Open Meditation [June2012] : Breath

• Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 1:00pm-3:00pm
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This is our regular second-Sunday Open Meditation. I'm feeling the need to begin fresh with the most basic meditation practice: awareness of breath. This is the subject of one of the core early Buddhist meditation scriptures, the Anapanasati Sutta, and is a practice found, in one form or another, in all meditation disciplines. Awareness of the breath is also awareness of the emotions, as breathing reflects our own mental state. Breath is a bodily process that can be guided but it also functions quite well without our intention. It is thus a gateway between body and mind. As Thich Nhat Hanh says, "Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts." In my experience, attention to the breath naturally gives rise to a feeling of calm.

In the knowledge of our own approaching death, how do we want to live life? We don't have a mountain, a brook, or a pine forest wind at the studio, but we have a simple place to rest with a circle of friends - in awareness of this moment of living.

Wealth and fame: how slow and difficult!
While days flow like water
And old age rushes toward you.
Why not meditate alone, near a brook,
in some far-off mountain,
Lying on a board in the pine forest wind,
A cup of tea waiting?

-Thich Huyan Quang (1254-1334)

We will will have two 25min silent sessions divided by a short walking.

All meditation styles and experience welcome. Discussion will precede and follow the session. And there will be tea!
(Photo taken by the lovely jennie from pattycake. I think if you followed the other end, the rainbow would be spilling right into the studio...)


Also check out this post from our local meditation inspirationer, Daron Larson, on practices of breath pleasure.

OpenHeart Playshop Weekend

@ It Looks Like It's Open Studio
13 E Tulane Rd. in Clintonville
June 1 at 6:30pm until June 3 at 1:30pm

So, what is an OpenHeart Playshop???

Simple... we gather together to build trust and community, move toward body/mind mastery, have a ton of fun, and learn to create some mind-blowing movements and shapes utilizing several bodies at once.

There are a lot of options to choose from, and some package deals if you dive into the whole experience. See below for some brief descriptions and registration details and check out the Facebook event to stay up to date.

This playshop weekend will be held at 'It Looks Like It's Open Gallery' space at 13 E. Tulane Rd. Columbus, Ohio 43202.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Event Dates and Details*
Space is limited, so pre-register to reserve your space...

Fri June 1
6:30 - 8 PM: Meet and Greet Potluck and Discussion - NO COST
Rather informal, Folks may come and go as they please. This would be a good opportunity for me to meet with any weekend participants and those who plan to be in the ComFest performance. Bring Vegan/Vegetarian food to share.

Sat June 2
9 - 10:15 AM: Lead Asana class - $5
This will be invigorating and heart-opening, mainly to prepare for the workshops.

10:30 - 11:30 AM: Laughter Yoga with Patrick Welage - $10, or $20 for a family
This is a fantastic way to break the ice and get us out of our minds a bit. Great for kids adults (bigger kids).

12 - 2 PM:
Playshop #1: Fundamentals of Partner Yoga - $15 ($18 after May 27)
This will be an exploration of how we can communicate with our bodies, embrace the fun and compassion of symbiotic touch, and go deeper into postures with the mutual assistance of another.

4 - 6:30 PM:
Playshop #2: Intro to Flying and Advanced Group Techniques - $25 ($30 after May 27)
Trust exercises, Finding and creating a shifting center of gravity when we move and make shapes with more than one person, Weight diffusion and distribution, and lifting off of the ground... All of these elements independently explored, then fused together.

Sun June 3:
9 - 10:15 AM: Lead Asana class - $5
This class will be a bit more rigorous, focusing on conditioning our bodies to freely move and perform whatever we can imagine.

11 - 1:30 PM:
Playshop #3: Therepeutics of Flying - $25 ($30 after May 27)
This is the cherry on top of the raw chocolate sundae. We will treat each other to a little loving kindness while in the air, drawing from inspirations of traditional Thai yoga bodywork.

Now for some Incentives...
Pre-Register by May 27 to receive early-bird discounts on individual Playshops or for Packages (Below)

All 3 Playshops: Partner Yoga, Intro to Flying, and Therepeutics - $55 ($65 after May 27)
All classes and Playshops on Saturday and Sunday -$70 ($85 after May 27)

Registration:
For Columbus residents, in person registration is available with Heidi Kamitsch, Monday through Friday 8-5pm: 614-580-91eightzero
For Cincinnatians, please contact Chris via FaceBook, or email at Coxaquaman430@yahoo.com

For more information, please post here, or send a private message to one of your hosts, Chris or Heidi.

A bit about the instructor...

Christopher Cox is a Registered Yoga Teacher, Certified Thai Yoga therapist, acrobatic dancer, permaculture enthusiast, and a lover of life itself. His various passions meld together with each class, workshop, and self-expression he shares with his extended community (Earth). He believes in cultivating the mind and body to harmoniously interact and serve the whole self, community, and all beings sharing the Earth.

Katja Hoffmann Wildner: dough, loops and other attempts

@ It Looks Like It's Open Studio
13 E Tulane Rd. in Clintonville
Reception 6-9pm Friday, May 25, 2012

Katja Hoffmann Wildner has been in Columbus since March as part of the GCAC – German artist residency exchange program, and will be leaving at  the end of May. But before she leaves us, Katja will be exhibiting the work she created while in Columbus, and you are invited to see her work on Friday May 25^th 6-9pm at It Looks Like It's Open.

