NOTE: Text is unedited. No external email. No telephone.
This is the complete communication/transaction.
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“Kaba, Fanta” fkaba@uic.edu 5/21/2007 11:59 AM
from the African-American Cultural Center at UIC
Dear Artist, I am trying to be in contact with artists who are willing to exhibit at the African-American Cultural Center at UIC. If you are interested, just let me know. I am the assistant of the director and my job is to promote artists coming to our center. My phone number is 312 996 3312 and my email is: fkaba@uic. edu. The best contact is the email. Thank you and hope to read you soon. Fanta.
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travis 5/25/2007 1:58 PM
Re: from the African-American Cultural Center at UIC
Dear Fanta Kaba:
I am interested.
My Web site: www.travistravis.com
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thank you./travis
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>>> “Kaba, Fanta” <fkaba@uic.edu> 8/22/2007 9:51 AM >>>
Dear Travis,
First of all, I have to apologize for not answering on time. Summer
vacation was on its way. Thank you for responding to my request. Before
going further, I would like to know if you are a resident of Chicago. If
yes, Is it possible to meet? The aim is to give you information pertinent
to exhibiting with us. For good I am in my office although half-time.
Thank you and have a great day. Fanta (312 996 3312).
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travis 8/22/2007 11:17 AM
Re: from the African-American Cultural Center at UIC
Hello Fanta:
1. Yes, I am a resident of Chicago.
I own 2113 East 98th PLACE/60617
2. Yes, I would love to meet at
2113 East 98th PLACE
WHEN?
Tuesdays Idevote entirely to art. 2PM-
Sat./Sun (unless I am traveling) 2PM-
Please see: www.travistravis.com UPCOMING
Also, please see the Link MY GARDEN
Feel free to email me the
“information pertinent to exhibiting with [Af-Am. Cult. Ctr.].”
Thank you.
/travis
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>>> “Kaba, Fanta” <fkaba@uic.edu> 8/23/2007 10:01 AM >>>
Dear Travis,
Good! I am happy that you are a resident of Chicago. What I mean by
meeting is to meet me at UIC at the African-American Cultural Center. Let
me know when you are available and when you can come. The sooner the
better. Thank you for your willingness to exhibit with us. Have a great
day. Fanta.
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travis 8/23/2007 2:26 PM
Re: from the Af-Am. Cult. Ctr.
Fanta:
Although I am very disappointed that you
are not interested in my art, I can visit you,
at UIC, Tuesday, 28AUG07.
What time please?
Please send me whatever “information” I require regarding exhibiting in your space. Either email or fax. (FAX: 773.256.5311).
As a professional, I am sure you understand that I like to be prepared when I walk through your door.
=I am sure you noted, from my Web site, =I am performing at Elastic Arts Friday night =9PM sharp!
Thank you./travis
www.travistravis.com
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“Kaba, Fanta” fkaba@uic.edu 8/27/2007 10:32 AM from the Af-Am. Cult. Ctr.
Dear Travis,
You art is my interest, and it is why I am in contact with you. However, I cannot go in your place. What I will ask you to do, is to bring a portfolio with you, since you want to see me, tomorrow Tuesday around 11 am or 12 pm as you like. After admiration of your work, I will give you the information related to exhibiting with us. Hope you did not suffer damages from Thursday storm. Thank you and good day. Fanta. P.S: Are you familiar with the University of Chicago at Illinois area. If yes, you have a visitor parking on Halsted coming from the East. When you pass the new recreatin center on your left, on Halsted, you have a parking divided in two. One is for the visitors. You have my number (312 996 3312).
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From: travis Monday - August 27, 2007 6:55 PM
Fanta:
Looking over our correspondence, it is clear I do not understand your email.
Bottom Line: Tomorrow at NOON I must drive to your office at UIC with ONE purpose only: To collect “the information related to exhibiting with [the Af-Am Cult. Ctr.].”
Please forgive me, but this somehow doesn’t make sense. You have my email address, and you have my FAX number.
1. I am mystified by your statement: “I cannot go in your place.”
2. In your very next sentence you ask me to “bring a portfolio….” but you do not indicate what you want to see from my substantial oeuvre. Again I am mystified, as I do not know what kind of show you are curating, or, indeed, if you are the curator.
