“We will not go back to normal. Normal never was…”

-Sonya Renee Taylor

This quote is the embodiment of 2020. Usually by this time of year Art in Odd Places would have wrapped up it’s annual festival. The team behind the festival would be enjoying a much-deserved break and would have probably held a dinner party to celebrate another successful festival. Due to COVID-19 though, the festival has been pushed back from October 2020 to May 2021, the team is still neck-deep in planning and preparing, and no dinner parties will be held for a very long time. Much like the art and locations AiOP showcases, this year has been odd. 

Our team is composed of Ed Woodham, the founder of Art in Odd Places, and a group of powerful young women. We have 2021 Curator Furusho von Puttkammer and our Curatorial Assistants Yasmeen Abdallah, Lorelle Pais, and Natalie Ortiz. Laurie Waxman is our designer/developer, while  Amanda Wu and Taylor Ryan make up our Social Media and Public Relations branch. The team is rounded out by Hannah Waskowitz, our Volunteer Coordinator, Clara Grusq, our Admin Assistant, Angela Liao, our Photo and Video manager and Eve Doudnique our InternOu. 

Behind any festival or show is the Curator. So for this blog post, we decided to have Furusho von Puttkammer give some insight into her connection to the festival. 

Photo includes: Furusho vo Puttkammer

What does AiOP mean to you?

 Art in Odd Places’ meaning is simply in the name for me. AiOP is about taking art outside of the galleries and museums, and bringing art out onto the streets of New York City. In the past couple of decades, art has become increasingly removed from everyday people. You walk into a gallery and you need an MFA + a dictionary in art speak just to understand what message the artist is trying to convey with their work. The art world has become increasingly elitist and inaccessible. AiOP rebels against that and acts as a tribute to the DIY Punk nature of old school NYC performance art. We’re accessible in multiple ways. Not only is the festival free to apply to and free to view and attend, the artists we work with align with our anti-elitist nature. We are here first and foremost to bring art to the masses. 

How did you hear about AiOP?

I had heard of AiOP since moving to NYC seven years ago, but I only first became involved with the festival in 2018. I was at an art opening and was introduced to Katie Hector, who was on the 2018 Curatorial Team for AiOP. After discussing the festival, she mentioned AiOP’s need for volunteers and I quickly jumped on the opportunity. In 2018 I was a volunteer and in 2019 Curator LuLu LoLo asked me to return as the Volunteer Coordinator. About halfway through the pre-production planning of 2019, I was asked to also take on the role of Curatorial Assistant. In 2020, I was asked to come back as Curator. 

Photo includes: Furusho von Puttkammer and artist Henrietta Mantooth

Because you have been a part of AiOP for a few years what is your favorite memory associated with the festival?

I’ve had so many positive memories associated with AiOP, but I think the #1 memory is when one of our artists needed a volunteer performer for his performance. His piece was about the voicelessness of those incarcerated in the US prison system and he needed a volunteer to act as a performer who would ask him a series of questions that he, as the prisoner, could not respond to. I volunteered to be the reporter and made my AiOP performance debut with Susan Fettuccine, your ditzy local neighborhood reporter. I slapped on a blond Party City wig and some blush and asked the questions in the most nasally, annoying voice I could think of. I loved every bit of it, and it was fun to inject a little humor in an extremely heavy piece. 

Close second would have to be on the last day of the festival last year in October 2019. The AiOP curatorial team all ended up meeting at Coppelia’s on 14th and 7th ave. It was a cold, rainy day and Coppelia’s was a haven from the weather. We didn’t plan to all meet there, we just all showed up around the same time in small groups. We combined our tables and spent hours drinking and eating and discussing the festival. All the stress from the last few months was gone and we could finally relax. It was such a fun time. 

How does your performance practice relate to AiOP’s performance practice? 

My personal performance practice is very closely related to AiOP’s message. I take on the role of my performance character Anchovy, a cartoonish mime, and put the character in increasingly frustrating situations. Anchovy trying to open a door painted onto a wall, trying to push a button that’s -just- out of reach, trying to fall asleep while wracked with insomnia, etc. At the core, my performances highlight the absurdity of our frustrations. How we tend to set ourselves up for failure, or how we get worked up over situations that are out of our control. I think the absurdity and playful nature of my performances is very much inline with the spirit for Art in Odd Places.

Any last comments? 

We love you NYC. Stay safe, wear a mask, and practice social distancing. We’ll be doing our part to ensure that all our viewers and performers stay safe this year as well. 

We are beyond excited for the festival. With this year’s pool of incredible artists, we hope to show how NORMAL never was. 

If you would like a more in depth conversation with the earlier stages of our team, you can check out our interview with BUST magazine:

Photo includes: Ed Woodham, LuLu LoLo, Barbra Lubliner, Billy X. Curmano, Furusho von Puttkammer, Laure Droguol and Joshua Suzanne from Rags a Go Go