I will be setting up a Inside Out Vancouver portrait taking corner at the event on June 23rd. Inside Out Vancouver is an extension of JR’s global Inside Out campaign which focuses on taking portrait of photograph of everyone and anyone in every city around the world and pasting them in public places – primarily walls. The June 23rd event will be the very first portrait taking series for Inside Out Vancouver – your direct participation gives me the release approval to print and paste the photos (if able) on publicly viewed walls in Vancouver. There will be a Release sign sheet available. I ask that everyone participate and allow me to take their beautiful Black & White portrait. All portraits will be posted on my website – http://custom.juliakozlov.com
Watch this amazing video of JR’s wish announcement!
Hosted by Rebecca Rawlinson and Tommy D, featuring Vancouver activist icons as both portrait subjects and special guests including Joan-E!
This event, at the elegant District 319, is an interactive, therapeutic art night to celebrate iconic heroes in the LGBT activist community.
We are commemorating the anniversary of Stonewall, as it represents to me the power of the human voice to speak loud and be proud! The subjects at my art event are all incredible individuals who embrace the beauty and variety of the human spirit. And YOU get to meet them, work with them, celebrate them!
At the event, the subjects (about 15 of them) will be in attendance. In the main workshop room, the portraits will line the walls and art supplies will be on tables in the centre. The attendees will finish the portraits during the event as part of a large interactive art therapy session celebrating freedom of expression!!!
In the main lobby there will be a full cash bar, lots of treats and community connections. There will also be youth art on display by four of my art therapy students- Maryellen, Alicia, Emily and Miko.
AliciaMaryellen MikoEmily
In the theatre, there will be looping videos and a lounge for attendees.
At the event, I will do a live portrait and body painting on a model.
***UPDATE! We’ve decided to auction off the 40″ x 60″ interactive portraits THE NIGHT of heroes with heART: Katarina Thorsen’s Interactive Portrait Event! Proceeds from these pieces go to Vancouver Friends For Life! About 5 of my smaller portraits will also be auctioned off during the evening, with part of proceeds benefiting Intersections Media as well as Kat’s youth at-risk art therapy program!
The entire process will be documented on film by INTERSECTIONS MEDIA, and photographed by Julia Kozlov!
The Helsingborgs hotel is called “Stads Motell.” There are many TV’s outside of the room and one inside the room. We are traveling (Mom, me, Aunt Siv and cousin Gunilla) together on a bus trip. Our room number: 109. Orwald’s: 108. We have a colour TV. We bought food from a convenience store and ate in our room. I watched Nadia Comaneci. She didn’t win. The bus trip to Helsingborg was really long. I saw a windmill.
May 15
In the bus in front of us, there is a man who looks like Hitchcock. We are having a great time. Dad came home today. Too bad we missed him.
Helsingborg to Helsingör to Köpenhamn to Germany to Arnhem-Velp Crest Hotel.
Bought souvenirs. Expensive souvenirs: wind mills, cigar for Dad, stickers, small wooden shoe ship for Fredrik, Dutch cookie jar for mom. German mouse and pincushion for me. Stole a small stainless steel creamer from a German restaurant because of the rude service. Watched German TV. Didn’t understand a thing. 4 channels. Drove by a concentration camp in Holland.
We were on the ferry for an hour. A lot of people and a nice restaurant. Had ground beef patties. Excellent!
Old lady by herself on the bus. Really cute. She always wears blue and buys postcards all the time.
Nilla and I have nicknames for everyone on the bus:
Hitchcock
Dandruff Man
The Old Lady
The Lady with the red-blue glasses
She with the Bun
The Owl
The Chauffeur
The Leader
May 16
Holland to Brussels
Unknown soldiers grave. Nuclear power plants. The central square in Brussels. The peeing boy. The restaurant, the chicken, pineapple. NATO headquarters. Comic of Mickey Mouse- in French.
