On ‘Love Goes Through Your Mind:’ An Interview With Filmmaker Ronak Shah
In this Q&A with Shah, we dig into self-funding, bringing awareness toward mental illness and her intentions with filmmaking.
Ronak Shah, courtesy of Ronak Shah
Written by: A’nysha Fortenberry
This weekend, #bossbabesATX is supporting a few screenings at the Austin Film Festival, including indie flick “Love Goes Through Your Mind,” directed by Ronak Shah, an independent storyteller based in the United States, with roots in Mumbai, India and New Jersey. In her film, Love Goes Through Your Mind, she explores mental illness, and immigrant family structures, through a story about “a first-generation Indian-American family that is forced to come to terms with the denial of mental illness when their son is diagnosed with bipolar disorder.” With the film, she hopes to break the stigma surrounding mental illness within the Asian American community and provide encouragement to step beyond shame to seek help.
In this Q&A with Shah, we dig into self-funding, bringing awareness toward mental illness and her intentions with filmmaking.
Q: You launched "Love Goes Through Your Mind" on Kickstarter. What led you toward the self-funding route?
Shah: Love Goes Through Your Mind is my first feature and there was definitely some doubt. I wondered how it would all get done, what the final film would be like (I had done shorts, but I knew this was a different kind of beast). Kickstarter was actually a way to gauge if there could be interest in this project. If people would support the film even before it was made, then I knew I had an audience that would want to watch it. I felt encouraged and blessed when IndieWire decided to write about our Kickstarter campaign and even more when we met our goal.
Q: Can you talk about getting a team together? How did you incentivize them to join the project, and how did you keep them motivated during rough filming days?
Shah: During my time at UCLA, I helped out on many of my classmates’ projects in various different roles. We have a great community there, you develop a network and people support each other—I like to think of it kind of like a barter system. So when it came time to shoot Love Goes Through Your Mind, I reached out to my friends and they came through! This was more of the crew side - like in production, etc. Key department heads were paid (albeit low), but feature credit helped with that as they were all starting out as well. What also helped was that a lot of them enjoyed the script/story. It always starts from there. I would tell them right off the bat, “Hey, I don’t have much money, but please consider reading the script before making a decision”. I think it spoke to people at a deeper level. And that’s what helped during rough filming days—that everyone was on board with the story. We made a point to try and not go past 12-hour days. There were times when it got really hot (as we shot during summertime in LA) or were in cramped spaces in the house. Four words, cold water and popsicles.
Q: Walk us through some of your inspirations for "Love Goes Through Your Mind." What are you encouraging the viewer to explore?
Shah: My parents moved from Mumbai, India to New Jersey when I was 14 years old and it was as if time froze for them once we moved. I grew up in a time capsule of 1990s India. In retrospect, I understand what was underneath it—the fear of being so far away from home. This led to my parents trying even harder to preserve the culture after we moved here. Not only me, this was very common amongst my American-born Indian friends as well, whose parents were stuck even further back, in 1980s, sometimes 1970s India. Regrettably, this led to the immigrant generation taking the stance that physical illnesses are legit because that’s something that can be seen. But a mental illness isn't possible. Accepting one would mean that they did something wrong/failed their child somehow. And since they sacrificed so much—left behind their lives in India to come here and secure a better future for us, failure wasn’t an option. Hence, many mental illnesses go untreated or are brushed underneath the rug in hopes that it is just a phase that will pass. Love Goes Through Your Mind was made to challenge this stigma in the Asian American community and provide encouragement to step beyond the shame/denial and seek help before it’s too late.
Q: What is the biggest change you’ve noticed in yourself, and your filmmaking style, between your first film, and "Love Goes Through Your Mind”?
Shah: Great question. I would have to say confidence. The first film was a short made to see if filmmaking is really what I want to do. I’ve always told people that if you can picture yourself doing anything else besides filmmaking, do it. If not, then go ahead and make movies. So I made one to see if I could picture myself doing anything else. I couldn’t.
Q: What’s your advice for fellow indie filmmakers?
Shah: A lot of patience. Especially when one doesn’t have a ton of money and is juggling a lot of different roles. It’s easy to simply write something off during the process, justify to yourself and say, “Oh, it’ll just work.” Even when that little voice called your gut/intuition is saying, no, screaming—something’s off! I’d say take a breath and pay attention, listen to it. If you can’t while you’re at your desk, step outside, go for a walk, smell a rose. I don’t know, do your laundry. Just make sure to say hello to it. It has saved me multiple times during writing, during casting, during editing. I try to make a point not to live without it.
Q: Any self-care routines or things you live by to share?
Shah: Oh yes, these are so important. I’m a meditator, hiker and painter. I think this goes back to the gut/intuition point from the previous answer. It’s so important to have that pause, a moment when needed, through the process. There is so much going on during all the different stages while making a movie that it can easily clutter the mind and create a lot of mind noise. This makes it harder to hear what it is you want to tell—what is the core of your story? Those are the times, take that break, create that pause. Ironically, it might seem like the hardest thing to do in the moment because all you want to do is figure out the answer. But the self-care routines will help it come naturally. Organically. Also, get in touch with what is going on underneath—what is your subtext? What is your truth? After all, what we are doing through storytelling is conveying emotions and it’s harder to effectively do so if you don’t allow your own to breathe. Try to make space and hold all of them, the positive alongside the more difficult ones because one cannot exist without the other.