May 13th Open Meditation (May 2012)

Cultivating Joy / Caring for the Self
Sunday, May 13, 2012 1:00pm until 3:00pm

This is our regular second-Sunday Open Meditation. I'm thinking about
ways I can cultivate joy and care for my self in times of stress and
weighty responsibility. I'd love to hear from others about their
practice.

I know this is Mother's Day for some of us, so just come if you're
free. Bring your mother/child if you'd like. Let's help each other to
experience the joyous potential inherent in just being alive.

We will will have two 25min silent sessions divided by a short walking.

All meditation styles and experience welcome. Discussion will precede
and follow the session. And there will be tea!

-Seth

April 24: Ches Smith + Travis LaPlante @ It Looks Like Its Open

Doors open 6pm, performance begins 7pm. Admission $5.
About the performers:
Born in San Diego, CA and raised in Sacramento, Ches Smith came up in a scene of punks and metal musicians who were listening to and experimenting with jazz and free improvisation. He studied philosophy at the University of Oregon before relocating to the San Francisco Bay area in 1995. After a few years of playing with obscure bands and intensive study with drummer / educator Peter Magadini, he enrolled in the graduate program at Mills College in Oakland at the suggestion of percussionist William Winant. There he studied percussion, improvisation, and composition with Winant, Fred Frith, Pauline Oliveros and Alvin Curran. One of Winant’s first “assignments” for Ches was to sub in his touring gig at the time, Mr. Bungle (here he met bassist / composer Trevor Dunn who would later hire him for the second incarnation of his Trio-Convulsant). During his time at Mills, Ches co-founded two bands: Theory of Ruin (with Fudgetunnel / Nailbomb frontman Alex Newport), and Good for Cows (w/ Nels Cline Singers’ Devin Hoff). He currently performs and records with Xiu Xiu, and Secret Chiefs 3. He has also performed with Ben Goldberg, Annie Gosfield, Wadada Leo Smith, John Tchicai, Fred Frith, and Trevor Dunn. In addition to Ceramic Dog, he also leads his two of his own projects, Congs for Brums and These Arches. He currently spends his time between Los Angeles, San Francisco and Brooklyn.
Heart Protector is Travis Laplante’s debut album, featuring original music for solo tenor saxophone by the twenty-eight- year-old composer and musician. Laplante, a powerful new voice in New York City’s experimental music set, has toured extensively with his band Little Women, whose acclaimed full-length debut was recently released on AUM Fidelity Records; with his trio, which features bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Gerald Cleaver; and with underground experimental rock bands Extra Life and Skeletons. Laplante has also worked with Anthony Braxton, Mark Dresser, Mat Maneri, Trevor Dunn, and many other luminaries of improvised music. Heart Protector was recorded by Laplante himself and Ryan Power at the Big Barn in Putney, Vermont. The album, coming out on Skirl Records, will be the label’s first vinyl release. The music itself was largely inspired by the heart protector, Laplante’s term for the pericardial sac that surrounds the heart.

Tom Kelly : The greatest thing on the black earth

@ It Looks Like It's Open Studio

Reception Saturday, April 21 7-9pm

Gallery Hours Sunday, April 22 1-3pm
2012

The greatest thing on the black earth is a collection of new paintings on canvas and paper by Tom Kelly based on the lyric writing of the Greek poet Sappho. Despite her reputation as one of the greatest original voices in antiquity her work today survives in only a few complete poems and a selection of incomplete fragments of vivid imagery. The vagaries of time, censorship, translation and changing cultural perceptions have variously supressed and celebrated her work.

Using these fragments Kelly produces multiple visual representations of a single idea or literary metaphor to explore the area between a source of inspiration and its expression as visual art. The paintings in this show evoke worn wall surfaces whose original appearance has been altered by time, elements, reparation efforts, and re-surfacing.

Columbus based musician Keith Novicki will be on hand during the reception playing original compositions for guitar and improvisational variations based on loops, distortion and delay effects.

Tom Kelly is a self-taught visual artist living and working in Columbus, Ohio. His work has been shown regionally in independent arts spaces, art centers, museums, benefits, educational institutions and commercial galleries since 2004. In 2011 he was named a finalist for a Greater Columbus Arts Council Visual Arts Fellowship. The work in the greatest thing on the black earth was funded in part with an Artist in the Community Supply Grant, also from the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

Women's Safe House in Liberia

Fundraiser/Dinner/Puppet Workshop/Discussion with Rebecca Riley

Friday, April 13th, 6-8pm

$10-20 Donation 

Just this January, I was given a strange invitation: to travel to Liberia for six weeks with a friend and mentor to set up a Safe House for at risk young women. My good friend Maggie Muldoon, who I've known for almost a decade, was invited by the founder of the non-profit group More Than Me to get together a team of artists and educators to build an After School Arts program for the Safe House. Maggie personally invited me, knowing my experience with collaborative puppet making and my recent experience with educating young people.


More Than Me is a small non-profit that uses all of the money it raises to provide scholarships to young women in Monrovia, so that they can go to school and learn the skills necessary to challenge the endemic poverty, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation that threatens their neighborhood of West Point. Education for these women is about survival, it is about building self-worth and stoking the fire in their hearts. More Than Me has a Global Giving rating of five stars, which means they carefully use every dollar donated to make the most meaningful change they can.

