Live Performance - Reading from "Borders of Our Lives"

I had my first "live" performance on Thursday evening, with a reading of excerpts from the first two chapters of my serialized novel "Borders of Our Lives" at Harmony Cafe. A special thanks to all my friends who were able to attend and to Tricia Aferdita, President of the Cetus Art District for hosting the event.

Snippets of the excerpts I read are below:

Reading from chapter one of "It's Time for You to Fly".

The two main characters, Jeffrey "Jeff" Goff and Cassandra "Cassie" Dawn appear in this scene. They had met early in Jeff's second life and Cassie had become Jeff's SL Mentor. The scene takes place as a memory of one of Jeff's and Cassie's first interactions after their having met. This scene is prefaced by Jeff's reminiscing on the relationship and recounting some of the memories of their times together in second life. He is waiting for Cassie to arrive in to SL where she will share with him her future plans. So, Jeff the "noob" after having met his mentor a few nights previously begins with …

"Work had been busy for me and I didn't log in for a few days. When I finally did, I eagerly checked my meager friends list, hoping to see her online, feeling disappointed as I noticed she wasn't. I opened her profile and read through it. The text was simple: "Hello everyone *smiles*, my name is Cassie and I'm here in SL to have fun and meet people. I will reply if you IM me, but won't accept friendship without being asked first. I do like to help people, so feel free to ask me a question, if I can answer it I will." I was about to look at her picks when an IM popped on screen:

[14:34] Cassandra Dawn: Hello Jeff :) … How are you sweetie? "

Reading from chapter two "Why Shouldn't We".

The story continues with the main character Jeff. At this time, Jeff has been around SL for nearly a year now. He and Cassie are still close friends but does not make an appearance in this chapter. However, this chapter introduces several new characters. Beginning with Jeff's soon to be romantic interest, Leanne Harris. It also introduces both Jeff's and Leanne's best friends. This is the scene where Jeff and Leanne meet for the first time. Jeff had just logged into SL, while still at work and he's a bit restless. He had decided to pop in and check IM's which he does and then heads over to a favorite place while he finishes RL work. The scene begins with Leanne….

"Leanne Harris: Hi Jeffrey, I'm Leanne … but my friends call me Lea … It's very nice to meet you. *smiles*

I hadn't seen her arrive. Moving the cursor up on the 'View' drop down, I select 'Look at Last Chatter'. My viewpoint shifts and she is centered on the screen. I smile seeing the pretty blue-eyed blond who now has all of my attention.

Jeffrey Goff smiles, "Hello Lea. It's nice to meet you as well and I generally go with just Jeff."

Leanne Harris: *smiles* Alright … Hello Jeff. "

The two chapters are available as "Thinc" books in second life and can be found at my booth, Lane's List on Book Island.

2008 Recipients Rasmuson Foundation Awards

On May 12th, the Rasmuson Foundation announced its annual awards at an event that took place in both second and real life. I had the opportuity to interview a represenative of the foundation, Jeffronius Criss and media consultant / designer Cybergrrl Oh. The story appeared in the SL Newspaper.


RASMUSON FOUNDATION GALLERY OF ALASKAN ART


The 2008 award winners announced at the event are noted below:

Ron Senungetuk, visual artist, curator, Inupiaq scholar, and former University of Alaska Fairbanks professor of Art and Design has been named 2008 Rasmuson Foundation Distinguished Artist.

Six artists have been selected to receive $12,000 Fellowship Awards:

* Carl Battreall, photographer (Anchorage).

* Nicholas Galanin, multidiscipline artist working in performance art, video installation, film, sculpture, painting and photography (Sitka).

* Sonya Kelliher-Combs, visual artist working in mixed-media creating two and three dimensional works (Anchorage).

* Philip Munger music composer (Wasilla).

* Linda Smogor, photographer (Homer).

* Vladimir Zhikhartsev, plein air watercolor painter (Fairbanks).

In addition, Individual Artist Project grants have been awarded to:

* Audrey Armstrong, $5,000, folk/traditional artist working with fish skin (Anchorage).

* Michael Engelhard, $5,000, literary artist (Fairbanks).

* Clara Haley, $5,000, folk/traditional artist Northwest Coast cedar bark weaver (Wrangell).

* Denise Heimel, $5,000, visual artist working in clay to create sculptural forms (Wasilla).

* Caroline Kroll, $5,000, folk/traditional artist, wood carver, weaver (Anchorage).

* Rosemary McGuire, $3,145, literary artist (Cordova).

* Christopher Miller, $4,999, photographer (Juneau).

* Leslie Hsu Oh, $5,000, literary artist (Eagle River).

* Roswell Schaeffer Sr., $5,000, folk/traditional artist working with wood, ivory and bone craft (Kotzebue).

* Teresa Shannon, $5,000, craft artist working in clay (Fairbanks).

* Ruth Sorensen, $5,000, oil painter (Anchorage).

* Tasha Walen, $5,000, craft artist working in glass (Juneau).

* Sheila Wyne, $5,000, multidiscipline, multi-media artist (Anchorage).

