sounds very similar to that for “harmony”, the ideological buzzword of the current regime referencing the censorship of China. It is a word that is frequently used ironically by Chinese Internet users, and here is used in reference to the “harmonising” of Ai’s new studio. As the crabs were served, people started to chant repeatedly, “For a harmonised society eat river crabs…”, whilst smiling and laughing, considering it a personal yet political joke.
At one stage, a young teenage boy held up a handmade sign making his own personal protest, only to quickly be patted on the head by an elder and told to think clearly about his actions. Later on in the day, the commercial reality of the event set in as the organisers sold books and large photographic portrait posters by Ai. These posters were held up by individuals as another form of visual protest, explicitly referencing back to the propaganda posters used during the Cultural Revolution in China in the 1970s.

Only a handful of Westerners were present at the event where the atmosphere was jovial, although there was a serious undercurrent filled with the negative possibilities of what could occur that day, making you realise the local and global presence and power of not only Ai, but the authorities.

At the end of the event questions remained. Will river crab become a banned food in China? And would consuming this delicacy mean that you hold subversive intent against the authorities?

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei says house arrest over

AFP - Chinese artist Ai Weiwei said Monday he was no longer under house arrest, after police confined him to his home for three days to stop him from attending an event at his Shanghai studio set for demolition.

Ai, 53, is one of China's most famous and controversial artists, who currently has an exhibition at London's Tate Modern. He also is an outspoken critic of the country's Communist rulers.

"My house arrest was supposed to last until midnight last night. In fact, the police left at about 11:00 pm," Ai told AFP.

The action against Ai comes amid a widespread crackdown on dissidents, lawyers and professors after jailed writer Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last month.

While the artist was not allowed to leave his home over the weekend, others including reporters were able to visit him.

Ai had planned a feast for supporters at his Shanghai studio on Sunday as an ironic celebration of a decision by authorities to demolish the building -- despite having originally asked him to build it.

Supporters said on Twitter that hundreds had shown up at the studio.

original source:

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei says house arrest over

China’s Taoism Revival?

my favorite Taoist temple anywhere (photo above), mostly because of the otherworldly spectacle of its annual festival, the Qingshan Temple (or 'dark bluish green' Mountain Temple) is hidden between apartment buildings just down the street from my old domicile in Taipei, at the end of Snake Alley, behind the much more famous Lungshan Temple (Dragon Mountain Temple) and surrounded by a dozen other Buddhist and Taoist temples.  If you want to see real Taoism, head to Taiwan or Hong Kong, but there seems to be a revival happening on the Mainland (read New York Times recent article  China’s Taoism Revival), although from what I've seen, it is much more about tourist dollars than anything else.

Pretty Green Bullet | The Exhibition

Sultan Gallery cordially invites you for the opening of 'PrettyGreenBullet|The Exhibition' - an exhibition by Ghadah AlKandari from 9th-11th November,2010.

The opening of the exhibition is on 9th November from 7-9pm.

Ai Weiwei, Artist and Activist, Under House Arrest in Beijing

China's 'One World One Dream' becomes clearer as they pressure European nations to boycott the Nobel ceremony next month in Oslo and to refrain from congratulating Mr. Liu on the award denouncing the Nobel Peace Prize is a ‘Card’ of West.  At the same time, house arrests of other prominent figures intensifies including House Arrest For Rights Lawyer as well as: 

Ai Weiwei, Artist and Activist, Confined in Beijing

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei under house arrest

Ai Weiwei under House Arrest

Artist Ai Weiwei 'celebrates' studio demolition

see my earlier posts on Ai Weiwei:

artist against the state...

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent ...

returned to Kuwait... 

Chinese Artist Who Led Protest Has Been Jailed, His Wife Says

Dar Al Funoon opening

Abdel Rahim Sharif at Dar Al Funoon opening on Monday 1st of Nov. at 7 pmExhibition continues through 18th of November, 2010.

Abdulaziz W Al-Mudhaf exhibit

Gallery Tilal opening

Gallery Tilal invites you to view Shurooq Amin's Exhibition

On Monday, 1st November 2010 at 7pm

The exhibition continues through 11th November 2010.

