Tag: Members

Stove Member Profile: Denise Zygadlo

Post author By Katie Anderson
Post date April 10, 2015

Following on from Tea with Moxie, our herald, she has become interested in the many different kinds of members in The Stove Network. She’s been catching up with and speaking to various members, and we’ll be introducing one every Friday over the next wee while. Interested in chatting to Moxie? You can get in touch with her on The Stove Herald facebook page here or by email.

This week Moxie has been speaking to Denise Zygadlo.

Denise has lived in Dumfries since 1980, moving from London with her husband to start a cabinet making business and bring up 4 children. As the children grew she gradually returned to her artwork, beginning with running art classes and community projects, making quilts and wall-hangings (e.g. 1996 Thornhill quilt hanging in Thomas Tosh.)

Having studied printed textiles at Winchester art school, her interest is in printing and cloth, and she has developed her own practice, focussing on drawing and looking at the relationship between the human body and cloth, through the use of the photocopied image and transfer-printing onto fabric.

Her work has been exhibited in Glasgow, Edinburgh and in ‘Affordable Art’ shows around the country and abroad and she has had 2 solo shows in The Mill on the Fleet and Gracefield Arts Centre.

Portrait of an Artist – a short film by Jo Hodges and Roger Lever

Did your life take an unexpected direction?

Suddenly finding myself saying “further education in art” when asked about career moves at school. Finding myself moving to Scotland. Finding out I was pregnant with our forth child and singing with him 23 years later on his first album. Becoming part of the psychology dept in Dumfries. Being a mushroom on wheels with Oceanallover. And lots more

What is your greatest fear?

Driving on an 8 lane freeway in America

Tell us about your creative process.

Looking at inspiring images, talking to inspiring people. Making notes; drawing.

What is your earliest memory?

Dressing up box.

What drew you to The Stove?

The first meeting at Parton – The energy, vision and determination of the core group and the excitement of it all happening in Dumfries.

Share your hope and dreams for The Stove?

That it becomes a place that everyone feels comfortable visiting and enjoying.

What keeps you in and around Dumfries?

Family; friends; landscape; art opportunities and support.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Dancer.

What’s been the most exciting part of the Stove Process for you?

Seeing the activities they create and put on outside in the centre of town where everyone can get involved.

What makes you feel alive?

Performing.

What songs do you carry closest to your heart?

Ella Fitzgerald songs and stuff by my son Rudi and ‘Loving you’ by Minnie Ripperton.

1000509261001_2127499489001_Ella-Fitzgerald-Uplifting-Voice

What’s your role within The Stove organisation?

Ordinary member that likes to get involved.

How would you like to be remembered?

Often.

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever got?

Let go.

What’s your dream for the arts in D&G?

That it continues to grow in all directions as it seems to be doing now.

Tags Artist, Interview, Members, Stove Herald, Stove members

Musings

Stove Member Profile: Mark Lyken

Post author By Katie Anderson
Post date April 3, 2015

First up this week, is Mark Lyken!

Mark Lyken (1973) is an audio & visual artist. He creates musical and sound pieces, film, paintings and installations. His recent residency work has explored relationships to place and the complex interactions between nature, industry and culture. He is particularly interested in revealing the musicality of the environment and regularly collaborates with other artists and specialists from different research fields. In 2014 Lyken and Emma Dove established the Glasgow based Art label, ‘Soft Error’. Mark is also a Cryptic Associate Artist.

Tell us about your creative process.

It’s a process of gathering, layering, refining and removing, I think that holds true for if I’m painting, making music or working in film. Our work over the last three years has had high levels of public engagement which is a new development, particularly for me as my default mode is hermit!

Working collaboratively with Emma over the last few years has been a real eye opener, we make work together that neither of us would make apart. It’s quite an odd thing and one that we are wary of questioning too much in case it stops working! You each have a voice but combined it’s something more than the sum of its parts.

What drew you to The Stove?

I genuinely believe they are making a real difference and I think the way they present themselves is pitch perfect. The residency seemed like an excellent way to continue a line of work we are interested in ie: relationships to place but in a completely new location that was culturally and geographically unfamiliar to us. We knew that we would have to move down to D&G lock, stock as we would have struggled to get under the skin of the place if we hadn’t been living down here. 6 months is a very short time to be in a place and any work created in that time can only ever be a snapshot but I imagine this work will be part of a larger whole. We’re not in any hurry to rush away.

What time of the day do you like most?

Between 7 and 9am. I find that a super productive time. If we are filming, that “Golden Hour” before Sunset can be very magical.

Which films changed your life?

Tarkovsky’s Solaris, Blade Runner and Clerks. For widely different reasons but all made me want to become involved in film making in some way.

What keeps you in and around Dumfries?

