worst blogger of the decade! yes, i won the silent award!

so a lot has happened in 2 years. hmmmm. if you became my patreon supporter the skinny is laid out real thick there. but here are some more positive highlights since the last few years have been a chaotic fest of survival, joy and horror.

photo by Catherine Dee

started Party4Sadness with Siân Richards in 2020 to just friggin survive and we are doing stuff and just got a 2023 (upcoming) Creative Residency Fellowship at the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences!!!!! more later…

https://www.instagram.com/party4sadness/

2022 i got a scholarship to Penland School of Craft to study silk screen printing with John Hitchcock. check out his epic work here: https://www.hybridpress.net/

photo by Kristin Finn

i also started a partnership with film maker Cat Rider called Cazap Projects. she got me sponsored at Experimental Film Virginia July 2022 and we crushed it, creating our very metal dance film DEVOURING STONES. it is in post-production and will be ready by spring!!!

https://www.instagram.com/experimentalfilmva/

https://www.experimentalfilmvirginia.com/

also, also i worked on this song film in the pandemic with Lilly Bechtel and Cat Rider and we released it on Halloween 2022!

also, also, also i was invited to be on the board of ARTivism Virginia and they rock! artivism_virginia

photo by julie rothschild

also, also, also did a deep lab with practice of making my partnership with Julie Rothschild in the winter/spring of 2021/22 at the ADF Studios

theater of lost words/adf

theater of lost words . the beginning end :a new project directed by zap:::mcconnell and julie rothschild

in collaboration with Allison Waddell and Ray Eliot Schwartz

performed by Julie Rothschild and Caitlyn Swett, stage managed by zap:::mcconnell

Presented by The Practice of Making. In association with Chicken Bank Collective, @handproductions, CLOSE LOOK and a dream of zen monkey project. With immense gratitude to the ADF studio subsidy program funded by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation.

there was other stuff. i will add it in. sometime. and maybe even the horror….

yep. monthly encouragement to check out my patreon page. scroll down the poster to learn more:

get your #angrybunnyanimations on my PATREON PAGE!

yep. revamped my patreon page. CHECK IT OUT! and sign up to get juicy animal shorts (short videos..) and other excellent content while supporting all my artistic endeavors!

say goodbye to the fall small animal sale!

this was the last sale and it sold out!!!!!!

i friggin did it! i have an MFA in Dance Performance from Hollins University!!!!

soooo……i am back from the last summer of the low res grad program in Roanoke then Berlin, where i took class, didn’t sleep, wrote my thesis, and presented my thesis showing (check out the incredible artists who helped make it happen by awkwardly clicking below:)

all things discarded: an indwelling

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taryn griggs and chris yon go into princess/science world. bea is just around the corner.

cin is finding her fractured princess spirit

liz simmons co-created the site installations and performed

ali cheff was the gung-fu tea haus post apocalypse goddess

mikaela deighan was tea. made 100 tea cups as well

#noshowwithoutopal opal was a rock and performed, sean and erica from our cohort added their skill, taylor was an amazing intern turned performer, plus many others. more later with more pics…..

now i am in the thick of shaking off the couple o weeks of recovery i needed from one of the hardest things i have ever done. i am writing cover letters, searching for guest artist teaching gigs, applying to residencies and grants. your basic hustle. plus starting to work on the production of all things discarded:an indwelling to be performed in Winston-Salem NC and Cville VA….to start.

fall is upon us. lets glory in it!!!!

my amazing cohort at our last celebratory dinner!

Still in Grad School and finishing up!!!

Yes, the last year has been chock full of projects, mostly inside my Low-Residency MFA program at Hollins University, but not all.

Chicken Bank Collective was awarded a grant from Fonca through the Mexican Government for three Residencies in Mexico in 2018/2019: La Canasta Básica! Denisse, Gabby and Paola organized all and it was thrilling to arrive to teach, perform, learn, paint, help and whatever they needed.

site performance from CBC choreolab in Performatica

The first one was in beloved Cholula, beginning with Performatica and continuing on: we screened our films, focused on the voice, community and sound in Voces que ven, with sound baths, working with elementary kids, and movement voice workshops in this residency.

Chlitoyak locals add their voice to the murals

Then we found ourselves in Chiltoyac, Veracruz learning how to make traditional pottery and candy from the women run town center and documenting a traditional dance that the community is trying to save. All this while working with the elders and children to design and paint three murals based on the elements that were the most important to them. We ended in Xalapa teaching and screening our films in this residency: Hechas de Historias.

the women’s center who sponsored our collaboration with the Chiltoyak community

To finish with the whole project we went to San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas for: Cómo subir una montaña, where we started off as part of the Zapatista’s first film festival. Then we lead community slow walks, workshops, taught high school, screened our films and made an exhibition to close our time.

