Rolling with Donuts

Danny Donuts is hilarious and always has something fun and interesting to say. The man's got charisma.  Check him out in concert this Saturday, November 21.  I promise you, he'll put a smile on your face, and maybe even more. 

 

Ron (Fluxcore): What makes you laugh?

Danny Donuts: Alright, let's get one thing straight... Nobody MAKES me do anything, ok?

Actually there are Laughter Clubs and Laughter Yoga Groups that get together and laugh for no reason. It's awesome. I highly recommend them. Audiences that have that "make me laugh" attitude are the toughest audiences.

Things that trigger my laughter: anything Martin Short does, really good puns, corny humor, silly props and clever, witty lyrics.




Ron: Where did you grow up?  Where are you from?

Danny: I'm still growing up, that's a journey, not a destination. I was born in Ottawa, Illinois which is about 80 miles southwest of Chicago. I lived in the country surrounded by corn fields and bean fields. I attribute that to my active imagination.

Ron: Why Donuts?

Danny: I know, right? There are so many more nutritious ways to start your day yet people still flock to the donut shop for their daily donut and jolt of caffeine. You all should be ashamed of yourselves! Oooh, hey, I never thought of that. Donuts and coffee are addicting. Yes! If I can convince the world that they need their daily dose of Danny Donuts... I could be extremely wealthy! What's that? How did I become Danny Donuts? Now that's a good story. My dad's high school nickname was Donuts because it rhymes with Raudonis and my mom's family ran Spence's Bakery in Ottawa, Illinois. Lots of kids like going over to grandma's house... my grandma's house was a bakery! No one knew how to spell or pronounce "Raudonis" and it certainly wasn't memorable, so choosing "Danny Donuts" as my stage name was probably the most brilliant move I made as a performer.

Ron: What is your dream job?

Danny: I have so many interests, and I've already held several dream jobs. I figured out I have to create an umbrella soooo big that I can fit all of my dream jobs underneath it. Currently I'm producing my TV show and music comedy career and developing a comic strip. My day job just gets in the way and holds me back, so I'm constantly creating ways to get paid to play. 

Ron: What is your favorite thing about performing?

Danny: The adrenaline rush, being appreciated for my self-expression, connecting with audiences. That's three things isn't it?

Ron: What do you have too many of in your house?

Danny: Servants. They're always bothering me..."Anything I can do for you Mr. Donuts?" "What would you like me to do next, Mr. Donuts?" "I drew your bath for you, sir."

Ron: Please complete this sentence - "What the world needs is..."

Danny: people pursuing their passions and doing what they love to do. Critics who find fault in this thinking will say "yeah, but no one would want to do the crappy jobs." Hermie, the elf from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer had this cool job of making toys but he just wanted to be a dentist and in the movie "UHF" Stanley Spadowski (Michael Richards before he was Kramer on Seinfield) was given the awesome opportunity to have his own TV show and he agreed as long as he could still be the janitor, so I think even the crappy jobs would get done.



Ron: What was your most memorable experience on stage?

Danny: Oh, do I have to pick just one? There are three from The Fest for Beatles Fans (thefest.com) that come to mind. My first time performing there, I wasn't even a performer- more of a cartoonist and prop builder. I entered a contest to get up and sing a Beatles song. I did a parody of "Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds" called "Lucy is Disguised as Linus". I had all these props, puppets and drawings. I was really nervous but when I got my first laugh, I had this out of body experience and I don't even know how I finished the song! I got a standing ovation and made it to the finals. It's on YouTube.

The following year at The Fest I learned why I love performing. There is this energy transfer that goes on between the audience and performer. I would put a little energy out there and the audience responded with laughter and applause, which gave me so much more energy that I would be able to give back. I'm fascinated by this.

And then this year I'm up on stage  singing my songs and was fortunate to be backed up by all these awesome musicians. Steve Holley from Wings, Paul McCartney's former drummer sat in with us and Glen Burtnik who played with Styx jumped up on stage and started playing bass. These guys sounded great!  


Ron: Do you consider yourself famous?

Danny: I was walking downtown and a Segway Tour went by. The leader pointed me out and said "There's Danny Donuts. That's really his name." I have no idea how he knew me. And then I was at a Weird Al Yankovic concert in Des Moines, Iowa and after the show people are yelling to me, "Danny! Danny!" I had never been to Des Moines so I found that odd. They said they go to The Fest for Beatles Fans every year. I don't know if that qualifies as being famous, but have you ever been pointed out on a Segway tour or recognized at a Weird Al Yankovic concert??

