The Twitter Art Exhibit team conducted a brief Q&A with Dan McCleary, Executive Director of Art Division, the benefiting charity of Twitter Art Exhibit: Los Angeles, which took place at Exhale Unlimited Gallery from January 12 to  February 10, 2013.

Art Division is a nonprofit organization that mentors disadvantaged youth 18-25 in the Rampart district of Los Angeles in preparation for careers in the visual arts.

Works from the exhibition are available for purchase until the end of March at www.twitterartexhibitla.com

Dan McCleary, Executive Director of Art Division (right), with student Javier Carillo (left) at LACMA.

T.A.E.: What did you think about the Twitter Art Exhibit concept when the curators approached Art Division to be the beneficiary of this fundraising exhibition?

D.M.: I was excited by the idea of a “Twitter art show”. I was also honored and so grateful to curators Nat George and Virginia Arce, as well as Anson Yew of Exhale Unlimited Gallery for selecting Art Division.

T.A.E.: Did you have any doubts or concerns along the way?

D.M.: I was afraid that the scope of the project would overwhelm all of us, especially in terms of the installation. It never did. The installation took a few days but went very smoothly with Nat and Virginia at the helm. They were assisted by Art Division students who worked very hard to get everything ready in time.

T.A.E.: What did the students think about this project, and how did they get involved?

D.M.: The students were thrilled to be exhibiting alongside artists from around the world. There was a core of students and young staff who helped with the installation, and with the opening and closing events.

T.A.E.: Did you ever think you would receive this many donated cards?

D.M.: I don’t think any of us expected such a big response to the Call for Artists, or the turnout we had on opening night.

T.A.E.: What were your thoughts when you saw the number of works coming in? Any comments on the variety of the work, styles, range?

D.M.: The first time we saw the work in person was while installing the exhibit. We were all delighted and overwhelmed by the amount and quality of the donated work. 

T.A.E.: Did the students have anything to say about the pieces they saw in the gallery ?

D.M.: On installation and opening days, the students were reporting back to me and sharing with each other the cards they were discovering. It was like being at a museum. 

T.A.E.: Did any cards surprise you in terms of their place of origin?

D.M.: I was surprised to see cards from Asia, Africa, and many countries in Europe.

T.A.E.: Can you talk a little bit about how much money was raised so far from Twitter Art Exhibit Los Angeles in support of Art Division?

D.M.: I believe we raised around $4,700.00 on opening night alone. To date, gallery and online sales total just a little over $7,000.00.

T.A.E.: Many of the artists are dying to know what the funds will be used for. Are there any plans or specifics that you can share with us?

D.M.: The timing of the exhibit couldn’t have better for Art Division. We are opening a new art library and painting studio this April. The funds will help pay for shelves, tables, chairs, as well as general operating costs.

T.A.E.: We know a lot of your students made postcards; how did they feel working on such a small scale?

D.M.: I think the small scale of the cards freed the students to experiment. We devoted many class periods to making the cards. It was fun and relaxing working on them together.

T.A.E.: Where do you see Art Division going in the next five to ten years? How are you expanding?

D.M.: Art Division has acquired two new spaces in the past two months. We didn’t expect this to happen so fast. We now serve 20 students. In 2013 we expect to serve closer to 30. We want to remain small so we can give our students individual attention and in-depth training, and we hope to get more tutors, mentors and teachers as well. Our hope is that our extensive library will serve not only our students, but also our community, artists and art students from other schools or organizations throughout L..A. Our space will also eventually serve as a community art center open to lectures, readings and musical performances.

T.A.E.: What’s going to happen to unsold cards?

D.M.: Unsold cards will be up for sale at our Art Division store located in our new library.

T.A.E.: Dan, thank you for taking the time!

D.M.: Thank you.

1.

2.

3.

1. Art Division students and mentors visiting the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. 2. Art Division students visiting LACMA in Los Angeles. 3. Art Division students in front of a mural they completed in one day for a Ted X project in Manhattan Beach, CA.

