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Open Studios – May 11-18th

American Steel Studios presents Art + Industry, an interactive group exhibition and behind-the-scenes look at our community of artists and innovators.

Our schedule includes:
– An indoor/outdoor exhibition of artwork and performance from May 11–18 filling more than 10,000 square feet of exhibition space
– Open studios on May 11–12
– A day of interactive programs, demonstrations, facility and studio tours, performances, and artist talks on May 11

The exhibition
American Steel Studios, the beating heart of West Oakland’s small business boom, is an incubator for artists, architects, fabricators, inventors, and business leaders.

American Steel’s oversized facility allows us to present member events on a scale that only museums can rival, and our tenant exhibition will fill more than 10,000 square feet of inside and outside gallery space, featuring painting, textiles, photography, printmaking, ceramics, large and small sculpture, furniture and installation, as well as fire performance and art cars from more than 45 studios and businesses.

We are also happy to have Line 51 Brewery and Suite Treatments as tenants at American Steel, and they will be providing craft brewed beer and organic juices.

Based on past exihbitions, we expect to draw roughly 1,500 visitors to American Steel for Art + Industry.

Not just open studios
On Saturday and Sunday May 11-12, our studios will be open to the public. To help give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at our artists and businesses, we have assembled a day-long schedule of guided tours, demonstrations, performances and artist talks. As the sun goes down, we’ll light up the fire effects for an evening of fire sculpture, fire performance and art cars.

The full, updated schedule of tours, talks, demos, and performances is at our website https://americansteelstudios.net/openstudios/schedule-of-events/

Smithsonian 40 Under 40 artist
Nick Dong, Enlightenment Room
mixed media light and sound installation
14’L x 8’H x 4’W, 2012

Jann Nunn
Broadway Boogie-Woogie Series (Lean)
wood and fiber, 45” x 18” x 20”, 2012

Carl Stieger, Mountains 1
oil on paper, 12″ x 12″, 2012

Kyle Milligan, Hyperbole
mixed media, 4’3″ x 3′ x 3′, 2012

Romuald Picard, DANCER
steel wire structure, gold paint steel chain, recycled wine capsules, recycled water bottle, electric lighting
height 38″ width 20″ circumference 55″

Henry Riekena, Pinkspace
acrylic on canvas, 24″ x 30″, 2012

Get more information
Join our Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/587065614654447
Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/WikWRO
Like American Steel Studios on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AmericanSteelStudios

Press and media
For advance Art + Industry information and images, to arrange for a tour or interview with one of our participants, or for guest blog posts, email Matt Fisher: matt@mattfisherstudio.com

Location of all events
American Steel Studios
1960 Mandela Parkway
Oakland, CA
(Enter on 20th Street)
www.americansteelstudios.com
facebook.com/pages/American-Steel-Studios

March Newsletter

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Open Studios, Oakland Indie Awards, a million ways to get involved, Burning Man Grants… It is never dull at American Steel Studios!

It’s Open Studios Time at American Steel!

Please join us May 11-18 for an interactive, behind-the-scenes look at the community of artists and innovators that make up American Steel Studios.Our member exhibition from May 11-18 will fill 6,000 square feet of gallery space and spill outside to American Steel’s courtyard and will feature the work of our artists and tenants. On Saturday and Sunday May 11-12, our studios will be open to the public. But thatâ€™s not all. Weâ€™re also planning a full day of behind-the-scenes tours, demonstrations, performances and artist talks on Saturday…Read the full post here

Happenings at American Steel Studios

AmSteel Nominated for
Oakland Indie Award!

We have been nominated for an Oakland Indie Award in the “Soul of Oakland” Category! Please visit www.oaklandindieawards.com and Vote for us by March 31st!

Read the full post here

Succulent Plant Drive March 30, 10am-2pm

Help build a living wall on Mandela Parkway! On March 30, stop by to meet the crew, take a tour, learn how to get involved, and you can drop off your succulents and 32-oz plastic containers anytime through April 5th.

