Chad Scott: Bringing the Blurred Into Focus.

We are thrilled to have the intelligent, socially conscious art by Chad Scott. See more of his installation work at Small Space Fest!

Artist Statement

"A significant portion of my work explores symbolic spaces embedded within and in-between material and non-material structures. Through processes of construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction, symbolic spaces are emphasized to examine the possibility(s) of agency bound within a particular context. 

This aspect of my work focuses on how social dynamics shape, and are shaped by, their spatial-temporality. I explore phenomena considering the less visible, and perhaps overlooked, by creating work to bring the blurred into focus.

Some of my works are participatory, inviting the viewer to interact with the object. In some instances, a participant may not be aware of their participation, thus becoming implicated in a situation they neither endorsed, nor were aware of. This raises fundamental questions regarding ongoing social processes we find ourselves within. We are born and socialized into a social system that we did not create, yet we participate and contribute to this system in various ways: intentional or not. In sum, this aspect of my artistic production is a form of social and cultural criticism.

For examples of this area of my work, see Outlier and Space for Imagining Place: 

The trajectory of my recent artistic production refocuses my liminal interests toward investigating the boundary antagonisms of analog and digital culture. Borrowing from Walter Benjamin, my interests may be described as “The work of art in the [digital] age of re[mix and post-]production.” This line of inquiry utilizes a process of remixing and recontextualizing: past, present, and future; the symbolic boundaries of what Gan’s (1999) calls “taste cultures;” and social dichotomies such as sacred/profane, structure/agency, and producer/consumer. It is my position that a fluid remix-able framework allows for a set of practices attentive to the multifacetedness of agency and the dynamism of structure vis-à- vis the era of context collapse. 

While, my current method of investigation produces digital outcomes, I approach the production of art from an interdisciplinary perspective. That is, I draw from a variety of art- making approaches and select the most appropriate for each given project depending on the inherent factors and demands of that particular idea.

For examples of this area of my work see Reigning/Raining Down - Holdin' it down, fluid structuralism, and Mixtape.  Each of these works may be displayed on a monitor or projected to create an installation." 

Uploaded by CognitiveGraffiti on 2014-01-25.

See more at Small Space Fest: June 20th, 2016.  Visual Art will remain until July 31st.

Chad Scott's Website HERE

The Provocative Work of Jodie Goodnough

Jodie Mim Goodnough is a Providence, Rhode Island-based artist who combines photography and other media to create installations that examine the various coping strategies we employ to find comfort in an often uncomfortable world. She attended the photojournalism program at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine and received her MFA in Visual Art from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Tufts University in May of 2013.

Her work has been shown nationally in both solo and group exhibitions, including at the Midwest Center for Photography, the William Morris Hunt Library of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and at Spring/Break Art Fair in New York City, and has been reviewed in publications such as Art New England and the Boston Globe. Goodnough is currently on the faculty at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI.

Artist Statement

"My work consists of photographic installations that respond to the representation of both mental illness and the psychiatric institution in historical and contemporary visual art, film and social media. The seeds of this work are in research. I explore various psychological texts, images from art history, and cultural theory to turn a personal subject into a public inquiry. Out of reading and looking emerges some combination of photographs, video, sculpture, and performance that function together in ever-changing installations. My two most recent projects, A Curious Dance and Prospect, concern themselves specifically with the treatment of mental illness in Victorian society, and arose out of my long-standing interest in the cultural and gendered lenses through which we discuss and depict illness."

See more at Small Space Fest: June 20th, 2016.  Visual Art will remain until July 21st.

Jodie Goodnough's Website HERE

 

 

Kaya Fesci: The Art of Stealing Souls

We are so excited to have the beautiful photography of Kaya Fesci! See more of his work at Small Space Fest: June 20, 2016.

Artist Statement: 

I love to bring abstract concepts to life through photography.

The Apparition:

I have always imagined apparitions to be beautiful and ethereal. The way the illusion of a spirit can float through space is fascinating and alluring. In The Apparition series, I have explored my vision of a spirit’s movement and texture.

