Tuesday, February 01, 2005

ReThinkPink Breast Cancer Fundraiser: February 12 - March 11


Annie Sprinkle Tit Print

Tracy van der Kuil print

ReThinkPink Breast Health Fundraiser
ReThinkPink is in honor of Evelyn Pennington, Patsy Kline's aunt, who lost her fight to breast cancer at the age of 46, May 11, 1993.

Opening Receipton
Sat, 12 Feb, 6-10:00 p.m.

$1 Suggested donation at the door
Bid on original breast prints by local women
Featuring an original Annie Sprinkle Tit Print
Musical performance:
Santina Protopapa
Video installation:
Mountain Landscape, by R Ferris

Fri, 18 Feb, 5-9:00 p.m.
ArtWalk Reception
Musical performance: 
djplasticefx

Fri, 11 Mar, 5-8:00 p.m.
Closing Reception
Video installation:“Breast Crack” by Bernadette Gillota & Annetta Marion
Sponsored by:
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc., Northeast Ohio Affiliate


We challenge you to start a fun, creative tradition - do your monthly breast self-exam (BSE) with non-toxic body paint on your hands! Upon completing the exam press your breast(s) on artist paper to create a one-of-a-kind self-painted BSE print, really! Donate your print(s) to the gallery and we will auction them off. Once all the prints have been sold 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to further the eduction of monthly BSE's.

CLEVELAND, OHIO — GALLERY Ü CLEVELAND is tackling the serious issues of breast cancer in an upbeat, unconventional and creative way in hopes more women will become aware of the importance of monthly breast self-exams (BSE). We want to encourage all women, especially young women who may not consider their risks or who feel fearful of doing a BSE, to become familiar with what their breasts normally look and feel like with the help of colorful, self-painted breast prints.

This progressive breast health event is the first annual fundraiser organized by curator Patsy Kline, Shelly Gracon, Mike McNamara, Tracy & Ed van der Kuil. The purpose is to provide a space for people to learn and address their concerns about breast health while developing an intimate relationship with the value of artistic expression. 100% of net proceeds from the sale of prints and 50% of net proceeds raised from the event will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc., Northeast Ohio Affiliate (www.komen.org) to help further the education of monthly BSE’s.

Women (and men) of various ages and backgrounds were asked to debunk traditional stereotypes and speak out with their breasts in a healthy, positive, fun and creative way. Since the gallery was pioneering a new way for society to address breast health we were not interested in seeing commercialized depictions of breasts. Instead, we wanted to show what non-commercial, non-sexualized, natural breasts look like with multiple colors and layers of paint . . . make a statement . . . don't be pink, be every color . . . give breast cancer the boot . . . create art for your own sake and the sake of all women and men . . . give a gift that really counts this Valentines Day —the gift of power, compassion and respect.

Participants were asked to do a BSE with non-toxic body paint on their hands. Upon completing the exam they were asked to press their breast(s) on artist paper to create a one-of-a-kind self-painted BSE print. For some it was their first BSE and for others an opportunity to speak out about their fight against breast cancer. Each participant was also asked to do their BSE alone in the privacy of their home to ensure that they understood and felt comfortable with the process. They were not required to identify which print was theirs for the exhibit, instead names will be listed as a unified group.

Much was learned about humanity and cultural conditioning by participating in this process and it is evident in the over one hundred BSE prints to be displayed within the gallery.

Choosing to create art work by pressing forbidden areas of the body on paper and declaring it art is derived from the dada movement. However, these participants were not necessarily concentrating on art history while doing their paintings, rather pure spiritual essence — a marring of spirituality and physicality. But most importantly, each participant and viewer is left with the memory of the body, combined with the creative energy of their mind that hopefully will be remembered monthly for a lifetime. Just another way that GALLERY Ü CLEVELAND is creating opportunities to experience art.

Participants as of 1 Feb:
1. Hannah Anthony
2. Julie Barcza
3. Kris Barnes
4. Susan Blainer
5. Jelena Bonanno
6. Becky Bristol
7. Teresa Bosko Carlin
8. Marie Catanese
9. Christie Cermak
10. Christine Cucciarre
11. Jane Dailey
12. Suzi Darlin
13. Debra DeGregorio
14. Gina DeSantis
15. Joan of Art (Deveney)
16. Alice Dickson
17. Tina Dolatowski
18. Lisa Ellis
19. Susan Farone
20. Jessica Ferrato
21. Donna Ferris
22. R Ferris
23. Rev. Jessica M. Filar
24. Bridget Ginley
25. Eartha Goodwin
26. Shelly Gracon
27. Hannah
28. Johanna Hoadley
29. Johnna Hooker
30. Chloe Hopson
31. Emmie Hutchison
32. Julie Hutchison
33. Kara Jerdon
34. Angeline Kapferer
35. Andrea Karcic
36. Linda Kirby
37. Lily Kirby
38. Jocelyn Kirkwood
39. Carolyn Klich
40. Patsy Kline
41. Aaron Koonce
42. Melania Kostryk
43. Jessica Kowalczyk
44. Jessica M. Kramer
45. Ginny Laird
46. Chandra Lubben
47. Stacy Marino
48. Teri Martino
49. Beth Mastroianni
50. Molly McDougel
51. Miss Melvis
52. Diann Mistelske
53. Kristin Nauffts
54. Eva O'Mara
55. Kristie Oldham
56. Blythe Pavone
57. Joan Perch
58. Cynthia Piper
59. Mary Plazo
60. Molly Pokorny
61. Denise Polverine
62. Jennifer Prugh
63. Cis Ricchiuto
64. K. Gohring Richard
65. Susan M. Rieter
66. Jessica Roach
67. Lindsay Sandine
68. Alex Savon
67. Betty Scapporotti
68. Dott Schneider
69. Valerie Spehar
70. Karen Small
71. Andi Szabolcs
72. Beth Szpak
73. Courtney Telich
74. Thea
75. Krista Tortura
69. Cheryl Townsend
70. Kim Tran
76. Wendy Tucker
77. Doug Max Utter
78. Tracy van der Kuil
79. Ame West
80. Holly Whisman
81. Tracy Wienhold
82. Rebecca Yody