Read the full post here

Community Clean Up!
March 28th noon – 3pm

Join us and our community partners for a neighborhood clean up! Hosted by CORE FOODS. Your involvement makes a difference. March 28th, Noon-3pm, 1901 Poplar Street.

Read the full post here

Department of Spontaneous Combustion Awarded Burning Man Grant

Mens Amplio will be a 15ft model of a human head and brain. The brain will incorporate an array of light and flame effects controlled through an EEG headset.

Read the full post here

Carrie Iverson Wins Hauberg Fellowship

Carrie Iverson has won the prestigious Hauberg Fellowship from Pilchuck Glass School. She will be working with fellow artists Gay Outlaw, Julie Alland, JD Beltran, Lisa Blatt, and Tracy Grubbs; their theme is â€œunexpected glass.â€

Read the full post here

Build GIANT Art for Coachella

The Flux Foundation is hosting NIGHTLY open shop work parties in preparation for Coachella. You can help BUILD Coachella! Show up from 6-10pm in Bay 1!

Read the full post here

Fire Arts Collective

Open Spin Jam every Last Monday of the month, from 7:30-10pm! Specializing in fire poi, double poi, staff, fingers, fans, batons, snakes, hula hoops, and jump rope. Fire eating, LED lights, and stilt walking also available

Read the full post here

Goings On In West Oakland

Oakland Earth Expo

Join us at the Sustainable Oakland event!
Wednesday, April 10th, 2013
10am-2pm in downtown Oakland
Frank Ogawa Plaza â€“ 14th & Broadway

Read the full post here

Uptown ArtPark Opening

Oakland’s very first Sculpture Park is Opening on Telegraph Avenue and 19th Street, next to the renovated Fox Oakland Theater. April 5th, 6:30-8:30pm

Read the full post here

Featured Innovator

Nick Gardner

If one were to paint a portrait of Nick Gardnerâ€™s dreams for West Oakland, of the kindness, joy, and enthusiasm he embodies in his work, complete with air that doesnâ€™t make us sick to breath, food that we grow in our own schools, homes, and work place…

Read the full post here

People In West Oakland

Brother’s Catering

We LOVE Brother’s Catering, and get this. They will DELIVER a tea leaf salad at 3am. From barbecue to killer Burmese, breakfast, burgers and buckets of chicken… they will bring it right to your door. (or studio)

Read the full post here.

American Steel Studios Birthday April 1st

We couldn’t have made this without you. A HUGE shout out to the amazing artists, neighbors, organizations, government officials, friends, and family who have come together over the years to make this space the INCREDIBLE place it is.
We love you.

Succulent Plant Drive! Saturday February 22, 10am-4pm

Groundation Foundation is Hostessing a Succulent Plant Drive

Bring cuttings from your succulent plants to American Steel Studios Saturday February 22nd 10am-4pm. We will root them and add them to the array of beauty on our Living Wall.

Bring us your succulent cuttings and drink coffee with the community!

Here are the succulent species we’re looking for:

– SEDUM MULTICEPS
– SEDUM SEMPERVIVUM
– SEDUM GRISEBABACHII
– SEDUM SPATHULIFOLIUM
– SEDUM ACRE ELEGANS
– SEDUM TECTORUM
– SEDUM COLIOSUM BORISSI
– SEDUM RUROTINCTUM

We are happy to accept whatever succulent varieties that are available to you as we have an ever-expanding plant list!

EQUALLY IMPORTANT: Did we mention that this project is ridiculously big? We still need 1500 plastic quart-sized 32oz yogurt/cottage cheese/prepared food containers!

Come by Saturday, February 22 to drop off your plants and plastic containers and to learn about the wall!

Plants and containers can also be dropped off 24/7 in the crate at the front of the Nursery at American Steel Studios, adjacent to the 20th Street entrance.

Connect with us and learn more

American Steel Nominated for Oakland Indie Award!

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We have been nominated for an Oakland Indie Award in the “Soul of Oakland” Category!

