Everything Matters

"Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with splendid treasures, beautiful souls, and interesting people. Forget yourself." ~Henry Miller

[mollyblock]

2018 latest news -- keeping busy!

Sarah Meister, curator of photography at MoMA (Museum of Modern Art, New York), selected my "Diving Lady Motel" image for print in The Photo Review magazine and inclusion in The Photo Review's 2018 exhibition at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Sarah selected a total of 15 works from a pool of 1,900 submitted by 421 photographers from the U.S. and abroad. The show will be on view in the university's Sol Mednick Gallery, at 211 S. Broad Street, through Sunday, December 9. 

Jennie Goldstein, assistant curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art, selected the "Diving Lady Motel" image for the Assistance League of Houston Celebrates Texas Art 2019 juried exhibition. The show, which will be held in downtown Houston in the lobby of the KBR Tower, at 601 Jefferson Street, opens with a reception on Thursday, January 17, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. The show runs through March 15.

Kat Kiernan -- founder and editor-in-chief of Don’t Take Pictures, as well as the director of Panopticon Gallery in Boston -- selected "Diving Lady Motel" for the autumn 2018 edition of the clever photography-centered project, The Curated Fridge, currently on view on Yorgos Efthymiadis' refrigerator in Somerville, Massachusetts, as shown here. In addition, Kat recently featured my "Vacant Victorian" image on Don't Take Pictures. 

Earlier this year, at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, Massachussetts, juror Richard McCabe, curator of photography at the Ogden Museum in New Orleans, included "Diving Lady Motel" in the Griffin's 's 24th Annual Juried Members' Exhibition. (A Boston Globe review of the show is here: https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/art/2018/07/19/griffin-selections-and-connections/uNEHdxEzqGxvlfMK1DYknK/story.html.)

And earlier, in Houston: Molly Glentzer, arts and culture senior writer and critic for the Houston Chronicle, included "Diving Lady Motel" in the Visual Arts Alliance's 35th Juried Open Exhibition at Houston's BLUEorange Gallery. 

Elsewhere -- currently in Houston: 

The Visual Arts Alliance's 36th Juried Membership Exhibition -- on view at Houston's Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards Street, through Saturday, December 8 -- includes two of my other "Roadside Relics" photographic prints, thanks to juror Laura Rathe, owner of Laura Rathe Fine Art. For the show, Laura chose a total of seventy-nine works in a variety of media out of 601 submissions. 

Last, but not least:

If you'll be in Houston this Saturday, December 1, stop by Catherine Couturier Gallery, 2635 Colquitt Street, from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., for the opening of the gallery's annual "Deck the Walls" exhibition and book sale. A couple of my “Roadside Relics” prints are up on the walls. (I'll be among the gallery artists who'll be there, so say "hi!") Other galleries on Colquitt Street’s Gallery Row also will have openings that evening, so there'll be lots of cool artwork to check out. Deck the Walls will be up through January 12, 2019. 

Next stop: New Orleans! Louisiana! (More about this later!)

[mollyblock]

Houston Center for Photography's Annual Juried Membership Exhibition

I'm honored to be among 40 artists who were selected (from a pool of 190) for inclusion in Houston Center for Photography's 34th Annual Juried Membership Exhibition. 

The opening reception will take place on Friday, July 22, 2016, 5:30-8:00 p.m., at Houston Center for Photography, 1441 West Alabama Street. Remarks by juror Yasufumi Nakamori, Curator of Photography and New Media at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, will start at 6:00 p.m. 

The following day, Saturday, July 23, artist talks will take place beginning at 11:00 a.m. (I'll be participating!)

The show runs through Sunday, September 4.

