Olga was so inspired by Papergirl that she decided to share this inspiration with her own art students. The students came up with some amazing artwork and Olga has been kind enough to share that artwork with us. Take a look for yourself:
This week we were so excited to hear from one of our contributing artists Olga Zakharova. Olga participated in Papergirl for the first time in 2013. Originally from the Ukraine, Olga now lives in Burnaby where she works as an artist, creates her own work, and teaches at her private studio Art Studio 'Palette'. Olga was so inspired by Papergirl that she decided to share this inspiration with her own art students. The students came up with some amazing artwork and Olga has been kind enough to share that artwork with us. Take a look for yourself:
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It's now time for our Ride-Out wrap up! After collecting almost 1000 pieces of art, from artists all around the world, it was time to gift the art at random to Vancouver. This year we were asked to take part in Celebrate Stanley Park, the 125th anniversary of this spectacular green space in the city. Our wonderful Papergirl and Paperboy cyclists went on a top secret route that lead us along the seawall with stops at 3rd Beach, 2nd Beach, the totem poles and finally Lumberman's Arch. We would love to hear from you if you were one of the lucky ducks who scored some amazing art on the day! We are super curious so please tweet, contact us on Facebook or email ([email protected].) Also while you are at it don't forget to complete the circle of gratitude and send a thank you to the artists whose work you received. I can't do a Ride-Out wrap up without sharing this Papergirl Vancouver Rap by World Hip Hop Mom. After you've listened head over to our Flickr and Instagram pages for more fun snaps from the day! We would like to thank the City of Vancouver, Celebrate Stanley Park , our contributing artists and our 25 amazing Papergirls and Paperboys who joined us in sharing the art of giving art! -Tara I am happy to report that the Exhibition Opening was a great success! Thank you so much to everyone who attended, it was such a gratifying experience seeing you all there. Around 150 people came out to celebrate with us last night and we appreciate each and every one of you. I personally found the diversity in the audience just as interesting as its reflection in the varying styles, media and content of our vast collection of artwork on display. While walking through the space one could see all sorts of people, here, a business man in suit and tie, there, children excitedly doodling, and throughout, the wide variety of artists posing with their submitted pieces. But not only that. Certainly the most pleasing part about the night was that all of these people would talk to one another, interact, perhaps asking if one another if they had submitted something or question their opinion on a certain piece. Gone was the cold, silent gallery space and in its place came a warm community of artists and art lovers.
Of course I cannot mention the success of the night without a shout-out to a few other people who helped make it happen. Our friends from Coquettish Cupcakes donated delicious treats that were summarily devoured throughout the audience. Their pretty colours and arrangement really rounded out our brightly themed room and were the perfect addition to our party. As an admitted cream cheese icing addict I have to say that my red velvet cupcake did not disappoint, at once satisfying while leaving me wanting more. Similarly, our musical guest Land of Deborah managed to fit into the atmosphere of our celebration like lock and key. Her sweet, ethereal voice was marvelous and created the perfect environment in which to look at the art. Deborah’s easy smile, help with a pesky microphone and soothing delivery of both catchy original songs and some old favourites certainly did not go amiss. Thank you both! If you were unable to make it to the Opening last night, don’t worry, there is still a chance to come down to the Roundhouse and check out our amazing collection of donated works. The exhibition will be open until Friday, August 16th at 5pm. At that time we will be taking down the works and rolling them up for our ride out! If there is a piece of work you just can’t get out of your head, don’t leave it to chance! You can check for the artist’s information on the back of their work or alternately check up on our Flickr where we are in the process of uploading photographs of and information about all 979 pieces of work. Much obliged, -al I recently came across an article that reminded me of Papergirl’s moniker: ‘A redefinition of street art combining Art, Philanthropy, and Bicycles’. With the excitement buzzing around the unveiling of Papergirl Vancouver’s annual exhibition this Tuesday night, it was exciting to see that the unison of art, giving and cycling is a burgeoning trend.