Want to see Shah’s film? Head to the Austin Film Festival this weekend and catch a screening on Friday, Oct. 26 at 6:30 PM at the Alamo Drafthouse Village. You can also hear Shah speak at the Austin Film Festival on Saturday, Oct. 27.
About Ronak Shah: Ronak moved between Mumbai, India, and New Jersey, USA, until she was fourteen years old. Because of this, she considers herself as much of an immigrant as American. While pursuing an art degree at Parsons School of Design, Ronak unexpectedly discovered her love for storytelling, so she proceeded to work in the film industry in New York City before moving to Los Angeles to get her MFA in Writing/Directing at UCLA. As a labor of love over a period of five years, Ronak wrote and directed her first feature film, ‘Love Goes Through Your Mind’, which is about an Indian-American family and its implosion under the pressures of one of their member's untreated mental illness. With this film, she aims to challenge the stigma toward mental illnesses in the Asian American community while providing encouragement to step beyond the shame and seek help before it's too late. Ronak is ecstatic to have its world premiere at the 25th Austin Film Festival 2018. Amongst many other things, the film made Ronak realize her passion to tell character-driven stories about the psychological struggles of immigrants and their children as they survive in a land far away from home. Staying true to that, she is currently in production on her second feature, 'Fountain of Youth', a dramedy about a brilliant Korean-American lesbian post-doctoral researcher's journey through a human clinical trial to find a cure for Alzheimer's. When one of the patients turns out to be her estranged mother who now doesn't remember her, she has to choose between curing her while reliving their past and the possibility of losing her mom all over again. This film has been made possible by partial funding from the Sloan Foundation. As a minority, female independent storyteller, Ronak is proud to make poignant films that move, challenge and inspire audiences to reflect on their unyielding beliefs. When she isn’t spending time making movies, Ronak lives to hike, meditate and paint.
Breaking Records And Showing Up: A CraftHER Fall '18 Recap
WE ARE PRESENT. 🔥From 11 AM to 5 PM on Sunday, October 21, we hosted our fifth installment of craftHER Market. 3800+ attendees filled the space to shop local and support women and nonbinary artists.
Photo by Renee Dominguez
From 11 AM to 5 PM on Sunday, October 21, we hosted our fifth installment of craftHER Market. 3800+ attendees (record-breaking!) filled the space to shop local and support women and nonbinary makers, creatives, artists and small business owners. Read on for a few takeaways from this fall’s pop-up:
THE VIBE
For craftHER Fall ‘18, we hosted 115 booths, including 100 makers, bakers, chefs and artists and 10 Austin-local community groups. Here are a few key takeaways:
3800+ attendees were greeted with hand-painted signage and windows by our featured artists, Good Snake, as well as a paper installation by the badass Amanda Witucki. On the sidewalk outside the venue, our friends at Chalk Riot produced an augmented reality installation, too.
Our community tables on the lawn hosted a range of activities for kids, from mask-painting to zine-making to coloring sessions.
On top of the pop-up marketplace, we produced five panels, curated by members of our programming committee, spanning topics of networking, healthy social media use, sustainable production, navigating creative industry and maintaining originality. (More info on these below!)
Through this year's raffle, we also fundraised more than $500 for Casa Travis.
Already missing the market? Recapture some of the day's energy by listening to #bbatx founder Jane Hervey’s craftHER playlist. We played this all day!
Our friends at MY EVENT IS THE BOMB captured GIF portraits all day long of attendees. Check ‘em out here.
Photo by Renee Dominguez
Photo by Renee Dominguez
Photo by Renee Dominguez
Photo by Renee Dominguez
Photo by Renee Dominguez
THE PANELS
featuring five discussions between local community members and the #bbatx committee, emceed by Jane Hervey
This spring, our craftHER panels explored networking, healthy social media use, sustainable production, navigating creative industry and maintaining originality. Curated by #bbatx founder Jane Hervey and three of our committee members (Keisha Gillis, Kristina Gonzalez and Alex Perez-Puelles), each panel was an intentional and presented a candid conversation between creatives and entrepreneurs at various stages of their careers. With stage design by Party at the Moontower, the backdrop for these discussions featured a commissioned piece by the market’s featured artists, Good Snake.
We'd also like to thank this spring's stage partners, Volusion, as well as our moderators and speakers, for making these panels possible!
Photo by Renee Dominguez
Photo by Renee Dominguez
THIS MARKET'S PRODUCERS AND PARTNERS
craftHER Market is produced by a team of staff and volunteer committee members at #bossbabesATX. #bbatx is a nonprofit organization that amplifies women and nonbinary creatives, entrepreneurs and community organizers. Our event series, showcases, strategic collaborations and professional development programs provide a platform of visibility, outreach and financial opportunity to 1000+ emerging women and nonbinary creatives, entrepreneurs and organizers per year. On top of that goodness, the public-at-large is invited to participate and learn more about how gender inequality affects their daily lives. More than 10,000+ community members annually attend our showcases, markets and dialogues—and in the last three years, our programs generated an additional $1million for the Austin economy.
This year's market was supported in part by our partners at Volusion and Fair Market. This year's in-kind contributors and supportive brands included Capital One, Party at the Moontower Rentals, MY EVENT IS THE BOMB and Austin Woman Magazine. This project was also supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.
Would you like to partner on craftHER Market 2019? Please email thebabes@bossbabes.org.
Want to get involved in the next craftHER Market? Our next one is on April 14, 2019 at Fair Market in Austin, Texas. Sign up for email updates at the bottom of crafthermarket.com and stay tuned for our applications reopening on January 2019.
