THROUGH JANUARY 25 Presenting Sponsors
L Y N N & K EN ME L K U S Hospitality Sponsor
This exhibit io n is o rg an iz e d b y the F rist C e n t e r fo r t h e V is u al A r t s
T HE F R I S T C E N T E R F O R T HE V I S U A L A RT S I S S U P P O RT E D I N PA RT BY
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts gratefully acknowledges the Friends of Italian Art. This exhibition has been made possible in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, and the Robert Lehman Foundation.
D O W N TO W N N A S H V I L L E 9 1 9 B R O A D WAY
FRISTCENTER.ORG
Giovanni di Paolo. Saint Catherine of Siena Invested with the Dominican Habit (detail), 1460s. Tempera and gold on wood, 11 3/8 x 9 in. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust, 1966.2. Photography Š The Cleveland Museum of Art
the doctors ’ doctor
d r . M i ng W ang Md, Phd PERFORMED SURGERIES ON OVER 4,000 DOCTORS Dr. Ming Wang, Harvard & MIT (MD, magna cum laude); PhD (laser Physics), is one of the few cataract and LASIK surgeons in the world today who holds a doctorate degree in laser physics. He has performed over 55,000 procedures, including on over 4,000 doctors (hence he has been referred to as “the doctors’ doctor”). Dr. Wang currently is the only surgeon in the state who offers 3D LASIK (age 18+), 3D Forever Young Lens surgery (age 45+) and 3D laser cataract surgery (age 60+). He has published 7 textbooks, over 100 papers including one in the world-renowned journal “Nature”, holds several U.S. patents and performed the world’s first laser-assisted artificial cornea implantation. He has received an achievement award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Chinese Physician Association. Dr. Wang founded a 501c(3) non-profit charity, the Wang Foundation for Sight Restoration (www.Wangfoundation.com), which to date has helped patients from over 40 states in the U.S. and 55 countries worldwide, with all sight restoration surgeries performed free-of-charge.
AMNIOTIC MEMBRANE CONTACT LENS Dr. Wang’s invention • U.S. patents: 5,932,205 & 6,143,315
Used by over 1,000 eye doctors to restore sight.
INVENTIONS & PATENTS 1. LASERACT: All-laser cataract surgery U.S. patent filed.
aberrations U.S. Utility Patent Application Serial No. 11/642,226.
2. Phacoplasty U.S. patent filed. 3. Amniotic membrane contact lens for photoablated corneal tissue U.S. Patent Serial No. 5,932,205.
4. Amniotic membrane contact lens for injured corneal tissue U.S. Patent Serial No. 6,143,315.
5. Adaptive infrared retinoscopic device for detecting ocular
6. Digital eye bank for virtual clinical trial U.S. Utility Patent
Application Serial No. 11/585,522.
7. Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy for non-healing corneal ulcer U.S.patent filed. 8. A whole-genome method of assaying in vivo DNAprotein interaction and gene expression regulation
Amniotic membrane Is obtained after the baby’s birth
U.S. patent filed.
Wang Vision 3D Cataract & LASIK Center 615.321.8881 | WangCataractLASIK.com
5th AVENUE OF THE A RTS D OWNTOWN N ASHVILLE
Regular 5th Avenue gallery hours: 11-5:00 pm, Tuesday-Saturday
www.theartscompany.com
January 3 - January 24 InstrumentHead: Portraits of Nashville-Related Musicians Photography by Michael Weintrob Continues through January 10 Patchwork & Frankenstein Large Collage / Paintings La by Mandy Rogers Horton ©Michael Weintrob
www.therymergallery.com
January 2 - January 31 Phantoms: New Paintings from Woodrow White Continuing through January 31 The First 100: New Works from Selected Rymer Gallery Artists ©Woodrow White
www.tinneycontemporary.com
December 6 - January 17 STASIS: HEAVENLY BODIES New Work by Carla Ciuffo ©Carla Ciuffo
6-9 pm
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PUBLISHED BY THE ST. CLAIRE MEDIA GROUP Charles N. Martin, Jr. Chairman Paul Polycarpou, President Ed Cassady, Les Wilkinson, Directors
SOCIAL MEDIA
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EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING OFFICES 644 West Iris Drive, Nashville, TN 37204 615-383-0278 ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Cindy Acuff, Keith Wright 615-383-0278 DISTRIBUTION Daniel White, Peyton Lester SUBSCRIPTIONS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE 615-383-0278 BUSINESS OFFICE Theresa Schlaff, Adrienne Thompson 40 Burton Hills Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37215 EDITORIAL PAUL POLYCARPOU Editor and CEO SARA LEE BURD Executive Editor and Online Editor sara@nashvillearts.com REBECCA PIERCE Education Editor and Staff Writer rebecca@nashvillearts.com MADGE FRANKLIN Copy Editor DESIGN TRACEY STARCK Design Director ADVERTISING CINDY ACUFF cindy@nashvillearts.com KEITH WRIGHT keith@nashvillearts.com
CONTRIBUTORS JENNIFER ANDERSON The Great Unknowns EMMY NELSON BAXTER Paint the Town MARSHALL CHAPMAN Beyond Words JENNIFER COLE State of the Arts LINDA DYER Antique and Fine Art Specialist ANNE POPE Tennessee Roundup JIM REYLAND Theatre Correspondent JUSTIN STOKES Film Review TONY YOUNGBLOOD Unplugged RUSTY WOLFE Pieces & Parts
Nashville Arts Magazine is a monthly publication by St. Claire Media Group, LLC. This publication is free, one per reader. Removal of more than one magazine from any distribution point constitutes theft, and violators are subject to prosecution. Back issues are available at our office for free, or by mail for $5.00 a copy. Email: All email addresses consist of the employee’s first name followed by @nashvillearts. com; to reach contributing writers, email info@nashvillearts.com. Editorial Policy: Nashville Arts Magazine covers art, news, events, entertainment, and culture in Nashville and surrounding areas. The views and opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Subscriptions: Subscriptions are available at $45 per year for 12 issues. Please note: Due to the nature of third-class mail and postal regulations, issues could be delayed by as much as two or three weeks. There will be no refunds issued. Please allow four to six weeks for processing new subscriptions and address changes. Call 615.383.0278 to order by phone with your Visa or Mastercard number.
J2O15 anuary
on the cover: Ernesto Neto, Egg Bed Crystal Shell A (detail), 2014, Plywood, fabric, polyurethane foam, semiprecious stones and pulleys, Bench: 16” x 78” x 92”, Umbrella: 90” x 102” x 145” Article on page 86 Courtesy the artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York
FEATURES
COLUMNS
11 Spotlights
26 The Bookmark
40 2015 Antiques & Garden Show
29 Crawl Guide
43 2015 Iroquois Steeplechase Featured Artist
34 Unplugged
90
44 Adrian Belew’s Flux 46 The Smoking Flowers Bold, Beautiful, Brave...and Then There’s the Music
by Tony Youngblood
35 Arts & the Business of Art
Arts & Business Council
36 Pieces & Parts by Rusty Wolfe
48 Jennifer Knowles The Ties That Bind 55 Eye of the Beholder Fashion Photography at OZ
38 Public Art by Van Gill Maravalli
60 Courtney Adair Johnson Organized Chaos
55
64 Meghan Vaziri Treasures in Tulle
68 Young at Art High School Students
Showcase at the Frist
91
71 Miranda Herrick Shine On 74 Major Art Revisited Cumberland Gallery’s
71
From the Vault
76 Sculpture Fields Groundbreaking 77 Stacey Irvin Nashville 6 A.M.
97 Critical i by Joe Nolan 98 Paint the Town by Emme Nelson Baxter 102 My Favorite Painting
80 Florencia en el Amazonas Nashville Opera
43
60
Hot Books and Cool Reads
82 Jacob Olds Q&A
64
39
by Justin Stokes
Film Review
50
NPT
86
by Sara Lee Burd
88
Art See
90
Constance Bynum
91
Art Smart
Art Around
Poet’s Corner
C r aig a l an
PUBLISHER ' S NOTE
Art Creates a City
Happy New Year! In 2014, Nashville saw some of the most fantastic exhibits, performances, festivals, fairs, and pop-ups yet. Highlights for me include the Kandinsky Retrospective at the Frist Center, Patrick Dougherty at Cheekwood, Morrissey at the Ryman, Victor Wooten at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Phillip Glass at OZ, the Nashville Rep’s RED at TPAC, Lonnie Holley’s pop-ups and workshops at the Oasis Center, Cheekwood, and the Arcade. And this hardly covers the gamut. Please, share some of your favorite art experiences of 2014 with us on Facebook and Twitter.
Allure, Acrylic, Handmade Paper, and Fabric, 48” x 60”
We have some fun anniversaries to note from 2014. Nashville Arts Magazine turned 5; the 5th Avenue of the Arts saw a complete renovation and celebrated its 100th art crawl; Arts & Music @ Wedgewood/Houston continues to flourish in its second year as an arts destination. The Tennessee Art League hit its 60th year, Harding Art Show its 40th, and Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music its 50th. GasLamp Antiques and Platetone Printmaking, Paper and Book Arts reached their 10th year. In its 49th anniversary year, TACA has changed its name to Tennessee Craft, making a new start and continuing a treasured tradition. In December, I went to Miami for Art Basel and a host of surrounding art fairs—Scope, Spectrum, Art Miami, Pulse, Aqua—each offering a different theme and flavor. Yes, it can be a see-and-be-seen scene down there, but the crowd craves looking at, talking about, and buying art. I engaged in enriching discussions and delighted in developing my ability to discern what galleries consider relevant in contemporary art. You don’t have to be a millionaire collector to enjoy being around a million art lovers and world-class art. Go to an international art fair when you can. All of the arts are growing in Nashville. It’s the perfect time to go out and experience art, bring it into your home, and learn more about art, any art. There is always more to discover, and in my experience knowledge breeds curiosity and appreciation. Get out of your comfort zone; take up a new creative hobby. We can’t all be artists, but we can all benefit from trying.
2104 Crestmoor Road in Green Hills Nashville, TN 37215 Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30 to 5:30 Sat 9:30 to 5:00 Phone: 615-297-3201 www.bennettgalleriesnashville.com
We hope that Nashville Arts Magazine facilitates all of these goals. This issue features a host of women artists, including Courtney Adair Johnson, Jennifer Knowles, Miranda Herrick, Meghan Vaziri, Stacey Irvin, The Smoking Flowers, and Young Artists at the Frist. I’m excited to find out what will make our hearts soar in 2015.
Sara Lee Burd, Executive Editor
TED FAIERS
DLG JAN 2015 the 1950s: paintings, drawings & woodcuts
DAVID LUSK GALLERY
516 Hagan St . Nashville . davidluskgallery.com
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ARTIST — The Worlds Oldest Profession
Love Chooses You Love can strike like lightning Or come down like a gentle rain It doesn't come with a warranty And never with a ball and chain It can be as strong as steel Or fragile as a butterfly You can whisper it on the wind Or shout it to the sky No matter how hard you try No matter what you do You don't choose the one to love Love chooses you Don't confuse lust for love That's a big mistake Because love can only give While lust will surely take Don't try to understand it And never question why Love's a feeling deep inside When you're looking eye to eye No matter how hard you try No matter what you do You don’t choose the one to love Love chooses you
J. Schrantz
©2007
Brynne the artist’s wife lifesize simulated bronze
John Schrantz
standingbear6@netzero.net
Case Antiques Winter Auction Features Tennessee Artists
W
Live and Online • January 24
orks by famous Tennessee artists William Edmondson (1874–1951), Beauford Delaney (1901–1979), and Red Grooms are highlights of the Case Antiques Winter Auction. Up for bid are a carved limestone bird sculpture by Edmondson, two oil paintings by Delaney, and two mixed-media works by Grooms. More than 800 lots will be offered during Case’s Winter Auction on January 24. A public preview will take place on Friday, January 23, from noon to 6 p.m. EST or by appointment. Directions and a full catalog are available online at www.caseantiques.com.
