Dear friends,
Greetings this mid-winter day!
Although, as I write this, it is the middle of February –
the sun is shining, the birds are singing and the daffodils are blooming here
in Asheville, NC!
MFA
I now have official letters after my name and a certificate
stating that I have earned a Master of Fine Art degree!
This was achieved through an intensive two-year program
offered by the Transart Institute – an international, low-residency institution
based in Berlin and accredited by Plymouth University, UK. I would highly
recommend Transart to any artists seeking an independent practice and research
based MFA or PhD program.
My graduating class & graduation celebration at UferStudios, Berlin.
If you are curious and have a lot of time on your hands, you
are welcome to peruse my project work and thesis at:
My class’s final summer residency, final project
presentations and graduation party was held in the grand city of Berlin at Ufer
Studios.
Our graduating class had decided to present our final
projects in dialogue with a peer. So throughout the summer, there was a series
of Dialogues events … and mine was the very first one! My Dialogues partner was
painter Robyn Thomas, with whom I presented an immersive, audience interactive
performance installation of painting fragments, text, spoken word, sound,
movement, image projection and live-feed video. This was entitled RAW/MATERIAL/SELF/PORTRAYAL and addressed
our common exploration on the roles of selfhood.
Photo: Lindey Anderson
During this year’s residency, Transart was also celebrating its
Triennale with a weekend of special events. The one I was participating in was
what I can only describe as a wild, crazy Happening! SpaceBodies 2 – curated by
Andrea Spaziani, for which I took on the role of a generic humanoid entitled The Selfless Non-Subject – who roamed
throughout the space deprived of sight, relying on the sense of touch and the
kindness of others to navigate amid the cacophony of performances, video
projections, readings and material objects.
The ART of the WORD
Returning to Asheville in September plunged me straight back
into production mode – with Cilla Vee Life Arts presenting The Art of the Word – an evening of poetry collaborations at
Weaverville Yoga studio.
The Asheville area is blessed with a diverse poetry and
spoken word scene. From regional folk to political activism to rap – as well as
the Black Mountain College legacy of those such as Charles Olson and Robert
Creeley. Many of these artists are highly inter-disciplinary in their work –
crossing over into and collaborating with other art forms. It is this
enthusiasm for crossing disciplines that inspired me to curate and produce a
show that would spot-light three regional poets – Randi Janelle, Jeff Davis and
Tracey Schmidt – in collaboration with other artists and art forms of their
choice.
In addition, the warm tones and thoughtful lyrics of Momma
Molasses embraced our ears and a pop-up gallery of visual art by all
participating performers completed the engagement of all senses.
For more information about The Art of the Word, please see:
SPLAT! and PFFF!
One of my most fun performance pieces got another run last
autumn. SPLAT! is a live-action-paint performance that has had numerous
renditions over the years.
Last September I performed a two-hour outdoor installation
version for the opening of the 2016 annual Reviewing Black Mountain College
conference at UNC Asheville.
Then SPLAT! hit the road and headed for Roanoke, VA to Art
Rat Studios and a collaboration with sounds by: Jules Vasylenko, Ralph’s Stool
Sample and Second Order Logic. Opening for the night was Moths (Eric Wollersberger) with dancer Cambria
McMillan-Zapf.
Eric later purchased the resulting painting from SPLAT! –
shown here with Eric’s cat!
Next, SPLAT! went to Philly and joined Pfff!
The Philadelphia Free Form Festival – an annual event
presented by ISOP (the Impermanent Society of Philadelphia) – a crew of radical
artists and thinkers who perform all things improvised. This weekend-long
festival includes performances, workshops, lectures and really fun
after-parties! I felt truly blessed to be included in the line-up of amazing
artists and left feeling creatively re-charged.
Video linx for my two performances at Pfff!
Pfff! 2016 Philadelphia Free Form Festival
Friday October 21, 2016
@ Icebox Project Space, Philadelphia
Set 4
Liz Meredith, Violin
Bbob Drake, Electronics
Karen Nelson, Dance
Janna Meiring, Dance
Cilla Vee, Performance
@ Icebox Project Space, Philadelphia
Set 4
Liz Meredith, Violin
Bbob Drake, Electronics
Karen Nelson, Dance
Janna Meiring, Dance
Cilla Vee, Performance
Sunday October 23, 2016
@ Icebox Project Space, Philadelphia
Set 1
Alexander D’Agostino, Dance
Cilla Vee, Performance
Jim Strong, Inventions
Kaia Gilje, Performance
Luke Stewart, Double bass
@ Icebox Project Space, Philadelphia
Set 1
Alexander D’Agostino, Dance
Cilla Vee, Performance
Jim Strong, Inventions
Kaia Gilje, Performance
Luke Stewart, Double bass
Mauri Walton, Performance
--> Jen Kertis-Velt
LIFE-AS-ART
Over the winter I have been performing my longest, most
grueling, most durational site-specific installation piece EVER … it’s entitled
“Elevator Operator at the Grove Park Inn”.
I have a costume I wear every day, actions I perform repeatedly with each
audience member and I get paid minimum wage – plus an occasional tip!
This performance project gave me excruciating problems with
my legs and feet from standing for hours on end and I had to seek physical
therapy. But now I’ve come through it better and stronger and out of credit
card debt!
Omni Grove Park Inn website:
NEXT
X-FEST
As I close this letter I am here at X-Fest and excited to be
returning to Massachusetts for the ninth annual festival.
Originating at 119 Gallery in Lowell, the festival’s new
home for the last three years is Holyoke – at the big ballroom in the city
hall.
This festival of improvised music, dance and video
projection is always so much FUN! This year I am collaborating with Philly
based DJ Rob Kopi in between the improv sets as: DJ Rob & Cilla Vee the
DaDa GoGo Dancer.
THANK YOUS
To be completely honest – I was about to make a big Thank
You list … but it feels like an overwhelming task! There are just SO many
people who have done so much to help me through the past year. All I can do at
this time is to send out heart-felt collective gratitude!
Joy & Blessings to all
Claire
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Cilla Vee Life Arts
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