We Are Present: On Fall 2018's Programming Theme
Over the next couple of months, from our meet-ups to SHE TALKS to craftHER Market, we’ll explore what it means to show up for our goals day-in and day-out. We’ll share the stories of historical icons and present-day leaders who motivate us to do the work—even when it’s tough. And we’ll deep dive into the creative spaces, communities and people that are working hard to make the City of Austin as vibrant as possible. Hope to see you soon.
Boils like power, bubbles like mother and bumps hips like sister. Sounds like Steinem and sings like Ma Rainey. Thrums and pulses with the clacks of heels the taps of flats the stomp of work boots the patter of bare feet. Feeds tamales, fried chicken, grilled cheese, pot roast, rice and beans. Works like CEO, like teacher, like coder, like firewoman, like designer, like entrepreneur.
She is providence. She is home. She is healer. And when she bleeds, she bleeds her woman,
And it burns. And it flows.
— MY WOMB TOLD ME WE WOULD, sour grapefruit
by Jane Hervey
I wrote this poem two years ago, at a time when I wasn’t sure I could continue. I was one year in to building #BBATX’s programs. I was working a full-time job, so when all was said and done I was pulling 90-hour weeks to keep my bills paid and the nonprofit alive. Trump had just been elected, and the world was in a frenzy. So believe me when I say that when I wrote this poem, I was this close to giving up. I kept thinking, If what I’m doing really matters, there’s no way I’d be feeling this hopeless, right?
So, I decided to do what I always do when I feel anxious—write. I called upon all of the people, moments, memories and stories that inspired me to continue. I thought about simple things, like long conversations with my mother, the first time I heard about Gloria Steinem, all of my friends who have ever fed me and the time I read about Ma Rainey when I was a freshman in college.
If you’re not familiar with Ma Rainey, she’s in our history books as one of the first Black women to become a professional blues singer in the 1930s. In the 1990s (decades after her death), she was inducted into multiple American halls of fame, from the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame to the Grammys’.
What I have always found most interesting about her, though, are all of the little side stories. When she retired in 1935, she ran three arts theaters (three!) until she died of a heart attack in 1939. She’s credited by many feminist thought groups as one of the first female singers to openly write about being attracted to women. And she even reportedly kidnapped Bessie Smith to play in one of her minstrel shows once, although this was discounted by Smith’s sister years later. (It looks like none of our faves have ever been perfect—even back in the 30s).
All of these little stories have been recorded, then told and retold for future generations to learn lessons from and to find inspiration in. They’re for people like me to come across at 18 years old—fresh out of a small town in South Texas, drowning in the complexity of my new worldview—to make sense of and to hold onto. They’re for us to remember who we are and where we come from—to understand our ancestors, to recognize our privileges, to call things by their names.
So, who tells and writes our stories matters. And that’s where the inspiration for #bossbabesATX’s programming theme, We Are Present, comes from. It’s a reminder that we are here, and that we are all serving as witnesses for each other’s hard work. We are the ones who will tell future generations of people, art, communities, spaces and movements that are driving forward our culture and country today. Because when we tell our stories, we give others permission to do the same.
So, over the next couple of months, from our meet-ups to SHE TALKS to craftHER Market, we’ll explore what it means to show up for our goals day-in and day-out. We’ll share the stories of historical icons and present-day leaders who motivate us to do the work—even when it’s tough. And we’ll deep dive into the creative spaces, communities and people that are working hard to make the City of Austin as vibrant as possible. Hope to see you soon.
— Jane Hervey
#bossbabesATX Executive Director and founder
Meet Her Hands: Cindy Popp
The second exhibition in Meet Her Hands, "I Can’t Do Anything By Myself" by artist Cindy Popp, opened on August 9. Thank you to our collaborators at the Elisabet Ney Museum, our drink sponsors Austin Cocktails, our volunteers and partners for making this show possible.
Photo by Diana Ascarrunz
Meet Her Hands is a collaborative exhibition series, produced by #bbatx and the Elisabet Ney Museum every summer, featuring three Texan women artists. This season, we're proud to host animator and illustrator Alie Jackson, documentary photographer Deborah Valcin and conceptual artist Cindy Popp. Each artist will showcase work within the Elisabet Ney's collection for two weeks, and throughout the summer we'll explore sculptor Elisabet Ney's legacy, while writing a new history of women in the arts.
The second exhibition in Meet Her Hands, "I Can’t Do Anything By Myself" by artist Cindy Popp, opened on August 9. Thank you to our collaborators at the Elisabet Ney Museum, our drink sponsors Austin Cocktails, our volunteers and partners for making this show possible.
MEET THE ARTIST BEHIND EXHIBIT THREE, "I CAN'T DO ANYTHING BY MYSELF:"
"As Cindy Popp, I use found objects, clothing and makeup to transform myself into anyone I want and my empty home into an audience. Finding examples of women—particularly women of color—using makeup and fashion to take control of their own image in a way that isn’t meant to be attractive to men can be very hard to find and I want to fill that void. I’m interested in an exaggerated version of femininity, with notes of pop culture and drag. My influences are fashion editorials, makeup artists on Instagram, B movies, clowns, and comedy. I always want my photos to be imperfect, indulgent, and a little gross." — Cindy Popp
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Hosted within the guest artist space at the Elisabet Ney Museum, I Can't Do Anything By Myself by Cindy Popp is a study of self-portraiture and a playful celebration of the unconventionally grotesque. Here are a few notes from Cindy Popp's opening reception artist talk:
On Cindy Popp as an alter-ego
"She has to exist in a space where she’s alone. She never sees the light of day—she’s only out inside my home."