NUQAT - THE BIGGEST DESIGN CONFERENCE IN KUWAIT

Tuesday, October 26 at 9:00am - October 28 at 10:30pm

Gulf University for Science and Technology. Located in: Mishref, Kuwait

LECTURES, WORKSHOPS AND EXHIBITION

REGISTER NOW ONLINE www.nuqatfoundation.com

What is Nuqat?
Nuqat, firstly known as “Nuqat Ala Al Huroof”, started off with one objective in mind and that is “to develop arab creativity on all levels” be it in design, advertising, architecture, fashion, production and all the creative fields.
...
The first consortium occurred in May 2009 with a focus on Arabic branding and copywriting. This year, the 2010 edition is focusing on Visual Pollution, in which we are trying to integrate several graphic design and architecture disciplines together in the aim to move the bar one level up.

Lectures and Workshops:
With selective talented designers from around the Arab world, an exceptional panel will initiate the debate concerning the theme. To be later followed by workshops given by the speakers.

The event will also host an exhibition of talented local designers and a gallery for student’s work.

2010 Theme: Visual Pollution in the Arab WorldThe theme compliments our vision for this year’s Nuqat as it will create an open forum to discuss, exchange and debate the ideas revolving around the development of visual communication in the region.

Dar Al Funoon fund raising exhibition

Under the patronage of Mr. and Mrs. Abdul Muhsen Al Humeidhi

Join us at Dar Al Funoon to support the BACCH fund raising exhibition

Doors open on Wednesday 20th of October at 7pm sharp

The exhibition continues through Thursday 21st from 10am to 8pm

Small format artwork will be sold at KD50, KD100 and KD200

There will also be a silent auction for major works donated by Abdel Qader Al Rais, NJA Mehdaoui, Halim AlKarim, Karim Ghidinelly, Hamza Bounoua.

All the paintings must be sold. Do not miss this opportunity to acquire superb works for a fraction of their normal price while helping the BACCH hospice.

As 100% of the revenue goes to BACCH we will accept cash, cheques and cards, but please note that for card payments we will add 5% to cover the bank's service charge.

Sultan Gallery opening reception

The Sultan Gallery cordially invites you for the opening of 'Your Friends & Neighbors' - a solo exhibition by Jowhara Al Saud from the 19th of October until the 4th of November, 2010.

The reception will be held on the 19th October from 7 - 9 PM in the presence of the artist.

10-10-10

Sun Yat-sen, founding father of modern China, a view agreed upon by both Mainland China and Taiwan

‎The 99th anniversary of the success of the revolution!   Long live the ROC (the Republic of China)!!  革命成功九十九年紀念！中華民國萬歲！！

Double Ten Day is the national day of Taiwan and celebrates the start of the Wuchang Uprising of October 10, 1911, which led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in China and establishment of the Republic of China on January 1, 1912.  It is therefore designated by the government as the National Day of Celebration in Taiwan (ROC).   In the People's Republic of China (PRC) it is still celebrated as the anniversary of the Wuchang Uprising.

西元一九一一年十月 十日（即辛亥八月十九日） 革命軍發動武昌起義，此役不僅為中國政局開創新里程碑，也替中華民族翻開新頁，因此定每年的十月十日為「國慶日」。

last chance to see 'veiled ramblings'

William Andersen, Global Brands Kids (Kuwait Series #1), 2010,
oil, ink & acrylic on digital print on canvas, 36 x 26 inches.

veiled ramblings William Andersen
contradictorily speaking Xiaohong Zhang

Side-by-side solo exhibitions

On view until October 10 at the James Watrous Gallery, side-by-side solo exhibitions by William Andersen and Xiaohong Zhang. 