More info: http://www.hcponline.org/exhibits/exhibitions/view/109/34th-annual-juried-membership-exhibition

[mollyblock]

Heading to Los Angeles

This is big -- kind of huge for me! Psyched to be heading to Los Angeles!  Next weekend, January 30-31, several of my prints will be at Classic Photographs Los Angeles, thanks to Catherine Couturier of Catherine Couturier Gallery, who will be exhibiting there with other top photography dealers.  Where: Bonhams, 7601 W. Sunset Blvd. More info: classicphotographsla.com  After that, I’ll be in LA for the April 1 opening of a group photography exhibition – photos of vintage neon signs – at the new Museum of Neon Art (MONA). Thrilled that three photos of mine were selected for the MONA exhibition, which will be on the museum’s walls for a couple of months.  If you’ll be in LA next weekend: Come to Bonhams – there’ll be lots of incredible photos there to see (and to purchase)!  And on Friday, April 1: Come to MONA in Glendale – see me, this photography exhibition, and more at the museum!  This is the first that some of you are hearing that I’ll be in LA in late March and early April. Looking forward to seeing many of you during that trip!  

[instagram]

Relishing America’s Roadside Relics with @clive78757

For more of Gregory Smith’s photos, @clive78757 on Instagram.

Architectural historian Gregory Smith (@clive78757) is obsessed with American roadside relics. Family road trips to destinations like the Atlantic City, New Jersey region — home to numerous miniature golf courses and Lucy, the six-story building shaped like an elephant — initially sparked Gregory’s affections, and he began photographing his favorite landmarks in college. He aims for a light touch in processing, yet admits, “I’m prone to saturate color and dramatize the sky, perhaps inspired by the old postcards I’ve loved since I was kid.” But it’s not just about image for Gregory, who helps get Texan landmarks listed in the National Register of Historic Places. His goal is to document and promote the preservation of commercial landmarks. “They represent the spirit of small business, exemplify creativity in design and construction, and help us better recognize and understand patterns in the ever-changing American landscape.”

[mollyblock]

Nice acknowledgment of Greg’s fab work. 

[mollyblock]

JUNE 2015 UPDATE (brief!) [A.K.A. Where my (Molly Block) art work & creative-reuse work can be found in person, in addition to being found online on Etsy in the Molly Block Finds shop here, & on Facebook here.]  Recent past happenings in May 2015:  I was a vendor at the Vintage Market Days in rainy McKinney, Texas, on May 8 and 9 – and it was fun! Thousands of people attended the event, despite the rain. And they purchased items there! Plus, I met two women whose fathers owned two of the Dallas businesses that have extant vintage signs that I’ve photographed.  At Texas Art Asylum in Houston: A signed, framed print – an 8″x8″ print matted to 12″x12″ of the “Vacant Victorian” image you see above – sold yesterday, May 30, at Texas Art Asylum in “Show Stoppers,” An American Horror Story-themed show. Artwork sold there benefits Houston’s Center for Recycled Art. Yeah! (Someone at Texas Art Asylum was nice enough to take this photo of the artwork yesterday.)  A small print of mine was included among other small works of art available to supporters of Houston-based DiverseWorks’ annual Luck of the Draw fundraising event. (Here’s a photo I took at the fun event.)  I participated in Houston Center for Photography’s print sale last weekend. And I had a great time! And a bunch of nice photography-lovers bought a bunch of prints! If you purchased one or more of mine, thank you! (Some photos from HCP’s event can be seen on HCP’s Facebook page here and here.)  Upcoming happenings:  Saturday and Sunday, June 13-14 — Pop Shop Houston’s annual Summer Festival, at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards Street, in Houston — Pop Shop Houston’s Holiday Market in November 2014 was the first market at which I sold prints of my photos, and I had such a great experience that I’ve participated as a vendor at one or more markets each month since then! Pop Shop Houston’s upcoming two-day indoor market will have everything from clothing, jewelry, furniture, food, home decor, and art items — including gallery wraps and framed and unframed prints of my photos, plus pieces of my upcycled film jewelry — to items for children and pets, and more, at 90+ booths. Also: Music, food trucks, and more. For details, check out the Web site:  https://popshopamerica.com/event/pop-shop-houston-summer-festival/  After that, I’ll be taking a break from participating in markets, and I hope that some of my work will be available via one or more galleries.  P.S. My house *still* is outfitted with a sophisticated security system that includes security cameras and other motion-detection gear and alarms, plus a strong man who’s very adept at using weapons, in addition to a large, loud, easily angered dog, plus very watchful neighbors. So burglars: Stay away!

