I Haz Studio Againz!

YAY!
We moved into our new home in St. Pete, Florida back in October. I have barely lifted a paint brush (excluding the painting of walls) since then. Initially I was going to convert the garage into my studio, but I never was able to settle into that space. The spare bedroom has now become my home studio and I couldn't be happier. I feel re-charged and ready to paint once more.

Transcend Art Project is Back on Track!

In July of 2013 I began outlining an upcoming art project honoring the journeys of trans individuals. I named the project Transcend and began collecting interviews from participants from all over the country (search the word trans to find previously posted interviews in this blog). Among the things I wished (still do) to accomplish with the Transcend (which at the time I envisioned as a series of paintings I would create) was to gain insight from project participants (through interviews and conversations) and in turn share it with others through visual art, celebrating the uniqueness of life journeys while also highlighting the similarities in all of us.

Just as I got the ball rolling on Transcend, a series of events unfolded in my personal life that needed immediate attention. I had to shelf the project and dedicate myself wholeheartedly to the tasks at hand. 2014 proved to be a year of healing, growth and, appropriately enough, transformation for me. Today I find myself looking at the world and my work with new eyes and greater appreciation and am ready and eager to get Transcend back in motion.

A few things have changed from my original vision for the project. Most important of all is the fact that it will no longer be comprised of a series of paintings created solely by me. In addition to the participants being collaborators to this artistic effort by telling their stories, I feel that it makes a lot more sense if the visual narratives that result be executed by various artists working in varied media. After all, if the point is to honor, educate and promote diversity and acceptance, it should be done through an exchange of ideas and approaches.

So I will be re-writing the project's prospectus. I will continue to gather interviews from participants who wish to share their stories. I will offer a formatted interview to serve as an ice-breaker of sorts, but free form narratives are very welcome. Just tell us about your journey of transformation. What matters most...what struggles have you endured...what have you learned...what have been the most

I will submit the project to various art spaces and issue a call for artists. Each artist will receive a narrative to serve as their inspiration.

If you are a trans person (or someone you know is) and are interested in being a part of this project
by sharing a narrative of your journey please feel free to contact me directly at jgascot@gascot.com
If you wish to support this project, please don't hesitate to share this.