Last Saturday January 17th, my friend and colleague Liz Hickok and I participated in an unusual Art Salon in a private loft in San Francisco. Last Fall Open Studios, psychotherapist Alison Leigh came to my studio and we talked about the possibility of working together showing my work in her studio loft. After a few conversations we invited my studio mate Liz to join us in this project. 

The result was a casual but very intentional art salon where both Liz and myself did presentations about our work in front of a non traditional art crowd. Liz talked about her Jello Project and she made a demonstration on how she fabricated the models of San Francisco emblematic buildings. I introduced two projects, The Tenderloin Dreamscapes and my latest public work, The Nomadic Labyrinth.

This interesting collaboration makes me think about the infinite possibilities of expanding the outreach of my art practice while connecting with an alternative audience.

Learn more about
Liz Hickok
Alison Leigh

Save the date! The Nomadic Labyrinth will be at the De Young in October for the Friday Night Event. It will be displayed at the Sculpture Garden near the Cafe.

Friday Nights at the de Young are after-hours art "happenings" that include a mix of live music, dance and theater performances, film screenings, panel discussions, lectures, artist demonstrations, hands-on art activities, and exhibition tours. 

Friday Nights at the De Young
October 17th, 5 - 9pm
Golden Gate Park | 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
San Francisco, CA 94118

Last Thursday June 19th The Nomadic Labyrinth was at the courtyard of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts for a Summer Solstice Labyrinth Walk. The labyrinth was available for the public to enjoy just for one day as part of Third Thursdays at Yerba Buena District. For the event I also created The Nomadic Labyrinth Elixir, made with herbs and crystal to have a more personal experience during the walk.

Labyrinths have been used for millennia as a tool for meditation. The Nomadic Labyrinth, a temporary public art installation, will be at YBCA offering this Summer Solstice a contemporary interpretation of an ancient design and tradition.

In many cultures, Midsummer’s Eve is a time when both plants and planets offer a special opportunity to tune into nature, the seasonal shift, and take a moment for personal reflection. Inspired by this tradition, I have created The Nomadic Labyrinth Elixir, a potion of crystals and herbs that can be used to support a personal experience while meditating in the labyrinth.

Summer Solstice Walk with Artist Paz de la Calzada
Jun 19, 2014 4:00pm – 8:00pm

YBCA
Grand Lobby
701 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 04103
FREE

Music by Mauro Fortissimo

Please join me at YBCA ConVerge Summer Solstice Walk, featuring my public installation The Nomadic Labyrinth on the YBCA plaza. Try The Nomadic Labyrinth Elixir and learn about potions, herbs and tinctures.

The YBCA:ConVerge series is a free monthly public gathering featuring creative and generative social art practices. It is part of Third Thursdays in Yerba Buena.

Learn more about ConVerge here

The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History is dedicating the 3rd Friday Event to the idea of the kind of innovative thinking that has created the entrepreneurial atmosphere of Silicon Valley.  Under the title of Design and Innovation the MAH gives the public the opportunity to interact with many projects created for this event.

The Nomadic Labyrinth was invited to be part of Design and Innovation and will stay in the atrium of the museum until June 1st. For the event the labyrinth had a lot of visitors, specially children that seemed to enjoy the vibrant carpet patterns and the intricate arabesque design.

From Santa Cruz, the Nomadic Labyrinth will travel back to San Francisco, this time to Yerbabuena Center for the Arts, YBCA.

CONVERGE
Summer Solstice Walk at YBCA
Thursday June 19th, 4 - 8pm

The Nomadic Labyrinth is a mobile public art project funded by the San Francisco Arts Commission Cultural Equity Grants. 

For further information about Innovation and Design at the MAH please read the reviews from the local newspapers.

Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Cruz Good Times

It is this time of the year to celebrate life and rebirth. The Nomadic Labyrinth is back and will be featured in two upcoming events in the Bay Area. Come and walk the labyrinth, celebrate the change of season and explore art as a transformational tool!

MAH
Museum of Art and History
705 Front Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
May 16th - June 1st

3rd Fridays Festival: 
Friday May 16th, 4 - 8pm

3rd Fridays Festivals connects diverse local organizations, artist and visitors around a specific theme in Santa Cruz Arts and Culture.

Learn more here


YBCA
701 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94103

ConVerge
Solstice Celebration and Labyrinth Walk
Thursday June 19th, 4 - 9pm

Part of Third Thursdays in Yerba Buena, ConVerge series is a free monthly public gathering featuring creative and generative social art practices. ConVerge is where community and innovative multi- and inter-disciplinary arts practices come together in our free and public spaces in a fluid, interactive, experimental format designed to engage audiences. YBCA's Grand Lobby and Front Door Gallery will come alive during ConVerge events with social art, live music and inspiring curated performances, as well as drinks prepared by YBCA mixologists.

Learn about Converge here

After working with the Nomadic Labyrinth project for several months, I have started using the left over small scraps of recycled carpet to create drawings and installations in my new studio. I find carpet to be a great an flexible material that complements perfectly with my charcoal and other line drawings.

It's always surprising to rediscover the value of discarded materials by putting them in a different context.  I have always been interested in questioning the boundaries of drawing and incorporating more permanent materials to create lines and traces. I am interested in using recycled material like carpet and rugs not only for their flexibility, durability and easy transportation but to explore space and themes of re-use. 

The images below belong to the first of a series of large scale drawing made directly on the wall. Dimensions are 10' x 12' approximately.

I have always been curious about working with silk. One of my new projects is working on a hair drawing and a design to be printed on 100% silk. I am planing on making a limited edition of hair scarves. Last week I was at Kala Art Institute making a few tests and the results are quite optimistic. I printed my first sketches directly on the silk and I am now researching on how to make the silk washable. I found a formula online to pre-coat the fabric and make it durable and I will experiment with it in the coming week. I hope to have the scarves ready for the next Open Studios in San Francisco Mission District, in April 2014. 

A few photos below of the first test.

After 7 years as an Art Explosion artist, I am moving to a new studio space in 1890 Bryant Street Studios. Located in the historic Best Foods building in the Mission District, this landmark building is home to creative business, designers, painters, printmakers, jewelers, photographers and ceramists. I will miss the artist community in Art Explosion and I look forward to grow in my art practice in 1890 Bryant Street Studios.

A new studio means a new beginning and for this reason I am doing an Art Sale of some of the work I created over the last 5 years (Yes, I still have a few Hair pieces available!)

Come by and help me say good bye to my old studio!

ART SALE
Art Explosion
2425 17th St @ Potrero
San Francisco, 94110

Sunday, February 9th, 11am - 5pm
(or by appointment Friday 7th and Saturday 9th)
415-312-2421
pazdelacalzada@yahoo.com

Below is a preview of some of the work that will be for sale.

Today early in the morning, my collaborator artist Eliza Barrios and I used the newspaper stands in front of the Vanguard Properties main office in the Mission District to deliver a message about home eviction and loss. 

Daily Slots is a collaborative art project started in the summer of 2010. Since then Eliza and I have been using the windows of the newspaper stand structures to deliver messages that call attention to the economy and the un-sustainable of capitalistic culture.

Learn more about Daily Slots here