"Cocoon" by Amy Guidry; SOLD; From the New Realm series; Copyright Amy Guidry 2009
I’m excited to have a birthday coming up, so that means my family will be coming to visit. Plus, I’ve asked my mom to get several copies of the Sunday paper for me, so she will have those in tow. It’s actually last Sunday’s edition of the Times Picayune, which is the New Orleans newspaper. So in addition to the birthday excitement, I’m excited to see a tangible copy of the interview I have in the Slidell section of the Times Picayune. Kathleen DesHotel wrote a wonderful article about my work and has many full-color images of my paintings. The b+w images continue on the inside of the paper, but at least I have several in color on the front! The interview couldn’t come at a better time since I have a show coming up on the eastern side of the state in Hammond, LA. If you’re a “regular” you will already know this, but for those newbies, my show is a solo exhibition of my New Realm series at the Oak Street Gallery. The opening is August 21st from 6-9pm.
As soon as I have a copy, I will be sure to post pictures and the link in my Press section of my website. In the meantime, if you would like to see more of my work, visit http://www.AmyGuidry.com
Here are just a few photos from the 2009 Art Melt at the Brunner Gallery in the Shaw Center for the Arts in Baton Rouge, LA. These are actually from the Preview Gala which was held July 9th for the artists and arts patrons. The jurors were in attendance as well, as you can see Dan Cameron speaking in one of the photos. Jurors were Dan Cameron, director of the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans and curator of Prospect 1. Arts Biennial; Ann Connelly, director and owner of Ann Connelly Fine Art in Baton Rouge, LA; and Brian Young, curator of the Academy Art Museum in Easton, MD.
"Evangeline Maid" by Troy Dugas; Copyright Troy Dugas 2009
Yes, I’m bragging. Not often that I get to do that. I (will officially) own a piece by my friend, Troy Dugas, as of March 11th. It’s currently on display at Gallery 912 in Lafayette, LA, but after that it’s MINE… muahhahahaha (that’s my evil laugh, by the way). As luck would have it, I was dropping off my piece for the Art of Re-Use exhibit when Troy happened to show just as I was leaving. So I had to see what he brought knowing I’d want first dibs, er, I mean, knowing that I’d want to purchase a piece to support the Children’s Museum of Acadiana. When I saw it, I knew I had to have it. Not that I’m a big fan of Evangeline Maid bread (I only eat 100% whole wheat, not that processed stuff) but given the fact that I love intricate patterns, bright colors, and hell, that bread company is a Louisiana company, I knew I should buy it.
I don’t even have it here with me, so I can only hazard to guess at it’s size, but if photographic memory serves, I’d say it’s 16″ x 20.” If I’m right, you can be sure I will gloat about this in a later post. The entire piece is made up of cut-up squares of Evangeline Maid labels that are rearranged into the lovely pattern you see here. It’s then magically attached to wood- I don’t know all his secrets. Anyway, you can see more of Troy’s work on his website www.TroyDugas.com (you may have, or should have already done this if you check out my blogroll- these are important links, why else would I post them?!) And if you’re in New Orleans this month, you can see his work at Arthur Roger Gallery through the 28th. So get to steppin’!
"United Isolation" by Amy Guidry; Copyright Amy Guidry 2008
During the panic of preparing my home for what surprises Hurricane Gustav would bring, I was also concerned about what to do with my artwork. Thankfully, I have pieces that are in galleries far away from the hurricane’s path, however, I had to then deal with the artwork currently in my possession. So I thought it might be helpful to post a blog on how to prepare your artwork in the event of a hurricane. Of course, anything could happen, and following these ideas may not prevent all damage from occurring, but it’s sure worth a shot.
First, you should already have this on hand, but make sure you have good photographs of all your artwork. This will be important for insurance purposes. Whether you evacuate or not, you should keep these photographs, digital files, what have you, in a safe place- air-tight container perhaps- or take them with you if you leave. Now, I’m gearing this towards paintings since that is my experience, but this can apply to other media as well. Move all artwork away from windows or vents- anywhere water or debris can get in due to strong winds, etc. Keep everything up high and off the floor in case of flooding. If you have a closet with high shelves, move pieces there if they will fit.
All pieces should be covered to protect from moisture- not just flood water, because even a small amount of water in your home will cause mold and mildew to grow when there is no power (i.e. no air conditioning to keep air circulating and control humidity). I would recommend covering pieces with a sheet of paper over the face of the piece, and wrap in glassine. This will help ward off any condensation (just as you would when shipping a painting, especially to any area with a significant climate change from your location). To further protect the work, wrap in Mylar or polyethylene. Since you never can be to sure, I would then place the work in some type of airtight, heavy plastic bag.
As soon as you can get back to your home in the event that you evacuated, remove all plastic wrapping, etc. from your work. If your power is out, it may be best to leave the work wrapped in Mylar since you will still have to deal with humidity in your home. Or if you have a friend, neighbor, etc. whose power is on, I would ask to leave the work in their home, unwrapped, so it can breathe. If your work has any debris on it, you can gently wipe that off with a soft, dry cloth. Don’t use any type of cleaning products, though, as this will ruin your paint. If there is any mold, which hopefully Mylar would prevent that anyway, you will have to bring the piece to a professional art restorer. I would not recommend trying to remove mold yourself.
Again, none of this is a guarantee, but it should for all intents and purposes protect your work. Even without anything crashing into your work, the possibility of water damage in some form or another is pretty high. My brother’s work had mold growing on it even though Hurricane Katrina only brought about an inch of water into his home. It was the lack of electricity for several weeks that allowed the humid conditions needed for mold to spread. (His work was also hanging on the walls, unprotected.) So you just never know. If you really want to be safe, I’d say rent a U-Haul, pack your work in there, and leave!
