INSPIRE JAPAN

Pecha Kucha INSPIRE JAPAN 24 hour Fundraiser:
http://global-day.pecha-kucha.org/

PK Worcester wanted to express our collective empathy and encouragement to the Japanese people and put all our sentiments together in this video greeting.
 Thank you to presenters:
Agnes Wyant, Tom Grady, Helen Beaumont, J Stu Esty, Lennie Peterson, Keith Cross, Derek Ring, Jonathan Hansen, Louie Despres, Thomas Caywood, DJ Karleboy and Donna Dufault for making this video possible.

Presenter Nat Needle

Nat Needle has lived in Worcester, MA since 2000, and co-owns SAORI Worcester Freestyle Weaving Studio with his wife Mihoko Wakabayashi. They home-educate their two sons, Asa, 15, and Noriyoshi, 11, not only within the bosom of their bi-lingual, bi-cultural family, but also by sending them out into the world as much as possible. Nat has worked with other people's children of all ages for decades, both in and out of school settings. His work at SAORI Worcester often involves making connections between the ancient art of weaving and academic disciplines including language arts, math, science, geography and history. He holds a doctorate in Education from UMass/Amherst, and is also a professional pianist, vocalist, and entertainer.

http://saoriworcester.com/

Presenter Profile: Joanna Duncan

We are excited to announce that Joanna Duncan has joined the line up for Sunday nights event! Presenting on: "Innovation"- brainstorming high end performance genres into Movement as Metaphor

Several students from the North Grafton dance studio "Dance It Up" are performing with the Hybrid Movement Company in the Dec 4th production of "Clara's Dream" at the Hanover Theatre. Join us on Sept 26th to learn what goes on behind the scenes of this new aerial dance art form.

Joanna Duncan A.R.A.D. Solo Seal
Director Dance Artist Management
Royal Academy of Dance Teacher
Artistic Director Dance It Up!

"Art changes people......
people change the world"

Presenter Profile: Tom Grady

Presenter Tom Grady:
Over the summer Tom curated the "Drawn to Life" exhibit at ARTSWorcester about which he wrote:
"The common thread among all the work is an affirmation of existence, a new humanism, which includes both the beautiful and the ugly.  Visible and invisible reality holds equal importance and the artist is free to make work that speaks to both."

The idea of humanism is also reflected in Tom's personal body of work. Learn more about this and his other influences at PechaKucha Night Vol 6 at The Hanover Theatre.

Tom's Bio:

Tom studied at The Rhode Island School of Design (BFA, Illustration) and the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University (MFA, Visual Art).  He is currently visiting assistant professor of studio art at Assumption College in Worcester Massachusetts teaching drawing and painting.  He also teaches youth and adult classes at the Worcester Art Museum.

Tom’s oil paintings focus on the revisioning of the figure through a quiet restrained contemplation, which collides with a sensuous painterly approach.  The tension between the mundane and the provocative the unconscious and the conscious is the setting for the psychological narrative confronting the viewer. His work will be featured in a solo exhibition at the Copley Society of Art in Boston starting October 14 through November 12.

TOMGRADYSTUDIO.COM 

Presenter Profile: Don Hartmann

photo © Louie Despres

Don Hartmann's work is known as edgy and contemporary which lead him to being named a 2010 Worcester Arts Counsel Fellow. The works resulting from that fellowship are on exhibit through ARTSWorcester at the Aurora Gallery. This exhibit entitled "Love Hope Sex Dreams" was reviewed by J Fatima Martins of Worcester Magazine:

"His portraits are beautifully ugly emotive works that exemplify the German neo-expressionism mode—raw and salacious, influenced in concept and form by artists such as Anselm Kiefer and Eric Fischl...

The compositions are fabricated arrangements informed by a variety of pop-culture sources, avant-garde art movements and everyday situations. It’s a process Hartmann jokingly refers to as “dumpster diving.” The themes are communicated through ridiculously smart, sometimes creepy narratives that blend parody, metaphor, fantasy and reality into autobiographical stories that convey the artist’s intimate perspectives." J Fatima Martins

Hear him speak at PKN Sept 26th and see his work at ARTSWorcester where it is available for purchase through Sept 24th, 2010.



video by Stephen DiRado.

