09.04.08 Outlook Weekly - Local Arts Issue: Junction View by Outlook Weekly

04 P SE

10 O 3N 1 OL V 8 00 2 10 P E -S

! ORE L A TS G N E V ART E • P O H JUNCTIONVIEW’S QUOSSE • GALLERY

2 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY OWNERS AND PUBLISHERS Michael Daniels & Chris Hayes EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / ART DIRECTOR Chris Hayes hayes@outlookmedia.com

SNAPSHOT

Stacie Boord from Shadowbox let us all in on the details of their homecoming project and move to the brewery district at the August Network Columbus meeting, hosted by Scot and the gang at Wall Street. For more information on Network Columbus, visit www.networkcolumbus.com

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR / PHOTOS Robert Trautman traut@outlookmedia.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mette Bach, Danielle Buckius, Wayne R Besen, Chris Crain, Jennifer Vanasco, Tom Moon, Regina Sewell, Leslie Robinson, Gregg Shapiro, Mick Weems, Julianne French, TF Barton, Romeo San Vicente, Jeff Fertig, Simon Sheppard, Tristan Taormino, Dennis Vanke, Mario Pinardi, Rick Kramer, Aaron Drake, Jennie Keplar, Scott Varner, Derrik Chinn, Dan Savage, Felice Newman, Tim Curran, Chris Hughes, Stephen J Fallon, Felice Newman, J. Eric Peters, Crystal Hawkins, Brent Wilder, Matthew Burlingame, Jacob Anderson-Minshall, Matthew Veritas Tsien, Cheri Meyers

BUSINESS & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Michael Daniels mdaniels@outlookmedia.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING Rivendell Media - 212.242.6863 ADVERTISING DEADLINE Each Wednesday 8 days prior to publication. Call us at 614.268.8525. HOW TO REACH US Outlook Media, Inc. 815 N High St, Suite ii Columbus, OH 43215 614.268.8525 phone 614.261.8200 fax www.outlookweekly.net web www.outlookmedia.com business www.myspace.com/outlookweekly friends www.flickr.com/outlookweekly photos SUBSCRIPTIONS Call 614.268.8525

READERSHIP: 210,000 PEOPLE / MONTH Outlook Weekly is published and distributed by Outlook Media, Inc. every Thursday throughout Ohio. Outlook Weekly is a free publication provided solely for the use of our readers. Any person who willfully or knowingly obtains or exerts unauthorized control over copies of Outlook Weekly with the intent to prevent other individuals from reading it shall be considered guilty of the crime of theft. Violators will be prosecuted. The views expressed in Outlook Weekly are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or personal, business, or professional practices of Outlook Media, Inc. or its staff, ownership, or management. Outlook Weekly does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness or reliability of any interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented. Outlook Media, Inc. does not investigate or accept responsibility for claims made in any advertisement. Outlook Media, Inc. assumes no responsibility for claims arising in connection with products and services advertised herein, nor for the content of, or reply to, any advertisement. All material is copyrighted ©2008 by Outlook Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

SEPT 04 - SEPT 10

2008 VOLUME 13 NUMBER 10

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

SNAPSHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........2 ABOUT TOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........3 GENERAL GAYETY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........4 COMMUNITY CORNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........6 CITIZEN CRAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........8 ANYTHING BUT STRAIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........8 COMMENTARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......11 EXAMINED LIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......13 EARTH TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......15 FEATURE: JUNCTIONVIEW QUOSSE . . . . . . . . . . .16-21 ARTS: WARHOL, VIA COLORI & MORE . . . . . 22, 24, 28 GALLERY HOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......26 DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......28 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......27 PUCKER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......31 SAVAGE LOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......33 SPOTLIGHT: HOT TIMES FESTIVAL . . . . . . . . . . .......34 THE LAST WORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......35 SCOPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......35 NEXT WEEK: HOME SHOWS AND HOME TOURS

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 3

ABOUT TOWN by Chris Hayes FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 LEGS AND BOUQUET Columbus Food and Wine Affair @ Franklin Park Conservatory, 1777 E Broad St, 614.645.8733, www.foodandwineaffair.com: More than 25 of Central Ohio’s finest restaurants display their most delectable offerings, and it opens the door to over 450 international wines. Add to that an abundant silent auction and beautiful music, and you have all the ingredients necessary to create a spectacular evening. 6:30p-10p; $100. SIZZLE LEAN The 32nd Annual Hot Times Community Arts And Music Festival @ Lawns of the Columbus Health Department 240 Parsons Ave, www.hottimesfestival.com: Food, fun and frolic will be had at this sister fest to ComFest. Through Sep 7. See page 30 for more info. GO BUCKS! OSU GLBT Alumni Society Tailgate (OSU vs. OU) @ Corner of Lane and Neil Ave, osuglbt.org: Join the OSU GLBT Alumni Society and LinkOUT as we cheer on the Buckeyes at the corner of Lane Avenue & Neil Avenue (Look for the rainbow flag). Tickets are available online or at the gate. Ticket includes food and open bar. 9a-noon; $20-$85. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 WE’RE GOING RIDING IN MY PINK CADILLAC Lambda Car Club Auto Show @ Goodale Park, stonewallcolumbus.org: The 4th annual Cruisin’ in the Park Classic Car Show presented by Lambda Car Club, America’s Largest Gay and Lesbian Auto Club. The show features food, music and lots of wonder antique, ’50s & ‘60s classic, muscle and special interest cars. There will be Judged and People’s Choice awards. Vehicle participation is open to all friends of the gay community and pre-registration is requested by contacting DJ Coon at 614.297.8600, ext 212 or djcoon@dooleyco.com. The registration fee is $20 with proceeds from the show benefitting Stonewall Columbus. Come and enjoy the cars, the park and Short North Gallery Hop. 1p-5p; free. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 HAPPY IS A DISH BEST SERVED BY SAM Manic Monday Happy Hour @ Score Bar, 145 N 5th St, 614.849.0099, scorebarcolumbus.com: Uncle Sam is looking for a few good men and woman to help start the week off right. Head to Score where you can score $2 domestics, $1.50 wells and free popcorn and Wii. 4:30p-8p; free. UMCULO WEBHUBESI (THE LION SINGS TONIGHT) CATF/Kaleidoscope/BCEFA Lion King Benefit @ BoMA , 583 E Broad St, 614.340.6753, catf.net: The cast of Disney’s Lion King takes to the mic for a night of cabaret, special performances and an auction. Get up close and personal with these talented performers at the special pre-party. Pre-party 6p $100, performance only 7:30p $40. YOU ARE NEVER READY National Adoption Day Training Seminar by Thomas N. Taneff @ Capital University Law School, 303 E Broad St, Classroom A-122. 614.241.2181, ttaneff@rrcol.com: 20-year Attorney Thomas Taneff will be giving a Training Seminar for National Adoption Day focusing on the adoption process as it pertains to finalizing a Franklin County Children Services Agency adoption. He will be providing insightful and useful information for both adoptive couples and their attorneys. 10a;

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 LEGENDS AND LEGACY An Evening Reception Honoring Fred Holdridge and Howard Burns @ Franklin Park Conservatory Garden Pavilion, 1777 E Broad St, 614.645.8733, fpconservatory.org: The Legacy Fund Honors presents this reception honoring two of our communities real legends. Come join the community in an evening of history and fun. 6p reception, 7p, program; $25 I – 69…WHO DOESN’T Drag BINGO @ Score Bar, 145 N 5th St, 614.849.0099, scorebarcolumbus.com and @ Slammers 202 E Long St, 614.221.8880: Viva Velure and Anisa Love hosts this night of dropping balls and prizes. 10p; free. JAZZALICOUS Jazz Mary @ Club Diversity, 863 S High St, 614.224.4050, clubdiversity.com: Martini it up and jazz it out with Jazz Mary. Jazz hands not included. 9:30; free. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 THEY DON’T CALL IT HUMP DAY FOR NOTHING Wicked Wednesdays Strippers @ Q Bar & Nightclub, 205 N. Fifth St, 614.222.2401, www.qnation.com: Come help give hump day a whole new meaning. Strippers, $3 Bacardi, $2.50 Red Rull, and plenty of skin. 10p; free. THURSSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 THE SECRET TO MY SUCCESS Linkout @ Camelot Cellars, 958 N High St, www.linkoutcolumbus.com: Enjoy a selection of red, white and blush wines while mixing and mingling with other Young Columbus LGBT Professionals. Light Hors d’oervres will be served. 6p-8p; $25. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 FACTORY MADE Andy Warhol: Other Voices, Other Rooms @ Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N. High St, 614.292.3535, wexarts.org: An internationally touring exhibition on view in its only U.S. stop. The installation will fill all of the Wexner Center’s galleries (and beyond), featuring a spectacular design that will allow for experiencing Warhol’s work across all media - truly, Warhol like you’ve never seen it before. Key dates include: press preview and opening party September 12; Velvet Underground tribute featuring Robert Forster September 13; a conversation between John Waters and Vincent Fremont October 3; and a symposium November 14–15. See page 22 for more info. GRAB YOUR FLANNEL AND FORGET YOUR BRA 19th Annual Ohio Lesbian Festival @ Frontier Ranch, 8836 York Rd SW, Pataskala, OH 430629026, www.ohiolba.org, www.myspace.com/ohiolesbianfestival: The festival is open to ALL womyn: lesbian, bi, trans, queer or straight. The line up for the 2008 festival is amazing: Bitch & Ferron, Judith Casselberry & Juca, Kelli Dunham, Sistah Ngoma, Early Girl, God-Des & She, Tracy Walker, Nervous But Excited, Donna Mogavero, Robin Stone, Alexis Antes, Hotchachas, after hours DJ party with DJ Carol, Mamma Sutra & DJ Ororo til 2 AM!, The Limelight Stage is being produced by Viva’ Valezz! featuring burlesque, drag kings, belly dancers and more! This year’s fest will also include a Poetry Tent featuring many amazing regional spoken word artists as well as an open mic-bring your words to share! Daycare is available. 11a-2a; $30-$40.

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

4 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

GENERAL GAYETY by Leslie Robinson

FAREWELL TO DEL Del Martin died an honest woman. After five decades of living in sin, of shacking up, of living outside the bonds of marriage, she finally wed the love of her life just two months before she died. Did she have some sort of moral awakening? No, the California Supreme Court did. When the court legalized same-sex marriage, Martin, 87, married her female partner, Phyllis Lyon, 83. The two had been a couple longer than Sears and Roebuck. As a lesbian pioneer, Del Martin, who died on Aug. 27, is part of the reason the court and society have evolved so profoundly on gay rights. Personally, it’s a mystery to me how one person can possess such guts and certainty. I have a feeling someone else got shortchanged. Martin and Lyon met in Seattle in 1950 when both were journalists for a trade publication. Two years later the friends became lovers, and on Valentine’s Day in 1953 they moved in together in San Francisco. In 1955 they and six other lesbians co-founded the Daughters of Bilitis, initially meant to provide social activities and quiet support for lesbians. DOB became the first national lesbian advocacy organization. As an aside, I’ve long wondered who or what “Bilitis” was. Turns out she was a lesbian on the isle of Lesbos in a poem by Pierre Louys called “Song of Bilitis.” As to how the word is pronounced, you’re on your own. Martin was DOB’s first president. In the first issue of The Ladder, the group’s newsletter that would become a monthly magazine, she wrote,

“Nothing was ever accomplished by hiding in a dark corner. Why not discard the hermitage for the heritage that awaits any red-blooded American woman who dares to claim it?” In the 1950s such words must’ve seemed as charged as, well, the electroshock treatments lesbians then endured.

In 1964 Martin helped found the Council on Religion and the Homosexual, aimed at overturning laws criminalizing homosexual behavior. In 1972 she and Lyon co-authored the book Lesbian/Woman, an honest look at lesbian lives. That year she and Lyon also co-founded the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, the nation’s first gay political club. I’m sure these women must’ve gone on vacation. Once. Martin fought against sexism within the gay rights movement, and against homophobia within the women’s movement. She was the first out lesbian on the National Organization for Women’s board of directors. In 1976 Martin published “Battered Wives,” and became a nationally known ad-

vocate for battered women. In 1995 she and Lyon were delegates to the White House Conference on Aging, where they made a splash by announcing to attendees that LGBT people actually age too. They were the poster children for the personal is political. The capper was getting legally hitched. Twice. When San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom unleashed gay marriage in 2004, canny politicos saw that Martin and Lyon went first. I’ll never forget that photo of the two elderly, lively women with their foreheads pressed together, ringed by teary activists. The San Francisco marriages were voided, and I bet you can guess who served as plaintiffs in the California marriage case that led the state Supreme Court to scuttle the ban on gay nuptials. On June 16, after a mere 55 years of co-habitation, Martin and Lyon stood in front of Mayor Newsom and were wed. Legally handcuffed. After Martin’s death, Lyon said, “I am devastated, but I take some solace in knowing we were able to enjoy the ultimate rite of love and commitment before she passed.” Del and Phyllis were political until the end and beyond. Mourners are asked to contribute in Del’s name to the fight against the proposed state marriage ban. Flowers are nice, but freedom lasts longer.