On creating space for emerging talent in the art world
"I’d tell curators the same thing I’d tell anyone with a position of power—use it better. Let people without a voice, have a voice and be recognized."
On her inspirations
"My art came from me feeling restless with the scene here [in Austin]. It doesn’t mesh well with my personal style. Dressing up as a clown is fun and liberating. It has a clear aesthetic. So I just keep going and the rest is history... I also love Nickelodeon. My favorite show is Ren and Stimpy. Very fun, gross and interesting visual style. It was so funny, I love it."
On childhood
"As a kid, I was super small and shy and scared, always reading a book. Three older siblings raised by a single mom who was a trucker. I was home schooled. I was into Greek mythology and Stephen king. I was a creep and super sheltered! I had a very small view of the world. I think younger me would be super psyched about this [her work]. "
On her process
"I have a list and a photo collection as inspiration. But then an idea will just happen one day and I’ll go with it. They are also really spontaneous—I have these big dreams, but all these factors apply, so I have to scale things down. I do have some plan but I usually go with what’s available."
Photo by Jinni J
COMING UP NEXT:
You can view Cindy Popp's "I Can't Do Anything By Myself" through August 2018 at the Elisabet Ney Museum during museum hours. This is the final exhibition in our summer series. See y'all in 2019!
MEET THE PRODUCERS, PARTNERS AND VENUE:
About #bossbabesATX, the producers: We exist to build educated and empowered creative communities at the intersections of sisterhood and space. Through event series, showcases and personal/professional development programs, we amplify and connect women-identifying artists, creatives and entrepreneurs. Since we've been in operation, we've provided a platform of visibility, outreach and financial opportunity to 300+ Texas-based women artists, 400+ women-owned businesses and women activists. We were selected by The White House to attend the United State of Women Summit in June 2016 and inducted into the City of Austin Hall of Fame in 2017. This production has been made possible in part by 2018 presenting partners Resplendent Hospitality.
About the Elisabet Ney Museum: In 1892, European portrait sculptress Elisabet Ney (1833-1907) purchased property in Austin, established a studio named Formosa and resumed her career as a noted sculptor of notables. At Formosa, Ney sculpted legendary Texans, among them Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston. Ney also assembled at her American studio portraits of European notables, including King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Otto von Bismarck, Arthur Schopenhauer and Jacob Grimm rendered from life as a young artist in Europe. At the turn of the 19th century, Elisabet Ney’s studio became a gathering place for influential Texans drawn to “Miss Ney” and to the stimulating discussions of politics, art and philosophy that took place there. Following Ney’s death in 1907, her friends preserved the studio and its contents as the Elisabet Ney Museum and established the Texas Fine Arts Association dedicated to her memory.
Here, Queer and Babe AF: Our August '18 Portraits of Pride
A collaboration between #BBATX, Unbounded Agency and Space 24 Twenty, Portraits of Pride was an open happy hour on August 8 meant to capture visual expressions and celebrate queer history.
Photo by Cristina Fisher
A collaboration between #BBATX, Unbounded Agency and Space 24 Twenty, Portraits of Pride was an open happy hour on August 8 meant to capture visual expressions and celebrate queer history.
This event honored activist Marsha P. Johnson, a trailblazing queer trans woman of color who set into motion the gay liberation movement and also affected a generation of social change. Captured on Fujifilm Instax, filmmaker and #bbatx Project and Ops Lead Illyana Bocanegra captured portraits taken behind the scenes on two installations constructed by Anita Obasi of Unbounded Agency—each meant to provoke commentary around the politics of queerness. Developing photos were then hung on clothespins inside a structure painted and designed by Good Snake to create a collective piece of solidarity with and visibility for ourselves and the fellow LGBTQIA+ community.
We are present. We are here.
Portraits of Pride was a celebration of queer history—and a documentation of our community today.
We'd like to thank all who joined us for a memorable night honoring the legacy of Marsha P. Johnson. Major thank-yous to our event's sponsors, FujiFilm Instax and Space 24 Twenty, for providing us with the creative liberty to make this shit happen on our terms. We'd also like to thank our in-kind sponsors, Tito's Vodka, Richard's Rainwater and Topo Chico for keeping the bar open, as well as Charlotte's Fiesta Flowers and Ben White Florist for ensuring our flower wall installation was a hit. Here are a few takeaways:
Show up. There is power in our shared experiences. When you live your authentic truth, you give others the opportunity and permission to live theirs.
Know your roots. We can learn from those who came before us. We can seek healing, education, inspiration and resilience from exploring our histories. If you haven't had a chance, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the story and legacy of Marsha P. Johnson. We have much to learn from her bravery.
We are present. You are tomorrow's ancestor. Live like one.
Photo by Cristina Fisher
Photo by Cristina Fisher
MEET THE EVENING'S ARTISTS:
Illyana Bocanegra, portrait photographer
Illyana Bocanegra is a queer latinx artist working in austin, tx as the project and ops lead for #bossbabesatx and a documentary video maker. Her involvement in the queer community comes with providing visibility and a space for self-expression.
Illyana Bocanegra, captured by Tori Reynolds, in front of the Marsha P. Johnson memorial booth. Illyana is wearing a flower crown, hand-crafted by artist and organizer Las Ofrendas.
