Catfish Friday Women's Artist Collective at Newark Open Doors '08, October 20-30

Catfish Friday logo courtesy Toni Thomas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Catfish Friday, a Newark-based Woman's Art Collective, announces their participation in the Newark Arts Council's 2008 Open Doors Tour with an exhibit entitled, Multiple Me.

Multiple Me is an exhibition that features the works of some notable female artist working within a series. The series format is a typical way many artists work. It builds a collection, establishes a signature style, and creates the potential for multiple sales. Many artists use it for those reasons. Likewise, there are those who use it like the artists in this exhibit to develop an idea, get into the flow, or work a style until it is exhausted. Like variations on a theme, the works in this exhibit explore the possibilities. Whether created around a style, a medium or a theme the selections represent the outcome of what has compelled the artists to explore their multiplicity of options. These variable perspectives give the viewer a minute insight into how an artist may engage their work until they are satisfied, and sometimes not.

Featured artists are: Janice Anderson, Maggie Brown, Sadee Brathwaite, Gladys Grauer, Kathleen Heron, Diana Jensen, Ade Tugbiyele Sedita, Toni Thomas, Joya Thompson and Bisa Washington.

Multiple Me

Gallery: Space 972 located at 972 Broad Street

(next door to the Federal Building in downtown Newark)

Exhibit dates: October 20 through October 30, 2008

Hours: Tues - Saturday from 4-7 PM and by appointment

An artist reception will be held on Saturday October 25 from 7 - 11:00 PM

Featured at the reception willbe the literary voices of Catfish Friday poets:

Mary Baldwin, Elaine Lee, Esther Morales and Lebrashawn Turman

with a musical performance from vocalist SuMiya Dabney

For more information please call Toni Thomas @ 973-699-3269

The gallery and exhibit will be open during the entire Open Doors Weekend.

Special thanks to Blanche & Larry Silver, Ujima Majied & Newark Arts Council for making this exhibit possible.

Hajjah Aishatou

One of the techniques we learned at Day with Dolls 2008 was the "Hang Your Imagination" Doll, so named because she began her life as a common coathanger, stapled to a wood base! I was able to finish my doll a week later, while visiting the new Soulful Doll Club in Jersey City. But it took a while longer for her to reveal her name to me. She looks quite a bit like my grandmother, Gertrude James. Ultimately, she "told" me her name is Hajjah Aishatou, a very nice Senegalese lady (after my beloved sister-in-law).

Surprise!

I submitted this doll for inclusion in a gallery show, Surprise! First Annual Miniworks Exhibit at Unison Gallery, New Paltz, New York, October 3-28. She is 4", cloth, paperclay, acrylic and beads. The call was for miniature art works, any medium, no larger than 5" x 5" x 5".

Meditation Doll #1

10" cloth, paperclay, acrylic.

Everything I Know about Dollmaking, I Learned at Day with Dolls

Gwen Jackson and 3D Doll Club, demonstrating techniques. Dolls on display



Joyce Strohman with her sculpted creations. More dolls on display.

Gwen Jackson and the 3D Doll Club of Mt. Vernon, New York hosted this year's Day with Dolls in August. This is the place to be to learn, meet your peers, and see what other artists are doing with their craft. A great time was had by all. Thanks, Gwen and 3D. Can't wait 'til next year.

The Artist and Her Muse

Images from Catfish Friday, the Exhibit

Having a good time at the exhibit; Shenita & me, Crystal & me, LaShay & me, Josh, Kelly & me again; Everybody; Mixed media artist Bisa Washington with "Rough, Dry and Nappy" (left) and "Double-Ended Promise" (right) by Ade Tugbiyele Sedita (not shown); Artist/Curator Toni Thomas with poet Esther Morales.


LaShay with mixed media artist/gallery owner Ade Sedita; the Eyeshadow Series with artist Diana Jensen, shown; poet Esther Morales; poet Elaine Lee (left "The Gift" by Gladys Grauer, not shown and right "Double-Ended Promises"by Ade Sedita).



Artist/Curator Toni Thomas with "Mermaid West" (acrylic on fabric with quilting) and "Mermaid Observing Wolf", mixed media on paper; performance by poet Esther Morales; artist Sadee Brathwaite with "Private Conversations", oil on canvas; LaShay with Auntie Joan.




"Private Conversations" by Sadee Brathwaite; my "kids" Josh & Kelly; LaShay with Auntie Gillian.


Earthlocz Spirit Dolls #5 and #6 - cloth, paperclay, acrylic.

The opening was a huge success – the art of Sadee Brathwaite, Mary Baldwin, Gladys Grauer, Diana Jensen, Tara Lamount, Toni Thomas, Ade Tugbiyele Sedita and Bisa Washington was phenomenal – the spoken word art of Esther Morales and Elaine Lee pulled it all together and made our spirits soar in Spanish and English! The guests were delightful. I am so gratified and humbled to have been included in a circle of such warm, accomplished, energetic and spiritually generous women. Please visit my new sidebar, Catfish Friday and Friends, for more on these visual artists.

Special thanks to Ade Sedita of Newark Art Supply for inviting us to share her gallery space (and for her kind encouragement to me over the last year), and to Toni Thomas for curating the exhibit (and for pushing me out into the deep water). You put everything together so smooth, you make it look easy (and I know it ain’t).

Also, thanks to my family/friends, Kelly & Josh, Shenita, Crystal & Co. (Crystal, your design of my postcards is off the chain!), Joan, Gillian, and of course, LaShay, my starchild who works the room as only she can. I love you all!