To Paris
Sightseeing Paris by night. Consulate restaurant. Singer. Bought a record. Eiffel Tower. Arc de Triumphe. Tasted wine in Montmartre. Gross! Church. Dark. And cold. View over Paris. Gorgeous. Fountain by the Eiffel Tower. Sacre Coeur. The Consulate. Got a red ribbon. She with the Bun got a little drunk. Started to sing and waltz.
May 17
Sightseeing Paris by day. Winery. Madeline Church. Caves St. Michelle. Place de la Concorde. Eiffel Tower. Notre Dame. Rennes Saint Placide. Rue de Rennes. Notre Dame. So beautiful. Restaurant. Vegetables. Schnitzel. Winery. Dome of the Invalid. Wine did not taste good. It stung the nose. Perfume store. Bought Marie Antoinette doll. Bought wine and baguettes for the hotel room. Wrote 9 postcards. Dogs run loose. Worries me. Looked at dance shops. Bought a ballet leotard. With skirt. I am having a good time. Mom too. I am so glad for that.
May 18
Louvre 10 AM. Ate at a wonderful restaurant. So nice. Saw the Mona Lisa. It has been stolen 3 times. Guarded now with marble, glass, alarm and guard. People were sketching from the masters. People from art schools. The Venus de Milo. So beautiful. One sculpture without head. Wings. Didn’t get to see Degas. But mom, sweet mom, bought me a little copy- La Classe de Danse. Mom also bought a little painting for herself. I bought a Mona Lisa card. Will sketch her. Trip on the Sens. Bought light blue dress. 109 francs. Got 9 francs off. The boat. Under 26 bridges. Bought a key chain. The guide spoke a weird combo of Swedish and English. Ate French Fries and baguettes in the room.
Mom and I at Hotel Migny in Paris.
The Old Lady: she is so cute. On May 17, she took the subway all by herself and had a great time. Everyone offered help. Meanwhile, the four of us walked hand in hand and didn’t dare to do a thing. She is so energetic. She runs and skips and is interested in everything. I want to be like that when I grow old.
May 19
Versailles 9 AM. Drove through the Bois de Boulogne to Versailles Castle. Very large and many, many people. Lovely but each room is pretty much the same. Big garden. Several kilometers. Forgot to go up the Eiffel Tower but did visit there. Shopped for the rest of the day. Very tiring. Bought a wallet, necklace. Went on the subway. Easy to find your way around. Strange machines that suck up the tickets. Long tunnels underground. No drunk old men. Went to a bar and drank Pepsi. Paris’ most famous café. Very hot. Ate baguettes and drank juice. I ordered wine on my own.
May 20
Started the morning with breakfast. Tired of baguettes. Traveled to Champagne wineries. Stopped at Mercier Champagne makers. Rode a train through the underground vaults. Got to taste. Not very good. Burns the stomach. Got an inflatable Champagne bottle. Traveled to Reims. Stopped and looked at France’s largest cathedral. Bought post cards. Then traveled towards Belgium. The bus planned on making it to a gas station in Belgium where it is cheaper to buy gas. Didn’t make it. Sat in the bus 8 HOURS! The pump was broken. People from the local town came and picked us up and drove us to Grand Hotel. No bath. Haven’t had a bath in 5 days.
May 21
Went for a walk in the village. Cute small streets. The bus arrived at 7 AM. We thought it was leaving at 10 AM and we didn’t get a wake up call. So we got ready in a hurry. Björn said we were going to try to make it to Helsingborg tonight. But everyone protested. Everyone was too tired. So he arranged for a hotel. Gorgeous. With bath, kitchen, sofa, balcony, all the fixings. And a view over the ocean. But we just had it for one night. Before that we traveled through Hamburg. I like Paris better. Hamburg is modern with lots of nightlife. All the men on the bus went into one of those clubs… you know the kind. A couple of men in the city started whistling and yelling after us. We hurried along.