Hallucinations:

The myth that photographs can steal your soul has always fascinated me. With The Hallucinations series, I wanted to produce an image that represents the soul of a person through a hallucination. These photos were taken in complete darkness, which really made me feel like I was hallucinating each time I saw a photo appear on the screen of the camera.

When Night Falls:

When we sleep, our subconscious slowly takes over as we delve into different dimensions. I would love to be aware in that realm. When Night Falls is a series of my vision, representing the subconscious when dreaming and the transfer between the subconscious and conscious mind.

Small Space Fest: June 20th, 2016.  Visual art remains installed until July 21st.

Kaya Fesci's Website HERE

Rae Hanley: Creates Abstract Biomorphic Paintings and Sculpture.

We welcome Rae Hanley to Small Space Fest!

Rae Hanley, born 1990, in Santa Barbara, California, has spent most of her adolescence in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was home-schooled until the age of 12. She attended high school at Arbor View, and graduating 2009, where she assistant directed the Art Fest for three years. Immediately after she studied at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. SAIC was where she discovered conceptual art, and began to explore new medias. Rae works in sculpture, garment, performance, painting, installation, video, and new media. She’ exhibiting in Chicago and Las Vegas, while currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Artist Statement: Art is my most comfortable form of communication. As a visual artist I primarily create abstract biomorphic paintings, and sculpture. I also produce corresponding installations, performance, video, garments, and new media pieces. Compulsive observation, documentation, and experimenting are the driving forces in my practice. I use art to explore personal fears and to understand subconscious habits. But still, my art is not about comfort.

Experimentation plays seriously into my use of media. My physical works are comprised of industrial and alternative materials such as mylar, tyvek, foams, metals, and plastics. But they also contain organic material like reclaimed fibers, leathers, and found matter. I focus on proper craftsmanship, while avoiding kitsch.

I make art that deals with the relationships between organic and inorganic subjects. Particularly the interactions between humans and machines. For example, the correlation between mechanical defects and human diseases. I am influenced by emerging science, biology, and theoretical physics, as well as societies current dependence on technology, and the social changes it creates. My past few series focused on dehumanizing subcultures, like internet behavior, and Las Vegas nightlife. Most recently exploring how women are perceived in online society, and club culture.

See more of her work at Small Space Fest: June 20th, 2016.

Her Website HERE

Stephanie Bell: A Delaware Artist Living in the Bronx

Looking forward to more from Stephanie Bell!  See more at Small Space Fest: June 20th, 2016!

Stephanie Bell Artist Statement - 

I've witnessed how overwhelming fear and need often override any moral code or common sense. I explore obsession through the underlying biological and neurological structure that make people act the way they do. It's fascinating how the rearrangement of simple building blocks can create such malignant results, and despite the physiological factors that control an individual, the response is always one of two: fight or flight.

Joshua Chevere Cohen: Sacred Noise

"WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE THE SOUND AND MUSIC ART OF JOSHUA CHEVERE COHEN. HIS EXPLORATIONS WITH "SACRE BRUIT!" OR SACRED NOISE CAN TAKE THE FORM OF SOLO GUITAR NOISE AND SOUNDSCAPES, OR WITHIN GROUP PROJECTS LIKE ELECTRIC/CORONATION, A LOOSE CONGLOMERATE OF MUSICIANS PLAYING VARIATIONS OF 1960S "FREE JAZZ" AND ORIGINAL SPONTANEOUS COMPOSITIONS BASED IN IMPROVISATION.

WE ARE EAGER TO HEAR WHAT JOSHUA CREATES FOR SMALL SPACE FEST!"

Sacré Bruit! is an independent experimental music label based in Las Vegas, NV. It brings together musicians from a variety of disciplines (noise, ambient, free improvisation, modern classical, electronic, and more).

Click HERE for more music from Joshua Chevere Cohen.

See and Hear more at Small Space Fest: June 20th, 2016!

