Saturday night art show at NEST Art Center in Bridgeport (UPDATED 03/12/12)

NEST Art Center
1720 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport, CT
The Bunny Runs: Drawings & Soft Sculpture by Jodiann Strmiska
Sat., Mar. 10, 2012, 5:30—8:30 p.m.

Press release

UPDATE 03/12/12: This show has been postponed to this fall.

In the Gallery & Labyrinth Corridor:

"The Bunny Runs comprises an ongoing cycle of works on paper whose subject is the relationship between artist and studio model," says Jodiann Strmiska. "Creating my own soft-sculpture models from foam rubber and fabric which I can pose or manipulate at will as both authentic object and studio subject, references the use of stuffed toys by young children as 'transitional objects' which function as touchstones of emotional comfort independent of parental influence and which can take on a life of their own, like 'The Velveteen Rabbit' of the classic work of children's fiction."

"The Bunny Heads, as depicted in my work, with their crudely stitched-together craniums and floppy ears, symbolize the psyche and the essential vulnerability of human nature. In dyad form or in the context of the imaginary, biomorphic landscapes they sometimes inhabit in my drawings, the bunny-heads are engaged in the eternal battle of self versus 'other.'"

"In multiple form and color, the soft-sculpture heads represent the never-ending proliferation of ideas which often exist as 'things-onto-themselves' without any larger context or meaning within the confines of the artists' imagination; i.e, 'multiplying like bunnies.'"

"This exhibition's title was inspired by the surge of running bunny sightings I witnessed during the summer of 2011 while hiking in the woods at my favorite State parks. God Bless the bunnies and long may they run!" ~Jodiann Strmiska -a.ka.-'Jodeska' 2012

Opening reception for Al Coyote Weiner at New NEST Art Center Saturday night

The New NEST ART CENTER
1720 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport
Crazy Quilt: the Human Condition—Artworks by Al Coyote Weiner
Sat., Oct. 8, 2011, 5—9 p.m.

Press release

"As an artist," Al Coyote Weiner writes, "I view life, nature, and the human condition as a crazy-quilt of interpretation and artistic choice. Some things, as superficial as a mouse entering an aperture, or the forces of nature determining our ultimate fate, are both integral to our journey.

"Irony, joy, love, and humor are some of the elements of the human trial. Hopefully, my aesthetic will broaden the viewers' perspective and enhance the freedom of choice. My wish is to employ my particular voice, and to achieve art that is fearless and uncompromising."

Actor, singer, writer, professor, and artist, Al Coyote Weiner has been involved in the art and entertainment world for over thirty years, from New York to Florida, and England. In the 60’s, he landed several minor acting roles, and secured a place with Lee Strasberg, a prominent acting coach, for lessons and advice.

Living in Coconut Grove, FL, he wrote and published his poetry, and then returned to the University of Bridgeport to study literature and writing. He furthered his studies in Europe after a Fulbright Scholarship offer for studies in India and Africa, earning his MACW in Creative Writing at Antioch International University, in Oxford and London, England. He creative work includes copywriting, songwriting, voice-overs, freelance articles, and screenwriting. His one-act play was accepted for production at the National Theater of Australia. He studied as a playwright at Yale Drama School, and served there as an adjunct professor in film studies. He has completed two albums of original, contemporary music.

Weiner has had 10 one-man shows, participated in group exhibitions, and been accepted for numerous juried shows.

Saturday's show will also include music presentations by Joseph Higgins (tonal keyboard) and Warren Bloom (guitar and harmonica).