Saturday most of the artwork was delivered for Femme Fatale.  There is a lot of awesome work from some very talented artists!!  One highlight was Rachel Buse creature which stands probably almost 7 feet tall and the Rudy Fig piece which arrived by mail.  Michelle is thinking about buying it.  Rudy is about to blow up and get really huge (we think).  Also, one of our professors is in the show and she dropped off her work on Saturday.  It was pretty cool to see her for a few moments.

The gallery is done – ready to roll – dressed for the evening – prepared for battle.  Ok – there are a few small touchups that need to be done and the locks still need to be changed.  Other than that its ready.  We put in the doors yesterday which was fun.

Sidenote:  We were originally planning on putting in glass doors.  Saturday Josh and I were in the process of putting them in place when one of them literally exploded in our hands.  It shocked the heck out of us and everyone else in the room.  Josh and I got a few minor cuts but other than that everyone escaped unharmed.

Saturday night we went to see Andrew Bird.  It must have been a sold out show because it was packed in there.  It was a great show and the opening band was awesome too.  Right after their set we went to get a drink and the lead singer was right in front of us pushing his way through the crowd to ge to the merch table.  I told him how much we enjoyed their set and gave him some stickers w/ my artwork on them.  (I always have them in my pocket.)  They are from Sweden so its pretty cool to know my art is going there w/ them.  The whole evening was fabulous and I’m glad we got to see Mr. Bird again.  Hoyt Sherman Place was the perfect setting for the show too if you ask me.

We were planning on going out again after the show but friends canceled on us and we were kind of tired anyway.  I watched swingers all the way through for the first time.  Sunday we went looking for doors for the space and finally found them later on in the afternoon at Don’s Architectural Salvage.  Sunday afternoon was also the Des Moines Women’s club’s 101st Annual Art Exhibition.  I entered a few pieces so we stopped by for a moment.  There was a ton of art and a ton of people there.  It was kind of cool to have my work as well as everyone elese on display with all the old classics hanging on the walls.  The place was crowded so we didn’t stay very long.

The rest of sunday was spent putting the doorway together and hanging the doors.  I had band practice for Ticklish (http://www.myspace.com/ticklishrocks22)at 8 and that about wraps its up.

For Immediate Release

January 12, 2008

Ankeny Art Center

Contact: Brent E. Houzenga, assistant director

Phone: 515-965-0940 or 309-255-1209

Email: brent@ankenyartcenter.com

Ankeny Art Center Annual Photo Contest

Call For Entries

Entry Deadline: September 16, 2008

Exhibit October 18 to November 25, 2008

Opening reception October 18^, 2008 6 to 9 pm

Juried by Ryan O’mara OM PHOTOGRAPHY

The Ankeny Art Center will be hosting its annual photo contest this October. All entries are due by September 16. Entry fee is $25 for three pieces. If you wish to enter more than three there will a $5 charge for each additional piece submitted. All entries must be sent by email (to brent@ankenyartcenter.com) or by regular mail. DO NOT SEND ORIGINALS. Digital entries must be in JPEG format. All materials sent will not be returned unless you include a self addressed stamped envelope. All accepted entries must be gallery ready when dropped off at the Ankeny Art Center (i.e. framed and wired). No matted or unmatted prints will be accepted. Ankeny Art Center reserves the right to exclude any work that they or the juror do not see fit. When submitting please include the title of the piece, dimensions, and price. The opening reception is set for October 18th, from 6-8. The exhibit will be on display until November 25.

Entries are open to all US residents over the age of 18.

Prizes will be awarded for Best in Show, 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place.

The Ankeny Art Center is located in a city park at SW Third and State Front Road. Gallery hours are Tuesday and Wednesday 9 am to 1 pm, Thursday 9 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 7 pm and Saturday 9 am to noon. The Center is closed Sunday and Monday. For more information about the Ankeny Art Center, please visit www.ankenyartcenter.com.

For Immediate Release

May 23, 2008

Ankeny Art Center

Contact:  Brent E. Houzenga, Assistant Director

Phone:  515-965-0940 or 309-255-1209

Email:  brent@ankenyartcenter.com

www.ankenyartcenter.com

Her Own Voice

A Six Woman Exhibit

Recent works by Janet Hart Heinicke, Judith Veeder, Jane Elgin,

Dawn-Martinez-Oropeza, Jill Wells, and Kemlyn Tan Bappe

Exhibit June 17 through August 9, 2008

Opening reception June 21, from 6 to 8 pm

The Ankeny Art Center is pleased to present a six-person exhibit by a group of talented female artists opening June 17 through August 9, 2008.  An opening reception will be held Saturday, June 21 from 6 pm to 8 pm. The public and media are invited to meet the artists and enjoy refreshments.

