ActivistArtistA

Press Release! ActivistArtistA

2012-01-17T16:05:00.000-06:00

For Immediate Release:

PRESS RELEASE

Jan. 26, 2011

Stroke of Genius: The Exhibit

Organized by Roly Chang Barrero & Lea Vendetta

January 26th, 2012

At ActivistArtistA Gallery

Opening Reception at 5:30 pm

Featuring the paintings, drawing, and

illustrations of master tattoo artists!

Jason Ackerman
Ryan Farrell
Kara Kramer
David Rabinowitz
Justin Stephan
and
Lea Vendetta

"Come for the Art, Stay for the Food and the Music!"

Sounds by DJ Alex De Marchi

Special Promotional Performance for

KeroWACKED: Homage to Jack by

"WAVEFRAME"

Italian Food by

Cucina Al Mare

Find out about more events at The District here:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003044366366

Jan. 26, 2012

ActivistArtistA Gallery presents....

Art Walk 2012 at the District!

Palm Beach County's Art District in Boynton Beach!

January 26th, 2012 begining at 5:30 Walk the District and visit with the

Artists of Boynton Beach!

Studios will be open to the public and both District Galleries will be having openings!

ActivistArtistA Gallery & The Neighborhood Art Gallery

We are located 1 block west of I95 off the Boynton Beach Blvd. exit

786.521.1199

Fun for all! Bring your family and friends!

_____________________________________________

Jan. 27,2012

ActivistArtistA Bay Gates Project

Tour Begins at 1 pm

ActivistArtistA Bay Gates Project by Rolando Chang Barrero

An ongoing outdoor installation piece developed for

The Boynton Beach Arts District

Enjoy a stroll through The District as ActivistArtistA, Dir./ Artist,

explains the development of Street Art and how it's found it's way into the mainstream.

_____________________________________________

Feb.11, 2011

ActivistArtistA Gallery

Presents...

Love in the Afternoon: Art Walk

A daytime stroll through the studios and galleries of

the Boynton Beach Art District

"Give your Valentine the gift of art!"

From 11 AM to 5 PM

Tour of The District Studios and of the Bay Gates Project begins at 1PM

by Rolando Chang Barrero, Gallery Director

_____________________________________________

Feb. 26, 2011

ActivistArtistA Gallery

presents

KEROWACKED: Homage to Jack

a multi-media marathon of art & music

facebook

Sneak Previews!

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 Coming up... #6 #7 #8....

everyday a new artist preview!

Featuring

Visual Arts by...

Andrew Ackerman
Jamaal Clark
Kris Delgado
Leslie D. Grossman
Alexia Heminway
The KWAK
Lorraine Marks
Chan Shepherd
Paul Slater
Thomas McAvoy
Joshua Von Noon

and more...

Performances by...

Alan Burgess-Poetry/Performance
Andrew Ackerman-Poetry
Roly Chang Barrero : "Estos Pajaros Have NAMES!" with...

Lea Vendetta:"This CHICKcan write poetry!"
Jamaal Clark- Live Art

and others....

Music by...

DJ REN (sound Engineer) Main Stage

House Music Stage featuring:
------------------------
Shayne Pilpel
Brock Lambert
David Orozco
Sebastian Perez
Asa Hochhauser

Also featuring the sounds of

Duncan Beatz!

Waveframe:
Waveframe: Mike Kelly aka nuvoid, Steve Daniels aka TextureHead, and

Alex Vanderkooy aka Audiphobia, is an electronic-based performance group of producers,

ranging from ambient, downtempo \ trip hop, to jazzy, glitch-hop, and experimental drum N' bass, and footwork.

Also featuring the sounds of

DJ Alex De Marchi

Live Performance by...
(tentative times)

The M(e)yers Trilogy (12:30 PM)

The Loxahatchee Sinners (1:30 PM)

Behold the Wolf (2:30 PM)

Al Kush (3:30 PM)

Steve Minotti (4:30 PM)

Teri Catlin Shandra Hurt (5:30 PM)

{in Boxes} (6:30 PM)

LMNOP (7:30 PM)

Mike Mineo (8:30 PM)

KeroWACKED: Sneak Preview # 5

2012-01-16T20:56:00.001-06:00

ActivistArtistA Gallery

presents the music of

Waveframe

during

"KeroWACKED: Homage to Jack"

February 26th, 2012

422 West Industrial Ave.

Boynton Beach, FL 33426

As promised ActivistArtistA will spotlight a different artist each day until the event.

Subscribe to ActivistArtistA Blog

This is Sneak Preview # 5

Contact Rolando Barrero, Dir, at 786-521-1199

Waveframe: Mike Kelly aka nuvoid, Steve Daniels aka TextureHead, and Alex Vanderkooy aka Audiphobia, is an electronic-based performance group of producers, ranging from ambient, downtempo \ trip hop, to jazzy, glitch-hop, and experimental drum N' bass, and footwork

Mike "nuvoid" Kelly is the logistics guru, synth \ keyboardist, auxiliary drummer, and does live fx

Alex "Audiphobia" Vanderkooy is on electronic bass \ fx and live looping\glitch out

Steve "TextureHead_" Daniels is on drums, synth, and does live fx as well.

Experience a Sample

TextureHead

Promotional Performance

ActivistArtistA Gallery

for the opening reception of

A Stroke of Genius: The Exhibit

January 26, 2012

See More Events Below

ActivistArtistA Collection

Includes work by the following artists

Valyn Calhoun

Kris Delgado

Kim Fay

Joshua von Nonn

Dan O'Brian

and others.

Kris is currently working on a series of prints that will be available

for sale during the event.

Visit our friends:

"Virtue in a Pocket"

Founded and Directed by Andrea Michelle Ible

City of Boynton Beach

Read about The District

Contact: Rolando Barrero, Dir. at 786-521-1199

Sneak Preview #1

This is Sneak Preview number 5 of music that will experienced at

ActivistArtistA Gallery located at

"Palm Beach County's Arts District" in

Boynton Beach, Florida

Up Coming Events

ART WALK 2012

ActivistArtistA Gallery

KeroWACKED Sneak Preview # 4

2012-01-15T20:06:00.002-06:00

ActivistArtistA Gallery

presents the work of

Kris Delgado

during

"KeroWACKED: Homage to Jack"

February 26th, 2012

422 West Industrial Ave.

Boynton Beach, FL 33426

As promised ActivistArtistA will spotlight a different artist each day until the event.

