New Times: Art and Culture Review and Photos of (Un)Common Traces Opening Reception

Cultural Council of Palm Beach: 

Call for Nominations for prestigious 2014 Muse Awards Due November 15th, 2013.

Please consider ActivistArtistA Gallery/ Rolando Chang Barrero for: 
Outstanding Collaboration withThe City of Boynton Beach in the developement of the Boynton Beach Art District and contributuitions to the arts in Palm Beach County.

Outstanding Festival for KeroWACKED ART and MUSIC Festival 2013and The Boynton Beach Art District Art Walk (awarded Best Art Walk 2013), both of which were recognized by the press and the public, as new refreshing and vibrant.
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http://activistartista.blogspot.com/2013/10/cultural-council-of-palm-beach-call-for.html

NEW TIMES REVIEW:

Arts & Culture

Dwelling Projects, a Wandering Artists Collective, Descends on Boynton Beach

By Fire Ant Fri., Oct. 4 2013 at 11:15 AM

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Categories: Arts & Culture

The artist and arts impresario Rolando Chang Barrero hosts another interesting diversion this weekend at his Boynton Beach exhibition space, ActivistArtistA Gallery, with the opening of (Un)Common Traces, a fresh effort from the Dade County-based artists' collective Dwelling Projects. Four of the group's core members have come to Barrero's venue to reflect on their recent visit to Ecuador, where they spent 4 weeks immersed the Andean nation's artisanship and culture.

Spread throughout three bays of Barrero's compound -- a collection of what were formerly industrial storage and workspaces -- the works are in media including photography, video, pen-and-ink, charcoal, found objects assemblage, and fiber.

The bay labeled "Ephemera" offers the most direct documentation of the four artists' Ecuadorean experience, with a totem of travelers' gear -- shoes, backpacks, blankets -- delicate drawings by Sofia Bastidas, and two walls of photography. Some photos are from their time at La Factoria, an ecologically aware craft and design center on the Pacific coast, where they absorbed and played on the methods of local crafts. Others are from their stay at a private home in the highlands.

A second bay, unnamed, contains individual pieces by two others of the group. Andres Ramirez shows a flair for abstraction from nature in a video and more photography. Eddy Peñafiel's mixed media work of video, floorboards, and feathers is a very clever play on the "hunt-and-peck" method of typewriting.

A full other bay is taken up by Nathalie Alfonso's untitled installation piece in which immense spools of burlap are draped from the space's ceiling and uncoiled across the floor, with a long stretch of charcoal markings on paper along three walls of the room. The implications are deeply political, the burlap referencing the bags of commodities on which so much of the Ecuadorian economy relies. The charcoal markings mimic the housecleaning work Alfonso does to support herself as an emerging artist. It's a thoughtful, imposing, provocative piece.

The four artists in the show are just a small cohort from the Dwelling Spaces group, which grew out of the arts program at Florida International University. The group's membership is floating and elastic, up to two dozen individuals at one point, all from Latin American backgrounds. Just two years along, the group's early shows were held in private homes and other unorthodox spaces. Their improvisatory, socially conscious spirit is a fine match for Barrero's wild and wooly enterprise.

(Un)Common Traces, 7 p.m., Friday, October 4th thru the 25th, at ActivistArtistA Gallery/Studio, 422 West Industrial Ave., Boynton Beach.

Fire Ant -- an invasive species, tinged bright red, with an annoying, sometimes-fatal sting -- covers Palm Beach County. Got feedback or a tip? Contact Fire.Ant@BrowardPalmBeach.com.

More photos....

 

Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission Recognizes BBAD and APP of Boynton in Newsletter

Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission 

Recognizes BBAD and APP of Boynton in Newsletter

Special thanks to Debby Coles-Dobay,City of Boynton Beach, Public Arts Administrator, Jill Margolius and Kelly King of Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission.

The Boynton Beach Art District (BBAD) is PBC’s first and only industrial arts district attracting artists and businesses to the area. It is home to production murals with lots of cooperation and enthusiasm in the area for the arts. The warehouse districts doors, artists studios, and walls are covered in sactioned art that is always changing and evolving to keep it fresh. It serves as an incubator space where all art forms including urban gardens and a raw eat demonstrations are showcased.  

