How does my band get booked?

article by: Deb Driscoll

photo’s by: Sherry Smith, Eddie Walker and Rachel Deniger

Hey all.  Deb here.

ArtLoveMagic is really cool, and thusly we are adding new Artists, Musicians, and ‘guys who lift heavy things’ seemingly all the time to our roster.  I looked back through our amazing blog and found this cool one on how to go from one of our Artists to being a Producer of a show.  I was at a loss, however when I couldn’t find a single entry on how to get involved in our collective as a musician.  If only there was someone in the organization who was the head of their music department to blame.  Oh Wait…

So here goes.  I was asked today, and on frequent occasion how ArtLoveMagic handles our bookings.  I hope my response, sans any inevitable ‘weird Deborah speak’ (thanks to my editor) will help any musicians with a similar question:

New Musician,

Good to know you.  As far as our booking process, well it’s different than most.  We are more about the spirit of the entertainer/artist/creative person than even necessarily the talent.  I know that may seem a little backwards, but we are a community and one that relies heavily on Love.  We aren’t tied to any religions or weird cultish things, but we are are artists that truly appreciate our culture, and our scene, and we want to work to save it – not separately.  If your band is full of cool people who want a meaningful experience then you let’s talk.  If you are seeking bookings only for individual gain and monetary responses, this is not the group for you.  Check out our radio online and see if you guys would feel good about participating with these artists.  If you would, send me some music and come to one of our Open Mic’s to play live.

Almost all musicians come through ArtLoveMagic through playing our Open Mic’s or events.  I strongly prefer to see you play our open mic’s before booking you for an event because it gives me a real sense of your style.  Most gig’s you’ll find at bars and such pay crap and give you no audience.  We give you a supportive stage to play from with an amazing audience, and offer you a real way to better yourself as a creative force in the world.

If you’re wondering why this response is so lengthy, it’s because there’s a lot involved in our collective and with the overwhelming flux of musicians that want to play our events I need to make sure you all get where we’re coming from so that there is no confusion from the jump.  We are having an awesome time, come hang out and talk with me more at an artlovemagic show.

Peace,
Deb Driscoll
ArtLoveMagic
Executive Music Director
www.artlovemagic.com

I hope you’ve all found this helpful, and if you have any further questions please email me directly at deb@artlovemagic.com.

Art & Coffee Pics – Feb 2010

story by Michael Lagocki
pictures by Jenice Johnson

Ooooh it was cold out there! For our February 5th Art & Coffee we moved our stage back outside (the traditional Art & Coffee model) and braved the winds while listening to music, poetry, and for the first time…stand up comedy! (more on that later).

Inside, our artists rocked like they were musicians. Great crowd, great art, great fun. Here’s some beautiful pics from Jenice Johnson’s lens.

SMASH! The collage art of the Sunshine Kids includes lots of broken glass and mirrors. Thus the safety goggles and big ‘ol hammer. Each of our artists this night successfully sold original works. Congratulations, girls! Now please, put the hammer down and back away slowly.

Melody’s voice warmed the night when Southern Karma took stage. Their wonderful EP was just released on Amazon. Highly recommended.

Always great to see friends at Art & Coffee. The show inspires a hangout atmosphere, and a lot of people return month after month, so it’s easy to make new friendships. Mario and Zach are two of the greatest men we know.

Rachel Denniger’s make your own jewelery stand was a big hit. We love it when our artists set up stations that allow the audience to create with them. How cool is it to walk away with an original piece that you co-created!?!?

We’re big Spencer Garland fans around here. Spencer brought out some of his older material that artlovemagic founder Michael Lagocki is crazy for. Great to have him around and hopefully we’ll see more of him now that he’s back in Dallas.

Fresh off of UNDERGROUND, Dee Hill and Sherry Smith returned to shoot free portraits of the crowd again. This is something that happens at almost every Art & Coffee. Local photographers shoot hundreds of crowd portraits for free in the hopes that some of those people will go online and purchase prints. Even if you don’t, it’s always a fun experience.

It’s not as dramatic as it looks. Mike is actually asking the crowd to leave in this shot. We’ve mastered the art of the post Art & Coffee tear down. Each time we’ve been at It’s A Grind, we’ve been out in about a half an hour after the show.

