Boulder ArtDistrict to Host Make-Your-Own Synthesizer Workshop and Public Sound Intervention

Featuring Guest Artist Michael Trigilio and an Artist Reception at Atmosphere Apparel

Via Lindsey Cash: I grew up in Boulder, and though I often threaten to leave our fair town in search of bigger city lights, I’ve never made it far. An art history lover since I was little, I’ve spent years working with the arts in Boulder—but it was only in January of this year that I paired with Boulder artist Lacey Coover to establish a new art group, Boulder ArtDistrict. ArtDistrict has since become our grassroots effort to bring inventive and exciting new art happenings to Boulder.

We know Boulder is brimming with smart, opinionated, and energetic people. Plus, we know its extraordinarily large population of artists is endlessly talented. Often, however, Lacey and I have found ourselves driving to Denver in search of First Fridays, art museums, concerts, performances and festivals, which begs the simple question, why isn’t Boulder more of an arts hub? We want to be excited, challenged and involved in the art that is happening in our town, so we thus conceived of ArtDistrict. Acting as a catalyst, it is our organization’s goal to help artists and the public connect through vital and innovative contemporary art events, exhibits and collaborations.

On Friday, July 10^th, 2009, Boulder ArtDistrict presents a make-your-own synthesizer workshop and public sound intervention with ArtDistrict friend and multimedia artist Michael Trigilio. A member of the Visual Art and Media faculty at UC San Diego, Michael was also a 2008 Whitney Biennial participant as part of Neighborhood Public Radio, plus his video and sound work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.

Entitled, “Tune In, Tune Out, Turn Up Everything,” Michael’s workshop and sound intervention will offer the unique opportunity for a small number of participants to make personal synthesizers. Michael will instruct participants on the craft of creating small handheld synthesizers out of empty cigarette packs, as part of a series of workshops he has offered throughout the United States.

Following the workshop, participants will take to the alleys, streets, and garages of downtown Boulder to play their “synthpacks” in both harmony and dissonance, creating a unique public sound art experience.

An artist reception and one-night-only exhibition the following evening, Saturday, July 11^th, at Atmosphere Apparel from 6-9pm will feature Michael’s video serial, “The Ends.” Additional multimedia work by Michael will also be exhibited, and during his artist talk, entitled “Sarcasm and Prayer,” Michael will address two of his major themes–humor and religion.

Atmosphere founder Brandon Webby has a vision of bringing together local artists and musicians who share a sense of style, vision and social responsibility. Atmosphere is located at 902 Pearl Street.

Friday, July 10^th:

4 – 5:30pm – Limited-space synthesizer workshop

5:30 – 7pm – Public sound intervention, meeting at the Boulder band shell

Saturday, July 11^th:

6 -7pm: Public artist talk with Michael Trigilio at Atmosphere Apparel

7 – 9pm: Public artist reception and exhibition at Atmosphere

Find ArtDistrict online at www.boulderartdistrict.com and www.twitter.com/BoulderArt.

Visit Michael online at www.starvelab.com

Hear Michael interviewed by Brett Saunders on the KBCO morning show, Friday July 10th!

Above: “Synthpack” synthesizers by Michael Trigilio

Artist’s Statement

Working with video, music and other media, I investigate our cultural infatuation with popular media, anxiety, and narcissism. I vacillate among forms ranging from abstraction to portraiture, documentary, and satire. I enjoy telling jokes and I try to exploit the moment just after the punchline when one is left with the lingering subtleties of social disease.

I am inspired by material that balances sarcasm and prayer, giving rise to work that examines religion, humor, politics, and mass-media. My recent works, including THE ENDS (2009), Breaking Glass (2008), and Thanks for Giving My Number Back (2007), explore the thin lines between love and death, fantasy and reality, hope and helplessness. My earlier video series, the Untitled Book Series (2001-2004) is a collection of thirty-four short videos related to specifc books, and which acts as an abstracted self-portrait. My recent works in sound and music have included a satirical Christian-rock album, death-metal soundtracks, and experimental public-interventions based on John Cage’s Variations scores using hand-made electronics and other instruments.

Biographical Information

Michael Trigilio is a multimedia artist living in San Diego, CA. Born and raised in San Antonio, TX, he received his B.A. in Humanities from the University of Texas at San Antonio. His fear of religion notwithstanding, he was ordained as a lay Buddhist priest in 1997, a role from which he resigned five years later. He received his M.F.A. from Mills College in 2003. His video work has been presented at the Anthology Film Archives in New York, Southern Exposure Gallery in San Francisco, and the Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain in Strasbourg, among many other venues. Michael is a founding member of the independent radio project Neighborhood Public Radio which was included in the 2008 Whitney Biennial exhbition. He serves on the permanent Visual Arts faculty at UC San Diego where he teaches courses in Media Arts.