Above : Car ved limestone bird sculpture by William Edmondson (1874-1951) from the estate of Mrs. Louise Katzman (est. $12,000-$18,000) Right : Beauford Delaney (1901-1979) used a pillowcase as support material for this abstract painting while living in Paris in the late 1950s (est. $5,000-$7,000; Provenance: Delaney estate) Left: Redsville, a 1996 concept painting by Red Grooms for a fantasy amusement park, will be offered along with a partial rendering of Grooms’ Fox Trot Carousel. Est. $2,000-$3,000
Bid in person, by phone, by internet, or absentee. 18% buyers premium (cash/check/certified funds)
INFO@CASEANTIQUES.COM TNGL #5157 Nashville 615.812.6096 Knoxville 865.558.3033
K. Larisch
Catherine Wiley
Large Collection of Antique European Furniture Southern Coin Silver
Antique and Estate Jewelry inc. 3 Ct. Dia. Ring, GIA
Beauford Delaney abstract, portrait
Midcentury Modern Decor inc. Bertha Schaefer Desk
R. Lalique Chandelier
David Burliuk
Wm. Edmondson Bird, estate of Louise Katzman, exhibited Cheekwood and State Museum
Civil War
Helen Bullard
E. TN Federal Inlaid Chest (Detail)
Pair Ralph E. Earl Portraits, Middle TN Subjects Werner Wildner
Keith Morrison and other listed artists
Red Grooms, Carousel
American Paintings including Hermann Herzog
Native American
Southern Pottery
Winter Fine Art & Antiques Auction * Sat. Jan. 24 at 9 AM EST * Preview Jan. 23 from 12-6 PM COMPLETE CATALOG ONLINE WWW.CASEANTIQUES.COM 800+ LOTS FROM ESTATES & PRIVATE COLLECTIONS. CATALOG & DIRECTIONS ONLINE AT WWW.CASEANTIQUES.COM
NashvilleArts.com
January 2015 | 11
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“It’s worth a call to Laura Baugh. I’m never too busy for you!” GNAR Award of Excellence Life Member and 8 time Diamond Award Recipient
mobile: 615-330-3051 • office: 615-250-7880 • Laurabaugh3@gmail.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT COGSWELL , 1985
Chairmaker Dallas Newberry and his wife, Aline, of Jennings Creek (Macon County) in one of his wagon seats. Dallas was patriarch of the family Newberry & Sons chair shop, which received the Tennessee Folklife Heritage Award in 2009
30 Years of T ennessee Folklife January 16 to March 13 Tennessee Arts Commission Gallery
S
ince joining the Tennessee Arts Commission, Dr. Robert Cogswell has devoted his 30-year career to the state’s traditional arts and culture through its Folklife Program. Upon his retirement in December of 2014, Cogswell left a legacy of 22,000 photographs depicting people across the state that keep Tennessee traditions alive. The exhibit, Photographs from the Field: 30 Years of the Folklife Program—on view at the Tennessee Arts Commission Gallery January 16 through March 13—highlights a sampling of these photographs.
PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT COGSWELL , 20 01
Cogswell is one of the country’s longest serving and most influential folklorists in the public sector and was recently honored by the American Folklore Society with the 2014 Benjamin A. Botkin Award, an honor given annually to an individual for significant lifetime achievement in public folklore. His entire collection of photographs, audio-visual resources, media materials, and research files has been archived by the Tennessee Arts Commission and will be transferred to the Tennessee State Library and Archives for preservation and Peach seed carver Roger Smith, of Culleoka, arranges figures in his baseball field diorama public access. Photographs from the Field: 30 Years of the Folklife Program will be on exhibit at the Tennessee Arts Commission Gallery January 16 through March 13. A reception and celebration of Dr. Cogswell’s retirement is slated for January 22 from 3 to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.tn.gov/arts.
Joel Cook, Session #4, 2014, Mixed media on clay panel, 6” x 24”
Belmont Alumni Exhibition
C
Leu Art Gallery January 7 to March 6
urated by Belmont alumnae Lisa Bachman Jones (also our featured cover artist November 2014) and Katie Boatman, the exhibit Inciting the Impulse features recent work by Belmont Department of Art graduates from varying areas of study within the university’s visual art program. Artists Joel Cook, Alex Crawford, George Dorrance, Ashley Lehenbauer, Anna McKeown, Bob Schatz, Heather Schellhase, Ryan Stufflebam, Abra Anderson Zawacki, L. A Bachman, and Katie Boatman present an engaging range of artistic expression through photography, painting, drawing, graphic design, and installation.
“There are three common ideas that emerge f rom this diverse collection of work and, furthermore, incite the artists’ impulse: elevation of the overlooked, the questioning of tradition, and celebration of self-reflection. Within these artists’ commonality, they each induce a compelling visual language through their chosen medium and subject matter,” explains Boatman.
Ryan Stufflebam, Twin Falls, Rock Island State Park, 2013 , Cyanotype from digital negative, 16” x 12”
New Paintings by Harry Underwood Julia Martin Gallery January 3 through 31
I
n Harry Underwood’s new exhibit A Spasm of Accommodation expect to see the kind of dreamy, nostalgic paintings that made this self-taught artist a favorite of collectors the world over. Palm trees, sunbathers, a filling station, a drive-through, and fancy condominiums are some of the subjects in these new works that draw the viewer into Harry’s fanciful world.
Inciting the Impulse is on view January 7 through March 6 at Leu Art Gallery in Belmont University’s Lila D. Bunch Library. A Reception and Gallery Talk is slated for Wednesday, January 14, from 5 until 7 p.m. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. (closed January 19). For more information, visit www.belmont.edu/art.
With Harry’s work, you can’t pigeonhole his genre or assume his meaning. You just have to let yourself be drawn into the imagery and enjoy.
A Spasm of Accommodation: New Paintings by Harry Underwood opens with a reception at Julia Martin Gallery during Arts & Music @ Wedgewood/Houston on Saturday, January 3, from 6 until 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.JuliaMartinGallery.com. To see more of Underwood’s work, visit www.artbyharry.com.
His titles, like the name of the show, are typical of Harry—funny, curious, and totally unique. A Spasm of Accommodation is a term he found on a medical website when he was having cataract problems. He is quick to point out, though, that people should not attach too much meaning to his naming conventions. “I don’t think art has to have meanings or be interpreted, but this is the story of how I titled my art exhibit. It was titled after my painting of the same name. I always contemplate many, many things when making a picture, and to narrow it down to one specific meaning probably isn’t right.”
A Spasm of Accommodation, Latex paint, pencil, and varnish, 36” x 48”
14 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
Music City’s
d n a B t Bigges
Your Nashville Symphony | Live at the schermerhorn
BEETHOVEN’S SEVENTH
KENNY ROGERS
with the Nashville Symphony
Featuring 28 years of music from Nintendo’s phenomenal video game series, with video projected in HD on giant screens.
One of today’s hottest new jazz artists, this GRAMMY®winning singer makes his first Nashville appearance.
DVORÁK’S NEW WORLD
VALENTINE’S WITH PATTI LABELLE
STYX
February 5 to 7
February 13 & 14
January 15 to 17
January 21 & 22
U.S. PREMIERE
ROGER WATERS in ÇA IRA
with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
January 30
with the Nashville Symphony Added morning concert on Feb. 6
Rogers Waters, the creative force of Pink Floyd, narrates his epic opera set during the French Revolution.
EST. 2013
Mega-hits including “The Gambler,” “Lady,” “Lucille,” “She Believes in Me” and “Islands in the Stream.”
^
A true masterpiece. With Mozart’s “Turkish” Violin Concerto No. 5 and Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll.
AEGIS
CLASSICAL SERIES
GREGORY PORTER
January 23
January 8 to 10
SCIENCES FOUNDATION
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
Symphony of the Goddesses – Master Quest with the Nashville Symphony & Chorus
with the Nashville Symphony
POPS SERIES
Old World meets New World in this instantly recognizable classic. With Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2.
JAZZ SERIES
with the Nashville Symphony
and the Nashville Symphony
February 19 to 21
Treat your sweetheart to the ultimate date with hits like “If You Only Knew,” “On My Own” and more.
Classic rock anthems including “Come Sail Away,” “Lady,” “Renegade,” “Fooling Yourself,” “Blue Collar Man” & more.
LEGENDS OF MUSIC SERIES
615.687.6400 | NashvilleSymphony.org
Carol Curtis Watercolors
Carol Curtis watercolor Tuesday Classes Begin FeBruary 3 Mud Puddle Pottery Studio 20 minutes West of Downtown Nashville All Levels s Beginners Welcome s Space Limited Call (615) 646-6644 Carol Curtis is a local watercolor artist with representation in Fallbrook & Rancho Santa Fe, California
Her Next Exhibit Opens December 12 in La Jolla, California
www.carolcurtisart.com
Murfreesboro Studio
The Art of Contemporary Quilting National Quilt Museum through February 23
T
he National Quilt Museum is currently hosting an exceptional collection of textile art from Washington state’s Contemporary QuiltArt Association. The exhibition, entitled Motion, explores the concept of movement as a central design concept through the work of thirty-three fiber artists.
Creative Connection Creativity is the common thread that connects people from around the globe to Paducah. The world’s 7th City of Crafts and Folk Art in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Paducah is home to the National Quilt Museum and the LowerTown Arts District. Connect with your creativity. Take a workshop with quilters, potters, painters, jewelry makers and more. Or simply relax and immerse yourself in Paducah’s creative energy.
The quilts on vie w conve y the f eeling of mo vement or the passage of time. Some of the quilts employ carefully arranged lines, textures, and shapes Sharon Rowley, Prayers in the Wind to draw the eye across the fabric. Others use deliberate repetition, gestural lines, and the strategic placement of objects. All of these quilts showcase incredible skill and artistry. “This exhibit will challenge people’s perceptions of quilting as an art form,” explained National Quilt Museum CEO Frank Bennett. “We hope that everyone who experiences Motion leaves with a sense of amazement at what’s possible in fiber.” Motion will be on view through February 23 at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky. For more information, please visit www.quiltmuseum.org.
Win a Creative Getaway at Paducah.travel
1-800-PADUCAH
Helen Remick, Circle Square 18 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
The Origin of the Super Bowl Sale with gallery owner, Ron York
Q
When did you start the annual Super Bowl Sale?
YORK & Friends fine art Nashville • Memphis
Believe it or not, it was 22 years ago at my former gallery. Now it is a local tradition.
Q
Why a sale? Other fine art galleries weren’t having sales at the time.
A sale in a gallery was unheard of, unless you were going out of business. I certainly didn’t want to give that impression, but we were coming off of a less than stellar 4th quarter and our artists were disappointed. A sale seemed to be the best option. Since then many galleries have developed their own versions of an annual sale.
Q
But why tie in with the Super Bowl?
It was January and at that time the Super Bowl was played in January, so it made sense to play off that. It was an easy-to-remember name and date for what was to become an annual sale.
Q
Was the 1st year successful?
It exceeded all expectations! It didn’t conflict with the game times, and since it was the first time that one of Nashville’s favorite galleries offered a sale, many people were just plain curious.
Q
Was everything on sale?
Artists had the option of giving a percentage off the works on their walls, as well as bringing in additional works to sit on the floor. So yes, it was a storewide sale.
Q Q
When did the sale expand to include Saturday? In the third year when people started waiting in their cars for us to open. You have continued this tradition with your newest award-winning gallery, York & Friends Fine Art. Does the sale work the same?
It’s now called the Super Bowl Red Tag Sale, and I have tweaked it a bit, but it is essentially the same. Artists are not required to participate, although everyone does. Artists can select works from their inventory to be red-tagged at a minimum of 25% off and they can also bring in additional works to sit on the floor. All sale pieces are 25% - 75% off. It’s the perfect time to add to, or start, your art collection. Ron York is an artist/composer/musician and gallery owner of York & Friends Fine Art, 107 Harding Place (Belle Meade) with over 40 years experience in the field of art & design.
Selected works from our 50 artists will be Red y Tagged for rda 1 u t a 3 S incredible ary m u n savings! Ja -5p
m 10a and ay d n Su ary 1 ru Feb -4pm m 12p
107 Harding Place • Tues-Sat 10-5 615.352.3316 • yorkandfriends@att.net Follow us on at Ron York Art www.yorkandfriends.com
Once Upon a Time in the West Louisiana State University’s College of Art and Design, worked on location in Tucumcari, New Mexico, the Almeria region of Spain, and locations across Germany.
Indian on Horse, (Dasing, Germany)
Jeremiah Ariaz at Zeitgeist Gallery January 3 through February 28
O
nce Upon a Time in the West brings together three photographic projects that explore the fact and the fantasy of the wild American West. For the three phases of this trilogy, Jeremiah Ariaz, Associate Professor at
He stumbled upon Tucumcari, New Mexico, which appealed to his connection to and affection for the American We s t . Tu c u m c a r i , h e discovered, had been the setting for one of Sergio Leone’s films in his famous Dollar trilogy. The location portrayed is meant to be Tucumcari but is actually a train station in the Almeria desert in southern Spain. The barren landscape in the Almeria province was often used as a substitute for the United S t a t e s i n “ S p a g h e t t i Indian #24 (Dasing, Germany) Western” films, and three former film studios remain in the Tabernas Desert. Ariaz photographed these sets and locations used throughout the region. He also went beyond the sets and into the bars and brothels to get a glimpse of contemporary “western life” in Spain. The third portion of the trilogy is set in Germany where “Indianers” reenact Native American dress and customs, and performers stage large theatrical productions of Western stories from German popular-fiction writer Karl May. Together, the three phases of this trilogy present a modern-day Western where Indian#13 (Radebeul, Germany) reality and make-believe merge, and specific locations become hard to pinpoint. Once Upon a Time in the West by Jeremiah Ariaz opens at Zeitgeist January 3 with an artist’s reception from 6 until 9 p.m. The exhibit remains on view through February 28. For more information, visit www.zeitgeist-art.com. To see more of
Indian #38 (Bad Segeberg, Germany)
Jeremiah Ariaz’s work, visit www.jeremiahariaz.com.