Kent Caldwell: Fabricates Alternate Worlds and Fantastical Characters

We are so excited to have the interdisciplinary art work of Kent Caldwell.   He creates fantastical worlds and characters that stir the imagination.  We can't wait to see more during Small Space Fest!

I am a sculptor and performing acrobat who enjoys combining my two disciplines to fabricate alternate worlds, realities, and spaces. I sculpt miniature dioramas and shadowboxes, build costumes, and direct works of theater. Frequently, I fuse traditional materials like paper mache and plaster with contemporary digital technologies, like microcontroller electronics and 3D printing. I graduated from the University of Michigan in 2010 with a BFA in Art & Design, creating a gallery installation of seven miniature shadowboxes for my senior thesis. While in school, I also competed as a varsity gymnast for the Michigan Men’s Gymnastics team - my career culminated with a team national championship win in my final year. I began working as an acrobat for Cirque du Soleil in Tokyo, Japan before moving to Las Vegas in 2012. I have been working as an acrobat with Mystere ever since. While in Las Vegas, I have continued to create new works of miniature sculpture as well as beginning my foray into the performing world. I have had the chance to design and build original characters for Cirque du Soleil’s “One Night for One Drop” show.  In addition, I have been given the opportunity to direct and choreograph two short works of theater in collaboration between Cirque du Soleil and the Nevada Ballet as part of “A Choreographers’ Showcase.”

See more of his work at Small Space Fest: June 20th, 2016

Kent Caldwell's Website: Here

The Elegant Abstracts of Don Hukari

We are Looking forward to the ELEGANT works of Don Hukari!  Read below for more information about his work.

Biography: Don Hukari was born in Hood River, Oregon. He completed his BS in Industrial Design at San Jose State University and moved to Sonora in 1974, opening a commercial graphic design studio in the Bradford Building in downtown in 1978. In 1988, Hukari Designs began publishing the Central Sierra Seasons Magazine. Don now does his art and commercial design from his home studio on Yosemite Road near Sonora, California. For Don Hukari, the silkscreen media offers a large brush to simplify the fast-paced world of details in which we live. Working in series of under 100, plus monoprints and proofs, Don has developed a varied body of work. Every print is hand printed by the artist and is unique with subtle variations in transparent colors. 

Don Hukari has been a print-maker for over 40 years. His serigraphs are often loose, free-color pieces. Other pieces can be hard-edged contemporary graphics often of landscape subjects. Honors include awards at local shows including the Mother Lode Fair and Calaveras County Fair. His Yosemite Renaissance serigraph was selected by Yosemite Association for their poster calendar, Clavey Confluence was published for Tuolumne River promotions and Pinecrest was adopted by the US Forest Service for development programs. Don regularly shows in the InFocus Photography Exhibition in Tuolumne County, California. These works are typically dramatic abstracts of city buildings and reflections.

DonaldHukari3.jpg

About City Scapes

Digital Photographics

When I walk in the city I look up, amazed at
the architectural patterns and reflections of
surrounding buildings on the glass above me. 

I have carried my camera with me from coast to coast – from New York and Tampa to Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego.
Over the past ten years I have assembled a
large body of work from these photographs. 
Some are almost exactly as seen through the
camera lens and some are heavily altered.

These digital photographs are available printed on satin photo paper with archival inks for conventional framing under glass, on metal for an unframed graphic and on canvas up to 48 inches wide with a
gallery-wrapped edge.

See more of his work at Small Space Fest: June 20th, 2016

Don Hukari's Website HERE

Ghislaine Sabiti: Building a Bridge Between Communities and Cultures

GHISLAINE SABITI IS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY VISUAL ARTIST AND COSTUME DESIGNER. SHE IS ORIGINALLY FROM THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, THEN NAMED ZAIRE, BUT WAS RAISED IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF PARIS IN FRANCE.  SHE NOW IS BASED IN NEW YORK CITY, NY.