Presenter Profile: Thomas Caywood

PechaKucha Topic:
"Investigative Journalism: How to make powerful enemies and get lots of hate mail"


Bio:

Thomas Caywood is a newspaper reporter. He cringes when people call him “The Media.” The Media get paid way more than him, wear suits, read from Teleprompters and often berate other members of The Media on cable television. As an investigative reporter for the Telegram and Gazette, Caywood has taken on projects ranging from exposing local impostors and conmen to probing troubling ties between mobsters and the region’s wealthiest man to penetrating the Byzantine tangle of mortgage-backed securities obscuring who is responsible for foreclosed properties blighting the city.



His story about how a prisoner with ties to a wealthy bank president, who in turn has ties to the county sheriff, got seemingly special treatment in jail won first place in the 2010 New England Associated Press awards in the investigative reporting category. Caywood also won first place in the “Right to Know” category this year for his work prying loose police internal affairs files on an officer accused of numerous cases of brutality and other misconduct.



An avid fan of Worcester music and arts, Caywood has been a journalist for 14 years and previously worked as a general assignment reporter for the Boston Herald and MetroWest Daily News of Framingham as well as other newspapers in Massachusetts and Louisiana. He grew up in the Washington, D.C., and San Diego areas and is a veteran of the U.S. Army. He served in the 1991 Gulf War with the 197th Infantry Brigade of Fort Benning, Ga. A graduate of Auburn University, Caywood now lives in downtown Worcester, where he stubbornly refuses to give up on becoming a decent guitar player.

Presenter Profile: Keenan Cassidy

Keenan Cassidy, the youngest speaker we've presented at Pecha Kucha Worcester, is a little more grown up than we are showing you here... but isn't he cute?

Although he is just starting his junior year in high school; Keenan Cassidy has already built a reputation as a very talented artist. He regularly shows his work in Worcester and in Boston and he's recently designed an album cover for Worcester band Hat On Drinking Wine.  Join us on Sept 26th to hear about his adventures as a young artist.

keenancassidy.blogspot.com

Presenter Profile: Heather Adels

 

Heather Adels grew up in the small farming town of Princeton, Massachusetts.  There, she wandered the acres, picked berries and raised chicks into hens.  Much of the artist’s imagery sprung from this early connection to the life cycle continuum.  The artist now resides in  Providence, Rhode Island where she continues to make art and also to pick berries whenever and wherever they are available.  

Heather’s creative works have been displayed at various galleries and juried shows throughout New England.  The artist’s recent publication in ArtScope as well as jurors selection for second in show display promise in the artist’s budding career.

The artist graduated with a BFA from Monsterrat College of Art in 1997.

http://www.adelsart.com/

Presenter Profile: Donna Dufault

Donna Dufault has over 20 years of experience working in the photography industry. She has worked at some of the best photographic printing labs in the country and worked with some of the top art photographers in the world. This experience coupled with years of gallery experience, running art marketing groups and co-coordinating photo workshops has given her a unique perspective into the fine art photography world. The last 4 years she has been working side by side with her husband in his commercial advertising photography business, Erb Photography. And is a founding member of the Worcester Photography Center.

For PechaKucha Night Donna will be presenting a personal project: Photography as a Healing Art

Announcing PK VOL 6

September 26, 2010
at the Hanover Theatre
rsvp today at:
http://pkworcester.eventsbot.com/





Sponsored in part by ARTSWorcester and the Hanover Theatre
Created and shared by Klein Dytham Architecture

PechaKucha Night FAQ # 9 of 20

09. What makes a good PechaKucha?
Good PechaKucha presentation are the ones that uncover the unexpected, unexpected talent, unexpected ideas. Some PechaKuchas tell great stories about a project or a trip. Some are incredibly personal, some are incredibly funny, but all are very different making each PechaKucha Night like 'a box of chocolates'.

