The Light Grey Art Lab Podcast: Recent Episodes
Light Grey Art Lab
Light Grey Art Lab is an art gallery in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where creatives come together to learn, travel, exhibit, and discuss their creative practice. Our podcast features the Light Grey team discussing the creative practice, reflections on our exhibitions and projects, artist interviews, guest lecturers, and travelogues. Learn more at lightgreyartlab.com. Thanks for listening!
What keeps us going? How do we navigate the reoccurring complexities of life while still maintaining a creative lifestyle? Is there any real secret, or is this a process unique to each individual? Jenny, Lindsay, James and Calvin discuss this, followed by an interview with visiting artists Bene Rohlmann and Christina Mrozik.
Ohhhhh boy, it’s that season, it’s that time, it’s Halloween, baby! Jenny, Calvin, and James spend this episode spooking each other with stories, grossing each other out, and screaming in the Light Grey Art Lab basement. We barely even talk about art because we’re so caught up in the Halloween spirit! Join us, and we hope you don’t mind some gross eyeball talk.
Join Calvin as he sits down with illustrator, adventurer, Boatist, and comics maker Lucy Bellwood amidst her book tour of 100 Demon Dialogues. The book explores the relationship many creators have with their inner critic/imposter syndrome/anxiety, and is a relatable but oftentimes lighthearted look at this very present "demon".
This episode explores these themes as well as travel, the boundaries of being a working artist, the weirdness of being in the Digital World, and the business of doing all of this while maintaining as healthy of a life as you can! Listen to hear more! (Warning: Some Explicit Language)
Calvin sits down with Dennis Madamba and Kyle Harabedian post-April Blizzard to talk about their recently printed project, Campfire Comics, as well as Autoptic, Minneapolis' upcoming indie comics convention.
Winter in Minneapolis is a time for many things: shoveling, wearing lots of layers, shivering... But it's also a time for learning and researching while cooped up in our respective homes. As we begin our hopeful shift into spring, we take a minute to discuss our favorite books, factoids, fantasies, and life thoughts. We might be getting over colds and the winter blues, but we're all fired up for the coming of productivity and warmth!
In preparation for Winterland, our show celebrating the local craftspeople of Minneapolis, Calvin stops by the letterpress design studio Fontlove in order to speak with the founder, Elana Schwartzman. They discuss the importance of design in social activism, the letterpress process, and what it's like to be a Minneapolis designer. (Note: This podcast was recorded on-site with a portable mic, so we apologize for the audio quality!)
We recently had the opening of our show Winterland, which celebrated the vibrant culture of handcrafted goods that exists in our beautiful city! Before the opening, Calvin had a chance to sit down with Bliss Benson of Homesteading Bliss and Danelle Williams of Florence Oliver, two of the makers featured in the show. Listen on to learn about each of their practices, and also get some updates from the Light Grey team! (P.S. There's a secret, post-credits performance by Calvin and Jenny, for all true fans who stick around.)
This week's podcast features Megan Nicole Dong and Stu Livingston's artist lecture, which took place at Light Grey Art Lab prior to the Color Anthropology opening reception on Friday, April 21st. Megan is currently a director at Nickelodeon Animation Studios, and still finds time to create hilarious comics under the name Sketchshark, for which she's found a massive audience online. Stu recently finished co-directing "Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie" for Nickelodeon Animation Studios and has previous credits on "Futurama," "Steven Universe" and "Clarence," and his personal comics have appeared in numerous anthologies nationwide. Together they share a bit about their respective backgrounds and journey to where they are now, before turning to the audience for some thoughtful Q&A about work/life balance, fulfilling creative needs, and the nuts and bolts of working in the animation industry.
Just like the title of this podcast, sometimes it's best not to think too hard about things. At our core, we're all a constant swirling evolution of ideas, identity, and goals, and if you have to deliberate over every decision, you might find yourself getting bogged down by it all. For this week's podcast, Lindsay, Jenny, and Chris are joined by the newest additions to the Light Grey team, James Lavella and Calvin Bauer, to discuss the art not overthinking decisions and allowing change to happen.
In the final days of 2016, Lindsay and Chris packed up their sleeping bags and headed out to the Pacific Northwest to camp, ski, and hike their way through remote Washington, Olympic National Park, the Hoh Rainforest, and Vancouver Island, Canada. Between the days of exploring the beautiful landscape and nights of sleeping in backwoods shacks or WW2-era tugboats, the pair took a few moments here and there to share the details of their adventure.
Earlier this month, Lindsay was joined by Teagan White on a trip overseas for the U.K. Tarot Conference in London, England. This week's podcast picks up right where last week left off. As you might recall, Teagan and Lindsay had just returned to London after a week of exploring the English countryside. Now, back in London, the dynamic duo recap their urban-themed adventures, from creeping through ancient cemeteries to studying in esoteric museums to signing in empty karaoke bars. Finally, they go deep into ideas and insights gained at the U.K. Tarot Conference, discussing topics about creativity, symbolism, and personal reflection.