Please visit www.oaklandindieawards.com and Nominate us by March 31st!

You can nominate businesses and artists in these categories:

Oakland Soul :: Represents the soul, essence and spirit of Oakland. This business or artist appreciates diversity and creativity, is confident in their individuality and humbly supports their brothers and sisters. Nominate AMERICAN STEEL STUDIOS!!!

Ripple Effect :: A business that supports the local economy by buying their supplies and services from other local vendors, creating a “ripple effect” as money circulates within the community

Innovative Newcomer :: A business or artist that started in the last three years that excites and inspires with a creative new idea, perspective, model or solution.

Greenie :: An environmental champion who works to improve our community through sustainable practices, products or services. This local business or individual reduces waste or consumption, creates green products or provides green services.

Social Changemaker :: This socially responsible business or individual incorporates positive social change into their mission, operations, and/or measures of success. They use creative approaches to give back to the community and address economic and environmental issues.

Pillar :: A long-established Oakland business or artist with deep roots in the community and long-standing ties to the people, culture and history of The Town. This person or business mentors newbies and is renowned for their contributions to Oakland’s living history.

Job Creator :: An independent business that has a positive effect on the region by consistently providing good jobs for residents of the Bay Area, employs 50 people or more, is socially responsible and/or environmentally sustainable.

Vote for Us HERE! and nominate other great businesses!

Carrie Iverson awarded Hauberg Fellowship from Pilchuck Glass School

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Carrie Iverson, one of our amazing tenants at American Steel, has won the prestigious Hauberg Fellowship from Pilchuck Glass School. Named for Pilchuck co-founder John H. Hauberg (1916–2002) the fellowship was established to encourage collaboration among a group of outstanding artists.

Often inspired by Pilchuck’s energy and environment, the artists who take part in this twelve-day residency are known for fostering collaboration and exchange within their self-defined group. Visual artists in all media as well as writers, poets, art critics, and curators who want an opportunity to work in proximity to one another for dialogue and exchange are encouraged to submit group proposals with a collaborative concept or theme that makes creative use of Pilchuck’s resources and surroundings.

Carrie’s group is comprised of fellow artists Gay Outlaw, Julie Alland, JD Beltran, Lisa Blatt, and Tracy Grubbs; their theme is “unexpected glass.” Their projects, both individual and collaborative in nature, will explore and reveal the many facets — conceptual and material — that glass has to offer. At the heart of their explorations is the concept that glass, perhaps even despite its properties, is capable of many things unexpected: unexpected shapes, forms, qualities, appearances, uses, and functions.

Individually she plans on exploring glass as an intermediary lens in a series of prints on paper and glass, creating interactions between surfaces. For the prints on paper she will sandblast and engrave float glass to print as glass intaglio plates. She will also experiment with offsetting the glass plate in front of the resulting print, projecting light through the glass so that the imagery on the plate casts a double/shadow on the print. She will pursue a similar idea in printing on glass; tack fusing an image onto both clear and opaque sheet glass and then offsetting the clear glass version in front of the opaque, again casting shadows.

“My current work incorporates both printmaking and glass, often combined into multi-part installations. One of my fascinations with both media is their ability to retain a record of how the piece was created. I tend to approach both processes in an experimental way, letting the properties of the materials suggest and guide the content. Conceptually my work reflects this process of transition – objects in motion, imagery submerged just below the surface, the traces of an explosion. I am interested in examining how evidence is presented, how events are reconstructed.”

Carrie Iverson’s work has has been exhibited internationally, including at the Glasmuseum Hentrich in Düsseldorf, Germany, Art Sante Fe, the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago, and the Chicago Cultural Center. Her work is in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art (NY), and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago). She has been awarded residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, Glenfiddich, North Lands Creative Glass, and the KALA Art Institute, and is represented by The Bullseye Gallery in Portland, OR.

We love having her at American Steel Studios and are incredibly proud that she has been selected to receive this award. We can’t wait to see what she and the other fellows create.