The Reader Poll Last week we asked:

Which of the following do you do to express yourself creatively? Painting Music Fashion Sculpture Writing Dancing

8.3% 29.2% 8.3% 4.2% 41.7% 12.5% Theater/Comedy 16.7% Photography 29.2% Digital Arts 12.5% Other 45.8% NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION: What is the best home and/or garden tour in town?

To honor Del Martin’s life and help defeat the marriage ban, go to www.nclrights.org/NoOn8. E-mail Leslie Robinson at LesRobinsn@aol.com.

Log on to: www.outlookweekly.net to take this week’s poll.

27% SO U RC

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

E : FOX

SPONSORED BY

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

10 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 11

COMMENTARY by Mickey Weems

John McCunt I have never liked bullies. Too often, I felt the brunt of their cruelty when I was a kid. That didn’t stop me from becoming one myself when I had the chance. I was lucky enough to have people put me in my place each time I crossed the line. They taught me this rule: don’t let teasing turn into cruelty. Thus I am fascinated with John McCain. Seems like whether he goes into a rage or tries to be funny, he often ends up being a bully. There is nothing I can do to help McCain stop his destructive behavior. Apparently, “McNasty” (a nickname he’d earned in high school) has been this way for a long time. But I can take McCain’s bullying and name-calling and apply them right back to John McCain. John McWhore It has been reported that McCain doesn’t like anyone to notice he’s going bald. In 1992, so the story goes, Cindy McCain playfully touched her husband’s hair, saying, “You’re getting a little thin up there.” McCain’s response: “At least I don’t plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt.” Let’s start with “trollop,” which sounds like “trolley.” Trollops (whores) are just like trolleys (cable cars). Both of them pick people up off the street, take them for a ride, and then charge them for services rendered. Maybe John was calling Cindy a cable car. After all, he did switch from his first wife Carol (an older model damaged in a car wreck) to Cindy, and then rode Cindy’s wealth and connections all the way to the US Senate. Then again, maybe he was calling Cindy a whore. After all, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Cindy would sleep with a married man. Therein lies the problem. Cindy may rightfully be called a slut for fucking John while he was still married to Carol. But a true whore works for wages. I doubt Cindy Lou Hensley, a beautiful Paris Hilton-esque heiress to her father’s vast beer fortune, was with John for his money. In fact, the only trollop in this relationship would be John McCain. Cindy was concerned

enough with John’s potential for whorish behavior to make him sign a prenuptial agreement that kept family wealth in her hands, just in case he decided to treat her like Carol. John McC-Word Let’s turn now to that second word in John McCain’s little rant against his slut-turned-respectable-senator’s-wife: cunt. I’ve actually had one Gay man tell me, “So what if he called his wife a cunt? I call my friends ‘cunt’ all the time!” Let’s put this in cuntext. Radical Lesbians have reclaimed the CWord. Club kids use it as a complimentary adjective - fierce music and DJs are cunty. But I have never referred to any of my women friends (or even women I don’t like) as cunts, not even in jest. Until now, I have not used it in reference to men, either in public or in private. And I cannot even conceive using the word to refer to my beloved Kevin, especially not in the presence of others. That same report says that John McCain apologized for his outburst. Granted, we all lose our tempers, and our spouses can push our buttons like nobody else. But if this is the kind of language he would use in public, what does he say to Cindy in private? Sure, his wife may have been a slut when he first met her. But slutty heiresses around the world would do well to imitate today’s Cindy McCain in her dedication to charity work. For years, she has used her wealth to make a difference in the lives of the desperately poor who aren’t her half-siblings. During a town hall meeting in Iowa last May, a man who was obviously not a John McCain fan asked McCain point blank if he called his wife a cunt. The questioner didn’t bother to bring up the whole “trollop” preamble. The crowd was shocked. In a rather deft and utterly hypocritical sidestep, McCain responded that the town hall meeting included people “who don’t respect that kind of language,” and he moved on to the next question as many members of his audience applauded.

The questioner was then taken aside by the authorities and interrogated. John McBitch Apparently, McCain supporters who are so sensitive about the word “cunt” had no problem with the word “bitch.” During an event in South Carolina last November, John McCain was asked by a distinguished looking woman (a fan of McCain’s), “How do we beat the bitch?” The bitch reference was to Hillary Clinton, at that time the presumed Democratic frontrunner. The crowd laughed. John McCain asked for a translation, laughed and said, “Excellent question,” which he followed up with a report that he was ahead of Senator Clinton in the polls. He also added that he respects Senator Clinton. Nobody was taken aside by Secret Service. Nobody was insulted or upset. Nobody appeared to notice the tragic denigration of women in polite discourse by a woman who looked extremely pleased with herself at how clever she was. John McCain did nothing, which actually makes sense if he calls his wife a cunt. For the McCains, “bitch” might be a term of endearment. Well, we can assume with some confidence that McCain respects Senator Clinton as a bitch at least as much as he does Cindy McCain as a cunt. Perhaps even more. When McPotty-Mouth gets a pass When it comes to anger-managementdeficit McCain, this article has only dealt with the tip of a very large obscenity iceberg. I am not ready to judge him sternly on the greater part of his cussing, however. McCain regularly goes at it with members of Congress, and sometimes he blows a gasket. All kinds of dirty words flow from his lips. But that’s Congress, a place crawling with bullies. That’s politics. In 2000, McCain was quoted calling his Vietnamese captors “gooks.” This is bad, and

he shouldn’t have done it, especially considering how many Americans he unthinkingly insulted. But McCain also sponsored legislation normalizing relationships between Vietnam and the USA. He has gone back to Vietnam and strengthened ties between both countries. Good for him. Actions speak louder than words. Now all he needs to do is apologize, LOUDLY, to all Asian Americans and our East Asian allies. John McAnassofhimself If the good people of Arizona feel John McCain has done them proud, that’s fine. They should keep him as their senator. But I feel the office of president needs somebody who has not time and again made an ass of himself and his principles in public. McCain’s remarks about Iran clearly mark him as a man who is unfit for the presidency. He just might provoke more attacks against Americans, at home and abroad, because of his witless remarks. Or even start another war. Besides singing “Bomb, bomb, bomb/Bomb bomb Iran,” McCain wondered if America was selling Iran cigarettes as a form of covert warfare: “Maybe that’s a way of killing them.” “I meant that as a joke,” he added. Such a kidder! Let’s ignore for a moment the relative ease in which Iran could get a hold of nuclear weapons, dirty bombs etc. should they really want them. Let’s also look at American farmers who make a living raising and selling tobacco. If the large international tobacco market believes for a second that we would attempt to kill them with American cigarettes, our tobacco farmers would be seriously impacted. The USA is already in a mess right now because of irresponsible leadership. Besides our faltering economy, we have a terrible international reputation, in large part due to the public behavior of George Bush. In this country and abroad, he has shamed us with his lack of tact, intelligence and grace. Let’s elect a president who shows more selfcontrol, not less, than the current idiot boy. SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

12 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 13

THE EXAMINED LIFE by Tom Moon, MFT

Marriage and Pride Now that same-sex marriage is legal in a second state, and couples by the hundreds are getting married every day all over California, it might be a good time to summarize briefly what the research shows about the viability of gay relationships. Skepticism about our relationships still abounds among both gays and straights. This is an area where unexamined homophobia remains potent. We still hear that gay relationships never last, or can’t work, because we’re all too immature, impulsive, selfcentered, or self-destructive, to manage them. As conservative moralist William Bennett wrote “It is important to say publicly what most of us believe privately, namely that marriage between a man and a woman is in every way to be preferred to the marriage of two men or two women.” Really? What does the data actually show? In two studies published earlier this year by the American Psychological Association, the notion that committed same-sex relationships are “atypical, psychologically immature, or malevolent contexts of development was not supported by our findings,” wrote lead author Glenn I. Roisman, PhD. “Compared with married [straight] individuals, committed gay males and lesbians were not less satisfied with their relationships… Same-sex couples were found to be just as committed in their romantic relationships as heterosexual couples.” In fact, “some evidence emerged that the lesbian couples were especially effective at re-

solving conflict.” and “Same sex couples reported more positive feelings toward their partners and less conflict than heterosexual married couples.” One of the most respected experts on marriage in America is Dr. John Gottman, author of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. I often recommend this book to struggling gay couples, even though it was written for a straight audience, because its advice is practical and solidly grounded in research. Gottman recently concluded an in-depth, 12year study of same-sex relationships. Some of his findings: 1) Overall relationship satisfaction is about the same across all couple types (straight, gay, lesbian); 2) Both gay and lesbian couples are more upbeat in the face of conflict and use more affection and humor when they bring up a disagreement; 3) Gay and lesbian couples use fewer controlling, hostile emotional tactics in conflicts than straight couples; 4) Gay and lesbian couples, on the whole, are better at calming down and soothing one another after a conflict. It seems that our relationships not only aren’t secondrate, but that we may actually have a few things to teach straight people about managing them. But do our marriages last? Don’t we always break up after six months or so? Darren Spedale, a law and business student at Stanford University, who studied divorce rates in Denmark in 1996-97, seven years after same-

sex registered partnerships were legalized there, found that 17% of gay partnerships ended in divorce compared with 46 percent of straight relationships. “Same-sex couples who enter into marriage-type relationships have obviously given it much more thought” he commented. “A lot of them, in general, have had longer relationships previous to tying the knot.” A frequent challenge to the legitimacy of gay relationships, leveled primarily at gay men, is that we’re all too sex-obsessed to keep monogamous commitments. There are several ways to respond to this criticism. First of all, more gay men are monogamous than many people, including many gay men, believe. In an Advocate sex survey in the ‘90’s of over thirteen hundred gay men for instance, 52% reported that in their current or last relationship they had been monogamous, and 77% said that they preferred monogamous relationships to open relationships. A second response is that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Contrary to the mythology of the “family values” crowd, non-monogamy is not exactly a gay male preserve. Among straights, an estimated 50% of husbands and 30-40% of wives have affairs, and 90% of first marriage divorces involve one or both partners having an affair. Moreover, it is primarily straight men, single and married, who keep the multi-billion dollar prostitution industry in business.

A 1994 study comparing gay and straight relationships found that neither monogamy nor non-monogamy was related to relationship satisfaction for gay men. What was important was adherence to whatever agreement the couple made about the issue. In other words, honesty was the value that mattered. Maybe, then, the real difference between gay and straight couples on the monogamy question isn’t that straights are and gays aren’t, but that when gay couples aren’t monogamous they are more likely to act on the basis of explicit agreements and honest communication. This is surely a more mature and honorable way to live than the Elliot Spitzer-style of official monogamy combined with secret cheating. We have no need to be on the defensive about our relationships, and the marriage movement is an outward manifestation of the fact that more and more of us know it. The legal battles may go on for years, but I believe that what makes us unstoppable in the long run is that our self-perceptions have changed so radically. In exercising our right to marry, we aren’t merely “assimilating”; we are affirming our human dignity as mature adults who value – and practice – loyalty, commitment, care, and love. Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. His website is tommoon.net.

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

14 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 15

EARTH TALK From the Editors of E

Dear EarthTalk:

I’ve heard that increasing eco-awareness around the world has now extended itself to the afterlife, whereby burials can even be “green.” Is that true?

What’s the deal nowadays with aerosol spray cans? I thought that the ozone-depleting chemicals used in them were eliminated back in the 1970s. Is this true? If so, what is now used as a propellant? Are aerosols still bad for the ozone layer?

