Two Chic Chicas - An Interview with Twelve Chairs

An Interview with Roisin Giese and Miggy Mason of  Twelve Chairs

Cofounders and creative directors, Roisin (Row-sheen) Giese and Miggy Mason, LEED AP, met at Cornell University where they majored in Interior Design. Their combined resumes include over 10 years of retail, management, and interior design experience, and a record of dedication to beautiful, responsible design. Through a combination of their passions and experience, Twelve Chairs came to be: informing, empowering, and inspiring their customers to live in style . . . sustainably.

GLVBX:  How did “Twelve Chairs” begin?  What was the inspiration behind this décor/interior design business?

TC:  It all started with an email. "We should open up a shop and interior design studio!" The rest is history. Neither of us really had any pause...we went full steam ahead from that very moment. Having studied interior design together in college and having worked in the design and retail industries we felt that we had the background and experience to pull off the hybrid business. And so far so good!

Above Photo Courtesy of Ashley O'Dell

GLVBX:  Many of our creative audience admire your “big kahunas”- so to speak.  As two young entrepreneurs, what was/is the biggest hurdle as business owners?  What do you suggest to others who make want to make this same leap?

TC:  Our challenges have changed as we've grown and evolved as a business. We're currently working on how to get some work/ life balance. As for budding entrepreneurs we'd have to say plan well and then just go for it.

GLVBX:  What is the best item in your store right now?

TC:  That's a tricky one, but some of our favorite pieces are lamps by Jill Rosenwald (her studio is right down the street!). They come in so many beautiful patterns, shapes, and colors. We're working on putting together a catalogue now so it's easier to mix and match and do a custom piece.

Above Photo Courtesy of Ashley O'Dell

GLVBX:  What are you just dying to bring into the store?

TC:  A shop dog!

GLVBX:  YES!!! We agree!  What is your favorite “chair?”

TC:  We have different favorites for well-known chairs. Roisin's is a Louis the XV style chair and Miggy's is the A Series chair. Our favorite chair in the shop is this very cool Antique Kilim chair.

GLVBX:  Favorite Fabric choice?

TC:  Something au natural! We love linens, organic cottons and wools; we even have a chair upholstered in 100% hemp though you'd never guess it

GLVBX:  You were in ELLE DÉCOR…Tell us MORE!

TC:  The day that February/ March issue hit the stands was surreal. We love reminiscing about sprinting to the newsstand and racing to find the page we were featured on. We were written up in their What's Hot Shops section. Our next goal is to be in their (the magazine) for a room we've designed!

GLVBX:  Where do you see “Twelve Chairs” in the future?

TC:  This is a frequent topic of conversation. We love to brainstorm/ daydream about the future of Twelve Chairs. In the immediate future we plan to have a web-store. More long - term goals include our own furniture and home decor lines and maybe a book! 

Check out www.fortpointarts.blogspot.com to see part II of this interview!  Glovebox often teams with Twelve Chairs to show local art, to submit your art for consideration, send 3 jpegs or a link of your work to glovebox.jodie@gmail.com.  

Interview with the makers of "Just Because"

 

 One Smith Band's music video "Just Because"

I met Stephanie Stender during the Glovebox Short Film and Animation Festival in June. The Glovebox team was in contact with Stephanie months prior to our meeting and her music video/animation "Just Because" was passed around and quickly became a favorite. Stephanie directed and produced the One Smith Band's music video, "Just Because" which won several Glovebox Golden Glovie Awards at the Glovebox film festival. When Stephanie contacted me about the film's nomination at another festival, I was more than happy to spread the word. See, I believe as artists, we are all in this together. The more people we can touch with art, the better. The more people that I see doing their art, the happier I am and the better the world and immediate community is for it. Here at Glovebox, we want to spread the word about other festivals and non-profits so artists like Stephanie, have more avenues to spread their work, touching and inspiring more people.