Anita Obasi, installation artist
Obasi is the founder and Principal of Unbounded Agency, a firm in Texas that specializes in creative strategy and event curation. The agency takes special consideration towards projects that create visibility around traditionally underrepresented demographics, including LGBTQ and POC communities.
Anita Obasi, captured by Tori Reynolds, in the resulting portrait installation (booth painted and designed by Good Snake).
Good Snake, booth/sign painters and designers
Comprised of Kayla Fritz and Hannah Epelbaum, Good Snake specializes in design and hand painting, with heavy emphasis on typography and illustration
Portrait Installation booth, hand-painted and designed by Good Snake, captured by Cristina Fisher.
Mosaico Experiencia, performance artists
Mosaico Experiencia is an intersectional, transcultural instillation for body memory, ancestral activation, and cathartic release AKA a party.
Mosaico Experiencia, captured by Tori Reynolds.
Keep up with this event's PRODUCERS, PARTNERS AND VENUE.
About #bossbabesATX, the producers: We exist to build educated and empowered creative communities at the intersections of sisterhood and space. Through event series, showcases and personal/professional development programs, we amplify and connect women-identifying artists, creatives and entrepreneurs. Since we've been in operation, we've provided a platform of visibility, outreach and financial opportunity to 300+ Texas-based women artists, 400+ women-owned businesses and women activists. We were selected by The White House to attend the United State of Women Summit in June 2016 and inducted into the City of Austin Hall of Fame in 2017. This production has been made possible in part by 2018 presenting partners Resplendent Hospitality.
About Unbounded Agency: Unbounded is an agency based in Austin, TX specializing in creative strategy and event curation. The agency takes special consideration towards projects that create visibility around traditionally underrepresented demographics, including LGBTQ and POC communities.
About Space 24 Twenty: Space 24 Twenty is a shared center for retail, local pop-up marketplaces, live music, events and dining in the heart of the Drag on Guadalupe Street in Austin, Texas. Rooted in celebrating what’s unique about the local community, it’s a space for bringing together Austin artists, creatives, musicians and designers.
Meet Her Hands: Deborah Valcin
The second exhibition in Meet Her Hands, "Black Angels" by artist Deborah Valcin, opened on Thursday, July 19. Thank you to our collaborators at the Elisabet Ney Museum, our drink sponsors Austin Cocktails, our volunteers and partners for making this show possible.
Photo by Diana Ascarrunz
Meet Her Hands is a collaborative exhibition series, produced by #bbatx and the Elisabet Ney Museum every summer, featuring three Texan women artists. This season, we're proud to host animator and illustrator Alie Jackson, documentary photographer Deborah Valcin and conceptual artist Cindy Popp. Each artist will showcase work within the Elisabet Ney's collection for two weeks, and throughout the summer we'll explore sculptor Elisabet Ney's legacy, while writing a new history of women in the arts.
The second exhibition in Meet Her Hands, "Black Angels" by artist Deborah Valcin, opened on Thursday, July 19. Thank you to our collaborators at the Elisabet Ney Museum, our drink sponsors Austin Cocktails, our volunteers and partners for making this show possible.
MEET THE ARTIST BEHIND EXHIBIT TWO, "BLACK ANGELS:"
Deborah is a Haitian filmmaker based in Austin, Texas with five years of videography under her belt. She has a strong passion for screenwriting and has written multiple scripts, two of which became short films. Her passion for her home country of Haiti drives her to constantly come up with new story ideas and a strong desire to bring to light unique stories centered around the Haitian narrative and the Haitian Diaspora. Deborah's lifelong passion is to explore the fluidity of human condition, the complexity of the Haitian narrative, and the curious nature of emotion and how it manifests itself in art, in others, and in nature. Deborah Valcin also exhibited work at #bbatx's electronic music and digital arts residency at Native Hostels in May 2018.
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Hosted within the guest artist space at the Elisabet Ney Museum, Black Angels by Deborah Valcin repositions subjects of her documentary work as heavenly beings. "Black bodies in spaces—we belong. We have every right to exist. Ever since Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, and more, it’s been tiring. They demonize Black people. We aren’t demons and we deserve to not be seen as such. We are normal people who do everyday things, we deserve to be seen as people who are worthy of existing. My use of the halo is to say to the viewer that this person is worthy to be seen as a beautiful person. We shouldn’t be looked down upon. We are perfect in our imperfection." — Deborah Valcin
Photo by Diana Ascarrunz
COMING UP NEXT:
You can view "Black Angels" through August 3 at the Elisabet Ney Museum during museum hours. Our next exhibition in this series will present a series of works by conceptual artist Cindy Popp, opening August 9. You can get more details on the opening reception here.
MEET THE PRODUCERS, PARTNERS AND VENUE:
About #bossbabesATX, the producers: We exist to build educated and empowered creative communities at the intersections of sisterhood and space. Through event series, showcases and personal/professional development programs, we amplify and connect women-identifying artists, creatives and entrepreneurs. Since we've been in operation, we've provided a platform of visibility, outreach and financial opportunity to 300+ Texas-based women artists, 400+ women-owned businesses and women activists. We were selected by The White House to attend the United State of Women Summit in June 2016 and inducted into the City of Austin Hall of Fame in 2017. This production has been made possible in part by 2018 presenting partners Resplendent Hospitality.