During our short time in Monrovia, Liberia, we will work with the young women who are provided scholarships by More Than Me to design a program that is student directed and focused on self-expression. The girls will give most of the direction to the program, and we will train the long-term adult volunteers who live in Monrovia to continue facilitating the artistic growth of these women. 

I feel incredibly honored to have the opportunity to volunteer on this program, and I am raising $3500 to cover the cost of my travel and stay in Monrovia, as well as money to invest in materials for the program. I am also excited to use what I have learned about Art and Music Therapy at my job at the Helping Hands Center for Special Needs Children in Columbus, Ohio. I know that by growing the girls' storytelling and self-expression through art and music, we will also see them grow in their capacity to resist the intense poverty and threat of sexual exploitation that is a result of nearly two decades of civil war in their country. 

I am asking my friends now to help me throw benefit dinners so I can talk more about this program and meet my fundraising goal, and ultimately so I can help empower a new generation of strong, literate, and earthshaking women in Liberia.   - Rebecca

For more information, or to donate now online, please visit: http://www.indiegogo.com/artsprogramliberia

Bear Trance : Spirits of Healing : Workshop with Susan Josephson

Saturday, April 7, 2012

7:00pm until 9:00pm

In response to the request of a community member on the brink of a major life change, Susan G. Josephson will lead a session of 'ecstatic trance,' for anyone interested, on April 7th.

Through ritual body posture and sound, subconscious realms can open, and latent powers can emerge. Susan's technique for calling the spirits is based on the work of her late mother, anthropologist and spiritual teacher, Felicitas D. Goodman. (Her work lives on in an organized fashion in New Mexico at the Cuyamungue Institute <http://www.cuyamungueinstitute.com/> and in Germany at the Felicitas-Goodman Insitut <http://www.cuyamungue-institut.de/>, and in numerous books and articles.) Those who participated in Susan's "Technologies of the Self" event will be familiar with basic format used here.

"I have been doing these trances with people for something like 30 years. The trances wake people up. They release deeper levels of consciousness and open people up to deeper understandings." -Susan

We will settle into two postures for this session. The first, the Singing Shaman, will incorporate vocalization and is intended to open the door to the unseen realm. The second, and central posture for this session, will be that of the Bear. This trance is intended to provide participants with spiritual and psychological healing.

Young adults welcome.

Susan Josephson is an artist, philosopher, and educator, currently residing in central Ohio.

***Instructions for participation: Please arrive on time, the door will be closed at 7:15 so that the session can begin without interruption. Fasting will enhance the experience, but is not required. For best results, do not eat at least 30 minutes prior to the session. Wear loose-fitting clothing and avoid wearing metal. In this folk tradition, metals on the body, excepting gold and silver, are believed to interfere with the experience.

***Susan is not expecting payment so this session is by donation. Feel free to contribute to her visit and the maintenance of the studio space with a small contribution.

Welcoming the Equinox

itlookslikeitsopen provides a clear space full of possibilities. This saturday some local Neo-Pagans will make it the center of Earth connection. Their notice below:

Spring Equinox Ritual, Saturday, March 24.
This will be a basic Ostara ritual, held at a private studio space in Clintonville. The focus of the ritual will be on celebrating the greening of Nature and welcoming abundance into our lives. If you have seeds or seedlings to plant, bring them for blessing. Please also bring additional seeds, or a special rock, to charge for prosperity. Space is limited so participants will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. (See below.) There is a $5 suggested donation for this ritual; donations will also be accepted for the use of the studio space. Facilitated by Psyche North Torok. Saturday, March 24, 7:45 p.m.

Pre-registration required, ages 16 and over, please. To register please reply to this email [psyche@flybynightbookstore.com].

About the Spring Equinox

The word equinox is derived from the Latin "aequus," (equal) and "nox,"
(night). Although we think of the equinoxes as being the time when day and
night are exactly equal, technically the day is just slightly longer. The
Spring Equinox occurs some time between March 20-22 each year. [This year
it is on March 20.]

To many Neo-Pagans, this holiday is known as Eostar or Ostara. Ostara is
often seen as the time when the young god, growing and maturing after his
birth at the winter solstice, dances with the Goddess in her maiden
aspect. Courtship rites and dances are in order. So too is it a good time
to bless seeds that you will be planting shortly.

The well-known Easter egg and Easter bunny are, of course, ancient symbols
of fertility and magic. Eggs were used in Equinox celebrations by a number
of peoples, including the Hebrews and Persians. The rabbit or hare was
probably derived from the tribes of Western and Central Europe, for whom
the animal bore tribal and totemic significance.
* * * * * * *

Open Meditation : Sonic Mindscapes

This month, our regular, second-Sunday, Open Meditation will an experimental collaboration with sound artist, Mike Shiflet of Monumental Documents <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Monumental-Documents/152447434822153>

We will begin with one 25min silent session, a short walking, and a second 25min sit with live sonic accompaniment. The intention is to create an atmosphere unlike a typical musical performance. Here, the emphasis will be on the somatic and cognitive experience of the participants. It will also not be a typical group meditation session. New and practiced meditators can explore the spaces their attention uncovers as waves of full spectrum sound textures roll over their consciousness.

