Category Archives: Upcoming Art Shows

Good Times on theKNU

Yesterday I did my first ever radio interview with the lovely ladies of theKNU! It was a blast! I had so much fun. Jade and Tarsha Vega bring a wonderful energy that is inviting and energizing. Talking to them felt like hanging out with two friends at the coffee shop as we laughed and swapped ideas and thoughts. I had a great time talking about theVisions of New York,my background as a self-taught artist, and what the future holds in store.

In case you weren’t able to catch the live broadcast, you can listen to here or listen to it as a podcast on iTunes.

Please be sure to check out theKNU every Tuesday on Global Voices Radio, every Tuesday 7 pm (EST), 4pm (PST).

Artist Turned Lawyer Turned Artist

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I recently did an interview with The Law Insider, a legal blog that was created by one of my fellow Miami Law alumni, Preston Clark. Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

As both an attorney and an artist, which was a passion for your first?

Creating art was always my passion as I’ve been painting and drawing since I was very young. I often took art classes on the side during my academic studies in high school and college. I gravitated towards law school because I majored in Latin American Studies and Business and thought I would end up going into international law. Interestingly, once I did get into law school, my creative side went dormant and I barely did anything artistic at all. I think it was because since I was using my left brain for all that legal analysis, there really wasn’t room for anything else, even though art had been always an outlet for me. It wasn’t until I graduated from law school and moved to New York that my creativity returned.

You can read more of the interview by clicking here.

Plugging Along

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So, with a little more than a month to go I’ve been pretty busy getting ready for the Visions of New York Show. Along with continual promotion, I’ve been working on getting the actual pieces printed matted and framed. It’s amazing to see them in the “flesh”, so to speak because it makes the show all the more tangible. It really drives home the point that art is really meant to be seen in person, not just a computer screen.

Bridge Over Astoria Park, matted 16″x20″ (image size 11″x14″) on photografique paper.

That said, the tricky thing is trying to figure out what exactly to put in the show. I have a pretty large collection of images to choose from but rather than try and cram everything into the gallery space, I’m trying to be more selective as to what goes in. I want the pieces to breathe on their own but want people to have a good collection to take in. Just when I think I know all that I want include, I see something else in my portfolio that I want to add. It also doesn’t help that I keep taking pictures when I’m on the run that would also look great. Clearly, and this is a good thing, I don’t have to worry about not having enough to put int he show!

I’m also staging how I want to hang the postcard prints that will also be featured. I’m looking to feature 40-50 postcard prints that I’ll sell for $5.00. I always like to have affordable art options available because I think everyone should be able to own a piece of art they enjoy without having to break the bank. Initially, I was looking to adhere each postcard to the wall, but since I only have a few hours to hang everything the day of the show (emphasis on pop-up!), I’ve devised another method. I’m testing it out on my bedroom wall.

Staging the postcard prints on my wall.

Actually, my entire apartment has become a fertile testing ground for this show, which is probably why it looks like an art supply store exploded all over the place. I will not be posting pictures of that.
Trust me, it’s for your own good.

However, I’m happy to also share that my lovely postcards from my beloved Moo arrived last week. I sent out the second wave of invitations already and I just ordered more to be sent out, as they have been very well received. If you, dear reader, would care for one, kindly send me your mailing address at jaimee@jaimeetodd.com and I will hook you up!

Until next time.

The Last Dance

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I’m channeling the late, great Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” as I type this newsletter, because this week marks the last week of the Visions of New York Fundraiser! As of today, we’ve raised $2,030 via Indiegogo, which doesn’t include outside donations totaling $370. We still have until June 1st to raise money, so if you haven’t done so, here is your chance!

Your support and encouraging comments give me tremendous joy and make me feel like I have my own cheering section that I carry around with me everyday as I work on this show. That means a lot. So for those of you have contributed and spread the word, give yourself a hug and pretend it’s from me, because if I was there to hug you right now, I would.

But before I get arrested by the Schmaltz Police (you’re not a real New Yorker until you throw around Yiddish words in everyday speech), I wanted to share with you a video interview I recently did with the lovely and energetic Kathryn Buford of the blogzine Live Unchained. In this brief interview, I share the process behind my photography creations and tell a little more about what you can expect to see at the Visions of New York show.

And so I conclude this final fundraising newsletter with a deep bow of gratitude and an enormous smile. Stay tuned for more show updates in the coming weeks!

**Update! As of May 30, 2012, we’ve currently raised $2,080 with 4 days left!!!

Cheers,

Jaimee

Too Bad I Can’t Do Backflips

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…so instead I’ll settle for doing the Cabbage Patch.

Please pardon the random 80′s dance references but I figured it was only appropriate since, as of May 22, 2012, we have raised over $2000 for Visions of New York!

Yes indeed, what more can I say beyond thank you? Now I really wish I could do a backflip. I’d film it and post in Youtube.

In the meantime, I just wanted to give you this little update to thank all of the generious contributors and to also let you know that there’s still time to contribute. With 11 days left we can continue to help the vision grow! You can do so by visiting the campaign page by clicking here or by spreading the word about the Visions of New York Fundraiser!

Oh, and for those of you claimed your gifts, the rest of them are on their way! I sent out the second wave yesterday so they should be arriving soon. Any issues with getting your perks, email me at jaimee@jaimeetodd.com and I’ll get on it!

Until next time!

Golllllllllll!!!!!!!

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So before you all think I’ve lost my mind, let me briefly explain the the title of this here post.