CBC dancing at the zapatista’s film festival through an invitation because of Gabby and Denisse’s film

In the midst of this, I spent the summer studying in Roanoke, VA, and Frankfurt. After returning, I jumped on board into Jennifer Hoyt Tidwell’s next Odd-Sister’s Salon, this time in the historical Woolen Mills, slated to be revamped/developed. The owner graciously let us inhabit the sprawling structure (while it was under construction) for a week, so we rolled up our sleeves, got very little sleep and created Ghosts in Reverse, as a final goodbye to the very last open industrial space available for artists in Cville. Over 20 local artists were presented throughout the space, with a taco truck and spirits for sale. Bittersweet fun for all!

Writing a yearly blog is overwhelming, so I will try to narrow it down. Here goes: I painted a lot for arts for arts sake, participated in grad school Hollins workshop retreat in NYC this winter and survived, (thanks to dear friends and affordable performances). I wrote a research paper. Went to El Paso and taught a choerolab in the World Dance Americas Alliance (WDAA) convention at UTEP with Cinthia and Julie from CBC .

our UTEP student crew making work in view of the Mexico/USA border

Had a very risky solo created with/for me by Lauren Beale and Brooke McNamara in a residence at FloorSpace in Boulder, CO. Lost two incredible people back to back: Josh Haddix and Gabe Allen. Created on land installations at CABIN with Liz Simmons and filmed with Gabby over 22 dancers inside the land sets or in Charlottesville through another week residency at Hunting Ridge. This is all part of the film: the owl of Minerva arrives only at dusk which will be featured in the live performance of: all things discarded:an indwelling. Yes, that’s my thesis. Yes, it will be toured to Charlottesville and Winston. Yes, I am tired.

surprise 24 hour layover in Iceland with Hollins classmates

To sum up: still making the thesis performance and paper, still making an one hour artist talk and finishing up other assorted school work because I leave for the last summer of school soon. Oh, and where I live, CABIN, has been under construction this whole time (don’t ask) and now it is closer than ever, with indoor plumbing and a beautiful floor.

I will update y’all about school, the film, the tour and events at CABIN when I am done with school. Wish me luck! If you want to support me going to grad school, check out my gofundme campaign:

https://www.gofundme.com/zapgoes2school

Hope everyone has a glorious end of spring into summer!

CBC and Chiltoyak locals getting their paint on!

i am going to gradute school!

yes! it's official. starting this summer i will be in Hollins University Low Residential MFA Program for Dance! so thrilled. and i need help. I recieved 2 scholarships already, yet it takes a lot to go to a program such as Hollins. Want to know more or how to help? Watch the video and then Click below!

zapgofundmeschool from zap mcconnell on Vimeo.

you can also share this link with anyone who you feel would like to support my education:

https://www.gofundme.com/zapgoes2school

tiny update the first week of 2018

this fall was a whirl wind! here are some highlights:

I created an entire art show in a week: sculpture and assemblage pieces in collaboration with Liz Simmons. The show was featured the month of November at the Delurk Gallery in Winston-Salem, NC. The title of the show was Saints of All Things Discarded and was dedicated to two dear friends I lost the month of September.

picture by Kathy Clark at Delurk Gallery...excerpt from Saints of All Things Discarded by Zap McConnell and Liz Simmons

for more info on our group show, click this:

http://www.delurkgallery.com/november-2017/

I was also able to simultaneously work on applying for the Durham Arts Council Grant and ready my CABIN art studio for the repair needed which was to begin when I returned.

In my dance residency travels I first visited Boulder, CO where I was able to teach for free 2 art classes at Watershed, an alternative high school. My host and producer of this residency was Julie Rothschild, a co-creater of chicken bank collective (CBC) and owner of Floor Space Dance Studio. We were able to screen our film  SECONDARY SUCCESSION at the Dairy Art Center. The audience gave incredible feedback and we received an amazing review. to read the review, click this:

http://presentingdenver.org/the-commentary-corner/green-needs-ash/

 

Also, within this residency me and Julie Rothschild took time to plan our dance future, including me making the decision to apply to a Low Residency Graduate program as well as looking into the three Mexico CBC residencies in 2018.

