SWARM GALLERY OAKLAND

Jeff Eisenberg feature + fair

Thu, 17 May 2012 10:53:00 -0700

Jeff Eisenberg - My little wolf, singel shot bolt action rifle

Our Jeff Eisenberg is this month’s featured artist over at Austin-based ejournal …might be good. See his feature here, and come visit our room (#44!) at this weekend’s ArtPad to see Jeff’s most recent work!

Jeff Eisenberg - My little wolf, .22 caliber

ArtPadSF kicking off tonight!

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:52:00 -0700

Image courtesy of ArtPadSF

ArtPadSF, in all its poolside art-gazing glory, begins tonight with an Opening Benefit Party, as well as an Opening Night Benefit Preview, preceded by a Press Preview. If you can get in on at least one of those, you are kicking off the art fair weekend right. There are three full days of general admission, however, so you are getting lots of chances to come hang out with us down in room 44.

Our crowd in room 40 at last year’s ArtPad

We hear there are a few other fairs going on this weekend, but our sources tell us that said fairs are not happening at a Joie de Vivre hotel or even poolside. So come down, grab a drink, see lots of art, meet some new faces, take in some wild women singing acapella like you’ve never seen, and don’t forget to stop in and say hi to us!

Countdown to ArtPadSF!

Wed, 09 May 2012 18:41:03 -0700

Summer wanted to let us know it’ll be here soon by way of sending us lots of teasing sunshine in recent days. We just hope it sticks around a few more weeks for the best summer kick-off pool party in the art world, ArtPadSF! We’ll be setting up shop once again in room 44 at the Phoenix Hotel for this year’s fair, which takes place May 17-20.

Jeff Eisenberg - My Little Wolf, Prizon Zip Special

Last year’s debut fair was highly successful, attracting more than 9,000 attendees as well as coverage in The New York Times, Art in America, Art Ltd., Artillery, 7 x 7 and more. According to Leah Garchik of the SF Chronicle, …”Art was having a good time.” There’s no other art fair quite like it, so come down and see some great new work and some old favorites by your beloved Swarm artists!

Jessalyn Aaland - There’s a Lot of Things to Feel

Joseph Smolinksi - Climate Shift (Midnight Palms)

Press times 3, Murmur edition

Wed, 02 May 2012 18:14:19 -0700

Image courtesy of SF Chronicle

We’re excited about the extensive press coverage we got from our Art Murmur kickoff back in April. The SF Chronicle featured us in three articles from the successful single-night event!

Head on over to SF Gate and check out this great review of Jordan Essoe’s performance from the evening, this article on the expansion of Art Murmur, and this preview of a larger feature on page 16 of the Sunday paper version.

We can’t believe it’s already Art Murmur time again this Friday. We have some great things in store again!

Oakland Art Murmur | May 4 at Swarm Gallery

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:58:05 -0700

Multimedia Installation by Swarm studio artist Terry Furry

Swarm Gallery’s studio program is not holding back for the Art Murmur events! Last month we featured an epic show, with a live performance by Jordan Essoe, video installation by Masako Miyazaki, and live music by Karte Kinski. This month promises just as neat a vibe, so come down to the water for your Murmur festivities! 6-9PM.

Oakland’s own Hugh Fox will perform live, ambient, far-out cello improvisations with loop sequencer and electronics.

Once again, Jordan Essoe will perform in the gallery space his latest piece “The Fix.” It is a performance about attachment, involving the interplay between the artist, a surrogate object, and hot wax.

The studio wall will feature a multimedia Installation by Oakland artist Terry Furry. The teaser at the top of the page underscores the importance of seeing it in person, so come on out here and see it—and everything else—for yourselves!

Our 1st First + our Sixth on the 6th

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:04:00 -0700

It’s celebration time. Next Friday, April 6th we celebrate our SIXTH year in operation and our FIRST First Friday, and we will be hosting a whole evening of festivities!

We have a great lineup for you all for our First Friday featuring open studios with all of our studio artists Terry Furry, James Gayles, Cleo Villet, Kristen Jensen, Laura Basha, Meghan Kinder, Masako Miyazaki, Pamela Spears, Kathy Graddy and Jordan Essoe!

