HISTORY
The idea for ABSINTHE was conceived in early 2002 in Madison, Wisconsin while I was working as a Waitress at the Orpheum Grand Lobby Restaurant. The Orpheum Theatre, 216 State Street, is a historical theater built in 1926, with "Art Deco exterior and French Renaissance interior", part of a chain of national Vaudeville theaters across the USA.
It was a beautiful space to work in and the owner at the time, one of the veterans of Madison's nightlife/dining scene, was committed to using the Orpheum Theatre as a community focused place to show films, concerts, host arts festivals, as well as offer good food and drinks. The beauty of the space and boredom during a lull during work inspired me with the idea of ABSINTHE.
Since my early 20s, I have never been a big drinker and usually for a college student (at least in Wisconsin), having "fun" meant going out to bars and getting trashed or binge drinking. But for me, I've always been more into the atmosphere/design of my surrounding and engaging in interesting conversation while having a drink or two with good company. Wisconsin is a big drinking culture place and options for a fun night out on the town without getting drunk in Madison was sorely missing. So, I decided to solve the problem by creating a fun evening, with the focus on good art, music and getting people connected. Fun night out for the geeky and creative types, essentially.
The event name ABSINTHE was an homage to the drink absinthe, an anise-flavored liquor (tastes like black licorice) made with distilled wormwood and very high in alcoholic content, which had been very popular amongst the creative set in Europe. Absinthe's association to famous European writers and artists of the 19th-20th century such as Picasso, Hemingway, van Gogh, and which inspired works by painters such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, was the inspiration behind the event name.
"Absinthe originated in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland in the late 18th century. It rose to great popularity as an alcoholic drink in late 19th- and early 20th-century France, particularly among Parisian artists and writers. Owing in part to its association with bohemian culture, the consumption of absinthe was opposed by social conservatives and prohibitionists. Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Aleister Crowley, Erik Satie and Alfred Jarry were all known absinthe drinkers [Wikipedia]."
Thus, an idea was borne, which I approached the owner about, and he graciously allowed me to implement my idea: A fun artistic night with good art + music and interesting, creative people connecting and conversing, without necessarily getting trashed.
I curated a group art show, featuring works by artists friends and artists who responded to artist call flyers posted around the University of Wisconsin-Madison Art Department.
At the time, in 2002, Absinthe was still illegal in the USA, so I did some investigation and we used a fake Absinthe liquor called Absente.
The bartender at the Orpheum came up with "Absinthe" inspired drink specials, including using a special slotted spoon and lighting a sugar cube aflame.
The very first ABSINTHE included a group art show, as well as showing a mock/satire documentary about Homeland Security, done by Peter
Conheim of the provocative, San Francisco area experimental band Negativland (who were at one time sued by the band U2.)
I had met Peter in Oakland, California, via friend Musician Dan Friel, who at the time was the Office Manager for the Madison-founded satire newspaper, The Onion, headquartered in NYC then. I met Dan Friel (of band Parts & Labor) in Milwaukee at a music showcase at a small art gallery, curated by Jon Mueller (Rhythmplex) of the band Pele, whom both Dan and I were friendly with via being part of the indie rock music scene.
The first ABSINTHE was a success, and then I threw one every few months in 2002-2003 at The Orpheum Theatre in Madison, Wisconsin. ABSINTHE was my creative baby, and it was a complete DIY sole project, with occasional help from certain talented friends, such as Chicago Musician friend Eric Quinlan. ABSINTHE events were fun events, picked as “Critic’s Pick” by local print media, The Isthmus. I left Madison, Wisconsin in 2003 and ended up in Boston. I decided to throw another ABSINTHE (while working full time at MIT) in 2008, incorporating a charity element as well as my fondness for robots this time. The last ABSINTHE event was held in the Boston area, 2008, at a bar/restaurant called
Precinct in Union Square, Somerville, Massachusetts.
It was a beautiful space to work in and the owner at the time, one of the veterans of Madison's nightlife/dining scene, was committed to using the Orpheum Theatre as a community focused place to show films, concerts, host arts festivals, as well as offer good food and drinks. The beauty of the space and boredom during a lull during work inspired me with the idea of ABSINTHE.
Since my early 20s, I have never been a big drinker and usually for a college student (at least in Wisconsin), having "fun" meant going out to bars and getting trashed or binge drinking. But for me, I've always been more into the atmosphere/design of my surrounding and engaging in interesting conversation while having a drink or two with good company. Wisconsin is a big drinking culture place and options for a fun night out on the town without getting drunk in Madison was sorely missing. So, I decided to solve the problem by creating a fun evening, with the focus on good art, music and getting people connected. Fun night out for the geeky and creative types, essentially.