Ron: Haha!  That's cool.  I would consider that criteria for being famous.  Tell us about your new CD and show.

Danny: On Saturday, November 21 I'm having a CD Release Party and Music Comedy Concert at The Irish Times in Brookfield, Illinois. "Crabby Road" is my second music comedy CD and this one is a parody medley of the entire Beatles "Abbey Road" album. I don't know if anyone has ever done a parody of an entire album. I turned it into a Christmas music album too. I did the artwork for the cover. It's been about 10 years since I've done cartooning so that was fun.  I'm also having "Donuts on Ice" my annual ice skating party at Millennium Park on December 2nd and "The Danny Donuts Holidaze TrolleyDaze Lights Tour" on December 12th. You can get details on all my Holiday Happenings at DonutsnJoe.com  I also released a DVD of my TV show, "Rolling With Donuts" a few months back. Check out RollingWithDonuts.com  It's a travel show where I go to the quirkiest festivals I can find like The Turkey Testicle Festival (Great Thanksgiving viewing).

Check these sites out:
DannyDonuts.com
YouTube.com/DannyDonuts
YouTube.com/DannysDonutShop (Kids TV Show)
YouTube.com/RollingWithDonuts  (Travel Show)
MySpace.com/DannyDonutsMusic
Become a Facebook Fan of Danny Donuts

Dolan Geiman is One of a Kind

I met Dolan Geiman back in 2004 at a show we were both a part of for the Chicago Cultural Center. I sat next to him during the presentation, and I remember thinking to myself that he was one of the coolest cats in the room.  He was also very genuine, witty and warm - and he had the best cowboy boots on!  I got a sense of how passionate he was about his work and art in general just by sitting next to him for a few minutes.  He is a mover and a shaker and super talented at what he does.  Dolan is one of those artists that you should really keep your eye on. 

Ron Sager (Fluxcore): When did you know you wanted to be an artist? 

Dolan Geiman: I was born as an artist, and it only took me a few years to grow into those shoes. My mother is an artist and my father a patient teacher, so I had a very inspiring upbringing in Virginia. I decided that my goal was to pursue a full-time career in art right after high school. I realized this goal in 2001, selling art and buying my groceries with that money. That’s a great feeling when you can create with your hands and survive.

Ron: Describe your work.

Dolan: My work exists in that space right before dark, and right after sunrise.  It shakes hands with the mountain man while tipping its hat to the first lady. It’s the square dancer and the caller. It’s the broken banjo string and the fingerling trout.

Ron: Who and what influences you?

Dolan: I’m influenced by just about everything.  Mostly I love to listen to bluegrass music and hear the stories those folks tell.  I’m influenced by my relatives, and by those who are possessed by a religious fervor.  The zealots.  I love someone who believes so much that it hurts. 

Ron: What was your most challenging piece of work?

Dolan: I think one of the most challenging things I have worked on recently was the project for Rockit Bar and Grill,  where I created a backbar installation using waste stream recycled metal and wood. You can see pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dolangeiman/sets/72157621886952536/

Ron: What advice can you give to emerging artists?

Dolan: The best advice I can give is to always follow up on any leads that you have.  I’d like for people to see that making art and selling it is possible. You just have to work really hard and really love doing it.  If you are in art school, you should drop out. They aren’t going to teach you how to sell your art or make a living making art. Galleries are dead, and the oceans are dying, so stop eating seafood.  I think that sums it up.    Seriously, though, if you are in art school make sure you ask the professors to help you achieve what you want.  Don’t let them be lazy, and don’t skip class.  For those emerging artists who are tired of trying hard to sell their art, I would say keep trying, don’t give up.  It’s a new day for art.  The world understands that art is necessary, so keep making it. And if you do give up, call me, I might be interested in buying your supplies.

Ron: Tell us about your creative process.

Dolan: I used to keep sketchbooks in old found books and I’d work from those sketchbooks all the time.  After a while  though, I started spending more time working in the sketchbooks and less time on my other works.  Once the idea of the artist’s sketchbook became hip and a few had been published, I decided to stop all that nonsense and just make everything that came to my mind.  So now, when I get an idea, I just make it happen. I’ve made about 10,000 pieces of art to date, only a portion of these have been documented, but I love them all.Ha! I have a studio in Bridgeport where I can keep all of my stuff: old scraps of wood, rusted pieces of sheet metal, broken pieces of train yard glass, bins of ripped burlap bags, animal skulls.  These are my materials, and I keep then all ready to go.  When I  get an idea, I’ll grab a few scraps and strings and nails and then start making something.  I like my process to be fluid so I try to get the ideas out of my head and into a tangible form as soon as possible.  There’s no such thing to me a something coming out right or wrong.  If I can make it, it’s right.  That’s not to say that I don’t have less successful days, I just consider the less successful days like exercise for the larger marathon of art making.

