Wednesday, September 15, 2010

CORIOLIS - The Exhibition Opens Today in Second Life

"CORIOLIS ", an exhibition by Oberon Onmura opens today, 15-September on TCC Island in Second Life. The opening event starts at 1 pm PDT/SLT with music by Zachh Cale. In his brief note, Oberon announced that "CORIOLIS " is a SIM-wide landscape/soundscape.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Exhibition Opening at the AHO Museum

An exhibit featuring the work of nessuno Myoo opens today at the AHO Museum. The opening begins at 2 pm PDT/SLT. the AHO Museum is curated by Tayzia Abattoir and is located on the NMC campus in Second life. The museum is home to Interactive Art, 3D Sculpture, RL Painting, and SL Photography. Besides seeing the works of nessuno Myoo today, visitors can also view work of other notable Second Life artist such as; Daruma Picnic & Jules Mandelbrot, Kira Westland, Ginger Lorakeet, Filthy Fluno, Winter Nightfire and CHUCKMATRIX Clip.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Exhibition 'We Are Not In The World' Opens Today in Second Life

Dekka Raymaker's newest work "We Are Not In The World" opens today, 11-September at 1:30 pm PDT/SLT. In the notecard I received he explained:


"Dekka Raymaker's new installation 'We Are Not In The World' part inspired by a Arthur Rimbaud quote "What a life! True Life is elsewhere. We are not in the world." A story about a journey, exploration and discovery.


An interactive build, you are encouraged to walk around the area and click on objects, there is sound but most is triggered via sensor scripts. Please set to and view at Midnight.


Dekka Raymaker made most of the textures, and most being made for this particular installation. Everything was built by him with exception of the sinks and toilet which are by Nap Mayo and the suitcase under the bed by Take Lowey."

Friday, September 10, 2010

Professional Virtual Designer Society Kicks Off Weekly Speaker Session

A notecard from good friend Georgianna Blackburn arrived when I logged this morning. The announcement follows:

We're thrilled to kick-off our weekly speakers sessions at the Professional Virtual Designer Society this Friday, September 10th, 2010 @ Noon - 1 pm SLT
 
Join us as we welcome:
 
Callipygian Christensen, who will be addressing the challenges and advantages of creating 2D art in a virtual world. Shooting a variety of subjects, Callipygian Christensen uses SL snapshots to document her view of the Second Life we lead. Calli displays some unretouched images, but also uses post-processing to create photographic art - removing ugly angles and texture blurs caused by SL animation and movement, and to enrich the depth and tone of SL colours.

Calli presents images in many different styles, from portraits to landscapes, from the mundane to the erotic, and has won Best in Show awards in numerous juried SL arts contests and Fan Favourite ballots.

Calli's work can be seen at multiple gallery locations within SL, and images can be purchased both in SL and in the real world.

4TH Annual 9/11 Memorial Event to be Held in Second Life


Good friend Hope McAlpine is busily organizing for her fourth annual 9/11 event to be held at her Blue Angel Memorial Garden. I'd met and interviewed Ms McAlpine for an article I wrote for the SL Newspaper some time ago. Her Memorial Garden is dedicated to "first responders" who have fallen while performing to dangerous jobs. Here are the high lights and an agenda and for the event:

Our 4th Annual 9/11 Memorial Event is promised to be the most memorable and honorable event with some exciting features unlike ever before:

* Central Park like theme surrounds the memorial center
* Storefronts now available for rental at the memorial site to help support the operational cost for Blue Angel Memorial Garden
* Singers in different languages are invited to sing to honor their country and to remember those who have served other around the world
* Some returning and some new exciting speakers to share their thoughts
* Memorial bridge linking between memorial site and Afterhour Fritz for ballroom dance between the memorial event
* Currently being discuss on having the floating parade
* While 24 hours memorial service have been stellar, we decided it would be more practical to hold 12 hours shift but so that people around the world may be able to attend and pay respect for the fallen
* Memorial item cab be rezzed at Blue Angel Garden skybox. (Please contact Hope McAlpine for details)

Agenda:
5:46 am SLT for 8 46 North Tower attack ... one minute of silence
6:03 am SLT for 903 South Tower attack ... one min of silence
6:37 am SLT for 937 Pentagon attack ... one min of silence
7:03 am SLT for Shanksville, PA attack ... one min of silence
9 am SLT ceremonial event
1 pm SLT ceremonial event
6 pm SLT ceremonial event
9 pm SLT ceremonial event

Between events, Afterhours Fritz hosts a ballroom dance, near the bridge which links to memorial event area.

