Have you ever wondered what Willy Wonka’s fallback plan would have been if that whole chocolate thing with golden tickets promotional stunt hadn’t caught on at the time it had? Or what did Mr. Rogers do after he changed his shoes for the 4th time of the day and put on his going out on the town Cosby sweater? Well, no need to wonder any longer. Thanks to artist Jeff Bertrand and a fantastic group of artists gathering together this Saturday at Studio 83, they will give you a good picture or two of such answers you’ve possibly/randomly searched for while spotting reruns of your favorite children’s TV icons after they’ve long left the boob tube of your parents’ living room.
Alongside the rest of the East Nashville Art Stroll this Saturday, March 27th, Studio 83 is more than excited to give Jeff Bertrand the opportunity to curate a magical art tour called 5 Themes/15 Artists. From 5-10pm, admission is free for all those who are curious at all to find out just what the Garbage Pail Kids have been up to since the 1980’s, who else Dorothy and her crew met along the yellow brick road to Oz (the deleted scenes if you will), and many other topics that are near and dear to your hearts and imagination that long to be sparked.
You may still be asking yourself, what’s really behind the curtain of the title of 5 Themes/15 Artists besides the obvious of it consisting of 15 artists. To somewhat clarify, Bertrand has presented the various participating artists with the objective of putting their own spin on each theme via their own art (one intriguing theme that might catch your fancy being “previous jobs held by your favorite children’s TV icons”). And with such a stellar line-up of talent hailing from all around the Nashville area consisting of Memphis-based illustrator Michelle Duckworth, painter and graphic designer Heather Crook, Savannah College of Art and Design graduate Anjeanette Illustration, pop surrealist Brandt Hardin, watercolor painter Aimee Davidson, acrylic and watercolor painter Charles V. Bennett, Icon Tattoo artists Rachel Napier and Shannon Wages (founding members of Bad Apple Art Studio), Kustom Thrills tattoo artist Jonny Lashley, acrylic and foam-core creator Dustin Dirt, local hit Brenan Sharp, Erin Lord, Brooke E., and caricature-illustrator Randy McQuien, JR, you are sure to see a combination of works that will make you laugh, cry, smile and cringe and everything in between within your personal curiosity, intrigue and imagination all at the same time!
I can’t think of much else that cost nothing on a Saturday night that can give you this much entertainment. I shouldn’t forget to reveal that Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School of Nashville, hosted by Larry and Lolly Lehmann, will also be very much present and have a ‘class’ consisting of anything from a burlesque model to a roller derby girl and possibly even a trapeze artist modeling for those (anyone, even if you don’t consider yourself an artist can participate) attempting to create their best interpretation of the models. Did I mention that they are giving prizes away to several participants throughout the class?!
So whether the weather is as nice as last Saturday or not, make the time to meander down the East Nashville Art Stroll and hit up the rest of the magical art tour of Art & Invention Gallery, Billups Art, Bongo Java, Fanny’s House of Music, Open Lot, and the rest of the crew on your way down the road to finish your night at Studio 83. You won’t regret it!
Salud,
Chuck Beard
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