Well at the moment, Emma and I are completing a 6 month residency with the Stove, we had assumed we would head back to Glasgow afterwards but are becoming gradually seduced by the region.

What songs do you carry closest to your heart?

It’s an album and it’s called “Raining” by Rolf Julius. Rolf was a sound and visual artist from Berlin, who unfortunately passed away in 2011.

It’s a very simple record, I think it may have been part of an installation originally. It’s nothing more than field recordings of rain with some very subtle electronics. His concept of “Small Music” and the overall aesthetic really speaks to me. Another one is a series of pieces called “The Disintegration Loops” by William Basinski. It’s one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard.

The story is Basinski set out to digitise old magnetic tape loops he had. He loaded up the loops, set them playing and hit record, gradually over the course of 40 or 50 minutes the tape literally disintegrated as it repeatedly passed the play head, the sound becomes gradually more distorted and has bigger and bigger gaps until there is nothing left to play at all. It’s hypnotic.

Actually you should link to one of them here

Who, from throughout history, would you like to sit and have a good chat with?

Andrei Tarkovsky, although I would need a translator as my Russian is pretty bad.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I came runner up in a Star Wars short story writing competition in 1982 and received a letter of congratulations from C3PO and a Chief Chirpa figure.

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever got?

Show don’t tell.

What’s your role within The Stove organisation?

At the moment I’m an artist in residence along with Emma Dove. Beyond that I hope to rent a studio space within the new Stove building and use that as a base for upcoming projects. I find The Stove a really exciting organisation and imagine the relationship will continue.

Tell us your passion:

Modular Synthesisers.

Read more about Mark and Emma Dove’s collaborative residency project HAME, which is part of the Stove’s Open House here

Tags Artist, Artist Residency, Interview, Members, Stove Herald, Stove members

News

The Stove’s Herald!

Post author By
Post date July 26, 2014

A while back we put out an opportunity for something called a ‘Public Communicator and Herald’ – We had a strong sense of the spirit of the role, but found it very hard to describe exactly so the selection process was a very 2-way process. After much conversation and inspiration from all involved in the process, Ladies and Gentlemen we are very proud to announce that our Herald is Moxie DePaulitte!

Hello there, I’m Moxie and I’m delighted to be able to introduce myself as The Stove’s newly appointed Public Communicator and Herald which, at the risk of sounding like a Valley Girl, is just like, totally, you know, the coolest job title ev-ah.

I’ve been asked to write a short post introducing myself but, although I’m really good at talking about other things, I’m really don’t excel at saying things about myself so I enlisted the help of my four year old. This is what she said:

“She is nice and cuddly and warm. And she has a really nice job. She do some importment stuff and she always loves me and she always does nice stuff for us. And she uses all her money up for food for us. Her name is Moxie she does some pretty good stuff. Can I go back in the paddling pool now, please?”

So there you have it; a definitive guide to me, my work and my new role.

I think she’s pretty much covered everything but, just in case any of you aren’t fluent in Preschooleeze, I’ll translate…I’ve been involved in the arts for as long as I can remember and love the passion, power and opportunities the creative process stirs up. Sadly, however, art works are frequently just presented to us and the glory and excitement of this process is missed because we don’t know the why, the what, and the wow.
A lot goes on behind the scenes and, when a group is so absorbed in a project, it’s easy to forget that not everyone knows the back story; the reasons and the nuances behind a piece. It’s not transparent. So, this is where I come in: Part of my role is to help more people become aware of and involved in that very process; to make sure everyone understands what’s going on and that the cogs are visible as they’re turning.
The lovely people at The Stove know it can often feel like events go on around us and happen to us rather than with us and for us and they would very much like that to change.

On funding bids they probably call it ‘Building Stronger Community Relationships’ but, luckily for me, that translates as ‘meeting up with people for a cup of tea, chin wag and a biscuit’, so get in touch! Share with me your ideas and questions; I’ll be delighted to talk them through with you. Let’s see how we can get you involved.

email me [email protected] and I’ll get back to you.

Be part of something brilliant. You really can help shape Dumfries into the town you know it can be.

Tags Community Art, Members, Stove Herald, Stove members, Stove team, The Stove Network

News

The Stove Board – Away Day

Post author By
Post date July 25, 2014

One of our standard ways of describing The Stove Network is that:

‘The Curatorial Team decide and deliver the artistic vision for The Stove Network – in this they are supported by a Board, who are responsible for governance and The Stove Network has a general membership of 110 people, ranging from contemporary artists to café-owners, to video artists and DJs.’

Whilst strictly accurate this does not even scratch the surface of how crucial the Board really are….they really are the ‘wise heads on young shoulders’ of The Stove midfield.

Everyone has been looking at ways to continue the momentum of collaborative working in the Board and between the Board and the Curatorial team. Some bright spark suggested an Away Day – where Board and CT could spend some quality time, find out what made each other tick and do some big thinking about The Stove Network…..this is what happened next:

We started by each talking about an object that inspires us or says something about who we are.