Ghislaine was introduced to art at a very young age. At twelve years old she studied fine art at Atelier Chantier du Coq and graduated with honors in fashion design from Atelier Chardon Savard in Paris, France. Congolese art is part of her roots and it is the catalyst to the collection of her work. She has been influenced by artists of the 19th century and also by Vincent van Gogh, Gustav Klimt, Cezanne, Tamara Lempicka, Manet and Verneer.

She highlights the technical form used in both Congolese and European arts, which stress form and color. She works large scale, uses different textile techniques and produces relevant research regarding current social and cultural topics and embeds them in her art.  This can make significant commentary which stirs vibrant public debate.

Her experiences of inter and cross-continental migration developed her sensibility of cross-interculturalism and to a plurality of language. She weaves these interests in her sewing and painting with the assistance of her two favorite tools the knife and energetic bold brushstrokes.

The body of art that she is working on is a series of portraits. The Invisible Molili, meaning an invisible obscurity or darkness in the Lingala Congolese language.  The intention of this work is to build a bridge between communities by means of collecting fractured narratives from the people and to prompt social change and examine identity. This new body of work explores the stories of those often forgotten or misunderstood.

See more of her work at Small Space Fest: June 20th, 2016!

Ghislaine Sabiti's Website

Caitlyn Saville: Intuitive Artist

Caitlyn Saville: Intuitive Artist

We are so excited to have work by Caitlyn Saville in Small Space Fest. She's currently living in Las Vegas, she's awesome and we cannot wait to see more!

More about the artist: "'Caitlyn, born March 16th 1985, is an American artist, known for her intricate mandalas, large scale murals, and her use of Sacred Geometry. She grew up in the small town of Bergen, NY, where she lived until 2005, upon deciding to follow her reverence for the unknown to Las Vegas Nevada, where she currently lives as a multi-disciplined artist in Downtown. Her early paintings explore her fascination of edgy contemporary Pop-Art and sex appeal, while her more recent works translate her spiritual journey as she continues to explore the world within. Through her yoga and mediation practice, and her slight obsession to understand the bigger picture, Caitlyn has discovered “It's through intention, where we truly manifest our reality.” Each piece of artwork is created with a powerful intention, which radiates through to the viewer providing a deeper experience beyond its aesthetic beauty. Caitlyn uses spray paint, acrylics, gilding, and pyrography in most of her work, while paying close attention to details, incorporating sacred geometry and the art of mandalas.

"My intention with the mandalas I create is to provide a guided point of focus, assisting in meditation, intention setting, and realization of the self, by utilizing the archaic science of sacred geometry, and the art of the mandala. By focusing outward on the intrinsic beauty of the mandala, your thoughts then drift inward wherein lies the truest experience of beauty. The mandala acts as a visionary tool, engaging your eyes, and releasing your mind, allowing for personal growth and creativity to flow freely.'"

See more of her work at Small Space Fest on June 20th, 2016.

More from Caitlyn's Website HERE

Yvonne Montoya: Motherhood and the Performing Arts

Yvonne Montoya: Motherhood and the Performing Arts

Yvonne Montoya is a prolific dancer, choreographer, and artist.  For many years she created modern dance unique to the US-Mexico borderland experience. Her current work explores the challenges and rewards of mothers working in the performing arts.  We look forward to the piece she will bring to Small Space Fest.

My name is Yvonne Montoya. I am a mother, freelance choreographer, and co-founding director of Safos Dance Theatre based in Tucson, AZ. For the past seven years, I have worked as lead choreographer for Safos where I staged 17 new pieces of choreography. Currently, I am working on a solo project entitled the “Motherhood and the Performing Arts (MPA)” Project that that explores the challenges and joys of balancing my role as a mother with a career in the performing arts. The MPA Project has three main elements including a dance film, a blog, and a handmade up-cycled earring collection. I am also currently working as a choreographer for three of Borderlands Theater’s productions this artistic season.