20 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFF FRA ZIER
Santiago Sosa (Oliver), Madeline Fendrick (Viola/Cesario) and Tamiko Robinson (Olivia)
The Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s Twelfth Night Two Locations January 8–31 “Twelfth Night is a really funny play,” says Denice Hicks, executive artistic director of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. “ With a fairy-tale approach, we are going to make the most of the comedy and romance, as we aim to lift spirits and lighten heavy hearts in the darkest days of winter.” This charming play is directed by Denice Hicks and features an original score composed and performed by Rolin Mains, a composer, pianist, musical director, and producer who won a Dove Award for Best Instrumental Album of the Year. Madeline Fendrick makes her Nashville Shakespeare Festival debut in the role of Viola, the plucky character who survives a shipwreck and the loss of her twin and then dresses up like a boy until she can figure out what to do. Other members of the cast include Bobby Wyckoff, Garris Wimmer, Derek Whittaker, Antonio Nappo, Justin Hand, Matt Lytle, and Megan Murphy Chambers. For the first time, the festival’s winter production will be performed at two locations: January 8–25 at Belmont University’s Troutt Theater and January 30–31 at Lipscomb University’s Collins Auditorium. For tickets to the public performances, please visit www.nashvilleshakes.org. For premium reserved balcony seating and other perks, check out the Winter Shakespeare Royal Package. To purchase tickets for school matinees, which are scheduled January 7–30 at 10 a.m., contact Nettie Kraft at nettie@nashvilleshakes.org.
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Sam Dunson
Art as Activism The Rymer Gallery through January 31 by Sara Lee Burd
T
he recent events in Ferguson and New York involving the killing of two black men by police has brought up serious questions about equality and freedom in the contemporary United States. Protests, 24-hour news coverage, and debates on social media have permeated our daily lives for months. To cope with and process these important issues, painter Sam Dunson has done what he does best—making undeniably thought-provoking art. His new paintings contain familiar Dunson imagery: smoke, flowers, fur suits, and masks placed in satirical juxtapositions that require careful examination to unpack. While Dunson uses symbolism throughout his work, he enjoys learning how others interpret his art. Despite the very specific meaning he imbues, he notes, “I appreciate what others bring to my art. I love the conversation.” Considering his visual language, the works quickly reveal their complex, sincere message. In It’s Like Shooting Dreams in a Barrel, Dunson tackles the intangible nature of freedom and its power to create yearning. He combines smoke and clouds to represent a paradox: the absence of liberty chokes like the smoke escaping from the gun, but also once freedom is in grasp it is like holding onto a cloud; it is difficult to be sure you have it. You see it, know it exists, but you still wonder
It’s Like Shooting Dreams in a Barrel, 2014, Mixed media on canvas, 8” x 8”
what having freedom feels like. The central figure, a composite Abraham Lincoln/contemporary young black man, suggests the struggle for equality as a historical constant that comes and goes as though lost within the Bermuda Triangle. He’s jumping up to reach for the clouds unaware of the target on both sides of his body. The threats of corruption and violence are enemies of liberty. The idea that black Americans should continue striving for equality is only half of the story that Dunson addresses. For him, “Freedom is a responsibility and gift that is right in front of us, but we are all obliged to recognize it.” In There Are no Apologies in the Age of Sacrif ice, the artist depicts the central figure in fur, a luxury trapping that can seem frivolous in the grand scheme of life. The rabbit mask implies the rapid proliferation of types and ideas. The man presented kneeling holds his unbound hands behind his back as clouds and smoke surround him. If he were to simply stand up, remove the mask, and grasp the freedom in front of him, he could avoid choking on the toxic smoke (loss of freedom.) It’s all right there, but his decision to self-impose sacrifice reveals that the lack of desire for change is a true barrier to independence.
There Are No Apologies in the Age of Sacrifice, 2014, Mixed media on canvas, 8” x 8”
Sam Dunson’s art is featured in The First 100: New Works from Selected Rymer Gallery Artists at The Rymer Gallery through January 31. For more information, visit www.therymergallery.com.
24 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
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The Bookmark A Monthly Look at Hot Books and Cool Reads
For more information about these books, visit www.parnassusbooks.net.
Blue Note: Uncompromising Expression RICHARD HAVERS
If you love jazz, or even if you just live and work here in Music City, this is a book that ought to be on your shelf (or your coffee table). Blue Note is considered by many to be the definitive jazz label. Artists who have recorded with Blue Note include Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Bud Powell, and Norah Jones. As a celebration of Blue Note’s 75th anniversary, this book presents an illustrated history of the label. Behold rare images from the archives, commentary from legendary jazz artists, album reviews, iconic cover art, and never-before-seen contact sheets. It’s cooler than cool.
Hide and Seek: The Architecture of Cabins and Hideouts SOFIA BORGES AND SVEN EHMANN If you’ve ever wanted to run away, here’s your ticket. This book is the follow-up to last year’s bestseller Rock the Shack. It’s a perfect dream-book for anyone who yearns for a hideaway set in nature. The structures showcased here illustrate how one can take a relatively small space in a forest, upon a mountain, or by the water and blend modern innovation with rustic tradition. Lovers of architecture will find the designs of these cabins and shelters endlessly inventive.
The Secret Wisdom of the Earth CHRISTOPHER SCOTTON
There ’s something a little To Kill a Mockingbird about this debut novel from Chris Scotton. Set in a small Southern town, it is the coming-of-age story of Kevin, a 14-year-old boy who, along with his mother, moves in with his grandfather after witnessing the accidental death of his younger brother. It is also the story of the town itself, a coal town deep in Appalachia, where tensions run high between old and new, nature and commerce, private lives and public prejudices.
Descent TIM JOHNSTON
In the mood for a well-written thriller? Pick up Descent. While you’re at it, pick up some extra coffee for the morning, because you’ll be staying up way too late turning the pages of this one. After a girl goes out for a run one morning and doesn’t come back, her family members begin a frantic search, each person handling the disappearance differently. As time goes on, questions loom: Is it even possible that she’s still alive? How and when do you begin to give up hope? The range of emotion and perspective in this novel makes it so much more than your average mystery.
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Our Town Nashville:
Field Reports On Exhibit at Nashville Public Library through April 12
F
or more than a year, letterpress printmaker Bryce McCloud traveled to over fifty locations throughout Davidson County, setting up a mobile art studio and gallery and encouraging Nashvillians to join in a community-wide art experience by creating their own self-portraits. The culmination of this undertaking, Our Town Nashville: Field Reports, is now on exhibit at Nashville Public Library. Funded by the 1% for Public Art fund managed by the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission (Metro Arts), the Our Town Nashville project collected more than 1,000 portraits at locations such as library branches, schools, homeless shelters, and Metro Police precinct offices. Works by Nashvillians of all ages, races, genders, and cultures are featured in the exhibit. A collection of Our Town portraits will be added to NPL’s permanent archives when the exhibit closes. According to Jen Cole, Executive Director of Metro Arts, the idea behind Our Town Nashville was twofold. “We saw the opportunity to involve a large number of people in the process of making art, to engage their personal creative spark and be a part of the
larger community. Second, through those self-portraits, Bryce and his team and all those participants tell a story about our city as a community—that it is a colorful, diverse place with interesting people from all walks of life.” Our Town Nashville: Field Reports is presented in collaboration with Metro Arts in the second-floor Courtyard Gallery at the Main Library through April 12. View the exhibit weekdays from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., and Sundays from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.library.nashville.org. For more about Metro Arts, visit www.artsnashville.org. More information about Our Town Nashville is available at www.ourtownnashville.org.
Opening Reception: Sunday, January 25, 3-5 pm • Marnie Sheridan Gallery • The Harpeth Hall School
gh
Creating Community
Art
ough r h t
Art Tank, Best Buddies, Harpeth Hall, Nashville Coalition of Art Therapists
Exhibition: January 11 – February 12, 2015 • Gallery Open Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm • 3801 Hobbs Road, Nashville, TN 37215 • www.harpethhall.org
NashvilleArts.com
January 2015 | 27
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28 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
6/19/14 12:14 PM
JANUARY CRAWL GUIDE Ring in 2015 at an Art Crawl! In the historic Arcade, WAG is presenting two shows by Watkins College of Art, Design & Film students: Funkhaus by Marlos E’van and Space Between Things by Aaron Harper. COOP Gallery is showcasing The Long Face, an exhibition of multidisciplinary work by four of COOP Collective’s new members, McLean Fahnestock, Nick Hay, Angela D. Lee, and Robert Scobey. Corvidae Collective Gallery is featuring Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) with work by Zac Shiffer, Linsay Blondeau, Catherine E. Moore, Tammy Mae Moon, Curt Harbits, John Yandall, Dolly Georgieva-Gode, Emily Venturino, and more. Hannah Lane Gallery is exhibiting new work in the Crowd Series. Ken Gaidos – Gallery 202
On Friday, January 2, head to the Franklin Art Scene where Gallery 202 is hosting an artist’s reception for woodturner Ken Gaidos, who uses reclaimed Tennessee lumber to make a variety of bowls and hollow forms. Shuff ’s Music and Piano Showroom is featuring the eclectic multimedia work of Philip Z. Willis.
Liliana Velez – The Arts Company
Aaron Harper – WAG
The First Saturday Art Crawl Downtown takes place on Saturday, January 3, from 6 until 9 p.m. The Arts Company is partnering with the Nashville Opera to present a visual art exhibition as a preview for Florencia en el Amazonas, the first opera in Spanish to be presented in Nashville (see page 80). The Arts Company is also unveiling contemporary portrait photographer Michael Weintrob’s Inst r umentHea d/Nash ville, a series of portraits showing a vast diversity of iconic musicians with their instruments in front of their heads. Tinney Contemporary is Sam Dunson – The Rymer Gallery showcasing Stasis: Heavenly Bodies – New Works by Carla Ciuffo. The Rymer Gallery is exhibiting Phantoms: New Paintings from Woodrow White and The First 100: New Works from Selected Rymer Gallery Artists (see page 24). The Downtown Presbyterian Church is featuring the art of Sarah Shearer.
Arts & Music @ Wedgewood/Houston happens on Saturday, January 3, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Zeitgeist is hosting an artists’ reception for Once Upon a Time in the West by Jeremiah Ariaz (see page 20) and Scissor Bell by Lain York. Julia Martin Gallery is opening A Spasm of Accommodation, new paintings by Harry Underwood (see page 14). Channel to Channel in the Chestnut Square building is holding a closing reception for Robert Scobey’s exhibit (Untitled, OMG Mountains!). The Packing Plant is exhibiting paintings and cutouts by Amy Pleasant. David Lusk Gallery is presenting Start to Finish: Ted Faiers – David Lusk Gallery Paintings & Woodcuts, abstract works by mid-century artist Ted Faiers (1908–1985).
NashvilleArts.com
January 2015 | 29
cheekwood
summer camp 2015
B lair S chool of M uSic PRE-COLLEGE MUSIC PROGRAMS FOR SUMMER 2015
l a u r e n r o lw i n g
Nashville Summer Orchestral Institute (grades 7-12, college students, adults). Intensive orchestral experience, Concerto Competition, master classes, celebration concert. May 29June 2, $105. Contact: carol.nies@vanderbilt.edu
Kindermusik Explore the world of music! For children (newborn to age 5) and their parent/ caregiver. 5 weekly classes, June and July, $155
Ages 1 – 18 yrs June 1 – July 31 member re gis t rat io n: Fe b 2 gen eral re gis t rat io n: Fe b 16
Private & Group Lessons in many instruments for children as young as age 3 (and as old as the hills.) blair.pca.academicservices@vanderbilt.edu Blair.vanderbilt.edu/precollege-adult
c heekwood.org
30 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com CW_SummerCamp2015_NashArts_vert.indd 1
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Frist Center for the visual arts Frist Center for the visual arts
2015 imagine! Create! discover!
imagine! Create! discover!
Discover a world of creativity at Frist Center Summer Art Camp! Sculpture, drawing, painting, fashion, and so much more. Our weeklong, age-appropriate classes are designed to be fun and educational for kids ages 5 to 18. No art-making experience is necessary. Registration begins January 26 for Frist Center members and February 9 for non-members. Camps begin the week of June 8 and end the week of July 20.
