Changing Tides Art Show-Rochester NY

Next week, I will be showing my work at the Spectrum Creative Arts Center and host an artist spotlight presentation with a brief talk and Q and A session.  More information below:

Spectrum Creative Arts Announces Changing Tides Interactive Art Show

By Rusty Allen

Rochester, NY – New creative arts center Spectrum Creative Arts is thrilled to announce Changing Tides, its first art gallery opening of the fall season.  This free event will debut a family-friendly collection of artwork with a water and “changing tides” theme on Saturday, November 15th from 3:00-4:30pm.

The Changing Tides exhibit will feature original works submitted by artists of all ages, including Spectrum students, instructors, and members of the Rochester community.  The gallery opening event will also include an interactive artist’s panel, in which exhibiting artists offer insight into their life and work as local artists, as well as live performances, interactive art activities, and light refreshments.

Spectrum Creative Arts recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of its opening in Pittsford, NY in September.  With a diverse catalog of course offerings including individual instruction, therapy, group programming, or activity-based workshops, Spectrum brings a unique take to creative arts education.

About Spectrum Creative Arts

Spectrum Creative Arts, LLC is a community-based arts center with a fresh perspective on what it means to be an artist.  The Spectrum Team utilizes a person-centered, strength-based approach to inspire and empower students through active participation in the arts. With the belief that every individual has the power to create and shape the world around them, everyone can find a meaningful arts-experience at Spectrum.

Contact

For more information please contact

Rusty Allen, Office & Marketing Manager
3300 Monroe Avenue
Rochester, NY 14618
Local: 585-383-1999
Toll Free: 855-444-0201
rusty@spectrumcreativearts.org
www.spectrumcreativearts.org

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Vinyl Collector

Vinyl Collector, 2014

pen and ink on paper

4" x 6" in a 8 1/4" x 10 1/4"

© copyright Mike Kraus

To purchase, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/189900241/vinyl-collector-original-4-x-6-in-a-8-14?

It's a cool, cloudy day at the southside flea market.  Vendors shout about the virtues of their cheap and/or stolen goods from their stands.  The free-est of free markets.  But, on this early spring morning he is here to find old records in good condition.  Music only sounds right when there's the hiss of the turntable.

This drawing would great in almost any space with its neutral frame, but would accent light green, deep blue, light yellow, or beige spaces very well.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MikeKrausArt 

About Three Streets Down Memory Lane You'll Find Punk Rock Drive. Can't Miss It...

NoFX at Warped Tour '98 in Pontiac, Michigan.  We had backstage passes because of the 'zine.  One of these pictures has my friend Sandy in them, but I can't find her right now.  Fat Mike is probably taunting the crowd.

El Hefe doing the box jump exercise while playing guitar. 

El Hefe again 

I have to say these are pretty good shots considering that I was probably using a disposable camera.   

Best seats I've ever had for a concert.

Jim Lindberg, lead singer of Pennywise.

Randy Bradbury, bass for Pennywise

Now for shows slightly smaller than Warped Tour.  This is a show we organized at McGraft Park in Muskegon.  The officer sat in the parking lot behind the stage for about 45 minutes in his car while we had our performance.  Rapper's Guild was on stage when he walked up to the stage and stood their for a while.  After a couple of songs, he suddenly started to unplug all the microphones, amps, guitars, and all.  Was yelling about something.  We showed him our permits and everything to which he started making up nonexistent laws.  Eventually, the park manager got involved and we were allowed to go on with the show.

A meeting of the minds with J.T. Law, Rapper's Guild, and the Muskegon Police Department.  I forget who else played that day (sorry if it was your band).  I do remember trying to set this all up for a couple of bands touring from Florida or something.  We were suppose to meet in the Meijer parking lot beforehand.  They never showed up and never replied when I contacted them afterwards.  Weird show all the same...

Impromptu J.T. Law reunion show in the basement of the infamous Mastodon House in Kalamazoo.  

How many shows did I organize at Palmer Hall?

Fold at Palmer Hall in 2002.  