Mary Lewis

Sheila Modern western-world burial practices are arguably absurd, all things considered: We pack our dearly departed with synthetic preservatives and encase them in impenetrable coffins meant to defy the natural forces of decomposition that have been turning ashes to ashes and dust to dust for eons. And in the process we give over thousands of acres of land every year to new cemetery grounds from coast to coast. According to National Geographic, American funerals are responsible each year for the felling of 30 million board feet of casket wood (some of which comes from tropical hardwoods), 90,000 tons of steel, 1.6 million tons of concrete for burial vaults, and 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid. Even cremation is an environmental horror story, with the incineration process emitting many a noxious substance, including dioxin, hydrochloric acid, sulfur dioxide, and climatechanging carbon dioxide. But increasing demand for more natural burial practices has spawned changes in the industry, and dozens of funeral homes and cemeteries across the country have started to adopt greener ways of operating. Many of these providers are members of the non-profit Green Burial Council, which works “to make burial sustainable for the planet, meaningful for the families, and economically viable for the provider.” The organization partners with land trusts, park service agencies and the funeral profession to help consumers get the greenest burial experience possible. Its network of approved providers is committed to reducing the industry’s toxins, waste and carbon emissions. Many of the

group’s member cemeteries—you can find a directory on the Green Burial Council’s website— offer clients the option of burying loved ones in more natural landscapes uncluttered by headstones and mausoleums. In place of a traditional headstone, for example, a tree might be planted over the grave. And instead of conventional wood and steel coffins, clients can bury loved ones in more biodegradable wicker or cardboard, or in a casket made of wood certified as sustainably harvested by the nonprofit Forest Stewardship Council. Advocates of such greener burials say that people take comfort in knowing their bodies will decompose and become part of the cycle of nature. Likewise, dry ice is becoming a popular, nontoxic alternative to embalming. According to Greensprings Natural Cemetery in Newfield, New York, “No state in the U.S. requires embalming, though some may require it if burial doesn’t take place within a set amount of time—usually 24 or 48 hours.” Even the practice of scattering ashes at sea has a new wrinkle. Florida-based Great Burial Reef will place urns with cremated remains within 100 percent natural, PH-balanced concrete artificial reefs placed at the bottom of the ocean. And Georgia-based Eternal Reefs will mix your ashes with the cement they use to create “reef balls”—hollow spheres that resemble giant Wiffle balls that are sunk offshore. Loved ones equipped with the GPS coordinates can boat or even dive to visit the site of the remains.

The aerosol spray can has a storied history in the United States. First invented in the 1920s by U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists to pressurize insect spray, American soldiers eventually used the technology to help ward off Malaria in the South Pacific during World War II. The aerosol spray cans today, while much smaller and more refined, are direct descendents of those original military grade clunkers. Use of the cans for consumer applications took off during the ensuing decades, until the mid-1970s when ozone depletion first came to the public’s attention. As a result, consumer aerosol products made in the U.S. have not contained ozonedepleting chemicals—also known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)—since the late 1970s, first because companies voluntary eliminated them, and later because of federal regulations. Clean Air Act and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations further restricted the use of CFCs for non-consumer products. All consumer and most other aerosol products made or sold in the U.S. now use propellants—such as hydrocarbons and compressed gases like nitrous oxide—that do not deplete the ozone layer. Aerosol spray cans produced in some other countries might still utilize CFCs, but they cannot legally be sold in the U.S. According to the industry trade group, the National Aerosol Association, aerosol manufacturers in Europe and other parts of the world initially did not follow the lead of U.S.

industry in substituting alternative propellants for CFCs. “The fact that aerosols made in underdeveloped countries may contain CFCs has caused confusion in press reports and in the public mind about the stratospheric ozone/aerosol link,” reports the group. Other countries have also switched out ozonedepleting propellants with non-depleting forms because they signed 1987’s Montreal Protocol, a landmark international agreement signed by 191 countries with the goal of phasing out the production and use of CFCs and other ozone depleting chemicals. Scientists report that that the phase out of the chemicals is now about 90 percent complete. Of course, just because those deodorant sprays and shaving cream cans aren’t depleting the ozone layer doesn’t mean they are actually good for the environment. They still contain hydrocarbons and/or compressed gases notorious for their contribution to global warming. Every time you hit the button, then, you are raising your carbon footprint, albeit ever so slightly. Modern-day, CFC-free aerosol sprays also emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute to ground-level ozone levels, a key component of asthma-inducing smog. The state of California is now regulating consumer products that contain VOCs—and aerosol sprays are not the only targets: Fingernail polish, perfumes, mouthwashes, pump hair sprays, and roll-on and stick deodorants also emit them.

CONTACTS: Green Burial Council, www.greenburialcouncil.org; Forest Stewardship Council, www.fscus.org; Greensprings Natural Cemetery, www.naturalburial.org; Great Burial Reef, www.greatburialreef.com; Eternal Reefs, www.eternalreefs.com. National Aerosol Association, www.nationalaerosol.com. GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? E-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

16 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

FEATURE STORY by Chris Hayes

JUNCTIONVIEW’S QUOSSE ARTS IN ON THE QUESTION If you haven’t heard the news, Warhol is coming to Columbus. Whether you adore him or loathe him, his influence on pop culture infiltrates the globe. With this incredible exhibit heading to town, it got me to thinking, What would a modern day Factory look like? My mind immediately jumped to Junctionview, the artist studio mega shop that is home to Agora and two dozen fistfuls of creatives. Nothing of course could ever recreate the original, but is JV a modern adaptation of Warhol’s utopia - a bunch of artists from different media coming together to produce art that will change the world? It sounded just like all my indy art friends and their mission to put Columbus on the arts map. I pulled together the quosse (that’s queer posse) over at JV and asked them what they thought. Chris Hayes: Let’s start with your artist elevator speech. You run into the big-wig Editor in Chief of Outlook Weekly on an elevator. Give me the whowhat-why about you and your art that would earn you a feature or get me to buy one of your pieces. You would usually have 30 seconds, but for print we’ll say 30 words. Go! Traut: Hey what’s up Chris, are we going to lunch? Tom Gaadt: I graduated from CCAD in 1990 with a degree in Illustration. I’m a huge science fiction/superhero fan. I take a lot of comic art from illustrators that I loved growing up and make them into 3D posters for myself. I primarily am a graphic designer/art director versus being a fine art artist. I think someone would only be interested in having me do a piece for them if they were into Wonder Woman, or maybe Superman and Batman getting in on - ha, ha! Timothy Lachcik: Pyrography is the art of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks resulting from the controlled application of a heated object such as a poker. It’ll look great in your home. Adam Crum: Hello, I am a gay artist, and I plan to reinvent the way you’ve experienced gay art. I explore the ever-changing faggotry of human existence. Don Fackler Jr: Hi Chris. Don Fackler and I live in Columbus (shakes hand and slips him business card). I’m photographer and I would love the opportunity to come in and discuss photographic needs that you might have. Thank You. (30 words exactly, HA. Oh wait, the elevator door seems to be jammed giving me a few extra seconds) There is a link on my SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

card to my web site with my portfolio on it. (door finally opens.....end scene) Brian Reaume: Hey, what do you see when you walk through an urban setting? Do you see blight and fear? Do you feel disdain for the future? Do you see nature at work in your surroundings? Let me show you how I take that and make it mine, yours and beautiful. Devon Palmer: I make functional art like solid wood salad bowls, vases, and other woodturned items - family heirlooms. It’s the last vestige of my farmboy roots, made with my own two hand. CH: How did you find your way to Junctionview? How involved are you in the culture there? Traut: I was introduced to it through the Agora event that happens there every year. I submitted work and it was accepted. At the event I saw this amazing community of resident artists some of which I already knew and at the time my friend Carlos from the Flotation Walls was looking for a practice space for his band. We ended up getting a space and have since split spaces for logistic purposes and I now share a studio with Don Fackler a local photographer. I try to be as involved as I can be, attend as many meetings and try to be a part of the art. Tom Gaadt: I found my way to JV thru friends, Tim Lachik, his partner Brian and my friends Devon Palmer and Joe Lamothe. I haven’t been too involved with the culture yet, because I’m still setting up my studio and haven’t completed any art in it yet. With no air conditioning, its kind of hard for me to sit and sweat while drawing or painting. Can’t wait for fall and winter, I’ll be there all the time. Timothy Lachcik: I found Junctionview studios through my partner. He has a studio there and has been a great influence on me getting back to doing artwork. Being at Junctionview and having my own space really gets my mind flowing and some new ideas on wood. I open my studio for shows that Junctionview puts on like the Agora event. Adam Crum: I was originally invited to submit work to the 1st Agora. After some volunteering at the event, I was asked to join the Couchfire Collective, and as soon as I graduated from CCAD I moved in. I am currently very involved with planning and executing the events and social happenings that occur there. Don Fackler Jr: I found my way through Robert Trautman (another plug, another quarter). He told me that they were having a show there and told me

how to enter a photograph. Some time after the show his studio mate was moving to a different area and we talked about sharing the studio. The rest is history. I’m not real involved in the community as of yet. For some strange reason life keeps getting in the way and I haven’t had the time to fully use the studio like I should be doing. Brian Reaume: I found Junctionview a bit over 3 yrs ago through an advert. The place was almost empty when I moved in. That era is over; the studios are full, the energy is thick and alive, the artists move with purpose. Devon Palmer: I was working in a Solo Studio in the short north and was looking for a more collaborative and inspirational environment as I wanted to move beyond the traditional styles and mediums associated with woodturning. I’m trying to play the roles of enabler, and community builder. I try and get other studio members together to work on projects to foster a sense of ownership, belonging and fellowship. Collectively we can better achieve our common goals. CH: Warhol is known for the “Factory,” I see Junctionview as sort of a modern day adaptation of that. Do you think that is true? In what aspects? Traut: Somewhat, there is a great community spirit about Junctionview. People often help each other without question. We’ve had a few community days where we cleaned the space, painted, had cookouts and other things to help bring people together and built friendships. Tom Gaadt: Yes and No, the rent is very reasonable like back in Andy’s days where it was about a hundred bucks a year in NYC. But from what I can see, there are no parties, drugs and celebrities hanging around. haha. But it’s definitely a hip and artsy place to be. Timothy Lachcik: To an extent. Adam Crum: I think that is true in essence that we make our own things happen, just like they didthe original DIY’ers. There are even sometimes reproductions created at Junctionview in a similar fashion to the original factory workshop. Mostly there is a melting pot of creative energy just waiting to be dipped into. Don Fackler Jr: Hmmmm. Never heard of that. I guess I can’t offer up anything at this time. I guess it is time to hit Google to see what’s up with that. Brian Reaume: I don’t think the environment of the Factory can be recreated; trying to do so would

only be a mockery. I think Junctionview is its own entity in that the artists are creating as best as each individual can at the moment. We are paving our own roads and changing our daily landscape. There is no need to drive in reverse on this highway. Devon Palmer: Junction view is a crucible for a fundamental change in the way people create, sell and participate in art. Its no longer something you look at – its now an “experience” you participate in. Given the diverse range of mediums from music, to 2d/3d, and dance, its probably a more reserved version of the factory – sans orgies ☺ CH: Who would you be in Warhol’s factory crew? Traut: Jean-Michel Basquiat Tom Gaadt: Not sure. I’m not a porn star, musician or drug addict. I guess it would be one of the free thinkers. I would’ve loved to been on the crew to help him direct his Dracula/Batman film. Timothy Lachcik: Billy Linich Adam Crum: Valerie Solanas. Don Fackler Jr: LOL I guess I’ll just have to say myself. Brian Reaume: Billy Name Devon Palmer: Billy Name – he was a bear :P CH: What’s the best thing about having a studio at JV? What’s the most challenging? Traut: 1) The people and the events that go along with Junctionview. I’ve met some of my best friends from having my studio there. 2) The heat in the summer is sometimes hard to work in, especially to shoot photography; drag queens don’t last long in 90-degree heat. Tom Gaadt: I’m sure I will come to know it as a place that I can get away, where I can relax and get a lot of work done. The worst thing is NO AIR CONDITIONING!!! Timothy Lachcik: I have my own workspace and the rent is not bad. The worst is worrying about being good enough to stand out in the crowd. There are a lot of good artists and I don’t want people walking in my studio and not like my work. Adam Crum: The best thing is definitely the location – less than a block from my house. The most challenging is the instability of its current location. Don Fackler Jr: Best thing is I’m close to home and I don’t have to tear down my set each night. Worst? Getting motivated to go there after a rough day. Brian Reaume: The best thing is having a space removed from my personal quarters. A place I can continued

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 17

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

18 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 19

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

20 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY Name: Devon Palmer

Name: Adam Crum Age:29

Age: 40

Studio Number:140

Studio Number: 120/121

Medium(s):Oils Acrylics Pastels Charcoal Epoxy Resin

Medium(s): Wood

Background music while working: Jens Lekman-Hot Chip-Today is the Day

Background music while Trance/Dance/Hi-NRG, working: country and old standaroccasional ds

If someone wants to buy you a drink it would be: Apple Martini or Strawberry Lemonade