Things got even more arduous with a walk along the shore

Board and CT in ‘deep thought mode’

Board members admitted some disappointment when the menus turned out to be People’s Charters for Dumfries

Linda was uncharacteristically sceptical on the merits of Lada Four-Wheel Drive

The day was perfectly timed to help the final push before submission of our application for ‘Regular Funding’ ….loads of good ideas and shared vision for The Stove Network….that was described as more of movement than a business by one Board Member….bring it on!

Tags Members, Stove Board, Stove members, The Stove Network

Musings News

Stove Members Gathering 29th October 2013

Post author By Katie Anderson
Post date November 5, 2013

Brilliant to see about 40 intrepid Stove folk braving the dark winter evening to come to the Stove Members Gathering/Catch up/Planning; Thing Meeting last Tuesday night.

Old friends and new friends came and it was particularly good to see people who had helped with Back2Back and taken part in the Nithraid. The Stove is all about reaching out and working beyond the arts….in fact there was chat about whether what we are doing is really ‘art’ anyway- and does that matter.

One of the ideas that seemed to catch peoples interest and agreement was that the Stove should be about inspiring people to take charge of their own immediate environment. Too often people think that they are ‘not allowed’ to do things – we hope that our events have an ethos of ‘just do it’ about them and that others will be inspired to follow suit. We believe that people working form the grassroots with independent and locally relevant initiatives is the way that Dumfries with prosper in the future. (Sermon over!)

The evening kicked off with a Welcome led by Will – who invited Katie to talk about Back2Back – The Stove’s project for Guid Nychburris in June. Katie showed John Wallace’s lovely wee film of the event – which you can view here

Linda followed on with a slide show of images for the Nithraid and it was great that other people brought their own pictures to share too – even if the one of Will and Matt hugging in pink T Shirts might not see the light of day again anytime soon! More pictures from Nithraid – here

Nithraid really seems to have caught people’s imagination – there was a really strong contingent of folk who had taken part and in the race and a collective determination to do it again next year. Mark Zygadlo is leading on this for The Stove and currently working very hard to raise the necessary money for next years event.

Lots of people ask ‘how do I get involved with The Stove?’ – the Nithraid is a great example: The Curatorial Team raised some money to do a Stove project as part of the Environmental Art Festival…..we had a first think about what might be possible and relevant to both our larger programme and that of the Festival. We then put out an invite to Stove Members which said ‘Stove is going to do something for EAFS – it will be connected to the River Nith in some way…if you are interested to be part of this then come along on this day and we’ll all brainstorm ideas together’. About 10 people came to that original meeting…the idea of Nithraid was born and Mark Zygadlo and Stan Bonnar became part of the project team that made the Nithraid happen.

Along the way other folk were pulled in by word-of-mouth and adverts etc eg Roy Kerr from Nith Navigation and all the folk who took part in the race. Then closer to the date we put out another call for people to be part of the crew for the day and we were thrilled that about 12 people came and were part of making the whole thing happen on the day (from being part of the scratch band, to catering, to stewarding, to releasing the banners into the water, to helping get the boats out of the water).

Matt then showed some slides from the Environmental Art Festival Scotland – The Stove was part of the team (with Spring Fling and Wide-Open) that thought up and produced the festival. One of the great things about EAFS was the way it provided opportunities for so many people in D+G to take part and the way different people worked together – just about everyone in the room had been part of EAFS in some way – great feeling!!

Colin talked introduced Dumfries Music Conference with a video from last years event and a run down of this years programme that was starting the day after this Gathering.

Matt then rounded off the presentations with a quick run through of The Stoves 3 year programming plan. In synopsis this breaks down into:
- 2014 – intensive focus on Dumfries with TheStove@TheStove (including residency opportunities for Stove members)
- 2015 – First part of year finishing TheStove@TheStove before focussing on the second Environmental Art Festival Scotland for September/October that year
- 2016 – Year of Architecture in Scotland….The Stove hopes to be a main partner in the festival in SouthWest Scotland and pick up themes form work in Dumfries and across the region through EAFS……imagining a sustainable future for D+G.

Another big push for The Stove recently has been in the way we are using different media in our work. Katie Anderson is now building on the great foundation made by Mike Nicholson on Social Media for The Stove. Our Facebook page has never been busier and Katie has become surgically attached to her IPad it seems.

Check out The Stove on Facebook
And on Twitter.

And if you’re not yet a member and fancy being part of The Stove mission to change the world then send an email to [email protected] and Sheila will send you a membership form. Membership is free and gives you no obligations whatsoever….you’ll just get emails and updates from The Stove and the offer of being involved in projects, commission opportunities and members rates on room hires etc.