And now let us proceed to the rollercoaster ride of events this week and weekend ahead in your sights. First, this Thursday will provide you a grand opportunity to stroll around Hillsboro Village for another HillsboroVillageArt Walk. This Thursday, May 3rd, from 5-8pm, there is a plethora of cafes, galleries, and stores filled with art for everyone to view. In fact, you might even find yourself walking into the Belcourt Theater to see the final weekend of artist and Twist Art Gallery superstar Beth Gilmore’s show Mischief and Mayhem: dating in the present tense. The show ends on Sunday, May 6th, and that just so happens to be the same day as the opening reception for Watkins College graduate superstar Mandy Stoller and her Funky Catsterz In Outer Space exhibition at the Belcourt Theater. Stoller will be on hand on Sunday, from 5-6:30pm, to sell large prints displaying fun-filled images of how cats created the universe we live in today (you have to see it to believe it). Stoller’s show will run through June 9th.

And then there was the 41st Annual TACA Tennessee Craft Fair for the entire weekend. The Tennessee Association of Craft Artists (TACA) will have 170 artists and an expected crowd of over 50,000 visitors on the lawn of Centennial park to unveil and sell finished local, handmade products such as wood, clay, glass, weaving, papermaking and much more. Everything available to visit and see for FREE, this event will go down May 4, 5, and 6, beginning at 10am each day and continuing until 6pm on Friday and Saturday and 5pm on Sunday. The Parthenon lawn will hardly ever look as good as it will this weekend.

So, before I talk about Sunday and the end of the week, I shouldn’t forget to tell you about a few poignant events taking place this Saturday night.

First, The Arts Company is welcoming the annual artistic pilgrimage of Brother Mel to Nashville. As part of the First Saturday Art Crawl, May 5th, from 6-9pm, Brother Mel will be bringing some special, Nashville-themed sculptural pieces. There will also be large and small abstract paintings, modern abstract guitars, signature large sculptures featuring an art bench, music bench, reading chair, and other sculptures based on art, music and books. Everyone is invited to preview Brother Mel’s latest work in person and wish him well on the occasion of his 84th birthday. Happy Birthday Brother Mel!

Second, over at Blend Studio, you can totally check out the fresh, interactive installation by artists Lindsay Black and Tiffany Dyer titled My Home is a Nest. This is a community collaboration with participants reflecting on their idea of home. It started with an empty nest and viewers are invited to interact with the installation and whatever is already on hand within the nest by entering it and finding their own personal refuge, comforting space, much like home. On top of the gallery exhibit, Black and Dyer will also host a FREE workshop on May 26th, from 12-2pm for all ages.

Third, I need to remind you about Jon Morgan’s one night only show with his American Dreaming photography. It is Saturday, May 5th, from 6-10, at 328 Hill Avenue. As you read last week, and here right now, Morgan’s photography not only captures live in still motion, it truly focuses on what so often is observed as blurred chaos on a daily basis. Again, you need to see this in person to really understand what I’m talking about. Don’t be scared.

AND NOW … the next big preview for next week’s post to keep you hanging cliff-like like no other. Many thanks already in advance to Bradly Bratten, Dane Carder, Adrienne Outlaw, Brandon Gnetz, Oscar Zezatti, Threesquared Gallery, Seed Space, Number magazine, and everyone at 427 Chesnut Street for that matter. Why am I so thankful? Well, we are having a fun get together to help raise more awareness for said galleries and the release of the latest issue from Number … Number: 71! As you will see in the following video promo clip that is loosely based on “Caine’s Arcade” (which you may have seen or posted yourself already). Basically, you should visit us at 427 Chestnut Street, Nashville, TN, from 6-9pm, Saturday, May 12th, for a great time getting to know the people at Number, get FREE magazines, and enjoy other art and FREE music, and fun to be had with quality people with quality hearts. And if you like our video, please feel free to post it and share it with any and all of your friends and family, both near and far.

Here it is- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsz5wON1-tI

Enjoy your day and week ahead. Thanks as always.

much love,

chUck

www.nashvillesheart.com

ps- to all local artists that are now reading this post or friends that know of local artists that would be interested to know the following Call for Artists:

SAINTS, GODDESSES, and BODHISATTVAS

Sacred figurative art national juried exhibition

Exhibit dates: Oct 22-Dec 14, 2012

Entry Deadline: August 15, 2012

Marnie Sheridan Gallery, Nashville, TN

$250 best of show award. $25 to enter 3 images.

