Welcome to the inaugural edition of my weekly news column. First the general info: I am enjoying Chicago, it is bitterly cold and windy, but every once in a while I stumble on something cool and remember the benefits in living in big city. Still working at the Museum of Contemporary Art. I have put the job search on the back burner for a while as I have pretty much exhausted my contacts. I figure something is bound to come up in time. Now the less general info:

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My main focus right now is creating artwork and promoting a group show I am participating in. It was organized by one of my coworkers at the museum. I didn’t really pay my dues or anything to get involved with this, I recommend not paying your dues if at all possible. Here is the manifesto for the show, which I took no part in creating:

the cute show : a manifesto

the premise of this exhibition is to validate the word cute when it is given by a viewer in effort to express their feelings for a certain piece of artwork.

cute is a whimsical land where the precious and the adorable live free from stress and seriousness.

if art is the battle between content and intent, cute must demand that content take precedence over intent.

choices of subject, color and scale become infinitely important, while meaning tends to take second stage.

a good number of artists see the term cute as belittling, rather than congratulatory, thus diminishing the integrity of their artwork.

the cute show is the decision that cute is more often a compliment, rather than a complaint, to be held with high regard.

Here is an example of the work I am contributing, they are large format (36″ x 36″) ink jet prints, generously donated by Sam Spratlin:

I may also participate in a museum staff show. Also no dues to be paid — work at the museum, get in the show.

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Speaking of Sam, we have started a little tradition up here in Chicago. Every Wednesday he cooks dinner, I bring some booze and we watch Dawson’s creek. Usually his roommates and Kate E Burke attend as well. Good times.

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So this dude comes into the museum the other day, and we barely have a conversation. Basically he asked me if I am an artist, and immediately gave me his name and address so I could send him a postcard for the cute show. Also I should mention he is about 45 and has an earring. “He’s hip, he’s cool, he’s 45.” He also asked me to give him my name, so I do, along with my e-mail address. This takes place around 4:30. By 7:30 he has completely looked through my site and sends me this e-mail (edited):

Hey Matt,
It was nice to chat with you at the MCA today… I found the info on your web site and I am actually coming back from three weeks in LA that Saturday (I got this fellowship from the Getty Trust for them to try to persuade arts journalists that LA is a real place . . . ) and that opening could be a fun re-entry to terra firma… Your site is very clean looking and has some cool stuff on it… best, Andrew P.

I reply , and he does again with a bunch more name dropping. Mostly stuff about his boyfriend, and other friends of his, and their boyfriends. Some of these people sound like good contacts, so I am going to follow through with them. I just hope I don’t get involved in some weird gay cult.

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Saw Old School Friday night. There is nothing wrong with that movie