27 April 2009

NoLA Rising :: U.S. Mint Show

NoLA Rising : United Artist Front : US Mint

Firstly, NoLA Rising would like to thank the Louisiana State Museum system and the staff at the Old U.S. Mint at 400 Esplanade Avenue. Without your support in our cause and the belief that art does make a difference in the daily lives of our citizenry, we couldn't have had such a wonderful space.

Next, we'd like to thank our dedicated group of volunteers who gave their time and effort to helping us produce a well-executed and highly successful show. Without them, we'd have been like a bunch of chickens running around with our heads cut off.

And then, without the vast support of the artists who have supported us, from New Orleans and from across the world, we surely could not have made this happen. Without a doubt, I am honored and deeply touched by the support that has constantly been shown to myself and NoLA Rising from amazing artists of all calibers. Our continued solidarity not only makes our ability to showcase emerging artists, but strengthens the community of artists who believe in ideals that are greater than the individual. I am thankful that your artistic efforts allow us to build the framework for a more beautiful New Orleans.

To all who came out and supported us, and those who supported us leading up to the event, and those who will continue to support us, let is be shown that a small group of dedicated people are accomplishing great things for a noble cause.

ReX salutes you all!

Now for a few pics from the show:
NoLA Rising : United Artist Front : US Mint
CONO & ReX collaboration

NoLA Rising : United Artist Front : US Mint
Mia Kaplan

NoLA Rising : United Artist Front : US Mint
Flowerguy

NoLA Rising : United Artist Front!
Tony Nozero

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Joe Iurato

Real Abstract
Real Abstract

NoLA Rising : United Artist Front : US Mint

Thanks to everyone yet again!!!

26 April 2009

NoLA Rising Would like to Thank Business Supporters of the United Artist Front Show

A special thank you to these businesses that helped make NoLA Rising's U.S. Mint Show a great success:

The U.S. Mint ( a Louisiana State Museum )

Whole Foods
Glazer Distributors
Coffee Roasters
Coffea
CC's Coffee
Lento & Associates
We Three Kings
Eye Candy Tattoo
Electric Ladyland on Frenchman
Tomatillo's
Mona's
Squeel BBQ
Michael's Bike Shop
Lucky You Candy Company
Slice
&
Juan's Flying Burrito

25 April 2009

NoLA Rising at the U.S. Mint

APRIL 25th, 2009

Today is the final day of bidding at the Silent Art Auction being hosted by NoLA Rising to benefit the United Artist Front Mural Arts Program. Bidding closes at 3 p.m.

Up for an auction is an authenticated BANKSY donated from private sources close to the NoLA Rising Family
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Here are some quick snaps from the set-up for the show:
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22 April 2009

Flickr Pics of the U.S. Mint Show

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nolarisingproject/sets/72157616563021529/

Sorry Folks that I couldn't keep up with the individual posting. Been hectic at work and been hectic at gearing up for the show. So as not to deprive anyone, I wanted to post the flickr link to the show we're having at the U.S. Mint so that folks could get an advance peek at some of the pieces we have available. Hope to see y'all there...

ReX

09 April 2009

United Artist Front - New Orleans Mural Arts Program (Amy Martin)

We are receiving lots of donations today from artists who have offered us their artwork to auction to benefit NoLA Rising in launching the United Artist Front, a New Orleans Mural Arts Program. Over the next few days, we will feature artwork that we have been receiving...


Posters by Amy Martin

ARTISTS WHO HAVE ANSWERED THE CALL:
BANKSY / Shepard Fairey / Michael DeFeo / STARHEAD / Ray Noland / Amy Martin / Rex Dingler / Cherie Langford / Nick Hasslock / CONO / Melissa Levine / ARTCAR by Kelly Israel / Ken Nahan / Blaine Capone / Len Cowgill / Joan Davis / Brandon Dauphin / Stephanie Stallmer / Ussama Hanna / Crista Rock / Amy Loewy / Scott Mosely

07 April 2009

History of NoLA Rising / L'Histoire d'NoLA Rising

HISTORY OF NoLA RISING

NoLA Rising began after Hurricane Katrina as a public art initiative to improve the day to day lives of the people living in New Orleans. Believing that “Art Can Heal the Wounded Soul”, Michael “Rex” Dingler spread the message that while we, as New Orleanians, were down, we certainly weren’t out. Through custom posters, random quotes and hand painted street signs, NoLA Rising became a cultural movement for social justice proving the power of a positive message.

