For Immediate Release:                                                                                                                                                   May 9, 2011

The Beacon Arts Building Presents
TEL-ART-PHONE
An 80+ Artist Exhibition
Based on the Classic Game “Telephone”
Curated by Mat Gleason
Saturday, May 28 – Sunday, July 3, 2011

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Beacon Arts Building (BAB) continues its Critics-as-Curators series with TEL-ART-PHONE, a unique art exhibition that investigates the creative process by mimicking the classic children’s game of “Telephone,” opening Saturday, May 28, 2011. Curated by Coagula Founder Mat Gleason, TEL-ART-PHONE, kicks-off with an opening reception featuring live painting, catering by Literati Bar & Grill, and drinks provided by O.N.E. Coconut Water from 6:00 to 10:00pm on May 28. Among the 80+ artists contributing works to the show are Ray Beldner, Tim Biskup, Coop, Sean Duffy, Carlee Fernandez, Gronk, George Herms, Rosalind McGary, Dave Naz, and Robert Williams.  The exhibit runs for five weeks closing on Sunday, July 3, 2011 with a Critics-as-Curators panel discussion and brunch reception from 1:00 to 4:00pm. Artist panel discussions will also be held on three consecutive Sundays: June 12, June 19, and June 26 at 2:00pm. Beacon Arts is located at 808 N. La Brea Ave., Inglewood, CA 90302.  For additional information please call 310-621-5416 or visit http://www.beaconartsbuilding.com as well as http://www.facebook.com/pages/Inglewood-CA/Beacon-Arts-Building/129817703733091?v=info.

TEL-ART-PHONE Curator’s Statement –
Over eighty contemporary artists have been assembled for TEL-ART-PHONE, a unique art exhibition that investigates the creative process. Mimicking the classic children’s game of “Telephone,” the work of one artist was lent to another artist to inspire a new artwork. The resulting piece was then passed on to another artist who had no idea what the first artwork looked like. Down the line, this was repeated and the results will be displayed, in order, in the show.

Artists from diverse mediums are in the show — from abstract painter Michael Salerno to the master of lowbrow realism Robert Williams. Mid-century master George Herms shares the walls with assemblage artist Sean Duffy. A drawing by Lisa Adams is transformed by painter Yolanda Gonzalez. Will painter Andy Moses rise to the occasion when he inherits a sculpture by Maura Bendett, itself based on work inspired by both a paper drawing by Leigh Salgado and a painting by Suzanne Williams?  Can illustration legend Coop improve upon a Dave Naz nude? Can pop surrealist Anthony Ausgang actually influence the political leanings in the art of Amitis Motevalli? These and other dichotomous combinations are assembled in TEL-ART-PHONE. Curator Mat Gleason has brought together the closest thing to an illustration of the creative process that can be experienced short of actually going inside a leading artist’s brain. Established art stars and emerging forces all show up and interact. From Tim Biskup and Ray Beldner to Rosalind McGary and Pierre Picot, artists have been turning out pictures for this show every two weeks since January. Come see 80 contemporary masterpieces each based on the one created before it.  – Mat Gleason

TEL-ART-PHONE Participating Artists –
Lisa Adams, Suzanne Adelman, Anthony Ausgang, Vicki Barkley, Ray Beldner, Sharon Bell, Maura Bendett, Lynne Berman, Lili Bernard, Tim Biskup, Ilana Bloch, Justin Bower, Mark Brandvik, Bill Brewer, Wini Brewer, Sky Bruchard, Rude Calderon, Gary Callahan, Lavialle Campbell, Coop, Alex Couwenberg, Sean Duffy, Martin Durazo, Val Echavarria, Carol Es, Ruben Esparza, Roni Feldman, Carlee Fernandez, Barbara Fritsche, Yolanda Gonzalez, Gronk, Doug Harvey, George Herms, Anneke Hiatt, Iva Hladis, Virginia Katz, Barbara Kerwin, Richard Kessler, Mark Kostabi, Catherine Roberts Leach, Laura London, Vito LoRusso, Stevie Love, Leora Lutz, Michael Maas, Kara Maria, Gregory Martin, Rosalind McGary, Antonio Mendoza, Steph Mercado, Rick Monzon, Andy Moses, Amitis Motevalli, Dave Naz, Jonas Olsson, Joe O’Neill, Claudia Parducci, Christopher Pate, Josh Petker, Pierre Picot, William Rabe, Stu Rappeport, Michael Salerno, Leigh Salgado, Alex Schaefer, Joan Sebastian, Veronica Soto, Laurie Steelink, Gina Stepaniuk, Audrey Stommes, Mike Street, Sharon Suhovy, Adam Teraoka, Lava Thomas, Juan Thorp, Mike Vegas, Robert Williams, Suzanne Williams, Lisa Worksman, and Tim Youd.