Click on link for a review of 'veiled ramblings':  Exhibit lifts veil on Middle Eastern tradition

Here is the link to a radio interview (it is about 1/4th of the way into the recording):   radio interview

and a link to the gallery:  Wisconsin Academy : James Watrous Gallery

About the James Watrous Gallery 
The James Watrous Gallery is the premier gallery for Wisconsin visual art. A program of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, the James Watrous Gallery presents works by Wisconsin artists, Wisconsin art and craft history, works owned by Wisconsin collectors, and exhibitions that bridge the sciences, arts, and humanities. Our mission is to promote the visual arts in Wisconsin through quality exhibitions and related educational programs. For gallery hours and current exhibitions, please visit wisconsinacademy.org or call 608-265-2500.

The James Watrous Gallery of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
221 State Street, Overture Center for the Arts, Third Floor - Madison, WI  53705
Phone: 608-265-2500 / Contact: Martha Glowacki, co-director

Hours: T/W/Th 11–5:00 pm, F/Sa 11–8:00 pm, Su 1–5:00 pm, M closed

Running a Gallery on a Shoestring Budget

click the link above or below to read... pretty damn funny...  guest blog on 'art : 21' Milwaukee's own Mike Brenner...  and to think we were going to those openings at Hotcakes to get the free beer and he was suffering so much!?!!

Running a Gallery on a Shoestring Budget

exhibit opening at Dar Al Funoon

Exhibit lifts veil on Middle Eastern tradition

Click on link above or below to read Lindsay Christian's review of my exhibition, "veiled ramblings" in 77 Square. The exhibit is still up at the JAMES WATROUS GALLERY until October 10 so catch it if you can...

Exhibit lifts veil on Middle Eastern tradition

radio interview on art exhibit

Click on the words above to hear my interview on the local Madison radio show WORT's 8 o'Clock BUZZ with Jonathon Zarov about my art exhibit titled "veiled ramblings."

On view from August 24–October 10 at the James Watrous Gallery, side-by-side solo exhibitions by William Andersen and Xiaohong Zhang.

The James Watrous Gallery of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
221 State Street, Overture Center for the Arts, Third Floor - Madison, WI  53705
Phone: 608-265-2500 / Contact: Martha Glowacki, co-director

Hours: T/W/Th 11–5:00 pm, F/Sa 11–8:00 pm, Su 1–5:00 pm, M closed

TRAVEL ALERT - QU'RAN BURNING

Warden Message Kuwait

 
The Department of State is issuing this Travel Alert to caution U.S. citizens of the potential for anti-U.S. demonstrations in many countries in response to stated plans by a church in Florida to burn Qur'ans on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.  Demonstrations, some violent, have already taken place in several countries, including Afghanistan and Indonesia, in response to media reports of the church's plans. The potential for further protests and demonstrations, some of which may turn violent, remains high.  We urge you to pay attention to local reaction to the situation, and to avoid areas where demonstrations may take place.  This Travel Alert expires on September 30, 2010.

We also remind you of the continuing threat to U.S. interests and citizens posed by various terrorist groups, as outlined in the Department's Worldwide Caution.

U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel registration website at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/ in order that they can obtain updated information on travel and security.  U.S. citizens without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  By registering, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency.

U.S. government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert.  These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture.  In those instances, U.S. embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. U.S. citizens abroad are urged to monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

As the Department of State continues to develop information on potential security threats to U.S. citizens overseas, it shares credible threat information through its Consular Information Program documents, such as Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts as well as Country Information, which are available on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website at http://travel.state.gov/. In addition to information on the Internet, travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, outside the United States and Canada, on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  These numbers are available from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Friday, Eastern Time (except U.S. federal holidays).

Nicholas Kristof on "America's History of Fear"

Op-Ed Columnist

America’s History of Fear

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Published: September 4, 2010

A radio interviewer asked me the other day if I thought bigotry was the only reason why someone might oppose the Islamic center in Lower Manhattan. No, I don’t. Most of the opponents aren’t bigots but well-meaning worriers — and during earlier waves of intolerance in American history, it was just the same.

