see the entire treasury here

As a curator, I felt the need to curate independently — sticking to a set schedule in the same space was already starting to feel forced. I want to take more time to conceptualize exhibitions and find unique venues for them. In other words, I crave flexibility.

As an artist, I felt the need to create and market my own work — something I had hardly any time for, with all the other pressures of running a gallery and shop.

It seems to be a reoccurring theme in my life — this process of building up and tearing down. I have been doing this for the last ten years, and it has been a hell of a learning process. Even though it feels like I am once again starting over, I have discovered more about who I am as an artist and where I want to go with my career. And that is invaluable. If I wouldn’t have done the gallery, I would always be wondering if that was what I wanted. Now I know that it isn’t, and I can move forward.

It comes down to priorities. I just had another baby and I have two older kids as well. Being able to make their childhood magical  is number one for me. Art isn’t the only thing I live for. For the last few years, I have been one-dimensional. It is time to embrace all aspects of what makes me who I am, and that is why I am concentrating on Hemm Handmade.

Hemm Handmade is about living an artful, sustainable, kid-friendly life. I started this blog where I post my art and craftwork, kid’s activities, great recipes, tips on green living, and about other things that interest me as an artist, mom, and earth-lover.

So I will still be blogging here about art and curating, blogging on Hemm Handmade, I will be listing on our Etsy, and doing art shows. We will be also be working on finding the perfect location for our new studio. And I may be taking on independent curating projects.

So please follow Hemm Handmade on the blog and “like” us on Facebook to stay updated about our new endeavors!

But check out this great 365 project by Kirsty Hall — she makes art jars and then leaves them for people to find, I love it!

Condense (1-18-11)

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Artist statement

Only You (1-17-11)

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Artist statement

Tension (1-16-11)

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Artist statement

Her artist statement:

The main characteristic of my works is a kind of duality which finds many ways to express itself: abstract versus realism, ubiquity, diachronicity, microscopic and macroscopic, and so on. I’m always trying to engage in extreme or contrary dialogue. In abstract compositions, some hyperrealistic figures will make you try to find some kind of space, but you will keep wondering if you really have to see it that way, because something flat will try to empeach you. Somehow, you will feel like you are hanging between two worlds.

This may very well be a reflection of my background . Born in Korea — a divided country — I live in France, and feel like I exist between two worlds. In my daily life, I often serve as a link of sorts between members of the Korean community and other groups, and somehow, this interesting condition also reveals another side : the sense of being nowhere. That feeling has made its way into my paintings regardless of my intentions.

Untitled, Acrylic on Canvas

Passages #2, Acrylic on Canvas

Au bord du lit, Acrylic on Canvas

Jung-Yeon Min is represented by Kashya Hildebrand.

Plarn Tent (1-15-11)

Evidence of Difference is a series of 365 daily posts about what I do or see or think or create every day that contributes to difference in this world. Being normal is scary. This is proof that I’m not. Visit the Evidence of Difference category to see all posts, and read the complete artist statement on my website.

Alison Gates, Neither Created Nor Destroyed

So as I was taking these textile/fiber classes in college, I was also working at the Lawton Gallery at UWGB as part of my Gallery/Museum Practices major — and what exhibition did I help install but Craftivism: Reclaiming Craft & Creating Community, which was guest curated by Faythe Levine. Needless to say that show heightened my awareness of the growing DIY/Indie Craft culture and inspired me even more to explore the intersection between art, craft, and handmade design.

Last year I was contacted by Shan Bryan-Hansen, who told me about her Milkweed Project and I was blown away. I had already curated shows that included collaborative, fiber-based art installations by Jennifer Marsh, so I was excited to see that an area artist/curator was working on a similar type of project. The result is beautiful! Over 100 artists from over 30 countries contributed to this artwork. Image below:

Another artist that I had wanted to include in an exhibition for awhile was Jennifer Hunold. Her embroidery style is unique and fresh. Make sure to check out her Be Nice project, where she prints her embroidery pieces into pamphlets that are distributed. The below piece is included in this exhibition and is part of her newest Be Nice series – Guide to Farting and Pooping.

Other artists in the show are Mindy Sue Wittock, Kari Hinrichs, Chris Vuco, Julie Guilette, Stephanie Gritzmaker, Vicki Brower, and Pat Fitzpatrick.

This show runs though February 28, so if you are in the Northeast Wisconsin area, make sure to stop by, check out the show, and say hello! Directions and hours can be found on the gallery’s website.

View all the photos of this exhibition on my Flickr.

Click to view slideshow.

Did you know that there are 100 million women missing in this world?

When I came across this statistic, I couldn’t believe it. The facts tell a different story. If you take the natural distribution of male/female, there are 100 million women missing from our planet. Why?

Because baby girls are selectively aborted
Because baby girls are killed
Because women are killed
Because women aren’t given an education
Because women do not get the same medical care as men
Because women die in childbirth
Because women are trafficked and sexually exploited

And all of this 100 years after International Women’s Day was first celebrated on 8 March.

100 years of International Women’s Day, one million women missing for every year.

To highlight the inequalities that still exist across the globe and are responsible for 100 Million missing women as well as the continuous gap of women being represented in decision making positions in the government, the workplace and the media, there is a great Scottish-based initiative which tries to create a debate and… a massive blanket, with 100 Million knitted stitches; one for every woman missing. The great thing is that everybody can contribute to this, by knitting a simple square measuring 15 x 15 cm (6×6 inches). 100 million stitches is an awful lot though, as little as one stitch per missing woman does sound, so a lot of helping hands are needed.

So then, I challenge you my lovely readers to support this initiative. How? Simple. Sit and knit a bit. Knit a square, or two, or many. Ask your friends and colleagues to do the same. Blog about it. Follow on Facebook or Twitter. Organise a Sit and Knit a Bit evening – in your home, in a cafe, in a community centre. And while you do all of this, or some of this, remember the 100 million women missing from our world today. There are so many ways to support this, do head over to the website to get inspired.

Please send your completed squares and stories by 8th March 2011 to Jetson and Janssen, c/o Tramway, Albert Drive, Glasgow G41 2PE. If you have any questions, you can email here. If you blog about it, please come back to this post and add a link to your post in the blog hop below (and the blog hop code to your post, to link them all together).

I will definitely be doing this — and I have the perfect hot pink plarn to knit for it too!!