tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11821919497886382272024-03-13T23:36:46.478-05:00The Arts Company Blogwww.theartscompany.comThe Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-21435982727807002372012-06-30T17:18:00.000-05:002012-07-01T12:14:03.857-05:00Welcome to 21st-Century Art<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>Nashvillians and guests have exciting art adventures in store this summer related to two concurrent exhibitions of Thornton Dial and the Gee's Bend Quilters.</i></span><br />
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One is at the<b> Frist Center for Visual Arts: </b> an original exhibition curated by chief curator Mark Scala. Titled <i>Creation Story: Gee's Bend Quilts and The Art of Thornton Dial,</i> the Frist exhibit is focused on the artistic relationships that have developed in the last decade or so since Mr. Dial and the Gee's Bend quilters have become aware of each other.<br />
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The other is at <b>The Arts Company: </b>curated to complement the Frist exhibit, this exhibit---<i>Contemporary American Artists: Thornton Dial and Gee's Bend Quilters</i>--focuses on Mr. Dial's early drawings and the recent etchings some of the Gee's Bend quilters participated in making, based on their quilt designs. Though some of the editions have already sold out, the exhibit includes some of the most representative etchings still available, along with a few of their iconic original quilts.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>The Arts Company exhibit invites guests to experience "the art of visual improvisation" that these artists have added to the lexicon of contemporary art in very particular ways</i>.</span> Both Mr. Dial and the Gee's Bend quilters have become known in the art world through the persistent efforts of Bill Arnett, a scholar in the role of art in primitive cultures worldwide, who returned to his southern roots in Atlanta to see why black culture in the south was rich in music--jazz, the blues, gospel--yet there was no clear evidence of visual art in the culture. Knowing from his studies and experiences that it was odd for a culture not to have both musical and visual art roots, he traveled southern byroads near his home base and made ground-breaking discoveries, including Mr. Dial's work and the quilts of Gee's Bend. He has since devoted his scholarship and other resources, including financial, to bring this particular vernacular art to the attention of the world.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwRJXMdK5TE_jSbKWvLKmmkpGxTGRo0XbBczVWc5xj_OFc2a7XvGL2L2ktlmQtuvbOvSfWJySE2Y7eWfeHMvSuAxHQ1Caa0rcdrrpn1jar7llU52xs_5VqN24dyLWl7wvN-HbSzrsUcCt/s1600/Life-Go-On-'90.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwRJXMdK5TE_jSbKWvLKmmkpGxTGRo0XbBczVWc5xj_OFc2a7XvGL2L2ktlmQtuvbOvSfWJySE2Y7eWfeHMvSuAxHQ1Caa0rcdrrpn1jar7llU52xs_5VqN24dyLWl7wvN-HbSzrsUcCt/s400/Life-Go-On-'90.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Untitled (Life Go On) 1" by Thornton Dial</td></tr>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Per the way human nature works, no good thing goes unpunished</span></i>. It has been a long and difficult journey to bring his artistic discoveries to the attention of the art world. However, over the last 20 years, major exhibitions and publications have come about, thanks to Mr. Arnett's efforts. Now there are testimonials coming from within the culture of the art world from art critics and writers who are making the case for these artists as major artistic pioneers of the 21st-century.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>There is no simple and quick way to take in the scope and depth of these relatively new-found artists.</i></span> Compare it to what it might have been like some 100 years ago when people fist began to see Picasso's art. Like his, this work is fresh, original, and pioneering in a distinctly contemporary way. This new work shows the underbelly of American history and culture--the Achilles heel of racism and the profound effects of institutional and personal prejudice. These are black artists who have found their way out of this maze through their artwork. Coming out of the primitive isolated cultures of the south, artists with no formal education or training and no hope for anything better, theses artists have defied the odds loaded against them with their sense of what art can do and be as part of their own lives. They took the scant leftovers of their lives and made them part of their artistic practice. They practiced their art in isolation for years, not thinking of themselves as artists and not being familiar with the art world, until their recent discovery.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-pKqNDF8szcB6TbN2zDTvY20W1VBE16hBnI8olxqAWcGldXe64QYVsr4ZwiIligECPdgoACpZ9esadVSgoV9KoMSiGCKbPo2tusD7-pkcrNa9TZ3mi2e5_KeFZyEDS3yGBZOzyMKLiLP/s1600/GeesBend-001_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-pKqNDF8szcB6TbN2zDTvY20W1VBE16hBnI8olxqAWcGldXe64QYVsr4ZwiIligECPdgoACpZ9esadVSgoV9KoMSiGCKbPo2tusD7-pkcrNa9TZ3mi2e5_KeFZyEDS3yGBZOzyMKLiLP/s400/GeesBend-001_1.jpg" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gee's Bend Quilt by Lucy Mingo</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>This is not artwork to be glossed over, just walking through exhibits and thinking you have seen something weird, too weird or raw to concern yourself with any further. </i></span> When you see this art, you are seeing artwork that reflects our time and place, universal insights seen through familiar cultural, political, and historical skeletons. At first viewing, this is not necessarily pretty art. But it is for sure fresh, original, profound, entertaining, provocative, and daunting--all at the same time. If you truly look and learn, you will find a sense of beauty you did not know before.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>These artists are now becoming part of the artistic legacy of our time and place</i></span>. It is an honor to be acquainted with them and their work. They have added dimension and depth to our experience of what art is and what it can be about. The high world of art cannot easily dismiss them at this point. Nor can we.<br />
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Do your homework on these artists. Read about them online and in books and in museums and galleries. They are close enough to us in Tennessee--they are all from Alabama--that they are home folks to us. Paris and NYC no longer own all there is to be said about what art is and how it works. See for yourself while you have this special chance. These artists and these exhibitions take time. Make this a summer learning adventure.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>Both exhibits will continue through August.</i></span> At The Arts Company, we have set up a space where you can see videos, check online sources, and leaf through the volumes that have been written about Mr. Dial and about the Gee's Bend quilters. We would love to strike up a conversation with you. Come see us...and the great staff at the Frist--to learn more.<br />
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<pre wrap=""><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Contemporary American Artists: Thornton Dial and Gee's Bend Quilters</i>
July 7-August 18</span></span></pre>
<pre wrap=""><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.theartscompany.com/" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">www.theartscompany.com</a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
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Creation Story: The Art of Thornton Dial and Gee's Bend Quilts</i>
May 25-September 3</span> </span></pre>
<pre wrap=""><span style="font-size: small;"><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.fristcenter.org/" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">www.fristcenter.org</a></span> </pre>
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<br />The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-21437999556463800682012-05-29T11:01:00.000-05:002012-05-29T12:16:21.700-05:00A Fresh Art Summer 2012 / At The Arts Company<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">At The Arts Company, we know
the summer will be long and hot, but we are making every effort to fill it with
fresh art, cold lemonade, artists and other friends to visit with, and a
special exhibit</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">, Great American Artwork: by Thornton Dial and Gee’s Bend Quilters.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Fresh Art
Summer / June 2012</span></i></b></div>
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The month of June is a great sampling of what we intend,
introducing new work by five gallery artists, plus continuing our favorite
annual exhibition—the work of Brother Mel.
We stand ready to welcome you to the special experiences we have in
store for you.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">We have had such fun working
with each of these artists for the June exhibit:</span></i></div>
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Deciding
which frames would work best to showcase <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anne Goetze’s</i></b> new color photographs selected from
her original sepia series, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Clotheslines
of Leiper’s Fork;</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVIuexT3z-l27y1KNyzXiIrRMBaY41AXs_3n0Cnk-K2dt6QkhnqU330EDUuzDDx-qykyvUJ10cmgk7OMZtZ6DPBLAXCpsarpvDyzt-qtOQ4_qIkjCoaXz5uLh3y3YNGsrVyL2MRXVMBJV/s1600/11x14_2786BlowingInTheWindC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVIuexT3z-l27y1KNyzXiIrRMBaY41AXs_3n0Cnk-K2dt6QkhnqU330EDUuzDDx-qykyvUJ10cmgk7OMZtZ6DPBLAXCpsarpvDyzt-qtOQ4_qIkjCoaXz5uLh3y3YNGsrVyL2MRXVMBJV/s320/11x14_2786BlowingInTheWindC.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Blowing in the Wind" by Anne Goetze</td></tr>
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Painting
one wall to make sure <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rusty Wolfe’s</i></b> new <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mosaics</i> series would pop off the wall to enhance the pristine
minimal background for the mid-century retro
designs to which he gives new life;</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbDDlYy2NXxpuBUYpz6F3YuSh-NtXAm6hEVpLXmXQ2D18XAUUBYGqqAIlV4Eu3KWsE0j8X-raI7sbAgwTETUGWdzr5xggipWSE0ujyu9qpzS26mbfAkU_2VwizdnA6bcG5CV5kdfdcsLE/s1600/Mosaics-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbDDlYy2NXxpuBUYpz6F3YuSh-NtXAm6hEVpLXmXQ2D18XAUUBYGqqAIlV4Eu3KWsE0j8X-raI7sbAgwTETUGWdzr5xggipWSE0ujyu9qpzS26mbfAkU_2VwizdnA6bcG5CV5kdfdcsLE/s320/Mosaics-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Mosaic 5" by Rusty Wolfe</td></tr>
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Working
with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">David
Robert Farmerie</i></b>, a master photographer by any definition, to present his 21<sup>st</sup>-century version
of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seven Deadly Sins</i>, to which he is adding an eighth sin to represent
the new century. He will be inviting guests to help name the new sin. The model for the series will be with him during the opening weekend to
answer questions about how they collaborated
to make this series come about. This
series was originally commissioned by
The Customs House museum in Clarksville,
Tennessee;</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLonEPWUDUnRy3M6xjKhlyLqwMSy88TejE7Bww1VEr42WKIbrbftC0UI_iG5fRCI_ToZEPF7vRiJiix15cArtLVE2hDrLiIzVNFdCALora1UXEKblRRKUeV4Zx3AKF-bga4CRoeMcf1BV/s1600/Wrath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLonEPWUDUnRy3M6xjKhlyLqwMSy88TejE7Bww1VEr42WKIbrbftC0UI_iG5fRCI_ToZEPF7vRiJiix15cArtLVE2hDrLiIzVNFdCALora1UXEKblRRKUeV4Zx3AKF-bga4CRoeMcf1BV/s320/Wrath.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Wrath" by David Robert Farmerie</td></tr>
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Enjoying
every new piece <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wayne Brezinka</i></b>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">master
paper-cut collage illustrator</i>, has
brought in for his exhibit over the last three months. Some of the
pieces are originals he was commissioned to do for a range of clients—from Actors Theatre in Louisville to the
Boston Globe to the NY Times to new album
covers for Nashville
musicians. Seeing his interpretation of
a hand holding a trombone is worth a
trip to the gallery;</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUbRlSUXkrcAGf5Vn8Ut4Wy4qzIcKVthnLcc5uRCcCsrTVR3I93Y_d_QK5v1MY_ZsrR4qi4mx1bRRE9Cgt2WHCqjm7vAcxSJssEgm33XMQC0TVPdUoXWv_uqyoasnn6yaO5Xd0o7gnIO6/s1600/THE-ARTS-COMPANY---Pretty-B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUbRlSUXkrcAGf5Vn8Ut4Wy4qzIcKVthnLcc5uRCcCsrTVR3I93Y_d_QK5v1MY_ZsrR4qi4mx1bRRE9Cgt2WHCqjm7vAcxSJssEgm33XMQC0TVPdUoXWv_uqyoasnn6yaO5Xd0o7gnIO6/s320/THE-ARTS-COMPANY---Pretty-B.jpg" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Pretty Baby" by Wayne Brezinka</td></tr>
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Realizing
that one of our newest gallery artists, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jerry Park</i></b>, never disappoints. He has
provided us with larger images from his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Workspaces </i>series, based on dramatic images
from Nashville
iconic businesses such as Percy’s Shoe
Shine shop, the Omohundro Water Works plant, and more.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlDh0Ak9ovfb1zsJqSw869cePZI0FcOM3fmQnr-wxxYoQzqhK09W8mkq_uJOkx5IOhqqD5A3LI1oJjRCfnO8O_65N34dW6LLuKOQdLAb29Ti8t1rTIm4qKSg8kdwPLsi2fFKgM4sKz8Bb/s1600/Omohundro+Filtration+Bldg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlDh0Ak9ovfb1zsJqSw869cePZI0FcOM3fmQnr-wxxYoQzqhK09W8mkq_uJOkx5IOhqqD5A3LI1oJjRCfnO8O_65N34dW6LLuKOQdLAb29Ti8t1rTIm4qKSg8kdwPLsi2fFKgM4sKz8Bb/s320/Omohundro+Filtration+Bldg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Omohundro Filtration Building" by Jerry Park</td></tr>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We will kick off the
summer with our 5<sup>th</sup> Avenue Collectors Art Night, Friday, June 1,
with a conversation—hosted by Paul Polycarpou, executive editor of Nashville
Arts Magazine—with Wayne Brezinka and David Robert Farmerie. They have both made work for publications,
businesses, and sometimes individuals. <b>Both artists will be speaking at 7:15 in the gallery</b>. The
First Saturday Art Crawl follows the next night, Saturday, June 2, 6-9 pm.</i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Fresh Art
Summer / July 2012</span></i></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DAIJgLb1BV_hOCT60didfWQ11WKx3C-_JleoC9a11ZZcD2DA-TBTsRb4A4o1xZUjwW1HctVUnsp6UcipvZYHOOhWQe-sLt84Hs9ftRzPb6j6VqXyn6wv3-ePAxFjJk_k8upzirVC-wDi/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DAIJgLb1BV_hOCT60didfWQ11WKx3C-_JleoC9a11ZZcD2DA-TBTsRb4A4o1xZUjwW1HctVUnsp6UcipvZYHOOhWQe-sLt84Hs9ftRzPb6j6VqXyn6wv3-ePAxFjJk_k8upzirVC-wDi/s320/Untitled-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New work by Thornton Dial (left) and the Gee's Bend Quilters (right)</td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">And the month of July will
soon follow, with what we consider an important exhibit, presenting recently-recognized
great American artists, Thornton Dial and the quilters
from Gee’s Bend, Alabama.</span></i> We first presented Mr. Dial’s work over 10
years ago, showing large paintings and his drawings from the 1990s. We presented an exhibition of the quilts of
Gee’s Bend in September 2003, hosting some 75 of the quilters and their friends
for lunch at the gallery as they stopped on their way to their exhibition at
the Milwaukee Art Museum.</div>
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<div wrap="">
Because the current exhibit of Dial and the Gee's Bend quilters--Creation Story: Gee's Bend Quilts and The Art of Thornton Dial--continues through September 23, our exhibit will offer an additional opportunity for
visitors to expand their options for learning more about the incredible work of
these major American artists whose work has just been presented in major museum
shows in the last decade. </div>
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Stay tuned to our blog and forthcoming announcements about
this July exhibition. We will be adding
special programs related to the exhibit.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Fresh Art
Summer / August 2012</span></i></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">While the Dial and Gee’s Bend exhibit will
continue through August, we will also add an exhibit Upstairs at The Arts
Company—presenting new paintings of Harry Underwood.</span></i> Often known
simply as Harry and based in the Nashville area, he has created a niche for
himself as an outsider artist whose narrative paintings incorporate words. His distinctive style is known way beyond his
Nashville base. We will schedule
opportunities for visitors to get to know Harry and his work.</div>
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In addition, The Arts Company <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">16<sup>th</sup>
Annual Avant-Garage Sale</span></i> will be presented in August. And the Dial / Gee’s Bend exhibit will
continue through August 24.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">A summer full of fresh,
original, contemporary art, for sure, at The Arts Company. Join us for the good times with art, artists,
and friends.</span></i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The Arts Company</i></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><i>215 5th Ave. North</i></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Nashville, TN 37219</i></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><i>615-254-2040</i></span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.theartscompany.com/"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">www.theartscompany.com</span></a><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
</div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-32276298422304771192012-04-28T16:13:00.000-05:002012-04-28T16:14:53.039-05:00Brother Mel's Year of Art & Accolades<br />
I have noticed of late that I am particularly attracted to artists who continue to reinvent themselves year after year, some of them decades of years, always with fresh insights. They are not just flittering around with art. Their lives are devoted to making art. Their vocabulary remains consistent, but they keep seeing new ways to present their visual ideas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4S4cbE6gkoU5L0E0WQI7Dk3G50s2ND10XClPv2x_zo4mYKpqvSSzozGidaDIwS2ReihyphenhyphenWPueemf8AvU0PUxAfcbvzSZot9hN7XCP_G5Flv97_OY106jWlRhNpSJmOZvefvSJuWoFlOJ2h/s1600/DSC0009247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4S4cbE6gkoU5L0E0WQI7Dk3G50s2ND10XClPv2x_zo4mYKpqvSSzozGidaDIwS2ReihyphenhyphenWPueemf8AvU0PUxAfcbvzSZot9hN7XCP_G5Flv97_OY106jWlRhNpSJmOZvefvSJuWoFlOJ2h/s320/DSC0009247.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><pre wrap="">Brother Mel's "Alphabet"</pre>
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<br />
Cases in point: Brother Mel, of course; April Street; John Baeder; Denise Stewart-Sanabria; Leonard Piha; and Norman Lerner.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> Each of them in their own
ways operate from a central compass, but are always making art about something
new they are thinking.</span></i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> They are not artists who simply express themselves through
artistic technique. They are
artists at their core. They think
visually.</span><br />
<br />
Literally,
they help the rest of us see. They
make things so that we can know more.
They respect new materials and new approaches as constantly offering
them new ways to present their ideas visually to those of us who are receptive. We will be talking about each of these
artist later in this year, but for now, this is Brother Mel’s month at The Arts Company.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNyrVCR-9wRVnqIRwojdYizXmSYVav5GOs1TNwR_snX_ATJi1mE1JEGDPCbb87mpl_-YAIGZZp2nnljVRT63dxALeF1jUv6djLgTPgPmGR5LqjcYGctTQWyfLbgpL0ryLLMq00DM5I8Nh/s1600/193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNyrVCR-9wRVnqIRwojdYizXmSYVav5GOs1TNwR_snX_ATJi1mE1JEGDPCbb87mpl_-YAIGZZp2nnljVRT63dxALeF1jUv6djLgTPgPmGR5LqjcYGctTQWyfLbgpL0ryLLMq00DM5I8Nh/s320/193.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><pre wrap="">Brother Mel "A Lifetime of Making Art" in book sconce</pre>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brother Mel Meyer, a
Marianist brother who lives in a Catholic community, has been making art large
and small for public, commercial, and private spaces around the world for over
50 years. What he has done all of
those years—the variety and substance of it—you can read in a book-length
monograph of his lifetime of making art</i>. </div>
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What equals his productivity throughout all of his 50+ years
as an artist is matched by what he has been to accomplish in his 83<sup>rd</sup>
year. As he approaches his 84<sup>th</sup>
birthday, one can simply look at the highlights of his accomplishments just
within the past year to appreciate his contributions as an artist. At the end of the book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brother Mel: A Lifetime of Making Art</i> (Anne Brown, 2009, The Arts
Company Press, Nashville), Brother Mel pointed out that the art he had made to
that point was over, but that his expectation was that “the best is yet to
come.” Unwittingly, the best of
many things unknown to him at that time were yet to come—not just his prolific
output as an artist, but also the accolades in the form of high honors that
have come his way in less than one year, just since May 2011.</div>
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This small update serves as an addendum to the book-length
story of his life and work, designed to keep Brother Mel collectors and
admirers updated on the work and life of this one artist in the short one-year
span of his 83<sup>rd</sup> year. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">To sum up Brother Mel's year:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An honorary Ph.D. in fine art from St. Louis
University</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Cpz60moRCa1rBxFG-4d8uBL4n3gGZyV2jNEOUcpTckLqvw45Zd2KsWsdgT0FKEFD1-hcLLKH0ZYfjAv7liX0oBGPrmxvrrow6hH1icmeoTwv79v6IzV57w1khLR7Kyl_wKHYG7uv0OWo/s1600/New-Image2_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Cpz60moRCa1rBxFG-4d8uBL4n3gGZyV2jNEOUcpTckLqvw45Zd2KsWsdgT0FKEFD1-hcLLKH0ZYfjAv7liX0oBGPrmxvrrow6hH1icmeoTwv79v6IzV57w1khLR7Kyl_wKHYG7uv0OWo/s320/New-Image2_web.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><pre wrap="">Brother Mel in academic attire when St. Louis University conferred an honorary Ph.D. in fine art on him in May 2011.</pre>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- A new sculpture park
in downtown St. Louis devoted exclusively to his work</i><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- Dozens
of special commissions from individuals and institutions<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- A
museum retrospective: Providential
Journey: The Art of Brother Mel
now in progress
in the St. Louis University Museum of Art<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- A
group of new sculptures completed and installed at the entrance to the St. Louis
Children’s Hospital.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- More
sculpture purchased for additional downtown St. Louis installations<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- An
art heist in the middle of all of this that made him feel he had “arrived as an
artist,” since someone wanted to go to the trouble to steal one of his very large
sculptures<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- And
now, in May and June, 2012, his 14<sup>th</sup> Annual Artistic Pilgrimage to Nashville,
his annual exhibition at The Arts Company in Nashville<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">With one note added to
all of this activity:</i> He has
had seven stays in the hospital, with a couple of follow-up rehabilitation
residencies. Even in the hospital,
he kept thinking visually. Through
all of the rigors of his body giving him troubles, he has remained focused on
his artwork, which is his way of expressing his spiritual faith and his faith
in the value of his life’s work.