Subscribe to ActivistArtistA Blog

This is Sneak Preview # 4

"Madly Uncommom"

Acrylic on Canvas 24"x 24"

$700

Contact Rolando Barrero, Dir, at 786-521-1199

Kris Delgado grew up in Jonestown, PA where she had been painting for most of her life.

Before moving to south Florida, Kris had several Art Exhibitions and sold a

large part of her 1st collection.

Since moving to Delray Beach, Kris has had several

Art Exhibitions in Delray Beach, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale,

and continues to show throughout the state.

Kris has had her paintings featured in the 6th season of “Collage Hill”, BET’s hit reality showand has received several outstanding reviews, including the “Delray Times” and the “Sun Sentinel”. She also has shown part of her latest collection at The Schacknow Museum of Fine Art in Plantation, as well as the Luis Hernandez Art Shop & Salon & Ursula’s Fine Art at West Best.

Her work is in the

ActivistArtistA Collection

along with:

Valyn Calhoun

Kim Fay

Joshua von Nonn

Dan O'Brian

and others.

Kris is currently working on a series of prints that will be available

for sale during the event.

She is also a volunteer artist with

"Virtue in a Pocket"

Founded and Directed by Andrea Michelle Ible

Contact: Rolando Barrero, Dir. at 786-521-1199

Sneak Preview #1

This is Sneak Preview number 3 of works that will be on exhibit at

ActivistArtistA Gallery located at

"Palm Beach County's Arts District" in

Boynton Beach, Florida

Up Coming Events

ART WALK 2012

KeroWACKED Sneak Preview # 3

2012-01-15T07:56:00.003-06:00

ActivistArtistA Gallery

presents the work of

Valyn Calhoun

during

"KeroWACKED: Homage to Jack"

February 26th, 2012

422 West Industrial Ave.

Boynton Beach, FL 33426

As promised ActivistArtistA will spotlight a different artist each day until the event.

Subscribe to ActivistArtistA Blog

This is Sneak Preview # 3

Valyn Calhoun is an emerging artist/photographer based in South Florida, graduated from AIU with a BFA in Visual Communications.

"I am fascinated by art and photography is my lifeblood. I would do anything for my craft. I currently own my own photography company, ValynRuinedMyLife.com and focus on fashion, nightlife, portraits and commissions."

This is Valyn's second invitaion to display his photography at ActivistArtistA

"Shadow Play" was installed duing the "Pre-Opening Exhibition."

His work is in the

ActivistArtistA Collection

along with:

Kim Fay

Joshua von Nonn

Dan O'Brian

and others.

Valyn is currently organizing and hosting

"The Art of Pain"

at the Bubble Gallery in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

See Facebook Event for complete details.

ART WALK 2012

Contact: Rolando Barrero, Dir. at 786-521-1199

Sneak Preview #1

Sneak Preview # 2

Facebook

Twitter

This is Sneak Preview number 3 of works that will be on exhibit at

ActivistArtistA Gallery located at

"Palm Beach County's Arts District" in

Boynton Beach, Florida

For More information visit

ActivistArtistA.com

Grandma Graffiti in Boynton Beach!

2012-01-15T06:48:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while the Art World gets a few new terms that make you go--Umm!

This story has two!

I like it!

Not sure who came up with them, but kudos to the wordsmith!

By Erika Pesantes, Sun Sentinel

9:01 p.m. EST, January 14, 2012

Artists in Boynton Beach on Tuesday will adorn lamp posts, bike racks, door handles and even trees with brightly knitted, crocheted and knotted art pieces.

"Unexpected fiber art," which somewhat resembles fringed scarves, will offer passers-by something to smile about, lead artist Lori-Nan Kaye says. But it may also leave them scratching their heads.

Cue in tags attached to the art with QR codes that may be scanned with a smartphone and offer information about the current fiber art exhibit at the city library. "Unexpected fiber art" is being used to promote the exhibit, featuring 21 local artists' textile works through May 31.

The randomly placed art also brings attention to "yarn bombing," a form of street art that uses yarn and anonymity to bring warmth to sterile places. It doesn't have the permanence of graffiti, but police could consider it vandalism; some also call the fuzzy art "grandma graffiti."

Even though artists in Boynton Beach will remain largely anonymous, their version of yarn bombing or "unexpected fiber art," as they prefer to call it, is endorsed by the city, said Boynton Beach's public art administrator Debby Coles-Dobay.

"Originally, people would dress up as ninjas and do it in the dead of night. It's really cool and funny, but we're sort of past it. It's worthy of attention in its own right," Kaye said, "So, my theory is, since you're going to pay attention to it anyway, I don't think it has to have those violent connotations" given by the word "bombing" in "yarn bombing."

Artists plan to target Ocean Avenue, also dubbed "Avenue of the Arts," in the downtown area as well as businesses that have given permission for the art to "unexpectedly" pop up on their properties. On the list so far: a bank, a pharmacy, a fish market and, naturally, a local art gallery.

The public is encouraged to search for the few dozen pieces of fiber art, snap photos of it and chat about their scavenger-like adventures during an artists' reception Feb. 23.

The art is made from nylon cording, rope, lanyards and yarns in rainbow hues and neon colors. Some are flower-shaped or fringed; others look like spider webs or fish nets.

epesantes@tribune.com or 561-243-6602 or Twitter @epesantes

Stroke of Genius:The Exhibit at ActivistArtistA Gallery

January 26, 2012 from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM

also,

ART WALK 2012

For More information visit

ActivistArtistA.com

KeroWACKED Sneak Preview #2

2012-01-14T05:14:00.000-06:00

ActivistArtistA Gallery

presents the work of

Andrew Ackerman

during

"KeroWACKED: Homage to Jack"

February 26th, 2012

422 West Industrial Ave.

Boynton Beach, FL 33426

As promised ActivistArtistA will spotlight a different artist each day until the event.

