Shine … a benefit like and for no other

Hello, hello, hello! Have I got a doozy of a report below to share with you today? Yes, I most certainly do. I’ve got a lot of art, a lot of creativity, and a lot of events filled with love to go around the city many times over. That said, let’s get started without further ado.

First, I feel the need to remind all of you artists out there that you still have until this coming Sunday, April 1st at 5:30pm to fill the pages of an online album of adult artists’ works for the Frist Center’s Facebook Fan page. They had sent out a CALL FOR ARTISTS this past month seeking works of art inspired by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts’exhibition “To See as Artists See: American Art from The Phillips Collection.” Basically, check out this link to get inspired and inspire others last minute before Sunday closes that door of opportunity- http://fristcenter.org/submit-a-work.

Second, let me give a quick reminder of sorts about Watkins and this Thursday, March 29th. Continuing Watkins’ Visiting Artists Series, the multidisciplinary artist Harrell Fletcher (renowned for his socially engaged, collaborative multimedia projects) will have a reception beginning at 6pm that will be followed by a discussion led by Fletcher about his unconventional approach to art making held in the Watkins Theater. The event is FREE and OPEN to the PUBLIC to attend.

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After originally posting this yesterday two things have come to light.   First, the lecture mentioned above at Watkins this Thursday, March 29th,  by Harrell Fletcher has been cancelled because of an unforeseen family  emergency.  Please keep him and his family in your thoughts and  prayers.  Second, I got an email informing me that the Nashville  Cultural Arts Project (NCAP) and zeitgeist gallery have announced the spring  2012 “Insight?  Outta Sight!” lecture program that kicks  off tomorrow, Wednesday, March 28th.  The lecture program,  all scheduled to be held at zeitgeist  gallery in the next few months, is a series of participatory  potluck forums designed to ignite creativity and discussion about contemporary  art and social engagement.  This Wednesday there will be food/drinks at 6pm and the discussions beginning at  6:30pm.  The featured guest this week will be  artist/writer Sharon Butler (who not only maintains the award  winning art blog “Two Coats of Paint,”  she is also a  professor of art at Eastern Connecticut State University and divides most of her  time between New York City and Washington D.C.).

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With the above out in the open, now I can get to the heart of this week’s post … literally. The first of two events this week that will touch you to the core of who you are is a fine arts event benefitting the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville. This Thursday, March 29th, from 5:30-7:30pm, “Art at the Artesia” will have attendees tour five exclusive homes of the Artesia development (2905 Parthenon Ave.) while meeting and viewing the works for sale of 10 renowned artists (Jason Erwin, Shirley Fachilla, Holly Fister, Leslie McCallen Gilbert, Deann Hebert, Kem Hinton, Michael McBride, Dorsey McHugh, Merry Beth Myrick, Lorna Sanders and James Threalkill). Admission for the showcase if FREE … HOWEVER, donations are welcomed of course since that is more than half the point here. For more information, to make a donation or to RSVP, please contact heather@rmbcnashville.com or call 615-343-4000. The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville is to keep families close by providing essential resources and a “home away from home” for families of critically ill children receiving inpatient or outpatient medical care at Nashville area hospitals (see www.rmhcnashville.com).

And now for the biggest event in the state going on this weekend that will leave your soul smiling with a newfound sense of community, creativity, and love for your family, friends, people off the street you don’t know yet, and life in general. I’m talking about SHINE (A Benefit for Kim Collins). Everyone’s friend and local outstanding musician, Kim Collins, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. You may have already literally heard Kim before from her bands The Smoking Flowers, Kim’s Fable, The Buddies, or Pale Blue Dot. Kim not only has a voice like a rocking siren that can and does hit every note in the book (also taking her spot occasionally all in the same song behind the drums, accordion, guitar, and every other instrument I can think of while always doing it well), but anyone that knows her knows about her heart of gold (it’s only a stereotype because it’s true). SHINE is a one-night music and art extravaganza taking place this Saturday, March 31st, starting at 7pm at Mercy Lounge. I truly think that if you are 18 years or older, you don’t want to miss out on this legendary night all for Kim during this rough patch on her journey as she walks her road of healing. Online tickets are no longer available but you can purchase tickets at the door at a minimum of $15. Did you just ask me who else will be there? Well, try Will Hoge, David Mead, Bare Jr., Daniel Tashian, Joe Marcs Brother, Fleming & John, Human Radio, Judson Spence, and many more for starters! There will also be a silent auction on site where you will get some of the finest art and gifts money can buy for a great cause (all proceeds will go to Kim Collins and are tax deductible). If you can’t be there in person and/or would like to contribute to Kim’s recovery online, please visit www.giveforward.com/fundraiserforkim. Every penny will add up and help tremendously towards Kim’s battle and recovery.

