Their installation, Campfire Tales: A Collaborative Storytelling Experience, opens tomorrow during 4th Friday on a THURSDAY, 6-9pm. If you remember the rainbow of bottle caps that was the last Project Space installation, you’re going to be blown away by the camp-inspired wonderland these gals have created in what used to be LAL’s coat room.

Check this out to see them in action.

Campfire Tales is an interactive, theatrical art piece that encourages viewers to share tales by writing, drawing, acting out, or recording their personal stories within a playful and unique setting inspired by the campfire circle. To say it’s an immersive experience is an understatement. We’re pretty sure it’ll make you want to pack up for Memorial Day weekend to roast marshmallows and sit on tree stumps in a quiet corner of the words, communing with nature and the ones you love.

Kelley and Bailey used social networking sites like Pinterest to build a visual concept before bringing the installation to life, and they plan to include excerpts of narratives from the installation online in a blog compilation.

And speaking of coming out to something that a local artist is putting together to not only let you into their fantastical world behind the curtains, and actually teach you how to do a little bit of the majestic things he does, world-renowned, best in Nashville (fact) photographer Jack Spencer has organized TWO photographic workshops this month.  They are taking place at his studio and on location in Nashville and although there is a tuition fee, I’m fairly sure that you’ll agree that it is beyond worth it to learn from such a talent.  Did I mention that each workshop has a limited class of 10 students?!  So whether you want to attend and learn from Jack (assisted by Jon Morgan … yes, the same AMERICAN DREAMING Jon Morgan you may recall) on May 18-20 or May 25-27 this month, you better go HERE and sign up like NOW!

I’m sorry to be on such short notice with that photography workshop information but I just heard about it.  You know what, I’m not sorry.  In fact, another thing in town that is short notice, someone who plays the most amazing original music that is not yet on the billboards, and will never make you bored … Bill (that was some minor wordplay there so try to stay with me here).  The point is that The One and Only Bill Davis is going to be playing the legendary Music City RootsTHIS WEDNESDAY, May 16th, at the Loveless Barn!  The One and Only Bill Davis is superb by himself, but when he heard that Music City Roots was going to move the seating this week and have an ol’ fashioned hoedown, he decided to invite over 12 others to join him onstage to really tear the barn down with goodness all around.  I hope to see you on the dance floor with me and my wife, but please don’t ask to cut in … I’d hate to throwdown at the hoedown and mess up my business socks.

Then, on Thursday, May 17th, you should be happy to know that the next RAW Artists Nashville event (The Blend) is going down from 8-11pm at Mercy Lounge.  It is a 21+ event, $10 presale or $15 at the door.  The aparent dress is cocktail attire or Havana Nights themed.  So you can go straight from a barn hoedown to little Havana on the next … only in Nashville.  Well, probably not only in Nashville, but it sounded good at the time to type.  Either way, RAW will be on site with a new blend (pun intended) of artists, singers, fashion designers, etc.

But, in case you don’t want to get in the mix of HavanaonThursday night, there is another great option for you to get out and make the most of as well across town at Zeitgeist Gallery.  As part of NCAP’s spring 2012 Insight? Outta Site! participatory potluck forum, Zeitgeist Gallery is very happy to welcome artist Rehema Barber.  A curator, arts administrator, adjunct/part-time faculty member at the University of Memphis and Memphis College of Art, and friend of a lot of my friends (on and off Facebook), Barber will be there to ignite creative discussion about contemporary art and social engagement.  The food/drinks will be from 6-6:30pm and Barber’s talk will be from 6:30-7:30pm.  You can join in the fun for either or both, but please bring a dish/drink/question to share with everyone.

After you get enough art and food to ease your hunger, Friday is going to be a fresh day for you to get your imagination and collaboraton going again.  In fact, Lindsey Bailey, Rebecca Kinslow Berrios, and Camilla Spadafino are going to put together Imagination and Collaboration: A Boys and Girls Club!  Located at the Metro Arts Commision’s Gallery and Roof Top Terrace (800 2nd Avenue South), from 3:30-5pm,  these three amigas are having an “After School Art Filled Playdate” for Lockeland Design Center children and parents.  You should totally come hang out with them and enjoy Lindsey Bailey’s art collaboration combining her imagination with those of Ms. Kessler’s second gade students and the handy work of the entire school’s art happening scheduled for field day.