Presenter Profile: Ron Rosenstock

Ron Rosenstock has traveled the world, has been exhibited and collected in museums and is renowned for his photography. Please join us at Razzo Hall on April 25th to hear Ron's passion for his work through our 20x20 pechakucha format.

















image copyright all rights reserved Ron Rosenstock, image source Ronrosenstock.com
To view more of Ron's beautiful imagery visit Ronrosenstock.com


Ron Rosenstock's Resume (in brief)

Born: 1943, Monticello, NY

Education: Goddard College 1976-77 M.A. Degree in Photography
Boston University, 1965-68 A.A. Degree in History
Private Study with Paul Caponigro 1969-71
Private Study with Minor White 1967-68

Work in the permanent art collections of:
The Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University,
Cambridge, MA
The International Center of Photography, NYC
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Polaroid Corporation, Cambridge, MA
Fidelity Investments, Boston, MA
The Castlebar Urban District Council,
Co. Mayo, Ireland
Torre Guelfa Gallery, Florence, Italy
Villa Rosa Gallery, San Leolino, Italy
The Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA
.
Selected Published works:
JOURNEYS, A book of fifty photographs by
Ron Rosenstock. Introduction by B.A. King.
Published by the Silver Strand Press, 2007

Hymn to the Earth, A book of forty-two photographs by
Ron Rosenstock. Introduction by Carl Chiarenza.
Published by the Silver Strand Press, 2003

The Light of Ireland, A book of twenty-six
photographs by Ron Rosenstock. Introduction by Paul
Caponigro. Published by the Silver Strand Press, 1999

Chiostro, Photographs of Italy, A book off forty-two
photographs by Ron Rosenstock. Published by the
Silver Strand press, 2001

Presenter Profile: Suzy Becker

Suzy Becker is an author, artist and entrepreneur, Suzy Becker began her career as an award-winning advertising copywriter, and then founded the Widget Factory, a greeting card company. She entered the world of books with what would become the internationally bestselling All I Need to Know I Learned from My Cat, now in the Double-Platinum Collector's Edition All I Need to Know I Learned from My Cat (And Then Some). Suzy has since written and illustrated The All Better Book, My Dog's the World's Best Dog, I Had Brain Surgery, What's Your Excuse?, Manny's Cows, Books Are for Reading, and Kids Make It Better (May, 2010). Her books, greeting cards and work in print and TV advertising have earned her numerous design and writing awards.

Suzy Becker has also received the Anti-Defamation League's "A World of Difference" Award for her community service initiatives, including the Ride For AIDS Resources (www.ridefar.org), the country's first HIV/AIDS bike-a-thon which has raised over $1,000,000 for HIV/AIDS service organizations.

Becker was New England Women Business Owners' youngest-ever Woman of the Year. She is a former (Clinton) White House Fellow, a Bunting Fellow at Radcliffe, and she is a perennial finalist in the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes. For more about Suzy Becker, visit www.suzybecker.com

Suzy's PechaKucha Presentation:

I like to think of life as a medium. So far, I’ve made ads, cards, cartoons, a kid, books, a small business, a charter school, a marriage, and a million-dollar HIV/AIDS fundraiser with mine.

Global Day for Haiti is Tomorrow!

Global PechaKucha Day for Haiti, Worcester Vol 4. is tomorrow!

Doors open tomorrow at 7pm for mingling and drinks.
Presentations Start at 8pm
$20 suggestion donation at the door.

Parking is available at 55 pearl in the lower lot, parking garage as well as on the street.
55 Pearl restaurant opens for dinner at 4 with a tavern menu also available in the lower bar.

We are very excited about tomorrows line up of presenters!

Nicole Valentine, Helen Beaumont, Daniel Burke, Benjamin Caras, Junior Belisea, Andrea Ajemian, Kaz Gamble, and J Stu Esty. Sharing their passion for their community, their art, the ongoing work that needs to be done in Haiti and first hand stories from the ground. This is certainly the broadest scope of topics we've ever offered at PechaKucha Night Worcester.