3. What kind of show are you curating? What kind of art work are you looking for? I am a painter (in several idioms and genres). I paint every day 6AM-9AM. I am also a Performance Artist (since 1980). I am also an Installation Artist (since 1980). And I have presented my work both in international venues, and many times at UIC over the past 27 years. Unless you are new to curation, and/or museology, you are well aware, from reading my BIO and my STATEMENT that a simple “portfolio” request from me insults Black Culture, although maybe not “African-American Culture.” I am BLACK and Native American! So: What, precisely, do you want from me? I think you will agree that business is more expeditiously served when both parties ask direct questions and receive direct answers. Since I don’t know what you want, and because you did not broach the issue of a portfolio until today, I will not waste both your time and mine by bringing a 15-minute smattering of my work; work in which you may have no interest. If you are serious about perusing a portfolio from me, what follows is a proposal:
4. PROPOSAL; (a) Please tell me what you want to see, and/or what are your areas of CRITICAL expertise, academic scholarship and research or intellectual curiosity. (b) I will gladly display/present .JPGs, videotape and original work on paper, canvas, wood and metal. (c) My portfolio production could be presented in any theatre, classroom or outdoor space at UIC (your African-American Cultural Center gallery is not large enough for my portfolio). (d) IDEA: Shall we show my portfolio in UIC’s Gallery 400. I have lectured and performed in Gallery 400, as recently as 30JUN07. ADDRESS: Gallery 400, Univ. of IL at Chicago, College of Architecture and the Arts, 400 S. Peoria Street (MC 034). Otherwise, you name the DATE/TIME/PLACE, and I will provide the portfolio. (e)Because much of my work includes my ORIGINAL spoken word and my ORIGINAL sound environments with my ORIGINAL music performed solo as well as in collaboration with professional musicians, I propose a portfolio which brings the art historian a memorable sense of my oeuvre, though it barely cracks the door. (Otherwise, what is the purpose of a portfolio?) I can produce as much documentation of my work as you like, in the media of your expertise. (f) I accept your “portfolio” challenge.
5. REFERENCES: Since you “cannot go in [my studio],” and since you will not send a representative to my studio, I ask that you contact the following respected curators/collectors who have visited my studio. If you require more REFERENCES, please say so.
a. Patric McCoy/Collector patricmccoy@mac.com
b. Faheem Majeed, Curator
South Side Community Art Ctr/Chgo faheem@4annesu.com
6. It now seems that the ONLY reason to make the trip to your office is to receive “the information related to exhibiting with [the Af-Am Cult. Ctr.].” Don’t you think that time would be more efficiently and professionally spent if you either emailed or FAXd me this information?
By the way, if you don’t have an intern or assistant to peruse studios, galleries and collections, I can volunteer a few hours each month.
/travis
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From: travis Tuesday - August 28, 2007 8:12 AM
Fanta Kaba:
You did not include your address in any correspondence to me, so, to efficiently navigate the maze of locked gates when I visit your UIC office, I went to the African-American Cultural Center Web site. Your Web site has not been updated since 2005.
1. My EMAIL address:
travis@uchicago.edu OR travis@chapinhall.org
2. My FAX number :
773.256.5311
3. My U.S. MAIL address:
2113 East 98th PLACE/Chicago 60617
In your 22AUG07 email, you indicate that the aim of our meeting serves one purpose, and one purpose only: “The aim is to give you information pertinent to exhibiting with us.”
Please use my EMAIL, my FAX or my U.S. MAIL address to send me your information. Or, if you LINK the “information” to your updated Web site, please let me know.
AFTER I have a copy of the information, I look forward to negotiating a date, time and place for our “portfolio” meeting. You are professional. I am professional. Like any other professionally executed INTERVIEW, I want to be prepared by familiarizing myself with all available information pertinent to your organization BEFORE I walk through your door. Additionally, I am still willing to volunteer time to work with the African-American Cultural Center at UIC. Both my undergraduate work and my graduate work researched BLACK culture. I graduated from Northwestern University, With Highest Distinction (Summa Cum Laude). I would be the ideal artist to display during Black History Month 2008. My BIO, and all other pertinent information, is available on my Web site, www.travistravis.com
I can provide as many local and/or international REFERENCES as you require.
I look forward to hearing from you soon. Many thanks./travis
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>>> "Kaba, Fanta" <fkaba@uic.edu> 08/28/07 10:14 AM >>>
Dear Travis,
If you are interested in exhibiting at the African-American Cultural
Center at UIC, please let me see some of your paintings (portfolio), and
give you the information related to the center. Our address:
African-American Cultural Center
University of Illinois at Chicago
830 South Halsted Street
209 Addams Hall
Chicago, IL. 60607
tel: 312 996 9549
Thank you and great day. Fanta.
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Fanta Kaba: Should I be speaking to someone else
at the African-American Cultural Center?
Do you need help? I volunteer to help the Center.
Now, in response to your original email,
I indicated on 25MAY07 that "I am interested...."
in exhibiting at the "Af-Am. Cult. Ctr.
I ask you yet again: What, repeat, what do you
want to see in a portfolio from me?
There are MANY images of my work on my Web site
www.travistravis.com
I am willing to spend an hour driving ORIGINAL paintings to UIC
if you would only tell me what, PRECISELY, do you want from me
that is not already available on my Web site?
Please help me understand you, and your management style.
I have proposed a real portfolio in your spaces, what of it?
Surely you must agree: In 2007, it is egregiously unprofessional
to spend two hours driving just to pick up slips of paper. ==
If I am missing something, please help me understand you.
Meanwhile, please send "the information related to the
center" to me at one of the following:
1. My EMAIL address:
travis@uchicago.edu OR travis@chapinhall.org
2. My FAX number :
773.256.5311
3. My U.S. MAIL address:
2113 East 98th PLACE/Chicago 60617
Thank you./travis
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