Meeting Minutes: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009

WEA meeting, Saturday Nov. 7, 2009, Mississippi Market. 7pm.

Present: Lia, Matt, Nance, John, David, Paulette, Mary, Gail, Stewart, Steve, Rachel, Jason. Am I missing anyone? The stranger eating dinner next to the wall.

Background music: 80s light rock. Toto, Pat Benatar, Joe Jackson.

In the Minister of Information's absence, Rachel takes notes.

Discussion:
Mary was contacted by someone at Gloria Dei Church in Highland, offering us gallery space for a show. Stewart and David offered to help to an extent. Nance will post a call for interested volunteers.
Stewart doesn't have a car, and David confirmed the spelling of "Dei," to better assess the vibe of the place.

Nance has reserved space at the St. Paul Gallery for a showing of Iron Pour objets d'art in January. Jason, Paulette, and Matt offered help. Nance will kick things off with an e-mail to participants, giving them a heads-up about the show.

Joe is helping spearhead a "West End Beautification Coalition" and suggested West End Arts send a liaison to their meetings, which can sometimes take place at 11am on weekday mornings, when most of us are earning our keep. Everyone veritably bursts with ideas for beautification that far surpass plastic likenesses of Charlie Brown and Lucy. (I thought those were fiberglass?) But is anyone interested in attending the meetings? Anyone? Nance is too busy with work right now. David's traveling a lot for family reasons. Maybe we should take turns! Okay, great--so who can go to the first meeting? Any takers? I didn't hear who finally got tagged "it," because I was gabbing with Jason. He wants to create a life-size inflatable replica of the now defunct Excel coal power plant, that dances around like those huge stick men. "It would be terrifying!" he asserts, eyes gleaming.

December meeting! Who wants to host it? Mary, or someone, tries to rope Rachel and Jason into it, but Rachel is unyielding. Nance will reserve space (again!) at the St. Paul Gallery.

Mary would like to organize another show at Mississippi Market, ideally to run immediately after this one. As far as she knows, the walls are free. David likes the idea of a curated show, to some extent, to introduce the "possibility of focus." Paulette says that even the State Fair turns people away, "and most of the time, it still sucks," adds David. Lia expresses interest in curating a "Tasty" show at the Mississippi Market, art inspired by food (Jason's idea), but that would be at some uncertain point in the future. What about for the very next show, something we could slap together in a hurry and put up right after the current show comes down? Oh, well, when you put it that way ... hmmm ... maybe if we drop the theme/focus idea. (These artists, they're all over the place.) Show of hands, who has something they could contribute to the next non-thematic Mississippi Market show? (Hands rise.) Okay then! We've got a show! Mary, once again, offers to coordinate it. (Thank you, Mary.) "Maybe I could get some help," Mary demurely suggests. Nance and David take pity on her.

Meeting adjourned.

Monthly Meeting

West End Arts monthly meeting is tonight, November 7th at 7:00 p.m..

This will be an abbreviated meeting following the Artists' Reception for "Reflections on the West End" at Mississippi Market, 1500 West Seventh street. Hope to see you tonight.

SECOND ANNUAL IRON POUR A SUCCESS! Photos will amaze you...

Second annual Iron Pour a success! While Dave Thune's rock & roll band, "The Back Seat Boogey Band," provided the background music, the Ironhead team, dressed in futuristic silver trench coats with equally other-worldly sci-fi helmets, popped the cork on the iron furnace Saturday night.

Despite cool temperatures, artisans and community members huddled together in anticipation to watch the golden liquid flow into their carefully prepared sand molds. The fire department was on hand in case the fiery sparks flew too far and fly they did. It was exciting evening, with everyone's mold getting a dose of hot iron.

Sunday, the sand molds were cracked opened to "ooohs" and "ahhhhhs" as sand was brushed away from the iron. Those who participated in the pour walked away with a prized piece of personal art.

But wait! There's more you can do to make your iron sculpture really shine. Here are a few ideas from Marty Hicks, West End sculptor and metalworker.

* Wire brush the heck out your casting
* Cut, grind, or file off any unwanted material
* Sand the top surfaces to bring out the highlights
* Warm the casting with a propane torch or on your range, and wax it (Johnson's Paste Wax works)
* Or just leave it rough ...

Marty Hix submitted the above.

(Without whom this success would never have happened... Thanks Marty!)

Photography by Fotodog. www.ifotodog.com