All mediums and paths encouraged.

Gallery takes 25% commission, provides insurance, PR, opening reception, and cards for artists.

Professional gallery on campus of private girls school. Prospectus and entry at http://www.harpethhall.org (click art exhibits on left)

contact: marla faith, gallery director: faith@harpethhall.org

pss- same as above:

?DO YOU WANNA GET YOUR ART WORK SEEN?
?OR MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH THE NASHVILLE AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY?
?WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A FEW EXTRA BUCKS FROM YOUR ARTWORK?

Then sign up for a Flatrock Festival Artist Review Session now! Email art.flatrockfestival@gmail.com to find how you can be an artist at this years event. Only 10 days left, the deadline is March 10th to apply.

Fast forward to the weekend and another first of the month round of art exhibition kick-off parties (or opening receptions as most refer to them).  Leading off the pack in the very random order I’m going to write about a few coming off the top of my head is the COOP Gallery announcing its July exhibition by Chicago artist Steven Frost.  Titled, “everyman a winner,” Frost uses various sculpture and fiber-based media to combine assumed cultural and economic value of materials with that of visual language from comic books, sports, popular culture and plain queer effect.  The result is an index of eclectic ideas and visually-captivating pieces of work.  The show opening is Saturday, July 2ndfrom 6-9pm at The Arcade, Space 75 and runs through Saturday July 30th.

Also running along The Arcade on Saturday, July 2nd, from 6-9pm Twist Art Gallery is shining a little light on singer/songwriter and visual artist Julie Lee’s latest creative endeavors.  A Nashville resident of 16 years, a musician that provides a beautiful collage of folk, blues, bluegrass and country, Julie Lee is a visual artists that takes bits and pieces from all over the place to make something of her own that is both old and new.  Her work will be up and around Twist for the entire month of July.

And just down the Arcade balcony of Twist you’ll find Blend Studio presenting “Combustion: A Group Show.”  Combustion, as appropriately titled, is a group show consisting of drawings, sculptures, painting and mixed media from Mandy Brown, Charles Clary, Amanda Dillingham, Jason Driskill, Derek Gibson, Hannah Maxwell Rowell, Sarah Shearer, and Ben Vitualla.  From July 2nd-29th, Combustion represents the premiere show for a new collective (which includes all of the names above) that was organized to meet for critical discussion and progress reports about each other’s work.  Within this specific group format, creative accountability is highly valued incorporated in these individuals’ new works and new ideas.  Such a solid structure among artists helps keep these college art instructors, curators and administrators consistent in their own disciplines while fostering growth beyond themselves for future works. 

Also kicking off the summer in style during the First Saturday Art Crawl on July 2nd from 6-9pm is The Arts Company presenting A Summer of Serendipity: Eclectic Adventures in Artwork, Décor, Books, Artifacts, Music & More.  Featuring “The Shapes and Colors of Brother Mel,” “The Intimate World of Leonard Piha,” “65th Anniversary of Ed Clark’s Grand Ole Opry Photographs: July 20, 1946,” “Thornton Dial Original Drawings,” and “Jim Hubbman Watercolors,” The Arts Company is pulling out all the fun guns to make July a month with a big creative bang.  Collectively, the selection of gallery artists (a few local and all legendary) mixed with artifacts and décor signal the unexpected adventures for all of us to anticipate and experience within this distinctive Summer of Serendipity which lies ahead.  To save me the words and you the time, if you’d like to read more about this extreme line-up, feel free to click www.theartscompany.com/press/.