“All six of these artists have a long list of exhibits and accomplishments.  It’s going to be an amazing show, complete with installations and a variety of media.  We are very excited to have it all under our own roof.” Said Brent E. Houzenga, Assistant Director at the Ankeny Art Center 

Each artist will present an interesting body of work that demonstrates their own talents and creative expression.  However the work will have a common thread, referring to the title of the show, “Her Own Voice”.

This exhibit is sponsored by Kim Byers, of Burnett Realty, Rochelle Burnett, of Creative Leap, Inc, and Tammie Schroder, of Edward Jones Investments

The Ankeny Art Center is located in a city park at SW Third and State Front Road.  Gallery hours are Tuesday and Wednesday 9 am to 1 pm, Thursday 9 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 7 pm and Saturday 9 am to noon.  The Center is closed Sunday and Monday.  For more information about the Ankeny Art Center, please visit www.ankenyartcenter.com.

Brent E. Houzenga

Assistant Director, Ankeny Art Center

1520 SW Ordnance Road

Ankeny, IA 50023

(515) 965-0940

www.ankenyartcenter.com

check the link…featuring a piece of art by Christine!

http://www.nyartsmagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=189865&Itemid=747

Contact:  Mary Rork-Watson, director

Phone:  515-965-0940 or 515-306-3722

Email:  ankenyarts@ankenyartcenter.com

Address:  1520 SW Ordnance Road, Ankeny, IA  50023

May Exhibits Feature Two Emerging Artists

Ben Shuh in Main Gallery May 1- June 14

Van Holmgren in Side Gallery May 1-June 14

Ankeny Art Center presents the works of two emerging Iowa artists in May.  Ben Shuh’s exhibit, “Emotion,” will open May1– June 14 in the Main Gallery.  Shuh’s work inclds mixed subject matter, but every work will relate to Emotion. That relation may be through paint application, the emotion viewers find, or quite simply the title. The subject matter will span from urban to rural to portraits.

“By building an emphasis, not only on contrast and color but also bold, distinctive brushstrokes and multiple layers, it is possible to provide a different perception with each work,” said Shuh.

The opening reception for Shuh is Saturday, May 3, 2008, from 5 pm to 7 pm at the Ankeny Art Center. Public and media are invited to meet the artist and enjoy  

hors d’ oeuvres and wine.

Van Holmgren’s show “Bare Medium” opens May – June 14 in the Art Center’s Side Gallery.  Holmgren describes his canvas as “discarded lumber that you may have thrown in the trash.” Holmgren plans to create an installation in the Side Gallery that will challenge the viewer to consider the colors, designs, drawings on both the piece and the wall and think of them as complements to the natural wood.

Holmgren, Des Moines, said of his art, “Ever since I was a younger person, I have had a fascination with the layering and overlap of murals, graffiti, and old signage. The seemingly unrelated images interact with one another and become a complete idea. There is a reason why they were placed near one another, I am trying to capture that.”

Holmgren’s reception is Saturday, May 17 from 6 pm to 8 pm at the Ankeny Art Center.  Public and media are invited to meet the artist and enjoy  

hors d’ oeuvres and wine.

For more information about the exhibits and the Ankeny Art Center, please visit www.ankenyartcenter.com or call 515-965-0940.

Spring is just around the corner and Artdive is shaking off the winter with some hot new art! Join us April 18 from 5-9pm for “Sprung” and celebrate the new. Come enjoy food and drinks and chat with some of the artists.

Artdive’s Spring Open House will showcase several artists in various mediums including painting, sculpture, photography, recycled material and mixed media. Featuring works by Rob Reeves, Brent Houzenga, Christine Mullane, Kevin House, John Brommel, Van Holmgren, Brian Frank, Roy Cacek, Dan Schuster, Michael Brake, Martin Davis, Kyle Tehye, Pat Millin and Flatform’s John Solar, and Adam Ferry.

ART IS A JOURNEY AND A DESTINATION…

I woke up Saturday around 10 o’clock with a major headache.  I took a shower and decided that maybe a walk would help.  So I rounded up the dog and went for a jaunt to Mars Cafe.  I usually have to have my coffee right away when I wake up but not today…coffee can be very bad when mixed with a hangover. So I got a smoothie.