All meditation styles welcome. Discussion will proceed and follow the session. And there will be tea!

Technologies of the Self : Krishna Kirtan

Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012 - 1:00 until 3:00

Our last session in the series!

“Unwind, unpeel, unmask yourself for a bit. Enjoy some time with your self. Immerse deep within your heart and sing and dance from there. Meet loving souls and inquire about the essence.

Kirtan is an age old tradition of joyfully connecting with the spirit by diving in the sweet sound of a mantra. Within minutes, it detangles you out of external identities and allows you to just be. The joy experienced is immense and very unworldly. It does not need any faith or knowledge, just presence. It does not impart any faith or any knowledge, just presence.” -Satish More

Kirtan is music but is not entertainment. Rather, it is a form of participatory meditation. The Krishna Mahamantra (hare krishna, hare krishna, krishna krishna, hare hare; hare rama, hare rama, rama rama, hare hare) is considered a sacred and primordial sound and its recitation the most effective practice in this Kali Yuga, the final age of this world cycle. It was popularized by Bengali saint, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, in the 15th century, and is an example of the Bhakti (devotional) Yoga tradition of India. This session will emphasize the joy and ecstasy of singing and cultivating love for the divine.

Satish More will be leading the Kirtan on the harmonium and will be accompanied on the mrdanga (South Indian drum). Participants are welcome to bring their own kartals (small cymbals) if they have them. Be prepared to sing, clap, dance, cry, hug, or simply observe. All ages welcome!

Satish More is a filmmaker and photographer based in Athens, Ohio: <www.satishmore.com>. Event photo by Satish.

***Facilitators are not expecting payment and all sessions are by donation. Please contribute to the cost of their visit, and the rent and maintenance of the studio space, with a small contribution.

Larissa Mellor - and/und/şi

Friday, February 10, 6-9pm

@ It Looks Like It's Open Studio

13 E Tulane Ave.

Romanian, German and English are entwined in my head and my history.  The words in the works are taken form these three languages.  All of the words present are connectors, usually used to link words or phrases.  While the languages themselves are links to larger cultures, the cursive script signifies the personal.  The works evoke the contortions, fusions and confusions of experience.  Within the works there is no hierarchy.  Sometimes they are legible and sometimes hardly discernible.  Letters and words emerge and disappear.

Larissa Mellor holds a BFA from Maine College of Art and an MFA from The Ohio State University.  Her work has been shown nationally and internationally, including the Moscow Biennial of Young Art in Russia, the Universität der Künste Berlin, the Center for Maine Contemporary Art and the Ohio Art League.  Mellor recently spent a year abroad in Berlin, Germany at the Universität der Künste Berlin as a Fulbright Fellow.  She currently lives and works in Columbus, Ohio, where she is a Lecturer in the Department of Art at The Ohio State University.

Art of the Spirits

Tomorrow (Sunday at 1:00) is the first of our five "Technologies of the Self" events, the ecstatic trance session with Susan Josephson. We have a bunch of chairs and are ready for the big group it seems will be attending! What knowledge will emerge in this "operation" on the self?

According to Felicitas Goodman, this technique is intended to connect the ordinary reality with that of the Spirits, "Ritual is the rainbow bridge over which we can call on the Spirits and the Spirits cross over from their world into ours. ...the ordinary and the other reality belong together. They are two halves of one whole. Only their joining will make a complete world, a world worth living in. The existence of humans is empty without the Spirits, but theirs is equally incomplete without involving us, and the world about us. Although they are so much more powerful than we are, in this sense they need us." (1990, p.55)

Is this cultural appropriation of indigenous spirituality or the recovery of something lost in our 'modern' society? I would love to hear reflections, critiques, suggestions after the event. A discussion could develop here on this blog or elsewhere.

I also thought folks would be interested to see a few drawings Susan made as depictions of visionary experience. To the left are photos of two pen and ink works which incorporate illustrations of ritual body posture.

Reminder: for the best experience, don't eat at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the session. If possible, fast for the whole morning.   -Seth

Technologies of the Self : The Way of Tea

itlookslikeitsopen studio

Sunday, February 19, 2012 1:00pm until 3:00pm

Time oozed from my pores,
Drinking tea
I tasted the seven seas.
-Shinkichi Takahashi

The tea plant, camellia sinensis, likely originated in Himalayan region. By the 8th century it had developed deep cultural significance in Asia, and regional forms of tea drinking had developed in China, Japan, Korea and elsewhere. Influenced by Ch’an/Zen practice, aesthetics is cultivated through the communication with tea, tea wares, and people; facilitating calm awakening in dialog with nature.

In the third in a series of five “Technologies of the Self” events, Sherab Chen will demonstrate "The Way of Tea" (茶道 or "Tea Ceremony") based on his extensive research and experience with Asian tea culture. Participants will learn how teas are prepared and shared with friends in a traditional manner. Such an event is called a Tea Gathering (茶會/茶席). Sherab may demonstrate a "modified kongfu cha" style, incorporating elements of the 功夫茶 kongfu cha traditions.

