11 minute read
BARING ALL FOR THE ARTS
A luddite’s soft approach to creativity
A Funny Tragedy
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This Valentine’s Day weekend, The Ringgold Playhouse will bring John Cariani’s “Love/Sick” to life in five performances that outline a brilliant account of the relatable highs, lows, and every feeling in-between that comes with being in love.
Opening this Thursday, “Love/Sick” brings a unique storytelling structure to the stage. Told through a series of nine short plays strung together into one act, this 85-minute performance set in an alternate suburban reality highlights the parts of a relationship that are rough around the edges intertwined with comedy.
Cariani connects the tragic qualities in his play with a fitting quote from Fitzgerald, “The sentimental person thinks things will last—the romantic person has a desperate confidence that they won’t.”
Although each play has its own plot, they all come together to capture a larger picture that forms a satisfying whole. With names such as “Obsessive Impulsive” and “The Singing Telegram”, each section is sure to introduce identifiable scenarios and laughable settings.
You’ll find yourself slipping into the characters’ shoes as you experience the all too familiar feelings of love and heartbreak in this wholesome community theatre experience.
Performances will take place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Ringgold City Hall (in advance or at the door) or online at eventbrite.com., and are $10 for general admission and $8 for seniors and students. — Lindsey Clute By Jessie Gantt-Temple Pulse contributor
WITHOUT ACCEPTING COMMISSIONS AND NO upcoming shows, artist Laura Henley is hard to pin down but her work is worth the search. As she is a proud luddite, yet understanding some social media is needed, her work can only be seen on her Instagram @LLHenley.
“There’s a certain pace of work that I strive for—that would be a massively slow pace—that is really at odds with the speed of my iPhone and of people’s expectations for representational art. Or any art,” she says. “I feel like I’m still in the middle of some crucial development that is tenuous and on-going. I’m like jello that’s partially set—I need to stay in the fridge and be left alone.”
Remembering a desire to draw since the age of three, she proclaims she is not self-taught and has received guidance from a ton of developed artists over the years. Mary Carrithers, Danny Filipino, and Shelly Winters were integral parts of her early development then when she was older, she took workshops with folks like Mia Bergeron, Hollis Dunlap, Angela Cunningham and Seth Haverkamp.
As many artists like to have goals of more shows or to learn a new tech
nique, Laura is refreshing in her approach to 2020 with a heavier focus on personal goals that will inevitably assist with her personal goals. “I hope to feel a sense of naturalness and calm while painting. I’d like for painting to feel like washing the dishes. Casual yet necessary for a functioning household.”
From Chattanooga, Laura is rooted in North Chattanooga now after being transitional for almost a decade. She resides in the same neighborhood she grew up in, just walking distance from her grandparent’s house and every house she lived in during her childhood.
“I love the old houses and scrubby backyards. I love that my dad shopped at Agnew Hardware on Frazier Ave. I love that Tremont Tavern was an antique store when I was little and that Daily Ration was the Exxon. The magic is here,” she smiles. “There is a house on Tremont Street in complete disrepair that my grandmother grew up thinking was the absolute most beautiful house she had ever seen. As long as it’s up, my E’ma and I still enjoy its beauty and possibility.”
From seascapes to her mom’s backyard to fruit to the human form, her works consistently portray a soft stratum of colorful brushstrokes that invoke a sense of solitude and respite to me. A single flower uncluttered in
all its sometimes-short lived glory. A nude female curvaceous in simplicity and solemnity. Laura’s favorite subject is the human body yet not all her models are nude.
“Nothing is as real or thrilling as painting the figure from life. Nothing feels as precious,” she says while she points out a pencil drawing of her sister Katie. “I love drawing or painting her. She’s like me but different which is endlessly fascinating.” Having drawn and painted off and on for years at Townsend Atelier, she finds her reoccurring models more interesting and promising than models who are entirely new to her.
When asked about which of her completed creations were her favorite, she responded she didn’t have any. “I love Diarmuid Kelley who was asked in an interview why he does not ‘finish’ his paintings and he said something like ‘I am fine to stop painting when I stop being interested and whether or not I paint this way, I understand there being no reason to paint when something does not need to be discovered.’”
Of her own work, her most beloved pieces are the ones hanging up in her studio that have been incomplete drawings for over a year as she loves that they still contain so many possibilities. “They aren’t closed. I like looking at them and feeling like I still have so much runway with them. They can keep becoming in a way which my finished work can’t.”