Stephanie and Dan Flynn worked on "Just Because," spreading music and art. Their music video "Just Because" is nominated for a World Music and Independent Film Festival (WMIFF) People's Choice Awards. The WMIFF is a unique festival that blends music, film and fine art. It's a great organization that helps to promote all submissions, which we here at Glovebox fully support. Selected films will be featured at the US Navy Memorial Burke Theater the week of August 15th and our red carpet awarding will be held at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC on August 20, 2011. Help get "Just Because" there by voting here.

I think having such a talented group of people as friends is what keeps me motivated. When you see your peers creating beautiful art - no matter what their art form: painting, music, dance - it really motivates you to express your own voice with your artwork.
- Stephanie Stender

How did you both get started in art?

Stephanie Stender: My background is in film production. I studied film and photography at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia and then a couple years later, received my masters in film production with a focus on directing at Boston University. My films always had a whimsical sensibility that really went hand in hand with animation, but lacking any drawing skills myself, I only dabbled in stop motion animation. That is until I met the talented animator Dan Flynn a few years later when I started as an editor at a local animation studio. We started to collaborate soon after.

Dan Flynn: I got into UMass Dartmouth as a computer science major. I realized before my first semester started that it wasn't really what I wanted to do, so I went "undeclared." Through my sister (who went to the same school) I got a job with the art history and design office, and learned about the "Electronic Imaging" (EI) major there, which was a sort of "jack-of-all-trades" major that covered digital media like Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightwave 3D and Flash. I switched my major to EI shortly afterwards, and throughout my time there focused on 3D animation. I did some 2D animating in Flash, but it wasn't till I graduated college and got a job working at Soup2Nuts in Watertown as a Flash animator that I really took a liking to it, and I feel I became a stronger animator there.

With such strong artistic and technical backgrounds, how did you find yourselves doing music videos?

SS: I've always been obsessed with music videos. I grew up watching MTV. While other kids were watching Mr. Rogers, I was watching Land of Confusion, Take on Me, and the undeniable classic Thriller. As a child, I was also in love with silent films. We would go to the local church to see old silent films played with live organ music, and I remember it being such a treat. So, I think it's no surprise I fell in love with music videos. I saw them as our generation's silent films, but played with awesome 80s music. 

Music video for The Andersons' "Take It Outside." Directed by Stephanie Stender.

 
What is your process in creating a character that is all your own and helping the musician realize their vision for their song?

SS: This might sound odd, but I cannot listen to music without envisioning the film that goes with it.  The notes create a feeling in me, making its own music video in my mind's eye...Luckily, so far, my vision has always coincided with the musician's vision for the song.

DF: Listening to the song over, and over, and over. Figuring out how to tell a story and how to make the music relevant is like solving a puzzle, so there is a lot of thought involved. Eventually things just start to click, and that's when you know it's really working.

I love the different methods of reaching a visual story - where do you find inspiration for your work?

SS: I grew up in a household of storytellers. My grandparents would sit around the kitchen table, telling stories and having a good laugh. The need to tell a story seeped into my bones. One of the greatest privileges of being a filmmaker is the ability to transport someone to a different world, to entertain her, even if it is just for a few minutes. And I think my family really inspired me to do that through their love of a great narrative. And I am probably going to embarrass Dan by saying this, since he is one of the most humble guys I know, but he also really inspires me. I am always blown away by his talent. He can animate smoke, fire....the list goes on. But what I love most about Dan is his voracious need to learn more. He lives and breathes animation, and his enthusiasm for his art form really inspires you to get moving on your own!

DF: Like anyone, I'm inspired by those who have gone above and beyond. I'm inspired by musicians, animators, actors... I aspire to be as talented as they are.

Animation by Dan Flynn

How do you stay motivated?

SS: I think having such a talented group of people as friends is what keeps me motivated. When you see your peers creating beautiful art - no matter what their art form: painting, music, dance - it really motivates you to express your own voice with your artwork. Of course, watching a Michel Gondry music video motivates me, but in a different way. It feels a little removed. You start to think to yourself, well, he has such and such budget, or he has....you start to belittle your own abilities. But seeing your peers creating art, it puts faith back in your heart and gets you revved up.