The Twitter Art Exhibit team conducted a brief interview with Anson Yew, MD, the owner of Exhale Unlimited Gallery, which hosted Twitter Art Exhibit Los Angeles from January 12 to February 10, 2013.

Anson Yew, MD,
Owner of Exhale Unlimited Gallery in Chinatown’s Arts District.
Photo courtesy of www.cartwheelart.com

T.A.E.: Hi Anson, thanks so much for donating your space to our exhibition, and for making this possible.

A.Y.: My pleasure!

T.A.E.: So, we’re kind of curious to find out how you felt about the concept when you were first approached by the curators to participate in Twitter Art Exhibit.
 
A.Y.: Initially I thought it was a great idea but I was a little apprehensive about the logistics. I wasn’t sure how it was going to come together, but I had worked with the curators before so I trusted them. I know they have a heart for helping those in need.

T.A.E.: You agreed to donate your space so 100% of proceeds could go directly to the charity, Art Division. What are your thoughts on Art Division’s program? Why did you get involved?
 
A.Y.: Art Division is an art program for at-risk young adults in central Los Angeles, an area where the population is critically under-served. I’ve had a chance in the last few years to volunteer with an art program that supports the mentally disabled, and although Art Division serves a much different population, I know first-hand that art can have a profound effect on people. It changes lives. Creativity is the basis for human connection and expression. I’m thankful there are organizations to partner with in the field of visual arts that are willing to work to benefit the world around us.

T.A.E.: Did you have any doubts or concerns along the way?
 
A.Y.: Any time you venture into something new, there are concerns. One personal concern was that Exhale Unlimited Gallery is open to all ages. There were questions as to what might happen if some of the work was (for example) inappropriate for young viewers. Artists can sometimes push the limits of what people are comfortable with, and it’s difficult to say what’s appropriate, what’s not… Having said that, the artists were overwhelmingly responsive to the fact that Twitter Art Exhibit L.A. was a show for charity, and that we were supporting an educational organization sheltering young adults from difficult situations. There were many beautifully executed pieces, and some highly creative work. All ages and segments of our audience were able to find something that they enjoyed.
 
T.A.E.: Did you ever think you would receive this many cards?
 
A.Y.: Neither I nor the curators ever expected the number of submissions we received. It was overwhelming to say the least. Being a bit out of the social media circles, I came to realize the power of the relationships that are developed online. It makes your heart skip a beat when you come in to find new mail form all over the world. Each card was like a special valentine from someone who cares about making a difference in this world. No matter how big or small the individual contributions are, when people come together in such large numbers, they’re making an actual dent in a broken world.

T.A.E.: What were your thoughts about the works coming in? Any comments on the variety of the work, styles, range?
 
A.Y.: The variety and styles represented were as colorful as the cultures that make our world. Everything from detailed portraits, to modern abstracts, Asian calligraphy, collages… it was wonderful. It reflected the vast beauty of our global family, a literal melding of worlds in one small gallery.

T.A.E.: What did you think the general impression of the public was on opening night? Did any thoughts or impressions stand out?
 
A.Y.: Everyone was impressed with the exhibit. Each card was identified with the artist’s name, Twitter handle and country of origin. This made the show immensely meaningful. When the public realized that each piece was sent directly to our gallery from all parts of the world, and that everyone came together through Twitter for a cause, they were touched. The cards themselves were beautiful pieces of art, but when attached to a story, they really came alive to viewers.

T.A.E.: Did any cards surprise you in terms of their place of origin?
 
A.Y.: So many countries were represented… we received several cards from countries where relatively little English is spoken. That was a nice surprise for me. It was also interesting that certain countries had similar styles or subject matters.

T.A.E.: Can you speak about the role of Exhale Unlimited in helping nonprofits and charitable organizations? Any thoughts on mixing art and charitable giving?
 
A.Y.: I started Exhale Unlimited to benefit charities and nonprofits by partnering on various projects revolving around design and the visual arts. We offer art exhibitions, as well as fashion, home and gift items, and a portion of the sales is donated to charity. So this particular exhibition was a nice fit. Art and charitable giving goes hand in hand, and of course there’s a long tradition for this. Everyone wants to own beautiful artwork, and if you can lend a hand by buying it, I think it makes the art even more meaningful. This may be an idealist’s view, but the massive response to Twitter Art Exhibit shows that the public is still interested in concepts mixing philanthropy and the arts.

