"Nashville, It's not just in Africa, it's here; it's in your school; it's on the street; it's the person you could be behind in the grocery store. They could have AIDS and you would never know it."
Nashville CARES, ShareListenHelp.org
The cause is a serious one. The subject of the annual fundraising function for the cause of AIDS (Nashville CARES) means Nashville's biggest Art Event of the Year: Artrageous. Which then means: a Rockin' Good Time. This year's theme, a take off on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Ten galleries composed the night's tour. Being the PR Gal that I am, I made the rounds to all of them Thursday and Friday asking gracious gallery owners to put out our book's postcard flyers. Our Book Launch was Sunday--the next day. Coverage coming soon. Highlights of the Artrageous route included:
The eclectic Finer Things Gallery, which had a blasting-ly great funky jazz-like band:
Tinney Contemporary Gallery, which had one of the tour's strongest shows. Tinney is on it's third reincarnation, but this one looks to have stuck. Talented hometown curator John Reed is bringing strong, solid, notable work to the Fifth Avenue of the Arts venue. Plastic Surgeon and photographer David Teplica, MD, MFA's body of work at Tinney is fascinating and evocative and worthy of some serious press. (I'm game!)This is the one show I'd urge anyone who loves art and photography plus science to go see before it ends on November 28, 2009.
As is custom for anything owner Bill Bennett exhibits, Bennett Galleries, had a strong show. It included Nashville favorite Trevor Mikula with some always bold but seemingly bigger works, plus the lush and haunting mixed media on wood by Charlotte Terrell who creates an ethereal quasi-abstract effect depicting scenes from nature. Bennett also had the bestest eats with mini-Chinese take out boxes from PM plus tiny veggie sushi rolls.
Noteable, as always, the Matriarch of Nashville Arts, Anne Brown, ever so cleverly kept with the night's candied theme with Red Hots from scoops dished out at the door into eager palms of patrons to red hot cinnamon Absolut martinis plus palate pleasing samples of new Nashville Chocolatier Olive & Sinclair. The work, as to be expected at Brown's The Arts Company, was spiced with plenty of visual sweets at every turn in the Art Garage and throughout the two-level store. Of note: Bob Schatz's new book on architecture. I am amazed at this Nashville-photography staple's diverse portfolio. And an all around nice, gentle-spirited gracious guy. (He signed his new book at Davis-Kidd while we signed ours at L. Greer Gallery Sunday. I hope his turnout was a grand as ours.)
Also a tour highlight, again this year, was Samantha Richter's small, intimate but seriously talent-packed photography gallery--Nashville's only. Richter Gallery of Photography is tucked into the back of Corzine & Co. Richters Jewelers in Green Hills. This year, Richter went avant-garde with fun, fascinating and fantastical photography series, The Queens by Swiss duo Alex and Felix. Petite and warm, Richter has an exceptional eye for talent and displayed it lushly about the store adjoining her small space. Richter Gallery is a must see any time of year.
And last, The After Party the evening of fun ended on a high note at the Limelight. Here's some of the night's human-and-other eye candy:
Photos: Leisa A. Hammett. I had way too much fun compiling these. I'll add another montage on a typical Art Fridays post soon.