May 22
Today I bought two small cat figures at a rail station in Hamburg. We woke up before wake up call this morning. A lot easier after having had a bath. Our beds folded down from the wall like a Barbie house. Ate breakfast. The bus didn’t start! I thought we would be here one more night. But they worked on it and we made it to the ferry. Just in time. Bought Dutch licorice. One to Nilla, Tomme, Aija, Eva, Fredrik, Anders and me. Really good. But you get thirsty. Now we are traveling to Denmark. The trip is almost over. It will be nice to get home. Thought we’d never make it. But we got home at 11:30. So nice. Milton. Cute Milton was happier than ever.
What I bought on the Paris trip:
Marie Antoinette Doll
Belgian Doll
Two cats
Eiffel Tower
German mouse
Key chain
Pincushion
Painting
Mona Lisa post card
Postcards
Dress
Ballet leotard
French magazine
German magazine
Inflatable champagne bottle
May 23
Stayed home today. Sore throat and tired. Presents from Dad from his trip to Canada: Nadia sweatshirt. Rudolf Nureyev book. Canada sweater. Ludwig Coloring Book. Like a dream. The Nureyev book is as thick as a mountain.
The Nadia sweatshirt is beautiful. If I had three wishes- they would be:
1. To be as good as Nadia in all events.
2. To be a ballerina.
3. [I forgot to write a third wish]
I feel sorry for Nadia. She lost and was also disqualified when she went out of bounds. Romania and Soviets always competing. The power ruins everything. Nadia, I wish I were a perfect ballerina.
May 27
I have sent Steven a card. He and I talk more often now. I actually sat with him on the bus on the way home. We talked a lot and I waited for him to get his bike and he rode slowly while I walked beside him. And he waved at me when Marianne, Catharina and I were walking home from town. And in PE he watched my belly as I did arm lifts. And he asks me all the time about America and schools and such. He says he may visit me because he is going to USA to play basketball and study. He is really nice. I have also started talking to Mikael Andersson and Per-Arne. And I can speak up in class without feeling stupid.
The whole class went camping. They will be biking and camping for 4 days. I wanted to but not. I don’t dare even though I am not so scared anymore. Ballet prevents me from going, which I am very proud of. I think I am supposed to go to school but Mom says I may as well stay home. I am going to train. Ride to the lake with Milton. Ballet. Suntan. I hope the weather will be sunny. I have drawn a large poster for school, which I can paint during the week. I will write letters and choreograph.
We got to borrow room C at Balettakademien. Eva, Charlotte, Marie, Katarina, Anna, Maud, Anna-Carin and I are in the group. I have learned character dance. It is really fun. I got to borrow a pair of shoes from Eva. They are wonderful to dance in though they do hurt a bit. We want to perform for the elderly and for grade 4/5’s. That will be fun.
We got our Visa for Canada. Now we have to find a house we like. I want to find the best ballet school in Vancouver. And I want to audition for the National Ballet of Canada. Then maybe I could meet Rudolf.
There is only 2 weeks left of school. I have survived two years at Rosenborgsskolan. It was hell. Milton, ballet, Mom, Dad, Anders and Fredrik have helped me. I am lucky. Now that I have only 1 week left with my Grade 9 class, I dare to talk to them. Typical. But better late than never!
May 29
Now it is Sunday. And it is Mother’s day. But it seems strange. There has been nothing abut it in the papers. And just a little in the stores. Annika was the only one to give Siv a present. And we were rather mixed up here this morning. I didn’t know whether I should give Mom the glasses I bought her. But I did. And Dad got Mom a brass planter that hangs from the ceiling. Mom and Dad seem mad at each other. But I suppose they have the right, as we all get mad from time to time. Mom visited Grandpa today and he was happy about that. He can sit up in his chair and he likes the physiotherapist. He seems to be getting better. I am so glad. Tomorrow there is a holiday. Mom and I are going to the castle. And we will tour the inside. I hope we visit Grandpa. Dad and Fredrik will go fishing.