If you have ever watched a soccer match on Spanish television, you’ll now that the television announcer loves to make a resounding shout whenever a player scores a goal. It’s distinctive, stays with you, and even if you don’t speak Spanish you’ll know what it means when the announcer calls out in one drawn out shout: “Golllllllllllll!”

Goal, baby.

And that’s exactly what I’m shouting these days. As of last week, in only eight days, we raised $1500! I was confident that we’d get there but never expected that we do it so quickly! What’s even more exciting is that the momentum keeps going and we are continuing to surpass our goal. As of this email, the Visions of New York Fundraising Campaign has now raised $1630 with 18 days left to go! We can still make the show even bigger and better, so if you have not already contributed, you can still do so by moseying over here.

In the meantime, I have been very busy putting together my packages to mail out to all of you generous contributors. All the print cutting and packaging stuffing over this weekend had me feeling like Santa Claus in May, but I mailed out the first wave of gifts this week with the rest on their way. Even though the tote bag and the postcard perks have already sold out, there are still more opportunities to contribute and no amount is too small.

Once again, thank you for all of your support, positive comments and good energy. They help me burn that midnight oil!

Until next time,

Jaimee

Visions of New York Fundraising Campaign–http://indiegogo.com/jtodd.

Fundraising Update

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Well, as you can imagine, this past week has been very eventful and has been keeping me busy in the best of ways. My fundraiser kicked off last week and it has been a fun, exciting experience. Within the first week, I’ve already raised $1,085, sold out my all of my $50 perks and we still have two and a half weeks to go!

Putting together a fundraiser is a lot of work but definitely a labor of love. Prior to the official fundraiser kick-off, I was feverishly working on putting together my promotional video. Didn’t get much sleep that week but it was well worth it because the response has been very enthusiastic and I’m so pleased the video came out the way I envisioned it. I wanted to tell a story about my relationship wtih the city, kind of like reconnecting with a lost love.

What’s also been especially fantastic about this experience is just the amount of support I received. People have really stepped up to contribute, all of them eager to see my work in person but also to see me pursue my dream. Their generosity has moved to tears at times because in many cases, people that I barely knew or only met once (or in the case of a generous contributor who gave $55 all the way from the UK) were quick to help. One of my spin instructors contributed money right on the spot after spin class. I could not have imagined that I would raise this much money in this short amount of time. At this rate, I should be able to meet my goal and hopefully beyond! The largest support has also come from fellow artists who are looking to do the same thing and feel inspired by my campaign.

Throughout last week, I created visual updates to keep people in the loop about how far we’ve come. It’s been a lot of fun making them!

There’s a lot more work to be done, but this labor of love has certainly lit a fire under me. Please stay tuned for more updates and if you’d like to contribute, please visit my campaign page!

And Now It’s Official

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So as of Friday the 13th (my lucky day), I am officially having my first solo show July 28th at the Brooklyn Artists Gym! The gallery director was really pleased and impressed with my photography portfolio and was eager to help me bring my vision to reality. Having secured the space has put such a sense of peace over me even though I know have a ton of work ahead of me. Maybe it’s because I feel like the hardest part is done and now I can just work on putting on a good show. Maybe it’s also because when someone asks me if I have an upcoming show, I can say, “Yes, this coming July!”

I don’t want to really reveal too much about the theme just yet but I will tell you that this will be a self-produced show and I will be working with a local charity, as I love doing art for a cause. But most of all, I’m so excited…hence my thumbs-up-I’m-so-geeked-grin that you see here:

Cheesin'!

There will be exciting news to come and probably more images of me cheesing, fussing but most of all, enjoying the process and the journey.

Show Time

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As I promised myself earlier in the year, it’s time for me to get my art out to the people in the flesh. Rather than just relying on a gallery to show my stuff, I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands. After having pushed it aside and stalling, I finally sucked it up and started checking out venues. I visited a pretty awesome one in Brooklyn that I’m excited about after being able to envision what the show would look like. Nothing is set in stone yet but it did feel damn good to just be in the mix, talking to people and sharing my photography portfolio.

In the process of venue shopping, I’ve learned how important it is to concisely state what your vision for your show is, getting as much information on the nitty gritty details, (such as amenities that include whether the venue will provide refreshments, a sound system for music, etc) and how important it is to get things done in writing. I also realize that it takes a lot of leg-work too and you can’t just limit your search via the internet.

At this point, I’m trying to be as creative as possible since these places can cost! In addition to looking at restaurants, I’m also checking out empty office spaces, storefronts for rent and photography studios. I’ll be doing whatever side hustling I can do to raise money to fund this show.

I must say that it just feels damn good to be working towards this and I really want it more and more. I feel hungry to share my work.

Upcoming Group Show: Postcards From the Edge

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Happy New Year!

Once again, I will be one of the participating artists in Visual Aids’ Postcards From the Edge. One of my pieces will be displayed for sale alongside fellow emerging and well-renowned artists. All artwork is priced exactly the same, so you can get your hands on an original piece by a famous artist for a steal! Past participants have included Kara Walker and Yoko Ono.

So come on out, buy an original piece of artwork and support a good cause! Proceeds from sales will benefit New York artists living with AIDS.

Date: January 6-8, 2012

Location: Cheim & Read, 547 W 25th St, New York

Hours: Saturday, January 7 from 10:00 – 6:00pm Sunday, January 8 from 12:00 – 4:00 pm

Hope to see you there!