'Geboeid' premiering TONIGHT!!!

Of all weeks that I should be blogging...

Here is reason for hiatus - I have been working as production manager ('production bitch' has become the affectionate term - long stroy involving Britney Spears...) for a show that is opening TONIGHT at Podium Mozaïek

for a hip-hop and classical dance and music blend called 'Geboeid'. I am very very proud to be a part of this production - everyone involved is fabulously talented and we have had a really great time working on this. It is the story of a young Turkish girl that finds herself torn between the hip-hop life and boy that she loves and the obligations of family and culture. Beautiful... I will list the first and last names of the lovely people that involved tomorrow for you so that you can follow their careers ;) Martin Butler and Maximillian Ehrhardt are my dear friends that got me involved in this and it has been really wonderful working with them!!! I think I adore them even more, if that was possible!

Show starts at 9pm tonight and Saturday - come out and see it!

Overseas Voting - DO IT NOW!!!

For all of the lovely Americans overseas that need to vote before it is too late (like tomorrow), here is some info that can help you get this done... the ladies at the American Women's Cllub Amsterdam pointed me to all of this info - thanks Ruth!

First, the deadline for us to register for the absentee is SUNDAY!!! Take a couple of minutes and do this NOW if you haven't already...

- For the registration and write-in https://fawco.overseasvotefoundation.org/overseas/FwabStart.htm
or https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/overseas/home.htm
After you fill this in, you still have to MAIL IT IN... you can find the office that you need to send it into on the assitance guidelines site below...

- Voting assistance guidelines (if you need a notary or anything like that...) http://www.fvap.gov/for-voting-assistance-officers/vote-guide/index.html

Also, I heard the US Consolate is doing something on tomorrow or Monday (you would have to call them...) to help people if you feel that you need the extra bit of help.
I am not the most politically-active person on the planet, but i think we can all agree that this is pretty important...
Good luck and happy voting!

ps - for a good laugh, check out Leo DiCaprio's youtube commercial trying to get people to vote...

silly celebs...

Amsterdam is awesome

and here is a wonderful little article from the New York Times online magazine to prove it.

http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2008/09/21/style/t/index.html?WT.mc_id=TM-D-I-NYT-AD-BIG-TRV-HP-0908-RF&WT.mc_ev=click#pageName=21intro

A good friend of mine here in Amsterdam that is a fellow international forwarded this to me - reading articles about the city you are currently residing in is always fun and slightly weird at the same time. There are several places, restaurants, sights and shops mentioned that I have had the pleasure of frequenting or at least visiting. Very fabulous to hear that someone else the same opinion of many of these places, and I find myself wishing there were some other places that are note-worthy as well. The weird part is reading another person's take on it - especially when it is written with language like 'scenesters', 'avant-gardists' and 'beer and babes crowd'. I abide just near the '9 straatjes' and have been in/ridden past those shops a million times. Truly is one of the best neighborhoods in the city. The funniest is the timeline of 'things to do' - I would LOVE to meet the person that can pull all that off on that timeline!

Enjoy getting to know this lovely city in the way I have always wanted to be able to tell it...

Linkedin updated!

In the on-going effort and desire to network and connect with as many lovely people as possible, I have finally updated my Linkedin profile! Just what you were all waiting for, I am sure.

Where's the art?

In soaking up all of the information and innovations being offered here at PICNIC 2008, new questions are starting to develop in my mind. As an agent seeking to sell, promote and propel artists and galleries, searching for greater networks and exposure to get in front of collectors and companies is a neccessity. How can web presence and connectivity impact and change the face of business in the art world?

There are many ideas that are rolling around about webwork for the arts: 'virtual museums', galleries selling their work online rather than face-to-face, artists relying on their blogs and website to do the selling for them. How can we make these ideas work better for us? How can we make it more personal? And how are we supposed to find all of this information?