And with that, I guess I’ll see you at the show Saturday where we all plan to SHINE!

Have a great day and even better week ahead.

Thanks for sharing with others about all of the above.

much love,

chUck

Sneezing (bless mE) and Falling into Spring forward

Yet again I am getting hit in the face and on my car with fresh pollen in the air. Some of you reading this won’t care (not that you don’t care about me), but those who fight the same allergic warfare that I fare every year … you will appreciate the current circumstances of seasonal change. But regardless if you are having trouble breathing on your own or not, I have a few artistic things on my mind today that might just take your breath away (insert inner voice singing Top Gun at your own risk).

First, I know it is last minute and all but it’s not too late for you and yours to take advantage of the one and only Lindatwist Spring Jewelry Sale on its final days still available. Linda Hobdy from Twisted Sisters Art is practically giving away her favorite latest creations. Most have already sold quickly, but this is the last week that she’s added some new ones. To view all available go to www.etsy.com/shop/Lindatwist and then enter the coupon code LTSPRING2012 when you make the online purchase to receive a 15% discount plus FREE shipping! Let all of that put a smile on your face now. The sale is good through tomorrow, March 21st … so what are you waiting for?

Then, fast-forward to Friday, March 23rd, and take advantage of two great events happening at two places. First up, stroll on over to Watkins College of Art, Design & Film to check out the kick off reception in a series of six Senior Thesis Exhibitions showing from March 23rd-May 12th. This Friday, photography majors Cristin Durning and Brandon Daniel Greer are first in the series to display their works in the Currey Gallery. There will be a reception FREE and open to the public from 6-9pm to celebrate the beginning of this wonderful series showcasing 13 graduating students in the Fine Art and Photography departments. This will be the first of four shows total with receptions staged each leg of the way. And secondly, this same Friday, March 23rd, at 6:30pm, at the Frist Center Auditorium, it is first come, first seated, and FREE for all to come and listen to next lecture of “State of the Art at the Frist.” This Friday, Maxwell Anderson, Ph.D, will be on site to explore how museums must adapt to stay in step with the ever-changing public landscapes, interests, and how changes in technology have challenged cultural organizations to increase their online presence. It will be in interested conversation to hear and be a part of before heading over to the always fun Music in the Lobby that is also FREE from 6-8pm.

Which leads me to Saturday, March 24th, and another double dose of fun for the weekend. First up, visit Cheekwood’s botanical gardens. Staring this Saturday and showing through May 13th, Cheekwood proudly presents French artist Mathilde Roussel’s Anatomia Botanica on its grounds. The exhibition explores the seasonal nature of life. Roussel is Cheekwood’s inaugural Martin Shallenberger Artist-in-Residence and one of the features of her installation is two Lifes of Grass sculptures that will grow and sprout on site! Simply fascinating stuff I must type so myself. Then, after you spend a day at Cheekwood, plan your night accordingly so you won’t miss out on Untitled Artist Group’s Spring Show: Spring Roll over at 5th and Main. This Saturday, from 6-10pm, Untitled and Turnip Green Creative Reuse are coming together to showcase incredible artists that have donated work to raise funds for Turnip Green. There will be loads of great art, make-it and take-it booths where you can get your own creative projects going with the artists’ help, and DJ Get Better will be on site to spin tunes and allergic frowns upside down all night. Did I mention there will be LIVE art created during the show that will also be auctioned to benefit both organizations? Yeah, I just did. The event is FREE to attend, but bring some green of your own to buy the goods before they’re gone.

That is all for now. See you soon!

Much love,

chUck

The Second Saturday @ Five Points and a Downtown Sanctuary beyond

These days everyone seems to be crawling around town to mix, mingle, and see some incredible art.   This past weekend, the Second Saturday @ East Nashville’s Five Points offered more community cultured engagement for those who may have missed the excitement of the First Saturday Downtown crawl OR who just couldn’t get enough GREAT art and meetings with creative folks!!  If you missed it in person, please take a moment to peruse the following pictures taken by Chad Pinkston that shows you directly what you missed out on and what you have to look forward to next month.

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Images by Chad Pinkston

After taking a moment to look at last weekend’s highlights, we can now take another moment to prepare ourselves for a major highlight this weekend.  Specifically, this Friday, March 16th, you ALL are invited to the opening reception for a very special Downtown Sanctuary. From 5-7pm, the Metro Arts Gallery (on the 4th floor of the Metro Office Building at 800 2nd Ave S) will host a unique gathering of work that feature the artwork of six resident artists of the Downtown Presbyterian Church collective.  Wine and light refreshments will be served to those that remember to bring proper identification, but the real delight and party presented within Downtown Sanctuary is the fact that it’s the first time this particular artist group has exhibited together outside of the church’s gallery space.  If you haven’t seen the art work from Richard Feaster, Tasha French, Beth Gilmore, Erika Wollam Nichols, Sarah Shearer and Elizabeth Streight, then you are in for a real treat.  Guest curated by artist Sarah Shearer, the exhibition is FREE and open to the public.  Some of the work will even be available to purchase.  That said, this exhibition will run through May 4th of this year.