Subscribe to ActivistArtistA Blog

This is Sneak Preview #2

"Sensuality and Seduction"

2011, Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 In.

"Lovers embrace in outer space. Two sensual beings are intertwined in pure bliss. These green entities defy gravity as their bodies become part of a puzzle of sensuous shape and design. Rarely are we spectators to an other-worldly romance such as this."

Andrew Ackerman is a Brooklyn born abstract painter. Ackerman's work is a fusion of graffiti art, Pop art, abstract expressionism and calligraphy. His mysterious but playful painting style has been featured on the pages Wemerge Magazine and his exhibitions include MultiVersal: Art Basel 2011.

Andrew Ackerman

Contact: Rolando Barrero, Dir. at 786-521-1199

Sneak Preview #1

Facebook

Twitter

This is Sneak Preview number 2 of works that will be on exhibit at

ActivistArtistA Gallery located at

"Palm Beach County's Arts District" in

Boynton Beach, Florida

For More information visit

ActivistArtistA

KeroWACKED Sneak Preview #1

2012-01-13T09:35:00.000-06:00

ActivistArtistA Gallery

presents the work of

Joshua von Nonn

during

"KeroWACKED: Homage to Jack"

February 26th, 2012

422 West Industrial Ave.

Boynton Beach, FL 33426

As promised ActivistArtistA will spotlight a different artist each day until the event.

Subscribe to ActivistArtistA Blog

Shown are various views of a new illumination piece that will be on exhibit during

"KeroWACKED: Homage to Jack"

Title: Leedy-Voulkos

$2,ooo

Contact: Rolando Barrero, Dir. at 786-521-1199

Joshua von Nonn

Watching Josh paint, you’re immediately struck by how quickly the look of a piece can change, how seemingly unafraid he is to paint over forms that only took shape days or hours ago. Not satisfied with a result that seems merely good, or that other people like, Josh pushes on, risking the good and the likable, until the dialectic of paint-then-paint-over reaches a crisis point where the whole thing seems palpably wrong, unrealized. That moment ups the stakes and sets the stage for a confrontation where what happens next finally matters enough – where Josh can now find out whether this piece will be worth anything to him. The impasse could grind on long enough to divert his attention to other works, but when the built up static electricity rumbles to a spark and there’s enough energy to overcome the standoff, a real cathexis transpires and the painting is invested with all the feeling and meanings latent in that struggle and its resolution. The painting may still be about other things as well, and it may carry over many of the elements that were there before, but it now conducts a new charge – courage.

Complete biography...

Joshua von Nonn: Hit on the Ave.!

For More information visit

ActivistArtistAComplete Biography

Roly Chang Barrero Open Studio

2012-01-11T08:27:00.000-06:00

ActivistArtistA

presents...

ART WALK 2012

Open studios and galleries from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM

More Events

For More information visit ActivistArtistA

Lea Vendetta News Story

2012-01-11T07:57:00.000-06:00

FPG Photo/Kimberli DiMare 12/23/11 MISTRESS OF INK. Lea Vendetta is an accomplished tattoo artist currently working at "A Stroke of Genius" in Boca Raton and one of twelve contestants on "Ink Master," the first tattoo competition reality show, premiering January 17 at 10 p.m. on Spike TV. Vendetta is also a painter in The District, the new neighborhood art district in Boynton Beach. (***EDITOR'S NOTE: Lea did not want her age and the town she lives in. She gave permission to say she worked in Boca Raton as tattoo artist and in Boynton Beach as a painter.***) (Kimberli DiMare, FPG / December 29, 2011)

Mike Rothman mkrothman@tribune.com

5:16 p.m. EST, January 10, 2012

Lea Vendetta has taken career multitasking to a new level.

The Boynton Beach artist is not only one of the fresh faces in the bustling art district along West Industrial Avenue but she also works in Boca Raton as a tattoo artist and is one of the stars of the new Spike TV show "Ink Master."

The show premieres 10 p.m. Jan. 17, bringing some celebrity limelight to Boynton Beach. Vendetta, who was born in France and moved here in the mid-1990s, said she has been painting since she was a little girl.

"I was always one of those creative children," she said.

Vendetta started tattooing on herself and owned a shop in Boca Raton until 2007, when she sold it to travel and tattoo the world. Then, she moved to Key West after tattooing was legalized on the island a few years ago.

"My tattoo station was right near the window," she said. "That was super fun, then I decided to come back to the mainland."

She began modeling, then tattooing at A Stroke of Genius Tattoos in Boca Raton. Vendetta has been published in magazines for about 20 years and she said that helped prepare her for what came next.

"I got this phone call from these TV people and they were like, 'We need you, you are perfect for this show,'" she said of Spike TV recruiting her. "It was 10 contestants living in this house together and videotaped."

Even with a final prize of $100,000, Vendetta said he first reaction was to say no.

"Then I talked to some friends and they said I was crazy not to do it, especially without casting," she said. "So, I signed up for this crazy adventure and went to New York City. The rules were we would first have a challenge, tattoo related, but not necessarily involve tattooing. Then if you win the first challenge, you get an advantage for the tattoo competition. You are able to pick your clients, which is a huge deal."

She said different themes like the history of tattooing were interlaced throughout the competition.

"The first day we met, we went to a meat locker in New York City and had to tattoo dead pigs," she said.

Dave Navarro of the rock group Jane's Addiction is the host of the show with Chris Nunez from "Miami Ink" and tattoo artist Oliver Peck as the judges.

Even with all this hoopla about to take over her life with the show's premiere in a few weeks, Vendetta said she is just happy to be a part of a community in her new art studio at 410 W Industrial Ave. in Boynton Beach.

"It's alive; it's a community and I am so excited about that," she said. "I have always been looking for something like that. We're going to have an art show on Jan. 26 and have a DJ outside with a cool music vibe."

Debby Coles-Dobay, the city's public art administrator, said Vendetta's art evinces her tattoo background mixed with her French past.