919 BROadway
Art Dance Music Theatre
Art Dance Music Theatre
Learn more at fristcenter.org/summerartcamp
Art Dance Music Theatre
•
NaShville, teNNeSSee
University School of Nashville
Summer Camps
2015
Art Dance Music Theatre Watauga Arts Academy
a summer arts camp for high school students
June 14 - 27, 2015 Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tenn.
apsu.edu/watauga
For more information about our camp, please contact us: 931.221.7876 or watauga@apsu.edu APSU is an AA/EEO employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic or national origin, sex, religion, age, disability status, and/or veteran status in its programs, and activities.www.apsu.edu/affirmative-action.
usn.org/summer
NashvilleArts.com
January 2015 | 31
DREAM OF SUMMER CAMP WIDJIWAGAN DAY CAMP FREE LUNCH AND SNACK SPECIALTY DAY CAMPS SURF SCHOOL WAKE SPORTS NEW TEEN PROGRAMS MINI CAMP WIDJI EXPLORERS PATHFINDERS: FIRST TASTE OF ADVENTURE
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615-360-2267 RESIDENT CAMP TRADITIONAL RESIDENT CAMP EXCITING NEW FACILITIES SURVIVOR AND MINECRAFT FULLY THEMED CAMPS SEMI-RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS LEADERSHIP TEEN PROGRAMS SURF SCHOOL WIDJI TRIPS
RANCH RESIDENT CAMP JUNIOR RANCH AND TEEN RANCH WIDJI RANCH CAMP FARM CAMP Our Mission: A worldwide charitable fellowship united by a common loyalty to Jesus Christ for the purpose of helping people grow in spirit, mind and body.
Unplugged
Art in Formation Stirrings from the Nashville Underground by Tony Youngblood
W
hen I moved to Nashville eight years ago, I had a hard time finding performers for my experimental improv music radio show Theatre Intangible. Artists making weird stuff were out there, but most lived on their own little experimental islands, cut off from the scene at large. You had to either know someone who knew someone or go explore.
Specialized furniture
from the forest floor
It’s a comforting narrative. The only problem is it’s false.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN GUIDER
Now, Nashville has a robust experimental arts community. FMRL Arts hosts world-class improvisers; Queen Ave Art Collective showcases fresh faces. Betty’s Grill provides a stage for the way-out-there stuff, and Arts & Music @ Wedgewood/Houston brings a breath of fresh air to our art scene. There’s never been a better time for experimental art in Nashville.
The truth is Nashville has had a strong experimental arts community for a long time. As I researched artists for my show, I began to discover people who had been making Stacey Irvin and Don Evans thought-provoking, unconventional art years before I arrived. Vanderbilt professor Don Evans inspired generations of students with his counter-cultural style, firework symphonies, and massive inflatable domes. Tireless show bookers such as Chris Davis, Leslie Keffer, and Brady Sharp curated deeply personal performances in living rooms, bars, and galleries for no return but love of the music. Artist and Seed Space founder Adrienne Outlaw had a knack for bringing people together; space music pioneer Tony Gerber helped put Nashville’s electronic music scene on the map; Mind’s Eye Performance Group pushed the boundaries of what performance art could be, and Fugitive Art Center made art in Wedgewood/Houston long before it was WeHo.
to your home.
901 2nd Ave. S. | Nashville, TN 37210
615-878-6216 www.littlebranchfarm.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN SCARPATI
Nashville didn’t change. I changed. Art was getting easier to find because I was learning what to look for. To a new resident, the current scene can be just as hard to navigate as it was for me eight years ago. But that’s not a bad thing. The exploration, dead-ends, eureka moments, and people met along the way are instrumental parts of the experience. Tony Youngblood is the founder of the Circuit Benders’ Ball, a biennial celebration of free culture, art, music, and the creative spirit. He created the open-source, multi-artist, scalable “art tunnel” concept called M.A.P.s (ModularArtPods.com) and runs the experimental improv music blog and podcast www.TheatreIntangible.com.
Open a door. The creative industries are driven by relationships, and making an introduction for your favorite artist can be a game-changer. You might be surprised by the new connections you can make if you ask different questions of the people already in your life. What customers, curators, or companies are in their Rolodexes just waiting to be discovered? Partner. Consider how you might invite an artist to partner on an upcoming project. Designing a new training program, physical space, or marketing campaign at work? Artists bring fresh perspective and creative ideas to any team. This new face may be just the person you need to take your project, business proposal, or neighborhood event to the next level. by Casey Summar, Executive Director
I
nvest in Nashville artists. That’s our #1 New Year’s resolution at the Arts & Business Council. We invite you to join us in this pledge because we believe that artists are vital contributors to our community’s strength. Need some inspiration to get started? Here are three ideas:
Be a patron. You might be surprised how affordable it is to buy a ticket to a progressive local dance, music, or theatre performance or to purchase original artwork. That said, even if you don’t have a dime to spend, there are many other ways you can be a patron—perhaps you can offer space, supplies or volunteer your expertise.
If you’d like to put these ideas to practice, join us for the inaugural Periscope Pitch to celebrate the growth of Nashville artists in a live crowd-funding experience. You’ll meet ten talented members of the Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training program, hear about their art and plans, and have the opportunity to vote to fund the projects that most inspire you. However you choose to do it, we want to know about your efforts to invest in artists. Track this resolution with us on social media using #InvestArtists. Here’s to a year full of investing in artists and building a stronger Nashville. Periscope Pitch, Thursday, January 29, 6 to 8 p.m., Nashville Entrepreneur Center. Presented in partnership with the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Metro Arts, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. For more information visit www.abcnashville.org.
Rusty Wolfe, Cityscape Nine, mixed media on panel, 24” x 48”
1898 Nolensville Rd | 615.726.1207 | www.finerthingsgallerynashville.com Thursday - saTurday 10a.m - 5 p.m.
Pieces & Parts
The coatrack pictured here was created from the organ’s decorative top. Everything above the horizontal shelf is original to the organ. Even though the bones are the same, many of the elements were broken or missing, so one of the finials and two of the rosettes have been fabricated from old wood to match the original. The shelf and everything below it, including the wooden brackets, are new construction. Again, I have used old wood and period hardware because the new elements are intended to retain the original aesthetic.
I uncovered some spectacular, ornate wood pieces and learned that they were the remnants of an 1890s organ. The dealer explained that she had been planning to restore the organ for the last twenty years but had never gotten around to it. Happily, I was able to convince her to part with the remaining pieces. From the organ parts, I have made two pieces of furniture that stay close to the original Victorian style, yet they create new, functional pieces that make sense in today’s homes. 36 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JERRY ATNIP
W
hile vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard, I decided to investigate the local antique venues. In the little fishing village of Menemsha, I found a great shop that had been in the village for many years. Having lived on the island myself in the 1970s, I found a lot to talk with the owner about. She even let me venture into her back room, which was crammed full of items that hadn’t been touched in decades.
Both of these pieces of furniture have been created from elements of Victorian millwork. My goal has been to extend the life of these materials and give them a new purpose. The converted coat rack and hall shelf are on display this month at Finer Things Gallery. F o r m o r e a b o u t R u s t y Wo l f e , p l e a s e v i s i t www.finerthingsgaller ynashville.com. PHOTOGRAPH BY LAWRENCE BOOTHBY
by Rusty Wolfe
For the second piece, I used the side of the organ to create a standing hall shelf. The original piece of gingerbread millwork held an oil lamp or a candle. I restructured it to function as a wall-hung piece by fabricating a back and a leg. In this configuration, it can work in a modern home, and it won’t interfere with the baseboard at the floor. Now it’s the perfect spot to drop your keys. All the changes have been done with similar materials and in the same style, so as not to change from the integrity of the organ’s Victorian design.
Rusty Wolfe is a painter, sculptor, furniture designer, and entrepreneur. His works are available at fine art galleries around the country and locally at Finer Things.
1898 Nolensville Rd | 615.726.1207 | www.finerthingsgallerynashville.com Thursday - saTurday 10a.m - 5 p.m.
Find peace and calm in the exquisite beauty of nature and music...
1932–2012
FinerThings_0115.indd 1
®
STILL POINT I – IN THE SMOKIES 18 soothing minutes of Smoky Mountain scenery accompanied by music by Nashville’s Robin Ruddy and Jimmy Nichols
Still Point DVD Series by Ginna Priest A unique Valentine gift:
calming and uplifting!
STILL POINT II – IN THE GARDEN 20 relaxing minutes of garden imagery from all of Tennessee’s seasons accompanied by the music of Jeanette Alexander
$15.00 each, tax included www.ginnapriest.com
48” x 36”
mixed media
Visit our Nashville area location by appointment - (815) 347-9698
Contact Gerard Vanderschoot, exclusive Regional Representative of the work of International artist Matt Lamb for the Nashville, Dallas, and Chicago regions (815) 347-9698 • jerryvanderschoot@gmail.com • www.mattlamb.org
12/16/14
Public Art
New App Helps You Navigate the Art in Our City by Van Gill Maravalli Public Art Project Coordinator, Metro Nashville Arts Commission
H
ave you ever wondered what to call the “big red sculpture” on the Riverfront? (Ghost Ballet for the East Bank Machineworks by Alice Aycock) Or maybe you’re interested in hearing what inspired an artist to create a particular piece that’s in your neighborhood? Well, you’re in luck! Metro Arts is excited to announce the launch of a new mobile platform ExploreNashvilleArt.com, a mobile online directory of public art and cultural destinations in Nashville. The site is compatible across all mobile platforms, smartphones and tablets. ExploreNashvilleArt.com features the Metro Arts Public Art Collection and the Art in Public Places database, which includes publicly accessible large-scale, site-specific artwork located within Davidson County. Artworks are categorized by location/neighborhood, titles, and series. Detailed information for each artwork is available and includes images, brief descriptions, artwork title, artist, medium, maps, and links to additional audio and video content. The website also includes geo-alerts, where visitors can opt in to be notified when they are close to an artwork or cultural destination. In addition, the site features pre-loaded walking, biking, and driving tours of public artworks. Whether you “bookmark” or “favorite” the site, just make sure to visit often! Information about the Metro Arts Public Art Collection, Art in Public Places database, and public art tours will be updated frequently. Let us know what you think @metroarts1 or publicart.nashville.gov. The site is supported in part by a Frist Foundation Technology Grant.
COURTESY OF DANIEL PAT TERSON
Film Review
Still from film’s reenactment of Darius Monroe and accomplice on the way to rob a bank
by Justin Stokes
F
rom its premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW), Evolution of a Criminal comes to the Independent Lens family with a quiet but successful viewing record on the film festival circuit. Executive produced by Spike Lee, the documentary has director Darius Clark Monroe reconstructing a bank robbery he committed in his youth. The thesis project for Monroe’s graduate studies at NYU, Evolution of a Criminal fastens concrete experience with the often-referenced abstracts of morality and psychology. Through recent footage, the documentary gets Monroe’s friends and family to share Monroe’s past as a smart, friendly student who was well remembered in high school. But as the knowledge of his family’s hardships becomes a burden, Monroe’s desire to stop being a victim to poverty prompts the action that forever changed him. Almost too gentle at times, the film avoids any sort of heavy-handed political message by sticking strictly to the subject and his interviews. It’s an honest look at how one’s moral compass can slowly lose direction. It bridges cultural gaps, imports context into future dialogs about racial inequality, and offers a second chance for those paying debts to society. On the technical merits of the film, the image quality can at times feel unpolished. One could easily be confused by seeing this and Spike Lee’s name as an executive producer, but viewers must keep in mind that this was a college project made by a first-time filmmaker. Any blemishes seen here only add to the story’s virtue, and the film becomes hard to imagine without this style of “video diary” filmmaking. In a climate where many consider it dangerous to be black, Darius Clark Monroe stands as an ambassador.
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTY SIMMONS
Evolution of a Criminal makes its television debut January 12 at 9 p.m. on NPT. For information on the screening, please visit www.wnpt.org.
Justin Stokes is the founder of the MTSU Film Guild, a student organization which functions as a production company for student filmmakers. He is a filmmaker, screenwriter, and social media manager. NashvilleArts.com
January 2015 | 39
P P
January 30 to February 1 • Music City Center
by Emme Nelson Baxter • Photography by Peyton Hoge
O
ne of the city’s finest visual exclamation points arrives each winter at the annual Antiques and Garden Show of Nashville when viewers first lay eyes on the entry garden. This year, the honor of designing the entry garden fell to Cheekwood’s top horticulturalists, Patrick Larkin and Leigh Anne Lomax, who looked to Spain’s Alhambra Gardens for inspiration. Several signs suggested they consider Spain for influence. The show’s honorary co-chairman—the late Oscar de la Renta—though Dominican by birth is of Spanish descent and spent pivotal years studying in Spain. And its keynote speaker, actress and author Diane Keaton, is a devotee of Spanish colonial architecture. Plus the duo knew that Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum of Art is hosting a show by Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa this summer. 40 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
P P
Event Highlights Haskell Harris, Style Director at Garden & Gun magazine, Friday 1:00 p.m.