Nicholas D. Kristof

 

Screeds against Catholics from the 19th century sounded just like the invective today against the Not-at-Ground-Zero Mosque. The starting point isn’t hatred but fear: an alarm among patriots that newcomers don’t share their values, don’t believe in democracy, and may harm innocent Americans.
Followers of these movements against Irish, Germans, Italians, Chinese and other immigrants were mostly decent, well-meaning people trying to protect their country. But they were manipulated by demagogues playing upon their fears — the 19th- and 20th-century equivalents of Glenn Beck.
Most Americans stayed on the sidelines during these spasms of bigotry, and only a small number of hoodlums killed or tormented Catholics, Mormons or others. But the assaults were possible because so many middle-of-the-road Americans were ambivalent.
Suspicion of outsiders, of people who behave or worship differently, may be an ingrained element of the human condition, a survival instinct from our cave-man days. But we should also recognize that historically this distrust has led us to burn witches, intern Japanese-Americans, and turn away Jewish refugees from the Holocaust.
Perhaps the closest parallel to today’s hysteria about Islam is the 19th-century fear spread by the Know Nothing movement about “the Catholic menace.” One book warned that Catholicism was “the primary source” of all of America’s misfortunes, and there were whispering campaigns that presidents including Martin Van Buren and William McKinley were secretly working with the pope. Does that sound familiar?
Critics warned that the pope was plotting to snatch the Mississippi Valley and secretly conspiring to overthrow American democracy. “Rome looks with wistful eye to domination of this broad land, a magnificent seat for a sovereign pontiff,” one writer cautioned.
Historically, unreal suspicions were sometimes rooted in genuine and significant differences. Many new Catholic immigrants lacked experience in democracy. Mormons were engaged in polygamy. And today some extremist Muslims do plot to blow up planes, and Islam has real problems to work out about the rights of women. The pattern has been for demagogues to take real abuses and exaggerate them, portraying, for example, the most venal wing of the Catholic Church as representative of all Catholicism — just as fundamentalist Wahabis today are caricatured as more representative of Islam than the incomparably more numerous moderate Muslims of Indonesia (who have elected a woman as president before Americans have).
In the 19th century, fears were stoked by books written by people who supposedly had “escaped” Catholicism. These books luridly recounted orgies between priests and nuns, girls kidnapped and held in secret dungeons, and networks of tunnels at convents to allow priests to rape nuns. One woman claiming to have been a priest’s sex slave wrote a “memoir” asserting that Catholics killed boys and ground them into sausage for sale.
These kinds of stories inflamed a mob of patriots in 1834 to attack an Ursuline convent outside Boston and burn it down.
Similar suspicions have targeted just about every other kind of immigrant. During World War I, rumors spread that German-Americans were poisoning food, and Theodore Roosevelt warned that “Germanized socialists” were “more mischievous than bubonic plague.”
Anti-Semitic screeds regularly warned that Jews were plotting to destroy the United States in one way or another. A 1940 survey found that 17 percent of Americans considered Jews to be a “menace to America.”
Chinese in America were denounced, persecuted and lynched, while the head of a United States government commission publicly urged in 1945 "the extermination of the Japanese in toto." Most shamefully, anti-Asian racism led to the internment of 110,000 Japanese-Americans during World War II.
All that is part of America’s heritage, and typically as each group has assimilated, it has participated in the torment of newer arrivals — as in Father Charles Coughlin’s ferociously anti-Semitic radio broadcasts in the 1930s. Today’s recrudescence is the lies about President Obama’s faith, and the fear-mongering about the proposed Islamic center.
But we have a more glorious tradition intertwined in American history as well, one of tolerance, amity and religious freedom. Each time, this has ultimately prevailed over the Know Nothing impulse.
Americans have called on moderates in Muslim countries to speak out against extremists, to stand up for the tolerance they say they believe in. We should all have the guts do the same at home.

solo exhibits: now - October 10

veiled ramblings William Andersen
contradictorily speaking Xiaohong Zhang

Side-by-side solo exhibitions

Left: William Andersen, Global Brands Kids (Kuwait Series #1), 2010,
oil, ink & acrylic on digital print on canvas, 36 x 26 inches.
Right: Xiaohong Zhang, Red Buddha, 2009, digital printing and paper-cutting, 70 x 80 inches

On view from August 24–October 10 at the James Watrous Gallery, side-by-side solo exhibitions by William Andersen and Xiaohong Zhang.