Laura has no desire to constantly post her work on social media as she is reveling in her creative space with more internal privacy. “It’s a great thing for imagination; the ability to hear oneself think.” However, her intermittent Instagram posts do allow a glimpse into her works which may be up for purchase. Living in a very visual society that is stimulated by so much, it is a joy to consciously pause and be patient for someone’s creativity to present itself.
THU2.13
Hart Gallery Whiskey Supper Culinary creations from award winning Food Network star, Chef Charles Loomiss. 7 p.m. Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com
FRI2.14
Harvey The tale of easy-going Elwood O. Dowd and his invisible six-foot-tall rabbit friend Harvey. 8 p.m. Mountain Arts Community Center 809 Kentucky Ave. signalmacc.org
SAT2.15
Footloose the Musical What do you do when the town leaders ban dancing? Why, you keep on dancing, of course. And singing, too. 7 p.m. Center for Creative Arts 1301 Dallas Rd. centerforcreativearts.net
THURSDAY2.13
12 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 13, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM Miller Park Farmers Market 11 a.m. Miller Park 910 Market St. millerparkmarket.com Lupi’s National Park Lovefest 11 a.m. Lupi’s Pizza 406 Broad St. (423) 266-5874 lupi.com Indirect Oil Painting with Susan Budash 1 p.m. Reflections Gallery 1635 Rossville Ave. (423) 892-3072 reflectionsgallerytn.com Chautauqua Lecture Series 2 p.m. Chattanooga State Humanities Theatre 4501 Amnicola Hwy. chattanoogastate.edu Intro to Pen Turning 5 p.m. Woodcraft 5824 Brainerd Rd. (423) 710-8001 woodcraft.com Bottling & Kegging Workshop 5:30 p.m. Brew Market & Beer Garden 1510 Riverside Dr. (423) 648-2739 brewmarketchatt.com Sound and Vision: Rowing in Eden: Three Dickinson Songs 5:45 The Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org BlackGirlChatt Galentine’s Card Making Social 6 p.m. The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Get Off My Stoop 6 p.m. The Edney Innovation Center 1100 Market St. (423) 643-6770 theedney.com River Runners 6 p.m.
ENTERTAINMENT SPOTLIGHT
Dale’s machine gun style delivery and animated facials combined with quick improvisations and non-stop physical comedy has led to TV appearances on Fox and in the movie Out of Time with Denzel Washington.
Basecamp Bar and Restaurant 346 Frazier Ave. (423) 803-5251 basecampcha.com Open Bead Night 6 p.m. Bead-Therapy 1420 McCallie Ave. (423) 509-1907 bead-therapy.com Life Drawing Open Studio 6 p.m. Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com Open Mic Poetry & More 6:30 p.m. Stone Cup Café 208 Frazier Ave. (423) 521-3977 stonecupcafe.com Hart Gallery Whiskey Supper 7 p.m. The Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com Dale Jones 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Love/Sick 7:30 p.m. The Ringgold Playhouse 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgoldga.gov Alcoholics Not Anonymous Comedy Open Mic 8 p.m. Barley Taproom 235 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 682-8200 chattanoogabarley.com
FRIDAY2.14
Self-Love Letters 3 p.m. Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Cooking on 2: Valentine’s Day Pancakes 4:30 p.m. Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Get Your Hands Dirty: Valentine’s Day 6 p.m. Scenic City Clay Arts 301 E. 11th St. (423) 883-1758 sceniccityclayarts.org Couples Valentines Art Class 6 p.m. WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com Footloose the Musical 7 p.m. Center for Creative Arts 1301 Dallas Rd. (423) 209-5929 centerforcreativearts.net Love Potion No. 9: Valentine’s Day Cocktails 7:30 p.m. The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Ballroom Dance and Waltz 7:30 p.m. Brainerd United Methodist Church 4315 Brainerd Rd. (706) 483-6166 chattanoogausadance.com Love/Sick 7:30 p.m. The Ringgold Playhouse 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgoldga.gov Dale Jones 7:30, 9:45 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Harvey 8 p.m. Mountain Arts Community Center 809 Kentucky Ave. (423) 886-1959 signalmacc.org Ruby Falls Lantern Tours 8:30 p.m. Ruby Falls 1720 S. Scenic Hwy. (423) 821-2544 rubyfalls.com
SATURDAY2.15