This week's podcast comes to you straight from England! Earlier this month, Lindsay was joined by Teagan White on a trip overseas for the U.K. Tarot Conference in London, England. But before the conference, the pair spent a week exploring, learning, camping, flying kites, and more! Each night, Lindsay and Teagan sat down to recount the places they'd traveled, the people they've met, and the animals they'd saved. Tune in next week for the second half of this two part series, to hear about their time in London and the U.K. Tarot Conference.
This week's podcast features Justin Oaksford's artist lecture, which took place at Light Grey Art Lab prior to the Huldufólk opening reception on Friday, May 27th. Having joined us for 2015's Iceland Residency, Justin is a visual development artist working in video games and a freelance illustrator. Currently woking on the Halo franchise at 343 Industries in Seattle, Justin talks about the nuts and bolts of the industry, his inspirations and ideas behind making, the importance of observation and thought, and more.
This week's podcast comes to you straight from Japan! Lindsay and Chris headed to Japan in March to explore, learn, shop, hike, and eat. Each night, we took a moment to report back about the things we were finding, the food we were eating, and the cats we were petting. This week picks up right where we left off atop Mount Misen, and continues through our final adventures in Japan. Thanks for tuning in!
This week's podcast comes to you straight from Japan! Lindsay and Chris headed to Japan in March to explore, learn, shop, hike, and eat. Each night, we took a moment to report back about the things we were finding, the food we were eating, and the cats we were petting. This week picks up right where we left off, and finds Lindsay and Chris rocking some karaoke, getting lost in the middle of the night, and of course, petting more cats. Forgive the audio quality and any pronunciation errors as these are the raw, uncut ramblings of some weary travelers, and stay tuned for more to come!
This week's podcast comes to you straight from Japan! Lindsay and Chris headed to Japan in March to explore, learn, shop, hike, and eat. Each night, we took a moment to report back about the things we were finding, the food we were eating, and the cats we were petting. This week starts with our long and painful flight to Japan, and continues through adventures in and around Osaka. Forgive the audio quality and any pronunciation errors as these are the raw, uncut ramblings of some weary travelers, and stay turned for more to come!
Shuffle Buddies is back with another boardgame-packed episode! On this week's episode Chris and Francesca have just returned from Asia, and we've got stories about Japanese boardgame stores, Chinese internet cafes, and a slew of new games purchased in foreign lands. We give an overview on some Japanese games like Deep Sea Adventure, Nine Tiles, A Fake Artist Goes to New York, and Royal Warrant, and then review the Reiner Knizia classic, Samurai.
On this week's podcast we talk to TyRuben Ellingson, a visual designer and concept artist who has created memorable designs for dozens of films such as Jurassic Park, Avatar, Hellboy, Elysium, and more. Recently, TyRuben has returned to teaching, and is currently serving as Assistant Chair of Communication Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. We talk to TyRuben about his background and how he got started in the industry, how he approaches change and growth as an artist, being smart about allocating your time and energy, the value of ideas and much, much more.
We're back after a short hiatus filled with all sorts of surprises, ranging from tantalizingly exciting to heartbreakingly sad. On this week's podcast, Jenny, Chris, and Lindsay recap the final leg of the Ouray Art Camp trip, bring listeners up to speed with what's been happening at the gallery so far this year, and share what's coming soon. Also, as of March, Light Grey Art Lab is now four years young!
On this week's podcast it's another boardgame-focused installment of the Light Grey Art Lab Podcast. Since this is becoming a reoccurring format, we've decided to give it an official title; Shuffle Buddies™! Valentine's Day is here and loving couples can be found hand in hand, strolling the promenade, in the corner booth at the dime store sharing a cherry phosphate, and of course, playing two player boardgames! So in the spirit of the holiday, Chris and Francesca talk about hot new games you can play with your sweetie, and share a list of our top(ish) three 2-player games!
During the final days of 2015, the Light Grey Art Lab team brought a group of artists to beautiful Ouray, Colorado for a week fun, adventure, and new experiences! In part two of a multi-part Ouray Diaries series, Jenny, Chris, and Lindsay take a moment each day to reflect on the travels, discussions, logistics, memorable moments and more.
During the final days of 2015, the Light Grey Art Lab team brought a group of artists to beautiful Ouray, Colorado for a week fun, adventure, and new experiences! In the first part of a multi-part Ouray Diaries series, Jenny, Chris, and Lindsay take a moment each day to reflect on the travels, discussions, logistics, memorable moments and more.
A new year is nearly upon us, and it's got us reflecting on the things we've accomplished this year, and all the new things we might accomplish next year. However, there's bound to be familiar things the deserve repeating, and on this week's podcast, Lindsay, Chris, and Jenny talk about bringing the sense of discovery to familiar territory, sharing experiences with new people, and the idea of appearing effortless prepared.