A couple of things have stood out -
Blogging and using tools to make the visual stand out (Zemanta and Visualblog), using keywords for easier searching, copyright protection for the artists and galleries through Creative Commons, etc. These are all tools that can bring great exposure to the artists and galleries, make them easier to find, and protect the value of their work.
How can all of these tools be tied together and keep the connectivity personal for the collector?

Check out networking sites like ArtLimited, ArtOlive and the big-wigs like Saatchi Online and others. There are loads of places you can gain information on the market: Luxury Culture magazine, EYEMAZING, GUP, and many more. These are all great resources for gaining a better idea of what type of work is out there, the quality and background on the artists and what is on the horizon for 'the next big thing'. These are webs that are incorporating comprehensive images, information and background on the work that is showcased. But in the end, most people want to SEE the work in person, they want to MEET the artists or connectors. How can we get them there?

An interesting idea presented yesterday here at PICNIC by Fiona Romeo from the Maritime Museum in London - mapping artifacts and artworks to tell a story about the items they have in their collection. Using Google topigraphical maps, they insert images of the pieces from specific collections in meaningful patterns that create context for the objects. This makes the work come 'alive' on the web! There is a way to find where these pieces came from, why they are important and what makes them distinctive. What if we could do the same with mapping for galleries and artists? Give context and access to these places that look intimidating to new crop of collectors? What would that look like?

Considering the overwhelming amounts of information on the internet and the intimidation factor many percieve galleries to have, one can conclude that most are not terribly motivated to dive into finding the work they want. What if by mapping these galleries and artists we could reach collectors and companies more effectively? By personally working in partnerships with galleries and artists to create 'virtual walking tours' we can provide context and information and invite them into these places that they would not have ventured into on their own. This could also serve to give access to people in other cities and countries to find context in a place where they had none. This way, when people choose to visit the galleries or contact the artists, they will already have a connection to the work they are asking about and would be more prone to purchase work in a shorter time frame.

Saying this will take work is an understatement, but it is work worth pursuing if it can connect more collectors and businesses to valuable and emerging artworks.

PICNIC 2008!!!

Please forgive the next-day blogging...

Thursday Sept 25 was a great day here! Loads of great people, connections, learning platforms, innovation and fun... the onslaught of media has been mind-boggling. Cameras everywhere interviewing unsuspecting passer-bys; corporate CEO's hanging out with fresh entrepreneurs, and all the visual eye-candy you can think of.

I have spent the majority of time here in Europen Bloggers Lab learning more about the world of web-journalism, connectivity and better tools available to enhance and create better practies in these areas. Major sites of interest were Creative Commons (www.creativecommons.org), Zemanta (www.zemanta.com), We magazine (www.we-magazine.com) and Wobbing. There were also some speakers touching on internet presence in Italy and other corners of the world. In terms of tools, I am really excited to start using CC for the artworks that I represent through my company, Embellish. And Zemanta will make my life a million times easier once I figure out how to make it work for me....

Also, for live links and more visual enjoyment of PICNIC 2008, check out www.livefrompicnic.com in addition to the www.picnicnetwork.org link

(pictures aren't uploading... i will post some visuals when i can ;) )

TRIPPEN and VEJA Shoes on eBay!!!

Amsterdam and all of Holland! Friends! We are selling shoes from the Shoes Garage (the shop owned by Ben and Ge)!!!! They are really nice shoes, and we are selling them for far below what they are worth - we are working on liquidating the stock in hopes of new ventures with the business and taking this space in a new direction!

Please check them out and let me know what you think or if you have any questions!

http://search.ebay.nl/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&dfsp=17&from=R40&satitle=TRIPPEN&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D3&sadis=200&fpos=Postcode&fbfmt=1&sabfmts=1&saobfmts=insif&ga10244=10425&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=17%26fsoo%3D1&coaction=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search

http://search.ebay.nl/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&dfsp=17&catref=C6&from=R40&satitle=VEJA&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D3&sadis=200&fpos=Postcode&fbfmt=1&sabfmts=1&saobfmts=insif&ga10244=10425&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=17%26fsoo%3D1&coaction=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search