But before I leave you so I can go find and watch my own fair share of fireworks to light up the July sky, I want to remind you about a cool exhibition over at Vanderbilt University that has been around since June 16th and runs through August 13th in case you need to plan a visit in your busy schedule.  Titled “10 West Coast Artists,” this exhibition is a portfolio of lithographs published in 1967 by aforementioned and described 10 West Coast artists who were at that time beginning to receive international attention for their art practices of painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, and filmmaking.  The exhibition is on view for the first time since its acquisition in 2003 and includes the works of Keith Boyle, Bruce Conner, Richard Diebenkorn, Roy De Forest, Sidney Gordon, Frank Lobdell, James Melchert, Manuel Neri, Felix Ruvolo, and Peter Voulkos.  Presented in conjunction with the exhibition “Fit to Print: Contemporary Posters from the Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery Collection,” “10 West Coast Artists” is the first in a five-part summer series examining portfolios and serial graphic arts projects.  Trust me; this is fun stuff.

much love,

chUck

First, let me say that Thursdays have never been better at the beginning of the month now that the Nashville Association of Art Dealers (NAAD-an organization that has been together for over 21 years) has started ‘Art After Hours.’ It is a monthly citywide art event that not only supports the visual arts in Nashville but also elevates the awareness of the participating galleries by opening and staying up late from 5pm-8pm every first Thursday of every month. This first Thursday, Tonight, The Arts Company is proud to bring in renowned artist Brother Mel for a special night of book signing and reception celebrating the recent publication of Brother Mel: A Lifetime of Making Art. Alongside a brief presentation and discussion about his work, Brother Mel will showcase the process of making the book with the help of his friend and the incoming national president of the Women’s National Book Association, Mary Grey James.

Next, with no resemblance whatsoever to the glory days of my generation’s youth of TGIF on television, you can feel free to introduce the next wave of artistic endeavors by giving praise to the soon to be graduates at Watkins College of Art, Design and Film. The Graphic Design Senior Show titled ‘Taking Flight-Launching Our Careers’ will be held at Rhythm on Music Row this Friday, December 4th, from 6pm-9pm. Be there to support Random Allen, Julian Baker, Guy Coffin, Craig Gwin, Lydia Light, Holly Mathews, Teela Shandess and Andy Young with their final projects for their time at Watkins.

Well, well, well … looky here. Saturday has more people and places to see stuffed into the First Saturday Art Crawl than your holiday dinners last week! You can see the highlighted link in the previous sentence for a good guide of the participating galleries and events scheduled (and feel free to come back here for write-ups soon to be written up about the galleries’ ongoing exhibitions thru December after their opening nights this Saturday), but I would like to point out one event in particular. Yes, it may be because some of my own work with my first book will be sold there as well, BUT I would not be doing a good job for you or Examiner at all if I didn’t bring up the events that contain charity causes built within their purposes. Connect with a Cause is an event featuring the Connect 12 Artist Collective and ASK Apparel. Located at Blend Studio, this exhibit and holiday sale offering handmade goods from several Nashville-based artists and artisans. Though the event will last thru January 30, 2010, please make the time to come down for the opening reception in the Arcade this Saturday, December 5, from 6pm-9pm, and connect with the artists themselves. Help Eric Denton, Tiffany Denton, Stacy Irvin, Andee Rudloff, Ben Vitualla, Daniel Lai, Samantha Callahan, Chris Hill, Alesandra Bellos, Sarah Bellos, Kate Bellos and other Connect 12 artists raise money and needed awareness for Safe Haven, Oasis Center, Downtown Presbyterian Church, Urban Housing Solutions, Adventures Inside a Campus for a Cure and several other Nashville community organizations. From t-shirts, prints, sculptures, to paintings, all items purchased can be taken home immediately and you can also direct your monetary donations to your choice of local community organizations! Everyone wins!

And speaking of everyone winning for a finale within this epic Examiner, I have a treat for you in an Art Crawl after party of sorts. As soon as you put all of your purchased artwork back into your car, start up your engines and drive on over to The End for an event organized by local photographer and art of all types aficionado, John Brassil. In what is now sort of an annual show of electronic music from Nashville in its various forms, you can check out David Maddox and Brady Sharp performing duets and then see Maddox tag along with Ben and Amy Marcantel’s Forest Bride. With the show not starting until 9pm and lasting until whenever they shut the doors at some point when Sunday morning rolls around, you can experience all that the Art Crawl has to offer and unwind at The End for the end.

THE END

Ps- Not mentioned above but filled with loads of art and good times this Saturday, December 5th, are the following galleries: Art and Invention, Tinney Contemporary, Plowhaus at the Arcade, MIR, Blend, Twist, Estel, Rymer, Zeitgeist at Terrazzo, Downtown Presbyterian Church among others.

Salud,
Chuck Beard