The new year is just around the corner, and we're already gearing up to take it on full force! Probably. On this week's podcast, Chris, Francesca, Lindsay, and Jenny talk about goal-setting, learning new things, brainstorming, and our individual goals for the coming year.
With the opening reception of Bower Bird fresh in our minds, Lindsay, Francesca, Chis, and Jenny sit down to talk all about collections in the form of curation and preservation. What drives people to capture moments in time and history, who’s responsibility is it to collect and record, and how much is too much?
The holidays are officially here! After the dust from too much food and drink and being merry has settled, what better way to spend the cozy winter evenings than with a board game? On this week's podcast Chris and Francesca talk about the games we bring home to share with our families, and that you should too.
As time marches on species come and go, empires rise and fall, and 90's neon moves in and out of fashion. On this week's episode Chris, Jenny, Lindsay, and Francesca talk about inevitable process of evolution. What amounts to positive outcomes from dire situations, what do we do when changes come our way and can you force a personal evolution?
On this week's podcast, Lindsay, Jenny, Chris, and Francesca talk about leadership. Some people are natural leaders, some have to work hard to become great leaders, and some try to avoid it entirely, and we discuss how we might deal with individuals who have conflicting goals, wether management as good (or bad) as it's cracked up to be, and who's REALLY going to go down when the ship sinks?
Inspired by recent articles about the difficulty of making friends in the Frozen North, we've been thinking a lot about relationships and living in new, or familiar, places. On this week's podcast Francesca, Lindsay, Chris, and Jenny discuss the reasons people leave, what makes a home a Home, and the humbling act of returning to the familiar.
To celebrate the release of COSMOS, our favorite West Coast Light Grey Art Lab member Francesca Buchko made a triumphant (although very short) return to Minneapolis. While there was plenty of work to do, eventually things settled down and boardgames were played in abundance. On this week’s podcast, Chris and Francesca sit down to share their thoughts on the games they played.
It's been a LONG time coming, but the release of COSMOS is finally opon us! We've been working on this project for over a year when all said and done, and on this week's podcast we reflect upon the entire process; from the earliest moments when it was nothing more than a twinkle in our eye, to working our own pieces, to what the final project means in a larger context.
On this week's podcast, Lindsay is convinced that those beloved chimney sweeps from Mary Poppins were on to something. Joined by Chris and Francesca, we discuss the art of making adjusts to ensure you enjoy what you do, the bizarre shapes that projects sometimes balloon into, and how sometimes you get to be a carefree chimney sweep, but once in a while you've got the be the stodgy old banker.
On this week's podcast, Lindsay, Chris, Francesca, and Jenny talk about the decision to do things the way they're always done, or forging you own path. There are plenty of dangers, rewards, downfalls, and unforeseen consequences in every situation, and we discuss the ways we approach them, the perceptions of bucking the trend, and how the new becomes the norm.
The call-for-art just wrapped for the upcoming exhibition Bower Bird, but we've still got nature on the brain and it has us wondering what other parallels we could draw between the creative lifestyle and the animal kingdom? Lindsay, Chris, Jenny, and special guest Francesca talk about the similarities between making art and the habits exhibited by animals all around the globe, and talk about what animals might best represent our creative habits (spoiler: it's not very flattering).
Even the most positive person can have an off day. A day where nothing goes right and everything blows up in your face. That's when you enter The Crab Zone. Everyone is a crab not and then, and that's ok. On this week's podcast, Lindsay, Jenny, and Chris talk about plans that go awry, weird vibes, and dealing with unexpected changes.
It's hard for some people to take a moment here and there to pat themselves on the back for a job well done. On this week's podcast, Lindsay, Chris, and Jenny talk about the ability to surprise yourself, the importance of perspective, and finding opportunities to give yourself some credit.
Whether you burn the midnight oil as a freelancer of hustle a 9 to 5, chances are you still don't have enough time in the day to finish all the cool stuff you'd like to. Inspired by an article from The Atlantic called 'The 9-to-5 Workday as Liberation.' Chris, Lindsay, and Jenny compare and contrast the 9 to 5 grind to the freelance lifestyle.
We've just wrapped up the COSMOS Tarot & Oracle Deck (pre-orders are live!) and its time to shift our focus onto what's next. Surprise! That's easier said than done. On this week's podcast, we talk about the need for brainstorming, overcoming writer's block, exploring themes or unknown territory, and shifting gears; wether that's finishing a life-consuming project to the everyday transition from work time to free time.
If you're a creative person, it's surprisingly tricky to juggle ambitions, friends, projects, health, love and life. On this week's podcast, we talk about getting out of the studio and becoming social butterflies... or not. After all, maybe that social interaction thing isn't all it's cracked up to be. Then we talk about being horrible teens.