 Me, Nick Nummerdor, Jen Kelenske, Mike Nummerdor, and Jared Passinault in beautiful Michigan City, Indiana on our way to Chicago.

These were our mug/lost children shots.  If you've ever watched The Simpsons, you know what this town is like.  The nuclear power plant in the center of the city is only one similarity.

 Jared knocking back another Bubba Cola in the hotel

All of us at the Queers, Screw 32, Groovie Ghoulies, and Alkaline Trio show at the Metro in Chicago..  

Brandon "Bubba" Ogborn with a rocket launch behind him.  I forget how I came in possession of this photo, but I did.

Rick Johnson of the Wack Trucks, The Skeptics (The Ska Kings of Muskegon), and half the other bands that were on stage that night is getting ready to play at the Schism Zine One-Year Anniversary Show at the Walker Community Center in North Muskegon.  Rick's now in Mustard Plug http://www.mustardplug.com

Misled Youth on stage at the anniversary show. 

The Skeptics (?) on stage at the anniversary show.  

The Bounty Hunters headlined the anniversary show.  Unfortunately, I don't have photos of all the other bands that played that night.  There were 7+ bands playing to hundreds of people for six hours or so.  

Another batch of photos digitally preserved...

A Stumble Down Memory Lane

Found a ton of photos in a box while cleaning out my childhood bedroom.  What a great opportunity to embarrass myself and the one's I love.

My Jim Harbaugh grin at some ice cream parlor in Allendale, Michigan in 2002.  These kids to the right were doing something funny that was not captured on film.  But, I like the picture all the same...

"Excuse me Mr. Queer, will you take a picture with my sons?"  Nothing like being 15 years old and taking a trip down to Chicago to see The Queers, the Groovie Ghoulies, Screw 32, and Alkaline Trio (their first show) at the Metro.  That was also the trip where the highway caught on fire in Gary, Indiana and no one seemed to care.  They just drove through it.

Mike Nummerdor after the Chicago concert.  We stayed at some hotel in Michigan City, Indiana and stayed up all night (which was easy if you drank enough Bubba Cola).  I'll have to put up the pictures of us at the outlet mall next to the nuclear plant and other oddities at some point.

Meerkat Mike.  Probably about 1997 when the Nummerdor family moved into their home on the corner of Forest Park and Lake Harbor.  Lynne tasked us with removing a post at the end of the driveway, which ended up being a far bigger task than expected.  We did far more damage than help on that project.   

Nick Nummerdor as a groundhog.  

"Mom.  You just hit that button.  No, not that one.  The other one.  No.  What?  Did it go off?"  This was part of some project I was working on .  There are a series of these photos trying to instruct my mom on how to use the weird, cheap camera I use to own.   

Hey!  There's a gnome behind that rock!

J.T. Law teamwork retreat to St. Andrew's Hall in Pontiac, Michigan to see NoFX.  We're with Fat Mike, the lead singer and bassist.  Ben looks confused because he thought he was just some random guy we met in the parking lot.

Nick, Greg from the Bouncing Souls, and myself before the show at St. Andrew's Hall 

Ah, Ben figured out how I scored us free tickets to the show and we're not just randomly harassing people in the parking lot.  

 Grand Rapids is Burning!  On my way to something and got stuck when a building burned down near Division Street.  

Paul Bourdon, Me, Roddy Moon at our high school graduation in 1999 

Rodd Moon trying on an Inspector Gadget trench coat at ValuLand (RIP).   

And, more art.  A cool envelope by fellow SAIC alum, Jeni Gifford. 

The Galleria of Michael Kraus

Cleaned out my childhood bedroom last fall to make room for a new home office.  Found some stuff that I hope you enjoy.

"State and Madison Streets, Chicago", Pen and ink, 1999: The first piece of art I created at the School of the Art Institute (SAIC).  This was the view from my dorm (the Chicago building, which they renamed Jones Hall).  Classes hadn't started yet and I was trying to get use to moving from a town of 22,000 to a world-class city of 2.9 million people.  First thing they teach you in art school is to use something nicer than 20lbs copy paper.  This is an example why...