About the Elisabet Ney Museum: In 1892, European portrait sculptress Elisabet Ney (1833-1907) purchased property in Austin, established a studio named Formosa and resumed her career as a noted sculptor of notables. At Formosa, Ney sculpted legendary Texans, among them Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston. Ney also assembled at her American studio portraits of European notables, including King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Otto von Bismarck, Arthur Schopenhauer and Jacob Grimm rendered from life as a young artist in Europe. At the turn of the 19th century, Elisabet Ney’s studio became a gathering place for influential Texans drawn to “Miss Ney” and to the stimulating discussions of politics, art and philosophy that took place there. Following Ney’s death in 1907, her friends preserved the studio and its contents as the Elisabet Ney Museum and established the Texas Fine Arts Association dedicated to her memory.
Behind "Ancestral Modern" at the Blanton Museum: The Power Of Three Australian Aboriginal Women Artists
Ancestral Modern: Australian Aboriginal Art from the Kaplan & Levi Collection, currently on view at the Blanton Museum of Art, features the work of over 65 indigenous Australian artists spanning approximately 1966 to 2010.
This summer, we've partnered with the Blanton Museum to explore their newest exhibition Ancestral Modern: Australian Aboriginal Art from the Kaplan & Levi Collection. Over the next few months, we'll take members of our community through the museum tour to highlight the women artists who have contributed to it, as well as the work of Ancestral Modern's Assistant Curator Claire Howard. This past week, the exhibit's Associate Curator, Claire Howard, told us the stories of three works in Ancestral Modern, each created by women artists whose art teaches us about their communities, history, and lands.
Read on to meet them. 🎈
FIRST UP, MEET Emily Kam Kngwarray (1910 - 1996).
Emily Kam Kngwarray
Anooralya (Wild Yam Dreaming), 1995
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
59 13/16 x 48 1/16 in.
Seattle Art Museum, Gift of Margaret Levi and Robert Kaplan
© 2018 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VISCOPY, Australia, Courtesy American Federation of Arts)
Emily Kam Kngwarray, one of the best-known artists in the exhibition, only began painting in acrylic on canvas in the last eight years of her life. She produced Anooralya (Wild Yam Dreaming) when she was eighty-four years old. Her vigorous strokes suggest the tangled roots of the wild yam, an essential food for the forager culture of Kngwarray’s people, the Anmatyerr of Utopia in the Central Desert.
Kngwarray was a “boss,” or senior custodian, of ancestral knowledge about yams, including where and when they would proliferate. While the Anmatyerr people’s forager culture was disrupted by the arrival of white colonizers, Kngwarray depicts an underground scene invisible to outsiders in tribute to the sustenance the desert offers.
NEXT UP, MEET THE Yuendumu Women's Collaborative.
[Biddy Napanangka Hutchinson (born 1931), Betsy Lewis Napangardi (circa 1940 – 2008), Judy Napangardi Watson (circa 1925 – 2016), Rosie Nangala Fleming (born circa 1930), Amanda Nangala Jurra (dates unknown); Bessie Nakamarra Sims (circa 1932 –2012); and Pamela Napurrurla Walker (born 1957)]
Yuendumu Women's Collaborative
Mina Mina Jukurrpa (Mina Mina Dreaming), 1999
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
59 1/16 x 47 1/4 in.
Promised gift of Margaret Levi and Robert Kaplan to the Seattle Art Museum
© 2018 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VISCOPY, Australia, Courtesy American Federation of Arts
Seven Warlpiri women from Yuendumu in the Western Desert collaborated on this painting as a testimony to the significance of their Mina Mina (home or living place). Together, they traveled to the location where ancestral women stopped to sit under desert oaks, get water, and collect snake vines to wrap around food bowls and cure headaches.
Like the women in their ancestral Dreaming narrative, these Yuendumu artists gathered bush tobacco, fruits, goannas (monitor lizards), and grubs. After lighting fires to drive away blue-tongued lizards, they roasted food and sang quietly together.
The painting is laden with symbols that relate the features of their homeland, including concentric circles that suggest desert oaks and long wavy lines representing snake vines, surrounded by U forms that stand for the women.
third, meet Yvonne Koolmatrie (1944 - present).
Yvonne Koolmatrie
Pondi (Murray River Cod), 2003
Native spiny sedge grass
27 3/16 x 47 5/8 x 7 1/16 in.
Promised gift of Margaret Levi and Robert Kaplan to the Seattle Art Museum
© Yvonne Koolmatrie, Aboriginal and Pacific Art Sydney, Courtesy American Federation of Arts
Koolmatrie’s woven sculpture represents the Murray River cod, the modern-day descendant of Pondi, the Ancestral cod who created rivers with the sweep of his tail. Koolmatrie uses a traditional coil weaving technique to convey her concern for the current state of the Murray River and its inhabitants; the sedge grasses used to weave the sculpture diminished as the river was degraded by intensive agricultural practices, and the Murray River cod is now on the endangered species list.
Koolmatrie’s work testifies to the importance of “caring for country” to Aboriginal people, and their ties to homelands that extend not only to the ancestral past but remain continuously present.
About the exhibition: Currently on view at the Blanton Museum of Art, Ancestral Modern features the works of more than 65 indigenous Australian artists spanning approximately 1966 to 2010. Their work represents a renaissance in the world’s oldest continuous visual tradition, as contemporary Aboriginal artists adapt traditional motifs developed over the last 40,000 years to modern media such as acrylic paint on canvas, producing vibrant works that relate stories of creation, ancestors, and traditional knowledge and laws. Ancestral Modern: Australian Aboriginal Art from the Kaplan & Levi Collection is on view at the Blanton through September 9.