"She has mixed media and paintings," she said. "I see in her work, a French Parisian influence. She is also a model and a very determined young woman."

Coles-Dobay said the most exciting part of the art district is the variety of personalities permeating throughout it.

"It matches the diversity of our city," she said. "There is a list of artists waiting that want to move in here."

She said that the show on Spike TV is not bad for the city either.

"It puts Boynton on the map," she said. "Now, when artists start to come in, it improves the aesthetics as well as the businesses."

Coles-Dobay said artists Rick Beau Lieu and Rolando Barrero could be credited with bringing in the new talent to the district.

Visit Leaslounge.com or Spike.com/shows/ink-master.
Copyright © 2012, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

ART WALK: January 26, 2012

For More information visit ActivistArtistA

ActivistArtistA On the Radio

2012-01-04T15:26:00.002-06:00

Rolando Chang Barrero, Director

ActivistArtistA Gallery/Studio

and

Debby Coles-Dobay, Public Arts Administrator for the City of Boynton Beach

just finished an interview at ArtsRadioNews which will be broadcasted today,

Thursday January 5, 201 at 7PM

You can listen to

Classical South Florida

on the following stations:

90.7 FM or 101.9 FM

For More information visit ActivistArtistA.com

ART WALK 2012! Jan.26, 2012

2012-01-04T12:19:00.003-06:00

ActivistArtistA Gallery presents....

Art Walk 2012 at the District!

Palm Beach County's Art District in Boynton Beach!

We are located 1 block west of I95 off the Boynton Beach Blvd. exit

786.521.1199

Fun for all! Bring your family and friends!

For More information visit ActivistArtistA.com

Palm Beach ArtsPaper

2012-01-03T12:23:00.001-06:00

Inner child fills two exhibits at Boca Museum

Written by Gretel Sarmiento on 20 December 2011.

Long yellow shoelaces make for a wonderful sun, there is a vice versa to shoes are made from animals and while I don’t know about the white elephant, the black bear in the room is not always ignored.

I learned all of the above during a recent trip to the Boca Raton Museum of Art to check out two ongoing exhibits that are proving to be very popular.

More than 90 highly personal works created by ordinary men and women with no formal artistic training are the core of Outsider Visions: Self-Taught Southern Artists of the 20^th Century, running through Jan. 8. The works here are humble in material and execution and, as we learn through the descriptions, often the results of a personal affliction, a divine revelation/vision or a favorite scenery.

Whether you are an art expert or only sat through a few credits of art history, you will feel that inner critic dying to point out that the proportions here and there are off, the composition seems boring and there is overall flatness. The temptation is especially irresistible with the first couple of works set against an intense red wall. They are perceived as childish; you can tell from the looks of those passing by.

John Henry Toney’s That Man Is in Love with that Cutting Up Hairdo (2000) is an example of this. The use of markers along with the basic facial features and body shapes remind you indeed of a child’s drawing, but a child would have probably stopped after composing the main figures. That elaborate background you see taking over the entire white surface, as well as the linear patterns on the clothing, would have never happened. A child would have grown bored long before completing it and moved on to a new drawing.

Forget for a moment what you thought great art looks like. This is folk art, or outsider art, as the self-taught art genre is called. It does not have to be great or bad. It just is. And it is truly unique.

Despite the infantile traits, I found myself liking two works by Florida-born Mama Johnson titled Two Girls(2002) and Guess Who (2002). In both cases, two dots appear in place of the nose while bold black circular outlines make for wide-open eyes. A classic red mouth completes the face. In Guess Who, the use of frenetic lines, some bold, some thin, in red, black and blue, remind me a bit of Amelia Pelaez.

Alabama-born Jimmy Lee Sudduth provides some of the pieces that stand out the most: Red the Weenie Dog(2000) and Sawmill in Red (2000). The use of color in them – watch for the variations of browns, greens and pinks -- along with the rich texture and raw finish, gives them a certain maturity and sophistication.

I love the irregular patches of blues and whites on the body of Weenie Dog. Here the animal appears horizontally stretched out against a bright green plain. If you read the description you will learn Sudduth, the son of a Choctaw Indian Shaman, grew up painting with mud and honey. For color he likes to use wild berries, grasses and coffee, among other materials.

Next to it is Black Bear (2006) by John “Cornbread” Anderson, a native of Georgia. The work, mostly in black, has a picture-book feeling to it. It seems to me perfectly fitted as an illustration for a children’s book. I suppose because I can imagine certain story line going on as the happy bear eats the honey and gets ambushed by the upset bees.

I found the strength of the show and its value to be precisely in the ability of these men and women to block knowledge and resist the traditional learning method that means sketching, cleaning brushes and having a group critique. It is a brave thing to resist the path that more or less promises systematic improvement. Come to think of it, improvement (as a goal) does not seem to exist for these self-taught artists. I got the impression they create because there is joy in doing so, not as a way to make a living and not expecting to become better.

But therein lays the good dilemma of Outsider Visions. One cannot be sure if an artist’s apparent disregard for the basic principles/rules of art is intentional or evidence of poor skill.

Even if the latter was the case, it does not necessarily mean we should dismiss the works. Actually, it could be interpreted as a sign of greatness. Pablo Picasso famously said: “In every child there is an artist. The difficulty is knowing how to hold on to this artist as the child grows up.” He also said: “…it has taken me my whole life to learn to draw like a child.”

In that case, these artists are masters at holding on to their inner child.

Does that mean knowledge ruins natural artistic ability? Not always. Before we get to Outsider Visions we have to walk through a jungle-like installation called The World According to Federico Uribe, by the Colombian conceptual artist.

Like the folk artists, Uribe is not a child. He is actually a very educated adult. He attended the University of Los Andes in Bogota and continued his studies in New York before moving to Miami. Yet he has managed to transform a 5,000 square-foot room into a silly uncomplicated world where alligators and leopards are made of sneakers, and leather and brown shoelaces become a monkey climbing a life-sized palm tree made of books.