After helping Deep Space 9's Odo (Rene Auberjonois) with some tech problems on twitter, Lindsay's a little starstruck. On this week's podcast, we talk about approaching people who may intimidate you a little, expectations and social contracts when meeting new people, and the joy of finding out that everyone, regardless of success or talent, is still a real person at the end of the day.
Once again, the Light Grey Art Lab team returns to Iceland! We're hosting two, back-to-back, week-long artist residencies in southern Iceland, right at the base of the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Our two groups of amazing artists (Team Moss and Team Lichen) each spent an entire week exploring, conversing, and learning together. In the fourth, and final, part of our multi-part 2015 Iceland Diaries series, Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris take a moment each evening to reflect on the day's events, share stories, and sometimes get a little loopy. A final huge 'thank you' to all the participating artists in the 2015 residency, and we look forward to next year's program!
Once again, the Light Grey Art Lab team returns to Iceland! We're hosting two, back-to-back, week-long artist residencies in southern Iceland, right at the base of the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Our two groups of amazing artists (Team Moss and Team Lichen) each spent an entire week exploring, conversing, and learning together. In the third part of a multi-part 2015 Iceland Diaries series, Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris are now left cruising the lonesome road. Each night we take a moment to reflect on the day's events, share stories, thoughts, and more. And it's not over yet! Make sure to check back for plenty more adventure!
Once again, the Light Grey Art Lab team returns to Iceland! We're hosting two, back-to-back, week-long artist residencies in southern Iceland, right at the base of the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Our two groups of amazing artists (Team Moss and Team Lichen) each spent an entire week exploring, conversing, and learning together. In the second of a multi-part 2015 Iceland Diaries series, both residencies are now over, and Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris take some time to reflect on the experience, with plenty of Dungeons & Dragons references thrown in for good measure. From here on out, the Light Grey team is on their own, so be sure to check back for plenty more adventure!
Once again, the Light Grey Art Lab team returns to Iceland! We're hosting two, back-to-back, week-long artist residencies in southern Iceland, right at the base of the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Our two groups of amazing artists (Team Moss and Team Lichen) each spent an entire week exploring, conversing, and learning together. In the first of a multi-part 2015 Iceland Diaries series, Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris take a moment each week to reflect on the travels, discussions, logistics, memorable moments and more. This episode only covers the first few days of the adventure, so be sure to check out the next few episodes for plenty more!
Lindsay, Jenny, and Chris are about to leave Minneapolis for Light Grey Art Lab's 2015 Iceland Residency. Naturally, that means we're struggling to deal with a bloated checklist of work that needs to be done, details that need to be planned, and deadlines that need to be met. On this week's episode, we talk about how and when you decide to commit to new plans, and the satisfaction that comes from completing them... and, most importantly, the work it takes to get from that first step to the last.
On this week's podcast, Lindsay, Chris, and Jenny talk about that moment you realize you've found your people. The people that, until that moment, you might not have realized even existed, but who share all the same obsessive and esoteric interests as you. When should you wear your heart on your sleeve, keep a few secrets when creating a dating profile, or reveal the number of cats you own to the world?
This week's podcast features Teagan White's artist lecture, which took place at Light Grey Art Lab this past Friday, prior to the Patches + Stitches Opening Reception. Teagan is a freelance illustrator, who does commercial work, children's books, and gallery work, with clients ranging from Penguin Random House, Nike, and Wired Magazine. Teagan's work gravitates to nature-inspired imagery, and she talks about her connection to the natural world, how she gathers inspiration, and how she balances her client work with personal exploration.
Patches + Stitches opens this week, and the juxtaposition between gritty themes and traditional craft techniques has Lindsay, Chris and Jenny asking just what it takes to be a tough granny. We discuss our grandma/grandpa personas, the divide between art and craft, and what it takes to transition between the two.
We're back from Light Grey Art Camp, an artist retreat to Bryce Canyon and Zion, Utah! After a fun-filled week of hiking, drawing, adventure, and slowly drying out in the arid desert heat, Lindsay, Jenny, and Chris reflect on our experiences of traveling with a group of artists, seeing the night sky in perfect clarity, and the joys of pushing past your comfort zone.
We've been busy studying astral bodies as we create the oracle deck guidebook for the Cosmos project, while simultaneously packing and planning for next week's Light Grey Art Camp at Bryce Canyon & Zion, Utah. We're eyeballs deep in the symbology, science, and mythology of the heavens, and on this week's podcast we talk about the process of working on through the Cosmos project, finding and interpreting celestial metaphors, and what it means when you're looking to stars for guidance.