In addition, Jordan Essoe will perform Folie a Famille or We Take it the Same Way, a performance about group delusion, at 8pm at the gallery. Essoe’s work has been exhibited internationally at venues in New York, Miami, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, and Berlin. His projects have been documented by NPR, Artslant, Art Practical, The San Francisco Chronicle, Artweek, Stretcher, Rhizome, and NYArts Magazine.

We are also featuring live music from East Bay trio Karte Kinski! The band is dedicated to bringing math folk to the people through guitar, violin, vocal harmony, and percussion.

Come on down and see all we have in store for you as we celebrate this first of many First Fridays and Sixth of many years!

SWARM JOINS OAKLAND ART MURMUR!

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:20:00 -0700

As we recently mentioned, Oakland Art Murmur has expanded its membership area to include galleries and mixed-use art venues between 27th street and Jack London Square, along the Broadway and Telegraph corridor. This change brings in four new galleries and five new mixed-use venues, including Swarm (!) as well as our neighbors the Hive (301 Jefferson) and Urban Legend Cellars (621 4th St).

Art Murmur director Danielle Fox hopes the expansion will help grow the Oakland art community. “First and foremost, we wanted to extend a message of inclusion rather than exclusion, and create a context to work with the arts community on a more significant scale,” Fox explains. “We are especially excited to be able to partner with long-established art institutions such as Swarm and Pro-Arts who bring not only important exhibitions, but also valuable experience to the organization.”

Swarm’s director Svea Lin Soll is excited about the changes, noting the expansion of our program “to include performance art and live music on First Fridays, as well as open studios, to showcase more of the diverse multidisciplinary genres that are alive and well in Oakland.”

The Art Murmur events will feature exhibitions and projects from our eleven studio artists, whose work ranges from installation and performance art to more traditional media like work on paper and canvas. In addition, we plan to showcase local, live experimental music and have the current gallery exhibition and inventory works available to view.

Our neighbors the Hive Studio and Gallery and Urban Legend Cellars space will feature special events each First Friday as well. The Hive plans to showcase work from studio or outside artists and on occasion host group shows, live music, and street food. Urban Legends’ wine tasting room will be open and one of the walls will feature the work of a local artist. Check their websites for more details on their First Friday programming!

All member galleries will be open for the First Friday Art Walk on April 6th from 6-9pm as well as the Saturday Stroll, guided walking tours, artists talks, and other public programming which are free and open to the public. Click here for more info about the festivities we have lined up for our Art Murmur kickoff!

Cloud Shepherd, India Cooke & Solace Trio @ Swarm 8pm THIS SATURDAY, 3/24!

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:03:12 -0700

Come down Saturday evening for a night of sound collage at the gallery! We can’t think of a better way to kick off spring than with a night full of strings, theremins, waterphones, and all sorts of ethereal noises mashed-up by local musicians (and a Grammy-nominee).

Image: Collage by Michael Lowe Grandi

SOUND SCULPTURE
Saturday, March 24, 8PM
Swarm Gallery
560 Second Street, Oakland CA 94607

Suggested donation $10 at the door. No one turned away.

Solace Trio, image courtesy of Jen Giese.

Featuring the music and art of

SOLACE TRIO
Joshua Downer, guitar, vocals
Tim Kim, violin, vocals
Joseph Mintz, guitar, bass, percussion, vocals

The Solace Trio is a Berkeley-based band that blends classical, punk, hip hop, and folk backgrounds to produce soundscapes that connect personal narrative to the creation of story in songs.

Violinist India Cooke. Photo by Don Gurwitz.

INDIA COOKE with CLOUD SHEPHERD
Andrew Joron, theremin, waterphone
Brian Lucas, bass, tapes, vocals
Joseph Noble, various wind instruments, waterphone
Mark Pino, ‘cloud kit’ percussion

Cloud Shepherd is a San Francisco Bay Area improvisational quartet committed (as their name implies) to the pasturing of ever-changing, nonlinear cumulations of sound.