(con't : FOCUS ON FILM )

visit pbfilm.com.

Art Palm Beach: News of Art Synergy Released...

ArtPalmBeach Announces Art Synergy County Wide Art Walk

BY ADMIN, ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2013

For Immediate Release:
ArtPalmBeach Contemporary Art Fair: Art, Design, Photography

Chilhuly Glass Ceiling Norton Museum
ArtPalmBeach Announces Art Synergy, Jan. 23-28, 2014
Lee Ann Lester, Organizer of ArtPalmBeach Contemporary Art Fair, announced today the launch of the first “Art Synergy” Art Week during the upcoming ArtPalmBeach art fair.

“ART SYNERGY is a countywide movement to unify and promote the diverse culture of our vibrant arts community”Craig McInnis, West Palm Beach Art District Coordinator. Initiated by Lee Ann Lester, Fair Organizer and local gallery owners Rolando Barrero, Craig McInnis, and Freddy Hennevelt; “Art Synergy” is a coordinated five day event with over 60 galleries, studios, non-profit art exhibition institutions and museums in six art districts throughout Palm Beach County during the five day fair, Jan. 23-28th.
Rolando Barrero, Director of ActivistArtistA Gallery and Developer of Boynton Beach Arts District; “Since opening my gallery, in a run-down industrial park in 2012, my dream was to develop the area into an art district and cultural center.
It has taken only 2 years to do so. Now that it has been cleaned up, repainted, and nationally branded–it’s ready to be presented to the arts world. Lee Ann Lester is vital to this effort and it’s with much gratitude that I thank you for accepting our proposal to participate under Palm Beach’s flagship art exposition: ART PALM BEACH.”

Lee Ann Lester, Founder and Organizer of ArtPalmBeach, “Palm Beach County has a great legacy in supporting the arts and is home to many of Florida’s leading art and cultural institutions. Art Synergy will create a new bridge for winter residents and ArtPalmBeach visitors to explore this cultural legacy and create an annual destination to enjoy Palm Beach County Art Week events.”
The first evening of Art Synergy begins at ART al’ FRESCO at the Boynton Beach Art District, on January 24th 7pm-1am. ART al’ FRESCO will feature “Sensabilities: Cheryl Maeder and Ali Miranda” at the ActivistArtistA Gallery, a walking tour of the Murals of the Bay Gates Projects, special performances and showcasing of work by local area artists. Each art district will offer a weekend of scheduled gallery walks, symposiums, open studio visits, special exhibitions, poetry readings, architectural tours, film previews, and art performances.

The Participating Art Districts:
Historic Northwood Village, West Palm Beach
Clematis Street & West Palm Beach
S. Dixie Highway Arts District, West Palm Beach
Palm Beach Worth Avenue
Boynton Beach
Lake Worth
ArtPalmBeach is the most recognized international contemporary art fair held in the Palm Beach County Convention Center established by the IFAE LLC a Florida based art fair organizer. IFAE produces both ArtPalmBeach established in 1997 and The American International Fine Art Fair Palm Beach February 4-9, 2014 established in 1996. IFAE is celebrating its 25th year as an international fair organizer founded by Lee Ann and David Lester. The company has organized over 100 international art fairs in Chicago, New York, Miami, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Dallas and Palm Beach. IFAE LLC is now based in Miami and Palm Beach. In addition to the two Palm Beach fairs the firm organizes Miami International Art Fair, Miami Art + Design Fair, Art Sarasota, Miami International Jewelry Fair and The Club at SeaFair events in conjunction with Show Management Yacht Shows in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami Beach and Palm Beach.
For more information: www.artpalmbeach.com ; Lee Ann Lester; llester@ifae.com 239 949 5411 or contact District Art Event Coordinators
Historic Northwood Village, West Palm Beach
Freddy Hennevelt, Hennevelt Gallery, henneveltsgallery@att.net, 561 506 4180

Clematis Street, West Palm Beach
Craig McInnis & Trina and Anthony Burkes
ATB Fine Arts, trintasb@atbfineartsts.com 561 842 5724

S. Dixie Highway Arts District, West Palm Beach
Jamnea Finlayson; JF Gallery, jamnea@jfgallery.com; 561 478- 8281

Palm Beach Worth Avenue
David Ginn; DJT Fine Art; david@djtfa.com; 561 833 4700

Boynton Beach
Rolando Barrero; Rolando Chang Barrero Studio; rolandobarrero@mac.com; 786 521 1199

Lake Worth: Bonnie Wilburn

(Un)Common Traces Exhibition at ActivistArtistA Gallery makes ART + ART HISTORY NEWS in FIU!

