Life Blood Exhibit Blog

Life Blood Exhibit at Black Door Gallery

2012-02-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

Life Blood Exhibit
Life Blood Exhibit is coming! This traveling art show features artworks exploring the theme of women’s reproductive health, from coming of age to motherhood to menopause and more. Some works are humorous while others are serious, but all are thought-provoking. Please see the shows, join in the conversation, and help break the taboo! More information can be found on the website and blog:
http://www.lifebloodexhibit.com/
http://lifebloodexhibit.blogspot.com/

Sponsors include:
The Keeper, Inc. http://www.keeper.com/

What:
Life Blood Exhibit is a traveling group art show originally curated by Jennifer Weigel in St. Louis, Missouri and themed around menstruation and women’s reproductive health. This showing will include works chosen by guest curators Craig & Elizabeth Thomas of Black Door Gallery. Several artworks from the original exhibition will be shown alongside many new artists from the Southeast Missouri region and beyond.

Where/When (Black Door Gallery):
March 2 – 31, 2012: Black Door Gallery
reception: Friday, March 2, 6 - 9 PM

Why/How:
By drawing attention to the female body and to the menstrual cycle, artists are able to comment on this life-giving aspect of womanhood and to celebrate and/or show their discontent with their own bodies & cycles. We are able to offer commentary on experience, confront stereotypes & assumptions and educate one another about things too often left unsaid. Thus we can explore the positive & negative to turn around preconceptions and help break the taboo surrounding menstruation.

Life Blood Exhibit
Black Door Gallery
124 S. Spanish
Cape Girardeau, MO
March 2012
Reception: Friday, March 2 during the First Friday Art Walk

Upcoming Show

2011-10-26T16:21:00.000-07:00

Life Blood Exhibit will be traveling to Black Door Gallery in March 2012! This show will feature artworks by the St. Louis group alongside several new artists from the region and further afield. More information will be forthcoming on the blog here, so keep a lookout for further details.

Life Blood Exhibit
Black Door Gallery
124 S. Spanish
Cape Girardeau, MO
March 2012
Reception: Friday, March 2 during the First Friday Art Walk

Bizarre Magazine Interview

2011-09-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

I was recently featured in Bizarre Magazine in a piece about bodily fluids and art for my menstruation art. The piece touches on how I came to use my own blood in my work; Life Blood Exhibit is also mentioned. It is a genuine honor to be interviewed and included among so many highly esteemed and controversial contemporary artists. Please feel free to check it out here.

http://www.bizarremag.com/weird-news/bizarre-life/11299/body_fluid_artists.html

In Memory of Paul Reiter

2011-05-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

I was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of Paul Reiter today from a mutual friend. Paul was an amazing person, and perhaps the most noble and humble individual I have ever met. He always gave of himself without question to everything he did and was a strong supporter of & advocate for the arts. He extensively collected works by local artists and attended numerous exhibitions, always bringing a smile & keeping an open mind and encouraging others to do the same.

I first met Paul through the Life Blood Exhibit preview party, where he purchased one of the auctioned artworks to benefit the show. He continued to support the Life Blood Exhibit after that, following both that show and my own personal endeavors, like the Art Is Everywhere sign project, of which he was one of the first to register for a sign and kept that sign in the back window of his van where it could be seen by people all over town. He was always very giving & generous and his continuous presence & support strengthened the art community

Please read this article in the St. Louis American to learn more of Paul's unending support and passion for art, along with his loyalty to his family, the St. Louis American, and the St. Louis community as a whole. He will be sorely missed.

http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/article_c49d4b8e-7c24-11e0-9586-001cc4c03286.html

Life Blood Exhibit article

2011-03-12T06:05:00.000-08:00

An article about Life Blood Exhibit at Gallery Visio was featured in the UMSL newspaper The Current. Please feel free to check it out here.

http://thecurrent-online.com/ae/life-blood-exhibit-showcases-local-talent/

Gallery Visio Reception Photos

2011-02-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from the reception at Gallery Visio, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011, 4 - 7 PM.

Gallery Visio Photos

2011-02-24T19:37:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures of the Gallery Visio exhibition.

Life Blood Exhibit opens at Visio Thursday

2011-02-22T18:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a sneak preview of Life Blood Exhibit at Gallery Visio. Want to see more? Then come to the opening reception this Thursday at Gallery Visio, 4 - 7 PM.

Life Blood Exhibit
Gallery Visio
170 Millenium Student Center
University of Missouri - St. Louis
Feb. 24 - March 24, 2011
Reception: Thursday, Feb. 24, 4 - 7 PM

http://www.lifebloodexhibit.com/
http://lifebloodexhibit.blogspot.com/

Sponsors include:
The Keeper, Inc. http://www.keeper.com/

Artists:
Lisa Becker, Dail Chambers, Virginia Dragschutz, Marsha Heck, Christine Ilewski, Aunia Kahn, Connie LaFlam, Arlene Ligori, Barbara Merlotti, Janice Nesser, Pat Owoc, Roxanne Phillips, Janiece Senn, Evie Shucart, Jeane Vogel, Jennifer Weigel & selected UMSL students

What:
Life Blood Exhibit is a traveling group art show curated by Jennifer Weigel and themed around menstruation and women’s reproductive health.