His work, you might say, continues to sustain him and lift him up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWh0ZR1o5FiK2L_ZvItr93LD-vPBUKp__kOnjb9wyMKvU9A4uidgFNRZ4YYDdtFWRi4hs0fcVKXdnK25NyibYXHIwcSmOfAQdQihzGu8qBqMiNAuzOIYhG6-Mxb_ZcyE5gPs43hyCiiIU/s1600/022112-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWh0ZR1o5FiK2L_ZvItr93LD-vPBUKp__kOnjb9wyMKvU9A4uidgFNRZ4YYDdtFWRi4hs0fcVKXdnK25NyibYXHIwcSmOfAQdQihzGu8qBqMiNAuzOIYhG6-Mxb_ZcyE5gPs43hyCiiIU/s320/022112-11.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><pre wrap="">This recent small icon was inspired by the ceiling tiles in one of his hospital stays in recent months.</pre>
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For Brother Mel, all
of the events, accolades, health challenges, and artistic production are all
providential. Things happen as a
result of what you do. In that
way, his faith is his unwobbling pivot, the center of his spiritual and
artistic commitment. His art is
what he makes to express that commitment and to connect his visual
ideas—whether trivial or intense—with the rest of us.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;">We welcome you to come sit
in Brother Mel’s Reading Chair that we commissioned for this exhibition. We might even roll you up and down 5<sup>th</sup>
Avenue of the Arts in it—in Brother Mel style.</span></i></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO99Hggg45AdoP50uWSi9gcgtaNwelXGdbnEAOgNS_DHJWGzzLiAcb2C12p0aMF3BPTp74Ds_c8IHpafsJL4XFwNPUJxxCXVmLwsCoE2aCPzIbpIGqjR9R70Hga2M0JmkJBgq1pwR6U9WM/s1600/DSC05420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO99Hggg45AdoP50uWSi9gcgtaNwelXGdbnEAOgNS_DHJWGzzLiAcb2C12p0aMF3BPTp74Ds_c8IHpafsJL4XFwNPUJxxCXVmLwsCoE2aCPzIbpIGqjR9R70Hga2M0JmkJBgq1pwR6U9WM/s320/DSC05420.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><pre wrap="">A few of these very recent tissue paintings will be part of Brother Mel's Nashville exhibition.
</pre>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This exhibition offers
a quick survey of the highlights of Brother Mel’s 83<sup>rd</sup> year.</i> And remind yourself of how neat it is
to have such an artist living and working among us, eager to keep bringing new
visual insights to us six days a week, 52 weeks of the year.</i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQrKE8pwcLe2ZZq18yVdEG2JNB-a0LPrLCoSuTlXDhVBSPpjkAV3zk5pwapuq9g-WJmPw7tUut_8hGZcUi6ZjYjrCwI4Denl0liPylv9FjUe1QmhK0FRYQllJtwSFXFAM1mvLuf7QaB8l/s1600/Reclining-BroMel-3593_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQrKE8pwcLe2ZZq18yVdEG2JNB-a0LPrLCoSuTlXDhVBSPpjkAV3zk5pwapuq9g-WJmPw7tUut_8hGZcUi6ZjYjrCwI4Denl0liPylv9FjUe1QmhK0FRYQllJtwSFXFAM1mvLuf7QaB8l/s320/Reclining-BroMel-3593_web.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><pre wrap="">Brother Mel in his "Reading Chair"</pre>
<pre wrap=""> </pre>
<pre wrap=""> </pre>
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<br />The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-17447302198758650042012-01-28T15:36:00.027-06:002012-01-29T10:03:45.261-06:00Some Firsts for the Nashville Arts Scene<div>The <b><i>Eight Lenses and a Code </i></b><i>photography exhibition and accompanying <b>Festival of Salon Saturdays </b>is now midway through a two-month run at The Arts Company.<br /><br /><br /></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNG2r8EfMfDljh4gc6XCtog7wZjACFe4QvIO8FeUoDowx2O6XBIAU0JLSW-ZvdnTDwvL40necv5oj83xEbQv8CN-UXh7TQIh9IYaptyS-lJj_vsWKFrVH003sBBabZUoA7vyQQjnjfVy1n/s1600/img_5078-edit.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNG2r8EfMfDljh4gc6XCtog7wZjACFe4QvIO8FeUoDowx2O6XBIAU0JLSW-ZvdnTDwvL40necv5oj83xEbQv8CN-UXh7TQIh9IYaptyS-lJj_vsWKFrVH003sBBabZUoA7vyQQjnjfVy1n/s400/img_5078-edit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702823983290248034" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Presented jointly by The Arts Company and South Light Salon</i>, a group of Nashville-based photographers focused on the influence of southern light in their work, it took some three to four months of weekly meetings in advance between the photographers and the gallery to figure out how to present the art of photography in some new ways. All that time in planning has paid off.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>The Arts Company has presented photography since day one</i>, but never with the kind of consistent response and commentary this exhibition has attracted. It is hard to single out the highlights to date or to predict them for this next month. We have had unexpected large crowds for every event, plus much ado in the press on and off line. What all of this activity tells us is that there is something compelling about this series of programs.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPcQJHtkDY5Yht9VUanX4Hz_WqiboC2IMQokXncFoRWJPx7Tj0DShF9t1_De1timEAw4vyflzkNeIUSZ9dGYeZPkuSU_YjUzNy96e633qmea3-bJtLjvfukJqvsCX951Xr6_p2gw4OfcR/s1600/Crowd-web.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPcQJHtkDY5Yht9VUanX4Hz_WqiboC2IMQokXncFoRWJPx7Tj0DShF9t1_De1timEAw4vyflzkNeIUSZ9dGYeZPkuSU_YjUzNy96e633qmea3-bJtLjvfukJqvsCX951Xr6_p2gw4OfcR/s400/Crowd-web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702822879881361826" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Introducing the idea of the QR Code Reader</i> set the series up with new ways to think about linking photography with new technology. The QR Code as part of every photographer's body of work was assumed at the beginning. How they each incorporated this new dimension to their photographs was up to each of them. Some used videos, some recordings only, and others used words and music to add to their images. Some were whimsical, some were serious, but all were inventive and interesting. That set the tone for the whole series of events.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>The first preview session</i> with the South Light Salon photographers, <i>hosted by Paul Polycarpou,</i> executive editor of Nashville Arts Magazine, laid out clearly the various kinds of depth of passion and intention these particular artists have brought to this exhibition.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65g_16ihv43xe3014MJzgoBPt887SP9SqdgIrGbPi0BwTXwU2FqTd0fdZK1aOwKOypQugIgM5ObA-PxrVvQZrpWgoXlVbGAg1_tH95KqAMh6ssbKdpRy1RmHKObvOJEbecN_cjXOZFYqP/s1600/img_4989-edit.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65g_16ihv43xe3014MJzgoBPt887SP9SqdgIrGbPi0BwTXwU2FqTd0fdZK1aOwKOypQugIgM5ObA-PxrVvQZrpWgoXlVbGAg1_tH95KqAMh6ssbKdpRy1RmHKObvOJEbecN_cjXOZFYqP/s400/img_4989-edit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702823516106711602" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>It is a no brainer to single out the impact of Sylvia Plachy</i> when she came as the group's legendary guest photographer for the first Salon Saturday event a couple of weeks ago to talk about her outstanding career as a photographer with the <i>Village Voice</i>, as well as more recently with the <i>New Yorker </i>and other publications. The many books of her work are now collectors' items. Her presentation transported the some 100 folks at the gallery that particular Saturday afternoon to another world. Having met her and learned from her, everyone there that day had a sense that she embodied a world of experience and insight all unto herself, fitting her life and her art together seamlessly.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSS0km8Eui97uArZga0eSwpNhQ-KKK5mGZZDxFQoasdAgQT97iJz9dbnS1wzIMECMKdwMYEznlKS0rSU6abPKomuKHkuPfoWJ_Fj0RuWxkJfqkuUHURaL-453tVOmBiWQvAQv8JmjrieRk/s1600/img_5127.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSS0km8Eui97uArZga0eSwpNhQ-KKK5mGZZDxFQoasdAgQT97iJz9dbnS1wzIMECMKdwMYEznlKS0rSU6abPKomuKHkuPfoWJ_Fj0RuWxkJfqkuUHURaL-453tVOmBiWQvAQv8JmjrieRk/s400/img_5127.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702824033938759298" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div><i>The second Salon Saturday</i> attracted some 80 guests to learn from South Light Photographer Robert McCurley about street photography in a "Taking It To the Street" session upstairs at the gallery, culminating in breaking up the group with some of the other South Light photographers and sending them out to do some of their own street photography. We hope to have some of the results up on Facebook very soon.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82v9ZD4A4dW-uXzl0MVgXB7U9RxPuhI-qRF79zb1vyhCl8U4a0H0V59_PZQEztXK5-dKhbqmsPYhedI0HBMmamw8YNqvMdZa4pTiUebHC4MGs2yW8u9vTtx4_cY_tY_MV4HN75wGOoMPE/s1600/robert-1-web.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82v9ZD4A4dW-uXzl0MVgXB7U9RxPuhI-qRF79zb1vyhCl8U4a0H0V59_PZQEztXK5-dKhbqmsPYhedI0HBMmamw8YNqvMdZa4pTiUebHC4MGs2yW8u9vTtx4_cY_tY_MV4HN75wGOoMPE/s400/robert-1-web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702824652331804434" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div><i><b>The good news is that we are only half way there. </b></i> There is yet another month of exhibits and Salon Saturday Festival activities planned. Our Collectors Art Night scheduled for Friday, February 3, (5:30-6:45) will feature three outstanding Nashville photography collectors, hosted by Jerry Atnip, a master photographer himself, talking about what kind of photography each of them collects and why. Billy Frist and David Conrad, both photography aficionados, and Jack Spencer, a legendary Nashville-based photographer who also collects other photography he admires.</div><div><br /></div><div>And then there is the <i>First Saturday Art Crawl on Saturday, February 4 (6-9 pm).</i> The entire photography exhibit will be installed Upstairs at The Arts Company, a great environment for viewing and talking about artwork. Nine folks selected for a Portfolio Review by the group will present their work.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiton-U0ET74MgAGD6c-59lckMJqWEHF2sfUIvDvF7Y113seyRDagZkGY60Fg_m_AciQk_T9DNdL6na7hkCXFBSdV2NL-VUG2Xf7fLKgJKOL9EwxZ9oG_VBvFXRfoO3ZltODGUPcjvXmhDP/s1600/img_5061-edit.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiton-U0ET74MgAGD6c-59lckMJqWEHF2sfUIvDvF7Y113seyRDagZkGY60Fg_m_AciQk_T9DNdL6na7hkCXFBSdV2NL-VUG2Xf7fLKgJKOL9EwxZ9oG_VBvFXRfoO3ZltODGUPcjvXmhDP/s400/img_5061-edit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702823914133857730" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Following that, the next two February Saturdays are filled with the last two scheduled Salon Saturdays. On <i>Saturday, February 11, 2-4 pm</i>, Robert McCurley will mix it up with some of his photographs, his own related poetry, and the poetry of two other Nashville poets--Randy Foster and Amy E. Hall, followed by an art film. The idea is to connect the dots among these art forms, making it another special Saturday afternoon destination for those of us wishing to cross the lines from one art form to another. </div><div><br /></div><div>And yet, like the late night commercials say, "and yet there's more...." The Closing Celebration Event for the two-month extravaganza is scheduled for <i>Saturday, February 18, 5:30-7:30 pm</i>. It will be a celebration of the fact that this ambitious exhibition cycle did come to pass and did do what everyone involved with it hoped it would do--get the art of photography connected with more people.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>A couple of things you should know:</b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>All events are free, but reservations are required. We have just so much space, and that's it. See below what to do to RSVP.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you have not read Joe Nolan's comments on the exhibit in this weeks Nashville Scene, we are attaching it here. It is an outstanding example of how a really good reviewer can help you know something about exhibits. He is a writer who looks carefully and writes well about what he reviews an exhibit. This is well worth your time. You will learn something about the exhibit and about Joe's well-deserved reputation as a reviewer. Here's the link:</div><div> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-USfont-family:";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-family:Helvetica;font-size:100%;color:#1436A5;" ><a href="http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/a-new-photography-exhibition-offers-diverse-narratives-on-the-subject-of-the-south/Content?oid=2743066">http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/a-new-photography-exhibition-offers-diverse-narratives-on-the-subject-of-the-south/Content?oid=2743066</a></span></span><!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span style="font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-USfont-family:";font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-USfont-family:";font-size:100%;" ><b>The only other thing you need to know is dates and times and the RSVP reservation contact. For that, go to www.theartscompany.com to find the complete schedule of events. To RSVP for any event of your choice, art@theartscompany.com or 615-254-2040.</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVI72_JoicrJLoHJQm2wlEQWxd_zGvHR_uhKJTZGJfib74QjtB6kkff5Qy9m2wlD6HQ2i3G4glSo0oQk_A-8aIDQeFF0vtiiIoWGbV75Sxsrgu3w1zNmKLOXx2dkDr5BKZo6_9LPiMNuC/s1600/logo2008small.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVI72_JoicrJLoHJQm2wlEQWxd_zGvHR_uhKJTZGJfib74QjtB6kkff5Qy9m2wlD6HQ2i3G4glSo0oQk_A-8aIDQeFF0vtiiIoWGbV75Sxsrgu3w1zNmKLOXx2dkDr5BKZo6_9LPiMNuC/s200/logo2008small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702829193198449250" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.theartscompany.com/">www.theartscompany.com</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-91010441502484841672011-11-29T16:44:00.016-06:002011-11-30T07:35:54.938-06:00The Arts Company on 5th Avenue of the Arts Since 1996<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Since 1996, we have become over the years a Nashville kind of place-</span></i>-always welcoming outsiders to Nashville and inviting Nashville insiders back downtown. We have introduced a lot of artists and artwork, made lots of friends, and taken on a lot of Partners in Art, helping businesses outfit their workplaces in distinctive ways. We have become an artistic concierge of sorts for Nashvillians as well as visitors.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1I_0Y2F6AbQXmkGDlS5N9yE03DLNXMr8c_cwJ7y3Wx17VFzOXqjS0RluoFZf2hPZaf31WQh0hXPZL4n7BkWcKXbB-TcPfTDAKo7M8ZJs1IGup94y7WvYrymQ2glbOYJLOCOaXlR-v4AIU/s1600/photo2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1I_0Y2F6AbQXmkGDlS5N9yE03DLNXMr8c_cwJ7y3Wx17VFzOXqjS0RluoFZf2hPZaf31WQh0hXPZL4n7BkWcKXbB-TcPfTDAKo7M8ZJs1IGup94y7WvYrymQ2glbOYJLOCOaXlR-v4AIU/s400/photo2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680558812590034722" border="0" /></a><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">We invite you to come drink a toast with us this Saturday, December 3, 6-9 pm, to help us celebrate our 15 years of presenting art in the middle of downtown Nashville. We'll be looking back and thinking forward.</span></i></div><div><br /></div><div>We started as a lone gallery downtown. Looking forward, we are now in league with a variety of other nearby galleries and artistic enterprises on what we proudly call 5th Avenue of the Arts.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzmSQ9NLc3Z53u1ShFUV4g4cS5tCjbdwwP0ho22aE8HQ-fngqjii4LY-a3zHD3vDcsEAC8R1Se6rm7GqPc7Yy5vyuWjNhSkwkK7h7qEnKxg3TWUzAC3vTdO_dfMcZAET3B-23uu72-qRD/s1600/photo.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzmSQ9NLc3Z53u1ShFUV4g4cS5tCjbdwwP0ho22aE8HQ-fngqjii4LY-a3zHD3vDcsEAC8R1Se6rm7GqPc7Yy5vyuWjNhSkwkK7h7qEnKxg3TWUzAC3vTdO_dfMcZAET3B-23uu72-qRD/s400/photo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680558899878186498" border="0" /></a></div><br />We are 15 years in the making...and counting, thanks to our friends, artists, business partners, and other art aficionados. Surely you fit one of those categories, so come join us for more time together with art and artists in a neat city.<br /><br /><div><i><br /></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYBtDxrH0_4_df2K1sdQ0rNTZlaD9AyU5tCIy4EkSSp0745xxlRoGu1x1QIkEK0EmaHjfNBodBZkYSL6BQHwSVP9ArapP84sOAPP4Ir3Jt9M364wog_F-2TlScJjefsI5MYXqjGbomBzZ/s1600/TAC_15_logo_small.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYBtDxrH0_4_df2K1sdQ0rNTZlaD9AyU5tCIy4EkSSp0745xxlRoGu1x1QIkEK0EmaHjfNBodBZkYSL6BQHwSVP9ArapP84sOAPP4Ir3Jt9M364wog_F-2TlScJjefsI5MYXqjGbomBzZ/s200/TAC_15_logo_small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680558265522313506" border="0" /></a><br /></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-62847367350514110252011-09-26T12:01:00.034-05:002011-09-27T11:32:39.480-05:00Butterflies and space time, new art from gallery artists, and welcoming the new Parnassus Books to Nashville--It's all in a night's work...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">The Art & Science of Space Time / Tony Breuer</span><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0km8-g_ZtRgHK5DMzzRDsfR3JqEKBAiSoATakQFSX57PwwI_8hGaOK5CKbwku7suuNa9gewxsS81sPOO1UMOi-LUy4dt5N4HarJlOB7lMjGumtq3HV_b4EKHstNEl8UjMWAN_nkpjKH6w/s1600/Wings_web.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0km8-g_ZtRgHK5DMzzRDsfR3JqEKBAiSoATakQFSX57PwwI_8hGaOK5CKbwku7suuNa9gewxsS81sPOO1UMOi-LUy4dt5N4HarJlOB7lMjGumtq3HV_b4EKHstNEl8UjMWAN_nkpjKH6w/s400/Wings_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656734556875503922" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><i>Tony Breuer is returning to The Arts Company in October to present his new artistic commentary on the ways aesthetics and science intersect in space time, based on the leading physical theory of our time, the theory of relativity.</i> This year, he has chosen the annual flight of the Monarch butterfly to demonstrate artistically through his paintings how time, light, and space move in and out of each other in the midst of the annual flight of a fragile but resilient insect.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWj-gaTCUXB1TGVQq4MhfHAEgPaxDGcFINNFrs23m0j1Y4n6JBaamjVwBqAi5DCiEFssjzdqZGihsexyTkTY66QNvOZK5_Pzr0ppQ7VrP2_gm69ltyu1T1gPXEzsFeTA08-FnD817hthU/s1600/Monarch_2_web.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWj-gaTCUXB1TGVQq4MhfHAEgPaxDGcFINNFrs23m0j1Y4n6JBaamjVwBqAi5DCiEFssjzdqZGihsexyTkTY66QNvOZK5_Pzr0ppQ7VrP2_gm69ltyu1T1gPXEzsFeTA08-FnD817hthU/s400/Monarch_2_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656734380885319314" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Breuer's own artist statement about this exhibit sets the stage:</i> "This series celebrates the Monarchs fluttering through spacetime on a wing and a prayer--a miracle--definitely a miracle," noting that "The Monarch butterfly undergoes a complete metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly capable of flying, with no training, within minutes of emerging from its chrysalis." Breuer's attraction to the beauty, fragility, and science of his subject prompted him as an artist to portray the fragile but powerful phenomenon of Monarch butterflies. The canvases in the exhibit offer a progression of studies of the intertwining shapes of physical movement and the movement of light that surrounds the butterflies in their flight.</div><div><br /></div><div>This series of paintings are best viewed as they were created, in a series from one to eight, with two additional pieces focused on the same subject.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOeHx6iPz5Ks-axNUX3f0tb35NMqmJFnKNC67EvtN_8kyIDeqPeb-aYo-uIRnDSCRbKVIlkD40bZyquggolWv8KlVDqMksM_gCizqMuUC8QdXiMXmIVKskxv5BLCUeu4-p0cDDEjuGkIF/s1600/Monarch_5_web.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOeHx6iPz5Ks-axNUX3f0tb35NMqmJFnKNC67EvtN_8kyIDeqPeb-aYo-uIRnDSCRbKVIlkD40bZyquggolWv8KlVDqMksM_gCizqMuUC8QdXiMXmIVKskxv5BLCUeu4-p0cDDEjuGkIF/s400/Monarch_5_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656734456406950098" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Tony Breuer began his professional life as a magna cum laude graduate at Princeton University, continuing his studies in neurological research at Oxford, and receiving his M.D. at Harvard Medical School. His medical career included the practice of medicine as well as research in neurology. For a few years he practiced medicine in Nashville. In the 1990s, he joined his scientific interests with his training in art, receiving a BA from the University of Southern Indiana in 1998, followed by an MFA in painting from East Carolina University in 2003. Since then, he has continued his medical practice while beginning to develop his style and technique as a painter. His paintings are devoted to his exploration of how two-dimensional paintings can represent some of the more complex multi-dimensional realities of the physical universe.</div><div><br /></div><div>For years now, Tony has been transitioning from being a practicing neurologist to becoming a full-time practicing artist. Early next year, his time will be devoted fully to his artwork. he particularly enjoys talking about his work and what he hopes to achieve through his painting. Don't miss this opportunity to visit with this emerging artist. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><i>Ann Patchett moves the Mount of Parnassus to Nashville</i></span></b><br /></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><i><br /></i></span></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgDIK6a7bokuJbi4LYU7UBQVUwYeIfamgUha_qvTAO31KfW9bqqbEUxHNDRwINm7uI6QhLCQrgtnknUZ5dQrSB8r4KjQfY_W_t_p_omgQMzOutKj7QFSSH46BGsjUX9svkqNZYNwrhrM5/s1600/Parnassuslogo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 335px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgDIK6a7bokuJbi4LYU7UBQVUwYeIfamgUha_qvTAO31KfW9bqqbEUxHNDRwINm7uI6QhLCQrgtnknUZ5dQrSB8r4KjQfY_W_t_p_omgQMzOutKj7QFSSH46BGsjUX9svkqNZYNwrhrM5/s400/Parnassuslogo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656735997901650930" border="0" /></a></div><div><i>Friends of The Arts Company will know that new bookstores don't just pop up these days. </i> It takes thought, courage, and commitment to the value of books themselves and to the role of books and reading in the life of a community. Within the last year, Nashville has lost all Border Books locations, plus the independent Davis-Kidd landmark store. Those losses, mixed with the recession, painted a bleak picture for the future of books in Nashville. However, instead of gloom and doom, a couple of folks saw an opportunity to put together a new book store concept designed by Nashvillians for Nashvillians.