Really happy for him, obviously. And after this post, I really need to work on getting some non-O’Connell posts on here before he accuses me of stalking him. Congrats again, Brendan.

Also, according to the Kickstarter website, O’Connell is slated to appear in an upcoming People magazine, and an episode of CBS Sunday Morning.

Before you donate to the Kickstarter, you will likely ask–where is my money going to be utilized? Here’s the plan:

“In 2013, Everyartist will create a national, collaborative art event that engages elementary school children across the country – the largest art event in history.

We’re raising money to launch and facilitate this national collaborative art event. Included in this is building a downloadable kit that will make it easy for parents and teachers to register and become local event coordinators. The kit includes instructions for staging an event, group lesson plans with the rudimentary elements of drawing designed by a professional art educator adaptable to every age group, stickers and other incentives for the participating children, and a press release that can be shared with local media.

We can bootstrap this event for $30,000, but the more money we raise, the greater our impact will be and the more kids we can reach. We need your support!”

“In 2013, Everyartist will create a national, collaborative art event that engages elementary school children across the country – the largest art event in history. Our platform of events, digital content/tools and retail products empowers ArtTeachers, ArtMoms and ArtAngels to spark and sustain the creativity inside every ArtKid.”

In order to make this national, collaborative art event feasible, Everyartist will be launching a Kickstarter in the next few days. Once the Kickstarter is live, I will be sure to update this article, as well as make you aware of it, in a separate post. [February 9, 2013 Update: The Kickstarter is live]

My thanks to O’Connell for his time.

Tim O’Shea: You have made a few videos that you posted online discussing some of the thought process behind your Wal-Mart series. What prompted you to produce these? Do you think that to a certain extent technology in general and the Internet in particular has allowed you to expose your work to more people?

Brendan O’Connell: I had been doing black and white paintings based on Polaroids of people engaged in everyday activities: brushing their teeth, getting dressed etc. someone suggested I follow one model throughout the day, and that was how I came upon the first Walmart shoot. Recently I had a YouTube commercial made where I invited people to send me their pics from Walmart or SAMs club and if I did a painting based on their pic they would get a print.

As a creative person who lives a life less dictated by corporate America than some folks–has the struggling global economy impacted you more or less than your friends in non-creative careers?

We all have to survive and find a way to thrive no matter what is going on globally. In some ways during the greatest economic boom of the history of money I felt like I was on the sidelines …

You first embarked on your painting career after an aborted attempt at writing a novel. Have you ever revisited that first novel concept–and what kind of writing have you pursued in recent years?

I’ve written a few novels and screenplays but have recently channeled that side of my brain and personality into everyartist.me which is a team of really amazing people trying to spark next generation creativity.

When you do a series like the Apostles–when did you decide: “OK I’m done with that effort.”–or is there a chance you might revisit the Apostles series at some point down the road?

Most series are open ended. That one definitely. Lots of painters I might have or might still include.

In terms of your Walmart series, was the series an effort to capture an element of American life?

There is a long history of American painters who cut their artistic teeth in Europe and came back to paint America… After 7 years in Europe I came back and this was archetypal America

Is the Walmart series a finite project, or do you see yourself pursuing more paintings in that vein down the road?

I’ve always been eclectic, still do abstracts, still do portraits, but Walmart is a big envelope in which to stuff a bunch of different kinds of paintings

In the background info of your own website, it notes that your “work explores color as spiritual identity. … Influenced by the color theories of Rudolf Steiner and the order and simplicity of the Tao by Lao Tsu”. How did you first learn about Rudolf Steiner and would you say his theories still have a bearing on your work in the present day?

When I was castle-sitting for a rich British painter in the south of France, I came across Rudolf Steiner…I think I bastardized most of his concepts but I like the idea of thinking of colors as independent realities or even ideas… What if this emotion or idea that grips me now is a spirit that temporarily inhabits me? Hokey but fun

How much, if it all, did your view and approach on art change once you became a parent?

I was living in the middle of nowhere Connecticut and I had a barn filled with paintings and I was sort of trapped by my own idea of what an artist SHOULD do. Having kids gave me a kind of freedom, that if my kids were to inherit the burden of a barn full of stuff, they may as well think its cool stuff.

Your wife, Emily Buchanan,  is also an accomplished painter. Would you say that you two have influenced each other–or are your pursuits so vastly different that it’s not really feasible to say one has influenced the other?

I shamed her into working everyday and she shamed me into focusing on a single idea

Would it be safe to say that philosophical exploration has a major bearing on your work in general? If so, what philosophers or philosophy are you exploring at present?