We've got travel, workshops, residencies, and more coming up in the very near future and on this week's podcast Lindsay, Jenny, and Chris talk about preparing for adventure. Starting with our questionable choice in clothing, we branch out into predicting and solving possible problems, avoiding danger, and being open to veering off the script. True adventure means encountering the unexpected, and we celebrate that chaotic fact before we embark on our own summer excursions!
On this week's podcast, Jenny FINALLY reveals what was buried in the shallow grave hidden in her backyard! This shocking revelation leads us into a conversation about time capsules, precious collections, and the importance of remembering, and why you should peep into stranger's windows at night.
This week's podcast features Sam Bosma's artist lecture, which took place at Light Grey Art Lab this past Friday, prior to the Iceland Residency Exhibition Opening Reception. Sam Bosma is an illustrator and comic artist who's work has won awards from the Society of Illustrators, Spectrum Fantastic Art, and the Ignatz Committee, as well as being nominated for an Annie Award for his work on Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe. Sam talks about his progress as an artist, moving between illustration, animation, and comics, his process and inspirations, and more.
New and exciting things are always happening in the world of art; people are innovating, movements are happening, and ideas are being shared. On this week's podcast, Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris talk about ownership. When is an original idea no longer original, and hen do you claim ownership over an idea, a piece of artwork, or an experience?
As our current exhibition, Guts: What Lies Within, comes to a close, we decided to take the topic in a more literal direction, and reached out to Pajau (PJ) Vangay, a researcher who's working on her PhD in Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology. A lot of PJ's research revolves around our guts, or more specifically the microbes within them. On this week's podcast Lindsay and Jenny pick PJ's brain about all kinds of guts-related topics, like how our fixation on cleanliness might be changing our bodies, fecal transplants, how your microbiome might shape your life more thank you know, and how your pets can help build a microbiological bridge to a loved one, and more.
The summer is almost upon us, and people are thinking about new jobs, new paths, and new projects! With half of us being teachers, there's a lot of questions and anticipation flying around and it's got us thinking; how much agency do you really have when starting, and advancing, your professional career? On this week's podcast, Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris talk about searching out options, making goals, knowing what's right for you, and happy circumstances.
On this week's podcast, Jenny, Chris, and Lindsay talk about what, if anything, constitutes a waste of time? How do you balance and keep from dedicating too much time to anything unworthy of your master plan? We touch on failed projects vs experimentation, recreation vs practice, and planning vs execution, plus a whole lot more.
The Guts exhibition is finally here, and on this week's podcast we talk to featured artist Lana Crooks. Lana is a member of the OhNo!Doom collective and gallery director for Clutter Gallery. She constructs creatures from fabrics and found objects as a textile sculptor and purveyor of faux specimens and soft curiosities. We talk with Lana about everything from her past, her process, her thoughts on mixing client work and gallery work, and much, much more.
Our new exhibition Guts opens this weekend, a show all about what lies within. This has us thinking about the similarities between preparing food and preparing an exhibition. On this week's podcast, Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris talk about working with the ingredients you have, what counts as 'fat' and how much of the process should be visible on the end consumer.
The Light Grey team has spent the last few weekends speaking on several convention panels about art, games, publishing, and community projects. Convention panels are a wonderful place for sparking insightful discourse between knowledgeable peers. On the other side of the coin, there's a lot of ways that a conversation with complete strangers in front of a crowd of even more strangers can go off the rails and crash and burn. On this week's podcast, Chris, Jenny, and Lindsay plan their contingency plans in case of a panel emergency.
Convention season is already upon us, and on this week's podcast, Lindsay, Becca, Jenny, Chris, and Francesca talk about the art of the con. With the Light Grey home-team fresh out of GlitchCon, and Francesca exploring Emerald City Comic Con, we've got cons on the brain. Cons are exciting places full of new ideas, new people, big communities, unknown opportunities, and maybe just a hint of exhaustion. We discus our favorite and least favorite experiences, the art of talking to new people, the highs and the lows, and what we are hoping to take away from a successful con.
Fresh off the launch of BOSS RUSH! we're thinking about the concept of a boss. Bosses always get a bad rap. In media and real life, it seems like it's always fun to bag on the higher-ups. But let's be honest, it's a tough job. On this week's podcast we talk all about being in charge. We discuss what makes a great boss, why it's hard to see the value of a boss early in life, the difficult balance of delegation and cooperation, and how to grow as your own boss in a freelance career.
It's a big week for getting old! Francesca, Lindsay and Light Grey Art Lab all have big birthdays coming up, and all this growing older has got us thinking about all the toys we want. On this week's podcast we discuss the art of the toy. What fuels new trends in toys? Why were early nineties toys obsessed with slime? Is Beanie Babies a cool name? Can you fashion your own Moon Shoes from household items? We ask all the hard questions on our quest to find out what makes a great toy.