If someone wants to bu would be: Scotch and Soy you a drink it da

Contact info/website: admin@adamcrumart.com www.adamcrumart.com

Contact info/website: devonpalmer@gmail.co www.devonpalmer.com m

Name: Robert Trautman aka ‘traut’ Age: 27 Studio Number: 113

Name: bjr Reaume ~Brian Age: 35

Studio Num raphy, ber: inting, Photogre 107 g in Medium(s): PaMe en Sc lk Si a, di Medium(s Digital Mixed ): acrylic, ink, writin De g: in rk wo ile g wh ic us B a es Background m c rit k vo g Fa r . o on u g in n rk d wo m I’m u at s ic wh y, friends say pends on wh I have a g ile working: my Explosions in the Sk irl’s ipod. would be: Girl Talk, ens, Magnetic Fields, If someon Mogwai, Sufjan Stev ’s pop music. it would b e wants to buy you Final Fantasy, and 80 it k in dr and a sho e: it has to be a set, a drink y you a bu to s nt wa ne t of wild tu eo m If so some sort of iced rkey whiska beer would be: Javatini or ey Contact in fo coffee. /w e b sit birchwate e: rstudios.ce: Contact info/websit s.com b om jr @ b irchwater studios.co traut@thehotwetnes om m www.thehotwetness.c n.com www.digestivedesig

be consumed and crazy without having to be cautious. The worst are sometimes my insecurities of being in a public area. I am not the most social creature. Devon Palmer: Best Thing: Sense of community, encouragement, collaboration – Most challenging: Taming the sawdust, and trying no to play my music too loud. CH: Do you find the atmosphere at JV lends itself to collaboration among the artists? Does the queer posse there work together in any sort of way? Planning a group show perhaps? Traut: A little bit of collaboration happens. But even more so I see a lot of artists there supporting each other in other ways. Some buying art of others, or by building them canvases, taking photos of their work, or even something as simple as lending a brush or some tape. It’s a good group straight, gay, bi, whatever everyone gets along and everyone helps each other if they need it. Sometimes I do find myself standing around and I realize that the queer posse has somehow all gathered without planning and are all hanging out talking. No group shows of the queer posse yet. Yet. Tom Gaadt: Sure the atmosphere lends to collaborating, and I hope to do that this fall, as I’m there more. Timothy Lachcik: It’s great! I meet friends that are into the same thing as me. We can share ideas, strategies, and knowledge. We collaborate but not anymore than everybody else. Unfortunately there’s no group show planned but it would be great to! Maybe I’ll think of an idea that we can all create. We each have our own medium, so to find a piece that we can each contribute to could be interesting. Adam Crum: I have been planning Columbus’s first THE BIG GAY ART SHOW for years now. If anyone is interested in seeing this get off the ground -do not hesitate to contact me...and my gay posse. Don Fackler Jr: Since I haven’t taken the time to really get to know anyone yet I would have to qualify that answer as a “not yet.“ From what I have seen it is just that everyone works with every one. I haven’t seen any signs of gender or orientation come into play. I just seems like a very open and accepting place to be regardless of who you are and what you do. It would be cool for that to happen. I would have to create a whole new portfolio. Anyone want to model for me? Brian Reaume: I do feel a group show is in the works; I have spoken with Outlook about the opportunity. There are some artists that work together, but SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

as a complete group we have yet to create a common project. Devon Palmer: Definitely, so many times studio mates can provide a fresh perspective on a piece that you’re struggling with – or in overall direction in a developing body of work. I think it would be an awesome venue for artistic expression within the GLBT community and I’d love to assist in fostering that. CH: Speaking of shows, there is a festival of sorts coming up call Independents’ Day which is being organized by the Couchfire Collective and is a celebration of the unique spirit of creativity in urban Columbus aimed at showcasing the best of our community. Are you going to be involved? To what degree? Traut: I will have a booth there with Brian Reaume, we both doing a lot of smaller works, stuff people won’t mind picking up and taking with them. Since Brian and I often work in larger scale it will be a bit different but fun for us. Tom Gaadt: Haven’t heard anything, but depending on when it is and if I can get some pieces done, sure, I’d love to be involved. Timothy Lachcik: No. I want to be but it’s hard finding the time to get some new pieces done, while working full time and having a show coming up next month. Adam Crum: Yes, I will definitely be and have been involved in the conception of this event. I am on the exhibition committee and general logistics. There are plans for an idea convention, a dance party and a fashion show. 20 bands are scheduled to play on 2 stages. I can guarantee that this event is definitely not one to be missed. Don Fackler Jr: Yes I am. I think I will have a new body of work to honor the people who fight for this country. I don’t agree with why we fight but I support our troops and want to honor those who have fallen. It doesn’t matter which war you are talking about either. These men and women do their duty and some pay the ultimate price. My heart goes out to them - especially those of GLBT who do this and have to do it in silence. I will try to have at least 10 new pieces up in the studio. Stop by and check it out. It is a great event with a lot of fantastic art work up in the whole building. Brian Reaume: I am planning on volunteering and I think I have made my final decision about renting a booth. So yes, Robert, we are going to have a boof! Devon Palmer: I’ll definitely be there – hopefully

doing live demonstrations with a small lathe that I travel with. I’ll have a booth setup as well selling salad bowls, vases, and other functional art. CH: Columbus being named the Indy Art Capital of the World puts some pretty big britches on you as an artist? Are you feeling the pressure to continually produce material to live up to that title’s implied expectation? Traut: I think the title came from the amount of art being produced in our fine city. I don’t feel like I have to live up to the title. But regardless I think I’ll push myself to do more work. Tom Gaadt: Not at all. I’ve never had a show here or really produce art that would lend itself to a typical gallery show. Timothy Lachcik: I agree, however I am just getting back into doing art. Before moving into Junctionview almost a year ago I hadn’t done artwork in years. Thus making it harder to create the pieces I dream of. I like my work more and more and the pieces go by. I look back to a year ago and can see how much I’ve grown as an artist. Adam Crum: First off all I love big britches, but that is only one source of pressure for me to do my best. The plethora of creative and provocative individuals in this city is far more motivating, along with my own intense self-criticisms. I always want to produce more. Don Fackler Jr: No, I don’t feel the pressure at all. I am an artist who produces my work with how I am feeling at the time. I think most artists are like that. They have to feel it to believe it and it shows in what they make. Brian Reaume: I don’t think that title comes with expectation; I think it follows the artists instead of the artists chasing the title. Devon Palmer: Pressure no, Excitement about being a small part of a much bigger thing: Yes! CH: There is definitely energy behind the art scene in Cbus. How are you finding the art vibe here in town? Is the art movement here in town centered on a handful of artists or does it encompass a growing majority? How wide is the net? Where do you fit in? Traut: I fit in, by submitting work and doing as much work that crosses boundaries and borders as an artist. The art scene ‘vibe’ is insane. There are so many artists here, so many creatives doing it just out of the love of art. There’s a lot of small groups of artists that work together in different studio spaces or art houses around town but we’re all friendly and

there is cross over through events and shows all the time. Tom Gaadt: I apologize for not having any kind of intelligent answer for this. I unfortunately do not have a great knowledge of our art community and do not know if it centers around a handful of artists or a growing majority. I guess I would fit in at the bottom (if there is such a place). Timothy Lachcik: I’m digging it! I’ve had two shows and each one to me being a success. I’ve had one a Mod Mod candle shop and Hotel Lily Salon. Being at Junctionview I know when other artists from there are having a show and enjoy going to them when I am able. The scene encompasses a growing majority; about half and half. It’s all what we work for and how committed we are. I would say I was at the bottom a year ago. Adam Crum: I actually think that it does encompass a growing majority. I think there is just as much chance for anyone one to succeed in a gallery setting here. I think it boils down to how much you want that, and what you are willing to sacrifice to get it. The vibe in this town is amazing. The community here is so supportive. Don Fackler Jr: I love it. It is one of the reasons I moved here. I love the short north and the gallery hop too. It is great to find a community that accepts the artist with such open arms. I feel I can be who I want to be and people will accept me for who I am. Not for what I can or can’t do. I think the net is wide and deep. From what I have seen and heard there is something for everyone. If the scene is centered on a handful of people then I believe that those are the people who are not afraid of rejection. They believe in themselves and get out there and tell people about their work. I know I need to do more of this myself. I look up to those that are dedicated enough in their love of art to get out and show the world what they are about. My problem is I put myself into my work and I don’t usually let that many people into my life at that level. It just gets too personal for me. I can take someone coming up to me and telling me my work is crap, as long as they can tell my why it is crap. I want to learn and grow from the experience. What I don’t like is when someone can look at my work and get what I am saying. It scares me a little. They are seeing into who I am at the moment I created it. Now the person who comes up and says it is a beautiful piece, I can take that all day. They like it and they just don’t know why. Sometimes it is because it is speaking to them on an unconscious level but they haven’t figured out what that level is. continued

I guess I’m more of a mainstream kind of guy. I have things that are a little iconic and some that are just vanilla. I love to shoot flowers. What can I say, they are just beautiful. I also like to pair things up that you normally wouldn’t see. I have a picture of a gun with an American Flag in the background. That picture has a lot of subtext to it that some people miss. I had a friend tell me that when she first saw it she was pissed. She told me she had to step back from the picture and look at it again before she found the real meaning behind what it was all about. Another image has a folded American Flag with a Rosary. Some look at it and see a beautiful image and a few have actually seen what I was trying for. Brian Reaume: I think you would have to ask another about my placement. I cannot place myself. Columbus does have a great movement; it does have great opportunity. There are artists whom are more recognized, they should be, they earned it, and they reflect hope. The one thing I would like to see change in the atmosphere is the potential for success beyond just maintaining. Columbus is small in the way of potential; there is a glass ceiling, a definite price cap. Long-term vision can be blurred. It seems that most artists feel they need to move to “make it big”. This is my life; this is my insides. Its what I am and what I do. I want my business to succeed. I create purely and hope that my product is embraced in a manner that allows me the luxury of continuing. Devon Palmer: I think the vibrant art community is a symptom of larger community and city that values diversity, freedom of expression, and creativity. Opportunities are where you make them, and I feel very fortunate to be associated with a group of people who are as driven to “create” as I am. We feed and are fed by that incredible energy that drives people to express their thoughts and ideas via a medium. The more the merrier for those who want to plug into it. I fit in by filling the gap between Fine Craft and Art, trying to put a new spin on age-old techniques and materials.

equal share of photographic work, paintings, sculptures, and mixed medium sell. I guess I’m not into the ins and outs of the art world to make an informed opinion on this subject. As for the consumers, that would have to be a resounding yes. I have listened to some conversations that totally blow my mind as a group of people stand around and dissect an image before them and find some hidden meanings in the work. They really know what they are talking about. But talking and buying are two separate things. I think because of the prices of gas and food starting to climb to new heights that people aren’t buying as freely as they used to The purchases are coming with more consideration as to how this piece of art will be used and what will I do with it once I buy it. Brian Reaume: There are individuals who appreciate original work. These are the consumers who oil the machine - the people who allow the artists to continue, to support their work. It is not all about money but when art is more than a hobby, money is a harsh reality in the overall process. It is amazing to have such response in this city, to have individuals go out of their way to compliment the artist. This is what fuels me creatively, the questions, the concerns, the level of interest. I admit I do find it silly that the masses are still decorating with prints from Target, in this city great original artwork is so accessible and yet people still decorate a 300 grand condo like its a frat house. Wouldn’t you much rather invite someone to look at your original artwork as opposed to a 5000 series print? I mean, everyone knows that you don’t own an original Monet, move on. Go ahead, try it. Devon Palmer: Again, I think Columbusites value the influence and impact that the creative community brings – and they want to support it, and that’s one of the many reasons why collectives like Junctionview are becoming so successful. (Not to mention the hard work of the Couchfire Collective) CH: Do you plan on continuing to make art here in Columbus, or do you think you’ll have to move to a bigger market to “make it?” What would “making it” be for you? Traut: Columbus is my home. Why move when Columbus is a great city with amazing people and a flourishing arts community? I think moving to make it is a somewhat foolish because I think you have to make it in one place to

move onto others. It’s true you may have more chances of making it in a larger city, but there’s also more competition, higher cost of living and more attitude. Tom Gaadt: Making it to me would be becoming a comic book artist/inker. Timothy Lachcik: I’m good for now. Maybe in the future. For me making it is being able to pay for rent and the resources used for making my art. There are a lot of expenses associated to making art and being able to pay for all of them can be difficult at times. Adam Crum: Making it for me means that I have complete access to create whatever I want, in whatever way I envision. It depends on how many buildings this city will let me paint on. If I run out I may have to move. Don Fackler Jr: I do the art because it pleases me. I can do it wherever I am. If I move it will be because of a job that pays the bills. Making it for me is to have my bills paid on time. I don’t need much money for extra things because I make my fun with my friends. Which is usually sitting around a fire talking or just drinking a glass of wine with a good book. Brian Reaume: I moved to Columbus with idea I would be here for a year; that was 9 years ago. I must like the city. Do I dream of NYC and LA? Fucking every day! I love the large city movement, the energy the push. But if I can’t find that drive from within then no city is going to help me. I am my motivation. My art is my motivation. My surroundings motivate me to move beyond the present. I have not been anywhere that does not have a future; it is up to me to find my place in it. I may move to California at some point, only because of the weather but my artwork will follow me, I will not be chasing after it. As for making it? What is making it? Listen to how people respond to other artists’ success, they call them sellouts. Generally they do not embrace changes the artist may make from that point on. It is a fine line when popularity starts to cast its shadow. Expectations start to smack the face and kill the spirit. Artists must know who they are. There are so many cancers thrown at us that we can be consumed. We make many sacrifices just to work, to pursue. The fact that we are dreamers that become doers is already difficult enough. I do want to “make it”. I am unabashed about that. I go without sleep, I go without being understood, and I go without comforts because I am chasing the only thing that gives