Not pictured above, but also in this show were musician Matthew Bridgman, and artist Jessica Trevizo. Our producers were Nicole Rodriguez and Diana Hawkins-Rushing. Last, but not least, a big congratulations to Jenn Hoff and ArtLoveMagic for including a stand up comedy set on our stage for the first time ever. Jenn was funny, and it’s always great to try something new. This is leading to a comedy show (we can feel it in our funny bone).

Art & Coffee is back at It’s a Grind March 5th- this time with the return of our OPEN MIC. Join us (and bring a poem or a song).

Details at www.artlovemagic.com

February Art & Coffee

ArtLoveMagic presents Art and Coffee on Friday, February 5th

Riding on the momentum of Underground, February Art and Coffee is upon us! Being held at It’s A
Grind Coffee in Deep Ellum, the talent will warm your soul like the java warms your insides.
Musically- ArtLoveMagic newcomer Matthew Bridgman starts us off with his touching melodies. A near and
dear Southern Karma ‘lets it flow’, and Spencer Garland emerges from space and time through song.

Southern Karma, photo by Jenice Johnson

Photography- Dee Hill and Sherry Smith collaborate to capture the light of patrons on film.

Sherry Smith as photographed by Dee Hill

Live Visual Arts– Deb Driscoll and Keanna-Marie Pohl (The Sunshine Kids) will be turning luck on it’s ear co-creating a piece
from shattered mirrors. The amazing Josh Boulet inks a masterpiece. Rachel Deniger makes you feel
50 feet tall with crafted jewelry and miniatures and Jessica Trevizo does Casa Azul proud with her
beautiful masks.

Ink by Joshua Boulet

Join us for this unique and free event !

Held at:

It’s A Grind Coffee

2901 Indiana Ave. Dallas, TX 75226.

7:30 – 10:30 pm

Near Baylor hospital in Deep Ellum (easy access from the Dart Rail)

- Article by Tony Cherry of Southern Karma

ArtLoveMagic Raises The Bar For The Dallas Arts Scene With UNDERGROUND 2010

report by Gary Brown
photos by Jenice Johnson

I knew when I drove up to Southside on Lamar within only 40 minutes of the opening of UNDERGROUND 2010 by ArtLoveMagic to discover parking lots already maxxed out and beautiful traffic jams everywhere… that it was going to be a very good night.  I was not wrong.  Like a gushing, ebullient lava flow flooding the facility, throngs of people pleasantly meandered or stood in fixated mesmerization all along the arteries of busy, positioned artists.  To my eye, 1,000+ persons in attendance on this night would not be a stretch.   In only its second year, this innovative and intriguing UNDERGROUND event has so soon become a badly needed fixture on the Dallas arts scene.  With a stellar and lengthy list of firsts and considerably noteworthy accomplishments already logged in ArtLoveMagic’s 3+ year history, it is no small matter for them to declare UNDERGROUND 2010 as their most successful event to date and for me, seeing was believing.

It is not possible to list all of the various artists and disciplines represented at this multilevel, indoor festival which somehow managed to house multiple dozens of visual and performing artists, all “working live”.  No, forget terming this a mere festival, UNDERGROUND constitutes more of a joyously laboring, industrious village of artisans.   In addition to displaying vast galleries of their works on display and for sale, all of these friendly, energized professionals were thoroughly involved in the active production and demonstration of their skills.  Yet, even this did not interfere with them continuously engaging and answering questions from the ever-present, inquisitive and fascinated crowds gathered around each of their workspaces.  Say “Wow”.

Performing singers, songwriters, poets, spoken word artists, musicians and bands kept folks simultaneously riveted to stages created both inside and outside of the Jeanette Kennedy Gallery.  In true ArtLoveMagic style, huge canvasses were erected which allowed the public to participate in creating community artworks, including trying their own hand at air brushing.  Hey, when was the last time you could walk right up to a smoking t-shirt screening operation bent on slavishly printing really cool shirts from scratch (even on your own shirts brought from home) in an effort to fill a constant stream of orders from those desiring to both commemorate the event while helping to raise badly needed funds for the Haiti Relief effort?  Live photography, jewelry making, visual and sculptured art of every feasible nature and much more, all in-process, en masse; what an inspiring and creatively stimulating experience this was.  100% ArtLoveMagic.