“The theme for the show this year is Style,” Larkin notes. “The Alhambra is one of the world’s quintessential landscapes with its Moorish style influencing any number of great gardens.” In addition to a central water feature and path allowing guests to stroll through the garden, Larkin says their creation will feature up to three floral “dresses” as homage to the late fashion designer. It will be composed primarily of Mediterranean plants including date palm, olive, and pomegranate in addition to classic boxwood. “We enjoy the tie between the water and garden to make the experience more immersive so that the viewer can become part of the landscape itself,” Larkin says.
O t h e r g a r d e n s a re b e i n g developed for the show by Page Duke Landscape Architects, Phillipe Chadwick, Anne Daigh, Poise & Ivy, Lance Alvis, and Sarah Shearer.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 29 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Preview Party
Kreiss Beall, Founder and Director of Design at Blackberry Farm, Saturday 11:00 a.m.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 30 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Show open 11:00 a.m. Keynote Lecture, Diane Keaton, moderated by Alexa Hampton 1:00 p.m. A Southern Garden Tour: Garden & Gun Lecture 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. The Bourbon Party
Suzanne Kasler, Interior Designer, Saturday 11:00 a.m.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 31 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Show open 11:00 a.m. Blackberry Farm’s Kreis Beall with Suzanne Kasler 1:00 p.m. Saturday Design Panel moderated by Margot Shaw. Featuring Jane Scott Hodges, Michael Devine, Markham Roberts and Christopher Spitzmiller
In addition to breathtaking gardens and a fascinating lecture series, A&G 2015 will offer some 150 purveyors of fine furnishings and outdoor elements. Vendors will display well-curated treasures, including fine art, furniture, garden accoutrements, and other décor for inside and outside the well-appointed home.
Jane Scott Hodges founder Leontine Linens, Design Panel Saturday 1:00 p.m.
2:30 p.m. Ask the Expert 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Music in the Gardens
The largest of its kind in the United States, the three-day show is set for January 30 through February 1 at the Music City Center. For A&G tickets, vendor list, and lecture information, please visit www.antiquesandgardenshow.com.
Diane Keaton
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Show open
NashvilleArts.com
Christopher Spitzmiller, Lamp Designer, Design Panel Saturday 1:00 p.m. January 2015 | 41
and
over 150 antiques & horticulture dealers
To Purchase Tickets: AntiquesandGardenShow.com
Sponsored By: TVV Capital • First Tennessee • ADAC • Jack Daniel Distillery MStreet Entertainment Group • Pinnacle Financial Partners
The Finish Line Phillip Crowe: 2015 Iroquois Steeplechase Featured Artist 74th Iroquois Steeplechase • May 9 by David Sprouse
A
PHOTOGRAPH BY ANTHONY SCARL ATI
cclaimed sporting artist Phillip Crowe has been selected as the featured artist of the 2015 Iroquois Steeplechase. Crowe’s painting, The Finish Line, celebrates the essential connection between jockey and horse—the interplay of control and trust, strength and agilit y that is unique to the sport.
P h i l l i p C r o w e ’s energetic steeplechase paintings are a bit of a departure for an artist whose career has been distinguished by highly detailed, naturalistic paintings of wildlife. Yet in nearly all of his work, from waterfowl in flight to bird dogs in the field to horse racing, a strong sense of motion animates the canvas and draws in the viewer. The bold use of color and lively style of his equestrian paintings evoke a whirl of action particularly appropriate for steeplechase. As Crowe explains, “When you paint horses running flat out, everything in the background is a blur.” The artist also completed a pair of smaller paintings for this year’s event, which celebrates its 74th year of racing on May 9, 2015. Titled Flat Out and Last Turn, prints will be available for separate purchase.
Crowe’s painting is predicated on experiencing, spending as much time outdoors with a sketchpad and camera as he does in his studio. An avid sportsman who has painted over sixty state duck, turkey, and conservation stamps, Phillip Crowe is a passionate supporter of wildlife conservation. As he puts it, “Whatever you take from the environment you have to replace.” For Crowe, one of the most effective means of preserving the natural world for future generations has been through his art. By generously donating prints and original artworks to conservation organizations, he has helped raise substantial funds for the protection of wildlife resources and the environment. Paintings by Phillip Crowe, who was named by Ducks Unlimited as one of the
The Finish Line, 2014
Top 7 Waterfowl Artists in America, grace everything from federal stamps to license plates and commemorative bowls. After graduating from Ringling School of Art & Design in Sarasota, Florida, Crowe served in the U.S. Army before beginning his career in commercial art in the advertising industry. Though he enjoyed the work, the hectic schedule full of clients and deadlines left him with NashvilleArts.com
little time for the outdoors. As a means of relief from the daily grind, Crowe began painting wildlife in his spare time. What began as a diversion soon became his profession. Perhaps the artist and paint are not so different from the jockey and horse. For more information on Phillip Crowe please visit www.phillipcrowe.com or www.iroquoissteeplechase.org. January 2015 | 43
A drian B elew’s R andom I ntention New App • New Music • New Art by Michael Dukes
E
ven if you don’t recognize Adrian Belew’s name, you’ve almost certainly heard the distinctive sounds he pulls from a guitar. As a prolific singer, songwriter, and producer, he’s been pushing sonic boundaries throughout his career. His one-of-a-kind approach to melody and texture has endeared him to a long list of progressive rock royalty. Belew has made music with everyone from David Bowie and Frank Zappa to Nine Inch Nails, Talking Heads, and King Crimson. When relocating to the Nashville area back in the 90s, Belew slowed down just long enough to oversee the installation of a proper studio in his new home. “It’s one of the smartest things I ever did,” he says. “Because it forces you to be productive. We’ve recorded King Crimson records there, Bears records, a Jars of Clay album that turned into a hit single for them. I can walk twelve steps downstairs and be in a full-blown studio and take whatever’s in my head and just let it out. As an artistic platform, Flux is perfect for that.” Flux? Ah yes. Belew’s latest brainchild—an ambitious app that introduces a truly new take on content delivery, serving up a stream of music and moving images in randomized, kinetic combinations.
“Back in 1979 in Marseilles, France, I had an epiphany that that’s how I wanted my music to sound someday. My whole goal was to make it like life is. Life is never the same twice. You may be listening to a song and suddenly the phone rings. You change gears; you do something else, and you come back, and it’s a different song playing by then.
“This is a way I’ve wanted to present my music for so long now. If you look back through my catalog, there are several places where the beginnings of the Flux idea were already there. One in particular was my album Op Zop Too Wah. That was my attempt to accomplish this. But we didn’t have the ability to say that it’s never the same twice. You just couldn’t do it technically at that point.
“That’s what Flux is all about. Trying to catch up to all the people in the world who, like me, have learned to have a short attention span and now don’t need to hear the same thing over and over and over to get it. Verse, chorus, verse, chorus is now a sixty-year-old format. I don’t think we have to listen to a song for four minutes to get it any more. It’s the way we live now.
“
Flux is an ever-changing variety of music, songs, sounds, and visual art that comes at you in quick surprising pieces — the way life does.
”
Adrian Belew
“The Internet and Google have totally changed the way that all of us process information, whether we realize it or not. So much happens quickly, in short bursts. I think Flux is a step forward toward representing that musically.” How exactly does Flux work? Basically, it deconstructs songs and short musical snippets, reassembling them differently for each listening session.
“Our software people in Amsterdam invented something they call Roulette. It’s the engine that does all this randomizing. It sets up about a half-hour-long playlist. I can upload or change anything I want, add more music or photos. Also I can change the probability rates for each track. It’s still random, but some will be more random than others,” Belew laughs.
people. You can build up your own little gallery of visuals.”
And now that it’s finally been unleashed on an attention-challenged world, how are people responding?
“My fans are really loving Flux, which makes me so happy because I want this to be my legacy. You get to a point in your life where you’ve done a lot of things, but you still haven’t done the thing that defines what you want to say artistically,” he muses. “That’s what Flux is for me.” For more information about Flux, visit www.adrianbelew.net.
The underlying philosophy that drives Flux is profound enough to actually influence the way music is made. “I always have these little things that happen, and there’s been nowhere to put them in my art. Accidental sounds or occurrences, something that catches my ear. Or I get a song where I only get this far with it, and I think, that’s it, I don’t need to say any more. It doesn’t need another verse. Flux is perfect for things like that. The result is that now I can use so much more of what I’m generating every day of my life. That’s huge.” Flux also showcases a lesser-known facet of Belew’s creative output—his painting. “One of the last things we put in was to take some of my paintings and put them through a process which allows you to meddle with them as much as you want. And some Flux visuals respond to the camera. When you move the phone, they move too. We wanted to have some interactivity, some fun. And you can take screenshots and share those with
NashvilleArts.com
January 2015 | 45
The Smoking Flowers Bold, Beautiful, Brave... and Then There’s the Music
The lyrics take on a new gravity when her true target—breast cancer—is known. by Skip Anderson | Photography by Raeanne Rubenstein Hair & Makeup by Joel Green
T
he first two albums by alt-country duo The Smoking Flowers helped shape the continually evolving East Nashville sound. And when their third album comes out in 2015, husband-and-wife musicians Scott and Kim Collins will celebrate it, in part, as a triumph over breast cancer. The couple worked with a board-certified physician to successfully treat the disease into remission without pharmaceuticals, chemotherapy, or radiation. At first glance, Kim appears delicate, fragile even, in a becoming sort of way. Then, when she talks about her battle with breast cancer, the perception of fragility evaporates. “When you’re treating cancer holistically, you are treating the whole body non-toxically, not just the tumor,” Kim says. “You’re not killing your immune system, as with traditional treatments.”
And when she sings the songs she and Scott wrote in the wake of the diagnosis that came in January 2012, she’s defiant. It would be easy to mistake the song “Outlive Me” from their forthcoming release as punches in the air at the memory of a former love interest. The lyrics take on a new gravity when her true target—breast cancer—is known.
You are a hurricane, I am a beach. You ain’t gonna outlive me.
You ain’t gonna outlive me.
Arms around your demons, hugging them like a friend.
“I wrote that song as a F—you to cancer itself,” Kim says. It’s worth noting that the song is upbeat, if not danceable. And that’s by design. “It’s not a somber album,” Scott says. “Its tone is triumphant and fist-in-the-air. It’s driving-100-mph-in-a-convertible kind of stuff. Our truest selves have finally come out fully.” Kim is sinewy, and she smiles a lot. And she’s beautiful—her dark hair falls well past her posture-perfect shoulders. She wears earth-tone, breezy, blousy layers and faded jeans in their East
The Smoking Flowers, Scott and Kim Collins
Nashville cottage, which boasts charming purple shutters and a red front door. Scott mills about the kitchen a full foot above Kim, even when she’s wearing cowboy boots. He’s rugged, stylishly unshaven, wears contemporary glasses, and parts his tousled-curl bangs down the middle. His subdued cowboy-snap shirt with silver-tipped point collar and a colorful tailored jacket suit his lanky frame. His jacket sleeves deliberately stop short of his wrists so his shirt cuffs receive ample visibility. His style makes a forward-facing case for what New Nashville’s look might aspire to be. Kim plays guitar, mandolin, drums, and accordion, which not only adds variety to their sound, it’s an economic windfall when they hit the road—there are no roadies, managers, or backing band to pay.
“Growing up, I was playing various instruments anyway,” Kim says. “But it didn’t really come to fruition until I was playing in a band in a supporting role. I don’t like just standing there singing and doing nothing else.” The couple shares singing responsibilities, too, often featuring creative arrangements that break from the ask-and-answer duet mold or strict harmonizing formulas. And despite being born from a potentially life-ending diagnosis, the lyrics from their forthcoming album sell optimism every bit as much as the rock-and-roll beat they ride.
On stage at 3rd and Lindsley
We can roll a snowball out of Hell
And I can be with you, ’til the end
See The Smoking Flowers at The Basement on January 31. For more information, please visit www.thesmokingflowers.com, www.thebasementnashville.com. NashvilleArts.com
January 2015 | 47
The Ties That Bind
B
rown Dog Bindery grew out of artist Jennifer Knowles’s love for books and craft. “I love that concept of historic practices and doing something the way it was done twenty, fifty, one hundred years ago,” Knowles said. Fittingly, she lives and works in a one-hundred-seven-year-old house that Nashville artist Jairo Prado also once called home at different times. The space is light and airy, the warm wood tones of the flooring and furniture contrasting with white walls.