Why Shouldn't We

New release from Lane's List Publishing, Chapter Two "Why Shouldn't We" from the serial novel "Borders of Our Lives" The book is exclusively available at Lane's List on Book Isand.

Kiss the Sky - A survey of Hyperformalism

Two New Pieces by Nebulosus Severine in an upcoming exhibition!

Kiss the Sky - A survey of Hyperformalism presented by NMC and the Museum of Hyperformalism. The opening reception is tomorrow, May 17th, at 12PM noon SLT.

NMC Arts Lab

"While I do not consider myself a Hyperformalist (according to Dancoyote Antonelli's definition of the term), I do often produce pieces in that style. It has been my pleasure to participate at the upcoming 'Kiss the Sky' exhibition, to which I have contributed two new pieces. I will also be DJing for the event, playing a selection of electronic/ambient music."

Other artists in the exhibition: Chance Abattoir, Dancoyote Antonelli, Vlad Bjornson, nand Nerd, Selavy Oh, Adam Ramona, AngryBeth Shortbread, Sasun Steinbeck, Sabine Stonebender, Seifert Surface, elros Tuominen, Juria Yoshikawa, and i7o Zhu.

Life in the Nazz Lane

An active week in both lives, second and real, and I'd managed to make a few new connections in the virtual along with catching up with a few old friends in the real. I'd also finished chapter two of my serialized novel "Borders of Our Lives". It's in the hands of my editor now and I'm anxious to see it published in second life soon. The title for chapter two is "Why Shouldn't We" and continues the story of Jeffrey Goff and the people he meets in his second life.

Some of this past week's high lights:

• The opening of Tricia Aferdita's showing went very well. Happily I was able to attend if only for a brief visist and see "Expressions" a collection of her new works in acrylic. She is quite active in the SL arts, beside her own work and art gallery, she also serves as president of the Cetus Art District in SL. A great build and must see when you have a chance.
  

• I attended the opening of the Tranquil Art Museum showing of the Quilters in SL Stitching Up Spring Quilt Show this past Thursday. The quilts will be available through the month of May at the Tranquil Art Museum and Commons. Providing entertainment for the event was Phoe Nix. If you do have a chance to see and hear her perform, you should take the opportunity to do so. A delight to hear her renderings of several standards and of her own songs while tickling the keys of her piano. Brianna Beresford, the owner of Tranquil and a very dear friend certainly knows how to plan and host an event.
  

  
  

• I received one sad bit of news during the week, I understand that my good friend Simone Stern is away from SL resting and recovering. My very best wishes to her and a speedy return to the helm of Simone Design.
  

• Fellow reporter at the SL Newspaper Yonsay Gontineac sent me copy of a short story he wrote. An interesting piece of fantasy, I would expect to see more come from him soon.
  

  
  

• Arahan Claveau and Nebulosus Severine are exhibiting at the Kunstvlaai (ArtPie) Festival, which runs from May 10-18th 2008. This event takes place simultaneously at the Virtual Holland & Amsterdam SIM in Second Life and in the real-life Amsterdam gallery, PlanetArt. They have a number of works on display at Virtual Holland, including a special presentation of the film 'Salon du Disruptif.'
  

• Hopefully the third try will be a charm, having missed planned interviews with poet Therik Wilkerson twice now, I hope to catch up with him this week.
  

  
  

• I received an invite to "MediaCampBucks May 08" from CJ /Katie Reve, Pilot Theatre representative in SL. Katie will be running a workshop from SL during the RL event on the 18^th of May. "MediaCampBucks May 08" is an un-conference digging on advertising, blogging, web-dev, branding, virtual worlds, new and social media for anyone wishing to get involved.

SL Quilt Show Grand Opening @ Tranquil Art Museum

The Tranquil Art Museum welcomes the Quilters in SL Stitching Up Spring Quilt Show! The Grand Opening of the show will be held on Thursday, May 8, 3 PM PDT at the Tranquil Art Museum and Commons. Phoe Nix, Sl's newest jazz and blues chanteuse will perform to welcome visitors to the show.

There are 18 quilts featured in the show and it is open to additions by sending an uploaded picture with full perms to Brianna Beresford. The show will run through the end of May and is being held on the lawn of the Tranquil Art Museum which features Kuna Indian Molas as a permanent exhibit.

A quilt dedicated to Relay for Life is going to be created while the quilt show is at the Museum. There are 25 quilt squares waiting for SL artisans to submit their square for the quilt. The finished quilt will be auctioned and the proceeds donated to RFL.

For more information about the Quilt Show or the to donate a square for the Relay for Life Quilt please IM Brianna Beresford.

Tranquil Commons

"Expressions" at Exposure Gallery

Second Life artist and the president of the Cetus Art District, Tricia Aferdita opens her latest showing today. "Expressions" is a collection of new works in acrylic. The exhibition will be at the beautiful Exposure Fine Art Gallery in Fairchang Vista NW. The opening reception is today, the 5th of May starting at 7 PM PDT. Shantu Selene will be performing live on the Exposure stage. Exposure Gallery