ART + ART HISTORY STUDENT AND ALUMNI FULFILL RESIDENCY IN ECUADOR

September 30, 2013

Author: Juan Brizuela 

Opening Reception:

ActivistArtistA Gallery

presents

(Un) Common Traces

Boynton Beach Art District

422 West Industrial Ave.,

Boynton Beach, FL 33426

Friday, October 4, 2013 at 7 p.m.

"Travel to 3 separate installations and personally trace the path that Dwelling Projects has created for their debute exhibition since their trip to Ecuador and Back.

(Un)Common Traces with Poncilli is an exhibition, a journey, a remarkable experience for all who love art, travel, and history."

-Rolando Chang Barrer, curator

Alumni Andres Ramirez and Sofia Bastidas, local artisan Herlinda Gonzales, Eddison Peñafiel, and BFA student Nathalie Alfonso

This past summer, College of Architecture + the Arts student Nathalie Alfonso and alumnus Andres Ramirez fulfilled an artists’ residency in Ecuador. With the help of the gallery Dwelling Projects and the Ecuadorian property La Factoria, Alfonso and Ramirez used art to absorb the local community and environment.

Alfonso, who is a Bachelor of Fine Arts student at FIU, said, “I wanted to see what it was like to be making art in a different environment and I knew that the experience would only help me grow as an artist.” Alfonso and three other artists – who, like Alfonso, were born in Latin America – stayed in a house in Santa Elena, Ecuador. The residence was run by La Factoria, which provides various programs for artists, architects, and agriculturalists. At this location, alumnus Andres Ramirez – along with Edison Peñafiel, and Sofia Bastidas who founded Dwelling Projects with Alfonso – assisted Alfonso in creating an installation piece made of local materials.

(The image on the left shows Alfonso directing the installation procedure at the La Factoria property.)

Bastidas, who is also a CARTA alumna with a BA in Art History, valued this opportunity for Alfonso and the other artists. She said, “We chose a foreign country because we believe that traveling and learning from other environments can fuel our understanding in the arts and open our perspective on how to create using new materials and techniques.”

On October 4^th, the artists will present a group exhibition, called (Un)Common Traces, at the Boynton Beach Art District. Alfonso’s piece in the show will be a large structure that includes materials like organic shapes, burlap fabric, and charcoal, and will represent her experiences in Ecuador. “I believe [it] is important to show the results of the thirty days’ residency,” said Alfonso, “because being there brought new questions to my body of work.” Being in a different environment and social setting affected Alfonso’s view on her own artistic methods. According to the artist, the global learning experience impacted her “profoundly.” “Now that I’m back, I see how the thirty days’ experience made myself grow[,] and how I’m looking for new projects to share here.”

The opening day of the exhibition (Un)Common Traces will be Friday, October 4 at the Boynton Beach Art District, 422 West Industrial Avenue, Boynton Beach, Florida 33426. For more information, call (786) 521-1199.

Dwelling Projects currently has an open call for exhibition. For more information, click here.

Follow FIU Art + Art History on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

First Solo Show in 15 years. "Rolando Chang Barrero: Surface and Symbol" at UNIT 1 in Lake Worth

Rolando Chang Barrero: Surface and Symbol

Opening Reception 7:00pm-10:00pm October 25th, 2013

Musical Performances 10:30pm- 1:00am
Jean Jacket
with special guests

Lake Worth exhibition space UNIT 1 is pleased to announce a solo exhibition by Rolando Chang Barrero.