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thinking mythically, they went to the higher reaches of mythology to brand their enterprise "Parnassus Books," after Mount Parnassus, a high mountain considered to be sacred by the ancient Greeks, a mountain associated with Apollo and the Muses, symbolizing poetry. Reaching high, they are bringing the mountain to Nashville.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Only famed Nashville-based writer Ann Patchett and her colleagues could pull off such a feat.</i> Her total passion for writing and the inestimable value of books has prompted her to provide the primary financing for Nashville's forthcoming Parnassus Books. Tagged as "An Independent Book Store for Independent People," this new enterprise is making its debut against all odds of the shifting landscape of books and bookstores.</div><div><br /></div><div>When Patchett and Karen Hayes, an experienced and savvy book professional, met and began to talk about what it would take to pull off a new approach to developing a book store, the gods were moving fast to keep up with them. Patchett made the initial financial commitment to support Hayes' business plan, and when they added another consummate book professional, Mary Grey James, as store manager, the new enterprise was on its way.</div><div><br /></div><div><i style="font-size: medium; ">Lucky for guests of The Arts Company, the three of them will be at the gallery during the October First Saturday, October 1. </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><i> Ann Patchett will sign her own books from 6-9 pm, and Karen and Mary Grey will be there to show off the plans and to recruit new Founding Members for the new store. Part of their new concept is an invitation to all Nashvillians to become founding members.</i></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Ann and Karen and Mary Grey are bringing the heights of Mount Parnassus directly to us right here in our own city. And they are inviting us personally to participate in this new venture. Don't forget to thank them. Come join in to show your support for this enterprising new business.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mIi3c51W1SfATfOv-fTFtCUCBEB7ZvT60jJV_kUxFyXScdGwfXUDI7I0HFNALC8Sg1Ckj3PKpCqGCj9hC_ww3VIHZ0hyd6cOYJjDgk7atDAmutpTOVwVcy5c5UDOYozk9WlpTBrsh9yZ/s1600/FoundersRewardslogo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 361px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mIi3c51W1SfATfOv-fTFtCUCBEB7ZvT60jJV_kUxFyXScdGwfXUDI7I0HFNALC8Sg1Ckj3PKpCqGCj9hC_ww3VIHZ0hyd6cOYJjDgk7atDAmutpTOVwVcy5c5UDOYozk9WlpTBrsh9yZ/s400/FoundersRewardslogo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656735929351270770" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><i><b>And if that's not enough, the October First Saturday promises even more new artwork and more artists to meet...</b></i></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Charles Keiger, painter</b><br /></div><b><br /></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaImZGv2qS-IsVG2cQvCcOu_2q3eM0zM0Te2rZS8NBZB3xevxwNVLU1nlSUazWinYMqZvykDvU4Xa-uhyphenhyphenJTcwOg3XE46_6gH23V_trmTtDuFBPKIc2_eGQco6vjcVBAjDlsmRPu0g8OO7/s1600/The-Piglet_web.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 347px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaImZGv2qS-IsVG2cQvCcOu_2q3eM0zM0Te2rZS8NBZB3xevxwNVLU1nlSUazWinYMqZvykDvU4Xa-uhyphenhyphenJTcwOg3XE46_6gH23V_trmTtDuFBPKIc2_eGQco6vjcVBAjDlsmRPu0g8OO7/s400/The-Piglet_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656733062275228386" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Charles Keiger's exhibit of his signature magical realism paintings in the exhibit<i> Inside Out</i> will continue through October 15. These paintings are polished, engaging, and deeply southern in their narrative feel and content. They are like reading the best Eudora Welty short stories in a visual incarnation. You will not want to miss seeing these gems. The images will linger in your mind....<br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Bernice Davidson, sculpture and painting</b><br /></div><b><br /></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgww7lDkLCNZ_QlmGMjFJeOirxiFBN4Lqc8ghXKSNyFhqGL7jlbsB8CuS9JVH6cL56rDk_KqdKCz896PcdUGRL3NRnvX3JGz72WmaIFlHpjOqB2ia72so1YUCqGAxVWtwsimsK8ZxkGfCMk/s1600/IMG_4150.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgww7lDkLCNZ_QlmGMjFJeOirxiFBN4Lqc8ghXKSNyFhqGL7jlbsB8CuS9JVH6cL56rDk_KqdKCz896PcdUGRL3NRnvX3JGz72WmaIFlHpjOqB2ia72so1YUCqGAxVWtwsimsK8ZxkGfCMk/s400/IMG_4150.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656733635768349282" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On rare occasion, we get new work from Bernice Davidson, as her time allows in addition to her responsibilities as head of the art department at Martin College. Armed with a master's degree in art from Yale, plus a long-time residency in Tennessee, she observes nature with a keen eye and wit. She will be presenting six new pieces from her mixed-media sculpture series, <i>4th Dimension Sculpture.<br /><br /><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Edie Maney, painting</b><br /></div><b><br /></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmrIwcMOk0QVBYi7_n7ITmXqhyphenhyphenCqu6X-0BivUtwHY1JbMVzMxDy5I5ssRygB2nMbB8wlK_a329QMezmei7QJMhj2vTXp9ozO_f5VXXFEv5xUMyUGYfXQRfzmC97QqsZhByeV4hFryubqJ/s1600/Blue_Mirage_web.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 379px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmrIwcMOk0QVBYi7_n7ITmXqhyphenhyphenCqu6X-0BivUtwHY1JbMVzMxDy5I5ssRygB2nMbB8wlK_a329QMezmei7QJMhj2vTXp9ozO_f5VXXFEv5xUMyUGYfXQRfzmC97QqsZhByeV4hFryubqJ/s400/Blue_Mirage_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656733264079938306" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>While Edie Maney does not regularly showcase her paintings at The Arts Company, we have asked her to share her series of<i> Squares</i>, groups of small, lively abstract paintings based on her travels and observations. They will capture your eyeballs on contact, but do not overlook the titles of each piece. Each one is an intentional abstraction of something she has seen. Her work is adventurous and exciting.<br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Judy Nebhut, photography</b><br /></div><b><br /></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ox9JywVNnlpr7LOfwBarv5Whymjz4p9Dp3tkuhLT1k5MykaGUx_Rp949GkXyawkRNadKCPAi6h6ulusN5S4yavQMhb5TzcmmBYza8-FWb0jYRGJfuInq1G6bxwvs-OLmu_W15lzqpm5V/s1600/Life-is-a-game_16-x-20.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ox9JywVNnlpr7LOfwBarv5Whymjz4p9Dp3tkuhLT1k5MykaGUx_Rp949GkXyawkRNadKCPAi6h6ulusN5S4yavQMhb5TzcmmBYza8-FWb0jYRGJfuInq1G6bxwvs-OLmu_W15lzqpm5V/s400/Life-is-a-game_16-x-20.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656732820459387106" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We first showcased Judy Nebhut's classy still life photographs just about a year ago. She has added a few new images to her collection that you will not want to miss. She creates a variety of still lifes using ingredients from marbles to sunflowers to stacks of books and paints them through her camera lens. On first look, you will swear you are looking at a painting. She has a style all her own, and she continues to hone it to perfection. There is a classic sense of joy in her work.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><i>And that is a lot of what First Saturdays are like every month at The Arts Company--fresh, original, and contemporary....</i></span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZY9jqpKNbPYA9UBz98IgkBr5e3-aX4cISlVZyHyTIJypfPxxGxNeR3xxefL-RhxH3sWXKLjCbIxlrzilpThD5w6_oF6MsA-wnmS_f_GlMd-9ZppGbNDguqWsPlaVpXbyq1g8zOHYuHFdG/s1600/logo2008small.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZY9jqpKNbPYA9UBz98IgkBr5e3-aX4cISlVZyHyTIJypfPxxGxNeR3xxefL-RhxH3sWXKLjCbIxlrzilpThD5w6_oF6MsA-wnmS_f_GlMd-9ZppGbNDguqWsPlaVpXbyq1g8zOHYuHFdG/s200/logo2008small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656736516923565522" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28rU0aGD2dsUyJt2lC0ZjqpRYx7LfagSSUNQb0GjIMO-88wh4trXOVlUSEclsX3UxwmkdN1YF6LVJ17n51AQQYdy7uiPw5WmfCU1VyIfASUqVRucBPkxzAfFh4lEH2Ohg-l-bTEsXJuWm/s1600/ArtOn5thAvenue.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28rU0aGD2dsUyJt2lC0ZjqpRYx7LfagSSUNQb0GjIMO-88wh4trXOVlUSEclsX3UxwmkdN1YF6LVJ17n51AQQYdy7uiPw5WmfCU1VyIfASUqVRucBPkxzAfFh4lEH2Ohg-l-bTEsXJuWm/s200/ArtOn5thAvenue.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656736591144531330" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-54360288010087020692011-08-27T16:56:00.037-05:002011-08-28T15:51:31.355-05:00Inside Out: New Paintings by Charles Keiger<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';"><i>Charles Keiger's paintings are great fun at first glance, and even more interesting when you try to figure out what the heck is going on</i>.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">They</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">blend a semblance of normal reality, obvious at first glance, with many mysterious and intriguing moments happening around the persons, objects, and activities presented.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-USfont-family:";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span><i>Keiger paints inside out.</i><span> </span>He presents inside feelings and observations we all experience—the unspoken kind that go on inside the minds of each of us constantly—and shows how odd these feelings and thoughts seem when presented as part of the subject’s life in the real world.<span> </span>He often adds clues etched or carved into the frames that he builds for many of the paintings.</span></span></div><div>
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<br /></div><div><i>In each painting, people share the stage with the objects of their feelings or dreams or emotions.</i> Keiger selects specific details from the tableaux he creates and presents them in larger-than-life images out of proportion to the setting. All of the pieces are there for the viewer to put together. A sense of fun, mystery, drama, and subtlety prevail. </div><div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none">Keiger builds in multiple objects or images and leaves them for the viewer to find all of the clues he painstakingly includes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s no wonder that his work continues to be fresh and mysterious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There’s never an answer to his work, only a continuing adventure with the clues he has left for us.</p></div><div><i>
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<br /></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7KwDDqalffLv9EOKYssMJ8ThsrQlsAI7wU0wf_H5W45MSiPq6PkZCgJW6UwMW4BtqbfEoJI6sUwCVPBqhkjnbgsWp_Wj4Yj3l95yQ2p6yqlwt7JubGFDnWnVSc8AvBS5X_mZO5xj09uN/s1600/Dog-And-Pony-Dream_web.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 337px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7KwDDqalffLv9EOKYssMJ8ThsrQlsAI7wU0wf_H5W45MSiPq6PkZCgJW6UwMW4BtqbfEoJI6sUwCVPBqhkjnbgsWp_Wj4Yj3l95yQ2p6yqlwt7JubGFDnWnVSc8AvBS5X_mZO5xj09uN/s400/Dog-And-Pony-Dream_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645665356656841778" border="0" /></a></div><div>
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<br /></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i>Keiger's words express it best: "As a person I am attracted to those absurd moments in life that offer a sense of clarity. Those brief occasions that occur where you say to yourself, 'I am overjoyed to be a part of thing called life.' When I paint I attempt to convey that emotional state to the viewer."</i></span></i></div><div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJa137lWLlANlmylOf-MJARMZ7FFmryRqXfD7zA4_9ynhg6GgyV3pFdbrhp8mcbkNO4oLFbNcd9CgE1pnzFDXXc31dUMyNMrRA5aKn1HTvT0jiYTZ23XwwoI6hjlGgLOjIRNe1fsstdS78/s1600/Song-In-The-Wind_web.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 346px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJa137lWLlANlmylOf-MJARMZ7FFmryRqXfD7zA4_9ynhg6GgyV3pFdbrhp8mcbkNO4oLFbNcd9CgE1pnzFDXXc31dUMyNMrRA5aKn1HTvT0jiYTZ23XwwoI6hjlGgLOjIRNe1fsstdS78/s400/Song-In-The-Wind_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645665474476495122" border="0" /></a></div><div><div><i>
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<br /></i></div><div>Known as a painter with a combination of southern gothic and magical realism, <i>Charles Keiger is a painter with a southern sensibility</i>--the isolated guitar players, the dog and pony show (above), the big piece of "Sunday night cake" in the sky, the jockey urging his horse across the jet stream in the sky like a modern-day Icarus. The more you look at the paintings, the more the connections are suggested between the paintings and the best of southern writing. Playful and serious like a Eudora Welty story, but never in the darker territory of a Faulkner story or the more sinister characters in Flannery O'Connor.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Keiger's figures are ordinary people stopped still in a particular moment while the artist shows outside what's going on inside--some fantasy or the other, or a narrative of disjointed images that express visually a state of mind or the crux of a particular situation or emotion. His style is reminiscent of Magritte, though not quite as stark. There's a whole lot of story-telling going on in Keiger's paintings. </div></div><div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWT31gIhQUex4F8Xrp1pOlXhn8m_7UAAYya0evUatduzTqy5ulTWuZf0obkNMHz-UqjaApG5LVtpfXQ2rN4AcgJNh2dmHb5c1iX-tNNF9UsWRd1Knn5DwelCg5oO_tr9gktGcyz8nJtHgJ/s1600/Tidal-Audit_web.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 357px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWT31gIhQUex4F8Xrp1pOlXhn8m_7UAAYya0evUatduzTqy5ulTWuZf0obkNMHz-UqjaApG5LVtpfXQ2rN4AcgJNh2dmHb5c1iX-tNNF9UsWRd1Knn5DwelCg5oO_tr9gktGcyz8nJtHgJ/s400/Tidal-Audit_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645665584572028882" border="0" /></a><i>
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<br /></i></div><div><i>Chances are you will be attracted to these paintings at first sight</i>. You will be drawn to their elegance, wit, and mystery, and about how feelings often come at us in strange ways that are deeply felt, but often go unspoken. It takes a painter to show us new ways to think visually. When all is said and done, the paintings remain paintings. The narratives are never finished, only suggested. They are fresh every time you look at them.</div><div>
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<br /></b></i></div><div><i><b>Charles will be in town for the exhibit opening:</b></i></div><div><i><b>Saturday, September 3, 2011, 6-9 pm</b></i></div><div><b>at The Arts Company</b></div><div><b>215 5th Avenue of the Arts, North</b></div><div><b>www. theartscompany.com</b></div><div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNRNDksRTcOut0IPRO0f1eQ45zavPX2dT8W2PqJJJjrOzge-wWYUacOa0A0VqaIEcTUnRPjliI2XUEz2GikfPDsk2LomTBcZggDcc5ZG6eHc8CKzBT9dp4fBJ3GKqBcyn4bEAL7RrNPjD/s1600/logo2008small.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNRNDksRTcOut0IPRO0f1eQ45zavPX2dT8W2PqJJJjrOzge-wWYUacOa0A0VqaIEcTUnRPjliI2XUEz2GikfPDsk2LomTBcZggDcc5ZG6eHc8CKzBT9dp4fBJ3GKqBcyn4bEAL7RrNPjD/s200/logo2008small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645666282231340290" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_YQxezicmfv_1aa4x2GyLbUrS3hMr9hjEB_799TNFW785szcx7rw4xTqqN_e29zuqp-cMk0zsrudHeHst_iiVctLreeWo-E4Ogijq05Ly6NfDB-ubLCCYt8A3iN1wFP87Ps55JfWRJKs/s1600/ArtOn5thAvenue.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_YQxezicmfv_1aa4x2GyLbUrS3hMr9hjEB_799TNFW785szcx7rw4xTqqN_e29zuqp-cMk0zsrudHeHst_iiVctLreeWo-E4Ogijq05Ly6NfDB-ubLCCYt8A3iN1wFP87Ps55JfWRJKs/s200/ArtOn5thAvenue.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645666369558554530" border="0" /></a>
<br /></div></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-75868924000755818092011-07-30T15:19:00.025-05:002011-07-31T16:37:43.160-05:00Tradition matters at The Arts Company, and with good reason<i><b>The Annual Avant-Garage Sale (the 15th edition this year) is one of our top gallery traditions</b></i>. It is a bear of an event to curate from the point of view of gallery staff, but it's a truly fun, affordable, festive summertime event for the groupies who come every year. Not to mention the new friends we make during the event, we think mostly because they didn't know coming to an artsy garage sale could be such an offbeat and surprising event...so "avant," you might say.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIwxwJ1oDGA3E78KvoAObNbXb-_-Oj0U1d4e34dTTA92bcoiL9O5l2_YpkPh5-JNpS0REZvkMrcI8xtXl4qDOqEkwPOBkl8WTJvr_VXJQo0ebOUxJbtq0ovKKTb-uCBiAabv-wCo2BNKh/s1600/IMG_1256_web.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIwxwJ1oDGA3E78KvoAObNbXb-_-Oj0U1d4e34dTTA92bcoiL9O5l2_YpkPh5-JNpS0REZvkMrcI8xtXl4qDOqEkwPOBkl8WTJvr_VXJQo0ebOUxJbtq0ovKKTb-uCBiAabv-wCo2BNKh/s400/IMG_1256_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635264576114153602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">From the August 2010 Garage Sale</span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The selection of goods is wide and random, though our job is to try to corral the treasures we pull out and try to make sense of them. This year in particular, the sale kind of reveals what happens in the backstage areas of our gallery. <b><i>Every year is like an archaeological dig</i></b> with this year's treasures including: extra frames that have lingered long after the project was over; some gear for making shelving; and a few special baskets and boxes used for exhibit props. Our well-loved vintage drafting table and stool have long outlived our need for them, same with a couple of flat files.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Y8-MSD4MXMZKnTutoqzxFlbAEG4n_NBFmLrPqj19fAMbsADTu-dF7Y2b-5xkt3hQWt6QBekfPaz7S7NtkRNazYxytwbhdmm_VbRDW9R0Eo3YNMbS3kauOxWz_gQyGmyp0625-nLoKTgt/s1600/IMG_3886_web.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Y8-MSD4MXMZKnTutoqzxFlbAEG4n_NBFmLrPqj19fAMbsADTu-dF7Y2b-5xkt3hQWt6QBekfPaz7S7NtkRNazYxytwbhdmm_VbRDW9R0Eo3YNMbS3kauOxWz_gQyGmyp0625-nLoKTgt/s400/IMG_3886_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635265788054484690" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Some great white empty frames that need a new home!<br /></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Photographs, paintings, and sculpture from estates and/or from our customers who collect and for one reason or another need to bring in pieces that no longer fit their decor or lifestyle or they are moving and can't take it all with them. This second chance for these pieces is a great opportunity for our avant-garage guests to find neat artwork or furniture or related artifacts that suit them perfectly.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNYJ9_OrxoMWK4qHm6ccfJG6Exf3MMQ-pQJ2vnPUDk6EACLiR2LPweC2qu_CySReHLwp1EkEzrsCPEMmOCZmADRk2ht9W_yI6Xlta2jj7BcV2AuGwZEcszzPdEE9SJ0lP6ZWvBxGtjOdf/s1600/LastLight%252CLastoftheConstruc.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 341px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNYJ9_OrxoMWK4qHm6ccfJG6Exf3MMQ-pQJ2vnPUDk6EACLiR2LPweC2qu_CySReHLwp1EkEzrsCPEMmOCZmADRk2ht9W_yI6Xlta2jj7BcV2AuGwZEcszzPdEE9SJ0lP6ZWvBxGtjOdf/s400/LastLight%252CLastoftheConstruc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635266698453033810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Billyo O'Donnell, Last Light of the Construction, oil on canvas</span><br /></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>This year in particular, folks have brought us a lot of pieces from a variety of regional artists</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Plus, we always add a lot of truly unexpected fun decor kind of stuff that has lingered for more than a few generations in people's closets far too long and needs new homes.</i></b> Pieces such as odd assortments of neat bowls, pitchers, baskets, chairs, tables, lamps, some of which are true treasures that mix well in contemporary settings. To name a few: 2 book presses, vintage gold leaf cornices, a rare folding wooden farm table, and 2 sets of sofa chairs designed by Nashville's interior design legend, Herbert Rodgers. We even have signed, limited photographs by Eisenstadt, John Loengard, and others.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GGa5ARHA8Fi9uDbstEC4e0jTv9q92UmKkoo4ARaz2cGE63smoXpLrMUjUm9xaP4GoCbg2kAXzcZ0KhbDmNeurOWUTUdfRPd1qXtbNGcv3WhY4z7A8__oY0wFs7fP4Strk5gGS785PZQB/s1600/IMG_3290_web.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GGa5ARHA8Fi9uDbstEC4e0jTv9q92UmKkoo4ARaz2cGE63smoXpLrMUjUm9xaP4GoCbg2kAXzcZ0KhbDmNeurOWUTUdfRPd1qXtbNGcv3WhY4z7A8__oY0wFs7fP4Strk5gGS785PZQB/s400/IMG_3290_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635269186928091938" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Vintage 4-part couch - by renowned Nashville designer, Herbert Rodgers</span><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>And then there are the art books and the vintage children's books and the cd's and a selection of classic record album covers (with the records still in them), and a few lingering art posters. Some are signed and rare.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>Equally important, the prices are right. And the lemonade is plentiful and ice cold. We give up our two gallery parking spaces in the avant-garage for this one-week-long event.</b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>This Arts Company tradition--our Avant-Garage Sale--continues each year just to see how much neat stuff we can pull out and make sense of so that our guests are inspired to give it a new life in their own lives. Remember, this is a curated exhibit, which means we have seriously searched through the remains of the past year and come up with some gems worthy of your attention.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>How many curated art-related garage sales have you been to lately?