meredith cutler :: arts marketing :: artist

To celebrate their 1-year anniversary as the only public printshop in Rhode Island, the AS220 Community Printshop will hold their First Biennial Print Lottery tomorrow, Saturday, September 27th, from 7-10pm. All ticket holders will win an original printed art work, representing a variety of print media practiced and taught in the shop. The blind lottery selection includes works in: drawing, monoprint, screenprint, etching, lithograph, woodblock, stencil and letterpress...all created in the warm glow of the communal Printshop.

Lottery tickets are set at a $75 flat rate, with proceeds to support the AS220 printshop's public programs. All work is currently on exhibit in the AS220 main gallery for your eager perusal. See you there!

AS220 and everything that entails: 115 Empire Street Providence, RI 02903

I'm already hard at work researching year-end exhibits and events for the close of 2008 issue of Artscope Magazine. It's always an exciting and overwhelming process, given the tenacious exuberance of our itty-city's art scene. Given that, I was overjoyed to discover the topic of yesterday's Design*Sponge guest blog post. Fellow East-sider Christine Chitnis compiled the Providence City Guide for Design*Sponge's ongoing roster of city-specific design guides - all excellent resources for design-o'-philes on the go!

Above: "Waterfire" by Heather Katsoulis

With press releases and colorful exhibit announcements scattered about my studio floor, I was more than happy to add a few key arts destinations to the comments section, including: AS220, The Steelyard and CAV. A must read! Thanks to Grace and Christine for helping to highlight Providence as an arts and design destination.

In the blink of an eye, my complexion has transformed back from sun-kissed to milky white, and the freshest breezes are blowing spicy scents of drying leaves and sweet concord grapes down the streets of Providence's East Side. The calendar lies, but it's autumn, I swear!

Above: "Monochromatic Fruit Set" by Revo on Etsy - handblown glass

It's the perfect time of year to visit Providence's farmers' markets, which are currently overflowing with Macintosh apples, the last of the pears, corn, squash, and a wide variety of lovely bitter greens (my favorite!). While enjoying the crispy, local tastes of autumn, I'm currently coveting the handblown glass fruit of Pennsylvania-based artist Anthony Biancaniello. His fruit sets are available on Etsy in a variety of autumn colors, and would look simply smashing in my vintage Danish china fruit bowl...(hint).

It's a lazy, post-storm Sunday here in Providence, and the tugboats are heading back out to the Narraganssett Bay now that the coast is clear. After being cooped up in the house yesterday while windswept rain played the bongos on my roof, I took a bit of a walkabout in hopes of ressurecting my laughable excuse for a tan. Perhaps I should have brought this concept "Sun Tan Stencils" design from U.K./Ireland-based Observatory with me? (I always did covet an anchor-shaped sunburn).

All the better segway for me to mention my newfound playground on the web: Ponoko.com! Ponoko is an all-in-one, laser-cut prototyping/production service where designers can realize their vector-based designs in a variety of popular materials, from MDF to acrylic. In addition, designers can choose to sell their creations directly on the Ponoko website (ala Etsy); or, publish their vector plans for customized production by other Ponoko users; either for a fee or for free. The possibilities for designer collaboration are wide open, making Ponoko a unique online variation on the traditional atelier; and, bringing our drawing-board dreams that much closer to reality and the marketplace!

After spending this last, (fabulous!) weekend sharing a cozy, lumpy tent with my husband, and the past three weeks lending my home office/guest room to my visiting brother-in-law, I have personal space on the brain. What better way to create your own personal studio oasis than with the KitHAUS modular building system!

kitHAUS offers modular, lightweight prefab units that assemble with a minimum of labor and offer extensive customization options. With an eye for sustainability and efficiency, all kitHAUS units utilize a lightweight, recyclable aluminum support structure and recycled/recyclable GreenWall™ Structurally Insulated Panel (SIPS) wall infills, with an impressive R-14 insulation value. They have even partnered with an outside California alternative energy provider to offer an optional 1-KW solar kit for the roof!

With my background in exhibit design and retail merchandising, I am also impressed by the kitHAUS concept team's adaptation of traditional slatwall as a canvas for endless accessorization possibilities. The icing on the cake? The kitHAUS K3 unit's modest 9'x13' footprint falls below most municipalities' regulations for special building permits, so this little baby can be installed on your property as a guesthouse, studio or office without any unpleasant fuss with "the man". With a little creative planning, a deck or breezeway can connect multiple K3's to create a dream compound! Yeah, I'm currently gazing out my back window and dreaming of my own...