Milwaukee artist William Andersen's installations are informed by his extensive travel, and explore the impact of globalization, displacement, and cultural hybridization. His previous work focused on the social and economic ramifications of China's emergence as a world power. His exhibition, veiled ramblings, draws upon his recent experiences in the Arabian Peninsula and addresses common misperceptions about the region. Several pieces in this installation were created in collaboration with Iranian artist Maryam Hosseinia, Andersen's colleague at the American University of Kuwait.

Xiaohong Zhang is a first generation Chinese immigrant from Hubei Province who teaches at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. Her exhibition, contradictorily speaking, pairs digital printing with the traditional art of paper-cutting to create large-scale work that is both personal and deeply political. In precise, intricately patterned images, she reflects on the challenges of bridging cultures and raising children in a turbulent and violent world. "Fundamentally," Zhang writes, "I draw creative ideas from my experiences as a first-generation immigrant, artist, professor and mother." Zhang's current pieces focus on China's response to the Tibetan independence movement and the complex relationship between communism and Buddhism.

About the James Watrous Gallery

The James Watrous Gallery is the premier gallery for Wisconsin visual art. A program of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, the James Watrous Gallery presents works by Wisconsin artists, Wisconsin art and craft history, works owned by Wisconsin collectors, and exhibitions that bridge the sciences, arts, and humanities. Our mission is to promote the visual arts in Wisconsin through quality exhibitions and related educational programs. For gallery hours and current exhibitions, please visit wisconsinacademy.org or call 608-265-2500.

The James Watrous Gallery of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
221 State Street, Overture Center for the Arts, Third Floor - Madison, WI  53705
Phone: 608-265-2500 / Contact: Martha Glowacki, co-director

Hours: T/W/Th 11–5:00 pm, F/Sa 11–8:00 pm, Su 1–5:00 pm, M closed

Opening Reception this Friday, August 27, from 5:30–7:30 pm.

Meet the Artists: Friday Night Gallery Talk with
William Andersen and Xiaohong Zhang

Add caLeft: William Andersen, Global Brands Kids (Kuwait Series #1), 2010,
oil, ink & acrylic on digital print on canvas, 36 x 26 inches.
Right: Xiaohong Zhang, Red Buddha, 2009, digital printing and paper-cutting, 70 x 80 inches

On view from August 24–October 10 at the James Watrous Gallery, side-by-side solo exhibitions by William Andersen and Xiaohong Zhang. Join us for an opening reception this Friday, August 27, from 5:30–7:30 pm. Artist talks begin at 6:30 pm. Free and open to the public.

Milwaukee artist William Andersen's installations are informed by his extensive travel, and explore the impact of globalization, displacement, and cultural hybridization. His previous work focused on the social and economic ramifications of China's emergence as a world power. His exhibition, veiled ramblings, draws upon his recent experiences in the Arabian Peninsula and addresses common misperceptions about the region. Several pieces in this installation were created in collaboration with Iranian artist Maryam Hosseinia, Andersen's colleague at the American University of Kuwait.

Xiaohong Zhang is a first generation Chinese immigrant from Hubei Province who teaches at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. Her exhibition, contradictorily speaking, pairs digital printing with the traditional art of paper-cutting to create large-scale work that is both personal and deeply political. In precise, intricately patterned images, she reflects on the challenges of bridging cultures and raising children in a turbulent and violent world. "Fundamentally," Zhang writes, "I draw creative ideas from my experiences as a first-generation immigrant, artist, professor and mother." Zhang's current pieces focus on China's response to the Tibetan independence movement and the complex relationship between communism and Buddhism.