Rex began his mission with the simple idea that publicly displayed art could positively impact the emotional needs of New Orleanians who returned to face great odds after the storm. Messages of hope, faith and culture were vital to the mental health of those who returned to rebuild their homes and restore their lives. With this approach in mind, Rex personally created over 3,000 individually drawn and hand-painted signs and displayed them across New Orleans on telephone poles. In addition, Rex created vibrant street signs for intersections when the city could no longer afford to do so.

As the project became more prominent in recognition, people joined Rex to also paint and publicly display their work. Through several group art events (paint parties) held across New Orleans, thousands of pieces of artwork were created. While many of the pieces ended up on the streets, many of the pieces were also donated to worthy causes helping people to finally move back into their restored homes.

NoLA Rising then began to look at ways it could improve the daily function of arts in a community. To raise awareness for public art, a joint event was held in an “It’s Yours, Take It” show at Café Brasil in the summer of 2008 where artwork was given away to people passing by. The show displayed pieces made at a NoLA Rising Paint Party and pieces received from an international list of artists for the explicit purpose of giving away free art. Another free exchange was held in a public space to raise money to donate supplies to a local art teacher in one of the area public schools.

Later in 2008, NoLA Rising held two more paint parties to gather artwork for a Christmas event designed to be an art exchange for toys that were then donated to the United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. Through this event, NoLA Rising was able to donate just under a hundred toys to Toys for Tots and another neighborhood program of similar quality.

NoLA Rising has also been involved in book drives and creating artistic spaces in local bookstores, fighting for individual property rights of artistic owners, and events and festivals ranging from VooDoo Fest to Propsect.Every1. The most notable event was the NoLA Rising Festival at IRT in the West Village of New York.

The NoLA Rising Festival was hosted by SlightlyAskew to bring the message to New York and raise money for various New Orleans charities and groups. Rex collaborated with the Endless Love Crew and Robots Will Kill to have a painted collaborative mural in the space that also served for theater purposes, jazz shows, spoken word, film screenings and interactive media events. The success of the show was guaranteed by CultureBot calling NoLA Rising “the largest grassroots movement in the contemporary art scene in the American South.”

At the beginning of 2009, NoLA Rising entered a new phase of existence looking to our city walls as free and sanctioned public art spaces to continue the message that New Orleans is the cultural center of the South. In our very own back yard is the most important wall in modern American history…the Lower Ninth Ward Levee Wall. To remember our collective struggle as a city, to re-assert our position as a city of the arts, and to honor those who we lost in the storm, NoLA Rising has begun the United Artist Front, New Orleans Mural Arts Program.

In the first major mural effort, NoLA Rising sought and received support from the New Orleans Levee Board to turn the rebuilt Lower Ninth Ward Levee Wall into a continuous 3900 foot long mural (totaling approximately 46,800 square feet of art space), with 65 local artists each painting 720 square feet of their tribute. As a newly formed Louisiana Non-Profit, we are forging ahead with local leaders to insure the project’s existence and success and plan to announce the mural in the second quarter of 2009.

05 April 2009

Canary Gallery in the T-P


Canary Gallery in the T-P
Originally uploaded by humidhaney

At Canary Gallery, photographer Zack Smith, Mike "Rex" Dingler of NoLA Rising

04 April 2009

NoLA Rising Wants You!

NoLA Rising Wants You!!!

NoLA Rising needs you! NoLA Rising Wants You!

NoLA Rising is now a Louisiana non-profit. We rose up from the streets to become an organization of artists whose goal is to encourage people in all neighborhoods of Greater New Orleans to publicly display works of art for the purpose of rebuilding and restoring the human spirit in our city.

NoLA Rising will be announcing a major murals program in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans and will expand to other areas of the city.