CH: Contrast/Compare that to the actual market then? Are Columbusites art savvy consumers? Are people buying art? Traut: Currently I think the people of Columbus are cautious when buying art. But the people of Columbus that buy art frequently buy things because it moves them / they know what they like and what they want. I think in the next year people will start moving back to buying artwork more frequently as the economy gets better. Tom Gaadt: I honestly don’t y Name Timoth know. When I go to the art : Tom Name: ik Gaadt c festival in the spring, I h Lac Age: 4 don’t see a lot of people car0 rying around purchased ge: 27 A S tudi pieces. : Mediu 119 o Number: u mb e r Timothy Lachcik: Some. N o i m d u ( St terco s): Mix Yes. From all over. I sold 2 this e lor an 125 d Dr. d Media bu month to New York and shipped Marti Backg them out. n dye t mostly W r o s au y n H h Adam Crum: I think that d o p ward music ra g o r y S P t w and K Columbus buyers tend to be safe e k in g : m(s): ylie M rn show o hile worki Mediu in their purchases. The market is ile wor Whatever h n n inogu w c i , s e (how Sirius, Mag: as expected to be during a near ecoIf som nd mu k, Classical s. u o r g g a k y is th donna nomic depression. There are defiBac ry, Alt Roc od I gues would eone wan at?) o t n t m b s u e: Ket nitely people buying art here. I really to buy Co n the i e t a l e m and C you a d want to meet them too. I do wish there y yo u gets Conta ranbe r s to bu and t c was a larger market for paintings of n t a i rry ink it n w t f g e k o n a c / o a a w J e d e : t m e b portly lesbians. @ o b s s yahoo ite: If uld .com Don Fackler Jr: I don’t know if there is drink it wo an actual market in art. I have seen an e ok

site o/web f n i t c Conta 16-6776 734-2 ays.com TWLw

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 21 me purpose. It is the one selfish pursuit I have. I want my work to be my career. I want others to enjoy my creations and share my visions. Devon Palmer: While a more national presence would give my work more legitimacy, its most important for me to be a solid part of the local art scene. My work is its own reward, and the acceptance and support of my local community is most important to me. Making it for me would be, 20 years down the road, having someone tell me about a salad bowl that was handed down from a previous generation and the fond memories they have of its use. It’s the most significant part of my life that will outlive me.

CH: What’s next for you? Traut: A few fall shows lined up, other than that working on new work and probably collaborating more with a few people. Tom Gaadt: Good question. I’m actually not sure. Timothy Lachcik: Wood Veneer! I can’t wait. I have been researching how to apply and cut the Wood Veneer. Some tools needed to do so are expensive and I have to keep selling art to buy these items. I will be able to restore antique furniture. Exciting! Adam Crum: I have started production on my new zine - One Moment Please, and temporarily paused production on my old zine Charliesheenzine. I have been focusing on proposing to create murals for different sites around the city. I really just want to go bigger and bigger. Don Fackler Jr: I guess just trying to shoot my next dream. They are such a great source of inspiration for me. Brian Reaume: To find placement. Devon Palmer: I’m slowly transitioning away from the summer art show and craft market into more “Gallery” quality work, and Functional Art. I’ll always make common use items such as large Salad bowls, and more decorative pieces, as I love the fact that they are “uncomplicated”. I hope to start putting more “message” and “meaning” into my work, giving it a “story.” For more info on Junctionview: junctionviewstudios.com, Independent’s Day: www.thisisindependent.com or Warhol at the Wex: www.wexarts.org. Chris Hayes is Editor In Chief of Outlook Weekly and is happy the corn harvest is good.

ackler Jr Name: Don F to be 48. If Age: 47 soon ink I still th you ask me I 47… well at look like I’m day. od least on a go

er: 113, Studio Numb with traut re a sh which I n paper.

ow plug in your I gave you a t. er ob R at tch) (See th me 25¢ beyo Why Now you owe woman in…

this mmm, I use ium is? OK. Medium(s): Hant to know who my med tography. would you w er is digital and film pho lly like my real answ rking: I actuahave o w ile h w c si if I mu Background to myself so much that just to be lk lf e ta I ys t. m t ie a u q g n it o. nd up shouti music on I e nd yes I answer myself to a , h O ould be: . rd it a e k h u a drin wme a yo y u b to ts an uy If someone wd driving then they can b en I’ll take th n a g t n u vi o ri d m I’ e b If ase. not going to water. If I’m oke…Top shelf if you ple c otos.com a rum and w.facklersph w w : te si b e /w Contact info SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

22 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

WARHOL RELATED EVENTS

ARTS

LAMBERT FAMILY LECTURE

Remembering Andy: A Conversation with John Waters and Vincent Fremont

Andy Warhol: Other Voices, Other Rooms Exclusive U.S. Presentation of

Comes to The Wexner Center Sat, Sept 13 – Sun, Feb 15 See Andy Warhol’s work like you’ve never seen it before. Other Voices, Other Rooms sheds new light on the celebrated pop artist and focuses on the ideas at the heart of his work: embracing consumer culture, exploring sexual identity, challenging social conventions, and erasing distinctions between high and low culture. The Wexner Center is proud to host the only U.S. presentation of this spectacular exhibition featuring some 700 objects in all: films, videos, paintings, drawings, prints, wallpaper, installations, objects, seldom heard audio recordings, and extraordinary archival material. Warhol would have turned 80 years old on August 6, 2008, but - as this exhibition makes stunningly clear - his art and ideas are as fresh and timely as ever. A Message from Wexner Center Director Sherri Geldin Upon visiting this astounding and ingenious exhibition in Amsterdam late last year, I immediately set the wheels in motion to bring it to the Wexner Center. It explores afresh the remarkable legacy of an artist who utterly transformed the cultural landscape of his own time, but also foretold with uncanny prescience today’s media-obsessed society. Given Warhol’s masterful manipulation of virtually every artistic medium, what better place than the multidisciplinary Wexner Center to present this exhibition? And what a spectacular opportunity to see it specially redesigned for the center’s distinctive galleries, which themselves have an almost cinematic character. More about the Exhibition More than any other artist, Andy Warhol (1928–1987) merged the public with the private, the glamorous with the mundane, celebrity with anonymity, and ravenous voyeurism with seeming indifference. Well before the proliferation of media culture, he famously predicted that everyone would have their 15 minutes of fame - virtually foretelling the advent of American Idol and YouTube. Drawing on the quite radical impulses coursing through American culture in the 1960s, Warhol captured and reflected much that would mark a sea change in the social fabric of that time - and continue with potent ramifications since. SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

The visitor experience of Other Voices, Other Rooms begins with a “red carpet welcome,” including introductory material and music by The Velvet Underground, the band that Warhol launched from his famous Factory. From there, the exhibition unfolds in sections: At the heart of the exhibition is the COSMOS, which highlights the artist’s ways of thinking and working and his imperturbable eye for detail. Here one finds iconic works of art and objects, a Time Capsule, and the Factory Diaries - in which Warhol captured his life in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s - that feature glimpses of such luminaries as Edie Sedgwick, John F. Kennedy Jr., and David Bowie. In addition, drawings, photos, and rare archival material are presented alongside audio fragments of Lou Reed, Truman Capote, and others. In the FILMSCAPE, visitors explore a cinematic landscape that includes films made between 1963 and 1968, including the Screen Tests, Sleep, The Chelsea Girls, Kitchen, and Mrs. Warhol. These films were Warhol’s experiments. Secluded behind the camera, he depicts - without intervening - behavior in all types of situations, using time and observation as his ingredients. The TV-SCAPE section of the exhibition presents, synchronously, all 42 television episodes that Warhol created between 1979 and 1987, along with a selection of rarely screened videos. In this section of the exhibition, the artist projects his voyeurism onto everyone - stars and ordinary people, alike - in the medium that seemed best suited to the job. Here, just as in his magazine, Interview, Warhol used his keen eye for detail and trivia to exercise a specific influence on the development of both television and video art. Notes curator Eva Meyer-Hermann, “Andy Warhol once wondered about how it would be if one mirror would reflect another. He declared that everything which we want to know can be seen on the surfaces of him and his works. I thought I had to look behind these surfaces, but realized that what we are looking for is not behind but in front of them. Warhol’s surfaces reflect the world; his works are about you and me.” Other Voices, Other Rooms will be on view simultaneously at the Wexner Center and at the Hayward Gallery at the Southbank Art Centre in London, England.

Fri, Oct 3, 7p WEIGEL AUDITORIUM $5 members, Warhol club cardholders $15 general public* Free students Listen in as two icons discuss Andy Warhol’s films and his lasting influence on cinema and American culture. Inimitable filmmaker John Waters (Pink Flamingos, the original Hairspray, Crybaby) has made a career of pushing the boundaries of his art form, just like Warhol, and his earliest work was inspired by Warhol’s films. Director and producer Vincent Fremont began working for Warhol in 1969 and played an integral role in Warhol’s subsequent film, television, and video production, later serving as vice president of Andy Warhol Enterprises. Tonight the two trade Warhol stories, insights, and reminiscences. *Includes one free gallery admission for October 3 or 4. Made possible by generous support from the Lambert Family Lecture Series Endowment Fund.

WARHOL FIRST SUNDAYS

Drag Day Sun, Oct 5,1p–5p FREE This first Warhol Free Sunday focuses on ideas about identity and the art of drag - both of which have strong connections to Warhol’s work. You can investigate those connections on interactive tours, catch a poetry reading by Peter Oresick from his Warhol-o-rama (a poem-by-poem serial portrait of the serial portrait pioneer) at 1p, or take in a special performance by Nina West, National Entertainer of the Year and some of Columbus’s finest drag queens at 3:30p. You can also try drag yourself: we’ll have make-up, wigs, and outfits to try on, or you can bring your own. Gallery admission is free all day, 11a–6p, and Cam’s on Campus will be open from 11a-4p and featuring a special brunch menu.

Andy Warhol: Outer and Inner Dichotomies Keynote Conversation Fri, Nov 14, 7p $8 general public* Free for members, Warhol Club cardholders, and Ohio State students, faculty, and staff Symposium Sat, Nov 15, 10:30a Free, no tickets or preregistration required Join us for a dynamic, engaging discussion of Andy Warhol, his work, and his continuing influence among artists, curators, critics, and members of Warhol’s circle. In our keynote address on Friday evening, critic and Warhol biographer Wayne Koestenbaum converses with artist Francesco Vezzoli, whose fascination with celebrity rivals Warhol’s own. For tickets, call 614.292.3535. Saturday speakers include Eva Meyer-Hermann, the curator of Other Voices, Other Rooms; actress and author Mary Woronov; Callie Angell, author of Andy Warhol Screen Tests: The Films of Andy Warhol, and Thomas Crow, distinguished art historian and author of Modern Art in the Common Culture. You’re sure to hear numerous behind-thescenes stories and revealing insights into Warhol’s life and legacy. Watch for details and a complete schedule at wexarts.org. *Includes one free gallery admission for November 14 or 15.

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 23

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

24 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

Via Colori - September 13-14 On the weekend of September 13 and 14, more than one-hundred artists will paint brilliantly colorful chalk masterpieces on the closed off streets around Goodale Park (Park St and Goodale St). This annual art gathering is known as Via Colori, an Italian influenced street painting festival that originated in Naples, Florida in 1994. The founder of the Naples event is Rick Compton, a Columbus native. There are seven cities in the US where Via Colori takes place, Columbus being the only in the state of Ohio. In 2003, Via Colori came to Columbus and celebrated its first festival on what is now one of Columbus’ busiest freeways, I-670. At the time of the festival, the freeway was incomplete and closed to commuters. Columbus’ current Executive Director of Via Colori, Kathy Wyatt said, “The idea behind Via Colori is to raise money and support the local arts and local charities. Volunteers help run the event,

and several large and small sponsors help buy the squares or contribute funds.” The event is family oriented, and families are encouraged to paint squares together to celebrate the arts in their communities. This year all net proceeds made during Via Colori will be used to support three major nonprofit arts and health organizations: the Homeless Families Foundation, the Ohio Art League, and CD101 for the kids. Admission is free. The festival opens at 10a each day. Saturday, Via Colori closes with a street party that runs until 10p. Sunday, it closes at 5p. Via Colori can always use the help of volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or sponsor, you may sign up or find more information on Via Colori’s official website: www.viacolori.com.