We are also excited about going LIVE to the World in the global wave on ustream!
watch the 24 hour wave here:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/pechakucha

All this is in the name of GIVING

We understand that many of you may have given already to relief efforts in Haiti but the need is ongoing and becomes more crucial as time passes. The rainy season is soon approaching and with out adequate shelter, disease will spread fast. Architecture for Humanity has a vision for the long term survival of Haiti. You can view their plan for reconstruction here:

http://architectureforhumanity.org/updates/2010-02-18-haiti-quake-a-plan-for-reconstruction

you can also donate online:
http://www.pecha-kucha.org/pechakucha-for-haiti

Spread the word, bring your friends, and Thank You for your continuing enthusiasm for PechaKucha Worcester!

Vol 4 Presenter Profile: Helen Beaumont

Helen Beaumont
From farming to fashion- How does one visit to an art museum for a child transform their life?
ARTS: the nectar of our community- how it brings our city to life connecting us to each other.

BIO

Helen Sheldon Beaumont lives her life at the intersection of art and commerce. She has spent her 18-year career with the Estee Lauder Companies Inc. blending marketing and successful business development with make-up artistry. Ms. Beaumont is the chair of the Worcester Cultural Commission, a volunteer body dedicated to promoting the cultural affairs of the City of Worcester and allocating hundreds of thousand of dollars in state grants to meet the cultural needs of the city and its community.
Ms. Beaumont was born in Vermont and raised on a farm in rural Ohio, where she began singing in barns and churches at age 5. Brought back to New England a decade ago by her career, she settled in Worcester and quickly became enmeshed in the cultural life of the city. She can be heard performing around New England with the traditional ska band Guns of Navarone and also spreading her beloved gospel-influenced country music to the area by sitting in with other bands.

website links
www.worcestermass.org/wccommission
www.myspace.com/navaronereggae

on FACEBOOK become a Fan of the Worcester Cultural Commission

Cynthia Woehrle is a fan of

Worcester Cultural Commission

Create your Fan Badge

Global PechaKucha Night for Haiti, Worcester Vol. 4

It only took seconds to destroy so many bright hopes and dreams in Haiti. The 280 city PechaKucha network is joining with Architecture for Humanity to help rebuild Haiti 20 seconds at a time.
Join us around the the world on 20th February for Global PechaKucha Day for Haiti.
20 seconds, 20 images, 200 cities, 2000 presentations, 200,000 people - with the aim to raise $1,000,000 for rebuilding Haiti.

Join us for this epic global event!
Worcester Vol. 4 at  55 Pearl Restaurant
55 Pearl Street Worcester Ma 01608
Saturday Feb 20th 2010 7:00 pm-11:00 pm
Door opens at 7:00pm
$20 suggested donation
100% of the proceeds benefit rebuilding in Haiti
Presentations begin at 8:00 pm
Seating limited to 100 seats
Standing room always available!
Cash Bar
55 Pearl opens at 4:00, for dinner reservations call  508-755-7327

Night includes portions of the 24-hour WAVEcast featuring other participating cities from around the globe.

Read more about about the global effort here: http://www.pecha-kucha.org/pechakucha-for-haiti

Donate Online: http://www.firstgiving.com/pechakucha_for_haiti

Watch the announcement at Tokyo Vol. 68:

PKN 3 Presenter Profile: Antonio Fonseca

Photo by Donna Dufault from the 20 Artists of Worcester Gallery Show

Although I had been to open studios at 12 Crane in Southbridge and saw Antonio's impressive work in progress there; I never got to meet this wonderful sweet natured artist until last years 20 Artists of Worcester project. At that time I learned more about the global reach his artwork has attained. Not only is Antonio Fonseca one of the most valuable modern Puerto Rican artists; he also makes an impact in the Worcester area, serving as a juror for Artsworcester exhibits as well as speaking out at Worcester State College about the challenges artists face in our local economy. We are so lucky that he was not abroad this January and I am so happy to announce that he is presenting at Pecha Kucha Worcester Vol. 3!

Antonio Fonseca

Identity and Arts: Being an Individual through the globalization of arts.