The article, Artists Repurpose SRAM Bike Parts into Fantastical Sculptures to Benefit Charity features the SRAM pART Project in Utah, where a group of artists have designed and donated sculptures created from upcycled bike parts. The wacky pieces are being auctioned in support of the World Bicycle Relief, a program that donates bikes to people in Africa. Inspired by the Tour of Utah, a pro cyclist race, the artistic auction will engage and unite two similar demographics of people who may never have crossed paths otherwise. With the number of charitable and philanthropic efforts increasing annually, forging meaningful connections is a great way to encourage public awareness and involvement. If you want to see this kind of collaboration in action, come out to Papergirl’s exhibition on Tuesday! You will see how local and international artists have come together to provoke a fresh dialogue on what defines art, its endeavor to promote inclusivity, and ultimately, its ability to incite a sense of fun in the art of giving art. -Sam Welcome back to our Artist Interview Studio Visit series! Leading up to our exhibit and roll-out in August, Papergirl is meeting with some of the talented artists who contribute to our project to find out more about their art practice and their thoughts on being an artist in Vancouver. Studio Visits will be featured on a bi-weekly basis, and we hope you enjoy learning more about artists working in our community! We met with fiber-artist and yarn-bomber Olga O’Shea at her home/studio in Coquitlam. Originally from Poland, Olga was taught to knit and crochet at a young age and grew up making her own clothes. It is only in recent years, after an unfortunate mishap with her son’s bike, that Olga has become more creative with knitting. Inspired by recycling and reusing materials, Olga covers found objects with colorful yarn, crochet flowers, buttons and other elements such as copper wire. Dedicated to the idea of community and sharing her creativity with others, Olga has also been involved with several large-scale yarn bombing projects around the world including covering a plane in the Yukon! We're excited to announce that Olga has graciously donated several bikes, bicycle wheels and stools to decorate our exhibit! Come join us at the Roundhouse August 13th from 6-9PM and see her colorful upcycled work in person (as well as all of the art that has been gifted to our project!). More info about our exhibit can be found here. Our Q&A with Olga:PG: What moves you as an artist?
OS: I am very motivated by the idea of recycling. I look around and see what can be pulled out of landfills and repurposed into art. If I come across anything, like a broken bicycle, then I will take it. My work is very colorful, unplanned and eclectic. If I see something I like I create a piece and afterwards I find someone to give it to - I don’t sell it. PG: Do you remember the first time you created something? OS: Growing up I wasn’t really that creative with fiber. I knitted a lot of sweaters! But I became involved with yarn bombing when I lived in Vancouver and that inspired me to become more creative. I made my first covered object after we were loading our van for a trip -- my husband said my son’s bicycle was in the back and I thought he meant inside the van but it was actually behind and I ran over it! It was a way to cheer him up and I’ve just continued from there. PG: What is your creative process? OS: I don’t give myself a timeframe - I work on pieces whenever I am inspired, and have the time, to make them. I look at what materials I have on hand and add to the piece as I go. Once I complete something I pass it on. Letting go is a big part of my process. PG: Do you think about the relationship between artist and viewer when creating? OS: I usually create for myself, but I am also motivated when people who come over to visit see my work and smile. PG: What does community mean to you as an artist? OS: The idea of giving is really important to me so I connect with community through passing on my work for people to enjoy. I just recently dropped off a couple of bicycles at Christianne’s Lyceum in Vancouver. I’ve also contributed to yarn-bombing projects in different places around the world. I made a piece for covering the façade of the Craft and Folk Art Gallery in LA, as well as contributed to covering an entire plane in the Yukon. I taught my kids how to knit and crochet and they also made pieces for the plane! I also feel that it is important to contribute to charity. I don’t really have very much time to physically volunteer at any place so I will knit practical things like hats and donate them to different organizations. PG: How are you supported as an artist in Coquitlam? Are there changes or improvements you would like to see? OS: I haven’t really reached out as an artist yet because I don’t have enough pieces for a full exhibit. I do wish that there were more opportunities to display artwork in Coquitlam. There aren’t any coffee shops or small galleries because there really isn’t a downtown where those types of places would be. I don’t think there is a lack of interested people but the infrastructure doesn’t exist here yet. I do go to Place des Arts practically every day because my children are also creative and take classes, and it is a great place but they are limited because of their size. There isn’t very much out here! I am from Europe and I miss how easy it is to access arts and culture. PG: What interests you about Papergirl? OS: When I came across Papergirl I just loved everything about it. Being from an Eastern communist country I was brought up by my parents to give and support others. Community was very important for survival. Now I try to volunteer as much as I can and I bring my kids with me so that I pass on that idea. It also relates to my bikes so I wrote to Michele (our project manager) and now they will be part of the exhibit! PG: At Papergirl, we are all about the art of giving art. What is the greatest gift you have ever received? OS: My family and my friends. They are so supportive of my work. My husband brings me lots of things from his work that would otherwise be in the garbage. He just brought me 10 stools that were going to be thrown away even though they’re perfectly fine! All of my friends know what I do as well so they give me things. I’ve actually never bought any yarn, it’s all been given to me! PG: To finish, a fun question: what kind of bike would you be? OS: I would be a Vespa! If I have to actually be a bicycle I would be a vintage cruiser with a basket. Though I have briefly touched on the subject in previous posts, today will be a deeper analysis of the somewhat touchy subject of money. Art as a commodity is really such an interesting concept when you look closely. For instance, other material things with high monetary values like houses, cars or clothes have at least somewhat of a practical purpose, fulfilling not only want but also need to some degree. Art however is, for the most part, defined by its impracticality. As such, its high price tag seems wholly disproportionate. The top five most expensive paintings ever sold at auction are recorded at prices well over one hundred million dollars, outweighing the cost of their production exponentially. But why? Well, it all comes down to the prestige of the owner. For many collectors it seems to be more about the name of the artist, especially if it rhymes with Micasso, or provenance; the history of the painting’s owners and source. It is not necessarily that such a collector even really likes the thing, but rather how its possession can heighten their image. When the painting is sold on the auction floor, the auctioneer puts down his gavel and the audience claps, but not for the artist or the art object itself, rather for the money. As art is affected by all of life’s many forces, so is it therefore influenced by the fact that it is a material thing to be bought and sold. Many art movements in the modern and postmodern have tried to escape this marketable approach to art by integrating it more into the everyday, or perhaps even removing the material aspect of art completely. For example, Mondriaan, amongst others of the ‘De Stijl’ movement in the early twentieth century, believed that taking their iconic asymmetrical grids in the essential primary colours, black and white and applying them to every aspect of living would create a levelled, class free utopia of art as life. Rietveld's De Stijl Chair, just an example of the integration of the well known Mondrian like style in an everyday object. From here Kaprow was one of the first to perform his work in impromptu shows, showing that the art was in the experience of the audience member, never to be recreated, and therefore rejecting the making or selling of an art object. Much exploration was done into the use of ready-made objects, with results like collage, appropriation or industrial looking minimalistic sculpture. The use of the written word, installation and performance were also investigated, but the paring down of art and its related institutions could be said to have failed to be reached until the instigation of conceptual art. For, a concept is a lot less marketable than something tangible to flaunt.
However, art did not just end with the establishment of conceptual art. Rather its effect enabled the art world to take an introspective look at their motives. I would say that the majority of people who choose to make any type of creative pursuit, whether it be art making of some form, writing or design, as their profession, generally do not demand a $250 million paycheck. It is their passion for the craft that makes the decision, and so too should the recipient of such hard work make decisions based on passion rather than a notion of prestige. In essence, this is one of the reasons I love being a part of Papergirl so much. Taking away the monetary aspect of the art process allows the recipient to value their gifted artwork for its actual artistry, as well as that of its creator. The idea that art can only be owned by, or understood by, the very wealthy is silly at best, and through sharing art I believe we can revaluate our own misconceptions about the art world, and maybe even the world in general. If you are the proud recipient of one of our wonderful gifted pieces this year and would like to share, we’d love to hear your story through any of our social media outlets! Thanks for reading and stay inspired, -al Within Papergirl Vancouver vocabulary, there is one word we try to avoid: free. More specifically, we never describe the art we receive and give out as "free art." The reason being that whenever you or I say something is "free," we place it on a ladder of monetary cost. A flight to Mars is near the top and free swag is near the bottom. Think buy 1, get 1 free deals, or pens you swipe from promotional booths at trade shows and conferences then promptly lose. Part of the aim of Papergirl Vancouver is to take art out of the monetary mindset - at least for our purposes - and to see it in a different light, a light many of us might not be used to. One that asks not, "How much was it?", but to open up a dialogue about the art you keep: "That's beautiful. I love the detail/colour/form. Who made it? What's it made of?" And when people ask, "Where did you get that?", we hope you'll say, "Someone gave it to me." Because this is what Papergirl Vancouver is about: the giving and receiving of art. And so many people want to give so much. Since our call-out for art in April, we've received so many gestures of generosity. Artists who signed up for our artist interview series, sharing their creative experience with the GVRD community. Our partnerships with Place des Arts and Draw By Night. Donations from Opus for our workshops in June. The utterly amazing owner of Bird on a Wire, Karen Unger-Strickland, who has donated her storefront window for the entire month of July to Papergirl artists. These gifts are immense. And, of course, to the people who are the core of everything we do: to the artists who send their work in from Canada, Mexico, Finland, and beyond; to my incredible fellow volunteers who put hours and hours of effort to connect Vancouverites to one another; and to all of you who get excited, who come to our events, who spread the word. Thank you so much to everyone who's participated so far and to everyone who will join in the coming months. (We're looking for cyclists, by the by.) In August, we will give all this art away -- and it is a gift, one that comes with no monetary strings attached, and only the weight of love. The price? To receive with joy, respect and gratitude for the kindness of strangers. And perhaps -- if you're willing -- a promise to pay it forward. 06/27/2013 UPDATE: Party is now on July 3!
