Thursday, August 28, 2008

MIGA Radio Interview

Jessica Steeber and Cassandra Smith of the Armoury Gallery were recently interviewed for Lake Effect/WUWM by Paul Kosidowski about MIGA. The interview orginally aired on August 28th, but you can listen to the whole thing HERE.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Spackle Gallery: The Flyover Report

The Flyover Report: works by Annushka Peck
Opening Reception: Friday, Sept. 5th 6-10, artist talk at 7pm.
Show Runs through October 12th


Statement from Annushka:

The experience of travel is inherently a 'liminal' (i.e. threshold or transitional) state. In this state, one can often find themselves in a position of vulnerability. Yet, it is also the case that within the vulnerability that such changing circumstances create, great opportunities for growth and transcendence also can be found. When the trajectory of the event can be anticipated, or understood prior to engagement however, as is often the case with "tourist" experiences of place, the opportunity for growth becomes limited by the pre-ordained routes of travel and package excursions.

A corollary to this can be found in "armchair tourism" – an experience of 'place' derived by engagement with a mediated source, rather than a physical encounter. Such 'tourism' often occurs within the comfort of one's own home, though it may occur in any setting that offers easy familiarity, such as a hotel room television. This exploration of other cultures, places or events, provides the observer with a pre-selected viewpoint, a vantage point that is not arrived at through one's primary experience, but a secondary, pre-viewed and pre-digested understanding of the particular place, culture or event.

This body of work is based, in part, on the recent experience of traveling to and from Ankara, Turkey via Frankfurt, Germany. The images used in this series are part of a larger series of television photographs taken while experiencing an unintended layover in Frankfurt, Germany.

This series of pieces is intended to cull these different sets of experiences: the frustration of direct physical experience with the limitation of images of events and cultures one may only ever experience via mediation."


Garden Variety @ the Armoury Gallery

Opening Reception: September 5th, 7-11 pm
Show Runs: Septemeber 5th - October 4th
Garden Variety features new and old pieces by Minneapolis-based artists Joseph Sinness and Erika Olsen, as well as photography and installation by Milwaukee artist River Bullock. Garden Variety attempts to examine our relationships with the physical and imaginary world that surrounds us, through cultural study, wit, quiet meditation, and heavy use of symbolic imagery.
Erika Olson
River Bullock"Apocalyptical Dolly" by Joseph Sinness
At this opening, we are going to be selling 19" x 26" limited edition, signed prints of the above image by Joseph Sinness for $30.00. If you're as excited about owning this image as we are, please email us so we can be sure to pre-order enough.
info@thearmourygallery.com



Wednesday, August 20, 2008

"Orla TX" Photography by Nicole Tappa

Opening Reception Friday August 22nd 6-9pm
Fasten Collective
2224 S Kinnickinnic Ave. Milwaukee


"Orla, Tx", from Milwaukee artist, Nicole Tappa will be on the walls August 15th through mid September at Fasten. The collection is an eerie story of a lonesome ghost town textured by decay and vast blue skies. Join us for an opening reception August 22nd from 6-9pm.


Nicole Tappa graduated from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee in 2005 with a BFA in photography. She then traveled onto Chicago. After completing one year at Columbia College Chicago's MFA program in photography she has returned. Chicago taught her one thing, that if she goes any further away, she'll start coming back.
About Orla
It's a long way to anywhere from Orla, Texas. Orla is on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe line, U.S. Highway 285, and Farm Road 652, five miles southeast of Red Bluff in northwestern Reeves County. The name is Spanish for "border" and refers to the countryside around the settlement. Orla was established as a section house on the Pecos River Railroad in 1890. A post office was opened there in 1906. By 1933 Orla reported the post office, a business, and a population of ten. Its population remained at ten until after World War II, but the number of businesses increased to two in 1943. The town grew between the late 1940s and the 1950s, the population to forty and then to sixty, and the number of businesses to three. In the mid-1960s Orla became a rural oil supply center. By the end of the decade its population had reached 250, and it had twelve businesses. From 1970 through 2000 its population was reported at 183, and it had variously anywhere from one to sixteen businesses. In 1990 Orla still supplied equipment for production in nearby Permian Basin oilfields. In 2005, its population stood at 2.

Monday, August 11, 2008

"What You Get When You Cross...": Friday, August 15 @ MAM

Along with posting strictly MIGA gallery events, we've decided to post events happening in Milwaukee that we are involved in, want to support or just think are great events that everyone should go to. With that in mind, we encourage everyone to attend the following event:


Milwaukee artists team up for the latest Cedar Block event, in the tradition of "The Ramirez Box" and "Three Degrees of Francis Bacon", this time in tribute to Gilbert & George. A film program, The Midnight Show, and special interactive exhibits round out the exhibit, with live DJ's, free appetizers, and a cash bar. The GILBERT & GEORGE exhibition will be open to all until 11PM. Friday, August 15 from 8:00pm - midnight. Just $7 general admission, $5 MAM members. www.cedarblock.com

Armoury gallery owners and local artists, Cassandra Smith and Jessica Steeber will be showing a collaborative piece at this event.