[mollyblock]

MAY 2015 UPDATE (brief!)  [A.K.A. Where my (Molly Block) art work & creative-reuse work can be found in person in the coming months, in addition to being found online on Etsy in the Molly Block Finds shop here, & on Facebook here.] 

Friday & Saturday, May 8-9 — Vintage Market Days in McKinney, Texas — A variety of vintage-y things, including some antiques, furnishings, decorative items, and wearable objects — plus good things to eat, can be found at this indoor market, which is held over 2-3 days in various cities. McKinney in May will be my first Vintage Market Days market! (My photos and vintage film jewelry will be for sale.) 80+ vendors at the Myers Event Center. More info:  http://dallas-mckinney.vintagemarketdays.com/

(I took this photo of Bill Smith's Cafe vintage neon sign in McKinney in April 2014. I’m happy to be returning now to that fine city! P.S. Prints of this photo, including a signed, 16″x20″ gallery-wrapped canvas print, are for sale, natch!)  Saturday & Sunday, June 13-14 — Pop Shop Houston’s annual Summer Festival, at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards Street, in Houston — Pop Shop Houston’s Holiday Market last November was my first market, and I had I so much fun that I’m still marketing-going! Seriously, this two-day indoor market will have everything from clothing, jewelry, furniture, food, home decor, and art items — including framed and unframed prints of my photos, plus pieces of my upcycled film jewelry — to items for children and pets, and more, at the 90 or so booths here. Also: Music, food trucks, and more. For details, check out the Web site: https://popshopamerica.com/event/pop-shop-houston-summer-festival/  More to come . . .

[mollyblock]

Texas Bluebonnets 2015! 

(Sweet scene spotted on March 30, 2015, while on my way home.) 

[mollyblock]

Mid-MARCH 2015 UPDATE: Upcoming market & gallery exhibition dates & more info! [A.K.A. Where my (Molly Block) art work & creative-reuse work can be found in person in the coming months, in addition to being found online on Etsy in the Molly Block Finds shop here, & on Facebook here.] MARKETS:

Sat., March 21, and maybe Sat., April 11 — Rice Village Flea in Houston — I had such a great time in February as a first-time vendor at the Rice Village Flea that I’m signing up for future RVF markets, where I’ll be selling prints of my photos and pieces of my upcycled vintage-film jewelry. The mix of local artisans/makers who participate in the RVF varies a bit from month to month, so it’ll be fun to see who’s here in March and beyond! http://ricevillageflea.com/new-events-1  Sunday, March 29 — The Austin Flea, at the HighBall, 1120 S. Lamar, in Austin — I’m psyched about being a first-time vendor at the Austin Flea, a curated, indoor-and-outdoor market that’s been in existence since 2009. My table will be inside (yeah!). All sorts of good stuff, mainly local, handmade, and/or vintage things, can be found here. Unframed and framed prints, including some canvas wraps, like this one, of my vintage neon sign photos, including the one above that is now gone from Austin, will be available. For Flea details, check out the Web site:  http://www.austinflea.net/  Friday & Saturday, May 8-9 — Vintage Market Days in McKinney, Texas — A variety of vintage-y things, including some antiques, furnishings, decorative items, and wearable objects — plus good things to eat, can be found at this indoor market, which is held over 2-3 days in various cities. McKinney in May will be my first Vintage Market Days market! (My photos and vintage film jewelry will be for sale.) 80+ vendors. Check out the VMD info for McKinney and other cities throughout Texas and in Oklahoma:  http://dallas-mckinney.vintagemarketdays.com/ Saturday & Sunday, June 13-14 — Pop Shop Houston’s annual Summer Festival, at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards Street, in Houston — Pop Shop Houston’s Holiday Market last November was my first market, and I had I so much fun that I’m still marketing-going! Seriously, this two-day indoor market will have everything from clothing, jewelry, furniture, food, home decor, and art items — including framed and unframed prints of my photos, plus pieces of my upcycled film jewelry — to items for children and pets, and more, at the 90 or so booths here. Also: Music, food trucks, and more. For details, check out the Web site:  https://popshopamerica.com/event/pop-shop-houston-summer-festival/ 