My choreography leans more toward the genre of dance theater rather than post-modern movement. I am most interested in creating low tech site specific or site adaptive pieces that can be staged in non-traditional dance spaces. My work has been staged in museums, art galleries, Community Centers in low income and undeserved areas, restaurants and formal dining rooms, the patios of hotels, in water fountains and landscaping planters, and on the back of classic pickup trucks. I believe that dance can appeal to larger and more diverse audiences when staged in non-traditional spaces.

The majority of my work is a fusion of movement with different art forms. I have incorporated theater, spoken word, music, performance art, and visual art in my work. For example, my piece “Puddles on the Floor,” a fusion of visual art and movement, featured dancers performing on a large canvas in paint which likened choreographers to visual artists by having the dancers represent “brushes” and the dance floor itself as my “canvas.” Additionally, for the past two years, I focused on ritualistic movement in my pieces. As a bi-cultural Latina artist living born and raised in the Southwest, I incorporate non-Western aesthetics such as movements, themes, and body types in my work as well as text from multiple languages. In general, my solo work is very intimate and is best experienced in small tight spaces.

See more of her work at Small Space Fest on June 20th, 2016!

MPA Project

Support the MPA

Safos Dance TheatRe

MPA on YOUTUBE

Bradley Jay Meyer: Capturing Select Moments in Time

Bradley Jay Meyer: Capturing Select Moments in Time

Bradley Jay Meyer is a photographer, writer, theatre and film artist.  He is a man of many talents and we are looking forward to the photography installation he will bring to Small Space Fest.

More about the artist: Meyer was born in Winterset, Iowa, the birthplace of John Wayne and the heart of the Bridges of Madison County. He spent much of his childhood growing up on an idyllic Kansas City lake. He later attended the University of Denver, graduatimg early.

Professionally, he has been selected for a wide range of projects and jobs. After 15 years as a financial advisor on Wall Street, he served as a strategist and the Chief Writer for two NYC Investor Relations firms. Subsequent consulting work included executing all aspects of a investment banking deal, developing marketing materials, business plans and strategies for several companies, and performing extensive patent research and writing. In 2010, he was the first in his Centriq Training class to earn Microsoft 3.5 .NET Developer certification, then performed marketing and software sales roles as the VP of Customer Solutions at Xtraction Solutions.

Creatively, he has directed and produced a set of plays Off Broadway, written several screenplays and book-length manuscripts, experimented with short films and secured representation by a literary agency. Since revealing his WTCsunsets portfolio in late 2006, he has created other engaging photo series plus novel nested art slash shipping boxes. His WTCsunsets portfolio has been selected in numerous juried competitions, featured in four art shows, and received local media coverage.

About the WTCsunsets Photos

My adherence to the principles of Straight Photography pays homage to the grandeur of the real world. Informed by an artistic sentiment hewed from reflection and honed by experience, I work with great patience to compose and capture definitive impressions of select moments in time.

Entries from the award-winning WTC sunsets series have won selection a record number of times at the American Juried Art Salon. The portfolio was kept private until 11⁄11⁄06 out of sensitivity to the victims of 9⁄11.

The WTCs are the result of my having observed nearly 4,000 sunsets from the Christadora House, which towers over the East Village at Ninth Street and Avenue B. Most represent the only photo I composed on that particular night, and the collection was further limited by a suspicious turn-of-the-century warehouse fire.

See more of his work at Small Space Fest on June 20th, 2016

Meyer's  Website HERE

Liezl Siojo: Local Mosaic Artist

Liezl Siojo is a mosaic artist, originally from Manila, Philippines and moved to the USA in 1984. She is an art facilitator throughout the Las Vegas Valley and has been doing various types of visual art mediums for over four decades.  We are looking forward to seeing what she brings to Small Space Fest! 

Her current focus is on mosaic portraiture art. In addition to mosaic art she has participated in therapeutic arts since 1999. Over the last few years she led courses in motivation, self-awareness and self-expression through the arts. To Liezl, art is another language that people can use to express their deeper selves. She believes that anyone can communicate through art. Art can express emotions, demonstrate talents, and relieve stress.