Sherab is translator of English, Chinese, Tibetan, and Sanskrit and a long time practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. He studies and practices tea culture with OSU student group TEAgether. He blogs in English and Chinese at <http://awakeningaroma.blogspot.com/> and <http://lightoflapislazuli.wordpress.com/> among other places.

***Facilitators are not expecting payment and all sessions are by donation. Please contribute to the cost of their visit, and the rent and maintenance of the studio space, with a small contribution.

[Photo by Sherab Chen)

Technologies of the Self : Mindfulness Meditation

itlookslikeitsopen studio ; 13 e. tulane rd.

Sunday, February 12, 2012 1:00pm until 3:00pm

To know the self, and to care for the self, is first to observe it without judgment.

Mindfulness meditation practices have roots in early Buddhist vipassana dhyana, but the basic practice of attention and awareness is universal and the value of this type of meditation now has overwhelming scientific recognition.

The second in a series of five "Technologies of the Self" events, Daron Larson will lead participants in an introduction to the concentration, sensory clarity, and equanimity necessary for attentional fitness.

“Mindfulness meditation is not a means of escaping from life, but a strategy for engaging more directly with it. Just as physical exercise increases strength, flexibility, and endurance to support the activities of our lives, mindfulness meditation develops concentration, sensory clarity, and a greater openness to embrace whatever happens in the present.

Directly encountering the obstacles to waking up to our lives, instead of overwhelming us, begins to nurture compassion in us as we realize more clearly the nature of suffering which we all have in common.” -Daron Larson

Daron has worked as a psychiatric social worker and is a student of Shinzen Young. More information is on his website at www.attentional-fitness.com/daron

***Facilitators are not expecting payment and all sessions are by donation. Please contribute to their visit and the rent and maintenance of the studio space with a small contribution.

[Event photo by Daron Larson.]

Technologies of the Self: Ecstatic Trance Session - 2/5, 1:00 pm

Looking inward can uncover unexpected figures and uncharted landscapes.

While many shamanic practices are lost or inaccessible, if the basic format of our minds and brains is universal, doorways into the alternate reality and the non-conscious mind can be recreated and rediscovered.

The first in a series of five "Technologies of the Self" events, Susan Josephson will lead participants in an introduction to "ecstatic trance" through ritual body posture and sound. Susan's technique for calling the spirits is based on the work of her late mother, anthropologist and founder of a neo-shamanic new religious movement, Felicitas D. Goodman. (Her work lives on in an organized fashion in New Mexico at the Cuyamungue Institute <http://www.cuyamungueinstitute.com/> and in Germany at the Felicitas-Goodman Insitut <http://www.cuyamungue-institut.de/>, and in numerous books and articles.)

We will settle into two trance postures for the session. The first, the Singing Shaman, and the second a divining or metamorphosis posture, to be announced. Young adults welcome.

Susan Josephson is an artist, philosopher, and educator, currently residing in central Ohio.

***Instructions for participation: Please arrive on time, the door will be closed at 1:15 so that the session can begin without interruption. Fasting will enhance the experience, but at very least do not eat within 30 minutes prior to the session. Wear loose-fitting clothing and avoid wearing metal. In this folk tradition, metals on the body, excepting gold and silver, are believed to interfere with the experience.

***Facilitators are not expecting payment and all sessions are by donation. Please contribute to their visit and the rent and maintenance of the studio space with a small contribution.

Technologies of the Self: Conceptual Context

Every Sunday at 1:00 in February and the first Sunday in March the studio on 13 E. Tulane Rd. (itlookslikeitsopen.blogspot.com) will host “Technologies of the Self,” a series of workshops focused on traditional and non-traditional methods of reconstructing or deconstructing personhood through ritual and awareness. All events are by donation.

This program is intended to introduce participants to a set of spiritual disciplines for self knowledge and self transformation. No particular religious affiliation is expected nor need one enter the experience without a critical attitude. It is for you to decide if these practices are beneficial to your own project of life acceptance and adaption. It is my hope that all the practices presented in this series will benefit artists, activists, seekers, and others.

The presentation of these “technologies” is also intended to challenge scholars and academics to step outside purely theoretical or objective modes, and enter into another kind of knowing. Social theorist Michel Foucault, best known for his work on sexuality and theories of power, turned at the end of his life away from “technologies of power” to those technologies which “permit individuals to effect by their own means or with the help of others a certain number of operations on their own bodies and souls, thoughts, conduct, and way of being, so as to transform themselves in order to attain a certain state of happiness, purity, wisdom, perfection, or immortality.” (http://foucault.info/documents/foucault.technologiesOfSelf.en.html) For Foucault, technologies of the self are value-neutral. Neither necessarily good nor bad. They bring to bear regimes of truth onto psychic and somatic inner-life, and through practices of knowing, reformulate the subject, or deconstruct it. Foucault’s primary interest was in how the Greek maxims of “know yourself” and “take care of yourself” were transformed into early Christian techniques of self-disclosure and self-renunciation with the goal of spiritual purity. Here other, largely non-Western, forms and philosophies will be presented for exploration and consideration.

2/5 - Ecstatic Trance with Susan Josephson    http://www.facebook.com/events/209487835811000/

2/12 - Mindfulness Meditation with Daron Larson    http://www.facebook.com/events/174591049313517/

2/19 - Tea Ceremony with Sherab Chen   http://www.facebook.com/events/337423969611899/

2/26 - Krishna Kirtan with Satish More  http://www.facebook.com/events/292017704194841/

3/4 - Restorative Yoga with Ann Tepperman  CANCELED 

seth.josephson@gmail.com for more information.