Ron: Tell us about your involvement with the Renegade Art Fair.

Dolan: I’ve been participating in the Renegade Craft Fair since its beginning.  My involvement with the show is only as a vendor, though one of our former employees, Danny Orendorf, now co-directs the fair.  As far as the DIY movement is concerned, I think it’s been a wonderful thing for Chicago.  I was really into the idea of a lot of artists working hard trying to make a living off of their own handmade stuff. Now it’s gotten way too hip for its own good, but that’s all right because it’s an art movement and it’s been fun to see it.  I was a little unsure about participating when the show first started, because at the time I was selling my art on the streets in Wicker Park and I didn’t want to have to pay for a spot a few blocks away. But it turned out alright.

Ron: What is your life long dream?

Dolan: I’m going to have a nice old farm house near the Tye River in Virginia one of these days.  It’s one of the most beautiful spots in the world, far as I’m concerned. Oh, and I’ll be making homemade ice cream in that house.  Peach.  And catching smallmouth bass in the river.
 
Ron: What impresson would you like to leave with your audience?

Dolan: I’d love for people to be inspired to make art and to keep working hard.  I work longer hours than anyone I know, but that’s only because I love what I do.  I want people to see that making a living from making art is a reality.

Ron: Tell us about your holiday sale

Dolan: Every year , I discount everything in my online Etsy shop right before the holidays. This year, our sale will kick off on Wednesday, November 18. Subscribers to our e-mail newsletter receive special deals and discounts so head to the website and sign up if you’re not yet a subscriber.

Check out www.dolangeiman.com and shop at a discounted price before the holidays!

Dolan will also be a part of the One of a Kind Show and Sale at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.  For more information, check out their website at www.oneofakindshowchicago.com

Art and Aldo

Aldo Castillo immigrated to the United States in 1985 where he studied at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago.  As the director of the Aldo Castillo Gallery, he has been recognized in numerous publications that have confirmed his presence as a prominent leader in the Latino community.  They have acknowledged his incessant effort to have the caliber of Latin culture and Latin cultural expression acknowledged and respected in the universal world of the arts. In April of 2000 his efforts were documented by Hispanic Magazine, which named the Aldo Castillo Gallery number 3 among its most prominent top 100 lists for the fastest growing Latino organizations in the United States.

Ron Sager (Fluxcore): What sets your gallery apart from the rest of the high end galleries in Chicago? And why?

Aldo Castillo: Our gallery is the only gallery in Chicago that promotes mainstream Latin American Art. We support both established masters and emerging talent.  We foster an understanding and appreciation for all cultures and their history through lectures, presentations, live cultural performances, classes and other events, both inside and beyond the gallery walls.

Ron: Name 3 of your favorite artists and tell us why they are your favorite.

Aldo: There is no favorite artist when representing so many and for so long. However, my favorite art is that which makes measure how intelligent human beings can be. When I first see a piece of art, I see how an artist can present an already exposed idea in a thoroughly new dimension; it can capture your attention and imagination. Then I look for things like technique and presentation and realize the level of the [artist's] commitment. I am blown away by the quality and message of the work. I am turned on by the intellect associated with a piece of art.

Ron: What do you want people to know about Nicaragua?

Aldo: Nicaragua was one of the worst victims of American invasion and the infamous Contra war. However, Nicaragua is a rich green tropical land of mountains and volcanoes, lakes and rivers, lush rain forests and broad sun swept beaches. Nicaragua is the largest of the Central American republics. Her neighbors are Costa Rica on the south and Honduras on the north. Nicaraguans have made important contributions to the development of Latin American literature and poetry. Famous Nicaraguans include the poets Rubén Darío and José Coronel Urtecho, and the writers Gioconda Belli, Ernesto Cardenal and Sergio Ramírez Mercado.

Ron: Who is someone you have always wanted to have exhibit at your gallery?

Aldo: Emerging artists from all the Central American countries. They lack international exposure and opportunities.
 
Ron: Tell us about your humanitarian projects.