About the James Watrous Gallery

The James Watrous Gallery is the premier gallery for Wisconsin visual art. A program of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, the James Watrous Gallery presents works by Wisconsin artists, Wisconsin art and craft history, works owned by Wisconsin collectors, and exhibitions that bridge the sciences, arts, and humanities. Our mission is to promote the visual arts in Wisconsin through quality exhibitions and related educational programs. For gallery hours and current exhibitions, please visit wisconsinacademy.org or call 608-265-2500.

The James Watrous Gallery of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
221 State Street, Overture Center for the Arts, Third Floor - Madison, WI  53705
Phone: 608-265-2500 / Contact: Martha Glowacki, co-director

Hours: T/W/Th 11–5:00 pm, F/Sa 11–8:00 pm, Su 1–5:00 pm, M closed (closed July 4) 

new photo-your opinion needed for art project

Without thinking too much, please send me the first word that pops into your head that you would use to describe the veiled women in black. THANKS AGAIN!

Chinese Artist Who Led Protest Has Been Jailed, His Wife Says

In February, Chinese artists, including Wu Yuren, center, protested a real estate developer's plan to demolish their Beijing studios.

By EDWARD WONG

Published: July 8, 2010

BEIJING — Wu Yuren, an artist who helped lead an unusually bold public protest last winter over a land dispute, has been languishing in a Beijing jail for almost six weeks after having been beaten by police officers, his wife said on Thursday.
Mr. Wu’s wife, Karen Patterson, a Canadian citizen, said in a telephone interview that the police were accusing her husband of assaulting an officer when he visited the police station on May 31. Ms. Patterson said she learned this only through their lawyer because the police had so far not formally told her that Mr. Wu had been arrested. She decided to publicly discuss the arrest in recent days, she said, because of what she called her frustration with China’s opaque legal system.
“You don’t realize how arcane this system is until you have to deal with it,” Ms. Patterson said. “It’s a nightmare.”
Ms. Patterson said she and friends of Mr. Wu, 39, believe that he had been arrested because of his recent activism, including his leadership of a group of artists from an artists’ district known as 008 in resisting the encroachment of a real estate developer. In February, those artists joined forces with artists from another Beijing neighborhood to march down Chang’an Jie, a wide ceremonial avenue that runs past the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Chinese leaders are especially sensitive to protests in that area, and police officers stopped the protesters after they had walked about 500 yards.
The police detained Mr. Wu briefly in March. After he was released, he and the other artists successfully negotiated for compensation for the seizure of their studio space by the developer. Mr. Wu and some other artists then moved their studios to 798, Beijing’s largest arts district.
The land grab dispute had attracted lots of attention in the news media, in part because Ai Weiwei, a well-connected artist who is a vocal critic of the Communist Party, had joined the street protest and sent out Twitter feeds about it. Some of the artists in the protest, including Mr. Wu and Mr. Ai, had taken part in other kinds of activism, including signing Charter 08, a liberal manifesto calling for democratic changes that was signed by thousands of Chinese. Liu Xiaobo, an author of the manifesto, was sentenced to 11 years in prison last December.
Mr. Wu’s latest fracas with the police began on May 31, when Mr. Wu went with a friend, Yang Licai, to the Jiuxianqiao police station to discuss a dispute with a landlord at 798, Ms. Patterson said. The police argued with the two men and took away their cellphones, which then led to more insults, Ms. Patterson said, citing an account by Mr. Yang.
The two men were interrogated separately, and Mr. Wu was beaten by about five policemen, Ms. Patterson said. He has been held since then and was not allowed to see his lawyer until this week, she added. For reasons that remain unclear, Mr. Yang was released after 10 days.
A person answering the phone at the police station declined to comment and said senior officers were not available to talk.
Ms. Patterson and the couple’s 5-year-old daughter, Hannah, have not been allowed to see Mr. Wu. Ms. Patterson said she expected that Mr. Wu would be formally charged within a few months.
On Tuesday, she went to collect his personal belongings from the police station. His shirt, pants and shoes were in a plastic bag, she said, along with a letter he had written to the police telling them to call his wife.
Ms. Patterson said Mr. Ai, the prominent artist, had been lobbying on Mr. Wu’s behalf, but she had little hope that his case would be dropped.
“The police haven’t explained anything to me,” she said. “Trying to ask for accountability is very difficult.”