She also has been commissioned by numerous individuals and businesses for custom pieces. Liezl is an active member of the community. She volunteers as a board member for the community group “Betty’s Outrageous Adventures” and is an active member of “Las Vegas Artist’s Guild.” Liezl has 10 stores that sells her art from Utah, California and Nevada including The Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art. She has done coursework at UCLA and PSID (Philippine School for Interior Design). She has also studied culinary arts at Harbor College in California.

Liezl is a mother of one adult son. Her interests in addition to art include cooking, hiking, and following national and international news.

See more of her work at Small Space Fest: June 20th, 2016

Her website HERE

Myra Douglass: Stays Curious from Beginning to End

Myra Douglass: Stays Curious from Beginning to End

Myra Douglass is a interdisciplinary artist who creates intriguing sculptures, paintings and ceramics.  Her love of science and the natural world are deeply ingrained in all the work she produces.  Like a true scientist, she stays curious, experiments with rules, often breaking them to elicit new discoveries.  And like a true artist she stays playful and always "revels in every painstaking step."

Myra Douglass' Artist Statement: I have always been interested in science: biological processes, anatomy, landscape, bodies of water, and so on. My work associates these things. I’m most satisfied when these notations are veiled, and each viewer might have a different correlation occur to them: the curves of a woman’s body, cellular organelles, and topographic maps may all be subliminally implicated in the curves of a single surface. The repetition of geometry we find in nature has become an inextricable part of my visual library. I use the visceral influence of salt, soda, and wood-firing to illuminate the exquisite course of the flame as it dances though the kiln and transforms the contents.

I bask gleefully in the repetition compulsory to producing a large series of related installation bits. The vast ocean of history that ceramics encompasses inspires and overwhelms me simultaneously. My love of the ceramic process is then complimented with the use of mixed media to give each work a depth and variation in surface that mimics our natural world. I will the work to come to life by instilling each individual component with its own character or role to play in the greater body of work. I revel in the alchemy of combining the mixed media components applying them like skins with flourishes of color, dustiness, or juiciness where applicable.

When I am in my studio I construct many objects at once, in series, and find this keeps me from overworking any piece in particular. I listen to music and occasionally podcasts or books if the procedure I’m carrying out isn’t too newly developed or complex. I try my best not to overthink the work. I want to be physically present: fully engaging in each brush stroke, each pull of a wall, or compression of an edge. If my studio practice is going well, I am committed to each motion and experience a loss of all self-consciousness about the process. These focused times in my studio are what compel me to keep making. I like to use a variety of commercially produced clay bodies, but find that I usually gravitate toward b-mix type and porcelain clays as the foundation of most of my works, adding accents of darker clays. I want the variation in attached clay bodies and brushed on slips to be highlighted by the atmospheric firings I use. The work must be durable to withstand a cone 12 wood fire and I take great pride in the reliable construction of my pieces.

See more of Myra's work at Small Space Fest: June 20th, 2016!

Myra Douglass Website: Here

Jesa Simon: Creating Engaging, Vibrant Work

Jesa Simon: Creating Engaging, Vibrant Work

Jesa Simon creates work full of color, life and spirit.  Her pieces are playful and exciting and capture the eye right away. She believes in the power of community engagement through public art.  We look forward to seeing more of her work at Small Space Fest!

This classically trained musician's works are all labors of love done in her distinct style. It's been both her experiences in humanitarian work and her wanderlust travels that have influenced Jesa's artwork most. After traveling the globe and living overseas for a number of years, first in Italy studying art and then Scotland studying business, this free spirit is now based in the States. 

Once just the sweetest of escapes, Simon's passion for creating art organically evolved into word of mouth commissions to partnering with city commissions and nonprofits. In 2012 she was honored as one of the eight large heart artists selected for the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation's Heroes & Hearts.

Since 2012 Jesa has worked on a number of exciting projects. Resume highlights include the honor of working with the National Charity League, Arizona Science Center, Downtown Phoenix Partnership, prominent hotels, and public arts commissions in cities such as Iowa City (IA), Salem (MA), Tempe (AZ) and more. Recent additions to her artist CV include a solo exhibit at the Tucson International Airport and the creation of a two-panel mural for Nevada State's Inaugural Art Collection. 