This is what he is known for: giving every day objects unpredictable highly amusing new lives. The animals we encounter (a crocodile, a giraffe, a turtle, an ostrich, a zebra, a puma, etc.) all appear posing, as if suspended in the middle of an attack or reaction. This makes the show closer to real life.

For each of his inventive creations, such as the sheep made of ping-pong balls, we feel like rotating all around it to look at it from different angles. We want to decipher the recipe that gave it form. In most cases that recipe includes: Sneakers, pencils, shoelaces, books, discarded pieces of wood, corks, rubber soles and anything else you can imagine.

Also here are pieces from Uribe’s 2008 Animal Farm installation, which features a life-sized farmer family made of colored pencils.

Also running until Jan. 8, this is show that produces instant excitement. I watched adults and children enter and exit the room in complete amusement. Is it possible? Yes. Shoes are made of animals, so why not make animals of shoes?

I asked myself the same question and the answer was Yes, too. It is possible to go through formal education and have one’s imagination and innocence emerge intact.

The Boca Raton Museum of Art is at 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, in Mizner Park. Admission: $14 adults, $12 seniors, $6 students (through March 18). Hours: 10 am-5 pm Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 10 am-9 pm Wednesday; 12 pm-5 pm Saturday and Sunday. Closed Mondays and holidays. Call 561-392-2500, or visit www.bocamuseum.org.

For More information visit ActivistArtistA.com

Rooster Makes List!

2012-01-03T08:55:00.001-06:00

Number 3 on the Loser List was the Little Havan Rooster..but I love it!!!!

-Rolando Barrero

This is only a parial reprint --for the whole story go to, Miami New Times Blog

From the wildly successful inaugural Wynwood Art Fair to an unforgettable multi-culti bender transforming Miami Beach into a marathon 13-hour art festival during Sleepless Night, South Florida had plenty to crow about during the past twelve months.

We were just about to breathe in the rarefied air of a year full of a muscle-flexing season of the arts. Then the collective stink raised over a public museum's naming rights, not to mention a philanthropist widower suggesting erasing his dearly departed's name from the Arsht Opera House and replacing it with that of his new bride, reminded us of how vainglorious and tacky our cultural metropolis can be.

Still, you can't swallow the good without burping up the bad. Looking back on 2011, what leaves a lasting impression is how dramatically the Magic City's cultural fortunes can swing. These are 2011's winners and losers........

3. Little Havana RoostersWhen we first heard one of the hideous fiberglass roosters adorning Calle Ocho was plucked from its perch back in September, we lit a candle to San Lazaro, protector of the infirm and destitute, hoping the missing cock had been hijacked by a savior liberating us from unsightly public art. But as it turned out the pilfered pecker had been nabbed by some frat-house bird brains from FIU who spent the weekend clucking it up with the rooster during a Golden Panthers victory before their football season went afoul. Sadly the eyesore was returned to its roost in Little Havana, and the bad eggs who committed the crime set free with a slap of the wrist.

Upcoming Events At ActivistArtistA

2011-12-26T13:47:00.000-06:00

ActivistArtistA

and The District

Calendar of Events

Palm Beach County's Art District in Boynton Beach

Bringing you the best of the arts!

December 29th , 2011 at 7 pm the Organization Meeting and Artist Meetup for

Boynton Beach's largest art event, KeroWACKED which is scheduled for

Sunday February 26, 2012 for a 12 hour arts maraton begining at 10 am

Organizers Roly Chang Barrero and Alexia Hemingway welcome all interested in participating to join us for a short introduction to the scope of the event.

Stroke of Genius: The Exhibit

Organized by Roly Chang Barrero & Lea Vendetta

January 26th, 2012

At ActivistArtistA Gallery

Opening Reception at 5:30 pm

January 26th, 2012 begining at 5:30 Walk the District and visit with the

Artists of Boynton Beach!

Studios will be open to the public and both District Galleries will be having openings!

ActivistArtistA Gallery &The Neighborhood Art Gallery

Come early or stay late and see the

ActivistArtistA Bay Gates Project

before the Art Walk at 5 pm or at 9 pm when the gates go down!

Stay around and meet the muralist: Grab, Chan, Venom, Fuse and others...

(see images below)

Roly Chang Barrero's Studio

will be open all night

Come by and see his new work!

(Scroll down to see the Sublimation Series)

Believe me! By Roly Chang Barrero

"I'm here" by Roly Chang Barrero

The Sublimation Series by Roly Chang Barrero

The Roly Chang Barrero at his Studio

Michael Herb Project365

2011-12-23T09:48:00.000-06:00

Michael Herb at The District in Boynton Beach

Michael Herb decended on Boynton Beach as the

ActivistArtistA Bay Gates Project

was just getting off the ground. It was Day 343. His first visit with designer Patty Madden was to do a photo shoot for an ad campaign to be released in 2012. The scope of the project included documenting Brazilian artist Marcus Borges more commonly know as "GRAB"as he worked on "The Big Bang Therory" mural.

A eleven days later, Day 354, I notice Micheal strolling around The District again-- this time he snatched Chan off his ladder he useing to put finishing touches on "La Madrina."

The rest of the story is a visual journal..a 365 Day Journey into the world of

Michael Herb and his Imagery.

Project365

About Michael Herb

“For Michael Herb, photography is not a job but rather a passion and a way of life. His unique work and artistic style transforms traditional photographs into works of art. He looks at life and translates that into interesting and often humorous images. Each image is created to evoke an emotion, whether it be to laugh, cringe or cry. Often edgy, but always thought provoking, the images he produces may start as photographs but end as something deeper and more unique... art!”

After graduating from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in 2005 I went on to produce and direct Television commercials and a local South Florida Television show. Two years and over 350 commercials later it was apparent that it was time for a change, and a drastic one at that. Shortly after leaving the world of television production, I picked up a still camera and dove in head first.

Starting with the typical landscape and wildlife photography, I enjoyed capturing single moments in time. However, I soon felt the need to take it to the next level. In April of 2009 I purchased 2 small Speed lights and started experimenting with off camera lighting. I quickly realized that this was in fact, my calling! With a new found sense enthusiasm and intense energy over the next two years I worked on puting together an eclectic and eye catching portfolio.