Fund Raiser for "LEARY'S FIREFIGHTERS FOUNDATION"

Blue Angel Memorial Garden is doing fundraising to help with Leary's Firefighters Foundation. This organization was founded by Denis Leary, an actor and producer of "Rescue Me 9/11". His cousin and childhood friend died along with 5 other firefighters at his hometown, Worcester, MA on Dec 3, 1999. In 2000, he founded Leary Firefighter Foundation which helps purchase equipment and training.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

A New Gallery for Shellina Winkler

Luminescence by Shellina Winkler

 
I stopped in to view her new location and to see some of her latest works. I've been a fan of her work for some time now and I was pleased to see her new space. Her piece pictured above, Luminescence, is one of my favorites . She has an extensive color pallet and isn't afraid to apply it to her work. The main floor contains several recently completed pieces, including "Lost in Music" which did transport ones thoughts into a musical realm. The Luminescence piece by the way is located on the roof of the gallery. I also ventured outside into the garden to find many of her sculptures that she had completed over the last few years, along with several immersive pieces. It is well worth the visit when you have the opportunity to stop by.


THE KNOT - Shellina Winkler's Art Gallery

 

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

AUGUST WINNERS OF THE UWA 3D ART & DESIGN CHALLENGE

Press Release:

103 entries of the highest quality to the final August round of the UWA 3D Art & Design Challenge, and what happens?

Nish Mip's powerful and enveloping piece, THE LAST OCEAN takes the top prize (L$5,000) making it an unprecedented 3rd time she has won First Prize for the IMAGINE Challenge breaking a tie with Bryn Oh & Igor Ballyhoo, both of whom won the Challenge twice. Lee Supermarine and Eliza Wierwight shared honours in taking 2nd Prize. In the FLAGSHIP Challenge, Herick Straaf narrowly beat 5 time champion Nyx Breen to take the top prize for a 2nd time. Jesse Keyes, Alizarin Goldflake & soror Nishi picked up L$6,000 each in winning Legacy Awards for their work across the year for the IMAGINE Challenge, while Nyx Breen took home the Legacy Award for the FLAGSHIP Challenge.

The final month of this year long L$600,000 challenge, August saw a record shattering 103 submissions to the IMAGINE challenge with 6 Flagship Builds pushing the total across the year to 841 entries from more than 300 artists and builders. 6 of the 7 continents of the world are represented as entrants hailed from Venezuela, Belgium, Mexico, Wales, Canada, the USA, the UK, Uruguay, Scotland, England, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, France, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Denmark, Holland, Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Cuba, Serbia, Tunisia, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

Commenting on the win, Nish said, "My thanks go to Jayjay and quad for putting so much work in to organising these competitions. They deserve the biggest round of applause for their efforts and to everyone else involved through support and sponsorship in whatever way and that includes the artists, judges, and the people who come along to look and appreciate this great boost for second life art. I really feel proud to have taken part in these competitions. I only came looking for a sandbox to finish my Butterfly house off, but I think everyone in whatever life they have wants to feel that they have a purpose and I'd like to make a special thank you to JJ for spotting something that I hadn't realised I had and am still even now finding hard to believe. I can only put my success down to being a bit of a perfectionist and never being satisfied with what I've done. Perhaps that helps, I don't know, but these competitions have definitely paved a way forward for me that I really appreciate. Thank you everyone who's made that possible. I know with the dedication that the UWA in SL has put in to the virtual art world they will go from strength to strength and I very much look forward to the coming years and to hopefully participating with UWA in making our second lives so much richer. I love you all. "

In acceptance, Legacy Award winner Jesse Keyes said, "I am honored that i managed to hang on long enough to receive the UWA Legacy prize.