The Riverfront Art Festival - September 19-21 The Riverfront Art Festival is the Goodale Park Art Festival in a new home, with a new name... so it is simultaneously a first year and a third year show. In 2006, as the Goodale Park Art Festival, the show debuted to incredible public reaction. Attendance in 2007 was estimated at 12,000, and the crowds were thrilled with the quality of the nearly 130 artists who made up the event. So why change it? Because they say they can make it better as founder Jay Snyder says “when we can do that, we always will.” Riverfront is part of a larger, three city festival group called By Hand: Unique American Fine Art & Craft Festivals, which are held in Cleveland and Cincinnati as well. By Hand is a fine art and craft organization cooperating with national artists and craftsmen in order to promote unique shopping experiences and

Independents’ Day - September 20 To showcase the creative independents taking over the city’s art scene, a new festival was created. Independents’ Day is a celebration of the unique spirit of creativity in urban Columbus. Couchfire Collective is partnering with local artists, musicians, businesses, and the City of Columbus to create an event that showcases the best of our community. The festival is Saturday, September 20 from noon till 10a outdoors on Gay Street with an after party at The Vault. It will include a Street Market where over 100 booths line Gay Street and Pearl Alley and feature Columbus artists, organizations, and businesses; Gay Street Business Showcase where open doors will invite you to stop by the likes of Tip Top Kitchen and Cocktails, Due Amici, Skylab, and other Gay Street favorites for special Independents’ Day events and offerings; Music and Performances on two main stages and a handful of alternative venues featuring Columbus’ best musicians and performers; Interactive/Idea Convention at the Vault giving you a creative outlet for ideas and innovation with presentations and conversations throughout the day; Food and Drink by independent breweries and SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

local restaurants; and an After Party so when activity on the street winds down, the party moves into The Vault where DJs and creative collaborators continue the celebration into the wee hours. There are many ways to participate in the day. Since Independents’ Day is 100% volunteer run and organized, volunteers will be needed. They’ll need your help to accommodate the many exhibitors, performers, and attendees. If you are a local artist, crafter, musician, performer, business owner, thinker, or enthusiastic citizen, they welcome your participation in Independents’ Day. The Street Market registration closes September 10. Independent artist, crafter, business, or organization with something to sell or share can set up shop in a 10’ x 10’ square for only $25 ($100 for commercial booths). You’ll have the best seat in the house for our outdoor performances and a chance to show all of Columbus what you do. For more information or to register: www.thisisindependent.com.

support contemporary American working artists. The festivals, promoted by director Jay Snyder, are a great opportunity to buy truly one-of-a-kind paintings, sculpture, wearable art, jewelry and more – directly from the artist who made it. Nearly 150 artists from across the country in every medium from oil paintings and sculpture to functional pottery, along with great food and entertainment. The festival, new to the riverfront, will also feature a special presentation of WaterFire Columbus on Sept. 20. The festival is free and runs Fri 5p-10p, Sat 10a-10p and Sun 10a-5p. For more info: www.byhandevents.com or www.riverfrontartfestival.com.

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 25

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

26 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

ARTS

Gallery Hop: Saturday, Sept 6th

With over 20 years of tradition, the Short North is renowned for the buzz of “Gallery Hop.” The first Saturday of every month, thousands of visitors converge on the strip, the epicenter of the High Street Experience. They come to celebrate art and partake in an evening of sights, sounds, food, shopping, and cosmopolitan fun. Though many shops are open earlier, the Gallery Hop officially starts at 4PM and runs to 10PM with restaurants and bars staying open considerably later. In the shops... On a typical Hop, over 40 galleries and non-traditional art venues (think restaurants, boutiques, and salons) spotlight the best of established and emerging Ohio-based artists.

Elements of Art Art Exchange, LTD, The 17 E. Brickel St. / 614.464.4611 Exhibit Title: Lambertus Van Boekel - Top 100 Images: 19992008 Artist(s): Lambertus “Berry” van Boekel Art Media: Painting Artist Reception: Friday, Sep 05 About the Exhibit: Columbusite Van Boekel’s Top 100 images are an immersive collection of hundreds of small paintings of popular musicians produced over the past two decades. Van Boekel recently was given his first New York solo exhibition at White Columns. Marcia Evans Gallery

Mahan Gallery SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

Echoes Art & Antiques 24 East Lincoln Street / 614.291.9101 Exhibit Title: Smoky Brown Artist(s): Grandma Smoky Brown Art Media: Acrylic on Board / Canvas About the Exhibit: Collection of original pieces from private collections - all for sale . His pieces have been favorites at the last three Art For Life events affiliated with the Columbus Museum of Art.

Sherrie Gallerie rate varying textural elements. Jung’s dimensional landscapes showcase his exceptional impasto style with richly textured details. Mahan Gallery 717 N. High Street / 614.294.3278 Exhibit Title: doMeASolid Artist(s): Maya Hayuk Art Media: painting, drawing, mural installation, interactive Artist Reception: Friday, Sep 05 About the Exhibit: Maya has described her installations as “bright”, “massive”, “intricate”, and “joyful.” The new works follow suit, celebrating a bright outlook and a clear vision. Maya’s work makes direct contact like a highfive of positive vibes. About the Artist: www.mayahayuk.com, www.mahangallery.com Marcia Evans Gallery 8 East Lincoln St. / 614.298.8847 Exhibit Title: Glass & Canvas Artist(s): Dawson Kellogg & BJR Brian Reaume Art Media: Blown glass & Abstract paintings About the Exhibit: Soft abstract blown glass with soft forms and a subtle blending of color alongside a bold fresh approach to abstract paintings.

Elements of Art / Art Space 507 N. High St. / 614.324.9030 www.elementsofart.net Exhibit Title: Human Forms Artist(s): Roman Czech Art Media: Mixed Media Ohio Art League About the Exhibit: Collation of orig- 954 N High St / 614.299.8225 inal work and international artists. Exhibit Title: Empirical Phenomena Kathryn Gallery Artist(s): Jules Knowlton 642 N. High Street / 614.222-6801 Art Media: Mixed media kathryngallery.com Artist Reception: Saturday, Sep 06 Exhibit Title: Michelle Williams & About the Exhibit: Empiricism is Mario Jung the practice of relying on observaArt Media: Mixed Media & Oil on tion and experimentation. KnowlCanvas ton’s work uses systems About the Exhibit: Williams mixed observable in the natural world as media, non-representational its inspiration. Through the use of paintings on wood panels/boxes, color, texture, and pattern the sincanvas and metal sheets incorpo- gular object evolves. The success-

They also feature the works of nationally and internationally acclaimed artists. On the streets... performers settle into the many nooks of the District to entertain the throngs of Short North fans. Saxophonists, singers, improvisational dance troupes, even stilt walkers and stage characters add to the unforgettable experience. In July, the Short North celebrated its 275th consecutive Gallery Hop. In December, the Gallery Hop morphs into the incomparable Holiday Hop - the opening salvo of Columbus’ urban holiday season. Upwards of 20,000 visitors share an evening of pure energy under the brightly colored, everchanging lights of the High Street arches.

Rivet ful piece contains multiple layers of meaning that have been developed to extend beyond the transparently visual or the purely emotional. The resulting object is one which speaks to the viewer on multiple levels making the work accessible and intriguing.

Sherrie Gallerie 694 N High St / 614.221.8580 www.sherriegallerie.com Exhibit Title: Tom Bartel: Heads Artist(s): Tom Bartel Art Media: ceramics Artist Reception: Sunday, Sep 07 About the Exhibit: Assoc. Prof. of Ceramics for Western Kentucky pm gallery University Tom is attracted to 726 N High St / 614.299-0860 heavily worn, patinated surfaces pmgallery.com that reveal the “history” of an obExhibit Title: Cake! ject. He sees our skin as having Artist(s): Susan Sturgill the same potential as the surfaces Art Media: prismacolor pencils on by which he is intrigued. Throughpaper out life our appearance inevitably About the Exhibit: Bodacious cakes and slowly changes, and in the imagined by Susan Sturgill. Fanprocess skin records this story. tasy confections, guaranteed nonfattening and aesthetically Terra Gallery pleasing. 8 E Poplar Ave / 614.228.4188 www.terra-gallery.com Rebecca Ibel Gallery Exhibit Title: 2008 Salon Show 1055 N High St / 614.291.2555 Artist(s): All Exhibit Title: Melissa Meyer Art Media: Oils, Acrylics, Mixed Artist(s): Melissa Meyer Media, Sculpture & More Art Media: paintings, watercolors, Artist Reception: Saturday, Sep 06 prints About the Exhibit: Terra Gallery is About the Exhibit: The exhibition featuring new works from each of features the newly released Lincoln our artists in a salon-style show. Center Festival limited edition The works represent a variety of silkscreen print and poster created styles, from representational works as part of the List Fine Art Poster to abstract contemporary oils, and Print Program, which has acrylics, and mixed media. commissioned leading visual artists over the past 45 years, Waldo’s On High Hair Salon 755 N. High St. / 614.294.2887 Rivet www.waldosonhigh.com 1200 N High St / 614.294.8697 Exhibit Title: A Tribute To Waldo’s: Exhibit Title: Michael Slack and Anniversary Celebration Sam Fout Artist(s): Waldo’s Creative Team: Artist(s): Michael Slack, Sam Fout Rick Martinez Art Media: Drawings, Prints Art Media: photography Artist Reception: Saturday, Sep 06 About the Exhibit: Display of differAbout the Exhibit: Michael Slack ent looks created in a photoshoot unleashes a new batch of mutated with Rick Martinez expressing difmonsters, & creepy creatures in ferent hair design and makeup. his new show. “Wax Pack” features Rick Martinez is a photographer works on paper & mini print sets, that is mostly known for his work inspired by 1960’s - 70’s era mon- with Pageants. ster trading cards.

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 27

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

28 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

ARTS by Mary Martineau

Two great occasions that go great together OSU (football) and Microbrew (Festival)! Here in Columbus, one of the undeniable harbingers of autumn are OSU football games. Weekends are carefully planned around home and away games, kickoff times and, for those without coveted tickets to the “Shoe”, viewing accommodations. The early games set the tone for the mood of the season for hardcore Buckeye fans in Columbus. A few years ago the North Market created another event we hope becomes a forerunner of fall and puts our city’s residents in a jovial frame of mind regardless of how their favorite team is performing: the Columbus Microbrew Festival! Come celebrate Columbus’ handcrafted ales and their makers on September 12 and 13. In its third year the Columbus Microbrew Festival continues to have a growing attendance. To accommodate the ever-increasing number of microbrew aficionados we have added Friday “happy hours” to the event! Stop by the North Market after work and enjoy your own weekend kickoff with brews from our seven local microbreweries. Friday night is an

al fresco event celebrated on our patio with music by The Great Mad Hoax (5-7 p.m.) and The Andy Shaw Band (7-9 p.m.). Market merchants will be open for food to accompany the splendid array of ales and special guest food vendor Barley’s Smokehouse will be serving up some of their outstanding smoked and sauced fare as well. On Saturday the farmers’ market reclaims the outdoor plaza and we take the party indoors to the mezzanine level. Saturday’s event shares the day with the much-anticipated OSU vs. USC game. Thankfully, kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. and the Microbrew Festival runs from noon to 7 p.m., so the Columbus Microbrew Festival at the North Market is the PERFECT place to “tailgate”! We’ll set the tone for the event with some great music by local bands including Cowboy Hillbilly Hippy Folk (12-2 p.m.), Gipson & Fitz Trio (2-4 p.m.) and closing out the party are the Drowsy Lads (4-7 p.m.) with their rambunctious Irish tunes. Kids and adults alike can partake in fantastical face painting. You can be transformed into a magical creature or get your game on and go for the scarlet and gray! Columbus microbreweries participating in the third annual Columbus Microbrew Festival include Barley’s Brewing Company (Ale House No. 1), Barley’s Smokehouse & Brewpub (Ale House No. 2), Columbus Brewing Company, Elevator Brewing Company, Gordon Biersch

Brewery Restaurant, Hoster Brewing Company and Weasel Boy Brewing Company from Zanesville. Representatives from each microbrewery and oftentimes the brew masters themselves will be on hand to pour samples of their signature drafts. Beer tasting admission is just $15 and includes a commemorative pint glass and ten tasting tickets. Tickets are available at the door on the day of the event. Discount coupons good for $2 off the tasting admission fee are available at all participating microbreweries. Additional tasting tickets will be available for $.50 each.