On January 1st of 2011 I began what will surely be my greatest challenge yet. 365 Days of professional photos. A photo a day regardless of weather, mood, health, or extreme circumstance. In addition to a photo, I blog about the project, my life and of course, the image of the day. Some times in greater detail than is needed or wanted!

The project has begun to attract Media attention and will surely increase as I continue to push the limits of both my own abilities but also pushing the boundaries of photography itself.

More info about Project365

Michael's Blog

The ActivistArtsitA Bay Gates Project Tour

2011-12-19T16:41:00.000-06:00

Tour The District and see the ActivistArtistA Bay Gates Project

January 28th from 1-2 PM

Bring the Family the kids are gonna love it

The initiation of the ActivistArtistA Bay Gates intallations have brought folks at all hours to see the murals commissioned by various arts patrons at The District.

Roly Chang Barrero, the founder of ActivstArtistA Gallery and Studio located at The District is watching a his dream taking shape faster then he expected. The Boynton Beach Art District on West Industrial Ave., (just west of I95 off the Boynton Beach exit) has come back to life in just a few months. Art Walks, Tours, and orther community events like the Art Garage Sale just last week are bringing the community and it's artists together.

Please click on Artist Name to see to see more!

"The Big Bang Theory" was the first of the installations at The District.

Art by: Grab, Rekal, and Tubz. Still in progress.

This large mural, is a triptych designed by Brazilian artist Marcus.

"AnAtomic Bombz" By Fuse was begun during The Districts ART Garage Sale.

Still in Progress. Commissioned by ActivistArtistA Gallery

Another artist, Eddie Fuse, happened to hear about the ActivistArtistA Bay Gates Project and just showed up. Seeing over 20 artists, studios, and gallery's bustling with energy during the ART Garage Sale he set out to meet Roly. After some talk about wanting to be a part of The District he was told to bring his sketches on Monday. The result was "AnAtomic Bombz!" The third mural already on site.

"La Madrina" by Chan Shepherd was commisioned by Roly Chang Barreo for his studio.

"San Lazaro" by Chan Shepherd Commisioned by ActivistArtistA Gallery

Artist Venom begins work on his piece for private business in The District.

We will be presenting more artists and their creations as the Bay Gates Project continues. Stay Tuned!

Next ArtWalk!

January 26th

Mark Your Calendars!

February 26!

KeroWACKED! Artist Call...

2011-12-18T15:08:00.002-06:00

KeroWACKED!

Homage to Jack...

A Multi-Media Marathon

Coming in February!

Submissions and Proposals NOW

Being Accepted!

Deadline January 15, 2012

ActivistArtistA Gallery at The District

is accepting Submissions in the following categories:

Visual Arts, Performance Art, Music, Dance, Installations, Sculpture

Mail to:

ActivistArtistA Gallery/KeroWACKED

422 West Industrial Ave.

Bynton Beach, FL 33426

Please note:

December 29th, 2011 at ActivistArtistA Gallery at 422 West Industrial Ave., Boynton Beach, Florida 33426

Organizational Meeting of "KeroWacked! Homage to Jack..."

This event is based on the BEAT GENERATION of the 60's!

This is Muliti-Media Event that will take place in the City of Boynton Beach at The District on February 26, 2011 from 10 AM to 10 PM.

ARTISTS working in all media will be encouraged to submit proposals.

This Round Table Discussion is a Brain Storming Session for all that would like to participate in the following capacities:

ARTISTS: Please bring proposals and all support materials with you.

ActivistArtistA is looking for individuals who are willing to work in the following areas:

Media and Promotion
Sponsorship
Music Development
Stage and Sound
Performance Art Development
Video Production and Engineering
Visual Arts Curator
Dance Coordinator
Volunteer Development
Security
Parking
Permits and City Liaison
Please consider joining ActivistArtistA in bringing the best of the arts together and forging the example of what artists and patrons can bring to the table.

Feel free to invite others you feel may be able to contribute to the event.

In dedication and service to the arts community,

Rolando Barrero, ActivistArtistA Gallery

"Ant Jesus" and Ellen DeGeneres!

2011-12-18T04:46:00.000-06:00

From the In Box at ActivistArtistA:

Recycled Ant-Jesus Outrage

Image credit: Annie Leibovitz, Ellen DeGeneresfrom HIDE/SEEK; NY Daily News; Savid Wojnarowicz, A Fire in My Belly still. Courtesy of The Estate of David Wojnarowicz and P.P.O.W Gallery, New York

It’s impossible to round off the year without mentioning the Brooklyn Museum’s HIDE/SEEK: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture exhibit, a comprehensive exploration of gender and sexuality in art and queer culture. Once again, it’s inspired some “It’s not art! It’s disgusting!” quips, dutifully collected and sensationalized by tabloids like the NY Daily News. Perhaps they were nostalgic for all the provocative headlines that the original HIDE/SEEK exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery inspired in 2010, when David Wojnarowicz’s “offensive,” complex video piece was censored by the Smithsonian. So, they rehashed some “Crucifix Outrage,” specifically: “Another unholy controversy at Brooklyn museum: Video of ants skittering over crucified Jesus is enraging Christians… The 10-second crucifix segment is spliced between other bizarre scenes.” Bizarre? Alright, just stick to Victoria’s Secrets then.

...An Arts Paradise!

2011-12-15T19:53:00.000-06:00

More: Read the whole article...

In Boynton, a warehouse district becomes an arts paradise

PHILLIP VALYS pvalys@tribune.com

2:25 p.m. EST, December 15, 2011

Rolando Chang Barrero is one of those Miami-bred artist/activists who used to brandish a paintbrush as often as he would a picket sign. When Miami Beach's Lincoln Road throbbed with young sculptors and painters in the late '80s, Barrero ran the Ground Level Gallery and wore around his neck a sandwich board scrawled with obscene messages to advocate education in the wake of the AIDSepidemic.