GALLERIES:

Ongoing:

Now through Fri., March 27 — 40 West Arts in Lakewood, CO — A framed print and a canvas print (+ unframed prints) of two of my Denver-area photos are for sale in 40 West Arts’ juried exhibition, “The Four Seasons of Colfax: A Year in the Life,” at 40 West Gallery, 1560 Teller Street, in Lakewood. http://40westarts.org/Exhibitions.html  Now through Sun., April 12 — Affaire D’Art Gallery on Postoffice St. in Galveston — Two of my framed prints are for sale in this great gallery in Galveston.  http://affairedart.com/

OTHER EXCITING NEWS:

Psyched to say that a bunch of my ready-to-hang prints will be hanging in the Dining/Event Hall at Night Bird Ranch — a fab event center and B&B in Ledbetter, Texas. (Near the towns of Round Top, Warrenton, Giddings, Brenham; a little over an hour away from Houston and Austin.) A batch of my ready-to-be-framed prints will be for sale here, too. All thanks to owner Kiki Teague. [Thank you!] Dates: This week (before Antique Week) -? http://nightbirdranch.com/  More to come! 

P.S. My house is *still* outfitted with a sophisticated security system that includes security cameras and other motion-detection gear and alarms, plus a strong man who’s very adept at using guns, in addition to a large, loud, easily angered dog, plus very watchful neighbors who keep an eye on everything happening nearby. So burglars: Stay away!

[mollyblock]

MARCH 2015 UPDATE: My upcoming market & gallery exhibition dates & more info! [A.K.A. Where my (Molly Block) art work & creative-reuse work can be found in person in the coming months, in addition to being found online on Etsy in the Molly Block Finds shop here, & on Facebook here.] MARKETS:

Saturday, March 7 -- The Dallas Flea, 2900 Bataan St. at Trinity Groves, in Dallas -- I'm psyched about being a first-time vendor at The Dallas Flea, an upscale, curated, indoor market that's been in existence since 2009. Everything from clothing, jewelry, furniture, food, home decor, and art items -- including prints of my photos and pieces of my upcycled film jewelry -- to items for children and pets, and more, can be found at the 90 or so booths here. (Unframed and framed prints, including some canvas wraps, like this one, of all my Dallas-Fort Worth-area vintage neon sign photos shown in the collage above, plus others, will be available.) For details, check out the Web site: http://thedallasflea.com  Sat., March 21, and maybe Sat., April 11 -- Rice Village Flea in Houston -- I had such a great time in February as a first-time vendor at the Rice Village Flea that I'm signing up for future RVF markets, where I'll be selling prints of my photos and pieces of my upcycled vintage-film jewelry. The mix of local artisans/makers who participate in the RVF varies a bit from month to month, so it'll be fun to see who's here in March and beyond!  http://ricevillageflea.com/new-events-1  Friday & Saturday, May 8-9 -- Vintage Market Days in McKinney, Texas -- A variety of vintage-y things, including some antiques, furnishings, decorative items, and wearable objects -- plus good things to eat, can be found at this indoor market, which is held over 2-3 days in various cities. McKinney in May will be my first Vintage Market Days market! (My photos and vintage film jewelry will be for sale.) 80+ vendors. Check out the VMD info for McKinney and other cities throughout Texas and in Oklahoma:  http://dallas-mckinney.vintagemarketdays.com/

GALLERIES: 

Opening this week:

Fri., March 6 - Sun., April 12 -- Affaire D'Art Gallery on Postoffice St. in Galveston -- Two of my framed prints will be for sale in this great gallery in Galveston. Opening reception: March 6, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.  http://affairedart.com/

Ongoing:

Now through Sat., March 7 -- West 46 (project space for photography) in Vienna, Austria -- The work of two sign geek friends, Achim Gauger and Steve Spiegel, is featured, and they've included some small prints from some of us other sign geeks from around the world. http://west46.at  Now through Sat., March 14 -- The Gallery at Round Top in Round Top, Texas -- Three of my prints (+ unframed prints) are for sale in this juried exhibition, along with some really great pieces by other artists.  http://thegalleryatroundtop.com/Exhibitions.html  Now through Fri., March 27 -- 40 West Arts in Lakewood, CO -- A framed print and a canvas print (+ unframed prints) of two of my Denver-area photos are for sale in 40 West Arts' juried exhibition, "The Four Seasons of Colfax: A Year in the Life," at 40 West Gallery, 1560 Teller Street, in Lakewood.  http://40westarts.org/Exhibitions.html 

OTHER EXCITING NEWS:

Psyched to say that a bunch of my ready-to-hang prints will be hung in the Dining/Event Hall at Night Bird Ranch -- a fab event center and B&B in Ledbetter, Texas. (Near the towns of Round Top, Warrenton, Giddings, Brenham; a little over an hour away from Houston and Austin.) A batch of my ready-to-be-framed prints will be for sale here, too. All thanks to owner Kiki Teague. [Thank you!] Dates: Before Antique Week: mid-March -?  http://nightbirdranch.com/ 

More to come! 

P.S. My house is *still* outfitted with a sophisticated security system that includes security cameras and other motion-detection gear and alarms, plus a strong man who's very adept at using guns, in addition to a large, loud, easily angered dog, plus very watchful neighbors who keep an eye on everything happening nearby. So burglars: Stay away! 

[mollyblock]

UPDATE: Upcoming gallery exhibitions & market dates & info!  [A.K.A. Where my (Molly Block) art work and creative-reuse work can be found in person in the coming months, in addition to being found online on Etsy in the Molly Block Finds shop here, and on Facebook here.]  Ready? Go!

-- Friday, Feb. 6 - Fri., Feb. 27 -- Fort Worth Community Arts Center -- Two of yours truly's vintage neon sign prints will be in the Arts Center's "RED, RED, RED" group exhibition. Opening/reception: Feb. 6, 6 p.m - 9 p.m. http://fwcac.com/?exhibitions/future_exhibition  -- Sat., Feb. 14 -- Rice Village Flea in Houston -- I'll be selling prints of my photos and pieces of my upcycled vintage-film jewelry here! This will be my first time as a vendor at Rice Village Flea, among local artisans/makers who sell high-quality items; to say I'm excited about participating in this market would be an understatement!  http://ricevillageflea.com/new-events-1  -- Sat., Feb. 21 - Sat., March 14 -- The Gallery at Round Top in Round Top, Texas -- What: Wine (free!) and some of my artwork (not free, but for sale along with some cool pieces by other artists!) at this juried show. Opening/reception: Feb. 21, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Round Top's only an hour or so from Houston and Austin. Central Texas friends: Let me know if you'll be coming to this!  http://thegalleryatroundtop.com/Exhibitions.html  [Edited to add] -- Tues., Feb 24 - Fri., March 27 -- 40 West Arts in Lakewood, CO -- A framed print and a canvas print (+ unframed prints) of two of my Denver-area photos will be on view and for sale in 40 West Arts' juried exhibition, "The Four Seasons of Colfax: A Year in the Life," at 40 West Gallery, 1560 Teller Street, in Lakewood. Receptions: Weds., Feb 25, 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m., and Fri., March 6, 4 p.m.-7 p.m.  http://40westarts.org/Exhibitions.html  -- Wed., Feb. 25 - Sat., March 7 -- West 46 (project space for photography) in Vienna, Austria -- The work of two sign geek friends, Achim Gauger and Steve Spiegel, will be featured, and they're including some small prints from some of us other sign geeks from around the world.  http://west46.at  -- Fri., Feb. 27 -- The gallery at Williams Tower in Houston -- The Assistance League of Houston's juried show closes.  http://glasstire.com/events/2015/01/07/assistance-league-of-houston-annual-exhibition