Inspired by the Chinese New Year and our upcoming trip to Bryce Canyon and Zion, Utah, on this week's podcast, Lindsay, Jenny, and Chris talk about astrology and what the cosmos has in store… for everyone! We discuss how its possible that entire swaths of the population can be grouped for astrological predictions, how sometimes we just need a reason to reflect on ourselves, viewing your horoscope as a checklist of things to work on, and the idea of the person you were born to be versus the person you became.
On this week's podcast, Lindsay, Chris, and Jenny sit down for a chat with artist and long-time Light Grey Art Lab contributor, Jesse Riggle. For those who don't know, Jesse spent countless hours lending a hand as we remodeled and launched Light Grey Art Lab way back in 2012. Since then, he's moved across the globe to Vienna, Austria to work for the UN. As far as we can tell, he's spent the last year climbing mountains, biking across Europe, and illustrating massive books in his free time. We talk to Jesse about fitting in in a foreign country, how we define where 'home' is, and what's up with his weird toilet.
On this week's podcast, we take a look at our stray grey hairs and how they got there. Making tough decisions never gets any easier, but it's an important part of a creative lifestyle, and Lindsay, Chris, Francesca, and Jenny discuss a few moments that gave us serious pause, and how in the end the risks are worth a few grey hairs.
On this week's podcast Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris are inspired by our recent call-for-art, GUTS - a show all about exploration, discovery, and the mystery of what's just underneath the surface. We discuss a range of topics, including the possibilities of what lies within, expectations vs realities, and how the unknown and special circumstances can affect the chances we're willing to take.
On this week's podcast, Lindsay tries to convince Chris of all the important things she needs on eBay. They ponder who painted the hundreds of eerily similar 1950's era mountain paintings on auction, which leads to a discussion about style, artistic movements, and the choice to stay relevant in the long term.
Fresh out of the North Star Tarot Conference, this week we're inspired to talk about the parallels between reading Tarot and making art. We talk about overcoming discomfort, building metaphors, intention, symbols, and the benefits of a good critique.
On this week's heartfelt podcast we bid adieu to our very own Francesca Buchko - who, by the time you hear this show, has moved thousands of miles away from the hallowed halls of Light Grey Art Lab. We take this chance to reflect on what it takes to stay in touch with displaced friends, the shake-up felt on both sides of the relationship, and exciting, new beginnings. We also slowly come to terms with how difficult it is to play boardgames over Skype.
Join us as we continue our series of podcasts where we talk to individuals about videogames, collaboration and community, and making things in the interactive realm. This week we speak to Evva Kraikul and Nicolaas VanMeerten, founders of Glitch Gaming, a non-profit that provides programming to promote gaming culture and game design as a creative practice. We discuss how Glitch connects students with opportunities in the gaming industry, what it takes to run high profile gaming events, and how important it is for educational institutions to recognize gaming culture as a viable candidate for funding.
This week kicks off a new series of podcasts about videogames, collaboration and community, and making things in the interactive realm. First up, we're talking to Microsoft's David Washington, who has he enviable (and slightly difficult to explain) position of Technical Evangelism Manager. David and his team work with artists, programers, entrepreneurs, and anyone else with a spark of an idea to help execute their project to it's fullest potential. You also might remember David's name as the programmer of Dream Arcade!
Wait, 2015 is here already? That means it's resolution time again! On this week's podcast we take a look back at our 2014 resolutions to evaluate our many successes (and even more failures). We go on to discuss the purpose of resolutions, what makes a realistic yearly goal, and think about making goals that stretch much further than a year. Then we all make bold and binding resolutions for 2015!
New Years Resolutions are on everyone's mind, and on this week's podcast we dive into the eternal question of 'What if?' It's easy for small plans to spiral into grand strategy if you keep asking 'What if?' and with roughly one billion decisions to make a year, there's bound to be a few you look back on in speculative wonder.
The year is nearly at an end, and the Light Grey crew gleefully attended at least six different holiday parties this weekend. Cookies were consumed, games were played, and plenty of gifts were ferociously unwrapped. On this week's festive podcast, Lindsay, Francesca, Chris, and Jenny talk about the act of giving. Inspired by the old adage, 'One man's trash is another man's treasure,' we discuss some of the more esoteric points of gift giving, reminisce about some of the stranger gifts we've given or received, and talk about the huge commitment that is making your gifts by hand.
The holidays are upon us and it's time for festive parties, family excursions, group activities, and plenty of cutthroat competition! What better way to liven up your next holiday jubilee than to pull out a rousing boardgame for all to enjoy! On this week's podcast, Lindsay, Chris and Jenny share a slew of our favorite board/card/tabletop games for every situation imaginable. If you're looking for your next party hit, a game that's good for the whole family, or something to play with your significant other on a chilly night, we've got you covered with plenty of recommendations that are sure to please!
On this week's podcast, Jenny, Francesca, Lindsay and Chris talk about the good, the bad, and the awkward. We cover a range of topic, such as the sacrifices it takes to do what you love, forcing yourself to network and meet new people even if it goes against your hermit-like tendencies, the joys of a shared distraction, and much more.