Festival hours are Friday, September 12 from 5-9 p.m. and Saturday, September 13 from 127 p.m. Regular market hours are 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday. For additional information on the North Market Microbrew Festival please call 614-463-9664 or visit www.northmarket.com. Mary Martineau is Director of Marketing for North Market in the Air, a member organization of the Columbus Arts Marketing Association. CAMA’s mission is to promote awareness of and participation in the arts and cultural opportunities in Greater Columbus through collaborative marketing and public relations projects, and to provide professional development opportunities for members. For information visit www.camaonline.org.

DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD by Romeo San Vicente

GILBERT AND GALECKI’S BIG BANG REUNION

SUSAN ANTON’S PLAYING WITH FIRE

KINKY BOOTS SHINED UP FOR BROADWAY

“CHICK LIT” SURGE YIELDS CHIC CLOTHING

Gay actors have long defended being in the closet by saying that audiences won’t accept an out performer in a straight role, but that notion gets proven untrue all the time. Just look at Neil Patrick Harris’ smarmy skirtchaser on How I Met Your Mother. Or Sara Gilbert, who’s been out for years and is raising a child with her lesbian partner, on The Big Bang Theory. After three appearances last year as Leslie Winkle, an on-again-off-again love interest for nerdy scientist Leonard, Gilbert will join the cast as a regular this season. Roseanne fans will be thrilled, since Leonard is played by Johnny Galecki, who played Gilbert’s boyfriend (and eventually, her husband) on the long-running sitcom. Watch for the sparks to fly when Theory‘s second season premieres September 22.

Romeo loves a ‘70s diva, so it was exciting to hear that the effervescent Miss Susan Anton would be popping up in a new movie. Even more thrilling was the news that Playing with Fire will be directed by David DeCoteau, the auteur behind such thrilling boys-in-tightywhities horror epics as The Brotherhood and Voodoo Academy. Fire has been described as a “pansexual film noir,” so prepare yourself for any and all kinds of licentiousness. In addition to the ageless Anton, the film also stars Baywatch hunk (and The Broken Hearts Club co-star) Michael Bergin, The Lair‘s David Moretti, and model Anya Monzikova, no doubt being paired up in a variety of combinations. Playing with Fire is slated to scorch screens later in 2008.

From The Producers to Xanadu, Broadway musicals based on movies are currently the hottest thing on the Great White Way. Next up for the screen-to-stage treatment is a charming little British comedy about a shoe factory that stays afloat by manufacturing footwear for fashionable transvestites. Kinky Boots is being eyed for musicalization, and with its drag queen hero and outrageous fashionshow finale, it seems like a perfect fit. Some major players are getting behind it - producers Daryl Roth (August: Osage County) and Hal Luftig (Movin’ Out) are talking to Jerry Mitchell, choreographer of Broadway’s Hairspray and director of the musical Legally Blonde, about directing. (You may also know Mitchell as the mentor from Bravo’s Step It Up and Dance.) No word yet on when Kinky will be in the spotlight.

Don’t think the runaway box-office success of The Devil Wears Prada and Sex and the City will be forgotten by the robots who run Hollywood. Now that it’s been positively proven that women - and gay men - will turn out in droves for movies about smart, sexy, and fashionable gals, get ready to see lots of “chick lit” on the big screen. Coming soon is Wolves in Chic Clothing, based on the novel by Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman, about three Park Avenue heiresses who makeover an outsider just for giggles, only to discover too late that they’ve condescended to the wrong girl. Production hasn’t started on the film yet, so you’ve got plenty of time to find the right flask of Cosmos to stash inside your best gal pal’s Birkin bag.

Romeo San Vicente wears Prada - when he’s lucky enough to find some at the outlet mall or if he nicks some from a gentleman friend’s closet. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

OUTLOOK WEEKLY â&#x20AC;˘ 29

CLASSIFIEDS ADULT CONNECTIONS MEN. CONNECT. EASY. Gay, str8, curious, bi. Instant, live action. Get on & off @ 1800GAYLIVE. Call now 614.410.1555. Free Trial.

vaulted ceiling, $450/mo. More OTE rentals available. Call Beacon Property Mgmt. at 614.228.6700.

WANT TO PLACE AN AD? CALL MICHAEL TODAY! 614.268.8525

HOUSING/ROOMMATES

SOUTHEAST Gay male looking for roommate, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY southeast of Columbus. Share home, rent. $400/month plus 1/2 FLORAL BUSINESS utilities. Great location for profes70-year-old family-run floral busi- sionals. Email ness for sale. Established clients, awol695@yahoo.com. great location. Please call Mary McCarthy at Sunbelt Business REAL ESTATE SECLUDED REBrokers, 614.734.8338, for more TREATS information. 2 - 2BR secluded retreats for sale or lease. Both are recent builds HOUSING/FOR RENT with all the amenities. Each have open floor plans, pool, lake, picturOLDE TOWNE EAST 1096 & esque and private. Both within 1 1104 Bryden Rd, 1 BR apartments hour driving distance to Columavailable, new kitchen, wd flrs, bus. Call 740.607.4750.

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

30 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 31

PUCKER UP by Tristan Taormino

Vice Tries to Bust Me on the Porn Set Unexpected visitors on the porn set Whenever I go to L.A. to shoot my porn and sex-ed movies, my partner and I stay at his mother’s house in Pasadena. And this time, his sister was getting married there in only two weeks. So the house had been transformed into wedding central. Rooms were filled with boxes of color-coordinated napkin rings and tablecloths and party favors. Everywhere you turned, there was a gift from Macy’s or a set of silverware or decorations. In addition, about a dozen boxes had arrived for us, filled mostly with items for the movies like brightly colored buttplugs made from the same material as bowling balls, butter-soft leather-dildo harnesses from Aslan Leather, and assorted bondage toys from JT’s Stockroom. I kept having nightmares of someone in the family innocently cracking open a box, expecting to find the Waterford-crystal champagne flutes and instead stumbling upon Sportsheets’ Under the Bed Restraint System. Yikes! Luckily, I managed to keep the vibrating dildos separated from the personalized M&Ms. Over seven days, we shot four movies, which is the most we’ve ever done in one trip. Not surprisingly, there were the typical casting snafus: Tuesday’s performer just got her most recent test back, and she has an STD; we need someone else! Her replacement can’t get her nails cut short in time for the shoot, which involves fingering buttholes, so we need to replace her! (I’m a stickler about short nails when it comes to anal penetration.) Tomorrow’s girl sprained her ankle on the set of a zombie porn movie today, and she can’t put any weight on it! There were also some lessthan-ideal conditions - like the house in Studio City built on stilts with an amazing view and an air-conditioning system that barely worked. Under bright lights, with seven people breathing in one small room, I could swear it got to be 85 degrees.

On the final day, we were doing a scene with Aiden Starr, a feisty ex–professional dominatrix from New York, and Devin, a newish male performer who has appeared mostly on Internet sites like meninpain.com (where I first saw him). The plan was for Aiden to dominate him and rough him up a bit. While she was in makeup, we all chatted about the scene and they negotiated their limits, especially his, since he would be bottoming. When the scene began, she started taunting and teasing him with her sharp tongue. I think she asked him to bark like a dog a couple of times. Things had just started to get rolling (i.e., the fucking had commenced) when I looked behind me and saw two men I didn’t recognize. “Who are you?” I asked quietly, knowing that the performers couldn’t see them from their vantage point and not wanting to disturb the fantastic handjob in progress. “L.A. Vice,” the one in front responded, and he flashed his badge. It looked pretty real to me. I didn’t want to stop rolling, so I led them away from the bedroom into the dining room. “Do you have a permit?” the vice cop asked. “Yes, I do,” I said. “I’m not sure where my production manager is—he must be getting lunch. Um, let me look for it.” I started looking through the production binders somewhat frantically as the officers rolled their eyes at me. “You’re going to have to stop filming until we see a permit,” the first cop said firmly. “It’s here somewhere, I swear.” They continued to look skeptical. At this point, they clearly did not believe me. Just like “regular” moviemaking, in Los Angeles as elsewhere, filming porn requires you to apply for and receive a permit from the city (or county). If you’re in a residential neighborhood, the neighbors are notified in advance,

and sometimes you also have to reach out to the community or homeowners’ association in advance. There are rules about when you can film, where you can park, etc.—and for porn, you always have a clause that says nudity and sex cannot be visible or audible to people outside the house. In addition, officials from the permit office can drop in, the fire marshal can do a spot-check, and apparently, the vice squad can stop by, too. Houses become known as “hot” when they are busted too often for shooting without a permit, or the neighbors repeatedly complain, or there are too many companies applying for permits at one location. Apparently, I was filming in the hottest house in Northridge. Just my luck. “We’ve busted this house pretty much every time we’ve come here,” one of the cops told me. “No one ever has a permit. And last time we came, people were doing drugs and other bad stuff.” I picked up my phone and called the production manager. He came walking around the corner from another part of the house with a quizzical look, like “Why are you calling me when I’m in the house?” I told him I needed the permit. He produced it in an instant and handed it to the cops. They looked it over and clearly seemed surprised. Everything was legit, and they said we could resume filming. They asked us to call the owner so they could have a chat, and they stuck around for a while waiting for him. I went back into the bedroom, reassured the performers and crew members that everything was OK, and said that we could get the film rolling again. But let me say that it’s not exactly easy to restart yourself, mentally or physically, after a long, unexpected break. Aiden, however, was a real pro, and she had Devin barking again in no time. Please visit my websites, puckerup.com and openingup.net SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

32 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 33

SAVAGE LOVE by Dan Savage

You usually get mail about the sex lives of your readers, being a “sex advice columnist” and all, but I have a problem that has nothing to do with sex. I have a parenting problem, and given that you are a fellow parent, I’m hoping you have some insight. My brother is a social conservative; I’m a politically engaged liberal. I can’t change him, but I’m disturbed because his son, who we’ll call “George,” is 13 years old and has taken on many of his dad’s more intolerant views. For instance, whenever I suggest that my toddler-age son could have a girlfriend or a boyfriend when he grows up, George says, “Being gay is just wrong.” He also uses the word “gay” as a pejorative, as in “that’s so gay.” George takes every possible opportunity to let us know that he thinks homosexuality is wrong and dirty. George loves my son, and my son clearly thinks the world of George. So I have two questions: 1. Do you have any suggestions as to how to convince a 13-year-old boy that homosexuality is okay? I have no parental authority here. 2. Is there an ethical problem with me trying to convince George to adopt my values, in spite of my brother’s intention to raise his son with “his values”? Or, put another way, does my trying to sway George without my brother’s permission give my brother license to use words like “fag” in front of my son without my permission? Advancing Liberalism In Youth Don’t be such a liberal pussy, ALIY. You’re letting a 13-year-old boy-bigot smack you around! It’s time to stop wringing your hands and start wringing the little bastard’s neck. Your nephew feels free to share his opinions with you - and that’s great. Kids have a right to express themselves. But you are an adult HELLO! - and you have a right to express your-

self right back. And you can express yourself every bit as bluntly as George. “Being gay is just wrong,” says the nephew. “You’re just wrong, you little shit,” says the uncle. (That’s how my uncles addressed me.) Then you advise your punk-ass nephew to read a book, learn something about the subject, and maybe talk to a real live gay person before he opens his fool mouth to you again on the subject. Fathers are free - sadly - to teach their sons whatever ridiculous bullshit they care to. I’m teaching my son, for instance, that the theory of gravity is just a theory and that invisible wads of magic chewing gum hold everything down. Your brother, however, can’t expect you to censor yourself around his misinformed, opinionated son to protect the kid from the realization that, hey, maybe - just maybe - there are other opinions out there and maybe his dad is wrong about homosexuality. So put your brother on notice: If his son is going to share his opinions - your brother’s opinions, but whatever - with adults who disagree with him, then your nephew is going to get into arguments with adults, arguments that - with you, at least - your nephew is going to lose. Because you’re going to stop being such a liberal pussy, ALIY. If your brother insists that you STFU about your pro-gay views around his kid, you have a right to insist that he and his son STFU about their anti-gay views around YOUR kid, who might - the chance is small, but there’s a chance - grow up to be gay. Your nephew, of course, could be gay himself. Lots of closeted gay teens and tweens seize “every possible opportunity” to let their relatives “know [they] think homosexuality is wrong.” I’m tempted to add, “And here’s hoping your piece-of-shit nephew is a fag - it would serve your brother right.” But odds are good that your nephew, if he is gay, would grow up to be a very messy gay adult, thanks to the zap his dad put on his head, and we’ve got enough messy gay men lurking in the

