ARTWALK NY 2008 Tonight

Now in its 14th year, ARTWALK NY is one of the great benefit art auctions in New York City. The auction helps fund the amazing work of the Coalition For the Homeless. This is the third year in a row I have been asked to donate a piece to ARTWALK and the third year in a row I have done so without hesitation.

The economy is in the dumper right now which means that homelessness is on the rise and funds for life changing programs and emergency relief are drying up exactly when they are most needed. If you can make it to the event tonight, you will not be disappointed by the work available for bid (PDF). If you can't make it, please do something on behalf of the homeless.

This. Fucking. Election.

T.F.E.

There is No Off Switch for Jason Polan's Genius

Lionfish © Jason Polan

Sunday my good friend Jason Polan will be doing something special for the Editions/Artists' Books Fair. As usual, it's pretty much genius.

On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I will be making drawings for a book called 100 People I Saw At The Editions/Artists’ Books Fair. The book will contain 99 people I saw during these three days. Once the drawings are completed I will print the book, in an edition of 100 to be available on Sunday at noon. The book will be available for purchase at the Esopus table (#59) at the fair. The book will cost $20. If you choose to purchase a book, you will be drawn in your copy, completing the project and becoming the 100th person in the book.

I will be there to pick up the book and have Jason drawn my picture. You should too.

Run Amy Run

Yesterday was a whirlwind of activity that took me to every corner and three boroughs of the city. It really wasn't much different than most days--my life pretty much follows the plot of Run Lola Run--but yesterday all the bit players and extras were dressed like the Joker and slutty nurses.

I started off in Brooklyn with my assistant Geoff prepping images for my upcoming show at the Print Center in Philly. After about four hours of staring at the computer screen, I drove home to Queens and picked up my husband and my cameras and headed over the Triborough Bridge to East Harlem.

This was my fifth year working on the Halloween in Harlem project. Every year I troll the crowded streets between Lexington and 3rd Avenue above 110th Street and fight the falling sun to document a unique New York take on an American holiday ritual. The kids in the neighborhood do not go from home to home for candy, they go from liquor store to bodega to check cashing store for candy. The streets are packed with families and stopping the flow to take photos proves half the challenge. Every year I build up to the day and then never have more than two hours to shoot before it gets too dark.

After shooting in East Harlem we drove back home to Queens, put on our lame costumes, and then jumped on the F train to the epicenter of Halloween madness to got to Matthew and Nate's party. If you have never been to the West Village on Halloween night, here's a helpful tip.

Don't go!

Streets blocked, throngs of drunken idiots in Scream masks, shoving and pushing from all angles, and New York's bagel-fed finest just standing idly by looking completely content to do nothing and collect overtime pay. Not fun. After forty minutes swimming through humanity we finally made it to the party.

Matthew and Nate throw the best parties and this year was no exception. Nate is the detail guy and no ghoulish detail was left to chance. Cupcakes with eyeballs, spiders crawling across the wall and spelling "Obama", and a giant centipede in the bathtub were just some of the touches that made this a great evening. The highlight was Matthew's Indian food throwdown challenge. He is a big fan of the Jackson Diner and my recent declaration that Delhi Palace was better raised his ire and piqued his interest. Look forward to a new Lunch With Amy post coming soon with guest diner, Matthew Pillsbury.

It always seems like a long subway ride home to Queens after a night out, but last night it took longer than usual. After a full day all I could do was collapse in my comfy chair while watching The Soup and then drag myself to bed a short time later.

This Saturday I am going to force myself to relax.

Happy Halloween!

Untitled (Witches) © Amy Stein

Skin Trade Opens Thursday

Skin Trade opens this Thursday at the Chashama ABC space on the Lower East Side. The show was curated by my dear friend by Dan Halm and features work by Elaine Bradford, Simen Johan, Eric Lendl, Christian Siekmeier, Amy Stein, and Kimberly Witham. All of the work centers on animals as decorative trophies.

I am excited for the exhibition because I will be showing two pieces that have never before seen the light of day. These are sort of photographic sketches I made before I started my Domesticated series. When I shot these I had a good idea of what I wanted to say about man's relationship to nature, but I had yet to figure out the visual narrative that would eventually define the series. I love these images because they provide an early window into the evolution of the series I have worked on for the last two years.

Deer © Amy Stein

Boar © Amy Stein

Here are the details:

Skin Trade
Chashama ABC
October 30 - November 22
169 Avenue C (between 10th and 11th Streets)
New York, NY
Opening Reception: Thursday, October 30, 6-9pm

Yesterday, I dropped off my prints at the gallery space and was amazed by the diversity and quality of the work in the show. Dan has really done a great job putting this together.

Mus Mus on Election Day

I have been recruited by Mus Mus to take a photo on November 4. I'm still not sure who they are or what this all about, but apparently a bunch of photographers will be taking a picture at exactly the same time on Election Day. Maybe this is like Hands Across America, but without the touching.

In addition to the invited photographers they are also issuing an "open call" to select 25 additional photographers to include in the project. If you are interested, you can submit work here.