And with that we bid you a great weekend behind and ahead of you.  Thanks for checking in and sharing the following events for the Nashville heART scene as always.

much love,

chUck

After all hail broke loose

If you are reading this I assume that you survived that hail of a storm and tornado attack that hit the South this past week and weekend.  I won’t say that I was completely scared, but I was pretty nervous when the sky turned blackish and the ice flew in all directions like the rain in Forrest Gump.  That weather was really crazy to say the least.  I am happy you are still here with us and I am here with you.

To get a fresh perspective after the storms, it might be nice to look at everyday things in a new light of appreciation.  And while you are at it, speaking in terms of art in town, it might be nice for you to recognize a wonderful opportunity for you to do just that with the artwork at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts currently showing.  Recently the Frist has sent out a ‘Call for Artists’ asking all creative folks to visit the Frist and give feedback on how the works of art inspire them.  The Frist basically wants ‘To See as Artists See’ the Frist in correspondence to the current exhibition “To See as Artists See: American Art from The Phillips Collection.”  Over the next few weeks, they want to ask people visiting the Frist to arm themselves with a sketchbook and a pencil (only pencils can be used in the galleries) or with your iPad using an app such as Penultimate.  Then, they’d like for you to take a look around and select something that stands out to you at the Frist and sketch it.  Once you return home (or studio as it may be), choose one of the 10 thematic groups from the exhibition (Romanticism and Realism, Impressionism, Forces in Nature, Nature and Abstraction, Modern Life, The City, Memory and Identity, Legacy of Cubism, Transition to Abstract Expressionism, or Abstract Expressionism) and create a 2-dimensional work of art that depicts what you see when scan or photograph your artwork and submit your image via the Frist Center website at http://fristcenter.org/submit-a-work.  Special note: all entries should be 300 dpi JPEG images and the file should include the title of your piece.  You should include your name, email address, title of the work, medium, and theme you have chosen to submit.  It may sound like a lot in one paragraph but it is not.  This is a golden chance for you to be a part of a great art experience and institution.  The call is only for artists 18 years of age or older and only 50 entries will be selected by a jury of Frist staff for the online exhibition that will be posted on the Frist’s Facebook page.  After it is posted, fans of the Frist on Facebook will be able to vote for their favorite which will in turn win a gift packet and yearlong Frist Center membership.  Again, this is totally worth the effort.  Get on it NOW because the deadline for submissions is Sunday, April 1st, 2012 and that will be here before you know it.

And speaking of another chance for you to interact with art a special place, look on over to Cheekwood for their variety of classes and workshops.  There will be painting, studio samplers, creative kids: art and garden, and adult workshops of drawing and photo transfers.  They are all reasonably priced, give you several dates to work with your schedule, and provide ample opportunities to dive head and heart first into immediately having more art in your life.  Contact Cheekwood now to see what works with you.  Most of the activities start this weekend coming up.

This weekend also presents a few pARTy gatherings that should be on your radar if you haven’t made plans yet.  This Friday, March 9th, from 8pm-1am, there will be a party celebrating 1979 with 14 local artists.  Found at 1110 48th Avenue North, all of the office spaces will be turned into mini art galleries-complete with artwork, artists, hors d’oeuvres and beverages.  With the featured artists Tyler Blankenship, Randy Blevins, Andy Detwiter, Kat Dickie, David Hellams, Daniel Holland, Beth Inglish, Kelly Kerrigan, Sabrina Langlois, Jay Millar, Kuntal Patel, Casey Pierce, Kat Smo, and Elizabeth Streight, “Welcome to 1979” will give you the chance to check out tons of original artwork, chat with the artists in person, and have a blast all around.

Then, this Saturday, March 10th, from 5-9pm, you can mosey on back to East Nashville to the always welcoming Bryant Gallery for the artists’ reception for “Inside Out: Works by Libby Byler & Mary Sue Kern.”  The exhibition consisting of Kimono collages on paper and various sculptures created of books and found objects will run from March 10th-April 8th, but this will be an excellent chance for you to speak with the artists in person and let them know how much you appreciate their work.  This artists’ reception at Bryant Gallery will coincide with the 2nd Saturday @ 5 Points the same night in the same neighborhood from 6-9:30pm.  I was there last month and it was a great night had by all.  This month should be more of the same if not better … and definitely better weather than last weekend to come back full circle.

That is all for now.  Have a great week and weekend ahead.

much love,

chUck