shrubbery already, so here’s hoping the nephew is straight. Finally, ALIY, no one is going to take away your liberal card if you stop working your toddler son’s potential future gay boyfriends into conversation. It’s not a crime against progressive values for a parent to assume that his son will most likely be straight when he grows up because - and you might want to sit down for this, you liberal pussy - most of our sons will be straight when they grow up. It’s hardly child abuse, ALIY, to refrain from asking others to entertain the possibility that your toddler son will one day enjoy taking it up the ass. Seriously. And if you are going to speculate, ALIY, how dare you stop at gay? A boyfriend or a girlfriend? What if he’s bisexual and wants boyfriends and girlfriends? Or what if he’s poly and wants scads of boyfriends and girlfriends? Or what if he’s asexual and doesn’t want anyone? Or, hell, what if he’s into inanimate objects like that British guy who got arrested for fucking a bicycle? Or into dead animals like the nut in Wisconsin who got arrested for fucking a dead deer? Or what if he’s a cuckold fetishist and wants a girlfriend who has other boyfriends who blow loads in her that your son gets to slurp out of her pussy when she gets home while talking about how much he loves “cream pie”? Shall I go on? I shan’t, ALIY, because there’s no need. Contemplating - to say nothing of forcing others to contemplate - our children’s future sex partners and interests is unnecessary. We parents shouldn’t be in denial about children’s sexuality, of course, and we should make sure our children receive excellent sex education. But beyond that, we should demonstrate a quiet reserve, a respect for our children’s privacy, and refuse to indulge in gratuitous speculation. We can also demonstrate acceptance by being accepting, by letting our kids know that it’s okay with us if they’re gay or bisexual - or straight - through our actions and, at carefully

chosen moments, through our words. Otherwise, ALIY, our primary responsibility as parents is to STFU, as the kids say, launder crusty come socks without comment, and let them be who and what they are. I’m a female college student and a feminist. I expect equal pay, equal treatment, and fairness when it comes to chores at home. But I have fantasies of domestic discipline. Some days I’d like to rush home and clean the apartment and make dinner for my boyfriend wearing only an apron. Then I’d appreciate it if he’d find some excuse, something I did wrong, and spank me until I cry before he has wild sex with me. I’ve got plenty more fantasies where that one came from. My guy, being open-minded, would be up for this. But how on earth do I set effective boundaries? How can you be taken seriously as an equal when you tell your boyfriend that you’d like him to dominate you outside the bedroom (the cooking and cleaning aspect) on occasion? I want this to be a periodic, not a consistent, dynamic. It’s totally unrealistic to pretend to be BETTY CROCKER all the time. No Clever Acronym Get a necklace or a bracelet, NCA, that you wear only when you want the boyfriend to take charge. You decide when that bracelet or necklace goes on, you decide when it comes off, which puts you in control, paradoxically, of your own submission. When you’re wearing it, of course, you’re BETTY CROCKER (whoever she is) and the boyfriend has your consent to order you about, spank your ass, and fuck you senseless. When it’s off, you’re equals. Easy! Download the Savage Lovecast (my weekly podcast) every Tuesday at www.thestranger.com/savage. mail@savagelove.com

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

34 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

HOT TIMES SIZZLES IN SEPTEMBER

The 32nd Annual Hot Times Community Arts And Music Festival will take place on Sep 5, 6 & 7 at 240 Parsons Avenue, at the lawns of the Columbus Health Department (corner of Main & Parsons). This independent, three-day celebration includes entertainment, art, activities and delicious food. Hot Times is a free festival. It’s a house-rockin’ party of friends and everyone is invited! The Main Street Stage will feature a strong musical line-up of local, regional, national and international favorites all 3 days. Check out Shawn Booker on Friday evening or The Diva Jam with Debe’ & Jazz Mary on Saturday morning; and check out The Listen For the Jazz All-Star Jam led by Gene Walker at noon on Sunday. This year Hot Times welcomes Washington, DC-based, The Pocket Band bringing a unique fusion of reggae, alternative rock, rap and even a touch of folk music to the stage. For the last two years, The Pocket has been touring the US and Jamaica. Recently, they were seen performing mainstage at the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival with icons Roberta Flack, Third World and Nora Jones. The Parsons Avenue Community Stage will feature: The Poetry Slam organized by Is Said on Sunday afternoon at 4p (Poets may sign up any time after noon on Sunday at Volunteer Central or Is Said’s street fair booth under the big Ginko tree), performances by The Girls Rock & Roll Camp, and Norah Bagarinka who has been rec ognized for being the translator and con-

sultant for the Academy-Award-nominated, Emmy-Award-wining documentary God Sleeps in Rwanda by Kimberlee Acquaro. Hot Times welcomes Norah to speak from the Community Stage relating some of her own story and discussing the challenges and triumphs of Rwandan women today. She will also have a booth on the street fair selling crafts from her group Rwandan Women Of Action. Sunday morning will be full with the now traditional community Drum Circle led by B. Wahru Cleveland, at 11a. Bring your drum or percussion instrument & join in. The Porch Swing will feature performances by Columbus Children’s Parade participants, Sacred Shimmy, Chief Johnny Lonesome and more. Full schedules, updates and changes are posted at www.hottimesfestival.com On the lawns there will be Yoga Workshops, Solar Cooking Demonstrations, Tai Chi Demonstrations, and Award winning art educator Jim Arter will again create an inner-active, art project. Honored artists are Jack Marchbanks and BHB. The Columbus Children’s Parade, organized by Central Community House will be filled with happy children marching to the beat of the Guitar truck filled with drummers, and the music from drill and flag teams. The Parade steps off Saturday at 11:30a from Kwanzaa Playground in English park at Linwood and Bryden and marches along Bryden Road to the Festival, everyone is welcome to participate or just bring out your lawn chair and watch the fun.

Very special for 08’, the Premiere of Columbus: A Musical Crossroads (Images Of America, Arcadia Press) from authors Arnett Howard, Jim Loeffler, David Meyers and Candy Watkins. The authors will be at the Festival to talk about the book and future projects. Signed copies of the book will be available. The Hot Times Art Car Show is the largest gathering of Art Cars in the Central Ohio! See cars from all over the MidWest including the new RicART Guitar Truck sponsored by Ricart Automotive just for Hot Times and nuzzles up to the Street Fair which is always full of rare treasures, collectibles, and art with over 95 vendors. The Festival features Delicious food from Smokin’ Joes - ribs, Gilligans - stir fry, Queen’s Table - fish, Kensler Concessions - turkey leg, Sonny’s Grill - hot dogs and brats, Josh Floodin - shaved ice and ice cream novelties, Black Creek Bistro salads, cold sandwiches, soups, Sweet Pot - Jamaican delights, and MORE! The Hot Times Festival is strongly supported by area and regional businesses, the United Way of Central Ohio, The Ohio Arts Council, Community Properties of Ohio, ComFest, Beacon Property Management, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Columbus Health Department, The City Of Columbus, Central Community House, Roots Records, LaBatt, and more. Hot Times is free and there is plenty of free parking! To volunteer or for info, send email to hottimesfestival@cs.com or www.hottimesfestival.com

COLUMBUS NEXT MEETING: SEP 10, 6P-8P; LOCATION: CLUB DIVERSITY ; SPEAKER: PEG BUEHRI OF ACTION COACH SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008

WWW.NETWORKCOLUMBUS.COM

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 35

fin

THE LAST WORD by Jennifer Vanasco

WHAT I SAW AT THE CONVENTION I was there. I was on the floor of the Democratic National Convention when Barack Obama accepted the nomination in a thundering speech. I was there when the flags waved, when the fireworks exploded to the vibrant strings of movie-music, when confetti was shot from an air gun and pushed by the wind. I was there, and what I remember most clearly are two things: the standing ovation when Obama mentioned coming to an agreement over gay rights, and the woman with the rainbow flag. First, the applause. Applause lines are applause lines, and candidates at their own conventions have many of them. But when Obama said - “I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free from discrimination.” - everyone around me stood up. And I was not standing by liberal California or New York, either. I was next to the Arizona delegates, across from Wisconsin, behind Iowa. They all stood. They all cheered wildly, as if he had been talking about them personally,

about their own families, about their own rights. Second, the rainbow flag. There was an African-American woman in the Ohio section, dressed in vibrant purple, and the entire time Obama was speaking, she held her right arm straight up, holding an American flag and a rainbow flag together. She didn’t wave them happily. She didn’t bring her flags down during the quiet parts of the speeches, the way everyone else did. Instead, she was her own silent protest, her own one-woman reminder, that justice needed to be done. These things, together, are the two that most heartened me at the convention. Yes, I have drunk the holy water. Yes, I believe we must vote for Obama, because he is our best chance at full civil rights right now, and this is a point where we must take every opportunity we can. Yes, even so, I noted that with other examples, Obama uses the collective “we” – he’ll say things like, “We run little leagues,” when I’m sure he has never run a little league in his life; but gay people are always “brothers and sisters.” To him, we are still the other. But in this election, noting things like that

are interesting, but trivial. This is an important election, a serious election. There is a gulf between Obama and McCain (especially with the nomination of the very socially conservative Gov. Palin) and if we are committed to fighting for our civil rights the way we say we are, then we must vote accordingly. We must keep perspective. Nevertheless, more moving to me than being included in Obama’s laundry list – although that was important – was the genuine thunder of feeling expressed by the delegates. They are in this with us. That’s what it felt like. These Democrats from around the country, from large empty states and small crowded ones, these governors and senators and union workers and retirees, they feel our rights are important and vital, and a central part of “change” and “hope.” They are our allies, and most of them are straight. And that woman, that woman with the flag. She reminded me that it is people like her, people who stand up and announce who they are before the applause when acceptance is not certain, people who stand up and say, I am gay and I deserve full rights, it is those kinds of people that draw attention to places where

the government must stitch together the torn places and create justice. Is it people like this woman who draw attention to a cause and change hearts one by one. What truly propels us forward is the will of the people. The small, lonely, fierce voices of the oppressed and the loud call of the collective will. Government, we must remember, is rarely the center of change. In our democracy, government usually acts in response to the people, it does not lead the charge. And the will of the people has changed in our case, is changing. Not everyone. Not everywhere. But maybe enough to make a difference. Maybe enough to sweep away the last of the federal legal barriers to our civil rights. We stand for ourselves and now others are standing with us. We are winning. There is no going back. Jennifer Vanasco is an award-winning, syndicated columnist. Email her at jennifer.vanasco@gmail.com. Her web page is at jennifervanasco.com.

HOROSCOPES by Jack Fertig

ARIES (Mar 20 - Apr 19): Address any and all problems you have in your relationships, especially the personal and the political. Have a clear idea of where you want to be in the future with your companion (current or hypothetical) and your compadres.

CANCER (Jun 21- Jul 22): Just running out and getting laid could indeed solve your domestic tensions. Thinking seriously about how messages formed your childhood and traditions affected your sexual expression could be a lot more effective.

LIBRA (Sep 23 - Oct 22): Your sensitivity gives you a great capacity for healing, but at what price to yourself? The cost of not sharing that gift is much greater. Practice caring for yourself while caring for others, and you’ll do both much better.

CAPRICORN (Dec 21 - Jan 19): Hang out and schmooze, not just with your peers, but with people in the ranks you want to be in. Stay in touch with your values and goals to keep things real and sincere.

TAURUS (Apr 20 - May 20): You and your colleagues each have your own ideas of success. Are you being competitive or synergistic? Appealing to each person’s ambition is a great way to get all of you working together better.

LEO (Jul 23 - Aug 22): Yeah, talking is sometimes what’s best to fix a relationship. Listening is even better! The easy, playful parts can make as much trouble as the hard issues. Pay attention to how your partner jokes, plays, and has fun. You could learn something important!

SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21): Meditation can help bring out old family secrets. Confronting relatives with your insights can be catalytic, but that may or may not help anyone. Go slow and easy, and trust your intuition.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 18): Your strong individualism can make you a bit of an outsider. Still, that offers you a chance to find brilliant new perspectives where others would not think to look. Share those lessons with others to strengthen yourself as the unique individual you are.

GEMINI (May 21 - Jun 20): Feeling out of sorts or out of place? Art will help you express and understand feelings that logic can’t account for. If you’re not feeling particularly creative, take some friends to a show that can help open your self-expressive side.

VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sep 22): Financial matters may seem to be all over the place and impossible to keep up with. Just treat the problem as a simple matter of housekeeping. Exercise will help you focus and shake out the stress.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 20): Social demands and opportunities can be dizzying. Stop and think about which crowd you want to be with 10 years down the road. You have a prophetic message; share it now with those who are ready for it.

PISCES (Feb 19 - Mar 19): Voices of the beloved who have passed are very loud. Take time to honor them. Sex can be especially evocative, bringing those ghosts up. If you need to cry in your lover’s arms, it can create even greater intimacy.

Jack Fertig, a professional astrologer since 1977, is a founding member of the Association for Astrological Networking. He can be reached for consultations at 415.864.8302, www.starjack.com, and by e-mail at QScopes@qsyndicate.com.

SEP 04 - SEP 10 2008