T.A.E.: Where do you see Exhale Unlimited going in the next five to ten years?
 
A.Y.: Exhale Unlimited is going to go with the flow, and ride the next wave. We want to continue working with the many wonderful nonprofits and charities that benefit our world. These include those that deal with disaster relief, finding cures for disease, providing second chances (homelessness, mental illness, etc), providing basic needs to the world (food, water, shelter) and helping organizations that care about our ecosystems and the planet.

T.A.E.: The philosophy of Twitter Art Exhibit is that “art can change the world”. Do you think art can change the world?
 
A.Y.: Art is an outward expression of our creativity, and creativity is what distinguishes our humanity and where our soul finds purpose. Through art, we can glimpse the meaning of our lives on earth — and when we find meaning, we can change the world.

T.A.E.: Was this a positive experience for you? Would you do something like this again?
 
A.Y.: The exhibition was a reminder that the world is very small and that we all share a common desire to make it a better place. It was a meaningful exhibition that I would welcome again for different causes.
 
T.A.E.: Any famous last words? :)

A.Y.: Just a big thank you to the curators, Nat George and Virginia Arce. They worked very hard, both online and at the local level, to bring this entire exhibition together. They both have a desire to find ways in which art can benefit others. Their passion for curating exhibitions, especially for nonprofits, is inspiring - and it’s making this world a better place.

T.A.E.: Thanks for taking the time Anson, we appreciate it!

A.Y.: All the best.

Closing Reception: Saturday February 9, 2013, 7-10PM

Exhale Unlimited (E.U.) Gallery is proud to present Twitter Art Exhibit: Los Angeles, an international exhibition of original postcard-sized art benefiting Art Division, a nonprofit program supporting underserved young adults (18-25) in L.A.’s Rampart District, in preparation for careers in the visual arts. 

A closing reception will be held from 7-10 PM on Saturday, February 9, 2013 at E.U. Gallery, in Chinatown’s Arts District.    

Twitter Art Exhibit: Los Angeles is the third installment of an open international exhibition of handmade postcard art donated by hundreds of artists from around the globe.
 
Participating artists received a call through Twitter social media to create original postcard-sized art, which they mailed to a local team of curators, who then exhibited and sold the work to benefit a chosen charity. 
 
Hundreds of local and International artists are featured. E.U. Gallery owner, Anson Yew, MD, has graciously provided exhibition space.
 
Postcard art entries will be displayed and sold at the closing reception for $35 a piece. Art Division students and mentors will be on-site, creating art “live” for attendees to enjoy. All proceeds benefit Art Division.

Artwork from the exhibition is also available for purchase online through the end of March at www.twitterartexhibitla.com

This event is FREE to attend and open to the public.

For more information:

Twitter Art Exhibit
www.twitterartexhibit.org | @twitrartexhibit
Art Division
www.artdivision.org | @ArtDivisionLA
Exhale Unlimited
www.exhaleunlimited.com | @ExhaleUnlimited

VENUE INFO
Exhale Unlimited / E.U. Gallery
953 Chung King Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90012 [ MAP ]
t. 213.620.8888 | info@exhaleunlimited.com

PARKING
Pay parking lots are located at the north end of Chung King Rd. and in Bamboo Plaza. Metered parking is also available.

Please share this invitation with anyone who can attend the event in person!

Below is an updated list of #TwitterArtExhibit #LosAngeles #artists that have sold.

The data in this post will be updated periodically, so please use a bookmark and check back weekly for additions and/or corrections as we will not be able to notify artists individually.

Please note that some artists donated one piece, some donated more.

Each artists had one piece displayed when the show opened. If an artist sent us more than one card, they were held in reserve to replace any of their sold cards. If they kept selling, we kept replacing them until they ran out. This is why some artists have a number higher than 1 to the right of their name. Throughout the exhibition, we will keep replacing sold cards with any backup cards held in reserve.