Brainerd Farmers Market 10 a.m. Grace Episcopal Church 20 Belvoir Ave. (423) 243-3250 saygrace.net Peyote with a Twist with Aryd’ell 10 a.m. Bead-Therapy 1420 McCallie Ave. (423) 509-1907 bead-therapy.com Artist in Residence: Elena Burykina 10 a.m. The Edwin Hotel 102 Walnut St. (423) 713-5900 theedwinhotel.com Artist Demo: Painting with
Erin Gafill 1 p.m. River Gallery 400 E. 2nd St (423) 265-5033 river-gallery.com Intermediate Fluid Art 1:30 p.m. The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Love/Sick 2, 7:30 p.m. The Ringgold Playhouse 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgoldga.gov Footloose the Musical 7 p.m. Center for Creative Arts 1301 Dallas Rd. (423) 209-5929 centerforcreativearts.net Carson Whittaker Art Party 7 p.m. Barley Chattanooga 235 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 682-8200 chattanoogabarley.com Dale Jones 7:30, 9:45 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Harvey 8 p.m. Mountain Arts Community Center 809 Kentucky Ave. (423) 886-1959 signalmacc.org
SUNDAY2.16
Love/Sick 2 p.m. The Ringgold Playhouse 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgoldga.gov BHM 2020: To China with Love 4 p.m. RISE Chattanooga 401 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 402-0452 jazzanooga.org Confession: Comedy Open Mic with Briana Adams 5 p.m. Palace Theater 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com Lyrics & Libations with Big Fitz the Poet and DJ Bob 5 p.m. Chattanooga Cigar Club 1518 Market St. (423) 498-3910 chattanoogacigarclub.com Sound Meditation & Conscious Listening: A Gong Experience 6 p.m. The Retreat at the Wellness Corner 6237 Vance Rd. (423) 720-1174 wellnesscornerchattanooga.com Penny Serenade 7 p.m. Heritage House Arts & Civic Center 1428 Jenkins Rd. (423) 855-9474 chattanooga.gov Dale Jones 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com
MONDAY2.17
Connecting with Your Creativity through Writing 5:30 p.m. The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Beginner Macrame: Plant Hanger 6 p.m. The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Winter Belly Dance Session 6 p.m. Movement Arts Collective 3813 Dayton Blvd. (423) 401-8115 movementartscollective.com Joggers & Lagers 6 p.m. Chattanooga Brewing Co. 1804 Chestnut St. (423) 702-9958 chattabrew.com Blue Man Group: Speechless 7:30 p.m. Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. (423) 757-5580 tivolichattanooga.com
TUESDAY2.18
Chattanooga Self Improvement Meetup 8 a.m. The Edney Innovation Center 1100 Market St. (423) 643-6770 theedney.com Sew What 4 p.m. Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Wheel 1 with Lolly Durant 6 p.m. Scenic City Clay Arts 301 E. 11th St. (423) 883-1758 sceniccityclayarts.org Silverpoint Drawing 6 p.m. Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com Paths to Pints 6:30 p.m. The Tap House 3800 St. Elmo Ave. taphousechatt.com Chess K-night 7 p.m. Mad Priest Coffee Roasters 1900 Broad St. (423) 393-3834 madpriestcoffee.com Blue Man Group: Speechless 7:30 p.m. Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. (423) 757-5580 tivolichattanooga.com
WEDNESDAY2.19
Black History Month: Paint Party 11 a.m. The Bethlehem Center 200 W. 38th St. (423) 266-1384 thebeth.org Free Indoor Archery Session 3:30 p.m. Outdoor Chattanooga 200 River St. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com Main Street Farmers Market 4 p.m. Finley Stadium Parking Lot 522 W. Main St. mainstfarmersmarket.com Beginner’s Stained Glass with Summer Harrison 5:30 p.m. Reflections Gallery 1635 Rossville Ave. (423) 892-3072 reflectionsgallerytn.com Gargoyle Sculpting 6 p.m. Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com No Pressure: Instant Pot 101 6 p.m. The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Winter Workshop: Camp Cooking 101 6:30 p.m. Outdoor Chattanooga 200 River St. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com Michael Palascak 7 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Chattanooga State Comedy Improv 7:30 p.m. Chattanooga State Humanities Theatre 4501 Amnicola Hwy. chattanoogastate.edu Open Mic Comedy 8 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com
Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com