Grammy Award nominated violinist, composer and educator India Cooke has performed with Sun Ra, Pharaoh Sanders, Cecil Taylor, Joelle Leandre, and many others.

Cloud Shepherd

We're on the map!

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:21:22 -0700

We are so excited to announce that, starting in April, we will among the many esteemed member galleries of the Oakland Art Murmur! We’re finally on the map, so you be able to check us out on first Fridays and round out the Saturday stroll down here near Jack London. We are thrilled!

So thrilled, in fact, that we are adding some entertainment to our Art Murmur evenings. First up for our April 6th kickoff is East Bay trio Karte Kinski! Named in joint tribute to Germany (in Deutschland one refers to maps as karte) and Werner Herzog staple Klaus Kinski, the band is dedicated to bringing math folk to the people through guitar, violin, vocal harmony, and percussion.

Mark your calendars and pop down here for the April Murmur kickoff. More info to come!

SUNDAY! JABBERCLAW & STRATIC AT SWARM

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:37:39 -0800

Sunday, March 11, 8PM
Swarm Gallery
560 Second Street, Oakland CA 94607

$10-15 donation at the door

An evening of music with Oakland-based avant-jazz-post-rock group
Stratic
Michael Coleman, keyboards & electronics
Aram Shelton, saxophone & electronics
Alex Vittum, drums

and

Album release performance by Berkeley/Brooklyn hybrid trio
Jabberclaw
Jon Arkin, drums
Brian Drye, trombone
Mike McGinnis, clarinet

Opening set by Chicago bassist Anton Hatwich.

Jabberclaw (Berkeley/Brooklyn)

Stratic (Oakland)

CLOUD SHEPHERD, INDIA COOKE & SOLACE TRIO AT SWARM

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:15:00 -0800

We’re pleased to present yet another fabulous musical event at Swarm Gallery!

SOUND SCULPTURE
Saturday, March 24, 8PM
Swarm Gallery
560 Second Street, Oakland CA 94607

Suggested donation $10 at the door. No one turned away.

Image: Collage by Michael Lowe Grandi

Featuring the music and art of
SOLACE TRIO
Joshua Downer, guitar, vocals
Tim Kim, violin, vocals
Joseph Mintz, guitar, bass, percussion, vocals

The Solace Trio is a Berkeley based band that blends classical, punk, hip hop, and folk backgrounds to produce soundscapes that connect personal narrative to the creation of story in songs.

INDIA COOKE with CLOUD SHEPHERD
Andrew Joron, theremin, waterphone
Brian Lucas, bass, tapes, vocals
Joseph Noble, various wind instruments, waterphone
Mark Pino, ‘cloud kit’ percussion

Cloud Shepherd is a San Francisco Bay Area improvisational quartet committed (as their name implies) to the pasturing of ever-changing, nonlinear cumulations of sound.

India Cooke, Violin
Grammy Award nominated violinist, composer and educator has performed with
Sun Ra, Pharaoh Sanders, Cecil Taylor, Joelle Leandre, and many others.

Violinist India Cooke. Photo by Don Gurwitz.

Cloud Shepherd

Laura Ball works @ 2nd St. Gallery Family Art Day (Charlottesville, VA)

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:00:06 -0800

Hey, people over in Charlottesville, Virginia! Go check out Laura Ball’s current works at 2nd Street Gallery for a special free Family Art Day event happening this Saturday from 10am-1pm. There will be hands-on art projects for children of all ages—visitors can take inspiration from Laura’s works to create their own. In addition, Dimitri Dimitri will be performing live music.

We’ve been brewing up some exciting projects here for a...

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:26:33 -0800

We’ve been brewing up some exciting projects here for a while here at the gallery and today is the day we can finally begin to share some of them with you all! We are so thrilled to present to you a whole new set of media in the form a series of Swarm artist video profiles that explore the process and ideas behind the work of our gallery and affiliate artists.