We are excited to announce one of our collaborations this year is with Draw by Night! Described as Vancouver’s only bi-monthly drawing party, Draw by Night’s events are free and open to the public. All they ask is that you come with your favourite drawing utensil or just bring yourself and be ready to draw! Why are we collaborating with Draw by Night? Besides the obvious fact that they’re an awesome organization… Just like Papergirl, Draw by Night aims to engage and network within the drawing and wider community. Myron Campbell, Draw by Night’s founder, began the project four years ago as a means of engaging like-minded creative people from various disciplines. Anyone is welcome to attend and draw -- amateur, hobbyist, doodler and professional artist alike! While Papergirl "lets go" of artwork by giving it to the unsuspecting public via bicycles, Draw by Night also does not keep the drawings. Instead, they are documented and archived on the pages of their website, then released to the ‘wild’! Check out their drawings from past events! Why should you come? Besides promising to be a fun, high-energy evening… All attendees will be invited to donate their artwork to Papergirl as a birthday gift for Draw by Night. We hope to inspire to you get in touch with your creative side and connect with the Draw by Night and Papergirl communities. And now for a personal invitation from Myron to Draw by Night’s fourth birthday party and first collaboration with Papergirl Vancouver: Bugging out with Papergirl! It's been a long time coming for Draw By Night and Papergirl to join forces. We are super excited that this month is the month. All for the love of drawing. It also happens to be our fourth birthday so there is lots to celebrate! The theme this month is Bugs Gone Wild. These bugs are in the mood to party! Join us for some to draw some waltzing woodticks, or boogey beetles. The event is free and open to the public. It will take place at 390 West Hastings. There will be materials as well as some snacks! BYOB (bring your own bugs). See you soon! Myron P.S. Sign up for the event on Facebook. Hint: Maybe not real bugs. But some plastic ones might be great for drawing inspiration! We are very excited to feature our first Artist Interview Studio Visit! Leading up to our exhibit and roll-out in August, Papergirl is meeting with some of the talented artists who contribute to our project to find out more about their art practice and their thoughts on being an artist in Vancouver. Studio Visits will be featured on a bi-weekly basis, and we hope you enjoy learning more about artists working in our community! Papergirl met with illustrator Suzanne Summersgill at her home/studio on West Broadway. Suzanne has been contributing artistically to the eco movement for the last 25 years. Suzanne began her journey by working with naturally dyed textiles, and now works under the name Pinnstudio illustrating her own line of prints using discarded papers and found bits & pieces. Her favourite materials to work with are cardboard, old documents, charm and humor, keeping in line with her mandate to "craft in harmony with nature". Her work has appeared in several publications, including The Georgia Straight, Mothering Magazine, Momentum, 24, BC Parent, and Canadian House and Home. In her first children's book, Three Green Rats, An Eco Tale, she relates most to Oli the little rat who shares her passion for the junk hunt. See more of Suzanne's whimsical work at Pinnstudio and find her on Twitter here. Our Q&A with Suzanne:PG: What moves you as an artist?