The bindery is in the living room, where Knowles keeps many of her tools in a large wooden cabinet decorated with Deco-inspired carvings. “I love the patina it has from sitting out in the rain,” Knowles said. This love of old things and weathered finishes comes through in her work where her aesthetic is, she said, “a combination of medieval churches and the Wild West.” Her inspiration comes from illuminated manuscripts, Celtic knots, saddles, and tooled leather.
PHOTOGRAPH BY RORY WHITE
by MiChelle Jones
Knowles founded Brown Dog Bindery—named for Nollie, her Australian Shepherd—in 2010. The next year she co-founded Handmade & Bound, the annual book arts festival. Knowles recently left her position as manager of Cumberland Gallery to concentrate on her bookbinding business. Her specialty is Coptic binding, a distinctive woven method that originated in the second century, and intricate leather or wooden covers she decorates with tooling or carving. She often adds complex Ethiopian-influenced headbands at the top of the book’s spine.
48 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY RORY WHITE
Jennifer Knowles
“I try to take on the restoration jobs that other binders won’t do,” Knowles said, which means she often works on books whose value is more sentimental than monetary. These include bibles, dictionaries, and children’s books that have been passed down for generations. One of her current projects, for example, is a book of Russian fairy tales that has been through four generations—and a flood. It came to Brown Dog Bindery with both covers missing, so Knowles will carve the original cover design into a new wooden one. Her clients generally fall into three categories, Knowles said: people who simply want their book repaired, those who want their book restored and upgraded to a degree, and those who want a more personalized object. Knowles also creates blank journals and artists’ portfolios.
A
ll of the materials used in the bindery are reclaimed or purchased from small businesses. But Knowles said most of her leather is sourced from the Berry Hill Goodwill where she buys purses, boots, pants, etc. She pulled out a buttery-yellow vest as an example. “The feel of that leather could make some absolutely beautiful books if I had the guts to cut that vest up, but I just don’t right now,” Knowles admitted.
Her tools are also repurposed. “All my tools have a history; all my equipment has a history,” Knowles said. One of her presses and a sewing frame are from a retired East Tennessee bookbinder, and Knowles uses her grandmother’s sewing needles to stitch the books. “I have always wanted to surround myself with the objects that other people used.” It’s a habit she’s had since childhood. Even the furniture in the bindery comes with history. Knowles’ books are made from boards from the former Woolworth’s downtown. Her tool cabinet was a gift from her mentor, Bob Roberts of The Gilded Leaf, a Maryville, Tennessee, bookbindery. Knowles first worked with Roberts through the Tennessee Arts Commission’s master-apprentice program, and the pair still collaborate on projects. Knowles also continues her own art projects, including an upcoming show of book/furniture hybrids made with Brian Larimer, preparator at The Arts Company. The show at the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art in Indiana will include a series of small, wooden book shrines and a bench with a seat made of paracord that serves as the binding for pages that hang beneath.
For more about Jennifer Knowles and Brown Dog Bindery, visit www.browndogbindery.com.
NashvilleArts.com
January 2015 | 49
Arts Worth Watching In January, NPT brings you music, magic, Mork, and the Met You might recognize him as Lord Grantham of Downton Abbey, but Hugh Bonneville started his acting career as an understudy for Ralph Fiennes in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. On Friday, January 30, at 8 p.m., he visits London’s Open Air Theatre, where his love for Shakespeare blossomed, and talks about why the play has such enduring appeal. Then at 9 p.m., actor Christopher Plummer explores how King Lear might have been staged during Shakespeare’s time, while acclaimed actor Sir Ian McKellen gives his insight into playing the part of the troubled king. Four more episodes of the SHAKESPEARE UNCOVERED series will run in February.
Paul McCartney and Diana Krall, Paul McCartney Live Kisses, January 23 at 9 p.m.
GREAT PERFORMANCES lives up to its name with three musical specials in January. First up is American Voices, conceived and hosted by renowned American singer Renée Fleming. This groundbreaking festival brings together vocal masters, industry titans, and emerging artists to celebrate the artistry, technique, and challenges of professional singing. Fledgling singers receive one-on-one mentoring from icons in a variety of genres, including Nashvillians Alison Krauss and Ben Folds, as well as Josh Groban, Sara Bareilles, and others on Friday, January 9, at 8 p.m. Opera fans will enjoy a spirited new production of Mozart’s Le Nozze Di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) on Friday, January 16, at 8 p.m., with the action of this classic domestic comedy set in an 18th-century manor house in Seville during the 1930s. Paul McCartney has continued to push boundaries for more than 40 years as a Beatle, solo artist, and award-winning composer. Paul McCartney Live Kisses is an intimate concert recorded at the historic Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, featuring a collection of standards he has loved since childhood and includes performances with Diana Krall and her band, on Friday, January 23, at 9 p.m. Tune in on Tuesday, January 13, at 11 p.m. for a tribute to actor and comedian Robin Williams that features one of his last full-length interviews for the PIONEERS
OF TELEVISION series, including clips from his career and never-before-seen comments on his life and comedic and dramatic work, as well as tributes to Williams by those who knew and worked with him.
The five-part series SPEAKEASY offers unique insights into the careers of some of the world’s most iconic musicians and provides artists the opportunity to discuss their illustrious careers. On Thursday, January 15, journalist Bill Weir interviews Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, and CHIC’s Nile Rodgers talks with longtime friend Valerie Simpson of Ashford & Simpson on January 22. Then rocker John Mellencamp talks with Rolling Stone founder and publisher Jann Wenner on January 29. Catch all episodes at 11 p.m.
Masterful Magician Ricky Jay, Deceptive Practice, January 23 at 8 p.m.
Robin Williams Remembered, January 13 at 11 p.m.
Live-performance series FRONT AND CENTER returns for a fourth season with its eclectic signature of industry veterans mixed with a new generation of chart-toppers. The 2015 lineup kicks off with performances by Counting Crows on Friday, January 23, and Nashvillian John Hiatt on Friday, January 30. Both shows air at 11 p.m.
50 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
Don’t let the month disappear without a little magic. Ricky Jay: Deceptive Practice takes a mesmerizing journey into the world of modern magic on Friday, January 23, at 8 p.m. The best-selling author creates a profound sense of wonder and disbelief in even the most jaded of audiences. Steve Martin joins Jay’s hijinks in this special, part of the AMERICAN MASTERS series. The New Year is the perfect time to begin supporting quality public television programming. Go to www.wnpt.org and click on the “donate” button.
Weekend Schedule Saturday 5:00 5:30 6:00 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 1:00 1:30 2:00 2:30 3:00 3:30 4:00 4:30 5:00 5:30 6:00 6:30
am Martha Speaks Angelina Ballerina Curious George Curious George Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Sesame Street Dinosaur Train Sewing with Nancy Sew It All Garden Smart Growing a Greener World Simply Ming Cook’s Country noon America’s Test Kitchen pm Victory Garden Edible Feast Food Forward Martha Bakes Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting Best of Joy of Painting Woodsmith Shop American Woodshop Rough Cut with Tommy Mac This Old House Ask This Old House Hometime PBS NewsHour Weekend pm Tennessee’s Wild Side
THIS MONTH
January 2015
Nashville Public Television
Sunday 5:00 5:30 6:00 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 12:30 1:00 1:30 2:00 3:00 3:30 4:00 4:30 5:00 6:00 6:30
am Sid the Science Kid Peg + Cat Curious George Curious George Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Word World Sesame Street Dinosaur Train Tennessee’s Wild Side Volunteer Gardener Tennessee Crossroads A Word on Words Nature noon To the Contrary pm The McLaughlin Group Moyers & Company Washington Week with Gwen Ifill Globe Trekker California’s Gold Wild Photo Adventures America’s Heartland Rick Steves’ Europe Antiques Roadshow PBS NewsHour Weekend pm Charlie Rose: The Week
Season 5 The Crawleys and their staff struggle as they adjust to life in the Roaring Twenties. Watch brand-new episodes of the highest-rated drama in PBS history. Sunday nights 8:00pm
#DowntonNPT
Daytime Schedule 5:00 5:30 6:00 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 1:00 1:30 2:00 2:30 3:00 3:30 4:00 4:30 5:00 5:30 6:00
am Classical Stretch Sit and Be Fit Odd Squad Wild Kratts Curious George Curious George Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Sesame Street Dinosaur Train Super Why! Peg + Cat Sid the Science Kid noon Caillou pm Thomas & Friends Sesame Street Shorts The Cat in the Hat Clifford the Big Red Dog Curious George Arthur Arthur Wild Kratts Odd Squad Martha Speaks WordGirl pm PBS NewsHour
Nashville Public Television
Rock My Soul Celebrate the history of gospel music with The Fairfield Four, Lucinda Williams, Buddy Miller, The McCrary Sisters, LeeAnn Womack and more, from Nashville’s Downtown Presbyterian Church. Thursday, January 15 8:00 pm
NPT Reports Aging Matters: Economics of Aging The latest installment in this multi-part series looks at the economic impact and financial challenges of aging in Tennessee. Thursday, January 29 at 9:00 pm Friday, January 30 at 7:00 pm #AgingMatters
wnpt.org
7:00 Antiques Roadshow New York City, Hour 2. 8:00 Antiques Roadshow San Jose, Hour 1. 9:00 Independent Lens Evolution of a Criminal. 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Ordeal By Trousers. 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Domestic Violence: Nashville Responds NPT Reports.
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7:00 The Great British Baking Show 8:00 Downton Abbey Season 5, Episode 2. 9:00 Queen’s Garden A secret wildlife haven in central London owned by the Queen of England. 10:00 Creative License 10:30 Start Up Wooly You Like to Be Seated? 11:00 Tavis Smiley 11:30 Scully/The World Show
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7:00 Antiques Roadshow New York City, Hour 1. 8:00 Antiques Roadshow Phoenix - Hour 3. 9:00 Independent Lens Rich Hill. A small, poor Missouri town. 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Pole Star. 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Sky Island The volcanic Jemez Mountains in New Mexico. Meryl Streep narrates.
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Edison American Experience Tuesday, January 20 8:00 pm
Monday
7:00 The Great British Baking Show 8:00 Downton Abbey Season 5, Premiere. The Crawley family and staff in the Roaring 1920s. 9:15 The Manners of Downton Abbey A Masterpiece Special hosted by Alistair Bruce. 10:30 Craftsman’s Legacy The Basket Weaver 11:00 Tavis Smiley 11:30 Scully/The World Show
Sunday
Primetime Evening Schedule
January 2015
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13
7:00 Genealogy Roadshow 8:00 Klansville, U.S.A.: American Experience The KKK in North Carolina in the 1960s. 9:00 Frontline Putin’s Way. 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Happy Birthday Howard. 11:00 Robin Williams Remembered A Pioneers of Television Special.
7:00 The Klondike Gold Rush 8:00 Ripley: Believe It Or Not 9:00 Frontline Gunned Down. A look into the NRA. 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Magnificent Things. 11:00 Journey to Planet Earth Xtreme Realities: Severe Weather, Climate Change.
A Path Appears Monday, January 26 9:00 pm
Tuesday
7
14 7:00 Nature Dogs That Changed The World, Pt. 1: The Rise of the Dog. 8:00 Nova Big Bang Machine. 9:00 Nazi Mega Weapons The Wolf’s Lair. 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Who’s Got Rhythm? 11:00 Austin City Limits Spoon/White Denim.
7:00 Nature Wild France. 8:00 Nova Rise of the Drones. How pilotless drones are used in warfare. 9:00 Nazi Mega Weapons V1: Hitler’s Vengeance Missile. 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Errol Flyn Used To. 11:00 Austin City Limits The Avett Brothers/ Nickel Creek.
Wednesday
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15 7:00 Tennessee Crossroads 7:30 Volunteer Gardener 8:00 Rock My Soul Gospel music from the Americana festival in Nashville. 9:30 Bluegrass Underground Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Camera Shy. 11:00 Speakeasy Nile Rodgers with Valerie Simpson.
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7:00 Tennessee Crossroads 7:30 Volunteer Gardener 8:00 Rickover: The Birth of Nuclear Power Cpt. Rickover and the first atomic submarine. 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine The Phantom of the Graveyard. 11:00 Return of the Wolves: The Next Chapter The reintroduction and growth of wolves in Yellowstone National Park.
7:00 Tennessee Crossroads 7:30 Volunteer Gardener 8:00 Great Performances From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2015. Julie Andrews hosts. 9:30 Next Door Neighbors: New Beginnings 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Give Us A Lift. 11:00 Road to Fame Chinese students rehearse and perform the “Fame” musical.
Thursday
2
16 7:00 The Manners of Downton Abbey A Masterpiece Special. Hosted by Alastair Bruce, historical advisor to Downton Abbey. 8:00 Great Performances at the Met Le Nozze Di Figaro. Mozart’s masterpiece set in the 1930s. Dashing bass-baritone Ildar Abdrazakov leads the cast as Figaro.