Thanksgiving is over in Minneapolis and now the Light Grey Art Lab team is cold, overbooked, overstuffed, overstressed and SOME of us are already sick of this long, frosty season. On this week's podcast, Lindsay, Francesca, and Chris talk about our own remedies for staying cheery in this season of joylessness and our plans to tackle this godforsaken time of forced reflection and solitude.
Lady Luck can be a cruel mistress and after a string of bad luck, Lindsay, Chris and Francesca chat about that wild dice roll we call life. When it comes to your career, your health, your love life, and your D&D sessions, sometimes you strike it rich and sometimes you fall right down a treacherous ravine.
Estimation is a difficult but crucial skill for an artist for hire. It helps determine the worth of your time, the feasibility of a project, and shapes how you are able to build your career. On this week's podcast, Lindsay, Jenny, Chris, and Francesca talk about estimating for clients, for scheduling, for grant writing, and for your own sanity.
After spending the week reading dozens of artist statements from both well-established professional artists and new students, Jenny, Chris, Lindsay, and Francesca discuss the specificities of being specific. From art making to grant writing to career planning, being specific can help you set goals, define your schedule, and understand your own work.
Who is the coolest old man; Patrick Stewart or John Cleese? Or maybe it's David Attenborough? Of course, the answer is nearly impossible for our brains to process, but on this week's podcast we share a method of comparison that could help you reason it out for yourself. Alternatively, it could be used to determine what city you should move to, what's the next job you should take, or which project on your endless to-do list you should tackle next.
Halloween is nearly upon us, and the Light Grey team are getting in the mood for fright! On this week's podcast, Lindsay, Jenny, Chris, and Francesca talk about what they do to get in the spooky spirit. That leads us to think about things we can do to set the mood for other occasions, like hunkering down for a productive work session, or getting in the mood to be outgoing and social when all you really want to do is sit in your pajamas and draw all night.
On this week's podcast Jenny, Chris, Lindsay, and Francesca talk about the art of quick introductions. How do you sum up who you are and what you do - to your grandmother, an interested peer, or just a stranger on an elevator - in just a sentence or two? How do you see yourself, what language is able to cross barriers, and when is too much information really too much? We share out thoughts and talk about some odd situations where we've had to condense our personality and life experiences into 15 minutes or less.
Skate Or Die is here! And on this week's podcast, Lindsay, Chris, Francesca, and Jenny talk about the days and weeks leading up the final reveal for 60 hand-decaled, artist-designed skateboard decks. We talk about the inception of the project, our history with skateboarding, and the physical process of making the boards for the exhibition.
On this week's podcast, Lindsay, Francesca, and Chris talk about everyone's favorite place for public discourse on the internet, the comments section! We discuss why comments sections are an unending supply of joy (or anger, depending on the person), how Facebook integration changed comments forever, and Francesca shares her wild ride into the world of owning and operating her very own forum!
On this week's podcast, Lindsay and Chris discuss how they ALMOST got a new kitten... which leads into a winding conversation about pets, obsessive collections, hobbies for retirement, building secret passages, and the amazingly clever adventures of Encyclopedia Brown.
On this week's podcast Lindsay, Jenny, Chris, and Francesca talk about the life you miss while you're working... or the work you miss while you're living. Some people dedicate themselves to a singular goal, while others find a balance. How do you decide what your highest priorities should be, what are the different things that make a person feel fulfilled, and how much time do you dedicate to a project before it's taken up too much space?
Dream Arcade is FINALLY HERE! On this week's podcast, Chris, Lindsay, Jenny, and Francesca are once again joined by Dream Arcade super-friend Ian Gorton. The morning after Dream Arcade's opening reception, we reflect on the final hours leading up the big reveal (spoiler alert: we didn't sleep and it was very tense). We share our pulse-pounding thoughts, our flirtations with disaster, and our eventual success! It was a whirlwind adventure and there's plenty to talk about, and we end the show with a few thoughts about what comes next - from taking a moment for a little R&R, to new projects, to possible next-steps after Dream Arcade!
We're working around the clock to put the finishing touches on Dream Arcade, and on this week's podcast we take a break to talk about… more videogames! Chris, Francesca, Ian, and Lindsay gather around to talk about our first experiences with games, share some of the videogames especially close to our hearts, discuss our thoughts on making games, and lots more.
The Light Grey Art Lab team returns to Iceland! This time we're visiting this beautiful country to host a week-long artist residency in southern Iceland, right at the base of the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. We brought together a group of 14 amazing artists and spent an entire week exploring, conversing, and learning. In the final installment of this three part 2014 Iceland Diaries series, Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris take a moment each night to reflect on the travels, discussions, logistics, and memorable moments from each day. This episode picks up immediately after Lindsay, Chris and Jenny have dropped the residency participants off in Reykjavik, and continues to our safe arrival back in the good ol' US of A. During our final days in Iceland, we visit the Icelandic Academy of the Arts, explore massive lava tubes, find a shipwreck, run from a volcano threatening to erupt under a glacier and more.