Please note that this list does not include works sold by Art Division students and focuses on TAE artists only!

As of 3/13/2013

·       Abstengo Chaviano, Jesoviel (1)

·       Acheson, Janel (1)

·       Adams, Laurie Yeates (1)

·       Aguilar, RJ (1)

·       Albano, Gioia (1)

·       Amador Gonzalez, Liesther (1)

·       Amylee (1)

·       Arbic, Aimee (1)

·       Armstrong, Rachel (1)

·       Atkinson, Loz (1)

·       Badass Ball (1)

·       Barron, J. F. (1)

·       Beaudet, Jennifer (2)

·       Bennett, Tom (2)

·       Bernstein, Donna (2)

·       Berry, Lindsay J. (1)

·       Biswas, Sumana (1)

·       Bjork, Heidi (1)

·       Blencowe, Jan (1)

·       Boto, Hélio (1)

·       Boyce, Sean (1)

·       Bratt, Allison (1)

·       Brunner, Terry (1)

·       Burgess, Shani (1)

·       Carr, Katherine M. (1)

·       Carvalho, Christophe (1)

·       Ceasar, Nicholas (1)

·       Chlebus, Karen (1)

·       Clelland, Glenise (1)

·       Cole, Joan (1)

·       Combs, Daniel Ragsdale (1)

·       Core, Jenny (1)

·       Davidson, Liz (1)

·       De Ryck, Catherine (1)

·       Dobbs, Jan (1)

·       Dodge, Dani (1)

·       Eicher, Thomas (1)

·       El Abrelatas (1)

·       Field, Martin (1)

·       Flores, Rita (1)

·       Flower, Merlin (1)

·       Forsyth, Julia (2)

·       Frampton, Elaine (1)

·       Friesen, Holly (1)

·       Gaspar, Mary (1)

·       Geary, Mary (1)

·       Gerace, Stephanie (1)

·       Glatzeder, Barbara (2)

·       Gonzalez, Gladys (1)

·       Goriya, Saida (1)

·       Graham, Lisa (1)

·       Griffith, Meg Davis (1)

·       Grosvenor, Tim (1)

·       Hagy, Jessica (1)

·       Handley, Chantal (1)

·       Hawari, Angel (1)

·       Hawk, Jacqui (1)

·       Heuser, Ingrid (1)

·       Hillman, Thomas (1)

·       Hitchings, Dion (1)

·       Hobden, Peter (1)

·       Holstein, Pamela (1)

·       Horton, Heather (1)

·       Howden, Dawn (1)

·       Hutchinson, Emma (1)

·       Hyslob, Tina (1)

·       Jacobson, Nancy (1)

·       Jeskanen, Maren (1)

·       Johnson, Marisa M. (1)

·       Jones, Lucia Elena (1)

·       Jones, Nick (1)

·       Jones, Trevor (2)

·       Kang, Karen (1)

·       Katz, Vanessa (1)

·       Kaycedo-Kimura, Aaron (1)

·       Kemp, Teresa Maria (1)

·       Kilworth, Simone (1)

·       Kondo, Chichiro (1)

·       Koufali, Alexandra (1)

·       Lee, Jeremy (1)

·       Levin, Lena (1)

·       Maagdenberg, Tessa (2)

·       March, Alexandra (1)

·       Marshall, Martha (1)

·       Martin, Claude (1)

·       McDonald, Maude (2)

·       McDonald, Melanie (1)

·       McIndoe, Naomi (1)

·       McKenzie, Annick (1)

·       McNee, Lori (1)

·       Mifsud, Kristine (1)

·       Millicent, Luisa (2)

·       Mole, Natalie (1)

·       Moore, Catherine (1)

·       Moreno, Hershey (3)

·       Morgan, Fiona (1)

·       Murray, Roberta (1)

·       Namath, Jamie (1)

·       Nees, Frauke (1)

·       Nickerson, Dee (1)

·       Nickrent, Joni (1)

·       Noble, Stephanie (1)

·       O’Neill, Susan (1)

·       Odacio, Silvana (2)

·       Oldknow, Jenny (1)