I always liked the philosophies of life… Camus, Unamuno. Was much less interested in analytics as it made my head hurt. Doing anything in life is Sisyphean

Is there anything you’d like to discuss about your work that I neglected to ask?

We are going to launch a Kickstarter campaign for everyartist.me, which will become the most democratic global experience.

What can you tell me about the upcoming Kickstarter campaign for everyartist.me?

It costs about $25,000 to do an event like we did in Arkansas. The next one we do will be a record in collaborative performance art. We are raising money to build out our free app.

New Yorker

Tomorrow I will run an interview with arts education advocate/painter/former high school classmate of mine Brendan O’Connell.

But, I am happy to say that this week’s edition of The New Yorker features a profile on O’Connell, detailing his creative relationship with Walmart–and the stores’ impact on his career.

Be advised you need to subscribe to the magazine to read the full version.

What recently garnered my interest about this seemingly obscure club of the early 1980s? Well I stumbled across a YouTube video of Allen Ginsberg appearing at the club. I am hoping to find out more about the club in the coming weeks (looking at the folks on the fan page, it appears that many of the folks are friends with many of my Atlanta art scene fans–so I am hoping to mine their collective knowledge). But for today, I offer the video (plus a link to the second part). Enjoy.

What really surprises me about my ignorance of this club? Less than 10 years later in the early 1990s, my then girlfriend and I rented an apartment less than a mile from the club’s former location.

James Haspiel (From CulturePOP)

Dean Haspiel is a great writer and artist. I have thought that for years. But the foundation of this great storytelling partially lies his mother and father, as revealed back in January via interviews and articles recently posted at Trip City.

First up, Barbara Haspiel, in her own words.

Then, photojournalist Seth Kushner documented James Haspiel in an installment of CulturePOP.

Finally, Dean interviewed his father in this TripCity podcast.

AdHouse: Nine Years Strong

In observing the nine-year mark, Pitzer also noted it is the publisher’s “MOST productive year to date”.

The Best of Times

During 2010, in the wake of the Texas Legislature’s budgetary cuts for arts funding, Sara Hickman, the Texas State Musician of the Year, decided to use her position to raise funds and awareness for the importance of arts education (and the funding of it) for children. More exactly, she spearheaded a collaborative effort–with a variety of Texas artists including Shawn Colvin, Willie Nelson, Rhett Miller, Robert Earl Keen as well as many more–to record a collection of Hickman’s own songs. The project, The Best of Times, was recently released as a two-CD, 38-cut collection by Waterloo Records. All proceeds from the sale of the CD set go directly to the Theatre Action Project, a non-profit that supports unique arts programs for more than 16,000 young people. To fully grasp the drive behind her charitable efforts, I recently email interviewed Hickman.

How did you go about getting all of the many fellow talented people who contributed their musical talents to Best of Times?

I knew I had, at least, a year to start lining up musicians to record for The Best of Times because Willie Nelson, who also recorded for the album, was the State Musician before my position took place. So, I immediately made a “wish list” and began calling/emailing/asking in person. I kept a giant chart on the wall with the names of artists/bands I had contacted, the titles of songs I had sent, if they had responded, if they were in the studio, if they had finished recording, if I had the recording.

When did your involvement and interest start with the Theatre Action Project?

I believe the first time I knew about Theatre Action Project was an after school program I was invited to lead concerning songwriting and drumming. I would guess that was about six or seven years ago. Then, I was in a ninth month course entitled Leadership Austin in which Karen LaShelle was also enrolled. We spent time getting to know one another and discussing the importance of arts availability to children in Texas.

For folks like myself woefully ignorant about the Theatre Action Project, what does it do and why should folks want to donate money to its cause?

There are many non-profit groups that bring a variety of art expressions to children in and after school. The difference, and outstanding quality, about Theatre Action Project (TAP) is how they empower and engage kids to learn about theatre, art, music, movement, creativity and self-expression in conjunction with everyday issues. TAP asks kids, “What’s important in your lives? What’s going on in your world?” The kids get to discuss issues such as bullying, or dating violence, or even home issues. TAP can then help the kids to create scripts, costumes, sets, art goals (a tiled wall, giant mosaic self portraits in pastel, sculptural pieces to display) which can they be presented peer-to-peer. Involving the kids to use their own ideas and bringing them to fruition and then sharing what they’ve created makes a big impact within the school, within the community.

In terms of making people aware of the cut in funding, do you think your concerns get more attention given that you have a platform and a voice as the official state musician of Texas?