Also Friday, May 18th, besides it being my Mom’s birthday,Vanderbilt University‘s Space 204 is presenting a new installation by Quintin Owens titled “Aesthetic Predicament.”  With an opening reception from 5:30-7:30pm, Owens’ work is a gathering of past memories and experiences in which he utilizes a wide range of materials, from clay to balloons and taxidermy and construction materials.  If it’s a matter timing that you might not come to the opening reception, don’t fret because they’ll let you come in and visit and see it until it is gone on June 29.

And speaking of timing, The Art of Time is happening this Friday, May 18, at Whiskey Bent Saloon’s Frontier Room (306 Broadway) from 6-9pm.  The Art of Time will be an evening filled with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, entertainment and exciting live and silent auction items featuring local artists where the proceeds will assist the Tennessee Respite Coalition (TRC) and the many programs serving family caregivers of Tennessee.  Tickets are $30 and can be purchased HERE or by calling the TRC office at (615) 269-8687 or emailing info@tnrespite.org.

Maybe after doing any and/or all of the above, you might be ready to go home for the weekend.  It’s fitting that StudioHome Sweet Home is having Art Show: An Evening with the Arts this Saturday, May 19th, from 6-8pm at 120 Highway 76 in White House, TN.  Home Sweet Homeoffers a wide range of unique gifts and collectibles on the regular, but this particular evening will have its doors open to invite you to refreshments, meeting the artists, and an evening of music, art and good company.  Home has hardly sounded as fun (for most people).

And if you can’t make it okay to the day when most people rest and you don’t want to simply stay at your actual home on Sunday, here is one last show (literally) that will pull at your heart strings to the core. On Sunday, May 20th, from 2-4:30pm, at the Green Hills Library, the largest GraceArt solo show yet will be on display.  The Final GraceArt 2012 Spring Show: Grace Walker Goad-The Art of Autism is a comprehensive and diverse exhibition all made by Grace, the daughter of local art patron and writer Leisa Hammett.  All of the art will be for sale on site, all going to a wonderful story and young artist, and there will be lite refreshments and special musical entertainment to enjoy as everyone gets a good lesson about the art and cause of autism in general.

I’ll let you go wherever you want to go from this point this week, but know that any and all of the above will be great fun.  In the end, timing is always perfect to enjoy it.  Enjoy your day and your week ahead they way you want.

much love,

chUck

To kick things off this week, tomorrow, Thursday, February 23rd, gives you just the right opportunity for the above with love.  From 7-11pm, the new creative facility called the Brick Factory (at Cummins Station), is celebrating their big opening and their partnership with the DeLiCiOUSLY HAPPY project!  The Deliciously Happy art installation at Belmont University (headed by artist Lindsey Bailey) is coming to theBrick Factory to cover every inch of the place with community creations.  Specifically, teachers and tons of yarn will be on hand to teach you how to finger weave.  The finished products will be used as part of the Deliciously Happy art installation.  There will be a FREE and Family Friendly hour from 7-8pm and then 8-11pm will transform the place into an After Bedtime Craft Party for Grown-Ups (including wine, h’orderves, and delicious sweets with a suggested donation of $5).  By showing up and supporting this monumental night of fun, you will in turn support Craftville, Deliciously Happy, the Brick Factory, and the community arts and crafts ofNashville as a whole.

Then, skipping Friday for rest and relaxation, Saturday, February 25th brings you two stellar opportunities to enjoy creativity and culture at its finest.  First, at 8pm you can visitVanderbilt University’s Langford Auditorium to join the“Spirit of Uganda: a Project of Empowered African Children.”  With outstanding dramatic choreography, standing drums surrounded by layered rhythms and gorgeous call-and-response-vocals, Spirit of Uganda brings the life, sounds, and movements of East Africa to Nashville for one night.  Including 22 performers, ages 8-18, this show is one for all ages and for the ages.  The tickets are on sale now at the Sarratt Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, and will also be sold the night of the performance at the box office (www.vanderbilt.edu/greatperformances).  Second, you can definitely make time to experience the 2nd Annual Johnny Cash Music and Art Show!  From 8:30pm-2am, at the new “That’s Cool” venue (2309 B Franklin Pike, 37204), creative folks will join together to honor a night for the man in black.  There will be live music by Anthony Billups and guests, live painting by artist Jeff Bertrand, and a dress code of all black.  The cost is $10 to get inside and another $10 will allow you to drink as much as you want if that entices you to come and possibly black all the way out (pun intended).  There will even be a comedy show before the main event if you would like to come even earlier.