Today, the seasoned painter uses a gallery better suited for a car mechanic: a chalky, paint-chipped, garage bay warehouse one block west of I-95. During a recent Tuesday, the roar of lunch-hour traffic rushing by in the distance, Barrero hunches over a life-sized canvas painting spread out over a makeshift plywood table. "This is what I made," said the 49-year-old figurative abstract artist, of Delray Beach, pointing to an oil-on-canvas featuring a naked man and a cluster of dead birds. "I called these birds 'pajaro,' which is a slang word that means 'homosexual.' I worked mostly with experimental media and provocative subjects like this."

Outside, dust laps the deserted streets and batters against the rows of warehouse walls like a Wild West town in a John Wayne film. This is the Boynton Beach Neighborhood Arts District, a place its artist tenants call a contemporary art scene, a place where bulldozers and dingy window-tinting shops fill the narrow avenues between warehouse buildings instead of gallery storefronts and wall murals.

Barrero himself occupies a 600-square-foot warehouse nook, half of which is shared by female tattoo artist Lea Vendetta. Inside is a stifling cube of a workspace filled with right angles and natural lighting, and adorned with vibrant paintings of multicolored abstract birds posing in profile. On this day, his gallery is deprived of air conditioning because the previous tenant didn't tell Barrero he'd be skipping the final month's electric bill.

This place, along a stretch of West Industrial Avenue north of Boynton Beach Boulevard, is where Barrero and his ActivistaArtistA gallery – a nod toward his more militant years - aims to spark a thriving arts district. Barrero is pushing to morph these gritty rows of warehouses into a bustling colony, an area where gallery exhibitions, artist creations and art walks someday draw enough foot traffic to even rival Delray's Pineapple Grove and Fort Lauderdale's F.A.T. Village.

Last month, ActivistaArtistA Gallery hosted a grand opening and introduced hundreds of art lovers to the cluster of warehouses with a tour of the district's six other artist studios. The opening arrived after months of bombing social media websites with art district advertisements as well as soft-launching his gallery three months earlier - a moment he called his "make-it-or-break-it-pre-opening-exhibition." The gambit worked: On a rainy Friday night in September, 250 people watched American Idol finalist Donnie Williams perform while admiring the gallery's wall art. And, last month, hundreds more visited ActivistaArtistA to view the dual-exhibit of abstract artists Kim Fay and Robert Catapano.

"I'm broke. I invested all my money in this. I'm trying to entice the community to come here as often as possible. Boynton deserves to have its own arts district," said Barrero, a Miami native and School of the Art Institute of Chicago grad. "I've been very vigilant on Facebook. My background is viral marketing and branding, so I've been getting people to post our gallery logo as their profile photo. To have all these people show up to a gritty warehouse district in a run-down neighborhood to see a no-name like me, that's progress. I'm arrogant enough to say all the artists dig it."

After many of Lincoln Road's ArtCenter/ South Florida artists migrated to Miami's Wynwood Art District in the early-'90s, Barrero left the state for a long hiatus before moving to the less art-saturated Boynton Beach. His marketing blitzkrieg aims to draw attention to his gallery and the six burgeoning painters, sculptors and other local creative types who already lease warehouse space here. It's the most traction The Boynton BeachNeighborhood Arts District has seen since its creation in 1989, said Richard Beau Lieu, the owner of Neighborhood Gallery of Boynton Beach.

When Beau Lieu opened his gallery here in 1986, trash bins and stripped vehicle parts lined the two-lane West Industrial Avenue, morphing the district into an oversized dumping ground. He said he fought Boynton's city council for the arts district's designation, often pestering officials at council meetings until they agreed to tour the area. Beau Lieu and Ray Marcinkoski, the landlord of several district warehouses, later embarked on a massive street beautification project.

"We hauled 17 semi-trucks worth of crap out of there, and that's a whole lot of trash," Marcinkoski said. "Rick Beau Lieu started putting some plywood panels and metal sculptures on the fences to pretty up the area. Art is clean stuff and makes the place look nice." These days, he said he personally calls artist tenants to inform them when a warehouse space becomes vacated.

"Rolando is new blood and new energy, and he wants to take it to the next level. It always takes an artist to ride it out," added Beau Lieu, a 64-year-old Boynton Beach sculptor who's exhibited everywhere from Rodeo Drive to Worth Avenue. "Thank God there's someone here who making it happen. I've been talking to Debby [Coles-Dobay] to see about expanding the district to include the whole block so we're not congested in these six or seven buildings. The ideal outcome for me is that it fills up like Pineapple Grove. More artists equals more traffic."

Despite Beau Lieu's district-wide cleanup effort, however, only a handful of artists have settled into the struggling arts arena. According to Marcinkoski, nearly 90 percent of warehouses along the industrial drag are already filled by interior decorators, carpenters, body shops and woolworkers.

The problem isn't artist interest, agrees Boynton Beach public art administrator Debby Coles-Dobay. It's available space.

She said the arts district also suffers a lack of visibility from Boynton Beach Boulevard and that the area sorely needs redevelopment dollars. The plus side? The warehouses rest inside a CRA district, which means its artist-tenants are eligible for rent subsidies, signage grants and other incentives from the city through an application process, she added.

"This is an edgier and rawer and grittier area and there isn't another one in Palm Beach, and the artists have backing from the city to pursue their art projects," said Coles-Dobay, whose Art in Public Places Program promotes public artworks throughout the city. "Rolando came here because Boynton is an affordable location. Our program is young and we'd like to make it grow, and to fund to help districts like this."

Barrero is hosting Art Walk 2012 on Jan. 26 and a Beat Generation-themed performance art event called "Kero-Wacked: Homage to Jack" on Feb. 27 at the ActivistaArtista Gallery, 422 W. Industrial Ave., Boynton Beach. Call 786-521-1199, or visit ActivistArtista.Blogspot.com.

Full article

"La Madrina" One More Reason to Visit ActivistArtistA

2011-12-14T15:48:00.001-06:00

Here's one more reason to visit ActivistArtistA Gallery/Studio

located at The District in Boynon Beach!

422 West Industrial Ave.

Chan Shepherd an emerging artist from Lake Worth began his mural "La Madrina."