Check out Carrie’s Website Here

Uptown ArtPark Opening April 5th, 6:30-8:30pm

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Oakland’s very first Art Park!

“The new Uptown ArtPark further solidifies Oakland’s national reputation as a visual art mecca,” said Mayor Jean Quan. “It provides a platform for showcasing the spectacular work of local artists – many of whom are known all over the world – right here in the heart of their hometown.”

On Friday, April 5, from 6:30 – 8:30pm, the City of Oakland will host the Uptown ArtPark Celebration featuring a bike ride to the event from West Oakland, live performance by students from the adjacent Oakland School for the Arts, dedication ceremony honoring both the artists and community members who advocated for the park.

Funded through a matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Uptown ArtPark has transformed a vacant urban space into a showplace for large-scale local art for the entire community to enjoy.

The Uptown ArtPark is located on Telegraph Avenue and 19th Street, next to the Fox Theater.

Oakland is partnering with arts organizations and funders, including the Black Rock Arts Foundation, to display rotating, temporary exhibitions of existing large-scale sculptural works by Bay Area artists, newly commissioned public art projects and live performances by local arts and community organizations.

For more information on the Uptown ArtPark and the April 5 opening celebration, please visit www.oaklandnet.com.

Oakland Earth Expo

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Join us at Sustainable Oakland’s Earth Expo!

We will be showcasing some of our resident artists who have made a personal and professional commitment to using sustainable practices while building Oakland’s economy. Learn about our upcoming classes and other opportunities to get involved at our amazing facility and with our incredible neighbors.

Wednesday, April 10th, 2013

10am-2pm in downtown Oakland

Frank Ogawa Plaza – 14th & Broadway

Renew…your commitment to a cleaner, greener, healthier Oakland for all!

Tips, giveaways, and “How To” demonstrations!

Green Businesses • Environmental and Social Change Organizations • Artists • Community Groups • Local Food Purveyors Food • Fun • FREE

Reuse…
• win a free reusable bag! • DIY activities • learn to fix your bike •

Reconnect…
• meet other local businesses • join a volunteer group • learn about car-sharing •

Rediscover…
• five new ways to go green • shop local •

Reimagine…
• greening your workplace • your home with energy upgrades • a healthy environment for you and your family •

Oakland’s annual EarthEXPO is a popular and festive lunchtime environmental fair, and the region’s lead-off event connected to Earth Day. Up to 100 green businesses, government agencies, community and environmental groups and environmental artists exhibit at this annual event for the downtown business district.

Connect on Facebook: Oakland Earth EXPO

Prospective exhibitors: download an Application for booth space.

For more information e-mail: earthexpo@oaklandnet.com

Nick Gardner Dreams Big for West Oakland

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If one were to paint a portrait of Nick Gardner’s dreams for West Oakland, it would be a colorful canvas of joy and enthusiasm, with highlights of fresh air, organic food that we grow in our own schools, homes, and work places, a love of teaching and learning, with economic and social opportunity available for all those who are willing to work hard and not just those who can afford it, lower energy usage, solar power, rain water catchment, and healthy habitat. This painting would look very much like the living wall he is building at American Steel Studios. He is shy for a man who is leading a truly innovative project with so many people and moving parts. Nick has been such a joy to work with and has become such an important part of American Steel that we sat him down for an interview to learn more about him and this project.