</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>15th Annual Avant-Garage Sale</b></div><div><b>Opening Saturday, August 6, 2011</b></div><div><b>11-9:00 pm / Reception 6-9 during First Saturday Art Crawl</b></div><div><b>Continues one-week only: August 6-13<br /><br /></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibY_MQfTBzYBeMw364toULouc7yxP3T1ESfxw1NC6vljWoW1x2TtZ2z7s0ZXpCAwXdIOoXhfnPjNCK-DVgt-ZtezhV6ape-J0mJQqlO8AaMf3Jle9ur8hyphenhyphenOc5m7d4agEkEmW62E89JEM5g/s1600/logo2008small_125.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 113px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibY_MQfTBzYBeMw364toULouc7yxP3T1ESfxw1NC6vljWoW1x2TtZ2z7s0ZXpCAwXdIOoXhfnPjNCK-DVgt-ZtezhV6ape-J0mJQqlO8AaMf3Jle9ur8hyphenhyphenOc5m7d4agEkEmW62E89JEM5g/s200/logo2008small_125.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632625205730419410" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWfAS0s_YVEA3ybMp8oASqIetOPZ8ZSLjbtf0KGFjrNOQPCBYiUui5ZeiCC9gigbH3euEOH8KsDQU0yCsVQ49s4aKHgARUelMhi-hylw7OH3R45eSuK8ng9iOS96bK_OxT_hbWHUuZZ4K/s1600/5thAveofTheArts-Logo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 117px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWfAS0s_YVEA3ybMp8oASqIetOPZ8ZSLjbtf0KGFjrNOQPCBYiUui5ZeiCC9gigbH3euEOH8KsDQU0yCsVQ49s4aKHgARUelMhi-hylw7OH3R45eSuK8ng9iOS96bK_OxT_hbWHUuZZ4K/s200/5thAveofTheArts-Logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632625413757058466" border="0" /></a><br /></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-42493568187094904322011-07-22T14:39:00.032-05:002011-07-23T15:11:14.198-05:00When Artists Collect Art, People Want to Know What and Why...not just to be nosy, but to know more about the particular mindset, taste, and interest of the collecting artist. The why's and when's are particularly interesting in the <i><b>forthcoming August Collectors Art Night guest collector/artist, John Nikolai, </b></i>because John's work is seemingly eons removed from Andy Warhol's. Yet, John has collected more than one Warhol, and he has lived with them for a long while. The last one we helped him sell sold virtually overnight to an art dealer in London who specializes in Warhol.<br /><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOaLPvONTAzFkkUIs2t29_eNUsW81VA72CmdFZ2rwnGGhzaIicMbGxN61Sv-4e7vLhg5vdigGjdpB-qu1VLBVm4i8S9MIEToNo5999GoT1U2XNGO_U9Hd_JJczwFLiOth98S6WbsA05Hu/s1600/JohnNikolai.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOaLPvONTAzFkkUIs2t29_eNUsW81VA72CmdFZ2rwnGGhzaIicMbGxN61Sv-4e7vLhg5vdigGjdpB-qu1VLBVm4i8S9MIEToNo5999GoT1U2XNGO_U9Hd_JJczwFLiOth98S6WbsA05Hu/s400/JohnNikolai.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632583111403977154" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">John Nikolai in Ireland with his trademark toboggan</span><br /></div><br /></div><div>But before we put the information out online this time, we wanted to host a special collectors night with John--one of our favorite artists--as our guest so we could pick his brain a little about what has driven him to collect. He's also bringing along a rare hand-written letter from Greta Garbo and lots of Garbo memorabilia he has collected since he was a teenager. Reading the letter will show you just how cranky her mind could be; and looking at the photographs that are beside it reminds you how glamorous she could be.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4SvDuzFS9YEG7hohyphenhyphenxCiK03jz30-uvDQIf4XkJ3Hy6nZ0-1XaZfNf7_wH_zkbxv81zQ6qKfp69Ptm3unnvAlmtZ543_4WNSKlgk6GeBfkp6sQUuvGzCvesvCqOkTYSDzjxKRUmDmTZ-1/s1600/IMG_3902.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 362px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4SvDuzFS9YEG7hohyphenhyphenxCiK03jz30-uvDQIf4XkJ3Hy6nZ0-1XaZfNf7_wH_zkbxv81zQ6qKfp69Ptm3unnvAlmtZ543_4WNSKlgk6GeBfkp6sQUuvGzCvesvCqOkTYSDzjxKRUmDmTZ-1/s400/IMG_3902.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632582916356466898" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Andy Warhol, <span style="font-style: italic;">Self-Portrait, </span>offset lithograph on silver-coated paper, 243/300, 1966<br /></span></div><br /></div><div><i><b>The Warhol and the Garbo material will be available for purchase,</b></i> along with a few other miscellaneous selections John is bringing. But, in addition, we have asked him to bring along other pieces that are of particular personal importance to him, though not for sale, but just there as samples of artwork he chooses personally. For instance, two pieces he is bringing just to show are related to two of his Nashville friends who are also artists--a watercolor by John Baeder and a classic photograph by Jim McGuire.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_RkCDEGkM-FLY7i6dpqL9RC6eqieyVir159csJ-8Nl4D6nfgrArSrtLQL4K9WbLNqbCUcOSv22ovEqlMKl1Pznn5wR4Gy_P2_vycOJqsyuTjOw-RszRNQsTecdlxSLRsbsveQ_O7LzmC/s1600/IMG_3905.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_RkCDEGkM-FLY7i6dpqL9RC6eqieyVir159csJ-8Nl4D6nfgrArSrtLQL4K9WbLNqbCUcOSv22ovEqlMKl1Pznn5wR4Gy_P2_vycOJqsyuTjOw-RszRNQsTecdlxSLRsbsveQ_O7LzmC/s400/IMG_3905.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632582795308565298" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Greta Garbo hand-written letter and photographs<br /></span></div><br /></div><div><i><b>There is a sub-text to all of this as well. This is our gallery Bon Voyage</b></i><b><img src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" alt="Bold" class="gl_bold" border="0" /></b><i><b> to John, who will be moving to his beloved Ireland this fall</b></i>. We will also be showing selected work from his exhibits at The Arts Company in recent years. Their subject? Mostly Ireland, of course. All hauntingly beautiful. Each one an original. No two ever alike.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHOivFXTJTKNFv8aN5gYE2IC2X5_JJz03w5_G2_qSUtxiK7OlUosyXrhpyQ1GS5bfoXWfBXBq3Yi94QxfId8vbLtGUOPzzIsFwZ8HDOkXBBSWo9V2tMnhbWel_M0YCK-fjLwxF6R2s6h7/s1600/waiting-on-shore-2006_30x53.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHOivFXTJTKNFv8aN5gYE2IC2X5_JJz03w5_G2_qSUtxiK7OlUosyXrhpyQ1GS5bfoXWfBXBq3Yi94QxfId8vbLtGUOPzzIsFwZ8HDOkXBBSWo9V2tMnhbWel_M0YCK-fjLwxF6R2s6h7/s400/waiting-on-shore-2006_30x53.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632583685442680722" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">John Nikolai, <span style="font-style: italic;">Waiting on Shore</span>, archival photograph<br /></span></div><br /></div><div>We may have to whip up some Irish champagne if there is such a thing, and hope we can persuade him to continue to send us new work from across the water. He just now came back from a trip to Ireland, bringing many rolls of film. Since John prefers the old-fashioned method of shooting with film, it takes time to get everything converted, selected, and printed by him personally according to his most precise expectations. Maybe by the time he leaves the country, he will have a group of new photographs to leave with us.</div><div><br /></div><div>Come join the conversation with John and consider what makes collecting passionate and personal in your own life. His artistic vision and energy will engage you, for sure.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtZeLF1nTIaYZcXOR6ofwYL2li89Z-SW8_Vm2P0JvHrJT6fx8LdwqQCmzeCedhg-QJQaI1PHPU9BCDnAwS-CTCqsfirNwSBl000SXtnl3UynKWQ4O80QrgBN_DSIT0sCspv_XBpLk4A6l/s1600/L-ire2006-63-31a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 336px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtZeLF1nTIaYZcXOR6ofwYL2li89Z-SW8_Vm2P0JvHrJT6fx8LdwqQCmzeCedhg-QJQaI1PHPU9BCDnAwS-CTCqsfirNwSBl000SXtnl3UynKWQ4O80QrgBN_DSIT0sCspv_XBpLk4A6l/s400/L-ire2006-63-31a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632582605182144594" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">John Nikolai, <span style="font-style: italic;">Self-Potrait</span></span><br /></div><br /></div><div><b><i>So, Bon Voyage, Farewell, So Long, and au Revoir to John...and come back soon bringing more fresh art and neat insights.</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Visit with John during</b></div><div><b>Collectors Art Night at The Arts Company</b></div><div><b>Friday, August 5, 2011</b></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><b> </b></span><b>5:30</b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><b> </b></span><b>Reception & refreshments</b></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><b> </b></span><b>6:00</b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><b> </b></span><b>Conversation with John Nikolai</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Remember: Space Limited. Reservations required.</b></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><b> </b></span><b>and Complimentary valet parking</b></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><b> </b></span><b>R.S.V.P. to 5thAvenueOfTheArts@gmail.com</b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>and be our VIP guest for the evening<br /><br /><br /></b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibY_MQfTBzYBeMw364toULouc7yxP3T1ESfxw1NC6vljWoW1x2TtZ2z7s0ZXpCAwXdIOoXhfnPjNCK-DVgt-ZtezhV6ape-J0mJQqlO8AaMf3Jle9ur8hyphenhyphenOc5m7d4agEkEmW62E89JEM5g/s1600/logo2008small_125.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 113px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibY_MQfTBzYBeMw364toULouc7yxP3T1ESfxw1NC6vljWoW1x2TtZ2z7s0ZXpCAwXdIOoXhfnPjNCK-DVgt-ZtezhV6ape-J0mJQqlO8AaMf3Jle9ur8hyphenhyphenOc5m7d4agEkEmW62E89JEM5g/s200/logo2008small_125.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632625205730419410" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWfAS0s_YVEA3ybMp8oASqIetOPZ8ZSLjbtf0KGFjrNOQPCBYiUui5ZeiCC9gigbH3euEOH8KsDQU0yCsVQ49s4aKHgARUelMhi-hylw7OH3R45eSuK8ng9iOS96bK_OxT_hbWHUuZZ4K/s1600/5thAveofTheArts-Logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 117px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWfAS0s_YVEA3ybMp8oASqIetOPZ8ZSLjbtf0KGFjrNOQPCBYiUui5ZeiCC9gigbH3euEOH8KsDQU0yCsVQ49s4aKHgARUelMhi-hylw7OH3R45eSuK8ng9iOS96bK_OxT_hbWHUuZZ4K/s200/5thAveofTheArts-Logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632625413757058466" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjP0sS3HZVbGcalwQHBqR6Fo51ThSTq7NTcfLGUVxSiVJXfUHzTUwBVSp6BWjUh1Fqr-WV5n4-XfvZ3nmYLP0n-3VFpsXre_2zjseOetErWLKG9ZIi9uJcSafa575Lc7gvL26PGczntRw/s1600/logo2008small_125.jpg"><br /></a></div></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-63056588877402367182011-07-01T08:03:00.028-05:002011-07-01T10:18:35.149-05:00Nashville's tipping point in the arts Commentary by Anne Brown<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfv4npkjjTYQ7tiMR6LC9A0XB4mGJIKE_52IoJ0zKqelHvhIWD_nHuKAahLU5l5wzvnntI2Npn1OEp6j6t0ZbJA5GuXMe9hn4_XGzhaZJaq4Ho3aZqmgtIxade3YZtUd3p1eREpwWcpjH/s1600/Shelby+Street+Bridge.jpg"><br /></a><b><i>You know for sure Nashville is nearing the tipping point in the arts when a national business publication makes the point for us.</i></b> Here's the way Jason Ankeny put it in his article, "The art of online commerce," in the current issue (July 2011) of <i>Entrepreneur</i> magazine.<div><br /></div><div>"Nashville is justly celebrated as Music City, but the Tennessee state capital's dedication to the arts doesn't end at the Grand Ole Opry. Downtown Nashville is also the nexus of a thriving visual arts community." Pointing out that the city's Fifth Avenue corridor now boasts more than a dozen gallery spaces that attract some 1000 visitors each month during First Saturday, <i><b>Jason calls what's happening here "Nashville's creative renaissance."<br /><br /><br /></b></i><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kSdu5UOsi1GdQFhAY9HgYKDKmRUDhsU1MeMxJIzb673piOgtQQFOCVUbKM6GehIK12mshpsmIE3ZBVRnou8yQwRRCKv3wmIfwmSSBIrPMw-xTM6qHvv2RQwxaph47FLKqVhZeheQ48jg/s1600/Spirit-Of-The-River.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kSdu5UOsi1GdQFhAY9HgYKDKmRUDhsU1MeMxJIzb673piOgtQQFOCVUbKM6GehIK12mshpsmIE3ZBVRnou8yQwRRCKv3wmIfwmSSBIrPMw-xTM6qHvv2RQwxaph47FLKqVhZeheQ48jg/s320/Spirit-Of-The-River.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624391573293091282" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">"Spirit of the River" by <a href="http://theartscompany.moontoast.com/charles-keiger">Charles Keiger</a></span><br /></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The article then credits The Arts Company as the gallery that pioneered the idea of making the arts a central part of the Nashville marketplace by establishing an art gallery in the middle of a downtown block full of dark empty buildings in 1996, now a vibrant artistic block that boasts many other art venues today.</div><div><br /></div><div>But that's only the tip of the tipping point to which this article refers. That was then. This is now. <i> <b>The real challenge ahead for the world of art galleries and related artistic enterprises is the same as for other businesses--how to define and build a bold and energetic role for the arts in the new online marketplaces that are evolving all around us</b></i><b>.</b> The Arts Company is still leading a charge forward to making an art business a successful player in the middle of the new online marketplaces.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6wahKJl2ZLXdrDGZ4-iceVkY8eRrJaedMEK-1XJ-yH4gsREPgwPcwPG3Ga3aWm1kzU2qVR4sGdu1jM8sppCuwZslEVTQ90aH0UugxlrHBBY47TzMjQ5r-GIHxtYElbJhWBx85jEdSuulO/s1600/15.+Dancing+Feet%252C+20B.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6wahKJl2ZLXdrDGZ4-iceVkY8eRrJaedMEK-1XJ-yH4gsREPgwPcwPG3Ga3aWm1kzU2qVR4sGdu1jM8sppCuwZslEVTQ90aH0UugxlrHBBY47TzMjQ5r-GIHxtYElbJhWBx85jEdSuulO/s320/15.+Dancing+Feet%252C+20B.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624398969301192370" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />"Dancing Feet" by <a href="http://theartscompany.moontoast.com/norman-lerner">Norman Lerner</a></span><br /></div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div>We have learned already that a brick and mortar location is part of the new way of doing business, but expecting that to remain the one and only venue for showing and selling art is a pipe dream. Those days are over. Not gone. Just over. That cannot be the sole model. The business of art is being challenged to the bone like all other businesses. Fortunately, the new days promise to be more interesting.</div><div><br /></div><div>Necessity number one is latching on to the online revolution. How to harness social commerce in tasteful, exciting ways requires turning a business upside down and recreating it. Constantly recreating it. It helps that art is a passionate and creative enterprise by definition. Clearly, this is no time to be timid.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfv4npkjjTYQ7tiMR6LC9A0XB4mGJIKE_52IoJ0zKqelHvhIWD_nHuKAahLU5l5wzvnntI2Npn1OEp6j6t0ZbJA5GuXMe9hn4_XGzhaZJaq4Ho3aZqmgtIxade3YZtUd3p1eREpwWcpjH/s1600/Shelby+Street+Bridge.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfv4npkjjTYQ7tiMR6LC9A0XB4mGJIKE_52IoJ0zKqelHvhIWD_nHuKAahLU5l5wzvnntI2Npn1OEp6j6t0ZbJA5GuXMe9hn4_XGzhaZJaq4Ho3aZqmgtIxade3YZtUd3p1eREpwWcpjH/s320/Shelby+Street+Bridge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624391753281306050" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">"Shelby Street Bridge" by <a href="http://theartscompany.moontoast.com/steven-walker">Steven Walker</a></span><br /></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>That's why we were attracted to Moontoast, our online social commerce platform. They are open to the challenge of taking online commerce beyond widgets. We are still at the very beginning of re-thinking our online initiatives. What we can say is that it is very labor-intensive. And very exciting!</b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>We can also say there is something about Nashville that brings out the entrepreneurial spirit in lots of folks. It's the spirit that tells you when you know you are on to something you just go with it however far you have to go. For The Arts Company, being singled out as part of "Nashville's creative renaissance" gives us incentive and responsibility to keep on keeping on.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>We are ready to embrace the new online art frontier to complement the 5th Avenue storefront we established 15 years ago, and we're looking forward to this unscripted future....<br /><br /><br /><br /></b></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtKs4BGcJl1Q5OQLp-YjzgRqZVlihBRBsy5ZO4B7PAAxKz7uUT-buDbWpJnr7RhiKD1GvDj1KUIh2Oxi0oQhg9qK_3wbRhgxKH2Dx-tNevhnMLdAjYv6BqN2vPl6fCbDg8OqMmD7P99zb/s1600/logo2008small.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtKs4BGcJl1Q5OQLp-YjzgRqZVlihBRBsy5ZO4B7PAAxKz7uUT-buDbWpJnr7RhiKD1GvDj1KUIh2Oxi0oQhg9qK_3wbRhgxKH2Dx-tNevhnMLdAjYv6BqN2vPl6fCbDg8OqMmD7P99zb/s200/logo2008small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624390361472974114" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PA4EFCof_cTPMIOhUG-R6M4LDeqVdiWyenlFpLXXEhkXYgQ1gPgLJD3NU2VC-MHtA3ZaKVJMCTdWIo3Sm7k5TyP0b0ftDcQTHUkReOBbcK7HIp0sO0gBmNXKLz6ckwcQnGa9rp1I8XLw/s1600/ArtOn5thAvenue.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PA4EFCof_cTPMIOhUG-R6M4LDeqVdiWyenlFpLXXEhkXYgQ1gPgLJD3NU2VC-MHtA3ZaKVJMCTdWIo3Sm7k5TyP0b0ftDcQTHUkReOBbcK7HIp0sO0gBmNXKLz6ckwcQnGa9rp1I8XLw/s200/ArtOn5thAvenue.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624390426874385522" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.theartscompany.com/">www.theartscompany.com</a><br /></div></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-47411914080360920232011-06-25T16:07:00.030-05:002011-06-27T07:49:23.003-05:00Why Serendipity at The Arts Company? A Call to Expect the Unexpected<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;">The real question is what took us so long? Serendipity pretty well defines the personality of our gallery.</span></b> In the early years, we used to hear the phrase "always the unexpected fun part." Now we have come to think of the way we select and present artists and artwork as a deliberate act of serendipity--namely, finding neat and interesting art and placing other neat and interesting pieces around it to create a comfortable and welcoming environment. For sure, it's an unpredictable way to approach art--finding something really interesting, something unexpected that you hadn't thought of before. Then suddenly, you couldn't stop thinking about it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYQcbPxVBnh5XfG7o6mxnel-vdIZeHCQk8ujWwrzhJ6YelVGKMfFLzmfiUp9EeEc3ZhzE4JrwNCkrV4Ke7GZKbCP3Zqr5Mb0X0aPBbsvSgKf8W-lXRQD0oN0HJJG6SsVlmBfmbNT8hE6I/s1600/IMG_3591_web.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYQcbPxVBnh5XfG7o6mxnel-vdIZeHCQk8ujWwrzhJ6YelVGKMfFLzmfiUp9EeEc3ZhzE4JrwNCkrV4Ke7GZKbCP3Zqr5Mb0X0aPBbsvSgKf8W-lXRQD0oN0HJJG6SsVlmBfmbNT8hE6I/s400/IMG_3591_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622279647988529106" border="0" /></a><br /><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><br />For our gallery, context is of equal importance to the art</span></b>. We want the art and the setting to disarm you and get you comfortable with seeing art in different contexts. That's always seemed important to us, because few of us live in white wall gallery environments at home. Our idea is to engage you with adventure and discovery in ways you haven't thought of art before. Often, this gives you new ideas about how to make art part of your own environment, to begin making your own new connections.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_8_h0Shyphenhyphenn9Uf11VJ5aEt01i8tYXfoAi99RaD_ydNpb78TkSil9jrmTFghyphenhyphenp_xhKf4PRB9XV5ccHlvyuq070vOnpUeVZxeZGW5IWXgDSNEXgB24hwILXlxinh3KQDQYkjbqAUlR7X0K3J/s1600/IMG_3295_web.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_8_h0Shyphenhyphenn9Uf11VJ5aEt01i8tYXfoAi99RaD_ydNpb78TkSil9jrmTFghyphenhyphenp_xhKf4PRB9XV5ccHlvyuq070vOnpUeVZxeZGW5IWXgDSNEXgB24hwILXlxinh3KQDQYkjbqAUlR7X0K3J/s400/IMG_3295_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622279288499141586" border="0" /></a><b><br /></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;">Right now, our Summer of Classic Serendipity at The Arts Company is an experiment in its own right. We are taking our little bizarre idea one step further.</span></b> We are setting various spaces throughout the gallery as small tableaux or sets that feature a mix of art, furniture, decor, books, music, and whatever else we think fits the particular scenario. Our goal is catch our guests off-guard, to make you want to sit a minute in a particular environment just to try it on for a minute, to see the many ways art can fit into your work or living space.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddSeBounSIq8M-lUQC2tCzbJ-fprfbcuKQrxD2vwqdEMxdr2UJUBIItjSfVuO78eJGFZivOUnXO90qlgOJVb5BrwD3m6nkO6RP6u8_a5NxdZGtK5F4yadIxTNh3EcsI7tTgLH2EGaACO8/s1600/IMG_2067_web.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddSeBounSIq8M-lUQC2tCzbJ-fprfbcuKQrxD2vwqdEMxdr2UJUBIItjSfVuO78eJGFZivOUnXO90qlgOJVb5BrwD3m6nkO6RP6u8_a5NxdZGtK5F4yadIxTNh3EcsI7tTgLH2EGaACO8/s400/IMG_2067_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622280941334636386" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>It's all about welcoming guests into our sense of serendipitous adventure, which is what we think art can be at its best and most personal. We love taking this new approach in our gallery, but that's still not enough. <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;">Very soon, we will present our online version of this same kind of art adventure. Stay tuned for that.<br /><br /></span></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbCAjOvzg5yw9VpiF47ApCnc9Czfb8vcBPeb3lhTjMmesro5hgAkBdEyR_F-POUxm_8Ey-tqrmysn83v_le_ZjG0fOG7IDA1eD7J27Ub7QnY2ALAbuf2MR06ujIhstgRtI5sEr4TO30eJ/s1600/IMG_3564_web.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbCAjOvzg5yw9VpiF47ApCnc9Czfb8vcBPeb3lhTjMmesro5hgAkBdEyR_F-POUxm_8Ey-tqrmysn83v_le_ZjG0fOG7IDA1eD7J27Ub7QnY2ALAbuf2MR06ujIhstgRtI5sEr4TO30eJ/s400/IMG_3564_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622281019697143634" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;">Who knows where these new serendipitous adventures will take us?<br /><br /></span></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsZNJGk6NM6kCNeF5G6oQUa0x1GL91ZMkgdiOqjLphinEjYIQlBLrQSp0DoW4ayQ8cpVYfl1VDUPKjiBARhxSFw8JS4yvSbiwLhBpt9ff-70Im26LLqYATOMPIfo_5Y7ClyvodDWdM3Z7/s1600/IMG_3579_web.