Sheila Cameron (artist) explained

Sheila Cameron
Education:Loyola University Maryland
Known For:"Free Katie"
Movement:DANK (Do Art Now Kids)[1]
Website:Sheila Cameron

Sheila Cameron is an American artist, blogger, graphic designer and producer based in California. She is mostly known for initiating the "Free Katie" campaign, in which she designed and sold merchandise in response to the news of Katie Holmes's engagement to Tom Cruise.

Hollywood

After graduating from Maryland's Loyola University, having double-majored in creative writing and fine art, Ohio native[2] Cameron moved to Hollywood, to focus on painting and writing. While living there, she worked as a graphic designer,[3] and also a producer and developer of content for film, television and websites, with clients and employers including HBO's original pictures department, Jagged Films, and Project Greenlight.

Free Katie

In response to the news of Katie Holmes's engagement to Tom Cruise in 2005, Cameron designed and began selling merchandise online bearing slogans including "Free Katie", "Run Katie Run",[4] and (in a reference to Cruise's Oprah interview) "Stop Sofa Abuse", among other designs. Items for sale included buttons, hats, mugs, stickers, T-shirts and undergarments.[5] Imitators soon copied Cameron's designs and began selling Free Katie merchandise as well.[2]

In less than a month, the Free Katie website received more than half a million visitors,[6] and sold thousands of shirts and other merchandise to customers both in the US and around the world.[2] Free Katie shirts were worn on the red carpet in 2005[7] and made reference to by Iggy Pop in a 2006 interview,[8] and in 2008 a group of fans picketed Katie Holmes's Broadway debut, their signs bearing Cameron's "Free Katie" and "Run Katie Run" slogans.[9] As late as 2012, a group of people wearing Free Katie shirts had an unexpected encounter with Holmes herself when they all dined at the same restaurant.[10] Shortly thereafter, the then-recently divorced Holmes was seen wearing a Free Katie shirt of her own.[11]

Free Katie's popularity also led to the creation of an online forum community,[12] which is still active as of 2015.[13] Cameron was deluged with emails from fans, and she had to buy more bandwidth multiple times to accommodate the traffic the Free Katie website and forums generated.[3] [14]

Cameron's Free Katie campaign was covered by U.S. media including ABC News,[6] Los Angeles Times,[15] NBC News,[16] Newsweek,[17] and The New York Times;[7] she was interviewed by NPR and a British TV program; and the phenomenon was covered internationally by news outlets in Australia,[18] Brazil,[19] India,[20] Spain[21] and Sweden,[4] among others.

Cameron clarified that she did not actually believe Holmes to be in need of rescue from her relationship with Cruise, but added, "I think we need to let her know that we support her if she wants to get out of it."[22] She also said she originally created the Free Katie campaign for the amusement of herself and some friends,[3] but that interest in the merchandise snowballed. The success of Free Katie merchandise motivated Cameron to produce T-shirts featuring other "pop-culture satire political commentary" as well.

Cameron called the Free Katie campaign her "Dear John letter to Hollywood," citing the intra-industry response to criticism of mega-stars like Tom Cruise by people at her echelon of the Hollywood ladder. She left Hollywood not long after the campaign achieved widespread notoriety.

Works and exhibitions

Cameron is part of two artist collectives: Nevada County Yarn Bombers, which focuses on textile art, especially knitted and crocheted works;[23] and DANK (Do Art Now Kids), whose "pop-up gallery" initiative, to bring art into otherwise unused spaces, she helped pioneer.

Blog

Cameron maintains a noted blog, Watching the Paint Dry, that contains essays about creativity, family life and other topics, and which also serves as a storefront for her artwork. She has characterized her blogging as a way to "illustrate what it means to be an artist." Cameron began the blog in June 2010, immediately embarking on a project of posting art on a daily basis for a full year.