The event name ABSINTHE was an homage to the drink absinthe, an anise-flavored liquor (tastes like black licorice) made with distilled wormwood and very high in alcoholic content, which had been very popular amongst the creative set in Europe. Absinthe's association to famous European writers and artists of the 19th-20th century such as Picasso, Hemingway, van Gogh, and which inspired works by painters such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, was the inspiration behind the event name.
"Absinthe originated in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland in the late 18th century. It rose to great popularity as an alcoholic drink in late 19th- and early 20th-century France, particularly among Parisian artists and writers. Owing in part to its association with bohemian culture, the consumption of absinthe was opposed by social conservatives and prohibitionists. Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Aleister Crowley, Erik Satie and Alfred Jarry were all known absinthe drinkers [Wikipedia]."
Thus, an idea was borne, which I approached the owner about, and he graciously allowed me to implement my idea: A fun artistic night with good art + music and interesting, creative people connecting and conversing, without necessarily getting trashed.
I curated a group art show, featuring works by artists friends and artists who responded to artist call flyers posted around the University of Wisconsin-Madison Art Department.
At the time, in 2002, Absinthe was still illegal in the USA, so I did some investigation and we used a fake Absinthe liquor called Absente.
The bartender at the Orpheum came up with "Absinthe" inspired drink specials, including using a special slotted spoon and lighting a sugar cube aflame.
The very first ABSINTHE included a group art show, as well as showing a mock/satire documentary about Homeland Security, done by Peter
Conheim of the provocative, San Francisco area experimental band Negativland (who were at one time sued by the band U2.)
I had met Peter in Oakland, California, via friend Musician Dan Friel, who at the time was the Office Manager for the Madison-founded satire newspaper, The Onion, headquartered in NYC then. I met Dan Friel (of band Parts & Labor) in Milwaukee at a music showcase at a small art gallery, curated by Jon Mueller (Rhythmplex) of the band Pele, whom both Dan and I were friendly with via being part of the indie rock music scene.
The first ABSINTHE was a success, and then I threw one every few months in 2002-2003 at The Orpheum Theatre in Madison, Wisconsin. ABSINTHE was my creative baby, and it was a complete DIY sole project, with occasional help from certain talented friends, such as Chicago Musician friend Eric Quinlan. ABSINTHE events were fun events, picked as “Critic’s Pick” by local print media, The Isthmus. I left Madison, Wisconsin in 2003 and ended up in Boston. I decided to throw another ABSINTHE (while working full time at MIT) in 2008, incorporating a charity element as well as my fondness for robots this time. The last ABSINTHE event was held in the Boston area, 2008, at a bar/restaurant called
Precinct in Union Square, Somerville, Massachusetts.
MISSION + VISION
To showcase interesting art that is not merely pretty or beautiful but with more SUBSTANCE behind it, whether it provokes a guttural reaction, stimulates debate, or somehow engages the audience with its beauty or new perspective; to give voice to different voices, some who may not necessarily be heard in mainstream society, whether because they are overlooked or fall outside the norm; to give exposure to Creators of all sectors, regardless of race, ethnicity, color, heritage, profession/industry, socio-economic status, class, age, gender, sexuality, religion, political affiliation, etc. Lastly, to be INCLUSIVE + DIVERSE in both curating different genres/mediums of participating artists and also the guests who attend ABSINTHE pop art events.
My vision for ABSINTHE is a mix between Andy Warhol's The Factory and the fun mingling elements in Studio 54, with a bit of smartness of TED
Talks thrown in.
I want people to have fun, enjoy good art, talk to random strangers they wouldn't normally encounter in their everyday lives and CONVERSE.
And hopefully, some future links and collaborations will come out of this crossbreed of people, gathered in one space to enjoy good art.
Thanks for your interest and reading!
Sincerely,
Joelle
ABSINTHE Pop Art Founder+Producer
My vision for ABSINTHE is a mix between Andy Warhol's The Factory and the fun mingling elements in Studio 54, with a bit of smartness of TED
Talks thrown in.
I want people to have fun, enjoy good art, talk to random strangers they wouldn't normally encounter in their everyday lives and CONVERSE.
And hopefully, some future links and collaborations will come out of this crossbreed of people, gathered in one space to enjoy good art.
Thanks for your interest and reading!
Sincerely,
Joelle
ABSINTHE Pop Art Founder+Producer