WALL BALL 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rachel McCalla 314-210-7764 Rachel@luckyyoustl.com

What: When: Time: Where: Cost: Tickets: Contact: Web:

Wall Ball 2011: more than 65 artists working live at SCOSaG’s annual fundraiser! Saturday, April 9, 2011 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm Neo on Locust ~ 2801 Locust Ave., St. Louis, MO 63103

$30.00 pre-event or $40.00 at the door

http://www.wallball2011.eventbrite.com/

Rachel McCalla at 314-210-7764 or rachel@luckyyoustl.com http://www.scosag.org

Pulsating. Hypnotic. Electrifying. Wall Ball is arguably one of St. Louis’ most notorious annual events, engaging an eclectic mix of artists, patrons and admirers. Hosted by the Saint Louis City Open Studio and Gallery (SCOSaG), Wall Ball will be bigger and better than ever featuring more artists, more DJs and more fun! 2011 Wall Ball will offer more than 65 St. Louis artists working LIVE (our BIGGEST YEAR yet) as guests bid on their work throughout the evening’s festivities.

This year the party has expanded to more than two floors with even more entertainment. DJs include Rob Levy (host of Juxtaposition on KDHX), Bitch Please (http://nee-music.com), DJ Nune (http://www.lamarharris.org/), and WolfPeach Society. Savory appetizers will be provided by L’Ecole Culinaire and satiating cocktails will be available at a cash bar. The event will also feature delicious “sweet treat” raffle (treats will be provided by Hollyberry Catering), dazzling performances by Super Fun Yeah Yeah Rocketship, and the unbelievable Bubble Bus with glow in the dark bubbles! Additional highlights include fashion designers Laura Kathleen and Penny Rae Vintage creating custom-made garments live, hair and make-up masterpieces created before your very eyes by Amanda Wilson (from Metro Design Studio), live jewelry making by Adam Foster, temporary tattoos, and much, much more! ***See attached artist list with their websites below.

Also new this year: Wall Ball is partnering with A Tasteful Affair! Get tickets to both events for ONE LOW price. For pricing, visit http://www.wallball2011.eventbrite.com.

Wall Ball’s after-party (10pm to 1am) will be held at Atomic Cowboy and will feature more even more live art, music, dancing and DJs. All Wall Ball participants and guests get in free, $5 for those without a Wall Ball wristband.

Sponsors include: ArtMart, L’Ecole Culiniare St. Louis, Lucky You Productions, NEO on Locust, Atomic Cowboy, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Pure Power, Holly Berry Catering, Alive, KDHX, Metromix, The Riverfront Times, and Sauce Magazine.

All proceeds directly benefit SCOSaG, located in Tower Grove Park. SCOSaG’s mission is to provide a safe and educational environment for children to explore the arts and also to strengthen the ties within St. Louis neighborhoods, its families and its youth. Since 2002, SCOSaG has provided unique creative experiences for numerous St. Louis children, young adults and families. Offering a range of opportunities from ceramics to painting, SCOSaG is a vital non-profit organization that enriches countless people and families.

For responses to media-related questions and print ready images contact Rachel McCalla with Lucky You Productions at 314-210-7764 or rachel@luckyyoustl.com. To purchase tickets, go to http://www.wallball2011.eventbrite.com/.

No More Starving Artist Syndrome

I finally decided after being in the corporate world for several years, that I needed to follow my passion and dream in art because no matter how much I tried to run away from it and be someone I ‘thought’ I was supposed to be in society, it always came back to haunt me, lurking around each corner. So…I gave up my cushy job with good pay, health insurance, paid vacations and a 401K plan a few years ago to go back to school and complete my Bachelors and Masters Degree in studio art.

Since then, I am so tired with all of the bombardment of being with peers in my profession as an artist and student that have a ‘starving artist’ syndrome stamped on their forehead. I get so frustrated when people hear what I do or what I am going to school for and ‘joke’ that I am going to school, spending all this money, getting thousands of dollars in student loans to become a starving artist. Well, maybe that’s what they are painting for and maybe that’s what they are going to school for, but not me. I am determined to stay far away from that disease that has infected individuals in this industry. I am thankful that there are so many artists in this industry that are making their living as full time artists that I can look up to as they lead the way for other emerging artists.

Just like any profession, there are going to be people struggling, and people doing well. And it begins with the right mindset. I recently heard a speaker, Nicole Crank, that really impacted my mindset as an individual with a passion to succeed as an artist and to help others succeed as well. What we think on has a powerful effect on our tomorrow, our next year, our next decade. Our mindset of the past determined who we are today. And our mindset of today will determine who we are and what we become in the future. What we think on determines what we believe. Believing determines how we act. And our actions determine our future.

If we go one believing we are ‘starving artists’, then chances are, we will continue to be just that. When you go into a gallery to submit your portfolio or if you are talking to someone about your art that can be a potential buyer and you don’t think you are any good or that you are never going to succeed, don’t you think that mindset and attitude are going to come across to that person? Of course it is. I can always tell when someone comes up to me if they are confident in themselves or insecure. Same thing goes for how we feel about ourselves as artists. In saying this, it’s time to for us to evaluate and/or re-evaluate what’s going on in our minds because this can cause us to succeed or fail. So, what are you thinking about? And how can you change your thinking?

Vin Or’dinaire