·       Osborne, Fran (1)

·       Ostrow, Kat (2)

·       Palencia Ruiz, Amasilys R. (1)

·       Palencia, Zoraida (1)

·       Papp, Kristina (1)

·       Pascoe, Walt (1)

·       Paul, Sylvia (1)

·       Pedrero, Robin Maria (1)

·       Pelissier, Sandrine (1)

·       Pineault, Sandra J (1)

·       Piper, Kathrine (1)

·       Pizzillo, Jennifer (1)

·       Potak, Russ (1)

·       Powers, Ken (2)

·       Pringle, Fiona (1)

·       Pymont, Jenny (1)

·       Reiken, Erna (1)

·       Rich, Alan (1)

·       Richards, Michael (1)

·       Richards, Monique (2)

·       Rollins, June (1)

·       Rummell, Shell (1)

·       Russell, Klaire (2)

·       Salter, Cat (1)

·       Sandum, David (1)

·       Santos, Amanda (1)

·       Schramm, Claudia (1)

·       Schutter, Mark (1)

·       Seslow, Ryan (1)

·       Shannon, Casey (1)

·       Shiney, Lee (1)

·       Slater, Colin (1)

·       Smith, Sara (1)

·       Spier, Monica (1)

·       Spurgeon, Liz (1)

·       Squier, Rita (1)

·       Srisamang, Cataliya (1)

·       Stajan Ferkul, Andrea (1)

·       Stalder, Stefanie (1)

·       Steelman, Rebecca (1)

·       Struebig, Leland (1)

·       Swain Vadnie, Rebecca (1)

·       Thomassen, Cate (1)

·       Thorp, Sam (1)

·       Tise, Jesse (1)

·       Tolbert, Pleas (1)

·       Vanderhoof, Janet (1)

·       Vaughan, Graeme (1)

·       Virgil, Lea (1)

·       Von Bargen, Simon (1)

·       Watson, Janette (1)

·       Weisz, Ryn (1)

·       Welch, Terrill (1)

·       Wellington, Susan (1)

·       Williamson, Laara (1)

·       Wilson, Kirsty (1)

·       Winkel, Rex (1)

·       Wood, Emma (1)

·       Wrench, Jeff (1)

·       Wrigley, Florence (1)

·       Yoon, Jackie (1)

Opens Saturday, January 12, 2013 at E.U. Gallery
Show runs January 12 to February 10, 2013

Exhale Unlimited (E.U.) Gallery is proud to present Twitter Art Exhibit: Los Angeles, an international exhibition of original postcard-sized art benefiting Art Division, a nonprofit program supporting underserved young adults (18-25) in L.A.’s Rampart District, in preparation for careers in the visual arts. An opening reception will be held from 7-10 PM on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at E.U. Gallery, in Chinatown’s Arts District.    

Twitter Art Exhibit: Los Angeles is the third installment of an open international exhibition of handmade postcard art donated by hundreds of artists from around the globe.
 
The idea is simple: artists from around the world receive a call through Twitter social media to create postcard-sized art, which they mail to a local curator, who then exhibits and sells the work to benefit a chosen charity. Artists must have a Twitter account and interact with exhibition organizers to help seed the event.
 
Hundreds of local and International artists are expected to participate. E.U. Gallery owner, Anson Yew, MD, has graciously provided exhibition space.
 
Postcard art entries will be displayed and sold on opening night and through February 10th, 2013, at $35 a piece. All proceeds will benefit Art Division. This event is FREE to attend and open to the public.
 
For more information:
Twitter Art Exhibit
www.twitterartexhibit.org | @twitrartexhibit
Art Division
www.artdivision.org | @ArtDivisionLA
Exhale Unlimited
www.exhaleunlimited.com | @ExhaleUnlimited

VENUE INFO
Exhale Unlimited / E.U. Gallery
953 Chung King Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90012 [ MAP ]
t. 213.620.8888 | info@exhaleunlimited.com

PARKING
Pay parking lots are located at the north end of Chung King Rd. and in Bamboo Plaza. Metered parking is also available.

Please share this invitation with anyone who can attend the event in person!