It's been a long year and I look forward to making and entering more contest builds in the up and coming year. I would like to thank all the people that have worked on setting up the contest and to Jay Jay Zifanwe for putting bugs in my ears on when the build is due (they were real bugs). Thanks again UWA for hosting such a great event". She emoted, "gets drunk and falls off the podium, waves to everyone, uses trophy to crack walnuts."

soror Nishi, fellow Legacy Award winner, and winner of the Honourable Mention Prize for JOY for August, with 'Dotty the Dragon' chimed in, "It's a great thing to feel that what you try to do as an artist, that what you try to 'say' has been understood. An award is like someone saying 'yes, soror, I agree'..and it makes it possible to go on creating, trying to express difficult 'stuff'."

The biggest winner on the night in terms of the number of awards won was Eliza Wierwight, whose cleverly named entry, THE SATIRICAL POLEMICIST won the 2nd overall IMAGINE prize (L$3,000), 2nd Prize in the People's Choice Award (L$500) as well as the Rain Prize (L$1,000). "What an interesting journey from working in isolation for such a long time, then the genuine feeling that I am a part of the Arts Community family in Second Life as I do now. I'm smitten. While I'll know I will always seek time to get delightfully lost in the process of creation in seclusion, it's a reaffirming joy when I head back to shore to find such warm welcome as has been expressed in these awards I've been honored with today. If I was to say that a position in the People's Choice is like an embrace, then the Imagine Challenge Prize and the Rain Prize on top of that had me floored with delight. My huge and genuine thanks to the SL Community , the University of Western Australia, my precious friends, my muse , the delightful Miss Q (quadrapop Lane) and the genuine and astounding Jayjay Zifanwe whom I am still honing an ever developing artistic temperament on just for the sheer amusement of it. Again, for everything, my sincere thanks."

The Non-Scripted IMAGINE prize was won back to back for the first time every, by prim wizard nessuno Myoo with THE UNICORN WOOD EDITION. "I'm really happy and I want thank all for the great opportunity to show my works alongside all this masterpieces. For me it is a great honor." Only he and soror Nishi have more than one piece in the reckoning for the Non-Scripted Grand Prize.

Corcosman Voom, who won an Honourable Mention for the Legacy Award (L$4,500), also took the Bohemian Ghost Prize (L$1,000 + 600 prims on the Summerland SIM). "I was very pleased to have been awarded an Honourable Mention UWA Legacy prize and The Bohemina Ghost prize in this, the final round, of the UWA 3D Art & Design Challenge. It has been my pleasure to be able to exhibit my art this past year in the company of work by so many talented artists. I am very grateful to UWA and everyone associated with the Challenge for the opportunity it has given to so many people. Most of all, I appreciate the dedication and hard work Jayjay and quadrapop have put into making this project a success. Thank you both for making this a great year."

A paradigm breaking piece called 'ANTARCTICA - AN INDIVIDUAL EXISTENCE' by Glyph Graves won the Honourable Mention Prize for Second Life Wizardry. This must see work, uses real time data from weather stations in Antarctica to create an enchanting symphony of sound and light. The technical expertise required to create such a work is mind-boggling.

Gleman Jun was also a multiple award winner as his 'STOP FEAR' won the People's Choice Award as well as the Honourable Mention (HM) Prize for Emotion. Other award winners included Oberon Onmura (Legacy Award HM), Oldoak Merlin (Casey Prize & FLAGSHIP HM), Blue Tsuki (HM Prize for Immersion), Gingered Alsop (HM Prize for Scripting Magic), Pinkpink Sorbet (Anton Mesmer HM Prize).

Joining the extended judging panel for the Grand Prize are art philanthropist & founding patron of UWA-BOSL Amphitheatre, Phillip Vought, Paisley Beebe, CEO of Perfect World Productions TV and Jopsy Pendragon, creator of the Particle Laboratory Learning Centerhave who have all stepped in to take the place vacated by M Linden. They will have the entire month of September to make their decisions.