The Light Grey Art Lab team returns to Iceland! This time we're visiting this beautiful country to host a week-long artist residency in southern Iceland, right at the base of the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. We brought together a group of 14 amazing artists and spent an entire week exploring, conversing, and learning. In part two of this three part 2014 Iceland Diaries series, Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris take a moment each night to reflect on the travels, discussions, logistics, and memorable moments from each day. This episode covers the rest of the residency, up until we drop the group off at the airport, but there's more! So be sure to check out the next episode to find out what happens to Lindsay, Chris and Jenny once we head out on our own!
The Light Grey Art Lab team returns to Iceland! This time we're visiting this beautiful country to host a week-long artist residency in southern Iceland, right at the base of the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. We brought together a group of 14 amazing artists and spent an entire week exploring, conversing, and learning. In the first of a multi-part 2014 Iceland Diaries series, Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris take a moment each night to reflect on the travels, discussions, logistics, and memorable moments from each day. This episode only covers the first few days of the adventure, so be sure to check out the next few episodes for plenty more!
It's mid-august and we currently have our heads down working as fast as possible on Dream Arcade, our colorful pixel art videogame extravaganza, which launches on Friday, September 12. Videogames are a pretty new medium to us, so on this week's podcast Jenny, Chris, Francesca and Lindsay talk about the current state of Dream Arcade and what we've learned so far. We discuss the origins of the project, painful stumbles, and exciting breakthroughs over the past several months, as well as some of the practical details when planing a complex exhibition like Dream Arcade.
On this week's podcast, Lindsay, Chris, Francesca and Jenny discuss our thoughts relating to the article 'No Time to Think', recently published in The New York Times. In the article, the author discusses the problem of modern society's tendency to be "overscheduled, overcommitted and overextended," and comments on the the constant need for meaningless mental stimulation. The Light Grey team all had very different reactions to the article, and we thought it would be interesting to use it as a jumping-off point to talk about why people like (or hate) being busy, tasks vs luxuries, and what counts as a personal reflection. We also try to answer the age-old question; does keeping busy actually help, to quote the article, "stanch [our] welling sadness"?
This week we talk to Rory Phillips, a Portland-based art director, designer, illustrator, printmaker, and educator. Rory currently teaches at Portland State University, runs his own design practice, and still manages finds time for personal projects in between. Rory has always been driven to make art, but he didn't realize it was a viable career until after embarking down several other paths. We talk about how Rory decided to make the jump to full-time design, why it's important to be a life-lone experimenter, the diversity of the portland creative community, and why learning from your mistakes is the most crucial part of success.
On this week's podcast Lindsay, Chris, Francesca, and Jenny talk about invisible work. Invisible work is the unglamorous work you might not predict at the outset of a project, such as unexpected situations or obstacles, tedious errands, unforeseen tasks, last minute revisions, or feature creep. We talk about how to plan and deal with these hidden speedbumps, share some real-life examples of invisible work from the past year, and discuss why and when throwing a new project on the already cramped to-do list makes sense.
This week Lindsay and Jenny traveled to Portland, OR to attend ICON 8, the annual Illustration Conference. They spent the weekend meeting artists, attending creative panels, participating in the ICON Roadshow, and just having an all-around great time. On this week's podcast, Lindsay and Jenny reflect on their favorite moments, interactions, and personal realizations from ICON 8.
Summer's in full swing, and people everywhere are itching to hit the road and get away. On this week's podcast, we talk to two creatives who above and beyond the average summer roadtrip. First we talk to Brian Nigus, a visual artist and author of the book Soft Feet. Brian has spent a lot of time living in and around other cultures and we spend a majority of the time talking about Brian's time living with a small tribe in Papua New Guinea. We discuss how western culture has influenced their lives, but also how it can work the other way around as well. Then we talk to visual artist Laurel Maha, the creative force behind Perfect Pizza Nails. Laurel visited Light Grey Art Lab as the last stop of a 3 month bike tour that started in her home town of Oakland, CA. We talk with Laurel as she reflects on the trip, how her perspective has changed, and the joys and hardships of being alone on the road.
On this week's podcast Francesca, Jenny, Chris, and Lindsay marvel at how summer is passing us by (again!). We discuss a range of topics like choosing our battles/summer projects, making hard decisions in the face of cold, hard mathematics, fearless anime leaders, the Jucy Lucy™, stepping on rakes and getting hit in the face, Prince Pajama Parties and the age-old argument of who was in the excellent film Die Hard... Vin Diesel or Bruce Willis?