"Dorm", pen and ink, 1999: Another drawing I did in my dorm right before classes started.  This is a view of my roommate's side of the room.  

This was a series I started and never finished in 2004.  I believe this was for some project or show that never took place or something.  I forget.  But, it did lead to me creating a bunch more of these that I gave away to quite a few people.

"Leaving Iraq", scratchboard,  2004:  

"The Pizza Man and His Girlfriend (dark)", scratchboard, 2004:  

"The Pizza Man and His Girlfriend (light)", scratchboard, 2004:   

"Jacquie", scratchboard, 2004:  

"Back Alley", scratchboard, 2002:  Again, another view from my dorm at SAIC.  But, this the 162 N. State St. building.  The side of the Oriental Theatre is to the left and the ABC 7 building is straight ahead.  I was never bored living at an art school dorm in downtown Chicago.

"J.T. Law self titled cassette album cover (original)" pen and computer, 1999: Punk rock!  You couldn't get more DIY than this.  The artwork is a collage of photographs from various shows and activities we participated in.  A police officer that tried shutting down one of our shows actually made it in three times.  Hand drawn logo and band information.  Some snazzy work using scissors and glue with the song titles.  A friend of ours that worked at the copy shop of an office supply store printed a ton of these for us for free.  And, that's doesn't include recording the music ourselves in the studio.

 "J.T. Law Kids Flyer (copy)", computer, 1999: Nothing like appropriating strange photos for punk show flyers.  For the band, zine, etc, I use to have stacks of images from newspapers and magazines to use for various promotional items.  I'd pass out hundreds of these school and then drop them off all over town after 3pm.  The Big Wheels was a local powerhouse out of Montague.  J.F.K. (Just For Kicks) was a group with played with a few times out of Grand Rapids.  And Hoppin' Mad was from the Detroit area, I think...

"Monkey On a Hog Flyer (copy)", computer, 1999: Another show at Palmer Hall.  I remember going through the yellow pages calling every banquet, bingo, and reception hall in the county to try to find a place that would allow a minor to put on a concert.  They were one of a very few and they allowed me to do so frequently.  If I still lived in Muskegon, I'd love to buy that place and turn it into a venue as we always did well there.  I'd love to see the Wack Trucks, Temple of Doom, and "a mystery band" again.

"J.T. Law Tape Release Show with Liver Dye! (copy)", computer, 1999: The Ice Pick was an infamous venue.  The owner was in a constant battle with the police.  The graffiti all over the plywood walls.  The worst bathroom you could imagine.  Beer bottle dodging for every member of the band.  And, that's the tame stuff...  This was a memorable show.  And, if you've ever seen Liver Dye, you'll never forget them.

"Schism Zine One-Year Anniversary Show Flyer (original)", mixed media, 1999: By far, the greatest show I've ever been a part of.  Stephanie Rose was amazing at pulling this off.  For six hours, you could see Misled Youth, JFK, J.T Law (before I joined the group), The Big Wheels, The Addictives, Skeptics, and the Bounty Hunters.  To be in the show, we required each band to print and distribute at least 500 flyers.  It worked really well because we had people from as far as Detroit and Chicago show up.  It turned into a parking nightmare and when the only two police officers of the town arrived they decided it was better to pretend they didn't know this was going on than to try to shut us down.  If only I had a VCR, because I found a video tape that someone recorded and gave to me of the show as well.

And, if you're looking for some art, let me know.

To see more of my stuff, please visit:

http://mikekraus.blogspot.com/2011/01/nothing-is-something-im-use-to-working.html

http://mikekraus.blogspot.com/2011/03/waiting-for-better-title.html

http://mikekraus.blogspot.com/2013/01/oh-deer.html

http://mikekraus.blogspot.com/2013/03/hasa-diga-eebowai-does-that-mean-no.html

http://mikekraus.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-zine-anthology.html

http://mikekraus.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-wedding-in-woods.html

http://mikekraus.blogspot.com/2013/10/roar.html