My First Lobby Day at GA Capitol Hill

Mrs. Sandra Deal speaking, First Lady, State of Georgia

It was gloomy and rainy today. I parked awkwardly right front of Capitol Hill and headed to Central Presbyterian Church where people were gathered to be trained for the Arts Advocacy day at the Capitol.

Teresa Osborn from the Hudgens Center for the Arts was right at the registration table. Of course, we greeted each other with excitement. I was quite impressed by the number of people and familiar faces I saw. The room was full with arts advocates and arts leaders!!!

First Lady of the State of Georgia, Mrs. Sandra Deal spoke on behalf of our Governor Nathan Deal. Cool, right?

I was quite confused at the beginning, but eventually got to understand the goal for today's advocacy.


We were there to ask the legislature :

• to support the move of the Georgia Council for the Arts to the Georgia Department of Economic Development in a way that maintains its eligibility to receive National Endowments for the Arts Funding.

• to fund the Georgia Council for the Arts at $1 Million in Fiscal Year 2012. It's an investment of one dime per person in Georgia which makes us 49th in the nation in per capita arts spending. The Georgia Council for the Arts funding earns a return on investment of 7:1, resulting in increased local and state tax revenues. $1 Million of funding at the state level will earn an additional $900,000 matching grant from the National Endowments for the Arts.

Everyone is suffering from this economy, therefore, budget is getting cut everywhere. Non-profit arts organizations got one of hardest hits. Last year in April, 2010, there was a rally to protest arts funding cuts and the elimination of the Georgia Council for the Arts. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution blog, Gov. Sonny Perdue's fiscal 2011 budget cut arts funding to $890,735, down from $2.52 million last year. To read more details about last year's rally, go to http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/hundreds-rally-to-protest-475035.html.

Our point to the legislature was "the $385 Million arts industry in Georgia creates opportunities for tourism, local commerce, and celebration of regional culture in Georgia." Arts industry yields economic profits, not losses. Considering Georgia being 49th state in the nation in its arts spending per capita, today's Lobby Day for the Arts Advocacy seemed urgent.

I went to the house representatives and the state senates with two other people from the Alternate Roots (non-profits arts organization in Atlanta). It took us a long time to find the right representatives and find their rooms... running around the building was quite exhausting as well. Yet this one state senate really heard us. She was encouraged by what Alternate Roots accomplished this past year, and she recognized the need of the support for the arts.

Driving back to Marietta, I was inspired by all the arts leaders who came out for this Lobby Day. Without this mechanism for the arts industry, the city of Atlanta and rest of Georgia would be lacking so much of its identity as a cultural center. With such support in the arts, I was able to benefit from generous arts education, funding, and opportunities.

I did a very small part as an artist. Just to be present at the Arts Advocacy Lobby Day at the Capitol.

Next time I participate, I will post more information so that you can be a part of it, too.

- G.

Best of 2010

So I'm running a bit behind on this posting, but there is no shame!
Here is a list of my best experiences of 2010 (although my selections are quite limited and biased!) and next post will be about a few things I am looking forward to in 2011.

Best of 2010

1. Get This! Gallery and the Hudgens

My first solo show Repose with Get This! Gallery opened up an array of opportunities for me as a young artist. Lloyd has become a great partner as well as a mentor in my career, and of course, the Hudgens brought so much resources and support for my work. Working in both spaces was incredible. Looking forward to working with them in upcoming months and years!

Repose installation in progress, Get This! Gallery

She Prays Happiness installation in progress, The Hudgens Center for the Arts

2. Ox-Bow Artist-in-Residence Program

It rocked! I met an amazing group of artists who were inspiring, genuine, and fun. Michigan Lake was beautiful and swimming and biking around in a beautiful, small Michigan town made me healthier. I will not forget our crazy dance parties, critiques, FOOD and DESSERTS (oh goodness...), fire pit nights, and some of exciting works I did up there. You can apply to its artist residency for summer and fall. Check out http://www.ox-bow.org/experience/residencies/artist-residencies. Deadline May 14, 2011 for fall residency.

3. Itzhack Perlman's Mozart and Dvořák

Itzhack Perlman

Perlman conducted and played a trio of jewels by Mozart and Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in November 2010. It was the best classical music concert I've been to (I haven't been to many yet) and I now have gained a new appreciation towards classical music concert. Perlman's way of conducting, his violin playing, and DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 9 oboe playing... I'll never forget. The audience clapped for about 20 minutes, still in awe of its performance, not wanting to leave. Inspirations come from so many different things... as I was watching the orchestra executing such an intricate music in layers, I was moved in indescribable ways and was led to think about scales and process of my work as well.
To check out upcoming Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concerts in 2011, go to http://www.atlantasymphony.org/Calendar.aspx.

4. The Hysterial Alphabet performance at Emory

Out of art happenings I attended this past year, this performance piece was one that I could chew on the most and felt a strange stir in me afterward. Out of curiosity and spontaneity, I went and I am so glad I went to go see it (I think there is a necessary urgency and a need to have a gut to follow that instinct.). Terri Kapsali's interpretation of women in hysteria was strangely beautiful and captivating. To read more about its performance, go to http://www.burnaway.org/2010/10/theater-oobleck-offers-a-visual-history-of-female-hysteria-at-emory/.

5. Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present at MoMA

No, I did not get to see her performance and re-performance pieces. Yet this ambitious scale of Marina Abramovic's performance retrospective at MoMA stirred so many discussions about performance art in general. Everyone was talking about it. It 'legitimized' existence of performing bodies within white walls of art institution by having MoMA hosting such a retrospective of Abramovic's works. And I believe people are able to understand and reference performance art in a better context. Even at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, we talked about her performance over dinner; "you are from NYC? Did you get to see Marina's performance then?" "Oh, yes... it was so amazing." Such a stir trickled down to Atlanta as well. Atlanta Contemporary Art Center held a video screening of Marina Abramovic's 7 Easy Pieces and its Artistic Director Stuart Horodner facilitated a wonderful discussion about aura of performance, its identity within art institution, what inspires to do such a piece that tests one's physical limits... Shana Robin's Supernatural Conductor at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center made everyone in Atlanta to be excited about performance art. Along with that wave and excitement, I also did a experimental, 7 hours long performance Thousand Kisses, In My Living Room.

Marina Abramovic, Artist is Present

Shana Robbin, Supernatural Conductor

Gyun Hur, Thousand Kisses, In My Living Room

6. Getting a GPS

I got a GPS from a friend as a gift this year and this is going to change my life! As you know, Atlanta is a driving city, and I would literally print pages to find different galleries, coffee shops, flower shops, and such around the city... maneuvering around the city with pages of paper from google. Oh, I now can listen to "Daniel" and just follow his lead!

Daniel

7. Family and friends

What would I have done without my family and friends this past year? In my preparation of a few installations, my family and friends became so committed with me. I owe them so much. In the midst of difficult times with my health issue earlier this year, family and friends were there to encourage and support me as well. So good to have parents to cut flowers with, a dog I can cuddle with, and friends to hang out with... thank you thank you, everyone.

 

So here comes 2011!!!

- G.