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsZNJGk6NM6kCNeF5G6oQUa0x1GL91ZMkgdiOqjLphinEjYIQlBLrQSp0DoW4ayQ8cpVYfl1VDUPKjiBARhxSFw8JS4yvSbiwLhBpt9ff-70Im26LLqYATOMPIfo_5Y7ClyvodDWdM3Z7/s400/IMG_3579_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622281074415448674" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff0000;">A Summer of Classic Serendipity begins</span></i></b><br /><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff0000;">at The Arts Company</span></i></b><br /><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff0000;">Saturday, July 2, 6-9 pm</span></i></b><br /><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff0000;">Continues through August 20</span></i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b><br /><b><i>www.theartscompany.com</i></b><div><b><i><br /></i></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSx_daaC6SZm3AMhpa4GGMGmsqxnqGYYMSbX8wZOqwwAa-jL44ZpRgDWriusNhrUQ7km102qzS29Fb_NPrIFUFXwGd9AzIqL7LSosR3S16p2CCnc_FKATaZOlRMzDmqmZ0uCyFO4c_iBQ/s1600/logo2008small.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSx_daaC6SZm3AMhpa4GGMGmsqxnqGYYMSbX8wZOqwwAa-jL44ZpRgDWriusNhrUQ7km102qzS29Fb_NPrIFUFXwGd9AzIqL7LSosR3S16p2CCnc_FKATaZOlRMzDmqmZ0uCyFO4c_iBQ/s200/logo2008small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622281524700351426" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4p8vsfwzxStBTMPWckTlfkw_3eWO5Qx0D29jZTwQ-0lcFlhvXATAWf6ZzWKSAE_PciFaQca923bMXOjVxZw-2_uAcSKRpcDUQgSenYcigaErd8FxmPM1gcjxOn5q0QjkVHAua6IDxREG/s1600/logo2008small.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><br /></a></div><div><br /></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-39833747137167787572011-04-30T15:20:00.022-05:002011-04-30T17:03:32.121-05:00Welcome in to The Intimate World of Leonard Piha<b><i>Leonard Piha's work is a great fit with The Arts Company</i></b>. We pride ourselves on being the gallery that over the last 15 years has consistently presented artwork that is fresh, original, and contemporary. With Leonard's work, there is something more--a rare artistic vision, in the same spirit as our own Brother Mel. In both artists, their spiritual commitments are deep and personal--Brother Mel in Catholic traditions and Leonard in Jewish traditions. In each, their academic backgrounds are stellar--Brother Mel with a master's degree in art from the University of Notre Dame, and Leonard with an M.F.A. from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Neither of them has ever sought fame and fortune for themselves and their work. Both of them use unusual materials, and they both see themselves as builders, though they are trained in painting as well. They are each genuinely modest about their work, more interested in making the work than in what happens to it.<br /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd03Rvd0eLk39_92L7z3y3wODPHHBtWajqDBKYyDZAtF8ImaDArUfUNG2yuqfkVRbfZjEFO_yo2wpGwvt9waUxPHn4eCV1ZIurYK3zsD1_0SW85mvn_72UPsVdpfG4pXuqM8dh7xjoUVO_/s1600/Judah_Buddha_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 298px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd03Rvd0eLk39_92L7z3y3wODPHHBtWajqDBKYyDZAtF8ImaDArUfUNG2yuqfkVRbfZjEFO_yo2wpGwvt9waUxPHn4eCV1ZIurYK3zsD1_0SW85mvn_72UPsVdpfG4pXuqM8dh7xjoUVO_/s320/Judah_Buddha_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601496138530721138" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Leonard Piha, <span style="font-style: italic;">Judah Buddha</span>, 69 x 80 x 3 inches</span><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>My first entry into Leonard's world was by fluke, not by plan. It was truly a dark and dreary (and cold) night when some friends and I finally found Leonard's complex of home, studio, gallery, and a large hillside yard full of sculpture of all sizes. Flashlights in hand, we spotted art on buildings and in trees, and on the walls inside various buildings, including his house. It can only be described as a magical evening. We knew we were seeing something we had not seen before. Returning the next morning in daylight confirmed the magic. We were surrounded by literally hundreds of pieces of art as yet unseen beyond the confines of his complex. We knew we were seeing an accomplished artist at work, a trained artist with an outsider aesthetic.</div><div><br /></div><div> <b><i>Upstairs at The Arts Company--the right venue</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>I can only hope that we do some justice to that experience in the way we present <i>The Intimate World of Leonard Piha</i> Upstairs at The Arts Company. We chose the upstairs galleries for his exhibition because it is expansive space that makes it possible to show the scope and scale of his work.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xZypQubnedmh02J63XiUSiUkgHF9E9bC0ajQaDlnGR0vF7ObZuUS-ot8wS8g_-AbcxLzNYsZPKYXZ-Pe0Pf6uC1fikSRJBxhltOBvrxSPDDaYOMfMxN0EFdgI3D60ZJlvlevOoELJvDs/s1600/upstairs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xZypQubnedmh02J63XiUSiUkgHF9E9bC0ajQaDlnGR0vF7ObZuUS-ot8wS8g_-AbcxLzNYsZPKYXZ-Pe0Pf6uC1fikSRJBxhltOBvrxSPDDaYOMfMxN0EFdgI3D60ZJlvlevOoELJvDs/s320/upstairs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601498876934536930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The upstairs gallery at The Arts Company</span><br /></div><br /></div><div>We hope you will walk through this exhibit and experience the thrill of discovery of a truly unusual body of work, all of it related through Leonard's series of icons gleaned from his personal life and Jewish traditions that are repeated in fresh and surprising ways, using fresh and surprising materials.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Discovering the outsider aesthetic</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>When Leonard began to study art, his first inclination was to draw rabbis, menorahs, and other Jewish symbols from his family traditions. One college professor steered him away from that and suggested he needed to learn to create art in the style and subject matter of his contemporaries. However, once he discovered outsider art and artists, he was attracted to their work, considering it more direct and profound in subject and form than what he had been doing. Inspired by the work of outsider artists, he began to rediscover his Jewish roots and began to create a new artistic alphabet for himself, both in subject matter and in his choice of rough materials. Equipped with his academic training, but this new passion, something new was bound to happen.</div><div><br /></div><div>The result is distinctly intimate, engaging, original, and contemporary. "I love finding stuff and putting it together," says Leonard, "I'm always on guard, ready for some idea or some feeling--but I just do things that are important to me." The fact that he translates religious and personal themes into contemporary icons adds a universal dimension. See below his <i>Mondrian's Torah</i>, constructed from cardboard, painted with oil paint, as a sample.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-plCa3AVASXhrPPjVjEq9v6AI5s5S2Gp110PcrevTagTpssBbtEeKV4ZDQJimL4AKfyV-J-TNUXZDtXyeMv-SClQdvwS6MuKRTkFen8ip3dw7sDjRBkh99I9nVIOD7h8sd_lTZ-joEMv8/s1600/Mondrians_Torah.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-plCa3AVASXhrPPjVjEq9v6AI5s5S2Gp110PcrevTagTpssBbtEeKV4ZDQJimL4AKfyV-J-TNUXZDtXyeMv-SClQdvwS6MuKRTkFen8ip3dw7sDjRBkh99I9nVIOD7h8sd_lTZ-joEMv8/s320/Mondrians_Torah.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601499201696176962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Leonard Piha, <span style="font-style: italic;">Mondrian's Torah</span>, 36 x 41 x 7 inches</span><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Leonard and his wife Cyndy literally built their home together. Since then, he has continued to add various outbuildings such as a studio, gallery, garages, and a gazebo; and he has populated his hillside property with very large and very small sculpture of all kinds. He is an elementary art specialist in a nearby school, a satisfying way to pay his way as an artist. He likes best staying at home and building his work, whether sculpture or painting. He and his wife have two young sons, both of whom have recently completed assignments in Afghanistan.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you love the adventure and discovery of what a good artist has to offer, come spend some time in the intimate world of Leonard Piha. His is not art as usual.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Meet Leonard</i></b></div><div><b><i>during the First Saturday Art Crawl</i></b></div><div><b><i>at The Arts Company</i></b></div><div><b><i>May 7, 2011, 6-9 pm</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Remarks by Anne Brown<br /><br /></i><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAhMpwi9NvE7Svg7pXwAU0FAx-RmdotF5XydTBoW-QIfKP3LZm809AM9gD-P2pGYHYvx7lL3idI9D6fODZUz278W_YBJaqWKw4ig1pBIpZWxm7Kiytg2tBc7ZzFAAT2lJFTYNA71WhoBs/s1600/logo_cube_2011-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 117px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAhMpwi9NvE7Svg7pXwAU0FAx-RmdotF5XydTBoW-QIfKP3LZm809AM9gD-P2pGYHYvx7lL3idI9D6fODZUz278W_YBJaqWKw4ig1pBIpZWxm7Kiytg2tBc7ZzFAAT2lJFTYNA71WhoBs/s200/logo_cube_2011-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601499694400285698" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYXDZHeGYF7bc7hkEXlHAqeYvCakLdFkG9iRDShcT59zqR3p57jHKamVNHQGFFNXnhFmbofUai4wsaL-CiEA3r5Ai2D5TiP4F1HuhxtIOM7U-s1-RdknXCqSuD4-r94dWhZpQdOiJcYWZ/s1600/5thAveofTheArts-Logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 97px; height: 115px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYXDZHeGYF7bc7hkEXlHAqeYvCakLdFkG9iRDShcT59zqR3p57jHKamVNHQGFFNXnhFmbofUai4wsaL-CiEA3r5Ai2D5TiP4F1HuhxtIOM7U-s1-RdknXCqSuD4-r94dWhZpQdOiJcYWZ/s200/5thAveofTheArts-Logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601499835284236034" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-54561294346446579402011-04-30T14:56:00.026-05:002011-05-07T09:30:43.885-05:00Brother Mel has done it again...and again and again<i>Brother Mel's 83rd year--which we will be celebrating at The Arts Company during his 14th Annual Artistic Pilgrimage to Nashville June 3 & 4--has truly been another phenomenal year for this rare artist who has been a Catholic brother in the Marianist community for over 60 years and a practicing artist for over 50 years.<br /><br /></i><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6A9IYVvVFsIzk-Jijih0zuvfQaaxm7ve8Xrl9YTqFfDyEJphSUDPQBgu7ndeRiM7R2cIFgCgoBMPfQYjI8ePq82nOmM8RDHA3xWhMUGs0ugGuV0OrxbF9b3b4sRNOLnXA8T3ZvfyINQtM/s1600/mel_studio_web.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6A9IYVvVFsIzk-Jijih0zuvfQaaxm7ve8Xrl9YTqFfDyEJphSUDPQBgu7ndeRiM7R2cIFgCgoBMPfQYjI8ePq82nOmM8RDHA3xWhMUGs0ugGuV0OrxbF9b3b4sRNOLnXA8T3ZvfyINQtM/s320/mel_studio_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601489210972166610" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Brother Mel outside his studio</span><br /></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Between now and the time we will see him in early June, his year will be topped off in three important ways:</i></div><div><br /></div><div>1) First and foremost: <i><b>On May 21, St. Louis University will award him an honorary doctorate in the arts for his lifetime of making art.</b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>2) <b><i>As if that is not enough, some 18-20 of his large outdoor sculptures have been purchased by St. Louis University</i></b> to be placed in a special park at the entrance to the university in the middle of downtown St. Louis in mid-May, just ahead of the degree ceremony. While the university and other businesses and public spaces have purchased and commissioned his work for years, this newest purchase and special presentation, plus this academic honor, is further testament to the demand for and quality of his work.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSqU9eJZ7mvFPQkCYUYFpGggCDgIIWJ4_3XoIs-D8omAxwHRrycHHB4TCZkYEsukfjn3-rob7ZvimO3qam-1nGmJ_AiCyPxr5aH8JddIAazr7r7s0mkC_oJZYg7sc_fhYPl5zTCselJpk/s1600/Col+church+%2526+green+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSqU9eJZ7mvFPQkCYUYFpGggCDgIIWJ4_3XoIs-D8omAxwHRrycHHB4TCZkYEsukfjn3-rob7ZvimO3qam-1nGmJ_AiCyPxr5aH8JddIAazr7r7s0mkC_oJZYg7sc_fhYPl5zTCselJpk/s320/Col+church+%2526+green+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601486992916075586" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RYYP4kKDytloDocL2ihLIR4RvZW6E4eTzrm6lYZ3HWv_cP4csVXo4BoD6EjnQvQgcf-FjY6x-zMHd6vZV-DwyS7krKvG_XyPrmZeE_fjry90ZkAcKpTPm9PokSnjq2TJoz1woogAKPyC/s1600/DSC09387.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RYYP4kKDytloDocL2ihLIR4RvZW6E4eTzrm6lYZ3HWv_cP4csVXo4BoD6EjnQvQgcf-FjY6x-zMHd6vZV-DwyS7krKvG_XyPrmZeE_fjry90ZkAcKpTPm9PokSnjq2TJoz1woogAKPyC/s320/DSC09387.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601487459694054946" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4q9pJyUsSLNBUuYRQEM-jiAHg56yO7H0CGeglAvSgXpvZ-ojMA_qfm6Na9xcTxWtagi6qWzbYNuU53GGDeguBictWu27eEf79DBrYxUxE7linf7Th0qGlajcz5-8o-VRJgFCPPEoGobS/s1600/DSC09394.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4q9pJyUsSLNBUuYRQEM-jiAHg56yO7H0CGeglAvSgXpvZ-ojMA_qfm6Na9xcTxWtagi6qWzbYNuU53GGDeguBictWu27eEf79DBrYxUxE7linf7Th0qGlajcz5-8o-VRJgFCPPEoGobS/s320/DSC09394.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601487668258263746" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><b><i>...and the best for last...</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>3) <b><i>Lucky for Nashville, Brother Mel will be coming to Nashville </i></b>just two weeks after this honor and the formal dedication will have taken place. If you are one of his special collectors and fans, listen up. He will be at The Arts Company for two occasions, accompanied by his latest exhibition of new work.</div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i>On Friday, June 3, he will be the subject of that night's Collectors Art Night at The Arts Company. </i></b> To honor him further, his visit that night will be hosted and presented by some very special collectors who will be there to talk about why they keep coming back to his work and why it matters to them--from corporate to individual collectors.</div><div> </div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i>On Saturday, June 4</i></b>, he will be available to meet and greet his Nashville friends as they come to see his latest work...and to celebrate his 83rd birthday.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSL2kB8UsE28s61Kf3V5ldgc9FxZjnjQ0b9PnPyVaogsrVYAFERJD3Ukp-NdZFkZfMVO_fri4ZuN-mepq4ntVxmrQYF4L2uEsrywSUsswcLh23ez29bY-PzDpX81qOdUzJQk7mfWnvfT6/s1600/MELB041611-06.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSL2kB8UsE28s61Kf3V5ldgc9FxZjnjQ0b9PnPyVaogsrVYAFERJD3Ukp-NdZFkZfMVO_fri4ZuN-mepq4ntVxmrQYF4L2uEsrywSUsswcLh23ez29bY-PzDpX81qOdUzJQk7mfWnvfT6/s320/MELB041611-06.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601488047741236114" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Brother Mel, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ovals</span>, 11 x 21 x 21 inches</span><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>This year, we have asked him to focus on small sculptural shapes and colors, more artwork to "bring beauty to space to lift up spirits." <i> It's exciting work commissioned especially for this year's Nashville exhibition. It's artwork we can all take personally. </i></div><div><br /></div><div>In true Brother Mel fashion, once St. Louis University made their selections, within a short time Brother Mel had produced more large sculptures to re-populate his own sculpture yard outside his studio. <i>He is never at a loss for new ideas, and his love of working at art all day six days a week never wanes.</i></div><div><i><br /></i><i><br /></i></div><div><i>We are lucky in Nashville to have direct access to this rare artist during his annual exhibitions.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>The Shapes & Colors of Brother Mel</b></i></div><div><b>Opening at The Arts Company</b></div><div><b>Saturday, June 4, 6-9 pm<br /><br /></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qydaOOGU4k2OotPXMuGzC5OpF2MvqkwP7btizUeZKdP4rUlxqnSGDiwa-PyNHEebsz9rIKqhiZqwXYTCAli7H6g17WLqVFrhyjb_SSSppgu_G1UQ5MAYMwJaDFkbXmMQ2asGdHyTLpsV/s1600/logo_cube_2011-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 122px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qydaOOGU4k2OotPXMuGzC5OpF2MvqkwP7btizUeZKdP4rUlxqnSGDiwa-PyNHEebsz9rIKqhiZqwXYTCAli7H6g17WLqVFrhyjb_SSSppgu_G1UQ5MAYMwJaDFkbXmMQ2asGdHyTLpsV/s200/logo_cube_2011-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601494640504788834" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZmwXFfvJ3NMU1UJqw4XlTUczHaCNodZohpvIMhNfDpuaeKZzK3t798YJSTo0DP4E2pUSwqsGm-F1U2xARaau_uCy0B6hacbGErWDiWUNkb3pvEKa6KwvG8xWIT71wQ301RF6fhuhp-xy/s1600/5thAveofTheArts-Logo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 101px; height: 121px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZmwXFfvJ3NMU1UJqw4XlTUczHaCNodZohpvIMhNfDpuaeKZzK3t798YJSTo0DP4E2pUSwqsGm-F1U2xARaau_uCy0B6hacbGErWDiWUNkb3pvEKa6KwvG8xWIT71wQ301RF6fhuhp-xy/s200/5thAveofTheArts-Logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601495112698119346" border="0" /><br /></a><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKMDUaPEF9uHQlDJ4f3JL9mLsTgdokJzTL9cbsyoMZ3e2DYXb01cSVgustCbpxkV5_QQ5FrAFVRUfBB5RhIRP5pxg12VMcFfLMM0Tr4qiXVdF4WxXUdi4DReg_d1QRKOOST2K4Qti7G0l/s1600/5thAveofTheArts-Logo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><br /></a></div></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-28604370062262636002011-03-25T14:53:00.025-05:002011-03-28T09:33:11.794-05:00An Artistic Life in the Fast Lane<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsgS2Sw9q3gPmNKi5fnlx55yKLRuJ6QjGBmUlOTmTIdpssoKP-znM7u8bQCi0OmWAcdwKSNUbCyAe7HXe9541lbPAThxCrg256XsiY3oOM_FIGG0otRF1m1lpSqotmOzyaYjgJE1BCLvV/s1600/DREW_DOGGETT_1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsgS2Sw9q3gPmNKi5fnlx55yKLRuJ6QjGBmUlOTmTIdpssoKP-znM7u8bQCi0OmWAcdwKSNUbCyAe7HXe9541lbPAThxCrg256XsiY3oOM_FIGG0otRF1m1lpSqotmOzyaYjgJE1BCLvV/s320/DREW_DOGGETT_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588148364383780850" border="0" /></a><br />Drew Doggett is an energetic young artist whose entrepreneurial skills keep pace with the broad scope of his artistic vision and philanthropic commitment.<div><br /></div><div>To give you an idea: Drew flew to Nashville, the day after returning from his recent second documentary trip--this one to Africa, to measure every inch of our downstairs gallery walls so that he could tailor-make every piece selected for the exhibit, each one large scale and to be mounted on aluminum. In addition, he was interviewed for a two-part story to appear in the April and May issues of<i> Nashville Arts</i> magazine. All that in a whirlwind trip of six hours.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJa13AOr2ppYuprixGdrghHBqbYwhHxM_gR-uY-XJTjgdFJB87t8W3QZJ6s0wouqdvKw0cF-fg_WddiyA_TsHArHolpcXxpSsKZbRPMicTTersJUoxPHT3a-Iw6cP2ztXmxQWvpPeA7HQW/s1600/Doggett-planning_web.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJa13AOr2ppYuprixGdrghHBqbYwhHxM_gR-uY-XJTjgdFJB87t8W3QZJ6s0wouqdvKw0cF-fg_WddiyA_TsHArHolpcXxpSsKZbRPMicTTersJUoxPHT3a-Iw6cP2ztXmxQWvpPeA7HQW/s320/Doggett-planning_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588147856568180210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Drew Doggett (far right) talks with Arts Company Owner and Director, Dr. Anne Brown;</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> Michael Burcham, Executive Director, Entrepreneur Center (far left); and Lon Bouldin, Ventures PR.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>His is an artistic life in the fast lane, for sure.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>In the five years since he graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Human and Organizational Development, he has established himself as<i> a significant emerging photographer with three distinct bodies of work:<br /><br /></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRYyvvHJvAEdQ2G1JU9wXr2P-h2vv2pdg_tslS7yHiPC_Hwl5PZ7w1fEF31ZqwgSuvC0U58b-RcVsBvXylYeVMhhTMZQePtKn91v817gfo3jB3vF7KTESapAlniUQIGW_uXhrv_IF8U7_/s1600/DREW_DOGGETT_2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRYyvvHJvAEdQ2G1JU9wXr2P-h2vv2pdg_tslS7yHiPC_Hwl5PZ7w1fEF31ZqwgSuvC0U58b-RcVsBvXylYeVMhhTMZQePtKn91v817gfo3jB3vF7KTESapAlniUQIGW_uXhrv_IF8U7_/s320/DREW_DOGGETT_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588148720895597314" border="0" /></a>1) <i>high fashion</i>, beginning his NYC-based career with accomplished photographers Mark Seliger and Steven Klein, followed quickly by creating his own trend-setting style of high fashion photography;<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2lePZ4b8PL0_vys9mmPja0R8SjuU5NgEUv6v1g1Rtv6xM6Jo8Urf5E88BJhYeKCcy9KTDPaaNL5XrIyrXQgJyhvtRkiEzfL_Qj8H617kDE_5l0YwzKpuhb65P3oxRgnbEIDOUAQJX42N/s1600/DREW_DOGGETT_6.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2lePZ4b8PL0_vys9mmPja0R8SjuU5NgEUv6v1g1Rtv6xM6Jo8Urf5E88BJhYeKCcy9KTDPaaNL5XrIyrXQgJyhvtRkiEzfL_Qj8H617kDE_5l0YwzKpuhb65P3oxRgnbEIDOUAQJX42N/s320/DREW_DOGGETT_6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588148954980524034" border="0" /></a>2) <i>documentary</i>, committing himself to a 10-year series of documentaries focused on vanishing cultures in remote areas--the first one,<i> Slow Road to China</i>, about the people and landscapes of a remote Himalayan region of Nepal, will be part of this exhibition; and initiating Art Cares, a non-profit organization to benefit the cultures he documents;<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4vZ7yLViDH2d3EINKA9bJAibKpBOs84DBYrlVWKgICNvGLng5JV2_jsXtLb_ViM242SOVuNV3odCfvDC0DrSFdMX0etRLcuDp514iRiS3_xwflbkFCbKMWi9wsFF-zniK1l1c_XoaPGa/s1600/DREW_DOGGETT_4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4vZ7yLViDH2d3EINKA9bJAibKpBOs84DBYrlVWKgICNvGLng5JV2_jsXtLb_ViM242SOVuNV3odCfvDC0DrSFdMX0etRLcuDp514iRiS3_xwflbkFCbKMWi9wsFF-zniK1l1c_XoaPGa/s320/DREW_DOGGETT_4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588149252964077202" border="0" /></a></div><div>3)<i> and urban landscapes</i>, through commissions from private, business and government clients.</div><div><br /></div><div>As with any artist, the heart of the matter is in his work--his meticulous attention to detail both in his photographs and in their presentation; his clear understanding of what he is looking for in each of the areas in which he works; and his commitment to capturing the beauty of obscure and vanishing cultures in the world. All of this will be clear to you <i>when you step into the door of our gallery. You will know this is a different kind of artistic journey.