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I rushed off to Portland, where I was able to finish writing a grant for the NC Emerging artist with the help of CBC co-creator Paola de la Conche.

paola used her genius and stayed up deep into the night helping me with the application!

I got to California and immediately was able to participate in an over 30 year old Halloween Community Festival dancing as a hungry ghost. I then jumped into working with hosts/producers Azriel Lamarka and Amber Cone with making a huge community Offrenda for Dia De Los Muertos and participating with the Shadow Cabinet's Performance that framed the second screening of the film. This was a huge success. Then I taught a full Practice of Making 3 day workshop and headed back to NC.

In the beautiful North Columbia School House that hosted the workshop as well as the screening. Altar created by Amber Cone and Zap McConnell.

I arrived in time for the closing ceremonies of the art show Saints of all things discarded, which featured Future Nature performing, as well as Dark Profit. This is while I was painting 80 art for art paintings!!! and painting a whole bunch more animals for an art show I put up for the month of December in the café at the Chatham Marketplace.

I also found out that I received from The Committee for the Durham Arts Council’s Emerging Artists Program a 2017-2018 Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artists Grant the grant that I applied for in September!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Fingers crossed on the other one...and may there be more.)

there used to be another room there! torn off and in the process of repair. CABIN is getting the much needed love it deserves, yet it is a long process.

I finished my extensive application for the low res MFA. I also started working on my Patreon Account, a platform that will help support me as an artist, while demolishing the termite chewed addition to my art studio CABIN. I am currently painting more animals and digging under my studio to help with the repair in the cold cold cold. I come in from the elements and work on creating a formal portfolio and i am always working on future shows: art/dance/installation and film!

p.s. i was so lucky to also have time with loved ones during my travels and the holidays. family, friends, kin...this is the heart of it all!

before it got in the teens i was able to work outside on the beloved small animal paintings!

as always, more later!

here are some posters of my fall line up: ART FOR ART 100 animal paintings for $20, and my workshops in colorado and california...

scroll on the poster to see it. scroll on the side of the page to get to next poster! scroll on...

first colorado with the practice of making workshop and a screening of secondary succession dance film...

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and in california...

MORE TO COME!!! YEA FALL..

My Fall 2017 Residencies...and other art activites.

i just got back from painting the set of Pip and Twig with John Owen up in my sweet cville. this play is the same one i was the technical support for a year ago in the Fringe Festival in Edinboro, Scotland. Sian Richards and Kara Burke created this excellent play and i was so happy to work with the PEP crew again. I cant wait to see it this month!

i am thrilled and terrified by the line up of the next few months. many great changes! i am now on a call me to cover shifts and if i can i will/status, with my 2 local restaurant jobs: Small Cafe/ B and B, as well as Kipos. there are too many art and teaching opportunities for me to be able to keep a regular shift. soooooo, i am hustling. here's the line up:

October has me out in Boulder, CO with my beloved dance partner and chicken bank collective member Julie Rothschild. during this residency we hope to teach at a local high school, screen our feature length dance for film; secondary succession, teach our The Practice of Making workshop and have time to make some new work ourselves. maybe even a short dance film. have a hike and plan our futures together. (check WORKSHOPS in this website for the deets).

then i keep going west, hoping to have a tiny moment with dear friends and family before my next residency in San Juan Ridge, CA. there i will be dancing, teaching and making work thanks to long time collaborator Amber Cone and old school zen monkey performer friend Azriel LaMarka. and guess what? i will screen the film and teach a workshop! yep. plus, get some art making in with these 2, potentially help build an art bath house and go visit my secret love: the yuba river. November has me on the west coast all over.

before all this happens...(as in the next few weeks) i will be crushing it with, from the same planet Liz Simmons, as we make art pieces for a joint show at Delurke Art Gallery in Winston-Salem opening the month of November. we finally get to make our sculptural pieces together, using all our collected natural objects and magical treasures one finds on the side of the road or in an old barn. we will even make some collaborative pieces! thanks to Liz for inviting me to share her show. stay tuned to get more info about the opening, and the closing party!

to make all of this happen, i am also in a painting frenzy to make 100 animal paintings to sell to help subsidize my residencies. check out ART FOR ART in this website for the down-low. and low is what it is, the low low price of $20 a painting! what? get em while you can.

did i mention i am working hard to get CABIN fully functioning as my painting, sculpture, lighting, costuming, book making, drawing studio? some major repairs are simultaneously happening this fall, so its on folks.

more later on the winter, spring and performatica 2018 (yes, i am going and teaching!) and cbc activities.