My friend Thom from home (Fulton, IL) was on his way to visit so I made my way back home and waited for him to arrive. It was really good  to see  him and to have some time to  shoot the shit.  We always end up having some pretty cool conversations.

Soon after he got here we headed to Flanagan’s Pub, on the corner of Ingersol and MLK.  They have some of the best food in town.  Nothing fancy, just good.  Thom had the fish and chips and I got the italian beef.  Delicious! and perfect hangover food.  After lunch we headed to the East Village and grabbed a cup o’ joe at The Village Bean.

While we were there I got a call from a guy named Fred Nelson.  He is a lawyer.  He saw my work at Mars once and got my number from someone there because his garage was full of windows!~ Yes!  So we headed over to his place for a minute to pick those up.  I had given he and his wife a painting in exchange for the huge bundle of “canvas” they had given me.  His wife was very appreciative and thanked me kindly.

Fred is another cool guy who I liked instantly.  I’ve only met him twice but he’s a very interesting guy.  The first time I met him he told me that he had written a play about Doc Holiday.  I’m a big fan of westerns and Doc in particular so I was intrigued.  Hopefully he will dig that script out someday so I can read it.

After making the pickup Thom and I headed back to Mars Cafe for another cup of coffee.  Mister Koppa was in the middle of hanging up his art work.  His collages were amazing!  Really cool, and affordable.  And if you can’t afford an original he will be selling prints for just $5!  Pretty sweet deal.   I’m going to have to get one.  They really are phenomenal.

We hung out on the patio for a few minutes while we drank our coffee and smoked some cigarettes.  After that we went back home to get ready for the evening.

Michelle and I had donated a piece of art work to the Young Women’s Resource Center for their event called Sit on It!  The event was called that because local artists were asked to design or paint a piece of functional furniture.  We found out kind of late so we just gave them something we already had.

Thom was kind of worried that he wasn’t going to be fancy enough.  It wasn’t a big deal though.  There were quite a few people there and they had a lot of cool stuff for their silent auction.  They must have raised a lot of money that night.  The MC was kind of annoying but the food was good and catered by Gateway Market.  The event was held at Val Air Ballroom.  I didn’t even think about it before we got a beer, but all the drinks were normal price, like if you were going to see a band there, which meant paying 5 bucks for a beer.  Ouch!

We stopped home briefly and then headed downtown.  We had to take Thom to the Lift because it’s our favorite bar.  Sadly though, John wasn’t working.  We had a drink there and then headed to A.K. O’Connors.  They now have a new location in the Court Center building alongside Legends, and Liars Club.

Mr. Babers Neighbors were playing for free so we decided to check it out.  Nothing better than free.  They were sound checking when we arrived and there weren’t that many people there.  But by the time they got ready to roll, the place was packed!  Luckily though, getting a drink wasn’t that big of a hassle.  Zack and Sam met us there and hung out for a bit.

We decided to split and ended up at the Red Monk (upstairs of Royal Mile).  I think we had one or two drinks.  Chelsea, Brian and Zack Mannheimer met us there.  It was actually nice enough (almost) to sit on the patio.  Like I said I think we had maybe one or two drinks and we were ready to call it a night.  I already told you I can’t party like I used to.  Plus Thom and I were ready for some food.

It is a bitch trying to find food at night in this town!  What is the deal?  Someone should tap that market.  There needs to be a place relatively close to downtown or downtown that serves food after 10 and at least till 3 AM.  We ended up going to the grocery store.  We would have had to drive all the way across town to find a Wendy’s or a Perkins so we just said F*#k it and grabbed some frozen pizzas.

Not a bad way to end the night.

Thom left Sunday after breakfast/lunch.  We had to take him to Waveland because they have the best breakfast.  I was knocked out after he left.  Like I said before, I really cannot party anymore.  I told Thom that I would rather go to bed early and be able to get up really early and drink coffee.  I love coffee.

So Michelle and I spent most of the day watching the Daily Show and Colbert Report clips online.  Ticklish (my band) practiced later on in the evening.  With every practice we get even better.  I can’t wait to start playing shows again.  I’m glad we practiced.  If we hadn’t I would have felt like a real useless piece of garbage for not accomplishing anything all day.  I told Michelle that it’s hard to  slow down.  It’s nice to just take a day and relax.  But my problem is that I am always running around working on something, so when I do actually get a day like that, I feel really wierd.  I should be doing something!

Before I went to bed I wrote out a list of things that I need to do today and cleaned up the house a little bit.