Why/How:
By drawing attention to the female body and to the menstrual cycle, artists are able to comment on this life-giving aspect of womanhood and to celebrate and/or show their discontent with their own bodies & cycles. We are able to offer commentary on experience, confront stereotypes & assumptions and educate one another about things too often left unsaid. Thus we can explore the positive & negative to turn around preconceptions and help break the taboo surrounding menstruation.

Update: Gallery Visio Show

2011-02-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

Life Blood Exhibit
Life Blood Exhibit is coming! This traveling art show features artworks exploring the theme of women’s reproductive health, from coming of age to motherhood to menopause and more. Some works are humorous while others are serious, but all are thought-provoking. Please see the shows, join in the conversation, and help break the taboo! More information can be found on the website and blog:
http://www.lifebloodexhibit.com/
http://lifebloodexhibit.blogspot.com/

Sponsors include:
The Keeper, Inc. http://www.keeper.com/

Artists:
Lisa Becker, Dail Chambers, Virginia Dragschutz, Marsha Heck, Christine Ilewski, Aunia Kahn, Connie LaFlam, Arlene Ligori, Barbara Merlotti, Janice Nesser, Pat Owoc, Roxanne Phillips, Janiece Senn, Evie Shucart, Jeane Vogel, Jennifer Weigel & selected UMSL students

What:
Life Blood Exhibit is a traveling group art show curated by Jennifer Weigel and themed around menstruation and women’s reproductive health.

Where/When (Gallery Visio):
Feb. 24 – March 24, 2011: University of Missouri – St. Louis, Gallery Visio
reception: Thursday, Feb. 24, 4 – 7 PM

Why/How:
By drawing attention to the female body and to the menstrual cycle, artists are able to comment on this life-giving aspect of womanhood and to celebrate and/or show their discontent with their own bodies & cycles. We are able to offer commentary on experience, confront stereotypes & assumptions and educate one another about things too often left unsaid. Thus we can explore the positive & negative to turn around preconceptions and help break the taboo surrounding menstruation.

Image: PMS courtesy of Janiece Senn

Upcoming Show

2010-11-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

Life Blood Exhibit will be coming to Gallery Visio at University of Missouri - St. Louis! This show will include a selection of works by the original core artists along with the 5 new artists and some University of Missouri - St. Louis student works. Mark your calendars; more details will be forthcoming.

Life Blood Exhibit
Feb. 24 - March 24, 2011
Traveling exhibition featuring works from a variety of St. Louis and UMSL artists depicting the personal journey through womanhood.
Gallery Visio
170 Millenium Student Center
One University Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63121

Janiece Senn - More New Artwork

2010-09-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Janiece Senn's newest piece Legacy (With All That I Am). This piece is the culmination of much of the soul searching evident in Senn's other works for Life Blood Exhibit and I am honored to include it among them.

Janiece Senn - More New Artwork

2010-09-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo of Janiece Senn's newest piece, PMS.

Janiece Senn - Artist's Statement

2010-08-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

In exploring the theme “Lifeʼs Blood” it had so many meanings and connections that my collective works might seem to jump around a bit.

First and foremost is the connection of being a mother. Only women have periods and being a woman for me, in my set of experiences meant that I had to bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, cut the grass, repair broken toys and hearts and cars and homes, on my own. My daughters father left us with no form of support and I for most of my life worked several jobs at a time, many of them hard labor so as to make more per hour but still having to work an extra 20 hrs a week bar tending or waiting tables to do it on my own. I say on my own but my mother helped me with watching my daughter a lot and all the other things associated with raising children, i.e. food, clothing, stability. The problem with that is that she always held it against me as a failure. Even as I put myself through school and worked 60 hr/week and won several scholarships, I was still a failure at being a mother, and in many ways I agree with her. There were many days I saw my daughter an hour in the morning and that was it. Ultimately I failed big time for many years of her life not being able to be “it all” and falling into depression and substance abuse. But she remained my gravity and it was for love of her alone that I pulled myself out of it. My daughter doesn't think I failed so bad but children are very forgiving.

Another aspect to me is related to the ﬁrst aspect “a womanʼs work is never done”. It's about being plugged into a machine I have no control of and can't detach from. I don't feel I'm alone in my generation to feel this either. I think it is sort of a trend that developed with woman's liberation and women in the work force but still having to maintain all of the household chores from before. It took a few decades for women to start pushing back on that and insisting men start cooking, cleaning and actually raising children. I think men are more and more enjoying being involved in those day to day things that strengthen the bonds between them and their children and feel that this is a good thing.