Antonio Fonseca will use a selection of artwork from his early days until now to
lluminate how he maintains his identity as a Puerto Rican Rican, and
defines himself as he approaches cultural issues around the world..
See more of his work here:
http://www.viotagallery.com/

Antonio Fonseca Bio
Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico in 1972. During his youth he received an associate degree from the Republic of Costa Rica Vocational School in Illustrative and Commercial Arts in Caguas Puerto Rico (1989). Fonseca received his bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the School of Fine Arts of Puerto Rico Specializing in Printmaking and Art Education in (1997). Studied under the guidance of such renown artists such as Domingo Garcia, Haydee Landing, Consuelo Gotay, Jose Alicea, Ismael Diepa, Antonio Martorell, Myrna Baez, Susana Herrero, and Jamie Suarez. Also worked and specialized in non-toxic printmaking under the guidance of Keith Howard. Also attended courses collaborative printmaking through Tamarind Institute (1998). Received a master’s degree in Fine Arts (printmaking) from Cornell University (1999). At Cornell University he studied under recognized artist such as David Diao, Stephen Poleskie, Greg Page. Victor Kord, Kay WalkingStick, and Todd McGrain.

Antonio Fonseca has been awarded several distinctions. In 1994 he won the Second Biennial of Fine Arts of Casa Roig Museum in Humacao, Puerto Rico. In 1997, he received a “Fellowship Award” from the University of Cornell in Ithaca, New York. Later in 1998, Fonseca received the distinction of the best individual showing awarded by the Puerto Rico chapter of the International Art Critics’ Association. In 1999 he received an honorable mention in “Arte Joven” in the Ponce Art Museum and an honorable mention in the 3oth International Painting Fair in the Cagnes-Sur-Mer Museum on the French Riviera. He also received recognition from the AICA, recognition from the city of Caguas and its mayor for his labor. Again at his second invitation to the International Painting Fair in France he received the third place award, year in which Puerto Rico swiped the three main awards. Fonseca has exhibited world wide in countries such as China, Europe and South America and is now known to be one of the most valuable contemporary artist of Puerto Rico.

Pecha Kucha Night Worcester Vol#3

Presenter Profiles: Jeff Baker, Keith Cross, Michael Gennert

Tech Head, Letterpress, Robots

Pecha Kucha Night is excited to introduce you to three more presenters!

Jeff Baker- Photographer
Keith Cross- Designer
Michael Gennert- Robotics

Join us to hear what all 8 of our presenters have to share!
Sept 13th 2009 doors open at 7:20 for mingling - hors d'oeuvres compliments of 55 Pearl - Cash Bar - presentations start at 8:20.
55 Pearl Street Worcester Ma



Jeff Baker has been running Visions by Baker since 1993. He describes himself as a photographer of people and the life events we share and has traveled across the globe, from Las Vegas to Ohio and to Japan to capture these life events. He's a multi-award winning and nationally certified photographer.

He tells me that he has had a creative heart since he was a child and goes on to say...

"My Grandfather gave me my first camera when I was about 10 years old. Professional training may teach how to use a camera, but his guiding eye helped me learn to see. Photography gives me balance between the logical and the creative, the left brain and the right brain. My Grandfather's guiding eye, together with today's photographic tools, provide the combination that allows me to focus on my art, my vision, of people around me."

Jeffery A. Baker Sr., CPP.
Visions by Baker Photography, LLC.
www.VisionsbyBaker.com
508-769-6113


Keith Cross is keeping Letterpress Alive


Check out this video on Letterpress Video Credit goes to Boaz Sender

"Letterpress has seen a tremendous surge in popularity and interest over the past ten to fifteen years. The subtle yet seductive bite of letterpress thrills and delights designers and typophiles who crave tactile experiences in their RGB lives. Once considered by some a "hobby" or an "obsolete" printing technology, letterpress printing is now a "niche market" for those catering to well-trained eyes and, often, well-heeled clients. I most value letterpress as a teaching tool, albeit a very cumbersome one. In my letterpress classes at the Massachusetts College of Art I teach a new generation of design students the origins of their craft, help them visualize their designs in new (well, old) ways and afford them the patience to consider the possibilities." Keith Cross



Keith Cross is a designer, letterpress printer, educator and head honcho at Milk Row Studio,a creative branding and design operation in Worcester. Keith studied graphic design and printmaking and at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
Milk Row Press, now Milk Row Studio, was named after the Milk Row Cemetery in Somerville, MA. These days, Keith is keeping the tradition of letterpress ALIVE by teaching letterpress classes at his alma mater's MassArt Press. He is a member and former President of The Letterpress Guild of New England and a member of the Society of Printers.