I have written out a schedule for myself about how or what I should eat and when and how to train. For example, biking, dancing, jogging etc. I want to be in top form when the school class gets back from camping. I don’t want them to come back bragging. I want to be suntanned and I want to stop biting my nails. I have made a whole binder of the Paris trip. I want to start taking photos with my camera. I want to go up the mountain with Maud and take pictures of us as angels. I want to start dancing more than classical ballet now. It is fun to discover new things. Shirley MacClaine is going back to corps (gypsy) dancing. She considers it the most fun.
—
My Diary, 1977 SÖDERTÄLJE– translated from Swedish, word for word, unabridged, sic, ad nauseum
This post is dedicated to my friend, Julia Kozlov, who embodies my love of all that is Russian- dance, literature, poetry, art…
Photo by Conrad Brown
Here is Julia in Grade 4:
From Julia re the 1977 diary:
I have greatly enjoyed reading your diary entries – what a beautiful youth you had – just as beautiful as your adulthood. I didn’t know you were Swedish and lived in Stockholm – amazing. Such great culture in Sweden and they sure are strict about their artistic schools! Anyway – amazing diary entries…
The art event as a huge success and is now a catalyst for bringing more of these happenings to Vancouver. It left attendees hungry for more creative and interactive art experiences.
I met with the muses last Monday and our next event will likely be some time in May 2011. The focus will be THE PORTRAIT, as inspired by THE INSIDE OUT PROJECT (see details about this project below).
The premise of the night will be to install 12 large canvases in the creative space. Each canvas will have a portrait of a local (through pre-registration and subject will be in attendance). The portrait will have been started by me in charcoal prior to the event- essentially an outline/layout of the essential form of that person. The subjects and a group of participants will then finish the individual portraits during the 3 hour evening. The process will be filmed and participants interviewed (if they choose) regarding their relationship to the pieces and their experience of the creative process.
There will also be body art, cash bar, aprés dinner snacks and film. Afterwards, the portraits will be photographed and be made into posters for pasting around town. This process will also be filmed and a blog page will be started to record the relationship of the pieces to the community. The original pieces may travel and be re-exhibited once the film is completed.
This event was born out of a conversation I had with my dear friend Diane Clement, who made me realize “YES, I CAN!”
What an evening of art and people supporting at-risk youth programs! Here are photos of art created by participants in our mega-art therapy session! I am also including feedback and my thank you’s below.
In my art school (1980’s), teachers would not share their art work until the last day of the course so as not to influence us. I have found that allowing people to be surrounded by my art and creative process seems to make people at ease and encourage self-expression.
If anything, tonight has made me, and others, want to get our paints and canvases out and just…do this. – Jocelyn Louise (March 10th art event)
2. My friend Jay Peachy shared his art including painting on Fabricio Borges! I encourage you to go to jay’s site and learn more about this extraordinary human!
Art is a means of survival. – Jay Peachy
Documentarian Janelle Cara Huopalainen is doing a film about Jay and captured the entire evening! Thanks, Janelle!
3. Rebecca Rawlinson not only hosted the night and had her portrait done, but shared her gorgeous business cards (featuring her photography) which are collectors items!
4. In the centre of the room we arranged a large group canvas piece for people to paint on. Magical!
Team Stomp (Jasmine, Sam, Hannah, Ashleigh) by Jasmine Schuett
I received some amazing feedback, and that certainly feels good! But it’s not all about me- it’s about sharing time, space and art with you, my community! Love you all!