SS: I went to art school (Langara Fine Arts) and then I worked for a textile company, Maiwa, who began moving toward more natural processes. I started learning more about the environment as it concerned the fashion industry and as I started to get into that more and more it became something that motivated me. I ended up starting my own textile company called Some Piece of Work, and I made naturally dyed and recycled children's clothing. That was about 25 years ago, sort of before anyone was really aware of environmental issues. People were starting to become more aware of what they ate, but there wasn't the whole eco movement as it is now. I've always had a love of drawing so eventually, when I got two studio partners, we started doing eco children's rooms with restructured furniture. One of my partners, Michelle Weeks, kept saying to me "you really love drawing, don't you ever think about illustrating?" I said that I did, and I ended up going that way, exactly as she suggested. My true love is basically a pencil. I illustrated my first children's book this year, Three Green Rats: An Eco Tale, which is a dream come true, literally. It was the year of the rat and I was thinking hard about ideas for a book and then I had a dream about 3 little rats, who represent the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), that save the world, and it started from there. PG: Do you remember the first time you created something? SS: I remember loving art and drawing in elementary school. PG: What is your creative process? SS: I try to free myself up from making something "good", I just wreck a piece of paper. I always start out with cheaper paper because I don't want to mess up a sketchbook! I just draw and I've learned to keep working up the drawings. A lot of illustrators use the computer to manipulate their drawings but I still don't. I do need to learn a lot more about using computers so that is my next thing. PG: Do you think about the relationship between artist and viewer when creating? SS: I don't. I make art for myself. If I like it, I explore it and put it out there. If people like it they like it. If they don't, what are you going to do? I learn a lot from other people but I try to stay away from trends. Right now illustration is very graphic, and mine is more old world, like old story books. PG: What does community mean to you as an artist? SS: I've been an artist for a long time and a lot of people want you to give of yourself. They'll say it's really "good exposure" for you but don't believe that! They just want free work. But I do believe heavily in community and I go into schools a lot. I've done huge eco art projects in schools through ArtStarts, and it was great. I joined the Sketchbook Project, and I've contributed to Papergirl. These are the kind of things that I can do for myself but that also help connect people with art. I used to be much more engaged -- I was on the Eastside Culture Crawl committee and I was on the Board of the Craft Association of BC but now, I can't do as much. I try and keep up but I feel that half the time I don't know what's going on! There is a lot going on in Vancouver. I find that the city is allowing more stuff to happen, like pop up shops for example. PG: How are you supported as an artist in Vancouver? Are there changes or improvements you would like to see? SS: I've felt a lot of support in Vancouver. I find that, with my book at least, having it sell in the US has helped because there is a huge wall up against self-published books. Vancouver Kids Books sells it and I was so grateful for that. Christianne's Lyceum has been really supportive and she is going to help me with other publishers. The more things that are you interested in and the more groups you join help to find support. You have to work a lot at that in addition to creating, marketing, social media and everything else. It is hard to find space in Vancouver for small shows. Community centres won't rent you a space if you are selling, so they have rooms but you can't use them. It's so expensive here that to make a little gallery show somewhere can cost a fortune. I would appreciate if somebody could work on finding cheap spaces and helping people connect with them, as well as cheaper studio spaces. PG: What interests you about Papergirl? SS: It's something that is an exercise with no attachments. It's something fun. I also love the idea of riding around on bikes and giving away art. PG: At Papergirl, we are all about the art of giving art. What is the greatest gift you have ever received? SS: I collect rocks and my dad gave me the most beautiful perfect heart shaped rock ever. It's my favourite thing that I have from him. PG: To finish, a fun question: what kind of bike would you be? SS: I am obviously a vintage bike. I have a red Raleigh vintage bike and I love it! all photos by Julie Larsen. Interview by Julie Larsen and Tara Galuska. For the last month, I've been telling my friends about Papergirl Vancouver and the exciting workshops we have coming up. Most people are almost as excited as I am.
But when I ask them to donate some of their own art, they scuttle away in fear. "I'm not an artist." "I can't draw to save my life." "I don't have anything that's good enough." Sound familiar? Sir Ken Robinson once gave a TED talk about how schools kill creativity. He points out that, as children, we all knew how to be creative. We drew bold, wild lines irrespective of paper edges and painted with our fingers. We sang high-pitched rhymes and bounced around to music. We expressed ourselves creatively with very little thought as to whether we were making "good art." We just had fun. But somewhere between the ages of five and twenty-five, most of us abandon our creative urges. We stop being writers and dancers, and become people who can't draw to save our lives. We think that if we're not making "good" art, then it's not art at all. Here's the thing: We don't care about "good" or "bad" art. We just want you to have fun. Because this is what we're about: spending time creating art for someone else, and having fun while doing it. Papergirl is about giving yourself the chance to be creative again and to have fun with no strings attached. More importantly, it's about giving other people the chance to receive a gift they didn't expect, and to know that somewhere out there, a stranger took the time to make this for them. And that is more than good enough. -- Lillienne Zen |
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