Jasper’s Degenerate Art Project II is a wrap!

Jasper is excited to officially announce the winners of the Degenerate Art Project Artist’s Awards presented Saturday, February 28th at the exhibition’s Closing Party at Stormwater Studios in Columbia.

In a night that included verboten swing dance demonstrations and lessons by Columbia’s Richard Durlach and Breedlove, the launch of Ed Madden’s new book, I Asked Him What He Needed, with a sweet little surprise chapbook titled, My Students Want to Talk About Ice: Political Poems, the reading of a banned children’s book by our favorite Drag King Marty McGuy, freshly spun tunes from Scotty Tempo, and an amazing menu by MidiMarc, the presentation of the awards was an appropriate addition to the fun.

Congratulations to Ivan Segura for winning the Jasper Degenerate Art Project II ZEITGEIST AWARD for his painting Untitled, presented to the artist whose work best exemplified the socio-political spirit of the times while also exhibiting proficiency in execution, originality, and strong engagement with the viewer.

The Adjudicators for the Zeitgeist Award included Peter Chametzky, Harriett Greene, and Xavier Blake.

Congratulations to Cam Moore for winning the Jasper Degenerate Art Project II ARTISTS’ CHOICE AWARD for his painting HEAVY. The winner of the Artists’ Choice Award was determined by the participating artists, each of whom cast a single vote for their favorite contribution to the show.

In addition to framed certificates the winning artists also received cash prizes made possible by the generosity of our sponsors Bill Schmidt and Muddy Ford Press.

***Nolan Wright - Resilient Standing Strong***

Thank you to everyone who came out for the Degenerate Art Project II, and thanks to Maya Smith and the welcoming artists at Stormwater Studios for hosting us. Thanks to Curiosity Coffee for keeping our thirsts at bay and to MidiMarc for feeding us so well and to WeCo Bottle & Biergarten for donating the bubbles we used to celebrate our opening night.

Thank you to our Zeitgeist judges: Xavier Blake, Harriett Greene, and Peter Chametzsky.

Sadly, it is highly likely that we will need to do this again in 2027, so please be thinking about ways to make the third iteration different and unique unto itself while still engaging with artists from all disciplines and their patrons.

WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR IDEAS!

Hit us up at info@jasperproject.org

“Live magazine” sounds a bit oxymoronic. Whether proactively or reactively, magazines expose, summarize, analyze, and/or relate events; but rarely, if ever, are they events in and of themselves. Saturday at Conundrum, southeast-based art cooperative the Izms of Art will blend these two aspects of spectacle and journalism into “The Freshniz: Volume 2.”

The Izms of Art, like many of the organizations Jasper features, “strive[s] to push the boundaries of expression.” In order to do so, members and affiliates fuse a variety of artistic media (including, among others, visual art, graphic design, tattooing, and music production) and instill in the public a more complex understanding of and appreciation for art.

Izm’s multifaceted approach to creative pursuit is a product of the multitalented individuals that comprise it; each member possesses an impressive resume indicative of trans-genre capability: certified audio engineer DJ B (aka B Sam) boasts an extensive knowledge of music, audio, and video production; Carl “Fahiym” Jones engages in various forms of creative writing, including fiction, poetry, and hip hop; Dalvin "Mustafa" Spann offers expertise in graphics, photography, videography, and web design; Tahirah Spann explores “the blurry line between an art form and a craft”; Uncle Vic contributes as a painter, illustrator, graphic designer, and MC; barber, tattoo artist, and founding member of hip hop group The Shaaw Brothers, Jarrett “Un” Jenkins also expresses himself on canvas, paper, and cardboard.

According to Izms painter, illustrator, and writer Cedric Umoja, Freshniz is an opportunity for the community to “come out and enjoy the arts on different levels.” He emphasizes that when we think of art, we often think of visual arts. We forget that acting is art, writing is art, cooking is art. The Freshniz allows for artists to expose the arts that are too infrequently identified as such.

Cedric admits that the concept of a live magazine did not originate at Izms. He notes that they’ve been “occurring here and there throughout the country,” popping up sporadically and providing speakers with around five minutes each. But Izms wants to bring consistency and depth to these intriguing events. Saturday’s event will feature four speakers from various fields of art. Speakers will be given twenty to twenty-five minutes to showcase themselves, their unique experiences, and their creative processes.

The Freshniz: Volume 2 will include presentations by: visual artist Infamous JeanClaude; producer, director, and videographer Betsy Newman; music producer Midi Marc; and producer Sufia Giza Amenwahsu of REEL Black Pix. Conundrum’s doors will open at 6 PM, and tickets will be sold for $5 on arrival.

For more information about the Izms of Art, its members, or its events, visit their website (http://izmsofart.wordpress.com) and Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/Izms.ofArt). Izms plans to organize two more live magazines this year, so keep an eye out for volumes 3 and 4 of The Freshniz.

-- Austine Blaze, Jasper intern

Announcing the Winners of Jasper's Degenerate Art Project Artist's Awards

Jasper’s Degenerate Art Project II is a wrap!

Sadly, it is highly likely that we will need to do this again in 2027, so please be thinking about ways to make the third iteration different and unique unto itself while still engaging with artists from all disciplines and their patrons.

WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR IDEAS!

The Freshniz: Volume 2 -- Saturday Night!