A version of this article appeared in print on July 9, 2010, on page A9 of the New York edition.

3 teaching positions in ART

Studio Arts; Assistant Professor (Position Code No. 10-203- AUKWEB06): Teach drawing and color theory courses, as well as introductory courses in chosen specialization, to non-majors and graphic design majors.  Candidates must have a firm working knowledge of concepts, processes, materials, and techniques as needed in studio courses.  University teaching experience and terminal degree in studio arts required. Candidate’s electronic application (see method of application) should submit a completed application including, 10-20 examples of personal work and 10-20 samples of student work.

Graphic Design; Assistant Professor (Position Code No. 10-201- AUKWEB06): The candidate is responsible for teaching design history, digital photography, and other introductory and advanced courses in graphic design that combines critical and formal skills with contemporary theory. Candidates should be comfortable teaching undergraduates in a multi-cultural context with a focus in design foundations. Other responsibilities include: engaging in research, serving as an academic advisor to Graphic Design majors. MFA in Graphic Design is preferred. Terminal Degree in Graphic Design or related field is required. Candidate’s electronic application (see method of application) should include 10-20 examples of personal work and student work.

Art History; Assistant Professor (Position Code No. 10-202- AUKWEB06): Teach survey courses in Western art history from prehistory to present, as well as introductory courses in chosen specialization, to non-majors and graphic design majors.  University teaching experience and terminal degree in art history required.

American University of Kuwait
Faculty Openings AY2011-12

The American University of Kuwait (AUK) is a private university in Kuwait based on the US model of undergraduate liberal arts education. The medium of instruction is English. The University is accredited by the Private Universities Council of the Kuwait Ministry of Higher Education. AUK also has a Memorandum of Understanding with Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH and is working towards US accreditation. AUK admitted its first students in September 2004 and currently has over 2,000 students and approximately120 UG faculty members. 

The University is seeking terminally qualified faculty committed to excellence in teaching, scholarly research, and service.  American education and/or teaching experience are required as is evidence of research activity. English native speakers are preferred. Outstanding communication skills, cultural sensitivity, and effective use of classroom media and technology are expected.  Faculty rank will be determined by the candidate’s degree and previous employment history. Successful candidates will teach undergraduate classes to majors and non-majors of diverse cultural backgrounds, participate in student advising, honor office hours, and serve on faculty committees.

AUK offers an attractive and comprehensive benefits package.  There is no personal income tax in Kuwait.  For international hires, benefits include roundtrip travel for faculty members and dependents, health insurance for employee and family members, tuition allowance for up to two children through high school, accommodation subsidy, and annual summer leave travel for faculty and dependents, as well as an end-of-contract indemnity.  Kuwaiti nationals will receive other designated benefits. AUK is an equal opportunity employer, fully committed to becoming a model University of the 21st Century in the region.

Contracts are normally issued for 3 years and are renewable. Visiting appointments for 1 or 2 years may be available. The screening of applications will begin immediately. US interviews will be held in Washington, DC in November 2010.

Application Instructions:
Application packages are to be submitted electronically to faculty@auk.edu.kw. The package should contain the following:

1) Cover letter, detailing the candidate’s specific interest in AUK, and how the candidate’s past experience provides a suitable basis for performance in the position for which they are applying;
2) A current CV;
3) Statement on research and service and statement of teaching methodology, including curricular development that the individual has initiated and executed;
4.) Copies of teaching evaluations;
5) The names and addresses, both electronic and postal, of three referees;
6) Two recent publications/two writing samples; (For large items such as books, please send hardcopies to the:

Academic Dean’s Office,
American University of Kuwait,
Salem Al Mubarak Street,
Opposite Salmiya Palace Hotel,
Salmiya, Kuwait ).

In completing your application, please quote position code number.  Incomplete applications will not be considered. The deadline for receiving applications is September 14, 2010.

Visit the AUK website (www.auk.edu.kw) to learn about the degree programs, University facilities, and campus life.