Mat Gleason, Critic-as-Curator –
Mat Gleason is the founder of Coagula Art Journal, contributes to the Huffington Post, and is a well-established personality in the Los Angeles art scene.

Co-Curators –
Maria Bjorkdahl, Charity Burnett, Lavialle Campbell, Victoria Corradi, Lester P. Grant, Neil Gitnick, Shizuko Greenblatt, Virginia Katz, Dominic Quagliozzi, and Anita Ray.

Critics-as-Curators Series –
Critics-as-Curators is the inaugural art exhibition series at the Beacon Arts Building.  In recognition of the gallery’s first year, esteemed art critics and writers — recognized locally, nationally and internationally — have been invited to conceive and curate shows of their choosing at the Beacon Arts Building in conjunction with discussions, lectures, catalogues, or other ways to reveal the thought process behind why exhibition works are chosen with insight into their importance to the curator. The individual expertise and personal taste developed by the curators’ world-view will be on exhibit throughout Beacon Arts’ first year. Critics-as-Curators strives to enrich appreciation of contemporary fine art by critically engaging in art. This series of shows provides a wonderful opportunity for artists and art audiences to learn what individual critics look for, how they think about the art they choose to focus on, and what catches their eye. The series kicked off in October 2010 with Ghost Stories: Happenings, Hauntings, & Curiosities curated by art writer Shana Nys Dambrot, followed by Peter Frank‘s exhibition, Densities: Line Becoming Shape, Shape Becoming Object in December/January, David Pagel’s Pieceable Kingdom in February/March, and most recently, Arataland! A Mid-Career Survey of Artworks by Michael Arata curated by Doug Harvey up through May 22, 2011.

Continuing Critics-as-Curators Exhibition Schedule –
• 3/26/11 – 5/22/11 – Arataland! A Mid-Career Survey of Artworks by Michael Arata curated by Doug Harvey – https://www.greengalactic.com/2011/beacon-arts-arataland

• 5/28/11 – 7/3/11 – TEL-ART-PHONE curated by Mat Gleason

• Future BAB exhibitions TBD

Beacon Arts–
A brand-new, risk-taking fine arts enterprise, housed within the iconic Beacon Arts Building, the venture offers innovative art programming to enrich the cultural landscape of Los Angeles. Its primary directive is to provide and maintain the integrity of an exhibition space for contemporary art by Southern California artists working in all media, including painting, sculpture, installation, video, and performance art. Works by both emerging and established artists will be presented in an effort to provide a variety of ideas in different forms that both challenge and inspire. As a catalyst and advocate for new ideas, the endeavor enriches public understanding and appreciation of contemporary fine art by creating conversations through special events, lectures, symposia, and panel discussions with intellectual commentary on exhibitions. Exhibiting artists are encouraged to forge new relationships and learn from arts professionals through programming such as the gallery’s inaugural Critics-as-Curators series – consecutive shows conceived and curated by art writers and critics. This series runs through the first year of the space, from October 2010 to October 2011. Regular gallery hours are from 1:00 to 6:00pm Thursday through Saturday; Sundays 1:00 – 4:00pm.

Beacon Arts Building –
The 32,400-square-foot Beacon Arts Building is an iconic four-story, solid reinforced concrete structure located in the heart of the burgeoning Arts District in North Inglewood. Having stored inanimate items for close to sixty years, originally as the legendary Bekins Moving and Storage Company, this dramatic, 1951 edifice is now transforming into a springboard for artistic expression.  In addition to ground floor gallery and retail spaces, the building provides a gorgeous New York warehouse-style environment for professional artists, currently offering work studio spaces in various sizes up to 8,000 square feet with 11’6” ceilings.  It has a high rear loading facility, large freight elevator, WiFi availability, and sprinkler system throughout. Beacon Arts Building sits prominently on La Brea Avenue, located just 11 minutes south of the 10 Freeway (I-10).  Ample on-site parking is available as well as on the adjacent streets.  For further information about availabilities in the Beacon Arts Building, please contact Scott Lane at 310-576-3543 or scottlaneco@yahoo.com.

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For more information, images, and interviews please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

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Shown sequentially, three artists play “telephone” in Mat Gleason’s TEL-ART-PHONE exhibition:

Rick Monzon

Gregory Martin

Mark Brandvik