And closing out this weeks’ post, I’d like to mention something about Gallery F and its closing party this Sunday, February 26th.  From 5:30-10pm, and keeping with the Scarritt Bennett theme of the weekend, Thomas Helton, Theatre Intangible Live, Craig Schenker, Greenwell and Hiegemann, and JJ Jones are coming together to celebrate the closing of such a great, award-winning art space.  The following day, Gallery F will be converted into a student center (at least it’s not a parking lot, eh?) and Gallery F’s future is uncertain even though there are talks to relocate it.  That said, these are the times we live in.  Is anything or anyone’s future really that certain?  I’m still reeling with the present- my post-Valentine’s Day experience with chocolates.  Anyways, enough about me, enjoy your week and weekend ahead.

Thanks for your time.

much love,

chUck

With that said, I need to give a shout-out to the past and present at hand.  The past- last weekend I forgot to mention a nod to the 2nd annual “Salon des Refuses” at the Tennessee Art League that had a special pre-holiday art sale to benefit the Tennessee Art League.  Located at 808 Broadway, you might want to stop by and see the leftovers of their smaller and less formally finished artwork still available for purchase in the sale including works of canvas, paper, sculpture, jewelry, textiles and other stuff.  The present- alsoTONIGHT is another chance for you all to witness the rising local band Eastern Block at 12th & Porter (114 12th Avenue North) starting at 8:30pm sharp.  You won’t regret it!

Also going on right now something that you won’t regret being a part of is a one-of-a-kind kickstarter project that is made for kids and the kids inside all of us.  Local artist Lindsey Bailey has created a collaborative art project called Deliciously Happy.  It is a multi-faceted project that will culminate in a gallery installation at Belmont University with your help to complete.  It is a project about showing how important art is as a tool to spark people into sharing ideas and working together.  An offshoot of Bailey’s graduate research, the gallery show features partnerships with students from 3 Nashville-area schools: the University School of Nashville, Bordeaux Elementary, and Lead Academy and sculpture students from Belmont University.  Students of each school will construct social issue-based stories and create coordinating performance paraphernalia.  Each workshop session and the final performance will be documented in still images and video.  To this point, Bailey has completed 12 of the 24 workshops through self-financing it, but NOW help is needed to reach the finish line.  The project needs more supplies, an editor to pull all of the videos together, and transportation for the students to attend the gallery opening to see their work and talk about it to the public is also needed.  Take a look at the project and how your help will help it become realized and help make a difference for the future … the kids of today.  See that link HERE-www.kickstarter.com/projects/586300314/deliciously-happy.

All of the above brings me to this coming Saturday, November 12th, 2011.

First, if you are looking for unique, LOCAL, one-of-a-kind gifts for your friends and family, then yet again you should drop on by the next Porter Crossing Arts Market this Saturday afternoon from noon-9pm at the intersection surrounding The Family Wash.  It is FREE, INDOOR, and is a wonderful experience to be had by all every second Saturday of every month between September-December.

Second, The Arts Company is hosting the 2nd annual Ads2Art Charity Art Auction with the help of the Advertising Federation of Nashville.  The purpose of this event is to raise awareness for the Nashville Advertising and Arts Community and to also raise funds and awareness for the Nashville Downtown Partnership’s 5th Avenue of the Arts initiative.  The event will start with a Patrons Party and gallery tour at 6pm and the Ads2Art Event will go from 7-9pm.  It is $35 for admission at the door and $45 for the Patrons Party and event admission).  There will be food, beverages, jazz, and a chance to bid on some amazing works of art.  It is all sponsored by Nashville Arts Magazine and its feature editor Paul Polycarpou will serve as the guest auctioneer for the art live auction.  You can RSVP by contacting Samantha Pyle at 615-305-3460 or Samantha@werkshopmarketing.com.

Third, you should definitely at some point this weekend or month stop by The Rymer Gallery to see the legendary local photographer John Guider and his new work called “View From A Small Boat.”  Here is a sneak peek of what you’ll see HERE.  Simply put, Guider sees and captures things that we feel.  He is that good.