Jesa currently sits as a founding Arts Advisory Board member for Nevada State College. An advocate for the arts, she has worked with hospice organizations and non-profits promoting the arts through workshops and speaking engagements. She has spoken on issues addressing art over adversity, the economical benefits of public art, and small business entrepreneurship. When she is not covered in paint she is enjoying the outdoors with her brilliant husband and adorable rescue pup.

See more of her work at Small Space Fest: June 20th, 2016

Jesa Simon's Website: HERE

Hooligan Is Ready to Crush It!

Hooligan Is Ready to Crush It!

Hooligan is an independent improv comedy group, based in Los Angeles, CA. There will be a surprise element to their presentation at Small Space Fest and we are looking forward to watching them perform live!

About Hooligan: Although some members of the group have changed, Hooligan was originally formed by iO West as a Harold team at the beginning of 2012. A little over a year ago, we started hosting our own night of improv, “Crushing It with Hooligan.” This has allowed us the freedom to experiment with forms other than the Harold including Pretty Flower and La Ronde. We have stretched the limits of different openings and created our own openings. Two of our favorites include “Confessional” in which one Hooligan member starts with a true-life confession and the team heightens the story to a fictional place, and “Notes Bagotes” in which we asked an audience member to read from the notes app on their phone and use that as inspiration for scenes. One of our favorite things about hosting our own night of improv is that we get to cultivate a night of comedy that we would enjoy. We like to interact with audience members and create a relaxed environment where someone getting up to use the bathroom might be incorporated into the show. Recently, we’ve performed in shows that weren’t intended for improv comedy, including the Tree House music show. It’s been fun to bring improv to people who haven’t seen it before and think about how it can be performed in new ways. We think it would be a lot of fun to come up with a unique way to perform in your festival.

What Makes Hooligan Unique: Even though Hooligan has been a team for over 4 years, we still rehearse regularly. A typical rehearsal, is about 40% scene work, 40% nerd work, in which we talk about what made something funny and what would have made it more funny, and 20% bit work where we riff about something our coach said, have a contest on who will be the last to notice that everyone else has taken their shoes off, or tease one of our teammates, usually Colin (see #sushingit).

Who is Hooligan: Colin Contreary, Debbie Friedman, Greg Gallant, Sky King, David Mauerer, Kirk Mason, Gina Nicewonger, and Jessica Uhler (coached by James Mastraieni).

See more of their work at Small Space Fest: June 20th, 2016.

Christine Binns: Art With Bold Expression

Christine Binns: Art With Bold Expression

Artist, Christine Binns, paints abstract, contemporary works that have had "profound, emotional impacts" on her viewers.  Her paintings are rich with color and expression and we cannot wait to see more of them at Small Space Fest.


Artist Statement: "To be completely candid, while recognizing the risk of not sounding "artsy" enough for some...I am not a tortured artist. I do not claim to reach into my darkest depths for inspiration, I simply reach into any one of the nearby containers of paint and choose a color. I would be lying if I said I paint with absolute intent, raw emotion or with  a pet monkey feeding me pistachios....I know, hard to believe. I can't honestly begin to explain my position in this, except to say I am just a (very humbled, happy and grateful) vehicle to a very intentional and all-knowing Artist, I call him God.

I was absolutely ignorant to the importance of art expression until when I stood confused, touched and forever changed.....the day that first person was literally brought to tears, as they shared their interpretation of the piece I'd done. This is the unexplainable position I mentioned earlier and the reason I can't imagine ever not creating. 
I love the mess, the beauty, the possibilities, the release of control and the unknowing...It's all pretty much the opposite of bad. "

See more of her work at Small Space Fest on June 20th, 2016.

Website: Here

Trevor R. Yopp: The World of his Imagination

Trevor R. Yopp: The World of his Imagination

Trevor R. Yopp creates new worlds and adventures in any art medium he can get his hands on.  He uses his wild imagination to design colorful, delightful images. We are excited to see more of his work at Small Space Fest!

