The End of the 1000 Avatars Exhibit

Gracie Kendal, the artist behind the "1000 Avatar Project," ended her most famous art exhibition on Sunday June 3. But before she took down the pictures, she held one last party there with song, dance, and fun. And being an artist, Gracie made the very end of her Project a show of art in itself.

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"1000 Avatar Project" to Close

Gracie Kendal, known as Kristine Schomaker in real life, announced yesterday her "1000 Avatar Project" will soon be taken down from the Grid. Starting in October 2010, she had taken her 1000th avatar picture by Jan 2011 and kept on going to 2000, which she reached later that year.

I want to thank you all so much for your love and support in following and being part of the 1000+ Avatar Project. I am so very proud of the work I have created here and I am glad I have been able to share it with the Second Life community. I think the work speaks for itself in showing the wonderful diversity that we all share here. The lives we create and live and the imagination that you all have shared shows that Second Life is much more than… well the media makes it out to be. I am proud to be a member of the Second Life community and I will continue to pass on its wonders, its capabilities and I will continue to forge ahead as one of the pioneers of this new media art form.

The project has gone through so much since it started in October 2010. I have published 2 books, the installation itself has moved several times and most recently I created a mixed reality installation/performance using a selection from the project in an exhibit in Los Angeles and Second Life.

The whole experience of shooting the portraits, working with my great friend Nikki on publishing the books, putting together the RL/SL art installation and standing back to see what I have done is something I will never forget. I have met so many amazing people along the way. more then 2000 of them )

Some people have asked me, why I don’t go for 3000 or 10,000 avatars now. At first I kind of laughed it off and said… we’ll see. But as with my paintings, I know when I am finished. It is just a feeling you get. You look at the work you have created and you just know. It is done.

One can read more about the "1000 Avatar Projec"t at http://1000avatars.wordpress.com/. One can also read about Gracie Kendal's "My Life as an Avatar" project at http://graciekendal.wordpress.com/.

Gracie's exhibits will remain up until June 3, 2012. Until then, people can check out her "100 Avatar Project" at the Coyote sim (95, 166, 1430), and her real-life/Second Life installation at Seraph City (137, 206, 107) where her recent performance art crossing the real and virtual worlds took place. On the last day, there will be a farewell party at both locations from Noon to 3PM SL time. It is open to all.

"Thank you again so much for your love and support!!"

Time's Almost up for the "1000 Avatar" Artist's "Crowdfunder"

Last month, "1000 Avatar" artist Gracie Kendel began a "Crowdfunder" style page to finance an upcoming "mixed reality" art show in Los Angeles. She had thirty days to to meet her goal, and now time is almost up, running out at Midnight tomorrow. So far, she has raised slightly more than half of her goal, having just under a thousand US dollars left.

For those interested in contributing, Gracie's Indiegogo page can be found Here.

"1000 Avatar" Artist Starts "Crowdfunder" to take Project to Real-Life/SL Art Show

Gracie Kendel (Kristine Schomaker in real life), the artist behind the 1000 Avatar Project last year, recently contacted Second Life Newser about an upcoming project. "I am taking the 1000+ Avatars project into real-life," she explained, "My first ever solo show is coming up May 5th in LA and Second Life simultaneously." The title of his art show and "virtual dinner party," "And One Man in His Time Plays Many Parts."

I have been very lucky and honored to be invited to create a solo show - an installation/performance at Gallery 825 in Los Angeles opening in May 2012. For my upcoming show, I will bring artists together from around the world, in one space in Los Angeles, using the World Wide Web. I will transform a 700 square foot gallery space into a 1920's dining room inspired by Gertrude Sten's salsons. Opening night will see a performance involving a dinner party between artists in Los Angeles and Second Life.


To help raise a few funds, Gracie started up a crowdfunder-style project on Indiegogo, the page explaining some details :


With your support, I will be able to transform the gallery space into a 1920's dining room. The walls will be lined with 70-100 avatar portraits in different sizes, printed to look antique and framed in vintage frames. The walls will be painted and aged to a 1920's style. I will be able to purchase a vintage dining room table and chairs, chandelier, rugs, and decorations. We will be able to rent costumes for the opening night performance. There will be dinner on the table that night, wine in the glasses, and great conversation. I will be able to hire a videographer and editor for the performance, as well as buy a projector that will project Second Life clearly onto the screen. I will also be able to pay virtual rent, costumes, video streaming, and a DJ for an extension of the real life gallery within Second Life. I am also going to he hiring an audio/video engineer to create a communication.teleconference system which will allow the real dinner party participants to converse easily with the Second Life party participants.

The page also included a Youtube video (made in November), in which she described her experiences in Second Life and with the 1000 Avatar project. She talked about how people were free to redefine and express their identities in Second Life.

Gracie estimated the total budget for the project to be in the range of $10,000. She is also applying for grants and using her personal savings and credit. As of Sunday evening on Feb 12th, $480 has been raised out of a goal of $2,200. The deadline for the indiegogo fundraiser is Saturday March 10th. To help fund her project, Click Here to go to her page.

For more on Gracie Kendal/Kristine Schomaker, read her 1000 Avatar Project site at http://1000avatars.wordpress.com/ and her "My Life as an Avatar" page at http://graciekendal.wordpress.com/.

Pictures from Netera Landar, 1000+ Avatars

Bixyl Shuftan

More on the "1000 Avatar Project"

Gracie Kendal recently completed her latest "1000 Avatar Project," celebrating with a release party last Sunday. She talked with Netera Landar, going into detail about her project, what it means to her, and what she learned from it.

Read the story in Design.