Loren Schwerd's "Mourning Portrait"

Above: "Unmoored, Near Dorgenious Street". Human hair, mixed media.

It's hard to think about the month of August without remembering the lives and communities lost in Katrina. In celebration and in memorium, AMMO proudly presents a solo exhibition by Baton Rouge and former New Orleans resident Loren Schwerd. Her "Mourning Portrait" series is a collection of sculptures made from photographs she took of actual homes in New Orleans after the flood, brought to life using the eighteenth and early nineteenth century practice of hair weaving to create pieces that commemorate cycles of life and death.

Please join us for the opening of the exhibit this Saturday, August 15, from 6 -9pm. The show will be on view through September 16.

Michelle Levine - New Mural and Upcoming Show at CAC

Michelle working on mural, posted on nola.com blog photos (see original context of photo here)

New Orleans artist Michelle Levine recently completed a new mural, entitled "An Afternoon of Beauty", for Heaven on Earth Dog Daycare and Spa. Levine's love for signage and community activism is well rewarded by her talents, as this mural adds a beautiful vista to the business's current location, and joy to passers-by. Michelle's company, Mondo Murals and Design, specializes in custom muralwork for commerical and private settings. (www.mondomurals.com)

The mural was completed just last week.


Meanwhile, as her personal artwork continues to develop (and we'll have more on those developments posted later in the year), TEN of Michelle's "Signs of The Times" paintings were chosen by Dan Cameron, CAC Director of visuals arts and curator/founder of the acclaimed "Prospect" biennials, to be exhibited in the upcoming exhibition at the CAC during Whitney White Linen Night 2009. Michelle is nothing short of ecstatic - upon hearing the news she states "I have been wanting to show at the CAC since I was in my twenties. It is such an honor to be included, and by no less than Dan Cameron, who I really admire". (www.cacno.org)

See Michelle Levine's "Signs of The Times" series here:
http://www.ammoarts.com/exhibitions/michelle_levine/index.html


Michelle Levine is represented by AMMO. For further information, please contact Mia Kaplan at 504-301-2584.

Damien Hirst

Charming, isn't he?

This silkscreen print was recently found amid David Gamble's extensive collection of documentary and fun-filled photographic work. The print was made from a photo David took of Damien in the 90s. Image size measures 30 x 40" and is printed with blue-gray ink on white rag paper.

For further information contact Mia at the gallery: 504-301-2584.

David Gamble is represented in New Orleans by AMMO.

Upcoming Show: Rajko Radovanovic

The directors of AMMO are pleased to present a solo exhibition by internationally acclaimed artist Rajko Radovanovic. “I Am Standing Behind My Work” opens this Saturday, June 20, from 6 – 9pm. The artist will be arriving via mule-drawn carriage to complete a performance piece upon arriving in the gallery at 6pm to discuss his work during the opening reception. Photos are encouraged, shirt and shoes are optional.

This exhibition is of certain significance to the artist - his first one-man show in the United States. Radovanovic has remained active throughout his extensive career as a conceptual artist and community activist, having shown in the UK, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Italy, and Poland . In a recent publication about the artist, he is considered to have lead a significant role in the development of the Contemporary Arts scene in Eastern Europe, and has already begun his work as an activist in New Orleans. Radovanovic joined the Good Children Gallery collective in early 2009 and has since then completed a public mural project of his work "A Precondition", serigraphs of which will be shown in this exhibition along with a series of playful self-portraits illustrating the artist's relationship to his work.

Join us for the last show of the season before the sweltering heat of New Orleans takes us all down. We look forward to seeing you there, and you wouldn't want to miss this one.

Rajko Radovanovic is one HOT CONCEPTUALIST, according to Doug MacCash

Rajko Radovanovic will be exhibiting TONIGHT at Good Children Gallery, as part of a group exhibition involving members of the GCG collective, namely Jessica Bizer, Matt Vis, Tony Campbell, Brian Guidry(also represented by AMMO!), Srdjan Loncar, Malcolm McClay, Alisoun Meehan, Adrian Price, Christopher Saucedo, and Stephen Collier - referred to by Times Picayune Arts writer Doug MacCash as some of the city's "hottest conceptualists".

More work by Rajko Radovanovic coming soon to AMMO's website. Rajko's exhibition, "I Am Standing Behind My Work" opens at AMMO on June 20.


Brian Guidry's exhibition opens at AMMO in November -


More of Brian Guidry's work can see seen on his featured artist page:
http://www.ammoarts.com/exhibitions/brian_guidry/index.html


For Mmore information about Good Children Gallery, visit their website at http://www.goodchildrengallery.com

Michelle Levine Featured in SOTT Magazine!

In my last conversation with Michelle, when talking about her recent project painting the Kupcake Factory, she commented to me that the more she paints signs, the more she identifies with their function in the community. I was thrilled to receive copies of this "Signs of the Times" magazine, a publication that is produced for Sign Industry professionals, to see her artwork become exposed to an industry that probably doesn't think about gallery hopping very often.

And isn't that the point? To recruit others into our artsy cult? Why do artists always think of mainstream publications to share their work, when there are so many different types of people who are passionate about the same things, sometimes not even realizing that the way they see their work is very similar to the way an artist sees their own.

Congrats Michelle! We love you!

Lou Blackwell coverage

Lou Blackwell featured in Where Magazine May 2009 issue.


When in New Orleans, pick up a copy of Where Magazine, used as a guide for visitors to New Orleans, and open it to the Galleries + Antiques Section to find a feature on Lou Blackwell!

Also, Lou's outdoor public mural, "All Aboard", was rated by Art Critic Doug MacCash of the Times Picayune in New Orleans. Lou's piece, as well as several other monumental works, were part of the "Art in Public Places" project, sponsored by The Arts Council of New Orleans and the Joan Mitchell Foundation.

Lou Blackwell's mural, All Aboard, sponsored by LePavillion Hotel.

Read Doug MacCash's complete coverage of the Art in Public Places project here:
http://blog.nola.com/dougmaccash/2009/04/art_critic_doug_maccash_rates_15.html#post