In order to do all of this, we need to hit the ground running. As in the past, NoLA Rising has survived because artists have heeded the call to realize a goal larger than their own self-interest and given their time, their talent and their artwork in pursuit of our noble ideals.

NoLA Rising is putting up a fundraiser / show at the U.S. Mint in New Orleans and we’re currently calling for artists to donate a piece of artwork. The hope is that we can raise money to cover the costs needed for starting a major murals program. The event will be held the first weekend of Jazzfest (April 24th-26th) and will be well covered by media (mainstream and not so mainstream).

And what do you get besides a warm, fuzzy feeling inside for doing something good? You get my undying love and gratitude. You get to help be part of the NoLA Rising Movement to beautify a city that government forgot. You get recognition for helping us out and you get to be in an awesome show with some pretty bad-ass artists. Most importantly, you help out the people of New Orleans.

If you are interested, please contact me. On behalf of the NoLA Rising team, we really appreciate anything you can do. Deadline for us to receive artwork or photography will be April 17th.

Paint the change you wish to see!

ReX
NoLA Rising

ARTISTS WHO HAVE ANSWERED THE CALL:
BANKSY / Shepard Fairey / Michael DeFeo / STARHEAD / Ray Noland / El Celso / Amy Martin / Tony Nozero / Christopher Poche West / Rex Dingler / Joe Russo / Cherie Langford / Allison Termine / anthony turducken / Nick Hasslock / CONO / SoTx / Melissa Levine / ARTCAR by Kelly Israel / Ken Kenan / Blaine Capone / Len Cowgill / Joan Davis / Sarah Rosedahl / Brandon Dauphin / Stephanie Stallmer / Ussama Hanna / Crista Rock / Amy Loewy / Scott Mosely / Lance “Varg” Vargas / 32 Brandongirl / Bruce Dagrepont Jr. / Claudia Gehrke / GRAILIVES / Sharky of Black Sails Photography / Donn Davis / Kyle Chase / Beverly Cook / B-Kay / Emily Macafore / Bryan Barnes / Anthony Posey / Karen Miller / Christian Silva /

ARTISTS WHO HAVE SAID THEY WOULD ANSWER THE CALL:
Peter Lundberg / Robert Guthrie / MAGS / Val Webb / Dave Warnke / Arthur McLean / Sean Geatreaux / Michelle Brecher / O...Phuck / KelleyGirl / INSPIRE / Peaceswirl / SL!C / Will Frank / Leonard Lopp / TARD / Michelle Augusto / Julie A. Miller / Rick Simpson / NEMO / Tammy Vitale / Dave Watkins / FOKUSED / GAIA / Lady Ma Dia / Rachel Hoover / Robin DeAlva-Graziano / Dion Nunez / Jenna Colby / Shera Simon / Natalie Maloney / Real Abstract / Pauline Patterson / Dori Ashton / Gracie! / Stevie Collins

02 April 2009

We Three Kings - Allways Loungs - April 3rd

Oh how you've waited! We are finally at a wrap with filming...the project travels back up to New York to finish editing. NYC, July, it cracks its knuckles onstage. This fall, at home, it opens. We are so thrilled and so grateful to the community here in this city. Without you, this would have been impossible.

I invite you (oh yes, again!) to come and give a last heave and a ho with a drink in hand at the We Three Kings Fundraising Spectacular!

WE THREE KINGS SPECTACULAR

01 April 2009

Donations have begun arriving: STARHEAD / LEN COWGILL / USSAMA HANNA

Artwork has begun arriving from around the country and we are awaiting pieces to begin arriving from around the world...

STARHEAD:::

STARHEAD donates pieces to the NoLA Rising U.S. Mint Show

STARHEAD donates pieces to the NoLA Rising U.S. Mint Show

STARHEAD donates pieces to the NoLA Rising U.S. Mint Show

LEN COWGILL:::

Len Cowgill donates a piece to the NoLA Rising U.S. Mint Show

USSAMA HANNA:::

Usamma Hanna donates a piece to the NoLA Rising U.S. Mint Show

MORE TO COME!!!

Quote of the Day by Anais Nin

Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living.

* Anais Nin