I won’t be too creative here today as my brain and body feel like mush from all of the fun I’ve been having on and off the hill in Monteagle the past two weeks and going steady, but I shall do my best. I guess that is all we can do at this point anyways.
And speaking of doing your best, at least doing something at all for that matter, pick up your internet compatible device of choice and let everyone you know who is an artist of any sort know about Metro Arts and NowPlayingNashville.com’s partnership in offering an enhanced artist directory service for Middle Tennessee! That’s right, the brand stinking new artist profile directory, hosted on NowPlayingNashville.com, will replace Metro Arts’ Artist Registry and offer singers, songwriters, visual artists, poets, performers and musicians the opportunity to create a profile in the directory with bios, photos, contact information and more. Anyone who had seen the old version instantly realized that many people didn’t take the little time it takes to keep their information updated (I think most people had either moved away or moved on to the upper room, God rest their souls), but this one is a great opportunity for a fresh, new start for everyone. And it’s so so so EASY to do and be a part of. You should be ashamed of yourself if you don’t get in on this action to help promote your creativity. Artists are encouraged to create a profile TODAY! Additionally, FREE training sessions will be offered for arists to learn about the directory so there really isn’t any excuse not to take full advantage of this … AND yes, I’m talking about YOU!!!! The FREE training sessions are Tuesday, June 26 @ 5pm and Wednesday, June 27 @ 2pm. Check HERE for more information and get on it already. Did I mention that once signed up all artists can link to their events on the NowPlayingNashville.com calendar to inform the masses of their activities? Yes, I just did.
Now, back to the visual arts in town specifically. This Friday, tomorrow, marks a brand new exhibition at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. From tomorrow-September 30, you will have the opportunity to see Constable: Oil Sketches from the Victoria and Albert Museum in the Upper-Level Galleries. The exhibition explores the role of the oil sketch in the artistic practice of John Constable (1776-1837)-who just so happened to be a Revolutionary War baby and later played a major role in the history of landscape paintings while becoming one of the most influential British artists of all time. He’s kind of a really big deal. Again, you should come check out the paintings and see if for yourself.
In fact, tomorrow, June 22, at 6:30pm, you can come and see the Curator’s Perspective: “A Conservative Revolutionary: John Constable and Art History” forFREE at the Frist Center Auditorium. First come, first seated, Dr. Mark Evans, Senior Curator of Painting at the Victoria and Albert Musuem in London (not Kentucky) will talk you through all the wonderment that is within this exhibition. And when you walk out afterwards, not only will you be able to see the exhibition he’s talking about, but you can also check out the Metamorphoses: Drawings by Erin Anfinson, Kristi Hargrove, Mark Hosford, and Chris Scarborough (four Nashville artists) in the Conte Community Arts gallery.
Also in the downtown neighborhood and worth the trip if you are near it, don’t forget to check out ARTWORK AMONG US: Portraits by Juan Pont Lezica at The Parthenon East Gallery (on display through September 15th). Guest curated by Channel 4 news anchor Demetria Kalodimos, photographer Lezica has reimagined iconic paintings and sculptures with posing prominent Nashvillians in settings that reference the original artwork. It, like the location, is something quite epic in itself and worthy of the walk-by if anything else for sure. And if you happen to be in the neighborhood on July 5th or August 2nd from 5-7pm, you might be able to fun into some of the people in the pictures during the various receptions to be had on said dates and times (call 615-862-8431 for more information though on that tidbit).
And last but certainly not least for this week, I’d love to share with you two separate links that made my day recently. Both have to do with attending abstract modern art shows and this person’s take on how to critique and understand what the artists were thinking if at all. This was too funny not to share. Enjoy and have a great day and weekend ahead.
Read first:
http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/im-sick-of-pretending-i-dont-get-art
And second:
http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/frieze-fair-trying-to-get-art
examine this... 