American Steel: What do you do?
Nick: I like to design and build cool things. Landscapes, living roofs, some wood working and some sculpture. Creating a living wall at American Steel is my latest inspiration.
AS: Why do you do what you do?
Nick: Living walls create habitat for butterflies, birds, bees and other beneficial insects. That means among the urban city landscape you can have a tiny ecosystem. The living wall is a self-sustaining system. It’s a model for how everything should be designed – with beauty, function and reverence for the earth in mind. It has a rainwater collection tank that stores water and is used the irrigate the plants year round; solar panels create energy to run the water pump; a mixture of drought tolerant plants round out the design. I really want to get involved in sharing what I know either through hosting seminars, classes or job training of some sort. I think that’s the next step is to empower people who are looking for something (better) to do. Teach them how to do what I do and hopefully watch them grow.
AS: What brought you to American Steel?
Nick: I was drawn to American Steel by the amazing sculptures outside. It became apparent to me that there are a ton of talented artists creating fantastic art pieces here.
AS: How has working in American Steel helped your business grow?
Nick: It has been a huge asset to be able to network with other artists in the community. There has been a great group of volunteers that have come together in support of this living wall project – Karen Cusolito, Elizabeth Dougherty, Tony Poek, Kat Sawyer, Sarah Kersten, Sasha Kramer.
AS: How have you been able to contribute to the community?
Nick: Whenever you can bring a group of people together to work on a project like this – you are creating community. That’s the way things get done, that’s how we create change. A project like this benefits the community in a number of ways – it discourages graffiti, creates habitat in an urban area and hopefully inspires others to do something similar to improve their neighbor hood.
AS: What brought you to Oakland?
Nick: The bay area has incredible scenery from the mountains to the sea and every nook and cranny in between is filled with real diversity which I enjoy. There is no other place like this and I don’t see myself ever wanting to live anywhere else.

Connect with Groundation Foundation!

Fire Arts Collective Open Spin Jams! Last Monday of the Month 7:30-10pm

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We specialize in fire poi, double poi, staff, fingers, fans, batons, snakes, hula hoops, and jump rope. Fire eating, LED lights, and stilt walking also available.

Join us every last Monday of the month from 7:30-10pm for an open fire spin at American Steel Studios.

info@fireartscollective for more info.

http://www.fireartscollective.com/

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NIGHTLY from 6-10pm: Build GIANT Art for Coachella!

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The Flux Foundation: Building big art through community and community through big art.

The Flux Foundation is hosting NIGHTLY open shop work parties in preparation for the massive music and arts festival that is Coachella. You can help BUILD Coachella! All you have to do is show up at American Steel Studios, 6-10pm and head to Bay 1!

The mission of the Flux Foundation is to engage people in designing and building large-scale public art as a catalyst for education. Existing as a new model for the exploration of large-scale art, their focus is the pursuit of projects that create and empower communities through public artworks.

The Flux Foundation has been instigating artists at American Steel Studios for almost 3 years. They engage people in building large scale art as a catalyst for education, collaboration, and empowerment. Their current project “The Sidewalk’s End” is destined for Coachella 2013.

Join them every night in Bay 1 until Apr 5 to help with their final push! All skill levels welcome. Contact: info@fluxfoundation.org

Flux investigates design methods that encourage involvement by community members to create interactive site-specific works. The projects engage intellectually and emotionally, challenging the basis by which the relationships between public, site, art, and everyday life are understood.

Flux not only creates public art; it creates public artists. Inherent in our work are the individual contributions made by project participants within the greater design framework of the piece. Each project is a vehicle to train crew members in technical skills and enable them with a critical approach to art practice.

For more information: info@fluxfoundation.org

Connect on Facebook!

It’s Open Studios Time at American Steel!

AmSteel Nominated for Oakland Indie Award!

Succulent Plant Drive March 30, 10am-2pm

Community Clean Up! March 28th noon – 3pm

Department of Spontaneous Combustion Awarded Burning Man Grant

Carrie Iverson Wins Hauberg Fellowship

Build GIANT Art for Coachella

Fire Arts Collective

Oakland Earth Expo

Uptown ArtPark Opening

Nick Gardner

Brother’s Catering

American Steel Studios Birthday April 1st

You can nominate businesses and artists in these categories:

Oakland’s very first Art Park!

We specialize in fire poi, double poi, staff, fingers, fans, batons, snakes, hula hoops, and jump rope. Fire eating, LED lights, and stilt walking also available.

The Flux Foundation: Building big art through community and community through big art.

AmSteel Nominated for
Oakland Indie Award!

Community Clean Up!
March 28th noon – 3pm