Arts

Brand spanking new art at salon

Michael Singman-Aste
Thursday, March 14, 2013 - 12:05am

Contributed photos.

At Spank Salon, getting your makeup done “includes lash application,” according to their price list. Ouch! But that’s not the only reason it’s hard to sit still at this super hip parlor: Compelling art lines its walls, with new work rotated in frequently to keep heads turning.

We’ve come a long way from when redheads were targeted as witches or vampires in the infamous Malleus Maleficarum, but gingerism and its stereotypes linger. Megan Lynn Kott, who describes herself as “a lifelong redhead - in actuality and spirit” and her artistic partner Justin DeVine give some long overdue love to carrot-tops in their show “GINGERLY: an ode to all our favorite redheads,” which opens at Spank Salon on Saturday, March 16. Read more >> about Brand spanking new art at salon

Alameda Bookshelf: Hunter House Publishers

Kristen Hanlon
Thursday, February 28, 2013 - 12:05am

Hunter House Publishers was founded in 1978 and has made Alameda their headquarters since 1991. Located in a book-filled suite of offices above the Churchward Pub on Park Street, Hunter House employs seven people, most of them local, and publishes 12-16 self-help titles per year. Publisher Kiran Rana has been at the helm of the press for nearly 30 years. He spoke with The Alamedan recently about the joys and challenges of running a small, independent press. You can visit Hunter House Publications online at http://www.hunterhouse.com/ Read more >> about Alameda Bookshelf: Hunter House Publishers

Newtown shooting inspires anti-violence portraits

Laura Casey
Monday, February 25, 2013 - 12:05am

While recovering from the shock of what happened in the community of Newton, Conn. after a troubled young man killed 20 first grade students and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in mid-December, Alameda photographer Anne Kohler posed a question to her Facebook friends: “If you could describe, in one word, what we lost in Newtown, Conn. what would that word be?" Read more >> about Newtown shooting inspires anti-violence portraits

Ken McGhee: In Stereotype

Michael Singman-Aste
Friday, February 22, 2013 - 12:05am

Artist Ken McGhee with "What's My Line?" Photos by Michael Singman-Aste.

“If you write a book about a serial killer, are you condoning his behavior or making a study about what makes a monster?” Ken McGhee stands in the Signature Gallery of the Frank Bette Center for the Arts, surrounded by his art. “What are the origins of this monster that has taken on such a life of its own that it becomes this thing called a ‘stereotype,’ which is for the ages?” McGhee asks. He seeks to answer these questions in his solo show “In Stereotype,” which opened on February 1. Read more >> about Ken McGhee: In Stereotype

Alameda Art: Book Club at Van Kleefs

Michael Singman-Aste
Thursday, January 24, 2013 - 12:05am
King Shrubb, “A Purple Haze,” cardboard collage.

Photos provided by the artists and by Michael Singman-Aste; click photo for slideshow.

Book clubs often start with intentions of sophisticated critical review, dissecting the motivations of the protagonist and tying their undoing to those of archetypes in Greek drama. However, after a few weeks of asking, “did anyone read the book?” their members typically opt to make popcorn and just watch the video instead, and finally disband. Read more >> about Alameda Art: Book Club at Van Kleefs

Alameda Bookshelf: Holiday shopping edition!

Kristen Hanlon
Friday, December 14, 2012 - 12:05am

Photo by Kristen Hanlon.

It’s a familiar conundrum: the holidays are fast approaching, several readers are on your list, and you walk into the bookstore thinking: “Where do I even begin?” I pitched the following questions to Nick Petrulakis, manager of Books Inc. on Park Street. If you’d like further recommendations, check out his book blog at http://bookswithnick.blogspot.com/. Read more >> about Alameda Bookshelf: Holiday shopping edition!

iPhoneography by André Hermann at Blue Dot Cafe & Coffee Bar

Michael Singman-Aste
Friday, November 16, 2012 - 12:05am
“A focused, yet simple scene of chaos”

Click the photo above to see the slideshow; photos courtesy of the artist. Artist photo by Michael Singman-Aste.

When photographer André Hermann knows he’s going to be shooting, he favors the high-end Canon EOS 5D Mark II. That firepower is called for in his commissioned work, or when he was completing his MFA thesis at the Academy of Art, for which he photographed a little boy with the genetic connective tissue disease Epidermolysis bullosa. Read more >> about iPhoneography by André Hermann at Blue Dot Cafe & Coffee Bar

Alameda library, bookstore mark Banned Books Week

Michele Ellson
Friday, September 28, 2012 - 12:05am
Alameda Free Library

Marie Gilmore was shocked when she saw Madeline L’Engle’s award-winning 1962 science fiction novel “A Wrinkle in Time” on a list of banned and challenged books.

“I read it when I was a child and my daughter read it also,” Alameda’s mayor said. “We just happened to be discussing the book a few weeks ago, so when I saw it on the list, I decided to read it.” Read more >> about Alameda library, bookstore mark Banned Books Week

Locals Only: Your Friends & Neighbors at REDUX Studios & Gallery

Michael Singman-Aste
Thursday, August 16, 2012 - 12:05am
REDUX Studios & Gallery

According to the website of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County, which owns and operates REDUX Studios & Gallery, "'Neighbors helping Neighbors' is the heart of everything we do." So the gallery suspended its usual requirement that artwork feature reclaimed or salvaged material for “Your Friends & Neighbors," which opened on Friday, August 10 to a packed crowd.

Twenty artists participated in this group show, the only restriction being that they reside in the East Bay. Read more >> about Locals Only: Your Friends & Neighbors at REDUX Studios & Gallery

“Art for Art’s Sake”: popUp Gallery @ Autobody Fine Art

Michael Singman-Aste
Thursday, July 12, 2012 - 12:05am
Photo by Michael Singman-Aste

No doubt about it, this is a tough time to be an artist. The extended recession is drastically limiting would-be patrons’ disposable income, and forcing some galleries out of business. Autobody Fine Art was one of these. In February 2011 they ceased hosting exhibits on a regular basis, and converted much of its space into artist studios. Read more >> about “Art for Art’s Sake”: popUp Gallery @ Autobody Fine Art

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