KEROAÄN . Envenomist/Shiflet . Joe Panzner

Sunday 1/15 8:00pm until 10:00pm

Time

KEROAÄN is a musical artificial intelligence developed by Ian Fraser and Reed Even Rosenberg that performs by implementing XENAKIS'S Dynamic Stochastic Synthesis. This non-standard synthesis is played in real time by the KEROAÄN program. Pushing and pulling between sections of hard noise, singing glissandos, jagged melodic scribble and other sonic curiosities, the program liberates the computer from its position as a mere tool of hyper-productivity and transports the machine into a state of creative and performative being. Operatic in scope, a live diffusion of KEROAÄN features lasers, strobe lighting, and fog synched to both audible and structural qualities of the music as an infinitely morphing chorus of digital voices croon, cry, scream and everything in between.

Envenomist & Mike Shiflet
Local drone champions will bring the darkness to extinguish your light. There will be bass.

Joe Panzner
Critically-acclaimed critic-musician will provide blistering synthesis over pretty much everyone's head but his own.

http://www.facebook.com/events/361809453835464/

"Sustainable Worldviews: Re-Indigenizing Non-Violent Activism"

Michael Tawd Bell, anarchist activist and founder of the Rad Dog vegan hotdog cart, will lead a discussion on the theory and practice of non-violent action in zones of conflict. He will share his philosophy, outline his on-going work, and invite feedback and community engagement.

Tawd will be leaving in January to train with Christian Peacemaker Teams and continue his work with the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) people of northwestern Ontario. Corporate clear cut logging of traditional territory has destroyed hunting, trapping, food and medicine gathering activities. Indian Residential Schools have deeply impacted families and communities. Mercury contamination discovered over 40 years ago continues to poison residents.The Anishinaabe, are engaged in healing, resisting colonialism and struggling for sovereignty, and invited the CPT to enter as an ally in their cause.

Please join the struggle!

"The human-centric wold view of the civilized west has thoroughly disconnected us from nature. The combative stance of modern man in relation to "the other" especially the natural world has been from the beginning, and continues to be, unsustainable. The water is dying, the forests and jungles are dying, the animals are dying. The human race is poisoning all that sustains it. Man's posture and wold view of exploitation propels us forward towards an ecological apocalypse.Time is short. Turtle Island (earth) has precious little time before absolutely nothing can be done. If that time isn't already upon us. Nothing short of a complete perceptive shift must occur. This shift must be broad based and wide spread. It's the shift from a world view that places man clearly at the center of history to one that sees the connectedness and interdependent of all life on Turtle Island. Human kind is neither the center nor the apex, but one piece of a beautiful whole. Said differently, this is a shift from a 'civilized' world view to a 'primitive' one. Going back is the only way forward. Re-indigenizing is the crucial first step toward a healed and healthy world." -Tawd Bell http://experimentsindecolonization.blogspot.com/

Michael Tawd Bell (38) from Columbus, Ohio: Carpenter by day, volunteer activist by night; Has worked with Mercy For Animals, Cop Watch, Anti Racist Action, Food Not Bombs; Is a member of Jesus Radicals and has helped coordinate several of their conferences; Has lead talks on topics such as Anarchism and Christianity, Decolonization and White Privilege; Experimenting with Quakerism; Participated in the 2011 spring delegation to Grassy Narrows with The Aboriginal Justice Team.

CONFESSIONAL

Friday, November 11, 2011

CONFESSIONAL, a new installation and performance piece presented by Columbus artist Mac Arnold, addresses the themes of self-acceptance and reconciliation through the confessions of one's fears and anxieties, as well as one's sins. The opening begins at 7pm, and the performance will begin shortly thereafter. For more news and to see other work by Mac Arnold, please visit http://macarnold.tumblr.com

STRINGS GONE DEAF

11/8/2011, photo by Ryan A

October Open Meditation

Sunday Oct 9th, 2011 1:00pm Open Meditation at It Looks Like Its Open

Nearly all religious traditions advocate some form of silent practice for spiritual benefit, and scientific study after study demonstrate the value of Meditation for physical and mental health. Every second sunday, the gallery space at 13 E. Tulane opens for folks to support one another in their practice. Whether a small or large group, we sit in a circle in chairs or on cushions, in silence, for two 20 minute sessions. Before and after, talking about our experience and intentions. All are welcome to join. No previous experience with formal meditation is required. Bring your own cushion, if possible. Together we can create a community of awareness. Hosted by Seth Josephson.

Tatsuya Nakatani // Tuesday Oct 4th

TATSUYA NAKATANI

solo percussion, gongs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxOa-dTVzHo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47xyGEssTcs

RYAN JEWELL & JOE PANZNER

debut live duo performance, drum/electronics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZYbpjDgpVw (Ryan)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZieZJLxa7IM (Joe)

8:00

BYOB, donations for touring artist

Hope to see you out,

Mike

Variegated Peddlars of an Otological Life

Film & sound artist Bruce McClure will be presenting a unique audio-video performance/experience at 13 East Tulane September 20th at 8:00. $5-10 suggested donation. See Bruce's description (and some video links) below.