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>The photographs speak for themselves, but they also speak of the spirit of adventure and the vision of this photographer's passion for his work. <i>Think of this as an art lover's adventure</i>--a remote primitive culture meets high fashion and urban environments, each offering distinctive visual insight into some of the beauties and realities of three cultures, all co-existing in our contemporary world, each one enriching the other. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>This exhibition introduces Nashville to a young 21st-century artist whose photographic images reveal the work of an artist and entrepreneur who has achieved artistic, commercial, and philanthropic success in a very short time.</i> This is Drew's first exhibit in Nashville, and, we hope, just the beginning of more great photographs and exhibits he will bring back to Nashville. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Join us to welcome Drew back to Nashville </i></b></div><div><b><i>Saturday, April 2, 6-9 pm, </i></b></div><div><b><i>during First Saturday Art Crawl.<br /><br /></i></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGvdY7dqJXgJ5mI99bAayOXrab62Ln0Xut9VTG61OAUmktwFFPP2MvWcQpGX60RrXexUS9MhHjRGehK-f41HneK1IJEE5mmYix63lvqPrg4eZ-Vu1dAJb8bAkpIVUqsqtLxAcTsMrgSeK/s1600/5thAveofTheArts-Logo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGvdY7dqJXgJ5mI99bAayOXrab62Ln0Xut9VTG61OAUmktwFFPP2MvWcQpGX60RrXexUS9MhHjRGehK-f41HneK1IJEE5mmYix63lvqPrg4eZ-Vu1dAJb8bAkpIVUqsqtLxAcTsMrgSeK/s320/5thAveofTheArts-Logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588509055983186882" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-16932563170654896132011-02-23T15:48:00.020-06:002011-02-24T07:42:14.892-06:00A New Online Marketplace<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzx0IivaZ3y_mUSs3GrVAFqkCskGOBPkAxai208KXWB2oimVOXz_Pfcg2YufBxNVjA_zl5VKvGkYIUd9fDob9s3-pJLs06ZSCQeAAcCGk-3UtYLgSKOZLA7j9g5Lcp5uGf2i3G5f5ae5vH/s1600/The-Arts-Company_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzx0IivaZ3y_mUSs3GrVAFqkCskGOBPkAxai208KXWB2oimVOXz_Pfcg2YufBxNVjA_zl5VKvGkYIUd9fDob9s3-pJLs06ZSCQeAAcCGk-3UtYLgSKOZLA7j9g5Lcp5uGf2i3G5f5ae5vH/s400/The-Arts-Company_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577015072919305074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Charlie Buckley, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Arts Company</span>, oil on muslin-wrapped panel, 14 x 8.5''</span>,<span style="font-size:85%;"> 2010</span><br /><br /></div>Business models are a dime a dozen these days. Every time we think we have one cornered, it slips away in mid-thought. It's a swift world out here.<div><br /></div><div>From day one in our art business our idea was to make art commercially viable by locating in the middle of an active marketplace where people transact all kinds of business within close proximity to each other on a daily basis. A hundred years ago that was the town square. Then the center of cities. Then the suburbs. Then shopping malls. Now we're back to the town square, but without the brick and mortar.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX22PJbW9hOZMbePbBekSJADmP5KNthUmvThT0irkiamFViobf4oqetmXmNDPDv2TcVWxksHSBEBCcfcjE_ZEWyjadF7Ummj4eksX10vcYr8lNEnahNmOFidDV2zR51FLUkqP0zmRZdMxp/s1600/Grannis-Capital+construction%252Cweb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX22PJbW9hOZMbePbBekSJADmP5KNthUmvThT0irkiamFViobf4oqetmXmNDPDv2TcVWxksHSBEBCcfcjE_ZEWyjadF7Ummj4eksX10vcYr8lNEnahNmOFidDV2zR51FLUkqP0zmRZdMxp/s400/Grannis-Capital+construction%252Cweb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577016005221925682" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Bob Grannis, <span style="font-style: italic;">Capital Construction</span>, photograph, 20 x 30'', 1957<br /></span></div><br /></div><div>The new town square is online, with a multiplicity of communities you can choose to connect with. You create your own town square online, defined by the people with whom you converse and share confidences and by the sources you count on for shopping and purchasing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even though we are in the art business where everything is original, one-of-a-kind, it's hard to know how to find a brick and mortar location in a prime traffic location where people go to transact business and look for tangible goods and services. For us, the center of downtown Nashville continues to be a good bet. For a simple reason. Nashville is magnet for creativity, and downtown is an arts destination. People from around the world come to downtown Nashville to seek out the Nashville experience--that is, the unusual combination of lots of institutional and commercial venues in music, art, museums, libraries, and honky tonks, all within walking distance of each other. Fortunately, that combination attracts consistent foot traffic. Still, that's a kind of activity-based market scenario, not the daily kind of traffic that stems from the daily business of people's lives.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqksD9vrE7elmNHlVwCMtTqC_nJyuGip8hpHLPzlUmLAibNTl2hcFY0apCi-G6o-YpQZ5y-3m79rDjoqvrqmJpCSBSt1n-Hc0DdF-2pRG_FSSwmTa63ovUJh0FwllaLR-BjUrlpWDWaph/s1600/THE-VAULT.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 343px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqksD9vrE7elmNHlVwCMtTqC_nJyuGip8hpHLPzlUmLAibNTl2hcFY0apCi-G6o-YpQZ5y-3m79rDjoqvrqmJpCSBSt1n-Hc0DdF-2pRG_FSSwmTa63ovUJh0FwllaLR-BjUrlpWDWaph/s400/THE-VAULT.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577019069234936194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Charles Keiger, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Vault</span>, oil on panel, 20 x 18'', 2009</span><br /></div><br /></div><div>It is not easy to find a thriving daily physical marketplace. The marketplace of our time is online, and any business wishing to thrive has to reckon with that elusive, seemingly amorphous structure and find new ways to get their goods and ideas noticed. Case in point: we now look online or "onphone" to locate brick and mortar places. In essence, when someone finds us now, it's likely through an online source more than just happening to be in the neighborhood.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is not to bemoan change. On the contrary, we are looking for that new thriving market where real goods and real people can still get together in an active marketplace environment. That's why we are moving forward quickly to adapt ourselves to the new online marketplace. We are launching a new business partnership with Moontoast, an online social commerce platform. We are matching their online savvy and resources to ours--fresh, original, contemporary artwork, a selection that can be encountered and purchased online 24/7.</div><div><br /></div><div>We can't wait to see who we meet up with in this sprawling new world of tasteful commerce. Join us if you dare. Try it out. Be a pioneer with us. We promise that over time it will be one heck of an adventure. We'd love to have you with us.</div><div><br /></div><div>All you have to do is click here: <a href="http://theartscompany.moontoast.com/"> theartscompany.moontoast.com</a>. Join our online community, and together we will help shape this emerging marketplace for artwork. </div><div><br /><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2S-bbLLFUWZ3taGaJrMoKwcNKehz95LmAL8td9phu8RDhLkUzsQN1AH4-nrB4CiezB72ItqchiWQGPSnZwRcEuBPJAV4PlDRWM9d3qRCdv-35U-UbTWcI-Cz65TYX2FQn2CQB3G91q9sY/s1600/tac_moontoast_logo_white.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 59px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2S-bbLLFUWZ3taGaJrMoKwcNKehz95LmAL8td9phu8RDhLkUzsQN1AH4-nrB4CiezB72ItqchiWQGPSnZwRcEuBPJAV4PlDRWM9d3qRCdv-35U-UbTWcI-Cz65TYX2FQn2CQB3G91q9sY/s320/tac_moontoast_logo_white.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577019795113100130" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-66265911567019730692011-02-23T14:15:00.044-06:002011-03-03T16:25:15.253-06:00Beauty in the Mystery: by Robin Venable<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://wespenre.com/images/albert-einstein092310.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 223px;" src="http://wespenre.com/images/albert-einstein092310.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="messageBody"><span style="font-size:85%;">*Image of Einstein from: http://wespenre.com/quotes.htm</span></span></span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="messageBody">"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."</span></span><br /><br />This is a quotation by one of the most inventive and creative minds of our time - Albert Einstein. His revolutions in scientific thought - specifically the theory of relativity - are some of the most profound revelations of the human mind.<br /><br />I am currently reading his biography simply called <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/09/books/09masl.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Einstein</span> by Walter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Isaacson</span>.</a> Through the detailed accounts of his personal life and scientific struggles and triumphs, one sees a man whose quest for the unknown mysteries of the universe are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">unquenchable</span>. These mysteries would keep him deeply thoughtful his entire life.<br /><br />Some of the most (dare I use the word) beautiful artistic expressions are those that leave us guessing... ones that take us on our own quest for understanding with some guideposts along the way...but not too many so that we can find our way on our own.<br /><br />Here are a few examples from artists that we represent that give the viewer that air of mystery, which, according to one of the greatest minds of our time, keeps us alive.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWcsaskamhPLFRPq3oDshswC5cadDsyiirMvnR47hEYuJ5ZUg1s4l8lq2dJ96E4rZV0O6UVZlm_23iBvBF-_XpbMfP1D06ZwCOkV2NpIwgmAuIsrDvutxBTCBWLikAKjhqC5TdRTqI34j/s1600/Virginia_Falls_mixedmedia_3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWcsaskamhPLFRPq3oDshswC5cadDsyiirMvnR47hEYuJ5ZUg1s4l8lq2dJ96E4rZV0O6UVZlm_23iBvBF-_XpbMfP1D06ZwCOkV2NpIwgmAuIsrDvutxBTCBWLikAKjhqC5TdRTqI34j/s400/Virginia_Falls_mixedmedia_3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576982766272438610" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Tony Breuer, <span style="font-style: italic;">Virginia Falls</span>, mixed media on canvas, 30 x 40''<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xrMd5WJqnLXESAvDbH-NwvL3j9WFMQOVnl21fPQQstr_vACGnt9bH_dGCVNOB7woGUNPYrnnKGyv5_5Szx88iwKh47ilGx6DS6-g0NNxEWz5mvXeSAzuvnvkgqBFcO2wxwDGuf0WKskS/s1600/DSC00001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xrMd5WJqnLXESAvDbH-NwvL3j9WFMQOVnl21fPQQstr_vACGnt9bH_dGCVNOB7woGUNPYrnnKGyv5_5Szx88iwKh47ilGx6DS6-g0NNxEWz5mvXeSAzuvnvkgqBFcO2wxwDGuf0WKskS/s400/DSC00001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576993342854131778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Bill Starke, <span style="font-style: italic;">Climber</span>, cast aluminum, 25 x 13 x 9''<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObLh8p7KG8f86DTAqVOSzb1sX6cb8kz-fSl7KXKvZCqeR4GPZ7aDH7L8b2N4MNBYw5WJzF7Sh-IhQk1DnRdr4dSIgIJZrv9KGAxqyiQWVqa5EPc7_DzTs7ogVqExRENy1dgE1niahYcY3/s1600/CorvusCamerae_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObLh8p7KG8f86DTAqVOSzb1sX6cb8kz-fSl7KXKvZCqeR4GPZ7aDH7L8b2N4MNBYw5WJzF7Sh-IhQk1DnRdr4dSIgIJZrv9KGAxqyiQWVqa5EPc7_DzTs7ogVqExRENy1dgE1niahYcY3/s400/CorvusCamerae_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576992305019959202" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Jim Hubbman,<span style="font-style: italic;"> Corvus Camerae</span>, watercolor and graphite on paper, 40 x 25.5''</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnGSTPppLOAnQOTAdf-LO8frr9zRxASINX9PcZO1zzz23WbE77bw4wUKjVIICgg8WOVsWWvDWmxQCBuI1mPW_gMpsviS47CJYYwWc7P0AOjDHZvYAw2uLlOcnCQHIZxn6sHcSlpnlI9_J/s1600/Cyn_de_Chelly-9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnGSTPppLOAnQOTAdf-LO8frr9zRxASINX9PcZO1zzz23WbE77bw4wUKjVIICgg8WOVsWWvDWmxQCBuI1mPW_gMpsviS47CJYYwWc7P0AOjDHZvYAw2uLlOcnCQHIZxn6sHcSlpnlI9_J/s400/Cyn_de_Chelly-9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576992766462082562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Rod Daniel, <span style="font-style: italic;">Canyon de Chelly #9,</span> archival digital print, 48 x 32''<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhaBi4IlbQnTzeyyIEbIQtG6-zcGs7HRUvjxBO1YRXoqwu6U6_Wjs4OOFvVReK0ACQS_F8WkkML0yhivkRp1eM4nWHncYeAHbMCCHg-MrxO5c9BOQAdoiFmdlt0C749nLbiV-l_SgEiCkl/s1600/Zed-manwithbox_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 328px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhaBi4IlbQnTzeyyIEbIQtG6-zcGs7HRUvjxBO1YRXoqwu6U6_Wjs4OOFvVReK0ACQS_F8WkkML0yhivkRp1eM4nWHncYeAHbMCCHg-MrxO5c9BOQAdoiFmdlt0C749nLbiV-l_SgEiCkl/s400/Zed-manwithbox_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576988551111957026" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Aggie Zed, <span style="font-style: italic;">Man with Box</span>, porcelain, 7 x 4 x 5''<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTED8Hy63nvZuv6rXuc_39-m2V-nL7z5JDiMwTawiRAZUlCUBVLvUMxXBEJUgbSc4J0cst3BTsYCoNIHNVy0d6H4dDOYoLBy_JYMQOD2i0aUarP1xk1ILfWLy1GUlEfvLzjJujSLiZEs4/s1600/Tonna.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 307px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTED8Hy63nvZuv6rXuc_39-m2V-nL7z5JDiMwTawiRAZUlCUBVLvUMxXBEJUgbSc4J0cst3BTsYCoNIHNVy0d6H4dDOYoLBy_JYMQOD2i0aUarP1xk1ILfWLy1GUlEfvLzjJujSLiZEs4/s400/Tonna.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576985809421640178" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Don Dudenbostel,<span style="font-style: italic;"> Tonna</span>, platinum print, 5 x 4''</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWp-NjJeshCD33q5g4rA0H_PWWSzEXPFxGGaeP7CUy_xZp7-TGHfL9SaHeGj2UHcduZmRz_dL_vgqe5PxqVJaXhvE5FjliynLaUGSsTAE4BRRX8ti12was38fdi3vYlERRkAEsDIgOzLZj/s1600/WISHING-FOR-BLUE-SKIES.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 346px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWp-NjJeshCD33q5g4rA0H_PWWSzEXPFxGGaeP7CUy_xZp7-TGHfL9SaHeGj2UHcduZmRz_dL_vgqe5PxqVJaXhvE5FjliynLaUGSsTAE4BRRX8ti12was38fdi3vYlERRkAEsDIgOzLZj/s400/WISHING-FOR-BLUE-SKIES.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576984975546439474" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Charles Keiger, <span style="font-style: italic;">Wishing for Blue Skies</span>, oil on panel, 22 x 20''</span><br /></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-27129717693025307252011-02-12T14:28:00.025-06:002011-02-16T13:38:38.651-06:00Modern Day "Window People": by Robin VenableWith the huge success of social media networks like Facebook, we are able to peer into other people's lives. That is, the lives that they want us to see.<br /><br />In a somewhat-controlled environment I am able to post status updates, pictures, and videos to inform my "friends" of my ever-changing life.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3Z73t4vogVkEE5rRXXNAL70Yn7LYh9avVu15rvKrVZZEoZ_4C06-RnAbzBQCGvxcx_t_AQUa_5OVkS-GtQqND-bgLOIkvVit4GLJstcZIHXrEtMOdpi_ZyxdBQQZljaQ6VXZLNjJhJ5M/s1600/+PIANO+TUNER+.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3Z73t4vogVkEE5rRXXNAL70Yn7LYh9avVu15rvKrVZZEoZ_4C06-RnAbzBQCGvxcx_t_AQUa_5OVkS-GtQqND-bgLOIkvVit4GLJstcZIHXrEtMOdpi_ZyxdBQQZljaQ6VXZLNjJhJ5M/s400/+PIANO+TUNER+.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574373705079391138" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Norman Lerner, "Piano Tuner, 1950's", archival digital print, 13 x 19 inches</span><br /></div><br />When I post something, I know that it will pop up in my friends' news feeds, but I don't know who is actually coming to my page, looking at all of my photos, or analyzing my status updates.<br /><br />A little creepy? Absolutely.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWHKog2tTjPUqqVQ9nP50IWQoipx39tttB4qULI43tq0no5hFJGl2nqnXt2rm0oPuI5ZkseTx9aeykFnYfqVwB0grrYbxZaJrIP5zH9ZlDTgTM8jt0cm2zuFIX7vW1P86CJc-lIMQ6J3b/s1600/+Window+People++p.34+++18+++Elevator+Operator+++.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 330px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWHKog2tTjPUqqVQ9nP50IWQoipx39tttB4qULI43tq0no5hFJGl2nqnXt2rm0oPuI5ZkseTx9aeykFnYfqVwB0grrYbxZaJrIP5zH9ZlDTgTM8jt0cm2zuFIX7vW1P86CJc-lIMQ6J3b/s400/+Window+People++p.34+++18+++Elevator+Operator+++.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574055589267306354" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Norman Lerner, "Elevator Operator, 1950's", archival digital print, 13 x 19 inches</span><br /></div><br />Have you ever felt like someone was looking at you? When viewing Norman Lerner's "Window People" I feel that uncomfortable tingle of watching eyes. The dilapidated windows house all sorts of people - a frowning, bulbous-nosed woman in her seventies sitting instead of standing, an old man who tunes pianos daring you to come in the front door, a bald elevator operator with sunken eyes looking out blankly...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTcREXb5Hl6ypsZSJ8fNgJD5VyqrolDTiI4IwmVuYcFp_PfzPkV8IfKbKgqeeB96Rb5tjSyyBfvC8yAOXMCl1Cq0wRJ6kX_-WT1tmM4aFQg2HLnyc4pyp_hHkQeMeI7iq4-pX_3hK5SfeU/s1600/resigned.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTcREXb5Hl6ypsZSJ8fNgJD5VyqrolDTiI4IwmVuYcFp_PfzPkV8IfKbKgqeeB96Rb5tjSyyBfvC8yAOXMCl1Cq0wRJ6kX_-WT1tmM4aFQg2HLnyc4pyp_hHkQeMeI7iq4-pX_3hK5SfeU/s400/resigned.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574372630276865314" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Norman Lerner, "Resigned, 1950's", archival digital print, 13 x 19 inches</span><br /></div><br />Perhaps we should feel that same unpleasant twinge when we log on to Facebook - feeling the clicks of the mouse as people visit our page.<br /><br />Lerner's "Window People" are timeless. With his camera he has captured moments of connection between the observer and viewer (The original prints are silver gelatin prints that have now been converted to digital prints.) that make us want to know more about the people in the photographs. He has preserved that moment in time in which the gazer is caught looking... and now, just like Facebook, we get to look back...uninterrupted, and with all the time in the world.The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-90592574585777189212011-01-25T16:10:00.023-06:002011-01-26T09:36:41.906-06:00Meet Norman Lerner, master photographer and Nashville residentNorman Lerner is one of those classic American artists whose photographs have been acknowledged in exhibits, articles, and museum and private collections around the country since the 1960s. His studio was anchored in NYC for a number of years, always near the major art museums he visited regularly during lunch hours, museums that ultimately exhibited and purchased his work. A venerable statesman for photography as an art form, Mr. Lerner and his wife recently selected Nashville for their retirement destination, because of "the civility of the place and the people," he says.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0K_LBLNogs05IoUoX8DQ7_4l1HH662udnS6yZvv6Kb3L6a6cu2w-vt9GMbVJbTa5qDgeJ7uiW3O-qKI7RkUIzDVsXGsSp0QqwJs4rzYcI3CGRzWNCGJHARTeOcnHzTzDe6APrZ-W7TCH/s1600/+GRAND+CENTRAL+STATION+NY-WAITNG+ROOM+.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 328px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0K_LBLNogs05IoUoX8DQ7_4l1HH662udnS6yZvv6Kb3L6a6cu2w-vt9GMbVJbTa5qDgeJ7uiW3O-qKI7RkUIzDVsXGsSp0QqwJs4rzYcI3CGRzWNCGJHARTeOcnHzTzDe6APrZ-W7TCH/s400/+GRAND+CENTRAL+STATION+NY-WAITNG+ROOM+.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566260790647028066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Norman Lerner, <span style="font-style: italic;">Grand Central Station Waiting Room</span>, 1950's</span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Since his move to Nashville, he has been actively engaged in organizing the various parts of his photography--from the classic fashion photography of the 1950s, to studies of the body, and the documentary-style photography of urban lives in NYC and compelling landscapes to the innovative figurative abstract series, <i>Transfigurations,</i> created and printed beginning in the late 1960s.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtphPDSs0c_4SgtjofpsuTCfYw4PbkeSff-Td0kYmcUIZKpU2ccdaJhWNyd7WEhaMm63c25oUjH0_v2YNmnhe266vQhBLQJ0_IYjegH8HXsYAX6E2hSMXt-ZZy87fzRqzKrRUpOv2tXP-r/s1600/+Lingerie%252C+.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 305px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtphPDSs0c_4SgtjofpsuTCfYw4PbkeSff-Td0kYmcUIZKpU2ccdaJhWNyd7WEhaMm63c25oUjH0_v2YNmnhe266vQhBLQJ0_IYjegH8HXsYAX6E2hSMXt-ZZy87fzRqzKrRUpOv2tXP-r/s400/+Lingerie%252C+.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566267651628387170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Norman Lerner, <span style="font-style: italic;">Lingerie</span>, 1950's<br /></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Norman Lerner worked as a fashion and commercial photographer in New York City from the early 50s to the 70s. He maintained an active commercial studio of some 40 employees, their primary work coming from the major magazines in the city. But that was just the beginning for him. He states that, "my photography did not end when the model left the studio. The city and its people were a part of me and I was part of them. Everything about the city fascinated me so it seemed only natural for me as a photographer to record the people and places in which we all lived. When I left the studio the camera was always with me and it because an extension of my being. It was as natural as breathing."<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKntrr73htF1n2TKoF5G8unCGfhc0yUKLTNrMLNo-On415GX9urV36LJcMPqAbemOznTl3QeLwozAP_RMKHow_sOzVDwucAJRHpOURTutMzNA0KdPk9wt4a1tkf-5z7ChLKBaYl-1M62q/s1600/Homage+Klein%252C+1C+.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 323px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKntrr73htF1n2TKoF5G8unCGfhc0yUKLTNrMLNo-On415GX9urV36LJcMPqAbemOznTl3QeLwozAP_RMKHow_sOzVDwucAJRHpOURTutMzNA0KdPk9wt4a1tkf-5z7ChLKBaYl-1M62q/s400/Homage+Klein%252C+1C+.