I think I’ve given you plenty to think about and go out and see for a few days ahead.  There is always more out there beyond the above, but I hope that you find everything you are looking for.  Thank you for reading and sharing with others.

much love,

chUck

In the first corner, Friday & Saturday, April 1-2, from 6-9pm both nights, let there be no April Fool’s about it at all when you step face to face at St. Cloud Corner (500 North Church St.) with the ArtisTree: The Tomorrow Fund Annual Art Show.  It is here where you can help the Tomorrow Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee in its 7th annual ArtisTree Art Show to benefit the Tomorrow Fund and its grant-making to support programs for children in the Nashville area.  Right from the start, your heart will jump into action with the pleasant distraction of fresh paintings, prints, and jewelry by the likes of the great participating artists including Quinn Ballard, Casey Brooks, Margaret Elliott, Elizabeth Foster, Sarah B. Gilliam, Michael Howard, Julia Martin, Eli McFadden, Trevor Mikula, Amanda Norman, Amanda Sears and Wee Seing.  On top of that, there will also be a special guest painter, Heidi Schwartz, painting during the event on a canvas to be auctioned at the end of the night.  Did I mention that it is FREE admission, cash bar, and music by DJ Scissor?  Well, it is FREE admission, cash bar, and music by DJ Scissor!  Believe it!

In another corner, you can venture deeper downtown Friday, April 1st, from 5:30-8pm to celebrate and weigh in on several options for Saturday’s art crawl that lies ahead.  Specifically speaking, you can RSVP (by emailing 5thAvenueOfTheArts@gmail.com) to attend Collector’s Art Night: Art Talks on 5th Avenue of the Arts happening this Friday.  The event is FREE admission at Tinney Contemporary but you must RSVP at the mentioned email because there are only 125 spaces available.  The event begins with cocktails at 5:30pm, followed by a discussion featuring Drew Doggett at 6pm, then talks by Luke Hillestad at 6:45pm, and ending with the fabulous Patricia Bellan-Gillen at 7:15pm.  The special event includes refreshments, complimentary valet parking, amazing artwork, and the opportunity to ask questions directly to the artists that have made the work on display.  For more information on this event, check out www.tinneycontemporary.com.

In the final corner, for the knockout punch and 2-for-1 dealio, you will find the First Saturday Art Crawl in all its glory.  First, this Saturday, April 2nd, from 6-8pm, you can get things started right by experiencing red carpet treatment at The Arts Company.  In fact, The Arts Company has “Partners In Art” with Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) to present the Fifth Annual Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) Official Preview.  The Gallery’s “Avant-Garage” showcasing, beginning at 6pm, will give you the ultimate sneak peek film experience (including compelling trailers, popcorn and refreshments, meeting Film Festival artistic personnel, and more interactive surprise experiences) for the upcoming 2011 Nashville Film Festival that will take place April 14-21 at the Regal Green Hills Cinema.  But, more real than anything you’ll ever find on the make-believe big screen, if you take a walk inside Art at the Arcade this Saturday night, you will easily spot a must see exhibition opening that you’ll kick and hit yourself later if you miss … literally.  Do yourself a favor and see Blend Studio’s “Floats Like a Butterfly Stings Like a Bee: Who controls Art?” 

A multi-faceted exhibition beautifully arranged by Andee Rudloff, Lindsey Bailey and Allie Sultan, “Floats Like a Butterfly Stings Like a Bee: Who controls Art?” is a splendid combination of 8 mixed media works to be installed on walls and in video to allow the public to vote on who controls art.  The artists are inviting the public to purchase wooden nickels and have the visitors either choose to keep the wooden nickels as keepsakes or donate them to one of 8 categories.  Each category will have an organization associated with it and all donations will go directly to the corresponding organization from the following: Millersville Elementary, Arts & Business Council, Metro Parks Art Programs, Untitled Nashville, friends of Shelby, Welcome Centers/Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Nashville STARS & KOB, and 5th Ave for the Arts.  By visiting, voting and contributing, this original and innovative art show will become a wonderful gift that will keep on giving.  The opening reception is FREE admission, open to the public at Blend Studio and goes down this Saturday, April 2nd, from 6-9pm.

Remember, you gotta fight … for your right … to do pretty much anything these days.  Why not make this first weekend of April (the best month of the year in my humble opinion) one for the ages by checking out a little bit of everything above.  You’ve got nothing to lose and a world of art and new friends to gain.  And by the way, don’t forget to stop by the other local art galleries downtown and all around the city as well.  Nashville is steadily becoming more than just a Music City, and YOU are an intricate part of this movement and experience if only by showing up to support.  Help the artists and those who promote art by sharing the news above and other sites as well. 

Fight the good fight.

much love,

chUck