As I stated, I can’t possibly begin to identify the long, long list of amazing, contributing artists present at UNDERGROUND 2010 but you really should know who they are, every gloriously talented one of them.  Your life will likely benefit from meeting them, studying what they do and hopefully, possessing some of their works, yourself.  Go to www.ArtLoveMagic.com if you want to try getting their names, contact information and what I am sure will be many wonderful photos of this event.  However, above all, get on ArtLoveMagic’s email list so as not to miss out on the huge number of events they produce and promote all year long and… never, never miss UNDERGROUND again.

Gary Brown 

Are YOU Ready To Go UNDERGROUND?

We’re just days away from the first Major show of 2010….UNDERGROUND @ Southside, 8pm on 1/30!!!     I’m so excited about seeing all of the new talented artists joining us for their first show and having the opportunity to serve/volunteer; it’s going to be an electrifying event!!

As I was thinking about the show this morning, I had a few random thoughts that I wanted to toss out there…

***Underground Artists – Do you have everything you need for your setup?    This may include: a chair, table, lights, extension cord, power strip, black tablecloth, price tags, calculator, receipt book, plenty of business cards, pens, a tablet for note taking, paper towels, Advil (just in case), tape, duct tape, pins, twine, your art supplies to create during the evening, etc.

***Be cool and arrive on time for setup.  (4pm)   

***Some food is being donated by The Angry Dog and Deb Driscoll, but wouldn’t it be awesome if we all brought a small snack (salty or sweet) to share?

***Send out email reminders to your friends and family and tell them to prepay online to save some $$.  (Don’t forget to include the art love magic link in your email.)

And yes, it’s supposed to be cold on Saturday night (26 degrees), but where there’s art & music, there will be warmth, so tell everybody to come on out and join us.   :)

Dreaming about art,

Michelle McSpadden

 

Videos from the Underground gallery setup

Two new videos have found their way to our YouTube page. In the above one, Underground producer Issac Davies takes a moment away from the gallery setup to tell us what to expect.

“The key to the map, to understand it, is like, deep inside my brain!!”

Instant, handmade Business Cards?

Sara Brown sat in the middle of the packed room at the Art & Coffee held at It’s A Grind last Friday night.  I sat with her and helped her make business cards while collaborating with her on a larger piece. Creating these business cards enthralled everyone, especially me. I  painted some small, simple object and she drew or painted on top of it to turn it into this grand beautiful thing. What an incredible idea!  Not just business cards but personalized business cards… Soon I found myself offering my chair to someone so they could paint their own “Sara Brown collaborative business card”.  Almost instantly a line formed for people to sit and paint with her and take home with them a piece to remember.  I overheard one audience member explaining how she ended up with her card.  “You paint something, then she draws on top of it and puts her information on it so you can take it home.”

This is the art, the love, and the magic.  This happens in some way, great or small at every event.

~Keanna Pohl

P.s….This is about half of a piece she did the night before the event as a gift to ArtLoveMagic.  Thanks, Sara.

Ashley Jones: One piece at a time…

Posted by Michelle Wallace

Ashley Jones at ArtLoveMagic's Art & Coffee. Photo by Nicole Rodriguez

Recently I had the privilege to chat with artist Ashley Jones. Ashley’s incredible mixed media artworks will be featured at ArtLoveMagic’s upcoming show, Underground, on Saturday January 30th, 2010.

Ashley Jones has always been interested in art. Even as a child she loved making crafts, and was encouraged to attend art school. But she thought the only thing she could do with a career in art was to teach, so she never pursued it. Ironically, she is now a character development teacher in Grand Prairie. However, teaching left her summers open to explore her hobbies, and once again art resurfaced.

Ashley Jones jewelry

A few years ago, she started taking jewelry apart and recreating unique pieces for friends and family. The sudden demand for more prompted Ashley to sell her work. She loves finding random bits of things to incorporate into her jewelry, and tries to make them completely out of what she already has. She sells her jewelry under the name CrashAlter on Etsy.com. The name just made sense because she loves the physicality of tearing things apart in order to recreate something new. As a result, each piece of jewelry is interesting and unique.