 
Aldo: I have collaborated with a list of organizations: The Illinois Federation for Human Rights, Amnesty International, the Nelson Mandela Childrens Foundation, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, The Chicago Art Dealers Association, The Chicago Public Art Group, Instituto Cervantes, The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, The Chicago Public Library, The Art Institute of Chicago, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, The Names Project, The Chicago Latino Cultural Center, the Fundemuni Foundation (to help the children and families of Nicaragua overcome the devastating impact of hurricane Mitch), and Peace Parks Foundation among many others. 

I was also the Co-Chair for the opening benefit for the 1999 SOFA Art Exposition, which raised over $125,000 to benefit the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. These various commitments have garnered the attention and collaborative support of fellow human rights activists such as Nelson Mandela, Jesse Jackson, and his Royal Highness Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.

Ron: That is quite a list of incredible groups of people and it is amazing to see how much you have accomplished.  Why did you get involved with them?

Aldo: It is my duty to be helpful, and to understand that we all are one, we are all the same.
 
Ron: Can you tell us about your personal work?

Aldo: As a fine artist, I work with themes of the human figure, birds and other abstract images that express emotion through movement.  My sculptures and drawings are characterized by the power of expressive directness combined with organic form and texture. My art has been exhibited at the Popol Vuh Museum in Guatemala City and in prestigious Latin American Galleries and my work continues to gain recognition in private collections around the world.

Ron: Please compete the sentence - "In a perfect world..."

Aldo: In a perfect world, I meditate as much as I can!


Ron: What is the biggest show you have ever curated?

Aldo: As an art dealer and curator, I have curated more than 250 art exhibitions to date. I also worked with corporate art programs for companies such as Fort James Co., AMOCO Co, the CORE center, and the Northwestern Memorial Hospital among others.

Two projects of mine received the most public attention. The curatorial of the Chicago ARTEahora Art Fair – Chicago’s Only Latin American Fair. Now in its third edition, the fair attracts more than 5,000 individuals  each year. Chicago ARTEahora is an international art fair that showcases the important role Latin American Art plays in the international art arena. Chicago ARTEahora concentrates on outsider, modern, and contemporary Latin American Art. Besides the exhibition of important works of Latin American artists, there are educational and avant-garde performance events.

The other project took place at The Museum of Science and Industry on April 20, 2006. The mural, composed of 71 artists and attracted more the 300,000 people.  It was called "The Abstract Mind Mural: Art Exploring Individuals Living With Mental Illness".  The purpose of The Abstract Mind Mural is to promote awareness and understanding of  individuals living with mental illness and to demonstrate that art is a powerful healing tool. Individuals living with chronic and severe mental illness exhibiting alongside professional artists is a metaphor that people living with mental illness must stay connected with the rest of society.  

Read more about The Abstract Mind Mural Here 

Ron: Tell us about your next curated show.

Aldo: We are proud to announce the first collaboration with The Palmer Gallery to showcase  "The Simple Things You See". A solo show by Justin Amundson.  The dates are November 3rd through 17th, 2009.

The show will be held at  The Palmer Gallery

233 W Huron, Chicago IL 60654

312-274-1222

www.thepalmergallery.com 

Information about Justin Amundson: 

Justin Amundson was born and raised in rural Wisconsin in the small town of Northfield. His life growing up was always full of artistic endeavors. As a child he was inspired by his mother's painting and quickly took to his own creative outlets. His youth was filled with drawing, painting, sculpting, and music.

Amundson graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Madison with a degree in music education. Following college he worked as a musician, educator, and for a time, as a pastry chef in a well-known Madison bakery, the Ovens of Brittany. Leaving Wisconsin, Amundson moved to Chicago to pursue an education and career in interior design. 

Today Amundson lives in Chicago and works as an interior designer as well as an artist. His style has evolved over the last several years to what it is now: images that are simple and modern, calm and quiet yet full of energy. Often bold colors matched the shapes drawn from nature; green fields, forests, water, and bright blue sky.

Ron: What is next for you?

Aldo: I will continue to fulfill the mission of the gallery.  I will curate the third edition of Chicago ARTEahora. I will soon be hanging my upcoming event:

December 4th, 2009- January 30, 2010
The Art of buying Art - Important and Collectable original art

Looking for artwork of your own, perhaps start a collection of original contemporary art?  How do you start? 

Opening Reception Friday, December 4th, 5:30 -8:30 pm

THE ALDO CASTILLO GALLERY
675 North Franklin Street   Chicago, IL 60654
Tel:  (312) 337-2536   Fax:  (312) 337-3627

info@artaldo.com
Open 11 - 6 pm Tue-Sat, 11-4 summer hours,  or by Appointment