-Mike

VARIEGATED PEDDLARS OF AN OTOLOGICAL LIFE
Tuesday, September 20, 8:00pm
13 E Tulane Road, Clintonville 43202

Since my last visit to the Wexner and Columbus in 2007 I have
continued to keep the company of 16 mm projectors with film as their
analogue. My projection performances lean into spaces shaded and
hushed seeking implicit triangulations among living things where the
conversion of matter into energy is a metaphor for consciousness. “It
Looks Like Its Open Gallery” will be the first in a pair of change
ringing performances in Columbus, projector placements that define
boundaries by measuring them in light years and soundsense while
giving special attention to echo. Although I have proposed that
“every seat is the best in the house” changing the house will offer
chances to flex mussels anew and find another vantage point to take in
the wavescape. Two performances using different materials and
separated by four days are like a pair of dumbbells that will
hopefully provide some with an additional means to exercise in
phenomenal space.

During these performances we will find ourselves like explorers in the
undiscoverable arctic regions where the needle indifferently respects
all points of the horizon alike. This projection performance will be
like a transmitter from these regions. It will consist of both double
walled pipes constructed of two patterned emulsion and base loops
sandwiched and closed in the film path and the simpler frequencies
produced a single loop. Working together the machines will heterodyne
across the variegated film surfaces shifting interest onto a useful
frequency range for the reception of nerve endings and concatenation
under many domes that form the skyline of the city.

Bruce McClure
Brooklyn, New York
August 18, 2011

http://vimeo.com/18290696
http://vimeo.com/19733942

Jesse Hemminger is Alive!

A Q&A with our studiomate Jesse Hemminger is now featured in Alive!

Click HERE to read the Q&A article and also visit his website, jessehemminger.com.

You can see Jesse's sauerkraut-powered robots in person at Franklin Park Conservatory's exhibition HUNGRY PLANET: LOCAL FOOD, GLOBAL VIEW

Open Meditation August

Sunday, August 14 · 1:00pm - 3:00pm

13 East Tulane

"Awakened within a dream,
I fall into my own arms.
....what kept you so long?"

-Lou Hartman

Join me and friends in the practice of quiet sitting. Together we can support each other to deepen our calm awareness and sharpen our insight. We will have two sessions of 20 minutes with a short walking in between. Everyone will have the opportunity to speak and to listen before and after the sit so we can pass along insights and answer each other's questions. Then we'll have tea.

Folks new to the practice are welcome. Some chairs and cushions will be available but you may want to bring your own. Feel free to pass on the invitation to others.

May our time together be a benefit to all beings.

-Seth Josephson

Moving, Seconds, Art and Art and Art Supply SALE!!!

Join us as we prepare to clean house, pack and prepare to see the world beyond Columbus! (Adam Hinterlang, Kyla Toomey, and Janet Macpherson will be leaving for Canada and Pennsylvania, Aimee Sones is downsizing too!)

Marotta Hour featuring Mike Shiflet

Thursday, July 21, 2011 - 6:30pm - 7:30pm
OSU Urban Arts Space, 50 W Town St
Free and open to all. Donations accepted.

From the OSU Urban Arts Space website:
This month's Marotta Hour is a meeting of three of Columbus's better known improvisers and collaborators: Ryan Jewell (percussion), Mike Shiflet (electronics), and series curator Larry Marotta (guitar). Ryan Jewell is constantly challenging expectations of what drums are supposed to sound like. Mike Shiflet's musical journey has brought him from punk rock through noise through a new synthesis of electronics and melody. Larry Marotta will be a featured performer at the Wexner Center's summer Kinema Japan series, providing a live score for the Yasujiro Ozu silent film "I Was Born, But" on July 28.
About Marotta Hour
Marotta Hour is an electro-acoustic music series featuring unexpected sounds from free jazz to electronic to free-form improvisation. Come hear some of the most cutting-edge musicians and composers from Columbus and beyond.

Catch WORM MAN

WHAT: Worm Man at ABSOLUTELY ABSURD BENEFIT FOR OAL
WHEN: 11:00pm Friday, July 15, 2011
WHERE: sidewalk at Rich and Gift (Franklinton)

Worm Man is an ongoing project by Columbus artist Ryan Agnew and has been performed in a variety of settings including a parking lot, auditorium, market and cafe. Worm Man begins with a person laying down into a human-sized earthworm suit, inching horizontally over the ground and gradually crawling out of the suit to stand.

This event is $20 at the door, all proceeds benefit the Ohio Art League, a non-profit visual arts organization that has been enriching the community for over 100 years by providing exhibition and professional development opportunities to artists.

There’s No Thing Like Nothing,

Friday, July 8, 2011, 7-9pm

An exhibition of selected works by Sylvia Doebelt, Greater Columbus Arts Council Artist Residency recipient from Dresden/Leipzig, Germany.

Through the various series of work presented in the exhibition, Doebelt blurs distinctions between illusion and reality. She asks what is, and what is not, or rather how does perception become truth? This deceptively subtle depiction of the struggle between surface and space manifests in photographic images capturing light, pattern, margins and lines of demarcation.

