reckonings

Upcoming Art Show!


New Dominion Bookshop
on the Historic Downtown Mall
404 East Main Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902

Jesse Wells
Reckonings
May 4th-May 28, 2012

Opening Reception
Friday, May 4, 2012
5:30-7:30pm


Gallery Hours
during Bookshop hours

Contact Information:
jesskawells [!at] gmail [dot!] com

getting ready!

you maniac

After much anticipation, I had the pleasure of returning to the Berkshires for a romp through the MASS MoCA universe a few weeks ago.

I landed in Providence, Rhode Island, where I met with Margaret, one of the loveliest on the planet. We hung out in Providence for a bit, taking a long walk, and the next day we drove to North Adams. There we met up with Kacey K! She and her (awesome) guy Ryan shacked up with us at the posh Porches, a hotel near the museum that we had before, with intern eyes, looked at adoringly. There were creepy paint by number pieces and ugly lamps in the room, but it was great to stay there nonetheless.

We got to tour through the MASS MoCA space, which is always filled with such fantastic work. We wandered around, past the Sol Lewitt paintings, by a film piece by Sanford Biggers, and on through our old stomping grounds... it felt really nice. We got to see all the people we had hoped to, and ended the night with a performance by Justin Townes Earle, beer with friends, and an outdoor hot tub. The next day, we stopped by Williamstown and toured the Williams College Museum of Art, which had an engaging retrospective on Asco that I was really into.

After bidding goodbye to Kacey and Ryan, Margaret and I continued on to Portland, Maine. By this time (for the whole trip really), I had this horrible sinus infection, but I was determined to enjoy this stolen time! We arrived in Portland at night, after nearly everything had closed down. In the morning, we walked around, most notably by the water, and through the little shops in the historical district. We went along Maine's coast, past the the Portland Head Light and I thought about something a friend had told me, about how some people running the lighthouses would get so lonely that they'd kill their family if they had one. That it was lonely, and they probably only wanted someone to hang out with or make love to. Anyway, it was a beautiful day. I'm pretty sure I had had a dream about that place before seeing it in real life.

For the drive back, we made our way quickly from Portland to Providence, driving through towns (including Wells Beach!), stopping by an antique store/house, and underneath Boston's belly.

I'm always so happy to see Margaret and Kacey, and am lucky for those opportunities to go on adventures with them. When I got back from the airport that night, Patrick rolled up in my Jetta blasting hot jams. Despite how great the journey was, it was good to be home.

Shucks


So the past few months have been crazy with working, but I've been lucky to have a side project that excites me! It's called The Shuckster, and is a little art gallery in our house. It is a short-term project (only about 10 months) and features 2 artists per month. Have a look!

Once we were zero

Art commissions are something I am trying to get into more. They're a good way to keep moving when one is stuck with "artist's block", and a unique collaborative experience. Recently, I finished up a piece (an illustration with pen and gouache) of actual little ones wandering through my vignettes - a group of five children (3 of them triplets). What a cool experience - the family sent me the following video of their children looking at the piece for the first time. They totally got it!

Have a look: http://vimeo.com/37499152

Call me

Image by Kaki Dimock
It does seem to me, that herein we see the rare virtue of a strong individual vitality, and the rare virtue of thick walls, and the rare virtue of interior spaciousness. Oh, man! Admire and model thyself after the whale! Do thou, too, remain warm among ice. Do thou, too, live in this world without being of it. Be cool at the equator; keep thy blood fluid at the Pole. Like the great dome of St. Peter's, and like the great whale, retain, O man! in all seasons a temperature of thine own.

Diggin Heels

I've been working like crazy at Monticello, but I thought I'd post about a few art shows I've participated in lately:

VABC - This year's Raucous Auction on 11-11-11 was such a blast! There were even more prints and guests than last year, and we turned out for some really great fund-raising for this really lovely print studio in town. I donated 5 prints that I made using the VABC's vandercook, and was really pleased that they fetched some good bids for the space.

Artwork by Patrick Costello, Kendall Cox,
Dean Dass (?), Rachel Livedalen, and me
International Arts Movement -  My friend Moe Lovett, arts administrator extraordinaire (and fine artist), helps run the New City Arts Initiative in town. She was asked to gather some Cville artists, and was kind enough to include me, for an exhibition in New York City with the International Arts Movement. Below you'll see a picture of all of our pieces together for the show in what Moe described as a Garage-esque gallery space. Wish I could have seen it, but this picture helps!

New City Arts Initiative - Moe's space had a benefit of their own, and Patrick and I both collaborated and made pieces on our own for a show called "Home", which included textiles, drawings, prints, and hand stitching.

Next up: The Bridge's Great Gifts Holiday Shop, with art, wares, and crafts from local artists.