9 7:00 TN Civil War 150 – Secession 7:30 TN Civil War 150 – Desperate Days: Last Hope of the Confederacy 8:00 Great Performances Renée Fleming. 9:30 Next Door Neighbors: New Beginnings 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Salad Strainer. 11:00 Swimming In Auschwitz
7:00 TN Civil War 150 – Civil War Songs & Stories 8:00 Billy Joel The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize. 9:30 TN Civil War 150 – Desperate Days 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine 11:00 Moyers & Company 11:30 TN Civil War 150 – Wessyngton Plantation: A Family’s Road to Freedom
Friday
3
17
7:00 Lawrence Welk Show The Music of Harry Warren. 8:00 Keeping Appearances Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket. 8:30 Downton Abbey Season 5, Episode 2. 9:30 Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock Series III: The Empty Hearse. 11:30 Globe Trekker Globe Trekker Food Hour: Spice Trails.
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7:00 Lawrence Welk Show Tribute to Hoagy Carmichael. 8:00 Keeping Appearances Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket. 8:30 Downton Abbey Season 5, Episode 1. 10:00 The Manners of Downton Abbey A Masterpiece Special. 11:00 Globe Trekker Myanmar.
7:00 Lawrence Welk Show Roses. 8:00 Keeping Appearances 8:30 Downton Abbey Rediscovered Moments from seasons 1-4, and a preview of season 5. 10:00 Aging Backwards with Miranda Esmonde-White Combating the physical signs and consequences of aging. 11:00 Globe Trekker Great Natural Wonders.
Saturday
Nashville Public Television
wnpt.org
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7:00 The Great British Baking Show 8:00 Downton Abbey Season 5, Episode 5. 9:00 Masterpiece Mystery! Grantchester, Part 3. 10:30 Start Up A Hole In One: Strange Donuts/Silverleaf. A donut shop that encourages St. Louis residents to “stay strange.” 11:00 Tavis Smiley 11:30 Scully/The World Show
FEBRUARY
7:00 The Great British Baking Show 8:00 Downton Abbey Season 5, Episode 4. 9:00 Masterpiece Mystery! Grantchester, Part 2. 10:00 Creative License 10:30 Start Up The Art of Family: Millarrich/Zappow. Taped in Nashville. 11:00 Tavis Smiley 11:30 Scully/The World Show
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7:00 The Great British Baking Show 8:00 Downton Abbey Season 5, Episode 3. 9:00 Masterpiece Mystery! Grantchester, Part 1. 10:00 Creative License 10:30 Start Up Clothing Drive. Celebrity Bus Drivers Academy/ Made for Freedom. Taped in Nashville. 11:00 Tavis Smiley 11:30 Scully/The World Show
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2 7:00 Genealogy Roadshow New Orleans. 8:00 Big Burn: American Experience In the summer of 1910, hundreds of wildfires raged across the Northern Rockies. 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Adopted by a Stray.
4
7:00 Nature Legendary White Stallions. 8:00 Earth A New Wild Home/Plains. 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Defeat of Stone Work. 11:00 Austin City Limits The Black Keys/J. Roddy Walston & The Business.
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7:00 Nature Penguin Post Office. 8:00 Nova Sinkholes: Buried Alive. What it’s like to have the Earth disappear beneath you. 9:00 Secrets of the Dead Ben Franklin’s Bones. 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Concerto for Solo Bicycle. 11:00 Austin City Limits Ryan Adams / Jenny Lewis.
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7:00 Nature Dogs That Changed The World, Pt. 2: Dogs By Design 8:00 Nova Sunken Ship Rescue. Salvaging the Costa Concordia cruise ship. 9:00 Nazi Mega Weapons The SS. Hitler’s body guards. 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine 11:00 Austin City Limits Sam Smith/ Future Islands.
Nature Penguin Post Office Wednesday, January 27 7:00 pm
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7:00 Tennessee Crossroads 7:30 Volunteer Gardener 8:00 Jewel in the Crown The Bibighar Gardens. 9:00 Aging Matters: Economics of Aging NPT Reports. 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Gypsies at the Garden. 11:00 Speakeasy John Mellencamp with Jann Wenner.
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7:00 Tennessee Crossroads 7:30 Volunteer Gardener 8:00 Jewel in the Crown Crossing The River. In 1942, the Japanese conquer Burma and threaten India. 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine The Black Widow. 11:00 Speakeasy Roger Waters with Bill Weir.
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7:00 Aging Matters: Economics of Aging 8:00 Shakespeare Uncovered A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Hugh Bonneville. 9:00 Shakespeare Uncovered King Lear with Christopher Plummer. 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine 11:00 Front and Center John Hiatt.
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7:00 Aging Matters: Overview An in-depth look at the NPT series. 8:00 American Masters Ricky Jay: Deceptive Practice. 9:00 Great Performances Paul McCartney’s Live Kisses. 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Have You Got A Light? 11:00 Front and Center Counting Crows.
Visit wnpt.org for complete 24-hour schedules for NPT and NPT2
7:00 Antiques Roadshow Austin, Hour 2. 8:00 Antiques Roadshow San Diego, Hour 1. 9:00 Independent Lens: A Path Appears A three-part series about activists fighting gender oppression in the U.S. and around the world. 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Glory Hole. 11:00 BBC World News
7:00 Genealogy Roadshow 8:00 NPT Favorite 9:00 Frontline League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis, Part 1. 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Springing Smiler. 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Fleeced: Speaking Out Against Senior Financial Abuse Scamming and preying on the elderly is a big business.
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7:00 Antiques Roadshow Austin, Hour 1. 8:00 Antiques Roadshow San Jose, Hour 3. 9:00 A Path Appears Activists fighting sex trafficking in the U.S. 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Stop That Bath. 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 The Doctor Will See You Now: The Changing Face of Primary Care A look at healthcare in America.
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7:00 Genealogy Roadshow 8:00 Edison: American Experience A look at the genius who created the modern world. 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 Last of Summer Wine How to Clear Your Pipes. 11:00 Violin Masters: Two Gentlemen of Cremona A look at rivals Stradivari and del Gesu and the instruments they made.
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7:00 Antiques Roadshow New York City, Hour 3. 8:00 Antiques Roadshow San Jose, Hour 2. 9:00 Independent Lens The Kill Team/Confusion Through Sand. 10:30 Last of Summer Wine Wheelies. 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 An American Mosque Religious freedom and intolerance.
Nashville Public Television
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7:00 Lawrence Welk Show A Pretty Girl. 8:00 Keeping Appearances Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket. 8:30 Downton Abbey Season 5, Episode 4. 9:30 Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock Series III: His Last Vow. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. 11:30 Globe Trekker London City Guide 2.
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7:00 Lawrence Welk Show Winter. 8:00 Keeping Appearances Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket. 8:30 Downton Abbey Season 5, Episode 3. 9:30 Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock. Series III: The Sign of Three. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. 11:30 Globe Trekker East Texas.
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Eye
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Photograph by Michael Howard
Beholder Two Models, Three Fashion Photographers, Twenty Minutes to Get the Shot — Pressure’s On
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by Stephanie Stewart-Howard
n November 20, Connie Cathcart-Richardson, fashion consultant and co-founder of Nashville Fashion Week, let us peek behind the scenes at the world of fashion photography. Eye of the Beholder, a curated, live experience at OZ Arts Nashville, brought an audience in as three well-known photographers played a wicked game of image creation. Michael Howard, Brett Warren, and Eye Photography were given twenty-minute intervals to shoot two models, whose wardrobes and props they’d not seen until the moment of the shoot, definitively. The results are extraordinary.
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PHOTOGRAPH BY WRENNE EVANS
The countdown clock ticking at OZ
“I wish I had a grandiose explanation for how this came to be,” says Richardson. “Lauren Snelling, the artistic director at OZ called me. She was interested in doing something fashion related and educational for their TNT event. I immediately knew I wanted it to be something really unique, something that showcases the broader variety of people involved in the process, something different and braver, so I asked them to give me twenty-four hours to think about it.” It didn’t take her nearly a day to realize what she wanted to make happen. The team at OZ, meanwhile, blew her away with their enthusiasm and ability to make it happen. Richardson wanted to bring her audience into the totality of a photo shoot and make it distinctive, not staged like reality TV but truly in the moment for photographer, crew, and models. She maintains, correctly, that most people outside the industry have no idea what goes into a shoot, from the number of creative minds it takes to make an image happen to the impact an individual photographer’s perspective has on the final outcome. She recruited three local fashion photographers, and from there, “It morphed into something really cool.” Standing in front of the excited crowd at OZ—a group that included many of us who have experience of various kinds on shoots, from models to magazine editors and an even bigger contingent of people who had nothing but curiosity—Richardson gushed with excitement, sharing the daily experience of fashion stylists and photographers.
Photograph by Brett Warren 56 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
Richardson served as stylist but credits her team, including Melanie Shelley from TRIM Legendary Beauty, for helping realize the totality of the vision. “Normally when I style something, I’m working with clients or a photographer with a specific concept in mind,” says Richardson. “But because this was very
broad, Melanie and I decided to go ‘arty’—we took inspiration from Picasso, from intense color. We knew we had a dark background to work with, so we went bold.
Eye Management’s Fairlight Hubbard takes the shot
PHOTOGRAPH BY WRENNE EVANS
“I actually had built the whole concept around a red dress I’d found at Nordstrom, and I got back to pick it up and it had sold! So I found another red dress and ended up building two complete looks for AMAX Talent models Ashley and Faran, ended up mixing the two sets, and made it all up on the spot once I saw what Melanie had planned for hair and makeup.” Richardson laughs and says they almost opted for a more over-the-top makeup interpretation: “They could have been dealing with green lipstick and the like.” But Melanie and her team from TRIM took the models, both of whom were experienced and possessed bold, striking features, and chose to emphasize the strong bone structure of each—almost in geometric style. For those watching, the contrast between photographers was instantly evident, underlining the point that the individual photographer’s perspective defines as much as prop, wardrobe, and makeup choices. The two models didn’t change between shoots, but the photos are starkly different, calling to mind different eras and cultures. Michael Howard’s had elements of 60s and early 70s modernism, a bit of an African tribal vibe, a sense of geometric lines and bone structure. When Brett Warren takes on the same models
with only a different prop (a Picasso-esque painting), there’s a new sense of connection between the models, and the textures stand out more obviously. It’s a little hint of Hunger Games visual and a little bit of Edie Sedgewick “Youthquake.” The vibes are distinct. When Philips and Hubbard of Eye go to work, the same models and clothing take on a rock-and-roll aesthetic, a level of fun and
Photograph by Eye Management
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FARAN: Givenchy Red Draped Dress NORDSTROM; Rizal Multicolor Muskrat Raccoon and Fox Vest GUS MAYER; Brian Atwood Pump and L’Wren Scott Leather Studded Opera Gloves, both UAL; AV|ME Amanda and Mclaine Collars, Negative Space Cuff and Large Wishbone Bangle, all MARGARET ELLIS JEWELRY.
Connie Cathcart-Richardson talks to AMAX Talent models Faran Bell and Ash Fisher
Photographer Brett Warren
PHOTOGRAPH BY WRENNE EVANS
At the end, after an hour of this, the audience is delighted. Asked if she’d have done anything differently, Richardson says she might
have mic’d the stage, so participants heard the discussion, instead of just the photographer’s playlist. “But then,” she says, “it’s surprising how little we talk when we work.” She’ll have her chance, as there are plans to continue the project in 2015. For more about the featured photographers, please visit www.michaelhphoto.com, www.brettwarrenphotography.com, www.eyemgmt.com, and www.howardphoto.com.
Photographer Michael Howard
58 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY WRENNE EVANS
playfulness they hadn’t had before and an Asia Pacific flair. The end results of all, flashed on screens as they shoot, are mesmerizing. Meanwhile, there are minor problems to work out, especially since no one is using their own camera or equipment either. It’s all about the shock of the new.
PHOTOGRAPH BY WRENNE EVANS
ASHLEY: Stella McCartney Greta Crepe Fringe Dress NORDSTROM; Reed Krakoff Cut Out Heel Boot, UAL; Tassel Collar, AV|ME Oculus Cuff, Ball Bangles, Large Wuss Hoop, all MARGARET ELLIS JEWELRY.