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566261467061358594" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Norman Lerner, <span style="font-style: italic;">A la Klein</span><br /></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div>His regular forays into the museums, especially one recurring visit to the Jewish Museum on Fifth Avenue when they presented the sculpture of Yves Klein, led to another path for him as an artist. His response was "I can do that," meaning that as a photographer he could make figurative sculpture work, photographs that would have sculptural texture. He secured a grant fro State University of New York Foundation to create his <i>Transfiguration</i> series. Armed with a large format camera, models, and his fully-equipped professional printing studio, he set out to make black and white sculpture through camera, paper, and chemistry. The results, inspired by what he had learned about texture from Edward Weston, are not quite like anything else. Minor White, one of the 20th-century American masters of photography first discovered and showed this series.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lerner's photography has been shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. MOMA added selections from his<i> Transfiguration</i> series to their potography collection, as did the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.</div><div><br /></div><div>His photographs have been published in numerous publications, including <i>Color Magazine, Black and White Magazine, Popular Photography, US Camera, Look, New York Times Magazine, GQ, Glamour, Men's Wear, Photographer's Forum, Boy's Life, 35mm Color, Camera, and Darkroom</i>; it has been highlighted on The Today Show and Casey Allen's WNDT show, "In Focus."<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56w6qo67YwdYgx-wamm2_3xoz0Wywwx19P_dcY7ddsMlu0u_YqwIbpx0ULHHS6AI9TXD6RIztdEdxW71Ng5z_n6Asx6SyVqsN_1jFiZ7Uykvo0isZ3sjBSvtM9JT8-GIlyRJ3e85zqbCT/s1600/Window+People+Window+Washer+++p.45++7+.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 339px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56w6qo67YwdYgx-wamm2_3xoz0Wywwx19P_dcY7ddsMlu0u_YqwIbpx0ULHHS6AI9TXD6RIztdEdxW71Ng5z_n6Asx6SyVqsN_1jFiZ7Uykvo0isZ3sjBSvtM9JT8-GIlyRJ3e85zqbCT/s400/Window+People+Window+Washer+++p.45++7+.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566262295138181458" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Norman Lerner, <span style="font-style: italic;">Window Washer</span>, 1950's<br /></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div>In the 1960s, he was founder and chair of photography for the first fashion degree program in the United States at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. In 1986-1994, he was coordinator of the photography studies program at California Polytechnic State University, and remains connected with them as Professor Emeritus.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Lerner has been able to sustain his creative side while teaching and owning a demanding commercial studio serving high end clients in the magazine world. In all that he has done, his artistic vision has been primary. As he says it, "I have always kept a little seed of creativity alive. I have never permitted it to go dead." That explains in part why at age 83, he maintains that though he is retired from active business, he simply cannot take time off from his work as an artist, because "I haven't reached retirement age. There is this project that I'm working on..." He continues to work on photographic projects and organizing his lifetime of work.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nashvillians now have a chance to meet Mr. Lerner personally and see his work at The Arts Company. On February 4, there is a Collectors Art Night with Mr. Lerner as one of the guests. Click <a href="http://www.5thavenueofthearts.com/">www.5thavenueofthearts.com</a> to make a reservation. On February 5 during the First Saturday Art Crawl, he will be in the gallery to talk with guests about his work. Click here to preview some of his work--<a href="http://www.theartscompany.com/"> www.theartscompany.com</a>.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAar8bxja1X5NseDLlvunvkuQZ53pDPvtOBlCAYmuQ35cS0sQEi6-4XhaaLY2SzeKp7M2HB8UkRPEc96j869djiXqay1QW_8VnRU-7-uovzMyNudux8SeEmyuV-KVoeG0uFg2QZldCN2I3/s1600/logo_cube_2011-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAar8bxja1X5NseDLlvunvkuQZ53pDPvtOBlCAYmuQ35cS0sQEi6-4XhaaLY2SzeKp7M2HB8UkRPEc96j869djiXqay1QW_8VnRU-7-uovzMyNudux8SeEmyuV-KVoeG0uFg2QZldCN2I3/s200/logo_cube_2011-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566518040771677826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-17116887954203839362011-01-04T09:41:00.005-06:002011-01-04T11:02:56.747-06:00Of Things To Come<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1sJXn67_AFARqfRorAjMbudWvTwJONPHJrvr1FaBOArcqwmhK7oac_SlhiSKo-JZDSR76yC9ejZwtER5BjxHVX_BeVTW2RqzR2ncDvp3hFE9meJeWVeN6ea4zWqW1UYsETZqQmdZ_O3w/s1600/30-Master-Window-People-WINDOW-WASHER-p.45-7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 383px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1sJXn67_AFARqfRorAjMbudWvTwJONPHJrvr1FaBOArcqwmhK7oac_SlhiSKo-JZDSR76yC9ejZwtER5BjxHVX_BeVTW2RqzR2ncDvp3hFE9meJeWVeN6ea4zWqW1UYsETZqQmdZ_O3w/s400/30-Master-Window-People-WINDOW-WASHER-p.45-7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558357845587351586" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Norman Lerner, "Window Washer", Copyright Norman Lerner<br /></span> </div>Happy New Year to all of us who love to discover, see, and talk about what matters in the world of art that touches our lives.<br /><br />We have lots of discoveries to unveil and lots to talk about in this New Year. Check in frequently -- in house and online.<br /><br />Come see us to toast the New Year this Saturday, January 8th. What fun it will be. Mr Lerner's "Window Washer" will be here to greet you.<br /><br />Anne, Brian, Robin, and friendsThe Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-3061711232218194222010-11-20T16:14:00.020-06:002010-11-21T08:58:57.771-06:0014th Annual Holiday Arts Market at The Arts Company<b><i>We will be filled to the brim with more art and festivity for the holidays than ever this year at The Arts Company. We have scouted around for the neatest collection of art gifts, artwork large and small, and new platforms and palettes from artists than ever for your holidays.<br /><br /></i></b><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3-OyrU331fUYvsTVFePTa7fXSS98bQaDL53XkX2esTjqT4znPJLUqtuyKIteE-ew_WmkJf2y6oXp8TmwvabpSE4mVzsEjLgDTrfW4dAFiHPI9ehziqGHX1ggH652yParxImvNDJxD0jg/s1600/DSC03608_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3-OyrU331fUYvsTVFePTa7fXSS98bQaDL53XkX2esTjqT4znPJLUqtuyKIteE-ew_WmkJf2y6oXp8TmwvabpSE4mVzsEjLgDTrfW4dAFiHPI9ehziqGHX1ggH652yParxImvNDJxD0jg/s400/DSC03608_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541774099599824674" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Brother Mel, Utensil Christmas Tree, 60'' tall</span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>There are specific reasons for our special affinity for this time of year: </b></div><div><br /></div><div>1) <i>We established The Arts Company with the opening of the first Annual Holiday Arts Market in December 1996.</i> Ever since, we have been on the lookout for really neat art and books and special events we could muster to match the interests of all folks who continue to come downtown Nashville. Therefore, this year marks our 14th birthday on December 4, and we want to have friends here to help us celebrate what's happened to the evolving Fifth Avenue of the Arts over these last 14 years.</div><div><br /></div><div>2) So it's our birthday and it's one of our most important annual challenges: how do we select some of the neat things that we know our guests and friends will be interested in including in their holiday celebrations?</div><div><br /></div><div><i>We say with some measure of modesty that we think we have nailed it this year. It's a little beyond spunky. It's into overflowing with fresh and original art and art gifts.</i> We have commissioned some special gifts and art, and our focus is on the Nashville traditions that we most love. If you are one of our customers reading this, you know that we enjoy showing images of Nashville and new ways of thinking about what we are all about in Nashville.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOD-z1fBdSyh8Fi8iB7UaMPe1XjSte2DHG5YQ0m8dcxpITIBVwKw36nBPRgxJrGLroqbG0mkswS46EBzwTfO3i5yKyeHvG4T81Vrqf7CNkwlbwVwGjasPJUHLnX-AQg_DFTyq3Iyj87VVd/s1600/ceramics_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOD-z1fBdSyh8Fi8iB7UaMPe1XjSte2DHG5YQ0m8dcxpITIBVwKw36nBPRgxJrGLroqbG0mkswS46EBzwTfO3i5yKyeHvG4T81Vrqf7CNkwlbwVwGjasPJUHLnX-AQg_DFTyq3Iyj87VVd/s400/ceramics_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541774768543730610" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Small ceramic pieces by Replanski Ceramics</span><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>We know that our customers share an interest in specific artists--Brother Mel for sure. But also April Street, Bill Starke, David Swanagin, Charles Keiger, Ed Rode, Bob Schatz, John Nikolai classics, Ed Clark photographs and those of his legendary colleagues through the LIFE Gallery Collection of Photography, Charles Kieger, Pam Moxley, Jim Hubbman, Ansel Adams' protege Robert Kolbrener...plus many more. So some of all of these will be present in our Upstairs Archives.</div><div><br /></div><div>But we have also introduced a lot of new artists this year--from Tony Breuer to Judy Nebhut; from Denise Stewart-Sanabria and her donut paintings and plywood people to Chris Beck and Deborah Wait's mosaics. We have shown new photography and techniques, new and unexpected outsider artists working on tarpaper or from piles of scrap metal.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIm8Na4rEb0U3Z9F1CxrvRsRFRb_TJ2gUIS1okOvm3LATy3_iJUoZn10Y20I4VrizWXeWSyhtSd8zQGBfb4103kC4zxjc_2LIX4tmUTiSpTqWDTWO72jztekAcFPrthOmreTHcJWFepf7/s1600/Birds_of_Night_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIm8Na4rEb0U3Z9F1CxrvRsRFRb_TJ2gUIS1okOvm3LATy3_iJUoZn10Y20I4VrizWXeWSyhtSd8zQGBfb4103kC4zxjc_2LIX4tmUTiSpTqWDTWO72jztekAcFPrthOmreTHcJWFepf7/s400/Birds_of_Night_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541775180449030898" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Tres Taylor, "Birds of Night", mixed media on tarpaper</span><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>For the holidays, we have commissioned some Nashville paintings from Charlie Buckley and have some new tarpaper paintings by Tres Taylor, and a few pieces of metal sculpture by Chris Beck--not to mention some new Nashville images by Kimiko. We have also added a Spirit of Nashville boutique to showcase Joel Anderson's popular Nashville posters.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAPL37kzjavB6iWufp-RjEsDneIV5GAqGNLjM7C4KhOonZNQBUw1ih75q6fdDW4vgLjwW8-_udVsEIDPYu0DTidFBYav-Kyf3Mel0v1eTyPvzKTxPDzxQ4VoGou6umxQeJGGiBqpbuna9/s1600/Nashville+Convention+Center.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAPL37kzjavB6iWufp-RjEsDneIV5GAqGNLjM7C4KhOonZNQBUw1ih75q6fdDW4vgLjwW8-_udVsEIDPYu0DTidFBYav-Kyf3Mel0v1eTyPvzKTxPDzxQ4VoGou6umxQeJGGiBqpbuna9/s400/Nashville+Convention+Center.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541775549677287490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Charlie Buckley, Construction Site for Music City Center</span><br /></div><br /></div><div><i>But preemo as always, Brother Mel always surprises us with new materials and new ideas</i>. This holiday is no exception. We have his version of Christmas trees--from utensils to stainless and glass sculpture made to hold wine bottles, as well as new paintings and Christmas trees as wall sculpture. You will know when you walk in the door that Brother Mel's statement about his work is part of what our holidays are about: "Bringing beauty to space to lift up spirits."</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1zFvkvRfeZENYJrgDJ1hcJDPhtjimjHnF-L1896m7z2gMxGhgwqO2uoQlhcXov4eXsrnKbYCPwzZPsyoL6BCRt4nJzaNv8Amu1YFY5Ld_3dpIZR4oTi8YdtghZFR6U-49RYJsjPCnMzg/s1600/brothermel_squareswithrods.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1zFvkvRfeZENYJrgDJ1hcJDPhtjimjHnF-L1896m7z2gMxGhgwqO2uoQlhcXov4eXsrnKbYCPwzZPsyoL6BCRt4nJzaNv8Amu1YFY5Ld_3dpIZR4oTi8YdtghZFR6U-49RYJsjPCnMzg/s400/brothermel_squareswithrods.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541775893304750338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Brother Mel, "Painted Squares with Rods"</span><br /></div><br /></div><div><i>We are waiting with great anticipation to have you come see us during the holidays.</i> We are working with our gallery colleagues and neighbors to add special Champagne Saturdays to the holidays this year. More information on that is coming soon.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oops! I almost forgot. Of course, we have loads of neat pop-up books for adults and children, and selected art books that are really worth taking a look at.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Meanwhile, join us for First Saturday Art Crawl and our gallery birthday on December 4, 6-9. We'll turn the lights on high for you.<br /><br /></b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZXlcoKQHTb6wkWtMwm5TeJFie2ooUilvGvQPPYuMJ2YjlWsUEv9QsWpJpNoiqLeckJ0DW2mmuG6UH_iCAlzjV7UbFNLvSQ93lK3pbKFlmRcnjufw9qQEvSFd9PUozTeHe5hYaivj5ceX/s1600/First_Crawl_black3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZXlcoKQHTb6wkWtMwm5TeJFie2ooUilvGvQPPYuMJ2YjlWsUEv9QsWpJpNoiqLeckJ0DW2mmuG6UH_iCAlzjV7UbFNLvSQ93lK3pbKFlmRcnjufw9qQEvSFd9PUozTeHe5hYaivj5ceX/s400/First_Crawl_black3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541776309757945602" border="0" /></a><br /></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-45470190599998420472010-10-28T16:25:00.040-05:002010-10-30T15:19:41.515-05:00Housewives Behaving Badly: commentary by Robin Venable<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9MdTj3IR5r2GYBIpPFRhwgxVKgD-A_nS57aRHICx439D8WNArOblN8JOM7Nirkp9iNFywP3o1FReB1sj2WKTWl9W9bKAcdIdIxCI9_oIZfEhEfLMkN60vQSYTc09GeToik3R0yhAA0bUB/s1600/DBB.KK.Gluttony.web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9MdTj3IR5r2GYBIpPFRhwgxVKgD-A_nS57aRHICx439D8WNArOblN8JOM7Nirkp9iNFywP3o1FReB1sj2WKTWl9W9bKAcdIdIxCI9_oIZfEhEfLMkN60vQSYTc09GeToik3R0yhAA0bUB/s400/DBB.KK.Gluttony.web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533921910154718882" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Denise Stewart-Sanabria, Gluttony, oil on linen, 40 x 30''</span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />This month at The Arts Company is all about visual archaeology - digging through appearances to find the deeper meanings. Denise Stewart-Sanabria and Chris Beck </span>have each created new bodies of work that are inviting on the surface, but complex in the subject matter. Once you start digging, you will find there are issues that speak into the deepest levels of what it is to be human. When viewed together, each series of work talks to the other one.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tRYc2mbBwhMTdkkPwyVKIiVV89SzmdCPz4mariI1ssqhvBAUgI9H5Aib2eGwd3NTVRivnXmIGknkHrpelZ0ULeYRZajmXk8TWyPXNbDah_CYbvyzsO86Ff-DJWAe1QE9NxEtOk9YjaaR/s1600/DBB.ImmaculateConfection.web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tRYc2mbBwhMTdkkPwyVKIiVV89SzmdCPz4mariI1ssqhvBAUgI9H5Aib2eGwd3NTVRivnXmIGknkHrpelZ0ULeYRZajmXk8TWyPXNbDah_CYbvyzsO86Ff-DJWAe1QE9NxEtOk9YjaaR/s400/DBB.ImmaculateConfection.web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533922088854693362" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Denise Stewart-Sanabria, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Immaculate Confection</span>, oil on linen, 24 x 48''</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Denise's sumptuous paintings of personified "donuts behaving badly" allow her to explore the seven deadly sins and other human foibles</span> (such as "Drunks") with more tenacity, humor, and depth than had she painted humans acting out the same indiscretions. Her bold and playful titles such as "The Immaculate Confection" challenge the viewer to see traditional themes in a new light. She entices the viewer with globs of gooey insides and powdery toppings to show how enticing "behaving badly" can be at first, but the crumbs, bitten-off edges, and reflections on the tables they sit on suggest otherwise - like the 17th century Dutch <span style="font-style: italic;">vanitas</span> paintings that were beautifully adorned with pearls and jewels, but also included rotten fruit and hollow skulls to suggest the brevity of life.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluem-VNHhPT-HywiB4HR8n0-8AR6mG9P9jQ6Q1wLfr-Vf5fN-qshrIb52v12hNa23dwqeQNkTkY4bNgcrUnHpbTRy3IM0xN8jhTWZ30j-10_fymGFB7atViAVs42VouUu8GF5y8h9ODxA/s1600/Lorraine_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluem-VNHhPT-HywiB4HR8n0-8AR6mG9P9jQ6Q1wLfr-Vf5fN-qshrIb52v12hNa23dwqeQNkTkY4bNgcrUnHpbTRy3IM0xN8jhTWZ30j-10_fymGFB7atViAVs42VouUu8GF5y8h9ODxA/s400/Lorraine_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533922343669833282" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Chris Beck, <span style="font-style: italic;">Lorraine</span>, mixed media, 44 x 32 x 8'' </span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chris's perfectly poised "housewives", some of which are framed, sit quietly among their backdrops from ages past.</span> Using ads from LIFE magazine from the 1950's as inspiration, he, like Denise, invites the viewer into another world where things aren't always what they seem. In the boom of consumerism in post-war America, women who worked during the war to keep the country afloat, returned to the home where pot-roasts and dirty carpets awaited them. Crafting his housewives out of discarded tin and muted colors, the viewer is invited into the nostalgia of a golden age of America. However, his materials that he uses, and his palate of colors suggests an undertone of sadness and tainted dreams that swam underneath the bubbly current of the times.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhng_Rp776NYxHi6axvFlzUmxshv6ZkSM5TZIchXhz_rTB9m_2Sq2WCY0WB1O9CNWO49bmMaTM15yICJXbyDSD3urp7V-XB-13BdsRHTwrESfDhaX5ug2-ah4qHTXfTNhac0b1BZMGlbSNj/s1600/IMG_2382_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhng_Rp776NYxHi6axvFlzUmxshv6ZkSM5TZIchXhz_rTB9m_2Sq2WCY0WB1O9CNWO49bmMaTM15yICJXbyDSD3urp7V-XB-13BdsRHTwrESfDhaX5ug2-ah4qHTXfTNhac0b1BZMGlbSNj/s400/IMG_2382_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533935407855083058" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Chris Beck, <span style="font-style: italic;">June</span>, painted metal, 43 x 18 x 7''</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Shown side by side, Denise's maximalist paintings of enticing, naughty doughnuts and Chris's enchanting mixed media portraits of days gone by, interact with each other in an interesting way to create an environment where the consumer is confronted with his own future - and although it is flawed, it is human - which makes it beautiful.</span><br /><br />For more information about the show, and to see more images from each artist, please visit our website - <a href="http://www.theartscompany.com/">www.theartscompany.com</a>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-24556936970170837222010-09-25T15:48:00.023-05:002010-09-25T16:48:39.484-05:00Seeing Through Spaces: Tony Breuer's Universe of Paintings<span style="font-weight: bold;">Head's up, fans of the physical universe</span>--from space-time, quantum physics, and relativity to the way our human brains work; from the physical properties and materials of making art to the world of human imagination that ties it all together. Dr. Anthony Breuer,<span style="font-style: italic;"> aka</span> Tony Breuer, has set out to break into the codes of the multi-dimensional universe by making two-dimensional canvases that show us there is more than meets the eye in the physical universe of our everyday lives.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RFvRHgGYKI28ijmnm88lshTpGqox5ykIfyee1f4u_m83EuALHGDR9j_OIs_IplezLbRp0mSEkpROJsJzcQthZG1T8QCxdPEw-LGQH7ZEvBvJQ09qpJlEdSxBdMYRz0ndFEpSVljmub1F/s1600/Crack-in-the-earth,-new-ope.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RFvRHgGYKI28ijmnm88lshTpGqox5ykIfyee1f4u_m83EuALHGDR9j_OIs_IplezLbRp0mSEkpROJsJzcQthZG1T8QCxdPEw-LGQH7ZEvBvJQ09qpJlEdSxBdMYRz0ndFEpSVljmub1F/s400/Crack-in-the-earth,-new-ope.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520967698843686434" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Crack in the Earth, New Openings, mixed media, 48 x 72 inches</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Breuer's paintings are made to engage viewers in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Seeing Through Spaces </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">in a practical manner</span>--using artistic materials and practices and ordinary images such as horses, planes, magnolias as metaphors. His paintings offer new insight into connecting the world of art into some of the primary scientific discoveries of the 21st century. There is a lot to see and a lot to know in Breuer's paintings. The process of making the paintings is itself laborious and painstaking. These are physical canvases, filled with action and color and lots of swirls and dimensions. Yet, there is considerable lightness of being implied in the resulting paintings. The things of our world seem to stand still while the universe is in constant motion.<br /><br />But that's just about the paintings. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Before Tony ever touched a canvas, he had a life as a distinguished practicing physician.</span> His specialty, neurology with an emphasis on research, led him to related scientific exploration, specifically into the seen and unseen laws of the universe. In the last one hundred years, our knowledge of the physical laws of the universe has grown exponentially. Current research in relativity and quantum physics tells us that the world is even more multi-faceted than ever before imagined.