For more information about the artist, visit http://www.pix-to-go.de/

Epic Theatre, inkjet print, 67 x 50 cm, 2011

Summer Sailing at 13 East Tulane!

Inspired by Ryan Agnew's seersucker shorts and deck shoes, Herb Peterson, Jessica Larva and I (Aimee Sones) decided to go for a quick sail in Columbus!

Tues June 28 @ Brothers Drake // 7-10pm

Fuse Factory Presents: sound artist Tim Kaiser (Duluth, MN), who will be performing at the Brothers Drake Meadery. Joining him on the bill is Tone Elevator, Mike Shiflet, and Kate Westfall. Admission $5. Location: 26 E. 5th Ave, Columbus 43201.

All the Pretty Trees

@ IT LOOKS LIKE IT’S OPEN

13 E. TULANE RD COLUMBUS, OH

Opening reception Friday, June 17, 2011 6-9pm

performance by the Ginger Lees & Cathy Wicks Ours

Special meditation and discussion Sunday June 19 at 1:00pm hosted by Seth Josephson exploring issues of interconnectedness and transcending the human/nature division.

click image for larger view

+++

Click for feature article in Columbus Alive

FEATURED ARTISTS Ryan Agnew, Michelle Alder, Bob Bennett, Casey Bradley, Larry Copeland, Amanda Delozier, David C. Gentilini, Dorothy Gill Barnes, Kent Grosswiler, Mollie Hannon, Jake Housh, David Ike, Michelle Ishida, Dale Johnson, Bethany Jozwiak-Butler, Michael Kellner, Nicole Langille, Cat Lynch, Terri Maloney-Houston, Tim Perdue, Stephanie Rond, Ruth Smith, Aimee Sones, Scott Steelman, Tera Stockdale, Justin Sutters, Cathy Wicks Ours, Charles Wince, Lauren Whearty, Brooke Zamudio

JURORS Michelle Ishida is a fiber artist and clothing designer based in Delaware, OH. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Ohio State University. Michelle has exhibited her work at art festivals and galleries for 18 years and maintains a retail website for Starfish Earth. Michelle finds inspiration from nature and the beautiful shapes of tree silhouettes seen simply taking a walk through a meadow or the woods. She photographs trees whenever hiking or traveling and draws the silhouettes from these photos. Each year she donates a portion of her profits to The National Arbor Day Foundation in support of their mission to plant more trees. Tera Stockdale is a mixed media artist and Art Educator residing in Columbus, OH. She received her Bachelor of Art Education and Masters of Art in Art Education from The Ohio State University and currently teaches K-12 Visual Arts in public education. Along with visual art she is also a writer and singer songwriter often taking inspiration and motivation from the beauty and power of the natural world.

Thanks to Tera, Michelle and all of you who made this project such a success! -Ryan 7/18

June events at 13 E Tulane

Tuesday June 7 // It Sounds Like It's Open (Improvisation) // 8-10pm

Sunday June 12 // Open Meditation // 1:00pm

led by Seth Josephson

Friday June 17 // All the Pretty Trees // 6-9pm

w/ performance by the Ginger Lees & Cathy Wicks Ours

Sunday June 19 // Open Meditation // 1:00pm

led by Seth Josephson

Tuesday June 21 // Screening of John Cage: Variations VII/ 9 Evenings in Theater and Engineering // 8-10pm

DAN HARVEY

HOLE PARTS

by Daniel Harvey

Monday May 23rd, 8:00 pm

Sometimes experiences and ideas that do not make sense by themselves are better understood when grouped together. Come see “Hole Parts” on May 23, an installation and performance that interprets how the fragmented experiences of watching, talking with and having relationships with people in Columbus, Ohio over one year can connect to each other. Hole Parts features a single performance at 8:00pm starring Zachary Podgorny and Daniel Harvey. The show is open for one night only from 8:00-9:45 pm.

ALL THE PRETTY TREES call-for-entries

Seeking original Pretty Tree artworks of emotional relevance. All media considered. All the Pretty Trees will be presented as a living, interactive forest in which artists and audience come together in linking identity to the natural world in which we evolved.

Opening reception Friday, June 17, 2011 6-9pm

Entry Deadline Friday, May 20, 2011

Take in Sunday, June 12, 2011, 3-5pm

Pick up Sunday, June 19, 2011, 3-5pm

Please send up to three digital images of works to: picturesofprettytrees@gmail.com

and include

NAME, PHONE, EMAIL, TITLE, SIZE, MEDIUM, PRICE

Jurors: Michelle Ishida is a fiber artist and clothing designer based in Delaware, OH. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Ohio State University. Michelle has exhibited her work at art festivals and galleries for 18 years and maintains a retail website for Starfish Earth. Michelle has always found inspiration from nature and the beautiful shapes of tree silhouettes seen simply taking a walk through a meadow or the woods. She photographs trees whenever hiking or traveling and draws the silhouettes from these photos. Each year she donates a portion of her profits to The National Arbor Day Foundation in support of their mission to plant more trees. Tera Stockdale is a mixed media artist and Art Educator residing in Columbus, OH. She received her Bachelor of Art Education and Masters of Art in Art Education from The Ohio State University and currently teaches K-12 Visual Arts in public education. Along with visual art she is also a singer songwriter often taking inspiration and motivation from the beauty and power of the natural world.