Congratulations to Rebecca Bree Rawlinson and Kat Thorsen for hosting an amazing artistic experience. Best I’ve ever been to in Vancouver. I had an amazing time looking at all the work and being able to create my own. The food was fabulous, and the whole atmosphere was fun and beautiful. I can’t wait for future collaborations between you two. My first Kat Thorsen event led me to being incredibly impressed, amazed and in awe of the whole experience. I have never been to an interactive art show – and it was fabulous. The atmosphered, layout, mediums to draw on, quality and variety of work exhibited were all though-out and done with full quality from a curating context. I am very excited for future events hosted by Rebecca Rawlinson x Kat Thorsen team. – Julia Kozlov
I am thrilled to live in a city, which offers programs such as Intersections Media. I wish more people knew that it existed so I’m doing my part to spread the news. – MC
Kat, that was incredible. So many people want to get their art supplies out. Me as well. – JL
Your show was amazing. It was nice to have you in the spotlight and not your amazing offspring. – CD
Looks like everyone is having a great time at @KatThorsen ‘s Art Show!! Yippee!! #prouddaughter – AT
@katthorsen love your passion for at risk students with your art dream, @shetoshic is completely supportive in any future work to help out!
At an amazing art event for @KatThorsen hosted by @RebeccaRaw wow!! What a wonderful display of incredible art! Love it! – JR
What a great night last night ! The crowd, the food, the art work, the creativity, and event was really first class and enjoyable! Kat- I’m proud of what you achieved last night….you put smiles on many peoples faces! How rapidly you created the portrait painting left many of us in awe… – DA
What a FUN, MAGICAL NIGHT – [Kat] was AMAZING – the ‘instant’ picture of her friend and the friends paintings she unveiled – were SENSATIONAL – so REAL – they looked ALIVE. AND – her personal books of her work, and her many eclectic art pieces were unique. She spoke so well and sincerely – she is a very special, warm, giving, talented young woman – D. and I have so much admiration for her and for [her two siblings] – Their mother is ‘beaming’ down at her “Mighty Trio” with pride! – Diane Clement
Pies para que los quiero, si tengo alas para volar (Frida) – CA
Amazing work! – RM
Fantastic! – CC
The amount of your own self you express in all your work is amazing. You are a brilliant and revolutionary artist. – JK
Mamma skulle vara så glad i det här. Fantastisk! – FT
What an amazing night you put on. My friends and I were so impressed by the venue, the set up and, mostly, your incredible talent. – IP
Thank you for everything I enjoyed myself so much. You are so awesome and thank you for sharing with us your time and energy. You have inspired me to want to do more with my life that is for sure. – DJ
Loved being there – you are awesome!!!!!! – LG
Wow, what an impressive night… congratulations, Kat! – BS
THANK YOU’S
My muses (Rebecca Rawlinson, Jocelyn Louise, Jay Fisher) and I thank you for an incredible experience. The first of many!
Thank you’s to:
– Diane Clement whose support and encouragement a few months ago led to this event and to Doug whose wisdom, talent and eye always inspires me.
– District 319 (Dahel Cox, Lynn Vince, Miguel Gomez, Louis, Lazarro and all the staff and crew) for their incredible venue, generosity, set up and support!!!
– Intersections Media (incl. Selina) and my brother Fredrik for their inspiring youth program, for all the support, and for supplying great atmosphere and videos! Thank you little brother for all you do!
– Marcia Fordyce-Coons of Copper Alley Cafe for providing such gorgeous food! A hit!
– Rebecca for making this night a success and whose support has changed my life.
– Rick for helping with the art, for his general loveliness and for supplying his van!
– My mentor DA for showing me new ways of looking at myself and for challenging me.
– Jay Peachy for making everything seem possible! (and Star, one of the most beautiful dogs in the world).
– Jainy, Ashleigh, Jasmine, Sam, Hannah and Julian for making the evening run so smoothly (and thank you, Julian for the soundtrack!)
– Jocelyn and Jay for being so inspiring and allowing me such freedom (and Jay for my blond hair!)
– Fabricio for his participation, enthusiasm and beauty.
– Julia Kozlov for her support, her interview, her coverage of the event and her activism.
– The Rawlinson family for their generous support.
– To my entire extended family for EVERYTHING!
– TO ALL OF YOU who participated, donated and who supported youth programs by buying art!
—
Well, that was AMAZING!! What a night! Let’s do it all over again!!
Watch this amazing video of JR’s wish announcement!