This first profile features the artists from our most recent show Of Course Not, Jessalyn Aaland and Paul Morgan. The piece was created entirely by our friend Bram Draper (with a little help from gallery associate Robin Ward) and was shot on New Year’s Eve in Jessalyn and Paul’s incredible live/work artist funhouse.

This is the first in a series of artist profiles we’ll be revealing over the next few months. Repost and spread the video love (and stay tuned)!

Swarm Intelligence on KALX live 9pm TONIGHT @ the gallery!

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 19:34:28 -0800

Don’t forget folks! Tonight at 9pm down at the gallery we have a great show that will be broadcast live on KALX! Swarm Intelligence, a new band featuring a few folks who have played here before (Grex + Jordan Glenn, Phillip Greenlief, Dan Seamans, Cory Wright), will be performing along with the Ross Hammond Quartet (w/Vinny Golia, Steuart Liebig, Alex Cline), who are celebrating the release of Ross’s new CD!

The sextet of Swarm Intelligence synthesizes the sounds of Grex with “the instrumentation and rhythmic concept of modern jazz (reeds/bass/drums), evoking the timbres and improvisational acumen of the likes of the Paul Motian Trio, Liberation Music Orchestra, Marion Brown, and Bennie Maupin while tethering itself to the multi-idiomatic sensibilities of contemporary chamber pop.”

Art Hound crushin' on Jillian Ludwig this week

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:55:26 -0800

After mentioning Katy Horan’s featured work at Buy Some Damn Art earlier today, I noticed that Swarm’s Jillian Ludwig was mentioned earlier this week over at Art Hound, BSDA’s sister site. Head over there to scope Jillian’s work and to see a nicely curated selection of other great artists from all over!

Swarm featured in the EBX Insider's Guide!

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:32:00 -0800

Swarm is featured in the East Bay Express Insider’s Guide in this week’s issue! Pick up a guide for yourself and see where else you can experience the many great things happening this side of the bay.

Swarm studio artist Masako Miyazaki!

New Katy Horan works @ Buy Some Damn Art!

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:31:00 -0800

Photo courtesy of Buy Some Damn Art

Swarm’s Katy Horan is the featured artist this week over at Buy Some Damn Art, a site dedicated to affordable art run by Art Hound’s Kate Singleton. New works by Katy, priced between $400-$500 each, will be up for the next six weeks on the site. Also check out BSDA’s interview with Katy over at at their blog!

Of Course Not write up in East Bay Express!

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:24:11 -0800

Paul Morgan, I’m Lichen This! (2011), Screenprint, 20 x 26 inches

Head on over to the East Bay Express to check out Dewitt Cheng’s coverage our current show, Of Course Not. And make a point to stop by the gallery if you need another look (or a first look) at this show before the show ends Sunday February 26th!

Mayumi Hamanaka @ Middlesex County College Studio Theatre Gallery now through 3/8

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:00:05 -0800

Swarm’s Mayumi Hamanaka is in a group show that opened up February 2nd at Middlesex County College Studio Theatre Gallery in Edison, New Jersey. The show, entitled Self: Scape is an exhibition that “conceptually questions the metaphoric redefinition of the environment through the artist’s perspective,” according to curator and Drexel University professor Jen Blazina. “Whether it is a self-portrait or an occupied space, the artwork depicts a new viewpoint on how your surroundings effect how you see yourself. Media does not define the show but rather the artists’ take on what does Self: Scape mean to them.”

The exhibition also includes international and national artists Lena Lapschina, Ron Saunders, Tatana Kellner, Kim Owens and Anda Dubinskis and runs through March 8.

John Casey @ Galerie Polaris (Paris) 2/11 through 3/10!

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:00:06 -0800

To our French followers (or those lucky ones adventuring in Paris this month), Swarm’s John Casey has a solo show opening in the main gallery of Galerie Polaris today (or, yesterday, Paris time), Saturday February 11 from 2-9pm! The show, Big Idea, also features a group exhibition in the second gallery featuring the work of Claude Briand-Picard, Marine Joatton, Maëlle Labussière, Olivier Michel, Patrice Pantin and Antoine Perrot. The show runs through March 10.