Archive for June, 2009

Paramount Theater

Monday, June 29th, 2009
100 years ago, that would have been the time to live in Y-town. That’s when the money was here. Not that this far future place is without it’s charms. My wife and I have a taste for the spooky, and abandoned. We’re awed by the empty splendor of downtown Youngstown.
The building featured in the previous entry is The Wick Building. Today’s building is, “The Paramount Theater”. Here’s a bit about it, courtesy of cinematresures.org:
“Opened as the Liberty in 1918, this small, yet elegant building was clad in white terra cotta, and ornamented with swags and fluted pilasters.

It became known as the Paramount in the late 1920’s and its mezzanine was given an Art Deco makeover in the 1930’s.

Closed by the early 1970’s, the marquee has since been removed, leaving only a metal framework. An ill fated renovation was attempted in the early 1980’s but abandoned due to cost constraints.

The interior plasterwork was particularly beautiful. The building contains two empty storefronts which have been gutted although the lobby and auditorium is more or less intact.”

It only stands to reason what’s happened in Youngstown. The question is what now? The powers that be have decided the best thing is to downsize the real estate to match the populous. They’d like to see the over 4500 abandoned buildings in Youngstown demolished. There’s been some demolition,  and most residents agree that they would like to see some eyesores removed. What it it look like if all 4500 buildings were gone? as an artist, I can’t help but to think in these terms. Unfortunately, most of the classic architecture featured in my painting are empty and or abandoned.

What will it be like around here when the buildings are gone? The truth is, no one knows. I do know that tearing down the buildings won’t make the poor people go away.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Torment for your ears

Friday, June 26th, 2009
  
Download now or listen on posterous

ondungpeegmixlite.wav (13590 KB)

About nine years ago, I had recently become proficient at African drumming, having played regularly for a year or so. I also discovered the most recent (at the time) trend in Jamaican reggae. I do have dreads. I’m not a Rasta. My dreads are more related to my devotion to Siva. Rastas and Shaivites do share some roots, but this is all beside the point. I’ve always had a big fondness for reggae, especially rub-a-dub style. What I discovered nine years ago was Dancehall, at the time, virtually unknown in the U.S. What it amounts to is that someone records some, “beats”, and they get passed around to deejays or emcees, however you like to say it, and they rap over it in Jamaican Patois. I heard it, and really liked the fresh sound, and the crispness of the patois.

I’d leave drumming, with the rhythm we had played still rolling in my head, and set lyrics to them. It occurred to me that I could make a short record, put it here and there into the right hands, and maybe get a few bookings. I’d use a few of the solid drummers I drummed with, to back me up. It was such a fresh, and addictive sound, I knew the time was ripe for it, and people would eat it up. I had just met P.J., and knew he had a recording studio in his basement, so I asked if he would help me with this project. I played The people a couple of excerpts from my newly purchased Dancehall c.d.s, and they looked at me cock-eyed, mouths agape. They found the music reprehensible, but that was back in their Puritan days. P.J. agreed to help.

Not long after that, a big gust of tumultuous time swept me up, and deposited me roughly here today. I lived with the people for a number of years, and never embarked on this project. That may sound pathetic, but in fairness, I’m a meglo-maniac. I do alot of shit, and pine for what I can’t. About a year ago, I borrowed P.J.s eight track recording thingy-mabob.
He’s lent it to a lot of people who did nothing with it, and a lot who have began their careers with it. If he lends it to you, and you don’t use it quickly, he takes it back, and it’s very hard to get it again. About two years into the nine years it took me to get it together, Sean Paul blew up big in the mainstream with his dancehall stylings. Hell, even that Hasidic Jewish guy, Matisyahu blew up. Have you heard that, Matisyuhu? It was the final nail in the coffin of this dream. Dancehall is now old hat. Please enjoy my debut. This is my first original piece, it’s all me on the instrumentation, and vocals

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Old Precinct?