Simplistic descriptions fail the oeuvre of Barrero’s work because as one approaches the complex whirl-wind of activity and energy that surround the man like a more benign haze of the Charlie Brown character “Pig-Pen”, it slowly becomes apparent that Barrero’s art is not simply embedded in the beautiful and compelling objects that he creates, but it exists also as an energy that exudes forth from him-radiating into an experiential realm that is antithetical to “objectness” itself. In fancy artspeak we would call this an “aura”, and although the word has different meanings in different milieus- it’s exciting to find proof in this day and age that objects with auras have so openly defied their supposed death knell.

Someone it seems forgot to notify Mr. Barrero that art had to be one thing or another-that painting needed to stop when performance began, that civil disobedience and community organizing would erase the legitimacy of one’s career as a guy trying to “sell stuff”. Barrero ignores all these boundaries and rules with a reckless abandon-and with the type of Joie de vivre that comes from an intuitive understanding of the order of the universe that one only finds in somebody who so clearly has figured out how to “be here now.”

But there is a dark-side, after all, to the pretty little birds and the beautiful boys, and if you care to venture below the surface into the depth of the symbol, you might find evidence of a life lived with hard lessons and hard truths. There are traces here of catastrophe, addiction, sickness and pain, and these phantasms linger behind the pretty twirl of every painted eyelash. It is those dark valleys that make every normal day so worthy of celebration, and so if one survives the trials and tribulations, the self once dissolved, fermented and distilled, might with time and care coagulate into something so beautiful as this work and the man who has made it.

It is a great pleasure to hand over the keys of UNIT1 to Mr. Barrero, I really only know that there will be a lot of stuff to look at, but I can tell you with certainty that it will be well worth the visit.

Jacques de Beaufort
Director UNIT1 exhibitions


Please join us after the opening reception for a performance by Jean Jacket, an exciting duo out of Miami recently signed with West Palm’s Decades Records.
www.facebook.com/jeanjacketband


UNIT 1 is an exhibition space and independent media production company founded by Jacques de Beaufort. The gallery showcases artists in all media working in challenging forms that exist somewhere near the EDGE or beyond it. The space also hosts special events, film screenings, performances, and happenings driven by UNIT 1 participants and friends.

The gallery is open only during events and by appointment.

For more information visit www.unit1.org and like Unit 1 on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/unit1projects.

Contact:Jacques de Beaufort
www.jacquesdebeaufort.com
Jdebeaufort75@gmail.com
213-255-0730

UNIT 1
www.unit1.org
Unit1projects@gmail.com

UNIT 1

1202 Lucerne Ave., Lake Worth, Florida 33460

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"All art is at once surface and symbol. 

Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril.

Those who read the symbol do so at their peril. 

It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors. 

Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows

that the work is new, complex, and vital. 

When critics disagree, the artist is in accord with himself. 

We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long

as he does not admire it. 

The only excuse for making a useless thing is thatone admires it intensely."

by Oscar Wilde (Preface to Dorian Gray)

Artist Statement by Rolando Chang Barrero

As an artist who’s career spans over 30 years, I have had the opportunity to see my work garner various pigeon holed descriptions; Activist Art, Gay Art, Bad Art, Folk Art, Angry Art, Latino Art, etc… All well warranted indeed to those who gave me such attributes.

Of my various monikers: Barbie, Jesse Helms, and ActivistArtistA, I have kept only the latter.  ActivistArtistA (activist artist in Spanish) is quite possibly the mostdescriptive of my “being,” more then of what I do- ironically the inverse is true for most people I have come to know.

My work at first glance is all surface; non-provocative in essence…it has even been called cute. If you are one so inclined to read the symbol(s), you are one of those…as Oscar Wilde states, “Those who read the symbol who do so at their peril.”

My work which has included every thing from: short films, performance art, civildisobedience, installations art, and most recently a return to painting has always held a social-political context: a context which draws from art history, legend, psychology and myth. In my work I attempt to present a totally useless artifact for the spectator to redefine and re-contextualize -if he/she so wills it, or live with a truth some cannot bear. 

Rolando Chang Barrero

Contact: 

Rolando Chang Barrero

Rolando Chang Barrero lives in West Palm Beach, his studio ActivistArtistA 

is located at the Boynton Beach Art District in Boynton Beach, Florida.

Visit his Art Studio on Facebook