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMB8DfHlFW0Ceg7Tpk-yU7T2YRotFFqdo6mJh9nITa2LgjFGPdeeZwss2tDFJIyOd7y4vRKdfr_Fkn4W5dNhjDXq-AGtGZ7vptc0JcTydPMOkxyzzNH5qKWDIP-RZkPbKX-VNeKiWA26CN/s1600/Magspace-6-copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMB8DfHlFW0Ceg7Tpk-yU7T2YRotFFqdo6mJh9nITa2LgjFGPdeeZwss2tDFJIyOd7y4vRKdfr_Fkn4W5dNhjDXq-AGtGZ7vptc0JcTydPMOkxyzzNH5qKWDIP-RZkPbKX-VNeKiWA26CN/s400/Magspace-6-copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520968438371381842" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Space Magnolia #6, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches</span><br /></div><br />Remember that the word "imagination" is a word shared by scientists such as Einstein, Feynman, and Hawking, and artists such as Picasso, Dali, and new-to-the-scene Tony Breuer. As he pursued the study of the laws of nature through the prism of how the human brain works, adding the making of art was a natural evolution in his world.<br /><br />Breuer's study of medicine began at Princeton, followed by research at Oxford, and he received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School. Some years later, he began to study art while maintaining a full schedule as a physician, completing his MFA in art in 2004. In recent years, he has begun a balancing act of reducing his medical schedule and increasing his artistic schedule in the studio. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The exhibit,</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> Seeing Through Spaces</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">, is a showcase for his new series of paintings, intended to present the awe and beauty of the infinite physical laws of nature that exist among us in our lives, though unseen.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4n7b9Dam0zWbtzUDNQhlMVAjN7EsLu4P8CWxY8Hh14Pnthe8XmWTTyQ7WkI1FIJN5M4qOzmnQI3FOPXOmKxMvgBSizZR0yymvsO4ZBVhuYvBAjfdAPAO3CyWfazteuVF2znb7njmwZGq/s1600/Virginia_Falls_mixedmedia_3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4n7b9Dam0zWbtzUDNQhlMVAjN7EsLu4P8CWxY8Hh14Pnthe8XmWTTyQ7WkI1FIJN5M4qOzmnQI3FOPXOmKxMvgBSizZR0yymvsO4ZBVhuYvBAjfdAPAO3CyWfazteuVF2znb7njmwZGq/s400/Virginia_Falls_mixedmedia_3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520968945797189570" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Virginia Falls, mixed media, 30 x 40 inches</span><br /></div><br />Tony Breuer is a bona fide 21st-century emerging artist. The brain, the laws of nature, and the making of art--that's the world of Tony Breuer.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">If you would like to meet Tony personally and get a preview tour of his work, join us at The Arts Company on Saturday, October 2, 4:30-6:00, in advance of the always-jubilant First Saturday Art Crawl Downtown, which follows 6-9 pm.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyZ9VPbefcXdz-qaD1skCzW64zHooyjBWNZL1r2OyZ01mTSbmIHcw7wT5hAycJ3NiFRBxebf5YnrQexhNi98UP1Lw5p4HDEyj74PyVL1w8Oz8VuTCFGoSsJL-sfeYzX3GZXyIKAGjsf8M/s1600/First_Crawl_black3_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyZ9VPbefcXdz-qaD1skCzW64zHooyjBWNZL1r2OyZ01mTSbmIHcw7wT5hAycJ3NiFRBxebf5YnrQexhNi98UP1Lw5p4HDEyj74PyVL1w8Oz8VuTCFGoSsJL-sfeYzX3GZXyIKAGjsf8M/s400/First_Crawl_black3_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520969666257346626" border="0" /></a>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-31203668227297404522010-09-10T10:51:00.002-05:002010-09-10T10:59:04.919-05:00The Journey to "Inspired"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Commentary by Brian Downey, Associate Director of The Arts Comany and curator of the "Inspired" exhibit:</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIICGSkeV4EE0ZAx8hKjJasoCk7n3Aei1JgHwlq3ovt1FyfaMNnqVhOmyC1uTELKvZ329u1tjujK5EdNQOQA7qh6nfBoSr-D77WTSc8V96PHt02Eoj5gHF-PWBxR21yf1Gd9JODImCChLk/s1600/5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIICGSkeV4EE0ZAx8hKjJasoCk7n3Aei1JgHwlq3ovt1FyfaMNnqVhOmyC1uTELKvZ329u1tjujK5EdNQOQA7qh6nfBoSr-D77WTSc8V96PHt02Eoj5gHF-PWBxR21yf1Gd9JODImCChLk/s400/5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514606945792985426" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">There is nothing I love more than curating shows. Researching talented artists, seeing the artwork as it's created, planning the layout of the show in the gallery, and watching it all come together for the opening reception is one of the most exciting things I have ever had the pleasure to do in my professional career. I have curated several shows, have worked with some amazing artists, and have had a blast the entire time. "Inspired," however, will always stand out to me and be one the shows I am most proud of.<br /><br />It all started back in March of 2010 when I was visiting New York City with a friend of mine. We were walking down 5th Avenue in the heart of the city, admiring the stores, wishing I could afford to purchase the beautiful things I was seeing, and staring at all the gorgeous window displays. I was passing Bergdorf Goodman when I looked up and was instantly stopped in my tracks by their window display, not by the clothes, but by the large-scale woodblock prints that provided the backdrop for the fashion. I had no idea who the artist was, but it wasn't something I was not going to forget. When I was finally returned home to Nashville I immediately started researching to find out who this artist was. I learned that his name was <a href="http://www.johnwellesbartlett.com/">John Welles Bartlett</a> and he was living in Brooklyn. I found his website and sent him an email to introduce myself. After a few back and forths, I asked him if he would be part of a show I was curating in late summer. I expected an immediate "No thanks." I assumed that someone, who was getting this kind of exposure and attention in New York, would already be booked solid with other shows. To my surprise, he said "Yes!" Now I actually had a show to start planning!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrn-AYLGMO2QWE29QJaY_RBMDdpPi7iFUYbiSR57hC7khtDg4BjvhCnwsTZ1z-49Qzh-IkdK22jub-BplrqlIRTi78wNHmY1JR-E9e4vO7AsoATBge2dp44ntNMMEjqCXLQeAxp-yJ8Xz/s1600/T.V.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 306px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrn-AYLGMO2QWE29QJaY_RBMDdpPi7iFUYbiSR57hC7khtDg4BjvhCnwsTZ1z-49Qzh-IkdK22jub-BplrqlIRTi78wNHmY1JR-E9e4vO7AsoATBge2dp44ntNMMEjqCXLQeAxp-yJ8Xz/s400/T.V.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514609873525670498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">"TV Donkey with Ant" by John Welles Bartlett</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I wanted this exhibit to be a two-person show, and I already had an idea floating in the back of my mind about how to make this more than just an average exhibit of two artist's work. The trouble was finding that other artist who was just the right fit with John. I found a couple artists who I was very interested in, but unfortunately (or fortunately...as it turned out) they were either already booked for shows, or just didn't return my emails. Then I ran across <a href="http://www.ohmycavalier.com/">Julianna Swaney</a>, and I was so happy those other artists didn't work out. I found her work on <a href="http://www.myloveforyou.typepad.com/">My Love For You</a> and was instantly a fan. I knew her small, intimate works would be a nice contrast, and yet completely complement John's large-scale woodblock prints. I emailed her, and her quick reply couldn't have been nicer. Even though she was already booked for three other shows in September, she still agreed to be a part of mine. I don't know how she found the time to create all the work for these four shows, but she did...and personally, I think I got the best ones!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdwiDmSss0pLtArOm9xjvykk9lIvA18hqdEC5apDyD0rok3PxB5zSxHf14M5oVNiPHm4VTzxIRWEegcbMUKNc94VkkfIMy8XBjFpyMlMark70KGIhkrBTNRixPYP2VFMKvfMZ5K6kfdx5/s1600/HiddenBirds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdwiDmSss0pLtArOm9xjvykk9lIvA18hqdEC5apDyD0rok3PxB5zSxHf14M5oVNiPHm4VTzxIRWEegcbMUKNc94VkkfIMy8XBjFpyMlMark70KGIhkrBTNRixPYP2VFMKvfMZ5K6kfdx5/s400/HiddenBirds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514609799124159106" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">"Hidden Birds" by Julianna Swaney</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once each artist was confirmed for the show, I ran my idea past them. I wanted to engage each artist and have them create something that would be special for this exhibit and very interesting to all the folks who would make it to the show. I asked each artist (who were total strangers at the time) how they would feel about studying the body of work of the other artist and creating one piece for the show that was inspired by the other. I didn't know what kind of reaction this would get, but I was hopeful. As it turned out, both artists loved the other's work and were very excited to take on this challenge. Personally, I think they were even more excited to see what the other artist would create knowing that they were the inspiration behind it. As the months went on, I would receive images from the artists of all the new pieces they were working on...but I still hadn't seen the inspired piece. I was starting to get worried. I had already sent out the press release, hyped the theme of the show, given interviews to some local publications--all based on the idea that each artist was creating this inspired piece, and the show was even called, "Inspired." What in the world would I do if one or both artists decided they just couldn't manage to do an inspired piece? I was nervous. Luckily, each artist was just saving the best for last and when I finally saw the inspired pieces I knew that the show was going to be amazing!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2O1g4MkvdSEmN7jkHY97alQ2UZJwp1IOD3EpYMrwoccLv6JGCbqcOEeDGO4H4NzsS1m-FogYwr4vMe7IunVEqjgWEO3yc_0RyKty_QrOKLQPqhAPzfipoZwM95E1mEuVJ-sX0X0jdI1I/s1600/6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2O1g4MkvdSEmN7jkHY97alQ2UZJwp1IOD3EpYMrwoccLv6JGCbqcOEeDGO4H4NzsS1m-FogYwr4vMe7IunVEqjgWEO3yc_0RyKty_QrOKLQPqhAPzfipoZwM95E1mEuVJ-sX0X0jdI1I/s400/6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514609632008287842" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">John's work<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZIPQse9n7iKY0FABUCTHH7dEWSet9ZMWIpTXE8dNQQ20wozxz543EiFcO3SCJhqPzs1DMLfHTuckMZ5ebvcQp2VVolHEC1V2g0A4SzbqmyjwSceloO-Kg4qZwlbdjQLAhEEAYm5bXzck/s1600/8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZIPQse9n7iKY0FABUCTHH7dEWSet9ZMWIpTXE8dNQQ20wozxz543EiFcO3SCJhqPzs1DMLfHTuckMZ5ebvcQp2VVolHEC1V2g0A4SzbqmyjwSceloO-Kg4qZwlbdjQLAhEEAYm5bXzck/s400/8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514609724764760498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Julianna's work<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The opening reception was this past Saturday. John was able to fly to Nashville for the show, but Julianna had a show opening in Portland, OR, where she currently lives and wasn't able to make it. Even though she couldn't be here, the evening was a huge success. After some great press, including a very nice spotlight in <a href="http://nashvillearts.com/2010/08/30/spotlight-inspired/">Nashville Arts Magazine</a>, and a wonderful post by <a href="http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog/2010/09/02/im-jealous-of-inspired/">The Jealous Curator</a>, hundreds came through the gallery that night. Some were there for the free wine, but the majority were actually there to see this special exhibit. I talked to so many people, answered so many questions, and loved every minute of it. By the end of the night we had sold a lot of artwork (according to Julianna, the most she has ever sold at an opening reception...EVER), and introduced two fantastic new artists to the gallery and to Nashville. I'll never forget the evening. I want to thank both of these great artists who I now consider great friends, the amazing people I work with at The Arts Company (Anne, Robin, and the whole gang), and my incredibly supportive friends and family who made the night memorable and special.<br /><br />The show continues through September 25 at <a href="http://www.theartscompany.com/">The Arts Company</a>. Please stop by and take a look if you can, or see the pieces in the show on the gallery's <a href="http://www.theartscompany.com/">website</a>.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7Uz9KiR0HjA8sniDF9FjyEOfWcLxU54YzDAIeCgOgki9CWn-laJIfic4tmtVs0O64BBWmxT6HQgthD0bXuSDWlh-5wztzAN864o2YLgf6mizgE-ENepLcCYAYBIsUWUBMAhhiLsZGvn2/s1600/IMG_1837_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7Uz9KiR0HjA8sniDF9FjyEOfWcLxU54YzDAIeCgOgki9CWn-laJIfic4tmtVs0O64BBWmxT6HQgthD0bXuSDWlh-5wztzAN864o2YLgf6mizgE-ENepLcCYAYBIsUWUBMAhhiLsZGvn2/s400/IMG_1837_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514609952018601010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">John, me, and the editorial staff of Nashville Arts Magazine<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNt7p_-yUe-Skq3jYhcyqjxJNCLhrBBarChBY_G1nPsyDoRgYom33CK87kFMb4jWBXtN-MJvWUdV47dDBUTQdMKvhQAfNvhrzxY_PaHwVDvVlSm6sMIWIUp_GzTN2b2hgY-sJQI73LSYZ/s1600/IMG_1900_web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNt7p_-yUe-Skq3jYhcyqjxJNCLhrBBarChBY_G1nPsyDoRgYom33CK87kFMb4jWBXtN-MJvWUdV47dDBUTQdMKvhQAfNvhrzxY_PaHwVDvVlSm6sMIWIUp_GzTN2b2hgY-sJQI73LSYZ/s400/IMG_1900_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514610013369288322" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">With two of my best friends, Candace and Beth<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjZ-npbkcGRScO6TZW3QRlqbVnzqFRwxP205Z4HsLl9jj-iuG56nLj54voVu3mkrl9vmsRH4W2mOrLtxRP0hjXjbufelkWSyLqkiGXsN-Qk011R_unbKvX-np04VDIrNXiGxu6EEriZee/s1600/1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjZ-npbkcGRScO6TZW3QRlqbVnzqFRwxP205Z4HsLl9jj-iuG56nLj54voVu3mkrl9vmsRH4W2mOrLtxRP0hjXjbufelkWSyLqkiGXsN-Qk011R_unbKvX-np04VDIrNXiGxu6EEriZee/s400/1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514609426898228082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Our front window display...just as impressive as Bergdorf Goodman, in my opinion :)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-91725900021690242362010-09-10T10:32:00.005-05:002010-09-10T10:58:44.241-05:00The "Inspired" Pieces are Revealed!Our current show, "Inspired" features the work of artists John Welles Bartlett (printmaker) and Julianna Swaney (illustrator). Each artist was asked to create one piece for the show that was inspired by the other. Having never met, and living on opposite sides of the United States, it was a fun and unique challenge for each artist to study the body of work of the other and create something, in their own style, inspired by them. Both inspired pieces were wrapped in black paper and were finally unveiled at the opening reception on Saturday, September 4. These pieces were a secret...until now.<br /><br />Below are John and Julianna's inspired pieces and a brief description, in their own words, on how they were truly inspired by each other:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZdaKjnK23ypcrRbbW8De9dLj5IIlxVb3Zw2aThyphenhyphen3QI7ZJ3PCEYOufnfc_x-LQZvLvylPi4S8Oed-9cvcI02hJt0IYw8SllOQf8tXRRmg-SeSUGYzS3m4cxf4-dU0NMON6rcMh8N0dtod/s1600/TV-Maiden-w-Birdhouse.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 277px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZdaKjnK23ypcrRbbW8De9dLj5IIlxVb3Zw2aThyphenhyphen3QI7ZJ3PCEYOufnfc_x-LQZvLvylPi4S8Oed-9cvcI02hJt0IYw8SllOQf8tXRRmg-SeSUGYzS3m4cxf4-dU0NMON6rcMh8N0dtod/s400/TV-Maiden-w-Birdhouse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515310406238064562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">John's inspired piece, "TV Maiden with Birdhouse"<br /></span></div><br />“When I began looking at Julianna’s work, I felt drawn into a time and place where life is entwined with folklore and spirits, and the secrets of nature. These are themes close to my heart and it was not hard to be inspired by her work. My piece “TV Maiden with Birdhouse” is related to the young girls who appear in a many of Julianna’s works, gingerly interacting with nature and the spirit world.” <span style="font-weight: bold;">- John Welles Bartlett</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_ewTjPI65f243pnw6Z3jzqDLxUTyev8z6-KpScW7p51qcf74dfrkeMBFiPpmn8Ly-1lmSMkrtI39eEkbIZCvQoHPlWiRcoZUNJMYlaqNpWLxeSMYLpf0ZqMyhfy8mrAZC-hKiXLWMLGj/s1600/reception.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_ewTjPI65f243pnw6Z3jzqDLxUTyev8z6-KpScW7p51qcf74dfrkeMBFiPpmn8Ly-1lmSMkrtI39eEkbIZCvQoHPlWiRcoZUNJMYlaqNpWLxeSMYLpf0ZqMyhfy8mrAZC-hKiXLWMLGj/s400/reception.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515310509583313266" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Julianna's inspired piece, "Reception"</span><br /></div><br />“What I initially found interesting in John’s work was the recurring image of the TV set. Especially the pieces where it is strapped to the back of a girl and a donkey, I often draw people or animals with things strapped to their back so I felt like that was a good place for me to start looking for inspiration. I have no idea what his intention for that symbol is but I interpret the TV image as a distraction that is always intruding, always constant, sort of in the background, though...so that you almost don't even realize you are being distracted. That is a familiar feeling I think to anyone around today who has the diversion of phone/email/texting/information with them constantly, you often don't even realize you are not paying attention to what is happening around you because your mind is constantly half on a screen. I incorporated the image of the TV on the back of a wolf, followed by a girl absorbed with it as she walks though the forest to symbolize that sort of distraction.” <span style="font-weight: bold;">- Julianna Swaney</span>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182191949788638227.post-63850960374367525062010-08-28T15:37:00.025-05:002010-08-30T08:34:59.889-05:00Fearless in Nashville<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzvfq9ZMl-UCHY5v1EsDzsXnG0hc-MRxYF94TENxE7oAbxYt_6gPLDmYao9t3V4qaWWnS2yRsYJ3S1dM8mrbE7A27nA3ZHhg81fBF-_cMT3ltdtY9aGMagoz9pbFkPz5RxJeTiIQr6kSZ/s1600/Reflections+of+Nashville.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzvfq9ZMl-UCHY5v1EsDzsXnG0hc-MRxYF94TENxE7oAbxYt_6gPLDmYao9t3V4qaWWnS2yRsYJ3S1dM8mrbE7A27nA3ZHhg81fBF-_cMT3ltdtY9aGMagoz9pbFkPz5RxJeTiIQr6kSZ/s320/Reflections+of+Nashville.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510586372607737986" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">"Reflections of Nashville" photo by Joe Fizer</span><br /></div><b><br /></b><div><div><br /></div><div>Everything is off the charts in the world today. The heat is up. The economy is down. The floods keep coming. People are in desperate straits worldwide. Everyone is digging in.<br /><br />At The Arts Company in Nashville, we remain drawn to the arts as a constant source to help make sense of good times and bad times. We remain dedicated to the idea that the business of art in the marketplace matters, perhaps even more in grim times than in good times. <div><br />Nashville's unspoken civic and business credo is to aspire to a life of creative enterprise. At The Arts Company, our self-imposed mandate is to do our part. Our unwavering commitment is to bring compelling and unexpected artwork to the center of the marketplace of goods, services, and ideas--artwork that communicates part of what the Nashville experience is all about--creativity, new ways of doing business, fresh perspectives.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3DnjvTx3zofzAiCGpo-9Qb7zYNXkUcuw_timFkrqDlGyVngnbg5HmNWHtTZhTTZCecCrHGd8BQouSreBpagR9svJHgStuwvUUIbhlQ4VNlT6i2Od73KJTifBzC50KEb8aIS7e1Yp1hRO/s1600/bbcafe.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3DnjvTx3zofzAiCGpo-9Qb7zYNXkUcuw_timFkrqDlGyVngnbg5HmNWHtTZhTTZCecCrHGd8BQouSreBpagR9svJHgStuwvUUIbhlQ4VNlT6i2Od73KJTifBzC50KEb8aIS7e1Yp1hRO/s320/bbcafe.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510585683198849666" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">"Spirit of Nashville" Bluebird Cafe Poster by Joel Anderson</span><br /></div><br />Partly, it's the "Nashville effect" that makes us tend toward hopeful rather than fearful. Nashville at this point in history is an uncanny and unlikely melting pot of creativity and invention, pairing bankers with musicians, attracting poets, artists, and health care entrepreneurs. No matter how bad times are, there are songwriters by the dozens who can help make sense of it. Venture capitalists and entrepreneurs define Nashville's business successes. The arts are equally enterprising and savvy, mirroring the innovative civic and business style that prevails. In Nashville, we speak openly and shamelessly of commerce and business enterprise in partnership with art and artistic enterprise.<br /><br />However, like all businesses worldwide, our gallery business is facing the new realities of the marketplace. It's not an option to pursue business as usual. Turns out that's a relief. We will now be able to change the dull habits of our business and redefine ourselves as an art business of now--not what we did last year or the year before, but what we plan to do now. We are committed to presenting art as part of everyday necessity. We want to continue to be an active part of keeping ourselves and our city fresh, original, contemporary, inventive, and fearless.<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal;font-size:16px;"><br /></span></span></i></span></span><div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Our goal is modest:</span> to make each new piece of art we bring to the marketplace as exciting as the latest shoe fashion, as necessary as the next carton of milk, and as rewarding as winning the lottery. Well, that may be stretching it, but you get the idea.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Our real job is</span> to ferret out neat and interesting artwork; to find interesting ways to present it; and to engage customers with it. Our approach is to create for our customers a comfortable and welcoming distinctly Nashville experience with art, one on one.<br /><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>The Arts Companyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11472820397034648358noreply@blogger.com1