Thursday, June 25th, 2009


I finished this building today. I was going to go downtown after the movies, (Sunshine cleaners-chick flick) to see the address, but it was after midnight, and I can’t see so well at night anymore. I think it may be the old police station at 32 Phelps? If you know, let me know.

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LICKED

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009


The first building that is

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Fw: First National Tower

Monday, June 22nd, 2009


— On Sun, 6/21/09, jeffrey puccini <shemekalikashenice@puccini-art.com> wrote:

From: jeffrey puccini <shemekalikashenice@puccini-art.com>
Subject: First National Tower
To: “posty poster” <post@posterous.com>
Date: Sunday, June 21, 2009, 7:00 PM

My portion of the community mural is going much slower than I care for, in that it’s not finished yet. No surprise there, my style of painting can be painfully slow. Factor in that it’s beautiful Summer time, hard to want to be indoors, there’s always so much to do.
I don’t have the undercoat completely done. I’m leaving some of that for Nikki to do. It’s done in the upper-right, that’s where I’ve begun to add  The First National Tower (Metropolitan Bank Tower)built in1929 located at 1 Federal Plaza West.

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The Meat of The Matter

Friday, June 19th, 2009

rough of masterpiece mosaic entry
I really don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.
I love Youngstown, and would like nothing more than to live here as a successful artist, secure in the knowledge that local art is revered and supported in spite of difficult times. Youngstown has great potential, and there is nothing wrong with a diminished population, it can be advantageous in certain circumstances.
I wish I could have attended, “The Rust Belt to Artist Belt” discussion today, because I would sincerely like to know what practical ideas were on the table. Prior to this, I’ve only heard a lot of nonspecific hot air pushed around. In a recent email to a friend, while I was expressing my displeasure regarding my recent rejection, I wrote this:

“Considering all of the empty/abandoned buildings around town, I can’t help but to think how nice it would be to get someone to donate gallery space to local artists. People involved wouldn’t necessarily expect to make a ton of sales, but could view it as an opportunity to launch their careers, by having their first solo exhibition at a bonafide art gallery, something for the resume. Artists who volunteered to man the place, could also use it for studio space. Such a place would probably be eligible for all kinds of grants, and might do all right on the world-wide front with a good website.”

In my opinion, that would be a concrete move that would provide a community-based outlet for self-determined artists to take some sort of steps towards establishing, and furthering their art career without having to leave the area. Realistically, as a local artist, I don’t think we should expect to generate enough income through local sales to exist on, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t garner the communities support, and enthusiasm in other ways. I think organizing group shows, that are attended mostly by other artists, and the families and well-wishers of the participants, but no one planning to spend their money isn’t the answer. In fact it builds disillusionment.
Again, I love Youngstown, and want to actively participate in projects that promote local art in a substantial way. I wish there were more of them. I’m currently participating in The Community Art Projects Foundation’s, “Masterpiece Mosaic” . Above is the rough sketch I submitted for the project. It features some of the classic local architecture we know and love. I just can’t attend one more group show where they sell more sandwiches than art. I can’t stand to look one more time with empathy at the despair in the eyes of my fellow local artists. I’ve done it before. I’m losing my vision to an untreatable eye disorder, and don’t feel I can spend my time in that manner. I need to make my efforts count for something.
Sorry if I come off cynical or skeptical, but it is what it is.
Some local organizations that claim to in support of local artists seem to only be good at raising donations for their organization. If any of the massive donations they’ve raised have or will trickle down to actually benefit local artists, it remains to be seen. Other local artists organizations would genuinely like to find a vehicle for advancement, they just don’t seem to be able to muster what is necessary.
I sincerely believe the first step must be a permanent local venue dedicated to the promotion of any local artist with a body of work that can be shown. It can’t be primarily about money. It has to be about exposure.

Coming Attractions has Arrived

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

Hi there,
As some know, I’ve had a bogus little blog-like thing on my website for a couple of years. It was functional, but difficult to update, and scarcely read. if you’d like to see the old, archived entries, you can see them here.
Cheers