Color has always drawn her in. Rifling through magazines, Ashley rips out colors and images that stand out to her. All the pieces find their way onto her canvases, which are alive with emotion and energy. Ashley uses her art as a sort of expressive therapy. Anger leads to collages of black and white with red splattered across the canvas. Happiness explodes in bright rainbows of color. Each piece of art is a mirror of her feelings and experiences. And once she gets started on a piece, it’s hard for her to stop. Most of her work was made in the succession of a few days, with a little help from insomnia. Creating just takes over for a while on these occasions.

At first, letting people see her work was difficult. Because each piece reflected her identity so vividly, it was shown with apprehension. But after so many validated her art, and even identified with the emotions expressed, Ashley’s vulnerability helped connect others to her work.

Ashley Jones collaboration with ArtLoveMagic founder Michael Lagocki

When ArtLoveMagic produced an art workshop for kids from various organizations including the Boys and Girls Club last summer, Ashley decided to volunteer. As she helped the kids, other workers encouraged her to submit her art for the multi-arts shows ArtLoveMagic regularly produces. Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, artists began asking her to collaborate on projects. For the upcoming Underground show, Ashley paired up with local artist Jason Ice on a piece, as well as partnering with ArtLoveMagic founder, Michael Lagocki for another piece. Although the artists have different styles than Ashley’s collage pieces, the collaboration has proven to be refreshing and exciting. During the event she will be one of the many artists producing live as audiences enjoy the show.

The biggest goal Ashley has set for herself now is to try and find a way to do art full-time. Talking with other artists, she finally feels like she’s found her place in the world. The artists at ArtLoveMagic have inspired her to keep at it, to be proactive about the business of art, and to put herself out there. Although it’s challenging to be her own biggest cheerleader, the reward is being comfortable with herself as an artist, and getting to use the creative arts to express and connect with others.

Meet Ashley Jones as she creates live at ArtLoveMagic’s Underground. Details and $5 pre-sale tickets at artlovemagic.com.

UNDERGROUND First: Live Screen Printing

UNDERGROUND will be a night of many firsts. And I will be participating as an artist for the first time as well.  That’s right, after 7 years of creating and executing live art events, I have finally found an art form (apart from production itself) that will get me out from behind the scenes.  Not only will it be my first time as an artist, but the art form itself is a first for our shows:  Live Screen Printing.

Instead of printing a bulk amount of shirts with the UNDERGROUND show logo, this time around you will only be able to purchase UNDERGROUND shirts at the show.  There will also be 4 alternate designs available only at the show.  You’ll want to pick up at least one of these Limited Edition shirts for the sake of history (not to mention the sheer awesomeness of the designs themselves).

I’ll be printing with three options:  New shirts, UpCycled shirts (shirts donated or purchased from Goodwill), and shirts that you bring from home (any color that you feel black ink will work on is fine.)  New shirts will be $15, UpCycled will be $10 and your own shirt will be $5.

Finally, you will have the chance to buy a Help For Haiti shirt as well.  100% of he profit from this shirt will go to an orphanage in Haiti that our friends have worked with.  You can get more information about the shirt at my website SHIRTS=AWESOME.

Peace!
Justin Nygren

Underground Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact:

Art Director, David Rodriguez

Phone  972-743-3105

Email david@artlovemagic.com

 ArtLoveMagic Features Underground, at Janette Kennedy Gallery

 1409 South Lamar, January 30, 2010 — Dallas-based multi-arts organization, ArtLoveMagic announces its next live-art experience inside the Southside on Lamar complex at the Janette Kennedy Gallery.  This one night event January 30, 2010, will run 8:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. featuring over 50 local artists and musicians.

A world of live creativity. At Underground you will be surrounded by dozens of artists and performers creating, sharing, and selling live works of art. Painting, Sculpture, Music, Poetry, and Dance- all from talent local to the Dallas area. Featured artists include renowned sculptor George Fowler, painter Jason Ice, collage artist Ashley Jones, and rappers Playdough, Freddie B, and Sivion from DeepSpace 5.

ArtLoveMagic Underground tickets can be purchased for $10 each at the door.
See www.artlovemagic.com to save money by pre-purchasing.

Janette Kennedy Gallery
1409 South Lamar #411
Dallas, TX 75215

ArtLoveMagic was founded in January of 2007 by Michael Lagocki, Justin Nygren, and David Rodriguez and has produced more than 40 live experiences, involving over 300 artists and performers. No two shows are the same; however each show is intentionally positive, and is focused on featuring a wide variety of local artist and performers. We are a volunteer organization.