Magazine covers

The August 2012 issue of Style magazine's Roseville Granite Bay Rocklin edition featured Cameron's painting "Sit" as its cover image, and included a profile of her inside the magazine.[24]

Jerry Saltz's challenge

In 2013, Jerry Saltz, senior art critic for New York magazine, issued a challenge to Cameron via Facebook:

"Sheila Cameron, All right. You asked for it.Make 55 works with NO allusion to Fairytale.
And experiment with various mediums and finishes and touches and surfaces and ideas-of-finish.
Start today; you'll be in hell by the end of this VERY simple challenge...
Maybe remove figures for these works as well.
Or just get to work.See you in Hell … … … maybe."
In response, Cameron created the requisite 55 works, a three-month project she described approaching as a performance piece. The resulting collection was exhibited as a Facebook event, and some pieces were auctioned via eBay.[25] Saltz himself, in reviewing the collection, said, "Sheila Cameron did magnificently."

ArtSlant competition

ArtSlant magazine named Cameron's submission, "Original Super Power", a finalist in its 2013 juried competition.[26]

Exhibitions

Personal life

Cameron and her husband Greg have two daughters. In 2008, Cameron and her family relocated from West Hollywood to the Grass Valley, California area,[45] settling in Nevada City.[46]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Bentley. Brett. A moveable feast for the eyes: New collective announces inaugural 'pop up' exhibit. 24 September 2015. The Union. 4 June 2014.
  2. News: Semuels. Alana. Sharing schadenfreude, from Katie Holmes to The Star Wars Kid. 28 September 2015. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 5 August 2005.
  3. News: Smith. Ryan. Tongue-in-cheek Internet campaign explodes into celebrity-gossip phenomenon. 28 September 2015. The Toledo Blade. 17 June 2005.
  4. News: Hallhagen. Erika. Spring Katie spring. Run Katie run. 28 June 2005. Svenska Dagbladet. 27 September 2015.
  5. News: Website hopes to 'free Katie'. 24 September 2015. The Guardian. 14 June 2005.
  6. News: Wolf. Buck. 'Free Winona' to 'Talentless,' Celebs Let T-Shirts Do the Talking. 24 September 2015. ABC News. 23 August 2005.
  7. News: Robertson. Campbell. Ceci N'Est Pas Un Newspaper. 26 September 2015. The New York Times. 21 June 2005.
  8. Iggy Pop: 'Godfather of Punk' . 28 September 2015 . . David . Bianculli . . 14 July 2006 . 11:40 . [responding to interviewer's question about why Pop rarely wears shirts] Everything you wear says something, and I just felt that what everything was saying was getting in the way. If you wear a t-shirt that says, you know, Free Katie Holmes, you're saying something. You know? If you wear a blue Oxford shirt, you're saying something. .
  9. News: Singh. Anita. Katie Holmes' Broadway show picketed by Scientology protesters. 28 September 2015. The Telegraph. 19 September 2008.
  10. Web site: Bozzetti. Valentina. Katie Holmes is embarrassing meetings in restaurants [Katie Holmes fa incontri imbarazzanti nei ristoranti]]. Style.it. Conde Nast. 31 October 2012. 26 September 2015. (translated into English by Google Translate)
  11. News: Helmore. Ed. Katie Holmes to make Broadway debut after divorce from Tom Cruise. 28 September 2015. The Guardian. 10 November 2012.
  12. News: Young. Pandora. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes Call It Quits. 26 September 2015. AdWeek. 29 June 2012.
  13. Web site: SheilaCameron.com Boards Home Of the Original Free Katie Community. 26 September 2015.
  14. News: Lee. Chris. Cruise, Holmes will always have Paris. 26 September 2015. Los Angeles Times. 18 June 2005.
  15. News: Fernandez. Maria Elena. Website aims to 'liberate' Holmes. 28 September 2015. The Los Angeles Times. 11 June 2005.
  16. 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for June 10 . . Olbermann . Keith . NBC . 10 June 2005 . [transcript here] . https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna8205932 .
