Betty Tureaud’s LEA27

By Gemma Cleanslate


“I have packed my suitcase

walk out the door without looking back
Leaving hopelessness and take the bus
to the city

With the hope of a better life
I stand in the dust, waiting for the door to open
on the way to the city

My last money is used for a plane ticket

Hope and uncertainty awaits me in the foreign
I am on my way without looking back.”  

This is Betty’s poem and vision, as expressed in the invitation I received.

What a surprise I had when I visited Betty Tureaud’s installation, The City, in LEA27. I had  stopped by about two weeks ago and roamed the city, however, not enough it seems. The entrance is a desolate desert  landscape littered with animal skulls and other remnants of the past. I was instructed to board a plane I could see in the distance so made my way there .

After landing and making my way to the distant city, I rezzed a plane and circled around  to see all the different stark white buildings. There are many copies of important buildings you will find in various cities around the globe and some by architects of note, all gathered here for you to click and learn . I walked the streets and viewed some sculptures in the squares. I took a trip to the top of one building to peer down. Then began the surprise. I found a building on the outskirts with an glowing orange door. This was a tp to the beginning of what turned out to be  distinctly different and enjoyable levels to explore. So the city became more of a city than I expected. 

I visited all the levels and enjoyed each one, distinctly different and interesting. As I reached the last level, another surprise. I entered the next sim to find it also was part of this same endeavor. Betty was near so I reached out to her for answers. She explained that this is a collaboration with four artists in four LEA attached sims. Tansee had the one that I landed in from Betty’s. The other two connected sims have the work of Gem Priz and Mandel Solano. 

I was able to make my way to several of Tansee’s Dimensions (there are ten) but have decided to do my article before I continue.  As you know Tansee is a master of particles, and they are evident in her enticing dimension.  There is so much to see and do in all the sims and I want you to be able to get there and start your  journey through. I can’t wait to have the time to continue on my own travels. I will be going to Gem’s after March 7 since there is a change of the presentation taking place on that date. 'Wrecks' opens then.  

http://slurl.com/secondlife/LEA27/164/159/1003   Follow the footsteps to the plane. Bon voyage!

Gemma Cleanslate

Calas Galadhon's Wine Bar and Gallery

By Gemma Cleanslate

After reading Alysabelle‘s article on Glanduin, and feeling the need for a taste of spring during these months of winter I wandered over to the newly reopened Calas Galadhon sims to enjoy the feeling and take a horseback ride. I heard that the Gallery has a new wine bar so stopped off there to check it out. The building is not far from the entrance.

 While there I took a tour of the artists showing their work there now and it was a delightful experience. On the first floor Hamish Blakely is exhibiting his works. I found them absolutely lovely. Most of the works are of dancing pairs in Argentine tango from various views. Each seems to be so alive and moving gracefully in the dance. Hamish is a prolific artist who has shown works in many museums and galleries. He lives in the UK and is a contemporary realist. I sat for a while enjoying his works. I took a look at his website to see other works he has created aside from the dancers. They are lovely especially the Angel collection. 

On the upper floor there is another prolific artist, Paul Van Ginkel displaying his work. I say prolific because his exhibit includes delicate flowers, portraits of flamenco dancers, and many, many horses, from rearing colts, horses with riders to herds of horses thundering across the rivers and plains. I spent a lot of time here too looking at each piece. There are several portraits of Native Americans that I found very beautiful. Paul lives in Canada and has a gallery in Calgary which is considered the “west” of Canada. Of his work he says, “I feel each painting is a creative expression similar to a piece of music, dance performance or poetry. For me, the symbolic ritual of signing the painting represents the completion of the creation, however, also the beginning of its long journey through an unknown future.” and says he is still evolving. 

Near the entrance to the Wine Bar there is also a vendor containing some lovely tapestries from the Calas sims. Don’t miss that on the way by. I picked up a tapestry of a Great Blue Heron. The new wine bar is conducive 

Proceeds from the sales of any item go  to support the Calas Sims which are free for all to enjoy. The owners maintain these sims for the pleasure of those in second life without sales or rentals. Stop into the Gallery and enjoy.  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Calas%20Galadhon/50/96/22

Gemma Cleanslate