COOL FIRES

Famous instigator, cultural icon, and wild menace — fire has been re-figuring the landscape around us for hundreds of thousands of years.  Flames are a symbol of energy, passion, and fearlessness; a merciless but seductive force, spurring growth in a wake of ash. This exhibition seeks to spark a conversation about the reality and romance of fire in the city of Flint.

Unusual Operation Operation, an alternative art space, presents:

Cool Fires
07>25>14

718 Stone Street

Flint, MI

5 - 9 PM

Featuring works by:

Abe Lampert
Alexis Johnson
Ben Smith
Bryce Lamson
Eric Hinds
Hannah Kovalchek
Jake Pierson
Jon Waites
Keith Smith
Mike Lopez

Ryan Gregory

Tyler Baker

Guest curated by Nathan Dell and Melisa Morgan.

Violet

Flint, an artists play ground full of disused, vacant lots and abandoned homes. UOO ventured out and reclaimed one of Carriage Town's many empty shells and re-imagined the old building with new possibilities with their June Exhibit VIOLET.

Violet, often representing royalty and wealth was the dominant hue to inhabit a deteriorating vacant single-family home at 718 Stone St. with blooming ceiling-to-floor installations, found object sculptures and drawings of a vast violet geometric landscape. The semi-permanent exhibit will remain installed in the house to remind viewers that the left over shells are still here to be used for other purposed. 

Artists:

• Jessica Buchanan: Egg Carton Installation

• Willie Mccraw Jr: Geometric Landscape

• Klaus Pinter: Foldable Prints

• Cory Kram: Video Projection

• Melissa Morgan and Nathan Dell: Flyer Printing and Design

• Stewart//Montague: Found Object Installation

EATUP

Flyer Print by Melisa Morgan and Nathan Dell

     Photo by Thomas Murray Hutchison

May 16, 2014, Unusual Operation Operation hosted EATUP, a food focused art exhibit, that featured works from artists, local to flint, and from across the country. A collection of Images were on display as the viewer approached the  plastic wrap tent where they enjoyed La Petite Eat an experimental video by Katina Bitsicas. Nathan Dell spun the sounds while Melisa Morgan invited guests to pull their own prints designed by her and Nathan. Take some tasty treats off of Stewart//Montague's installation before sitting down to read Tasting Notes by Levi Sherman. A selection of pills by Liz Wierzbicki's was on display to treat our viewers many ailments such as, Laboremagra (treats productivity disfunction). Also on display was designed food packaging made with shaped and folded screen Prints by Jonathan Stewart.

For those who missed AIR our partially deflated balloons filled one of the spare rooms and works from shows passed are installed throughout the residency as our permanent collection. 

Install: Stewart//Montague

Images: Lillian Sidebottom 

             Leanne Pratt

Video: Katina Bitsicas

Sounds: Nathan Dell

Prints: Melisa Morgan and Nathan Dell

Book: Levi Sherman

Pills: Liz Wierzbicki

Packaging: Jonathan Stewart

Curated by Stewart//Montague

When: Friday, May 16, 6-10pm
Where: Stone Street Residency
605 Stone St. Flint, MI

If you are interested in owning your own copy of Tasting Notes by Levi Sherman order here: http://www.blurb.com/b/5121104-tasting-notes

     Photo by Thomas Murray Hutchison

     Photo by Thomas Murray Hutchison

     Photo by Thomas Murray Hutchison

     Photo by Thomas Murray Hutchison

     Photo by Thomas Murray Hutchison

     Photo by Thomas Murray Hutchison

AIR

    Photos by Lindsay Decker

April 18th, Unusual Operation Operation hosted AIR - an interactive, up-oriented art exhibit that featured hanging photos by Jewel Wilson, suspended by balloons of varied sized and elevations installed by Stewart//Montague and a sound performance by Josh McAbee, Cameron Winn, and David Slega of Thyme Fliez. Balloon sculptures by Rebecca Kiser. Sweet treats by culinary artists Chris Reynolds and Kameron Creagar.


Harold Gunderman, of Twist A Mint Balloons Saint Johns, MI, made twists for tips, displayed balloon designs, and an online project entitled Balloons Around the World.

New this month we featured a permanent piece by one of Flint's favorite artists, Pauly M. Everett, a ceiling-to-floor wall mural. You can check out more of Pauly's work on Facebook and Instagram @flintundergroundkid


Install: Stewart//Montague
Photography: Jewel Wilson

Twists: Harold Gunderman 

Paint: Pauly M. Everett

Sculptures: Rebecca Kiser
Tastes: Chris Reynolds and Kameron Creagar
Sounds: Thyme Fliez

When: Friday, April 18th, 6-10pm
Where: Stone Street Residency
605 Stone St. Flint, MI

Curated by Stewart//Montague

STACKS

Flyer design by Brooke Vander Gronden

UOO presented our March show STACKS, an exhibition that displayed a collection of paintings by Chris Reynolds and Jennifer Montague that made up a stacked installation hanging down at various heights through out the space. We had an experimental, electro-funk sound performance by Micah Wager and Terra Lockhart of Phosphor Elephants and our guests enjoyed mini Torch burger by one of Flint's favorites, the Torch Bar and Grill, grilled to perfection by Thomas Martin.

Install: Stewart//Montague
Paint: Chris Reynolds and Jennifer Montague
Sounds: Micah Wager and Terra Lockhart (Phosphor Elephants)
Tastes: Thomas Martin (Torch Bar and Grill)