Well, this was, and still is, my hope. When I was told of this humbling honor, I set out to raise awareness concerning the cuts in arts funding and to also raise monies slashed by the legislature that gave me the accolade. I hope I have raised awareness. I hope people will buy the CD, The Best of Times. However, I do find it ironic that as my term ended in May, the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) had its own funding cut by 50%. This is the group that works with the legislature to not only choose the State Poet Laureate, 2D and 3D artists and the State Musician, but they ALSO give out grants to teens wanting to pursue further education in an arts program. For example, if a 16 year old wanted to spend their summer taking a painting course at UT, or Rhode Island School of Design, or private lessons with a professional in their chosen arts field, TCA can give up to $2500 to that teen towards the costs of the course. I know many other non-profit arts groups and school programs have been deeply affected by loss of government funding, as well.

As a songwriter, how gratifying is it to hear this diverse a selection of musicians sing songs that you wrote?

First of all, I’m still honored and blown away by the fact that the CDs EXIST! God placed it on my heart to create this collection, and the fact that musicians responded with such passion and determination really astounds me. Having been a songwriter since I was seven, hearing 38 of my songs reinterpreted by such great talent has made me feel a part of a greater community, where, before, I felt rather isolated in my songwriting. That by coming together we can, of course, make change happen for the arts, for children in Texas. But, as far as how I feel personally about the diversity of musicians performing my songs, I’m deeply touched and grateful. When the songs started coming in, I would, literally, cry tears of gratitude or smile with joy until my face hurt. The interpretations were never what I expected, and always beyond what I expected. Plus, it made me hear my songs in a whole new light, and that was prettttttty cool!

What were some of the more challenging logistical aspects of attempting a project of this scale?

Reaching certain people. I tried to get Erikah Badu, Alejandro Escovedo, Carolyn Wonderland. There were so many people on my list I could just never reach, or who were on tour. I had to, of course, explain what the idea was AND ask everyone if they were willing to record for free. I was overseeing getting song choices and lyrics to people, sometimes videoing my hands on the guitar to show certain chords/movements, or creating and sending charts…I was following up with each musician/band to see if they had a studio/engineer available for them to record the song they chose, and if not, I would find one or both for them. I had to get the packaging created, figure out how to pay for duplication and mastering (thank you to all the people who helped on Kickstarter), and oversee the song order for mastering. Following up with people and checking in where they were on the process was the most time consuming. However, just to name a few—David Garza, Shawn Colvin, Robert Earl Keen—they sent their recordings in, if not that day, by the end of the week.

Given that The Best of Times project was prompted by fiscal decisions by the Texas Legislature, have you heard from anyone in the legislature, thanking you (or challenging you) for your efforts?

Three people thanked me: Rep. Elliot Naishtat, Senator Wendy Davis, Rep. Donna Howard. I’m still waiting to hear from Gov. Rick Perry I don’t know what he will say, but I’d be interested in hearing from him. We’d have a lot to discuss, I think.

Anything you’d like to discuss that I neglected to ask you about?

I would implore people to please support this project. This isn’t a “thrown together” project. It’s one of the best choices you could musically purchase. It took a lot of time, sweat and tears, and the end result is an album that just sounds terrific—the variety of musicians really showcases Texas’ musical talent—from known names like Willie Nelson and Shawn Colvin to those that deserve to be heard, who are just as talented: Matt the Electrician, Suzanna Choffel, Gretchen Phillips, the Daze…I think people will appreciate hearing how richly loaded this recording is; how it showcases the diversity of talent and songwriting, too. Most importantly, each purchase makes a statement—that people care about helping children receive the right to an excellent creative environment. Music, art, theatre, poetry, dance—all these arts enrich children’s lives, develop ways to utilize self-expression and creative problem solving, thus, helping our communities, and the world, embolden the best artists, doctors, diplomats, teachers, pilots, dancers, coaches, you name it. Art is only the beginning of what’s to come in each child’s life. Creativity helps them choose the person they want to become.

Brendan O'Connell

In what seems like a lifetime ago, in the mid-1980s, painter Brendan O’Connell and I went to high school together. The other day he dropped me a note to let me know he had upgraded his website. Imagine my surprise when I strolled over to find he was interviewed by actor Alec Baldwin.

I have been trying to interview O’Connell for years, but now that I understand he’s got Baldwin wanting to interview him, well hey, it makes sense why I am still waiting. Go read the interview. I am always impressed at what O’Connell has done since our high school days, and I look forward to seeing what lies ahead for him and his ever-evolving pursuit of art.