More about Trevor:

“As of late, I have realized that my ultimate aspiration in creating art is to strike out on impossible adventures. My intention is to travel to different worlds, see different creatures and ultimately explore strange places that can only be visited with great imagination. That intense human desire to experience new and different things fuels my passion to create. I will craft my own story or world that will spark a moment of nostalgia in young imaginations and old spirits. Inspiration rushes upon discovery of rust and architectural decay, bits of metal and the smell of old leather. An old book with the binding barely intact yet filled with magnificent prints and chapter starts can captivate me for hours. Who left these relics and where did they go? 

In my adolescence I was lucky enough to stumble upon the graphic illustrator and painter Frank Frazetta, who's work inspired in me a great desire to become both an artist and an adventurer. Capturing dynamic actions, bold heroes, and unreal landscapes; Frazetta's work as both a painter and man of great imagination have had a deep influence on my ambition as an artist.

During college I investigated as many varieties of medium as were available. I studied print making, metal working, jewelry crafting, but my strongest suits are sculpting and painting. Happiness would be a large canvas or wood panel and space to work freely. Current demands and pressures on my time have encouraged me to hone my talents working digitally. The luxury of which is both the speed, and flawless execution of intention without any mess or regrets. I seek to inspire the spirit of adventure.”

To see more of his work click HERE

See more of his work at Small Space Fest: June 20th, 2016.  

Sam Canales: A World Full of Cartoons and Art

Sam Canales: A World Full of Cartoons and Art

Sam Canales makes big, bold, assertive works. Whether they are drawn on the side of a building or screened on a T-shirt, you'll find strong, colorful illustrations decorating that surface. You can see some of these works displayed at Downtown Spaces in Las Vegas! 

We are looking forward to more of his colorful, wild work in Small Space Fest!

More about Sam Canales and his studio/clothing line, Heartbroken Reality: "My name is Sam and I live in a world full cartoons and art. It has been my addiction. I've enjoyed drawing in general, started with the simple pen on paper. From pen and paper I moved on to bigger and more colorful projects. I started using acrylic paints for murals about a year ago. It's now an addiction to go bigger and better with my art. I also run my own clothing brand from home called Heartbroken Reality, (which includes) a lot of simple cartoon illustrations that I have put on t-shirts, bandanas, hats, and pins. Everything I've created is from simple cartoon illustrations from current events in my life, my family, or friends. 

My mediums are acrylic paint and oil painting. I started working with wood canvases and moved on to painting my own garage walls. I've always wanted the opportunity to showcase my work outside my house and get comfortable by expressing my imagination to the world. 

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Moved out to Las Vegas 8 years ago, and came to discover the world of art in Downtown Las Vegas. Ive been hooked and very inspired by the art world Las Vegas has to offer. I look up to a lot of successful local artist who have painted the entire city with art, and i look forward to being a part of that inspiration one day."

 

 

Katie Klemp: The Art in Patterns

Katie Klemp: The Art in Patterns

Katie Klemp creates beautiful paintings rich with color and patterns that remind one of deconstructed or abstracted nature.  There are elements of recognizable organic elements where out of the painting one may see a fish, a black hole, a rose petal, a web, but really, it is the intricate layers that create this vision. What is seen is in the eye of the beholder.  We are excited to have her work in Small Space Fest.

The way she works:

My current work explores the spontaneity in patterns and their relationship to spirituality and proximity. In the first layer I use non-traditional tools to achieve quick, unpredictable results. An addition and subtraction of paint results in transparent layers, movement, and curiosity. This layer provides the most direction for the painting, even though it is achieved through unpredictable means. I then live with the painting until I see what is possible. The second layer of controlled pattern is then added and brings interest, contrast, and life to the direction of the first layer. The proximity of the pattern is built off of the first layer so that the two layers complement each other. This process allows me to access a more subconscious response.

To see more of Katie Klemp's work go to her website: Here