Related article: GrabArts Mural at The District

YouTube

Chanimal Website

Letter to City of Boynton Beach by Lori J. Durante

2011-12-13T21:17:00.000-06:00

Dear City of Boynton Beach,

Happy Holidays. Just want to share with you the link for the

Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History's Taste History Blog.

The MLFH's most recent Taste History Culinary Tour visited the

Boynton Beach Neighborhood Art District. In addition to the

culinary tours that are offered on the 3rd and 4th Saturday of

each month, MLFH has received many requests for private

group tours. The group on this private tour was from the

Vizcaya Country Club located in Western Delray Beach.

It was their first time visiting the Art District. Some commented

that they wish they had brought more monies with them to buy

some of the art because they did not realize that the art was available

for purchase.

The following is the Taste History Blog about the culinary tour

visit to the Boynton Beach Neighborhood Art District.

The tour guests provided favorable feedback about the November 21st

experience at the galleries in the Boynton Art District.

http://tastehistoryculinarytours.blogspot.com/

Related Article: Tour Photos

You can also sign-up to subscribe to the Blog via e-mail and Follow along!

Thank you so much for your time.

Sincerely,

Lori J. Durante

Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History

P.O. Box 6127

Delray Beach, FL 33482

561-243-2662

Tastehistoryculinarytours.com

Visit MLFH at the Boynton Beach Mall (in North wing)

http://tastehistoryculinarytours.blogspot.com/

Taste History

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Taste History Culinary Tour on November 21st highlighted Turkish food in Delray Beach and also a first time trip to Boynton Beach Neighborhood of the Art District. Check out the Photos!

The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History's Taste History Culinary Tour on November 21, 2011 hosted a cultural group from Delray Beach, Florida. The tour guests were delighted with Turkish cuisine from theSefa Mediterranean Grill located in the Pineapple Grove Arts District in Delray Beach. Then the tour traveled for seafood at Hurricane Alley on historic Ocean Avenue in Downtown Boynton Beach. There were also visits to the Boynton Beach Neighborhood Art District and to the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History in Boynton Beach.

Hurricane Alley on historic Ocean Avenue in Downtown Boynton Beach, FL

The Taste History culinary tour made its way to Industrial Avenue in Boynton Beach which is bolstered with the eclectic Neighborhood Art District. Some of the featured galleries include a namesake gallery by the art district's founder Richard W. Beau Leiu, Denny Reed's Art Works Studio and the ActivistArtistA Gallery by Roly Chang Barrero. The culinary tour group visited different galleries that are intertwined among the industrial presence of concrete buildings and bulldozers in Boynton Beach. This was Taste History's first time taking a group to this arts neighborhood in Boynton Beach.

The purpose of the Taste History Culinary Tour is to provide a culturally enriching experience that infuses the local lifestyle history of early settlers, agriculture history, tours of neighborhoods, art and educational information about historic architecture with visits to restaurants in historic districts and/or buildings for food tastings. The culinary tastings includes facts about food history, food culture and foodways.

The Taste History Culinary Tours of Historic Delray Beach & Boynton Beach are conducted by the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History (MLFH) which is a non-profit organization located inside the Boynton Beach Mall. These food tours are 4-hours and are a combination of bus riding and walking tour with stops at least two restaurants for cuisine tastings. For dates, ticket price information and reservations, visitTasteHistoryCulinaryTours.org or call 561-243-2662. The tours are organized by MLFH Executive Director, Lori J. Durante.

Boynton Beach Neighborhood Art District in Boynton Beach, Florida. This area was visited for the Taste History Culinary Tour

Debby Coles-Dobay speaks to tour group about the Boynton Beach Neighborhood Art District

Artist Roly Chang Barrero at his studio in the Boynton Beach Neighborhood Art District speaking to guests from the Taste History Culinary Tour

Denny Reed Art Works Studio in the Boynton Beach Neighborhood Art District

Art Work at the Denny Reed Studio in the Boynton Beach Neighborhood Art District

Artist Lea Vendetta at her studio in the Boynton Beach Neighborhood Art District

Boynton Beach Neighborhood Art District

Art work by Kim Fay in the Boynton Beach Neighborhood Art District

Boynton Beach Neighborhood Art District

Culinary Tour concluded with a visit to the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History which is located inside the Boynton Beach Mall in Boynton Beach, FL

More tour dates have been added for the Taste History Culinary Tours of Historic Delray Beach & Boynton Beach, FL. Click Here to purchase tickets.

Sun-Sentinel Typo!

2011-12-12T08:33:00.000-06:00

Below is todays Feaure Story on the Sun Sentinel's Front Page!

Art Walks "LURE" Lively Crowds!

ActivistArtistA comments on Oversight!

"...Boynton Beach plans one." Not exactly right!

The Pioneer of the Boynton Beach Art District, Richard Beau-Lieu, has been sponsoring ART WALKS in "THE DISTRICT" for over 20 years. Continuing this effort and taking the helm alongside Richard are Roly Chang Barrero,(ActivistArtistA Gallery/Studio), and arts adovate and Debby Coles-Dobay the Art in Public Places Administator for the CITY of Boynton Beach. All three have forged an example to follow by creating an ART WALK as a Distination.

"Art Walks do not have to be backdrops to lure folks to shop, drink and dine at out door malls like Atlantic Ave, and Las Olas."

Residents in the tri-county area seem to like the spirt of a cultural stroll where families can learn about art and meet with artists, sans the drunks and shoppers bustling around the Atlantic Ave. in Delray, or Las Olas Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Over 200 hunderd patrons, children and pets in tow attended ART WALK 11-11-11 with coincided with the Grand Opening of the ActivistArtistA Gallery which in lieu of wine and cheese featured a family favorite, pizza, which was served from a 30 foot long old fire engine by 4-Alarm Pizza!

The next ART WALK at THE DISTRICT is scheduled for January 26, 2012.

We hope you and your family join us!

Weekly tours of THE DISTRICT, Art in Public Places Tours, and Swing Spaces visits are all available in Boynton Beach, the historical ART WALK town.

Thank you,

Roly Chang Barrero

786-521-1199