PRESS
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3/11/05
coolcleveland.com
ReThink Pink @ Gallery Ü
by Lee Batdorff

Neither boring or pornographic, and very colorful and healthy, ReThinkPink, a show of prints at Gallery Ü in downtown Cleveland's ArtCade 530 Euclid Ave. was a joyful hit this year. It will return next year according to gallery owner Patsy Kline. Many of the images in this show, which closed on March 11, were composed by placing or swooshing paint-wetted breasts on paper by about 100 breast bearers, including three men.

"We wanted to do a collaboration which lead to community art which lead to different causes, which lead me to the concept of doing (breast) exams with paint on your hands and creating art with a purpose," said Ms. Kline. "This is art that all women would be able to create and display with pride. Art that could be all colors — the colors that best represented the participant's personal story. My aunt died of breast cancer and this is a homage to her lovely memory."

The show was conceived after Kline and four associates decided they wanted to have a show to raise funds for a local cause. After some research they selected the northeast Ohio affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Inc. who agreed to participate.

A visitor walking into the gallery immediately encountered a set of breast prints on one sheet titled, "The Girls." Kline said: "We want to encourage all women, especially young women who may not consider their risks or who feel fearful of doing a breast self-exam, to become familiar with what their breasts normally look and feel like with the help of colorful, self-painted body prints."

A refreshing interlude it is to encounter what non-commercial, non-sexualized, natural breasts look like with multiple colors and layers of paint. Said the show's news release: "Make a statement, don't be pink, be every color, and give breast cancer the boot. Create art for your own sake and the sake of all women and men."

Kline pointed out several of the pieces and told stories about them. One image had a vibrant blue circle on one side and a breast print on the other. My first time around the gallery I wondered about this piece. Ms. Kline explained that this artist had a mastectomy of one of her breasts.

As with many women, breast size was an issue for another of the contributors when she was young. When she grew older, she was still self-conscious about her breast size. Then she had breast cancer and a mastectomy. It was then that she realized size dosen't matter at all. There are more important things in life.

Several groups got together to make their prints. Four women collaborated printing themselves all on one large piece of paper. And "ten girls who work at Phoenix Coffee all got together at someone's home and had a party. They set up a paint station in a bedroom where each of them could do their prints in privacy, while the rest dined on hors d'oeuvres and drank wine in the adjoining room," said Kline. "They came to me with their prints and told about their party. I said, 'What? You had a party (to make such personal prints)!' I never thought about having a party to do this!"

At first they were going to limit entries to people 18 years old and up. Then a mother approached who wanted to include her 16-year-old daughter. Eventually several mothers teamed up to produce prints with their daughters. "Quite a few children where at the opening," said Kline.

The majority of people who submitted a print were affected by breast cancer in one way or another, either knowing someone that has had the disease or had it themselves. Some of the prints showed exactly where they found a lump in their breast. "They wanted people know where to look for lumps," she said. "And men can also get breast cancer too," someone said.

Tracy van der Kuil, Gallery Ü's assistant director was asked, "Doesn't the word 'pink' in 'ReThink Pink' limit you to only pink breasts?" Ms. Van der Kuil responded, "remember the word 'rethink' is in front of 'pink.' What does that do?" Then someone nearby answered, "Open it up to more than pink."

The closing featured a showing of "Breast Crack," a video installation by Bernadette Gillota and Annetta Marion, directors of the Ohio Independent Film Festival.

"As far as I know this (a show like ReThink Pink) has not been done by any other gallery or organization anywhere," said Kline. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of prints, which were sold in a silent auction and still being tallied, are being given to the foundation. She aims to stage ReThink Pink shows in New York City, Chicago and Rotterdam Netherlands next year.

The gallery has built alliances with national and international galleries and artists such as the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts in St. Bonaventure New York; the Cleveland State University Art Gallery; the Lazzaro-Signature Gallery of Fine Art in Stoughton Wisconsin; and Robert Carroll in Rome Italy. They are also developing an international artist exchange program scheduled to start this autumn.

Along with Patsy Kline and Tracy Van der Kuil the gallery staff and ReThink Pink organizing committee included Shelly Gracon, media relations assistant; Ed van der Kuil, gallery assistant; Mike McNamara, exhibit installer; and Sarah Marino, gallery attendant.

"Germination:Reformation," apparently another thinking and feeling show, featuring the paintings of Debra DeGregoria and Kevin Shahan, is coming to Gallery Ü on March 18 6-9 p.m. The opening features live musical performances by Tokyo Shapiro at 6 p.m. and dot.(ARTpop) at 8 p.m.