DF: The thought of creating something that people will enjoy, and something that I can be proud of is what keeps me going.

--

Check out more of Stephanie Stender's work at:
Doorstop Productions www.doorstopproductions.com. 
Youtube channel

You can follow Dan Flynn's work on his blog here.

Interview with Photographer Paris Visone

Photos: Paris Visone

“It would be easy to say my life is a constant photo session. I see the camera as...more of a limb than a prop.” - Paris Visone

Paris Visone is a photographer based out of Boston, Massachusetts. Visone told us once that Glovebox needs to do more photo shows. Actually that was what she said in an email when she said she would do an interview with Glovebox for this blog. She recently did a shoot with Blondie and won a Getty Images Editorial Grant in 2010, among her other cool projects and professions. She has a solo show coming up at Suffolk Gallery July 22nd with an artist talk. More info on that here.

Paris is a straight shooter (no pun intended). At least that was my first impression of her about 3 years ago when she participated in the Glovebox photo show, Focus. She’s a cool chick and she knows it. I spoke to her about her spunk and her skill recently.

GLVBX: Tell me about your personality and how you would classify the type of person you are to work with.

PV: I am definitely a "let it flow" type of personality. And maybe a little loud at times. I do things seriously, but I don't take myself too seriously. Working with me, hanging out with me, there's really no distinction between the two.  "Working" just means we're actually getting something done.

What would a shoot with Paris Visone be like?

I do a lot of shooting from the hip. So it might seem like I am distracted by a situation and not actually shooting. I get a lot of "Oh, you should take a photo of this" from people who don't see that. While they're thinking I'm not doing my job, I wait for photos to happen. The over-presence of a camera can completely alter a situation. I try to stay as "real" as I can.

Tell us how your personality affects your work? Do you think it effects the quality of the shot?

Personality has a lot to do with the photos that you get. You can be standing right next to someone with the same camera and get totally different photos. I shoot with a 24mm lens. This forces me get close to my subjects, which works since I would say that I'm an in-your-face kind of person. Standing across a room with a paparazzi lens to get that candid shot is poor form compared to a subtle wide-angle shot in the midst of the moment. I like to be all up in the situation, rather than stalk it. The more connected you are to your subject, the more confident you become, and that will show in your photos.


I want to ask you about your artist statement. I think you have a really interesting artist statement for a documentary photographer - you end with three words: Experience, Remember, Relive.

Experience--How do you experience a photo session? Are you living it with the camera by your side as a “prop” or are you experiencing the situation through your lens?

It would be easy to say my life is a constant photo session. I see the camera as my replaceable baby. So maybe more of a limb than a prop.

This relates back to my earlier question -- what role does Paris play in how the session plays out?

I really try not to interfere in a way that a photographer normally would. I have a sort of old school documentary outlook on photographing. Even when shooting with a bulky large format camera, I usually stick to normal conversation. I just feel like you have to let people be themselves in front of the lens. Sometime I will get the question, "What should I do?" My answer is usually, "Whatever."  If you give people the confidence that what they already are is what you want, they unknowingly give you the goods.

Remember--When you take a photograph, is your intention to freeze a moment in time? It is a nostalgic exercise?

For me, clicking the shutter is more of an impulse thing. Usually while photographing I have no preconceived notions. I see something that I think is "worth photographing", and I shoot. I know immediately if I like it without even looking at it.

Why I like it is a totally different story. I usually have to live with a photo for awhile before I can really wrap my head around why I took it.  And there a lot of photos that I am in love with, and years later I still don't know why. I think those might be my best. Or worst.

I wouldn't say that I am sentimental in the traditional sense. But I would say that I am somewhat nostalgic, although photography is not for me to generate nostalgia. I shoot because life simply compels me to.

Relive--What does this sentiment mean, to relive? Are you reliving the moment through the eyes of the author (you) or is someone reliving a memory? Explain this idea to me--how important is it for you to be able to relive moments.