This exhibition is organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Seattle Art Museum. It was made possible by the generosity of Mrs. Donald M. Cox, the Wolfensohn Family Foundation, and an anonymous donor. Support for this exhibition at the Blanton is provided in part by Ellen and David Berman.”
About Claire Howard: Ancestral Modern was curated by Pam McClusky, Curator of African and Oceanic Art at the Seattle Art Museum. The Blanton’s Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Claire Howard, managed the exhibition’s presentation in Austin. (This included everything from choosing wall colors and laying out the exhibition’s fifty paintings and sculptures, to developing an educational resource room that helps contextualize the artwork to training docents to share the exhibition with Blanton visitors.) Managing traveling exhibitions has been a focus of Claire’s work at the Blanton since she arrived just over a year ago; she oversaw The Open Road: Photography and the American Road Trip last fall, and her next project is Making Africa: A Continent of Contemporary Design, opening this October.
Stay tuned for more collaborations with the Blanton Museum, as our community explores this exhibit in different capacities.
Meet Her Hands: Alie Jackson
The first exhibition Meet Her Hands, "Cemented Passengers" by artist Alie Jackson, opened on Thursday, June 28. Thank you to the Elisabet Ney Museum, Austin Cocktails, our volunteers and partners for making this show possible.
Photo by Jinni J
Meet Her Hands is a collaborative exhibition series, produced by #bbatx and the Elisabet Ney Museum every summer, featuring three Texan women artists. This season, we're proud to host animator and illustrator Alie Jackson, documentary photographer Deborah Valcin and conceptual artist Cindy Popp. Each artist will showcase work within the Elisabet Ney's collection for two weeks, and throughout the summer we'll explore sculptor Elisabet Ney's legacy, while writing a new history of women in the arts.
The first exhibition Meet Her Hands, "Cemented Passengers" by artist Alie Jackson, opened on Thursday, June 28. Thank you to the Elisabet Ney Museum, Austin Cocktails, our volunteers and partners for making this show possible.
MEET THE ARTIST BEHIND EXHIBIT ONE:
An award-winning designer and animator, Alie Jackson has over 8 years design experience working with big brands, blockbuster movies, music festivals, non-profits, and small businesses. Past and previous clients Include: Marvel, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Amazon Studios, ABC, Disney, FX, Home Depot, Office Depot, GSK, Sears, Boss Babes ATX, Juice Land, Texas Laser and Aesthetics, Sound on Sound Festival, Fun Fun Fun Festival, Margin Walker Presents, Transmission Events and more. Alie Jackson also exhibited work at #bbatx's electronic music and digital arts residency at Native Hostels in March 2018.
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Hosted within the guest artist space at the Elisabet Ney Museum, Cemented Passengers by Alie Jackson is about the constant disruption of people's lives while living in an urban environment. "We can't escape our senses, inundated continuously with audio and visual stimulation. I wanted to explore how my subconscious interprets the everyday sensory experiences of city life. I used a color palette predominantly comprised of artificial colors and objects across all mediums as a unifying principle. Through audio and animation, I made abstract shapes more recognizable when mixing them with collage elements and giving them movement paired with familiar sounds. Through the mixed media panels, I wanted to explore the more tactile and physical awareness of the city." — Alie Jackson
Photo by Jinni J
COMING UP NEXT:
You can view "Cemented Passengers" through July 13 at the Elisabet Ney Museum during museum hours.
PS: Our next exhibition in this series will present a series of works by videographer and photographer Deborah Valcin, opening July 19. You can get more details on the opening reception here.
MEET THE PRODUCERS, PARTNERS AND VENUE:
About #bossbabesATX, the producers: We exist to build educated and empowered creative communities at the intersections of sisterhood and space. Through event series, showcases and personal/professional development programs, we amplify and connect women-identifying artists, creatives and entrepreneurs. Since we've been in operation, we've provided a platform of visibility, outreach and financial opportunity to 300+ Texas-based women artists, 400+ women-owned businesses and women activists. We were selected by The White House to attend the United State of Women Summit in June 2016 and inducted into the City of Austin Hall of Fame in 2017. This production has been made possible in part by 2018 presenting partners Resplendent Hospitality.
About the Elisabet Ney Museum: In 1892, European portrait sculptress Elisabet Ney (1833-1907) purchased property in Austin, established a studio named Formosa and resumed her career as a noted sculptor of notables. At Formosa, Ney sculpted legendary Texans, among them Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston. Ney also assembled at her American studio portraits of European notables, including King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Otto von Bismarck, Arthur Schopenhauer and Jacob Grimm rendered from life as a young artist in Europe. At the turn of the 19th century, Elisabet Ney’s studio became a gathering place for influential Texans drawn to “Miss Ney” and to the stimulating discussions of politics, art and philosophy that took place there. Following Ney’s death in 1907, her friends preserved the studio and its contents as the Elisabet Ney Museum and established the Texas Fine Arts Association dedicated to her memory.
Where Do We Find Goodness In Our Lives?
At our last community meet-up in Austin, Texas, we asked 'Where are you finding the good in your life right now?' You answered by telling us about the good you find in yourselves, in others, in trying new things and even in Austin.
At our last community meet-up in Austin, Texas, we asked 'Where are you finding the good in your life right now?' You answered by telling us about the good you find in yourselves, in others, in trying new things and even in Austin. We've collected some of your answers below.
PS: Our theme for our next meet is "When Do You Feel Most Supported?" Answer at our next meet, happening August 15 at Cheer Up Charlies.