The ﬁnal and much more depressing aspect that Lifeʼs Blood invoked in me was for the ﬁrst time ever to deal with my experiences as a child survivor of sexual, emotional and physical abuse from my father, through my art. I intentionally never allowed him into that place so sacred to me as it served as the door he couldnʼt force open or make ugly and I felt some power in keeping him away. I am a much better person than he could ever have ruined though and Iʼm not afraid of him any more. Scarred yes, but as odd as I know it sounds to some, I am proud of those scars because Iʼve overcome so much and can still love. I choose to believe that everything, including that, happens for a reason and I have chosen that reason to be making me a stronger better person. I believe this because to just believe I was unlucky gives me nothing to grow and heal from. I can even ﬁnd a tiny touch of forgiveness for him if I look at the soul purpose of his life was to make mine hell so that my soul could learn to forgive even the worst of crimes and to allow each other to fail and be human. I have gotten pretty good at forgiving others their trespasses, but not yet attained the nirvana of self-forgiveness. Maybe I can ﬁnd some of that too in my further examination of “Lifeʼs Blood”

In conclusion Iʼd like to thank Jennifer Weigel for her friendship and support and for letting me butt in on this project that captured my imagination.

Here are some images of Janiece Senn's work.

Janiece Senn - Artwork Preview

2010-08-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

Family Secrets

Dear God, I really need a baby monkey. Amen

Blood, Sweat and Tears

Here is a preview of some works that Janiece Senn has made in response to the theme of the show. These pieces reflect on Senn's history and experience as a woman to "bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, cut the grass, repair broken toys and hearts and cars and homes, on my own."

Please be sure to check out Janiece Senn's artist's statement.

Catalogs Available

2010-08-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

Catalogs of the core group are still available after the Grand Opening. Please feel free to contact Jennifer Weigel through her web page for pricing and shipping info.
http://jenniferweigelart.com/

Or, perhaps more conveniently, catalogs are also available online through Framations in St. Charles.
http://www.framations.com/catalog/item/7422297/8081608.htm

More Artists

2010-08-05T06:22:00.001-07:00

Life Blood Exhibit welcomes more St. Louis artists.

Dail Chambers
Virginia Dragschutz
Connie LaFlam
Janiece Senn
Jeane Vogel

Grand Opening Photos

2010-08-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some more images from the Grand Opening including more overall photos and some early reception shots.

Grand Opening Photos

2010-08-05T06:13:00.001-07:00

Here are some overall shots from the Grand Opening exhibition.

Grand Opening

2010-08-05T05:58:00.000-07:00

Life Blood Exhibit
invitational group show organized by myself
STLCC-Florissant-Valley Art Gallery
3400 Pershall Rd., Florissant, MO
June 7 - July 1, 2010
reception: Thursday, June 10, 6 - 8 PM

After the preview party at Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts, this is the first showing of the exhibition in its entirety and catalogs from the show will be offered for a suggested donation of $5.

Artworks featured (from right to left):
Perimenopause from Metamorphosis by Barbara Merlotti
Maiden's Delight by Pat Owoc
Fibroid Embolization: Uterine TNT by Marsha Heck

Preview Party Photos

2010-08-05T05:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some more images from the Preview Party event. These images include reception shots and photos of Blossom, an altered dress, and Menstrual Hut, Why Have a Show About Menstruation?, an installation, both by Jennifer Weigel.

Preview Party Photos

2010-08-05T05:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some overall shots of the Preview Party as installed.

Preview Party

2010-08-05T05:35:00.000-07:00

Preview Party Kickoff!
Friday, April 9, 2010, 7 – 10 PM
Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts
3151 Cherokee St.
Life Blood Exhibit is proud to be part of beverlyear at Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts. This one-night-only event will include a small sampling of works by several artists in the exhibition, a bathroom installation by Jennifer Weigel and a silent auction including artworks by local artists, a Luna Pads intro kit & two certificates towards The Keeper menstrual cup products.

Show card artwork: detail by Evie Shucart.

Core Artists

2010-08-05T05:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of the core group of artists who started the exhibition. These artists are represented in the catalog and were featured in the Preview Party at Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts and the grand opening at the St. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley Contemporary Art Gallery. To learn more about their approaches, read their statements and see some examples of their works, please visit the Life Blood Exhibit website.

Lisa Becker
Danielle Correll
Annette Crymes
Marsha Heck
Christine Ilewski
Aunia Kahn
Arlene Ligori
Barbara Merlotti
Janice Nesser
Pat Owoc
Roxanne Phillips
Evie Shucart
Jennifer Weigel

About This Blog

2010-08-05T05:10:00.000-07:00

This blog has been created as a record of exhibitions and events and to post current news for Life Blood Exhibit. Today, I will be posting some information and images on past exhibitions to document those events. More information will be posted on upcoming and future events as it becomes available.