I spent a few minutes downstairs in the studio just kind of looking over my work.  I like to spend time in contemplation with my paintings.  It helps me come up with new ideas and it gives me time to critique myself.  I spend a lot of time actually just looking at my past work.  I’m am really excited to see what happens next.

This weekend was pretty sweet.  I came directly home from work Friday at 1.  I proceeded to paint the “new band” (with four colors instead of one) on a car hood that has been in my back yard for some time now.  It took me about 30 hours or so to cut out the four stencils last week.  I had already used the stencil once on a sliding glass door but it didn’t quite sit right with me.  I feel that it is a decent piece at best.  Part of the reason the outcome was unsettling is because I made the stencil a little too small to fit nicely onto the sliding glass door. The band fit perfectly onto the car hood.  (I’ll load pictures of it soon)

It was a beautiful afternoon (finally) so I worked outside for a change.  After finishing the carhood I set my sites on a rather large, four paned, window I recently aquired.  Actually there were only three panes of glass, one of them had fallen out before I picked it up.  It stands about as tall as my chest. (I’m 6’3″)

The trim around the window was painted a dark burgandy color.  It was perfect because I had just picked up a sweet, rusty red, color that worked with the color of the trim amazingly.
After I finished painting the windows, I decided to cut the “extra” pane off, thanks to the saw that larry, so kindly, let me borrow.  It turned out sweet.  It is definately one of the most unique pieces I have ever made, because of the shape and color.  (It’s now shaped like an L instead of a square)

It is always really nice to get a solid afternoon of work done before going out for the weekend.  I was pretty drained after finishing. Nothing a shower couldn’t cure.

Soon after Michelle got home and we headed downtown to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  Our friend Trina was a sponsor for the event so she had a few tickets.  GDP is a showcase of local music.  It was held at Hotel Fort Des Moines. It is a beautiful and very historic building.  There were two stages in seperate rooms and a big hall down the center where all the vendors were set up.

The Vandon Arms were playing when we got there. They are and Irish punk band.  The lead singer plays a mandolin.  I had already seen them a a while ago when they played at Hairy Marys with Flatfoot 56.

I was starving so we didn’t watch their whole set. There were tons of people there!  Luckily there was a food vendor set up with BBQ beef sandwhiches, pizza, and chicken wings.  I had a sandwhich.

To tell you the truth we didn’t spend much time watching alot of the bands.  We passed out a bunch of flyers for the subjective cirucs. (check it out http://www.myspace.com/subjectivecircus) and mingled about.  There was actually a smoking lounge downstairs!  We didn’t have to go outside!  Pretty amazing.  I know everyone wants to demonize smokers but it is a pain in the ass when you have to go outside.

We caught  a little bit of Steve Robinson and a little bit of Radio Moscow.  Radio Moscow is one of the bands I really wanted to see.  Their cd was produced by the singer from the Black Keys (two piece blues outfit, Check them out).  And I actually played bass with the singer once.  So I knew a little bit about them.  I wasn’t as impressed as I thought I would be.  They are a great band, really tight.  Amazing guitar and everything but I just couldn’t believe the vocals.  They didn’t ring true to me.  I guess it might just be weird to see a young white kid singing the blues.  I don’t know.

We also caught Maxilla Blue, one of Des Moines newest rap groups.  Their set was awesome.  The Floor Spiders were there breakdancing and Maxilla actually jumped down on the floor and got down for a minute.  The lyrics are politically charged and their stage presence is phenomonal.

Later on in the evening we watched North of Grand (http://www.myspace.com/northofgrand).  Their set was awesome.  The music was right up my alley. Straight forward punk influenced rock.  We got up front for this one.  These guys were all (3) older guys who just didn’t give a f*#k.  I haven’t seen many bands like this since I’ve moved here.

After they got done we made our way next door to Racoon River for the after party.  Slaughterhouse 6 played before we arrived but Marcato was rockin out when we got there.  They are pretty heavy. Not quite my style but pretty cool.

The Horseshoe Spatula’s closed out the night.  They are pretty sweet.  I like to say that they are a mix between Iron Maiden and The Vandals.  Whether that is accurate or not, I don’t know, but thats what I like to say.

I had a great time overall that night.  I think my favorite part was during North of Grands set when the singer stopped for a second between songs and said, “We travel all over the country and we always tell everyone that we’re from Des Moines.  They always say something like “I’m Sorry” and we look them straight in the face and say “F*#k You!”  Everyone in the room was like YEAHH and my arm was way up in the air too.