UWA is grateful to Bohemian Ghost and the Summerland Estate for raising L$33,000 which was put toward the Legacy Awards. Bohemian Ghost will also be part sponsoring the People's Choice Award for the Grand Finale, along with the Residents of Artemesia who have been sponsoring the monthly People's Choice Awards.

The Grand Prize Round is now open, and there is a People's Choice Vote for this. There has been a beed over the past few weeks to rezz all the past winning flagships across the grid. We would like to acknowledge all those who have given up valuable prims and space to allow UWA to put up these flagships till the end of the voting period which is the 30th of September. They include Caren McCaw & Nyx Breen (of the Annapurna SIM), Dijodi Dubratt (Toor), quadrapop Lane (Poorlatrice), Kip Yellowjacket (Virtlantis), Lilli Field (Mysten), Phillip Vought (Acquitaine), Cuwynne Deerhunter & Eliza Wierwight (Patron) and the Linden Endowment for Arts (LEA).

This is the first time LEA land is being used and opened up to the public. One SIM of the LEA cluster has been opened up for this purpose.

The machinima challenge, MachinimUWA II: Art of the Artists, is ongoing, and closes on the 20th of September. & works have come in thus far from Tutsy Navarathna,spyvspy Aeon, Bryn Oh, Megan Merlin, Missy Restless and Yesikita Coppola. These Machinima feature the works that have been entered across the year to the UWA 3D Art & Design Challenge. They are all linked on the blog http://www.uwainsl.blogspot.com/.

WINNERS OF THE AUGUST ROUND OF THE UWA 3D ART & DESIGN CHALLENGE

IMAGINE CHALLENGE - 3D ART

LEGACY PRIZE (IMAGINE): $L6,000

Alizarin Goldflake

soror Nishi

Jesse Keyes

LEGACY PRIZE (FLAGSHIP): $L6,000

Nyx Breen

LEGACY PRIZE (Hon Mention): L$4,500

Oberon Onmura

Corcosman Voom

Imagine Challenge 1st Prize: ($L5,000 + Custom T-Shirt)

THE LAST OCEAN by Nish Mip

Imagine Challenge 2nd Prize: ($L3,000) JOINT

THE SATIRICAL POLEMICIST by Eliza Wierwight &

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD by Lea Supermarine

Best Non-Scripted Entry: ($L3,000 + Custom T-Shirt)

THE UNICORN WOOD EDITION by Nessuno Myoo

FLAGSHIP CHALLENGE - BUILDING DESIGN

Flagship Challenge 1st Prize : ($L5,000)

CONCEPT BUILDING FOR AXS LAB by Herick Straaf

Flagship Challenge 2nd Prize: ($L3,000)

UWA AXS LAB by Nyx Breen

Flagship Honourable Mention Prize: (L$1,000)

Oldoak Merlin

Honourable Mention Prize for EMOTION (L$1,000)

STOP FEAR by Gleman Jun

Honourable Mention Prize for SECOND LIFE WIZARDRY (L$1,000)

ANTARCTICA - AN INDIVIDUAL EXISTENCE by Glyph Graves

Honourable Mention Prize for JOY (L$1,000)

DOTTY THE DRAGON by Soror Nishi

Honourable Mention Prize for IMMERSION (L$1,000)

THE DEEP by Blue Tsuki

Honourable Mention Prize for SCRIPTING MAGIC (L$1,000)

QUANTUM MATRIX by Gingered Alsop

THE ANTON MESMER Honourable Mention Prize (L$1,000)

PARTLY ANTSY CHAMBER by Pinkpink Sorbet

The RAIN PRIZE (L$1,000) - Established for one of the Founding Patron of the UWA 3D Art & Design Challenge

THE SATIRICAL POLEMICIST by Eliza Wierwight

CASEY PRIZE - JULY (L$4,000)

BLACK SWAN by Oldoak Merlin

THE BOHEMIAN GHOST PRIZE (L$1,000 + 600 Prims on the Summerland SIMM for at least 3 months)

THE AERIALIST by Corcosman Voom

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD - 1st prize (L$1,000):

STOP FEAR by Gleman Jun

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD - 2nd prize (L$500):

THE SATIRICAL POLEMICIST by Eliza Wierwight