  17. News: Kuchment. Anna. CELEB T SHIRTS: Free This Trend!. 28 September 2015. Newsweek. 1 August 2005. 12.
  18. News: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes looked a match made in heaven. 28 September 2015. The Herald Sun. 7 July 2012.
  19. News: Site pede 'libertação' da namorada de Tom Cruise [Site asks 'liberation' for Tom Cruise's girlfriend]]. 28 September 2015. Terra.com.br. Terra Networks. 10 June 2005.
  20. News: Designer Tees to 'Free Becks' from pushy Posh!. 28 September 2015. WebIndia123 News. 4 April 2007.
  21. News: Gamazo. Rosa. Liberad a Katie [Free Katie]]. 28 September 2015. ABC. 24 July 2005.
  22. News: Lane. Tahree. Paris proposal latest plot twist to Holmes-Cruise romance. 24 September 2015. The Toledo Blade. 18 June 2005. A1, A6.
  23. News: Terman. Jennifer. Yarn bombing for kids' sake. 24 September 2015. The Union. 23 October 2013.
  24. About the Cover. Style. August 2012. cover, 6. StyleMG.com.
  25. News: Bentley. Brett. To hell and back: The tale of an artist. The Union. 24 September 2015. 13 June 2013.
  26. Web site: Kuennen. Joel. Juried Winners and Jurors of the ArtSlant Prize 2013 Competition. ArtSlant.com. 28 September 2015. 27 August 2013.
  27. Web site: The Miners Foundry Cultural Center Nevada City, CA — Exhibition Detail. ArtSlant.com. 28 September 2015.
  28. News: Art Works Gallery hosts Holiday Open House. 24 September 2015. The Union. 29 November 2012.
  29. News: Pelline. Jeff. Art Works Gallery: Meet the Artist. 28 September 2015. Sierra FoodWineArt. 23 January 2013.
  30. News: Visualizing 'A Climate of Change' through art. 24 September 2015. The Union. 10 January 2013.
  31. News: Pelline. Jeff. Wild & Scenic Film Festival art exhibition this weekend. 28 September 2015. Sierra FoodWineArt. 10 January 2013.
  32. News: Smallworks art creates unique collections. 28 September 2015. The Union. 6 November 2013.
  33. News: Thompson. Elise. Opening Party Coagula Curatorial: Two Johns and a Whore. 26 September 2015. The Los Angeles Beat. 13 January 2014.
  34. Web site: Derrick. Lisa. Two Johns and a Whore: Well Hung and Packed at Coagula. CartwheelArt.com. 26 September 2015. 25 January 2014.
  35. News: DANK inaugural show opens Friday. 24 September 2015. The Union. 10 July 2014.
  36. Web site: Wild and Scenic Art Exhibition 2015. NevadaCountyArts.com. 28 September 2015.
  37. News: 'The Real' to showcase standout local talent. 24 September 2015. The Union. 3 April 2014.
  38. Web site: Artist Sheila Cameron at Off Center Stage. TheCenterfortheArts.org. 26 September 2015.
  39. . ArtExpo During Comic-Con July 24–26 . PRWeb . 17 July 2014 . 28 September 2015.
  40. Web site: Popular 'Angeleno' artists from all over greater LA will have their works on display at this year's Every Angeleno Counts 5k and Festival. We're anticipating an entire block of curated art!. EveryAngelenoCounts.org. 28 September 2015.
  41. News: Derrick. Lisa. Homeboy Industries: "Every Angeleno Counts" 5k Race and Art Show. 28 September 2015. Huffington Post. 17 October 2014.
  42. News: DANK to host art opening 'LORE: The Art of Story'. 24 September 2015. The Union. 9 April 2015.
  43. News: Pelline. Jeff. DANK and Music in the Mountains team up Miners Foundry on June 5. 28 September 2015. Sierra FoodWineArt. 1 June 2015.
  44. News: DANK's art inspired by film has opening reception Saturday at Miners Foundry. 24 September 2015. The Union. 9 September 2015.
  45. News: Kellar. Tom. Artist, blogger and mom finds voice, opportunity to share it in Nevada County. The Union. 24 September 2015. 25 March 2012.
  46. Kopochinski. Lisa. The Artist and Social Media. Perspectives on Arts. Summer 2014. 12–13. PDF. 28 September 2015.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Sheila Cameron (artist)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.