Mike Gennert is Department Head of the Computer Science Department and co-founder and Director of the Robotics Engineering Program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. His research includes Robotics, Computer Vision, Image Processing, Artificial Intelligence, Scientific Databases, and Programming Languages. He owns 8 M.C. Escher ties, a cat, and a robot.

PKN #2 Presenter Profile: Trisha Barry

I met Trisha Barry about a year ago, as she was finishing up a photography project in Gardener, she told me that she tells stories through her photographs. The project in Gardener had intrigued her because one of the oldest furniture manufacturers in the country was closing up shop, laying off all the workers,and going out of business. She got into the factory and documented everything, talking to the workers, watching them at their craft seeing them leave on their final days, and as I heard her tell this story I too became intrigued. What other stories did she tell? A year with a farmer, six months at sea with a fisherman.

Trisha Barry tells stories through photographs, and as I type this blog I realize I can not tell her stories better than her. So here is a clip from the story she will share for Pecha Kucha Night

TWELVE MONTHS WITH A NEW ENGLAND FARMER

"It was the first snow fall of the winter that took me to the country roads of Warwick, MA to photograph. It was the old farm equipment all strewn about covered with snow, the unusual old barn, and what looked like discarded possessions everywhere that made me stop. Out of nowhere, a man appeared. He had piercing blue eyes, a white beard, and a worn hat with old nails, one on each side turning the brim up. He was dressed in farmer jeans and a flannel shirt. An instantaneous connection was made. I knew at the very moment I met him, there were a story to be told, and a friend to be made. His name was Ken Hubbard.
My curiosity led me to go back repeatedly and learn more. Discovering more with each visit, realizing as much character I saw in his face he had in his soul. Everything had a purpose, a history, and nothing was thrown away..."


photo courtesy of Trisha Barry. © All Rights Reserved

Artist Bio
Fine art photographer Trisha Barry focuses on people. Her photographic essays are less about portraits of people but more about portraits of life. She states...“Everything and everybody has a history and a story, and my passion has led me to telling these stories, these “life portraits”, artistic documentations of people and life, images that preserve that moment in time, that “disappearing presence.” Motivating intuition that inspires meaning is the driving force behind her work.
Graduating from Mass College of Art with a degree in Fibers her early years were spent exploring the possibilities beyond the loom with different fibers creating sculptural pieces and vessels.
After graduating from college she began working with mixed media pieces incorporating her photographs creating visual stories with her viewers. It was then she realized she was leaning toward the photographic medium as a fine art.
Initially working with film in black and white she began showing her work and earning recognition. Her work involves exploring the life's of people. Always wanting to know more about her subject she spends time with them developing a more personal approach to her storytelling.
“Trisha ability to look beneath the surface creates powerful visual dialogues that find true meaning in the simple things. Her photography is like beautiful poetry capturing pieces of vanishing America “,,, Fred Martins creative director of Tiziani Whitmyre.

PKN Worcester Vol. 2

Pecha Kucha Night Worcester Vol. 2 at 55 Pearl Sunday Sept 13th 2009 in the GAR Hall.

Join us for an evening of creative chit-chat set in the historic Bull Mansion.

Recognized by the National Registry of Historic Places the Bull Mansion is know for its high Victorian Architecture. Innovation meets history at this restaurant where Chef Ian Hickey redefines New England cuisine. Pecha Kucha Night is taking over the mansions GAR Hall to present 8 speakers sharing their own passion, ideas and innovation.

The Pecha Kucha format has spread globally, and is hosted in over 226 cities worldwide. Come see what all the chit- chat is about.

http://www.pecha-kucha.org/cities/worcester