-- Sat., March 7 -- The Dallas Flea (in, um, Dallas!), at Trinity Groves -- I'm psyched about being a first-time vendor at The Dallas Flea, an upscale, curated, indoor market that's been in existence since 2009. Everything from clothing, jewelry, furniture, food, home decor, and art items -- including prints of my photos and pieces of my upcycled film jewelry -- to items for children and pets, and more, can be found at the 90 or so booths here. For details, see the above image, and/or check out the Web site:  http://thedallasflea.com  -- Friday & Saturday, May 8-9 -- Vintage Market Days in McKinney, Texas -- A variety of vintage-y things, including some antiques, furnishings, decorative items, and wearable objects -- plus good things to eat, can be found at this indoor market, which is held over 2-3 days in various cities. McKinney in May will be my first Vintage Market Days market! (My photos and vintage film jewelry will be for sale.) 80+ vendors. Check out the VMD info for McKinney and other cities throughout Texas and in Oklahoma:  http://vintagemarketdays.com 

Stay tuned: Additional events and dates TBA! P.S. My house is outfitted with a sophisticated security system that includes security cameras and other motion-detection gear and alarms, plus a strong man who's very adept at using guns, in addition to a large, loud, easily angered dog, plus very watchful neighbors who keep an eye on everything happening nearby . . . so, would-be burglars? Stay away!  [Images courtesy of Rice Village Flea and The Dallas Flea.]

[itscolossal]

Guerilla Mosaic Artist Now Filling Chicago Potholes with Flowers

[mollyblock]

Awesome urban intervention. 

[wnyc]

Thanks to a new city law, all construction sites must now have a “viewing panel” that lets you peek in and see what’s going on. We explained the law on the Brian Lehrer Show blog, and asked you to snap a picture through that little diamond-shaped peephole. Now, here are our favorite of your photos.

-Jody, BL Show-

[mollyblock]

Gotta say I like this.

[mollyblock]

Bluebonnets -- on a street corner in central Houston -- *not* in a spot where you’d expect to see Texas wildflowers growing. What a great sight! 

The street corner serves as a METRO bus stop.

[Photo snapped by yours truly (mollyblock) on my trusty iPhone 5 on April 17, 2014, and posted on Flickr here.]

[tinypmsmatch]

Pantone 2725 color match. A Blue Bonnet flower. Spring is officially here in Texas!

[mollyblock]

Today's spot o' color: Bluebonnet blue. 

[unconsumption]

Plastic debris washed up on beaches gets turned into beachfront art:

"Plastic World" — made by Portuguese artists Carole Purnelle and Nuno Maya — pictured in Australia, on the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk, during the 2013 Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi exhibition. 

The spherical sculpture is 79” (200 cm) in diameter, in case you’re wondering.

(photo credit: Halans on Flickr)

[mollyblock]

Auto-reblog: Because every day is Earth day.

Also, there are some really cool pieces associated with Sculpture by the Sea in Australia (link above). 

Also: This.

[wesandersonpalettes]

Sam: Why do you always use binoculars?

Suzy: It helps me see things closer. Even if they’re not very far away. I pretend it’s my magic power.

[mollyblock]

Follow a new Tumblr that features stills of scenes from Wes Anderson films and highlights each scene's color palette? Why not?

File under: Today's spot o' color.

[theatlantic]

A 26-Story History of San Francisco

What Yelp’s new headquarters, the recently renovated landmark 140 New Montgomery, could teach the city’s tech scene.

Read more. [Image: Alexis Madrigal]

[mollyblock]

Enjoyed reading this.