Interested in #bbatx community meet-ups? Learn more about them by clicking here.
URL IRL Resident Artist: Cindy Popp
Cindy Popp is a performance artist and concept photographer, occupying our URL IRL residency in June and July of 2018. For her residency, Cindy Popp will debut an exhibit at the Elisabet Ney Museum on August 9 (as part of our Meet Her Hands series), as well as create work for our ongoing DJ and digital art pop-up at Native Hostels (her work will be featured on July 5). In this piece, she discusses her personal influences and her process.
Cindy Popp is a performance artist and concept photographer, occupying our URL IRL residency in June and July of 2018. For her residency, Cindy Popp will debut an exhibit at the Elisabet Ney Museum on August 9 (as part of our Meet Her Hands series), as well as create work for our ongoing DJ and digital art pop-up at Native Hostels (her work will be featured on July 5).
Below she discusses her personal influences and her process.
Self-portrait by Cindy Popp
How would you describe your creative practice?
I would describe it as solitary. I like to use what little alone time I have to explore this side of me. It's the only time I feel like it isn't irresponsible or rude to make my work. I also find I'm not as self-conscious and am willing to indulge in whatever ideas I have. The actual act of making the photos takes a lot of prep time: looking at inspiration, playing around with costumes and makeup, figuring out the lighting or background. Finally I take the photos and then spend some time editing and posting.
The playful, yet destructive imagery in your work suggests themes of beauty, deconstruction and disruption—would you agree? Disagree? What other themes do you explore in your work?
I definitely think my work seeks to take beauty tropes and subvert them. I find a lot of inspiration in fashion editorials but don't see myself fitting into that world so I replicate it on my own (in a much more DIY fashion) and insert myself. It's about making these unattainable ideas less intimidating and sacred. I like to inject humor, grossness and imperfection to bring them back to Earth.
There's a level of vulnerability to your self-portraiture. What motivates you to take self-portraits? Are you naturally comfortable exploring those aesthetics of yourself?
Logistically, I started taking self-portraits because it was easier. I could experiment (and fail) and figure out what I was doing in private. I think subconsciously, I was motivated by my favorite artists (Frida Kahlo, Cindy Sherman) and found that they made me feel like my work was legitimate.
As far as comfort, I would say no. I am extremely critical of myself and my appearance and honestly kind of cringe at the fact that I am in all of these photos. However, I do think that's part of my process. I wouldn't say it's really helped my personal confidence but I think it gives other people that impression. I am a strong believe in "fake it till you make it" so I'm hoping that by putting myself out there more and more, it will have the nice side effect of making me a little kinder to myself.
Self-portrait by Cindy Popp
What's your ideal working environment?
I like being at home. I have taken great care to create a space where I am surrounded by the objects I love and a place that makes me feel comfortable and inspired. When I was younger, I hated being home alone and would just make myself go to sleep to avoid dealing with it. As I've grown older, I find myself cherishing that time and using it to create. My work was born, because I was trying to find a way to cope with the crushing loneliness and fear I felt whenever no one else was home with me.
What do you look for in a creative collaborator?
I want someone who understands that things don't have to look pretty or cool. It's also helpful if they understand my references and share my aesthetic. I also like someone who can commit, I'm not the kind of artist who likes to be spontaneous—I need everything planned and scheduled!
Editor's note: Cindy Popp currently collaborates with filmmaker and artist Andie Flores on Ay Payasa.
Are your photos entirely unedited? If not, what's your stance on editing vs. realism in your work?
My photos are not unedited. While I don't remove anything (like wrinkles or stray hairs), I do like to punch up the colors but that's about it. Personally, I prefer the leave the photos as untouched as possible. I hate filters, borders, or anything that makes the photo look more like a social media post than a photograph. I tend to do a lot of work in person (covering my face in something, wearing a wig, creating a background, etc.) so when it comes to editing, I like to keep it simple. I don't mind this in other people's work, but I just don't feel like it makes sense for this particular work.
Self-portrait by Cindy Popp
Any routines of self-care to share?
I don't have any self-care routines per se, but I did make a New Year's resolution to get a manicure every month and have so far been keeping that promise. I also love a good face mask or trip to Arby's.
What have you been reading, watching or listening to lately?
Reading: My favorite thing to do is eat alone somewhere and read something from www.longform.org. Literally every article I've ever read on it has been super interesting and informative. I'm currently reading "Men Explain Things To Me" a little bit at a time because each essay has a lot of weight that I need to process.
Watching: I watch a lot of TV and movies. I spend pretty much every evening watching something and the range is pretty wide. Lately a lot of Parts Unknown on Netflix, Allie Kay videos on YouTube, and whatever catches my eye from I Luv Video.
Listening: Talking Heads are my summer jam, so a lot of that on repeat. Cardi B is my favorite driving music.
Any particular works coming up that our community should know about?
I'm really excited for Lindsay Eyth's show at RECSPEC and the YLA 23 show at the Mexic-Arte museum. I also keep close tabs on the Alamo Drafthouse and AFS cinema for great movies to catch.
What do you want people to know about you or your art the most?
Putting yourself out there is very scary, so be gentle with me.
About #bbatx's The Residency: We annually work with 10 to 15, Texas-based women-identifying and nonbinary visual and musical artists to produce site-specific work, commissions and exhibitions throughout our programming and events. Through these residencies, we invite the public to learn more about their process, approach and sustainability of their practice. Click here to meet this year's artists.