One of my intentions is to let the viewer make the photo their own. I love when people tell me that they know a version of someone in one of my photos. Or they feel that they have been in the same place or situation. I really like shooting everyday moments, because it is usually the first thing people forget, but ultimately what makes someone who they are.

But personally, relive is simple. It stems from the fact that I have a terrible memory. If I don't photograph something, according to my brain, it might as well not have happened. Reviewing photos is how I live my life, not how I review it. You could say that what reliving is for most people, is simply living for me. Life is photo.

Paris Visone Photography tee seen here modeled by Matt Katz-Bohen, keyboard player for Blondie (left)

Check out the Paris Visone Photography tees - send Paris a photo of you wearing your tee shirt and she'll post it! More information after these Blondie photos!!

Paris Visone Photography

Upcoming solo exhibition at Suffolk Gallery -- July 22, 2011

Check  out Paris on Facebook and Twitter

Inspiration: Liz Comperchio

Inspiration

1. Environment: It's easy to be inspired by your surroundings, but how does one create a piece of artwork that is reminiscent of that inspiration. I am especially inspired by Dale Chihuly's work and how he places his work in environments. It's striking.

2. Space: Similar to environment, space is relating to one's self and one's perception of how much, or how little, space there is to occupy. Perhaps this fascination comes from living in New York City. I found Anish Kapoor's piece Memory to be especially powerful. I saw at the Guggenheim last year and could not stop staring into the black abyss. Impossible to squeeze by, it looked like a sad vessel, stuck in a room too small. 

3. Color: I have been inspired by bolder colors. Again, seeing Dale Chihuly's work at the Boston MFA was inspiring because I generally lean towards a muted color palette. There is something incredible powerful in bold, dynamic color palettes that are done well. It's tricky, it doesn't always work!

4. Neon: I've been dying to do something with neon. I think I'm getting closer... There is something surreal and "out-of-this-world" about the glow of a color. Although neon isn't a new medium, and we see it everywhere, it's still so powerful when used discriminatly.

5. Nests: I don't know if I will ever stray from loving nests. There is so much symbolism in the structure. The dialogue can go on for ever and ever.

photo credit: www.chihuly.com, http://www.flickr.com/photos/robherr/777305970/ , Richard Schilling via http://3.bp.blogspot.com, Rebecca Louise Law, Jody Joyner via www.sprig.co.za, Anish Kapoor via blog.illumind.com and testingartcritical.com

Inspiration: Christina Watka

1. Olafur Eliasson
2. Judy Pfaff
3. color
4. manipulated materials
5. layers

Interview with Director of FilmShift: Part I

"After seeing an entertaining film, I feel motivated, fired up, open to new ideas and new possibilities."- Jeremy Jed Hammel, Director of FilmShift

While doing research for the Glovebox Short Film and Animation Festival, we started emailing and talking to other film festival directors to see what works for them. As we introduced ourselves and met people from the community, we were pleasantly surprised to be welcomed with open arms. We connected with Jeremy Jed Hammel, the Director of FilmShift and the FilmShift Festival in Boston, Massachusetts. 

The FilmShift Festival is a grassroots organization that supports and promotes independent films, filmmakers and small businesses. Their mission is to find shifts, both big and small, in the art world and the local community and to highlight the success of these independent artists and entrepreneurs. The FilmShift Festival champions films from across the nation, films that are produced independently and on the local level by professionals and students using predominantly small or “green” businesses. Hammel, always the philanthropist, donates 20% of the festival’s gross ticket sales to non-profit groups. We applaud his effort and look to this veteran festival for mentorship as they lead by wonderful example. Hammel was kind enough to speak with us on the phone, answering questions and doing an interview for our blog readers. He gave us so much great information that we can't wait to share with you. We are sharing the interview in 2 parts because there is so much good stuff we want to highlight each issue separately. His message? We are all here to support each other.

"It's important to me that I make a positive and lasting change within my community...I want to make the world a better place, and Filmshift is my way of doing that."  - Jeremy Jed Hammel, Director of FilmShift
Jeremy Jed Hammel is a multiple award-winning filmmaker and has produced projects for The American Film Institute and NBC’s national network show, and his work has won prestigious such as Best Feature winner. (Read more about Hammel's accomplishments here.) Hammel’s latest producing project, “The Legacy,” Directed by Mike Doto, won Best Comic Related Film at the 2010 Comic Con International Independent Film Festival in San Diego.  

GLVBX: What do you do as a festival director? 
JJH: I book the venue, design (along with our web designer) and update our website, write press releases, update our social media, correspond with filmmakers, procure and coordinate our sponsors, coordinate with our judges, work with our graphic designer, web designer, and festival program designer...Organize volunteers, update each entrant with the status of their work, post our "Call For Entries" with every film office in the country as well as with colleges and industry message boards worldwide, watch every film that is submitted, set up our online ticketing interface, post our flier in businesses around the Boston area, pitch story ideas to the media and do interviews with them, do Q and A's with filmmakers at their screenings, and make sure everything runs smoothly on the days of the festival...there's some more to do in there, but that's the bulk of my work.

Wow! Do you have any spare time after that? What other projects are you currently working on?
JJH: My current producing project, “The Legacy,” Directed by Mike Doto, won Best Comic Related Film at the 2010 Comic Con International Independent Film Festival in San Diego. Doto’s previous film, the award-winning, “Peace,” is available on iTunes and stars Kurtwood Smith from “Worst Week,” and “That 70’s Show."

We know Hammel is a busy guy, proven by the number of projects and accolades in his repertoire. A number of Hammel’s screenplays have won awards in screenplay competitions across the country, including one of his screenplays that made to the Top 15% (out of 5500) screenplays for The Academy’s 2008 Nicholl Fellowship! Hammel has worked in every area of film/TV production, in nearly every capacity.  His crew credits, among other things, include the critically acclaimed hit series, “ER”. Hammel tells Glovebox, 

 "Filmshift has given me the opportunity to bring together my love of film with my desire to make the world a better place."  

Why did you start FilmShift/FilmShift Festival?

JJH: It's important to me that I make a positive and lasting change within my community...I want to make the world a better place, and Filmshift is my way of doing that.  Filmshift combines a few things that I am passionate about with what I am most qualified to do: I feel that it is vitally important that we all donate a portion of our time and/or money to charity, so 20% of our gross ticket sales will go to a local charity called Christopher's Haven.

I am convinced that locally-based, small businesses will save our country both from this current economic downturn and from losing our diverse national identity.  So, I feel that sparking a dialogue with members of the community about how local and green business can help is imperative. Organizations like one of our media sponsors, Somerville Local First, and our Presenting Sponsor, The Longfellow Clubs, as well as our audience raffle sponsor, Cambridge Naturals, have been doing great work within the communities around the Boston area. Their hard work, passion, and leadership inspired me to frame my film festival around local and "green" issues.
Lastly, I believe that entertaining and thought-provoking films can inspire change not just on a grand scale, but within ourselves individually.  For me personally, after seeing an entertaining film, I feel motivated, fired up, open to new ideas and new possibilities...and if I didn't enjoy the film, then I want to find a way to try to do it better...but either way, I feel inspired after I see a good film.  My goal is to have Filmshift audiences feel that same way.

It's in my nature to bring people together, it's in my blood to be an entrepreneur, and I've spent over a decade working in both the studio and independent film/TV industry, so it just made sense to me that I create Filmshift.
What parting advice can you give us about Boston Film Festivals?
JJH: Boston and New England has so many diverse film festivals and so many passionate and talented filmmakers here in the area, I'm hopeful that collectively we can start seeing a consistent stream of high-level independent films, produced on the local level.

The one lesson that I've learned from my time in both Boston and LA is one that I cannot stress enough:  No one is going to Make It Happen except you.  So go do it.  Now.  Make your film  Just don't bet the house on it and don't expect you'll be rich and famous once you do.

Thank you Jed for taking the time to impart these words of advice that will help filmmakers and people who want to embark on putting together a local film festival. Join Glovebox at our first film festival on June 11th. More info here.