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60 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
Original photography by Buddy Jackson/Woven mosaic by Courtney Adair Johnson
Trash Menagerie Series, 2012, Materials found in artist’s bag, 3” x 4”
organizedaos h c
Courtney Adair Johnson Tears It Up at the Downtown Public Library Through March 29
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by Erica Ciccarone
ourtney Adair Johnson’s studio is a perfect example of organized chaos. She’s a reuse artist, so where others may have sketchbooks stored on shelves and canvases sitting regally on easels, Johnson’s world is a bit different. Open bags of paper, cloth, and Mylar slump against tables; the gold foil of a chocolate wrapper curls atop a cloth-backed book; an iridescent sheet of plastic climbs out of a garbage-can liner, begging for another life. “I’ve always been slightly confused about why I’m making more stuff,” she says, “but with reuse, I’m saving it, bringing awareness with materials.” Knowing about her methods only adds to the heft of her oeuvre. In some of her abstract paintings, like the
Smush Series, she uses vibrant colors and high contrast, letting the paint drip and smudge. Other work comes from a more conceptual place, such as The Landscape of Our Dirt, a series of abstract landscapes that reflect our destruction of the natural world. She likes to work spontaneously, yet her work seems calculated. She layers colors over colors and materials, resulting in abstract assemblages that have depth and resonance. Johnson officially stopped buying art supplies in April 2008, and she’s gone rogue ever since. “I never really liked new, shiny things. I’ve never been drawn to perfection. I grew up in a log cabin in South Carolina. Everything was rough, and we were in the woods. I had to use my imagination a lot,” she says.
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want to hunt them down). This year, she completed a master artist apprenticeship with Tennessee Craft, working in printmaking and book arts. She selected pieces from the past decade for an installation in Selvage, a textile art show at TSU’s Hiram Van Gordon Memorial Gallery. Johnson marked off her installation with tape, but her work pressed out of the edges and onto the floor, much like our deposits of trash that are steadily growing. In December, she made her curatorial debut at the Nashville Public Library Art Gallery with Paper, Thread and Trash, an exhibition of books (actual Save Ourselves in Bits of Material, 2014, and conceptual) made by Plexiglass, ribbon, cardboard, plastic fourteen Tennessee artists. packaging, acrylic, 4” x 2” The catch is, their books are all made from upcycled materials, forcing us to think about the life cycle of materials as part of every narrative.
Smush Series 10, 2013, Illustration board, acrylic, pencil, 7” x 5”
She’s been working at Plaza Artist Materials & Picture Framing for eight years, and it is there that she started to see the potential in what others cast off. Though she gives herself rules for not bringing new material to the studio, she doesn’t always abide by them. “Sometimes I feel like I can’t help myself if I can give something one extra life.” She rescues materials from the post-workshop trash at Plaza to use as a starting point: calligraphy samples, craft paper, practice prints from a gold-leafing class, doilies. She shows me her score from Hands on Creativity. “These are great starts. This whole box is from a lady who was doing printing. Of course you can use the backside. This could be a book cover. This could be a wall piece.” She sees potential in all of it.
Johnson feels the call to activism and answers it with art. Her work presses us to reconsider what we waste and what we value. I think back to one of the prints she made during the Tennessee Craft apprenticeship: “We have to borrow from our tomorrows to pay for our yesterdays,” it read. With this strong voice in the art world, it might be the other way around. F o r m o re a b o u t C o u r t n ey Ad a i r Jo h n so n, plea s e vis it www.courtneyadairjohnson.com. You can see the exhibit Paper, Thread and Trash at the Downtown Public Library through March 29. Find exhibit details on www.library.nashville.org.
She went part time at Plaza in 2012, after surviving Hodgkin’s disease. In fact, we met on her two-year remission date. She says, “When I got out of that, I thought, Why aren’t I full-fledged following what I’m supposed to be doing?” Ever since, she’s been very busy. Fifty of her pieces have been used all over the set of Nashville (especially in Juliette’s dressing room, if you
“
I never really liked new, shiny things. I’ve never been drawn to perfection.
”
Our Community, 2013, Acrylic, paper, Letraset, pencil, 5” x 7”
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BLAIR CONCERT SERIES 2014-2015
BLAIR STUDENT STUDENT BLAIR SHOWCASE SHOWCASE
Friday, January 23 8:00 p.m., Ingram Hall The Blair School’s very best and brightest — from solo artists to string quartets — show off what they can do. Come see the future of classical music! Presented with gratitude to Page and Bzur Haun for their generous support of the Blair School Details about the Spring 2015 concert series may be found at blair.vanderbilt.edu All concerts at the Blair School of Music are free and open to the public unless specifically stated otherwise. For complete details about all the upcoming events at Blair, visit our website at blair.vanderbilt.edu
2400 Blakemore Ave. Nashville, TN 37212
FRIDAY, NOV 14 AT 7:30 • SUNDAY, NOV 16 AT 2:00 BLAIR SCHOOL OF MUSIC, INGRAM HALL admission is free
PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN JACKSON
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Meghan Vaziri by Cat Acree
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Treasures in Tulle
emphis artist Meghan Vaziri is reluctant to call her work “embroidery” for the exact reasons you would expect, but there’s no way your sweet grandma could conjure these subtly aggressive, frightening scenes out of tulle and delicate thread. For this reason, Vaziri refers to her art, which often explores women’s roles within the family and larger society, as “works on tulle.” But you can call it what you want.
Quick to laugh and nobody’s fool, Vaziri considers it important that she’s using so-called “women’s work” to tell women’s stories, but this is far from the purpose of her artwork. “The purpose of art is to create a sense of aesthetic bliss,” Vaziri says, paraphrasing Nabokov, “which is the sense that you’re connected somewhere, somehow to other states of being, where kindness . . . beauty, truth is the norm.
[I’m trying] to connect the viewer to another state of being for a second, for a moment.”
At the heart of her work is the act itself and not its apparent message, but before she can connect with an audience, first comes the ritual. To begin each piece, she runs white cotton thread through the tulle, pulling it straight and taut by following the weft of the fabric. “As you’re doing it, it’s sort of a meditative process, because it takes so very long, but you know each line is going to be straight. For some reason that keeps me going.”
This process reminds her of another of her favorite writers, Camus, and a scene from The Plague, in which an invalid sits in a bed all day, every day, counting beans. “Camus said this was a very ‘saintly’ thing to do,” Vaziri says, who initially didn’t understand this scene. It sounds insane, maybe Sisyphean, but not saintly. “But I feel that way when drawing the threads through the fabric over and over again. There’s something about that.”
Untitled (background detail), 2009, Wool, cotton and silk thread on tulle fabric, 40” x 30” Rangda (inset detail), 2014, Wool, cotton and silk thread on tulle fabric, 41” x 30”
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appears slowly through circular, fluid stitching. Wool thread offers transparent softness; combined wool and silk provides brighter, more solid dimension. Perhaps her most striking piece is Susanna and the Elders, inspired by a tale from the Biblical Apocrypha. It’s the story of a Jewish woman who goes to her husband’s orchard to bathe, but two of the elders in the community sneak in to watch her and promptly fall in love. “Well, not in love, in lust!” Vaziri says. She explains that this scene has long been popular among painters, as it allowed them to show a naked woman. But when Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the few female Renaissance painters, depicted the scene, she subverted the expected message by depicting the woman’s revulsion. The naked woman had always been beautiful and innocent, never knowing that she’s the object of lust, but in this painting, she knows what’s happening, and it’s gross.
Susanna and the Elders, 2013, Wool, cotton and silk thread on tulle fabric, 54” x 48”
Vaziri has found that the tautness of these straight lines creates necessary chaos, and by disrupting the order of the fabric and creating irregularity in its landscape, she urges her fabric to occupy a space somewhere between painting and sculpture, between two and three dimensions. “I kind of think of it like a microcosm of the universe, weirdly,” she says. “If these lines weren’t straight and weren’t pulled taut to make them straighter, then there wouldn’t be any chaos.” Once the foundation of cotton threads is complete, Vaziri is free to experiment with color, threads, and fabric, and imagery
The Castle, 2014, Wool, cotton and silk thread on tulle fabric, 43” x 34”
Vaziri has been experimenting with her tulle work for the last ten years. Over the last year, however, she has returned to portraiture. She seems to love both mediums equally and enjoys how they influence one another: “The tulle work is wonderful, but it goes so slowly that you’re more focused on the materials than you are on the visuals in your world,” she explains. Painting, with its more immediate gratification, prompts her to focus on the world around her and nuances of recreating it, such as mixing colors and capturing a person’s personality in a single portrait. As you might expect, Vaziri’s tulle work is best viewed in person, but it will take a trip to Memphis to do so. Untitled II, 2009, Wool, cotton and silk thread on tulle fabric, 32” x 31”
For more about Meghan Vaziri visit www.meghanvaziri.com.
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Young at Art at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts
68 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
(left top) Faith Duble, Michelle, 2013, Diptych; two black-and-white digital photographs, straight pins, and thread (left bottom) Essence Hogg, Purge, 2013, Digital photograph
Talented Tennessee High School Students Showcased at the Conte Community Art Gallery, Frist Center Through March 8 by John Guider
U
pon entering the halls of the Frist Center for the Visual Arts one expects to be greeted with fine art. The surprise at the Conte Community Art Gallery is that Tennessee high school students created the work. The Young Tennessee Artist exhibit is simply stunning, and each of the thirty-nine pieces selected portrays a sophisticated level of conceptual vision and articulation that will amaze most viewers. Mark Scala, the Frist’s chief curator and one of the three judges on the selection committee, even commented on his pleasure at seeing how the state of the arts has grown within the Tennessee school system over the years. Equally amazing is the wide range of artistic genres on display. Consistent throughout all the pieces is the high level of discipline exhibited in each one’s production. When I asked Mark if the attention to detail played an important part in the work being selected, he replied that the craft only served to convey the conception. The images were judged on the articulation of the message they conveyed. By high school, the students should have developed certain opinions about life, and it is their ability to state and transform those feelings into works of art that is important. Each piece selected by Mark Scala and the two other jurors, Jamaal Sheats, adjunct
Jack Coyle, Frank Fractured, 2014, Mixed media
professor of art at Fisk University, and Terry Thacker, professor of art at Watkins College of Art, Design & Film, makes a strong statement. Many of the pieces grapple with the pressures of growing up in a complex society. Others, such as Rebekah Cho’s amazing Track And Shadow, are simply in-your-face shout-outs. Look how good I am. I can render detail with undeniable control; create depth, shadow, and perspective in such a way that you will have to look twice to believe that this is really a watercolor. In Joanna Elena Vargas’s photographic image of her younger sister in Can I Cook? the converging lines of light and dark on the background walls and the hanging towel give a sense of angel wings complementing the fairy dress in which her sister is posing. From Rachel Clark I learned what it means to “plank,” i.e. to lie in such a state of utter exhaustion that you NashvilleArts.com
Rebekah Cho, Track and S hadow, 2 013, Watercolor on paper January 2015 | 69
are as motionless as a wooden board. In viewing her finely orchestrated photographic print Oblivious Stress of a girl lying exhausted in bed surrounded by a heap of books and clothes, my grandson Jonathon immediately said that is exactly how he feels during exams. Faith Dibbles’ imaginative diptych Michelle explores the values of light and texture while paying homage to a friend and her victory over a serious illness. And Essence Hogg’s Purge proves erudite in his photographic exploration of social disorders that are all too common among his peers. Jack Coyle’s Frank Fractured is such a strong display of color and composition that it could hang comfortably in any gallery around town. Mark Scala points to ar t as enhancing one’s quality and understanding of life. The works of art themselves will not reveal the cure for disease or an end to famine, but it will be the creativity and the out-of-the-box thinking that art instruction teaches within our educational system that just might. Go to the Frist. Get a glimpse at the future. It’s looking pretty bright. Young Tennessee Artists: 2014 Statewide Upper-Level Studio Art will be on exhibit in the Conte Community Art Gallery at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts through March 8. For more information visit www.fristcenter.org.
(top) Rachel Clark, Oblivious Stress, 2013, Digital photograph (right) Joana Vargas, Can I Cook?, 2013, Black-and-white photograph 70 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
Tools, 2014, Aluminum cans and steel nails and MDF, 36” x 36”
SHINE ON Miranda Herrick’s Aluminum Creations Dazzle at The Customs House Museum in Clarksville by Karen Parr-Moody
O
f all of Miranda Herrick’s painstakingly intricate mosaics made out of deconstructed aluminum cans, the elegant woman at Bennett Galleries approached the one made of squares of Dr. Pepper cans. Standing appraisingly before the shiny construction, she pronounced—in one airy breath—the reason for this being her favorite piece: “Dr. Pepper is my favorite soda.”
There are reasons both complex and straightforward behind the medium for which Herrick has become known. The notion of human mass consumption is a point Herrick has made in interviews. “We are what we consume, so we have these products around us all the time,” Herrick says. “But what I like about translating my designs into the aluminum can or into any post-consumer recycled object is how much it is about how it can accumulate.”
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Reflective II, 2013, Aluminum cans and steel nails and MDF, 36”x 36”
For her 53” x 53” piece Megabyte, Herrick composed sixteen panels with the same UPC code from 1,024 deconstructed cans. “It was pretty darn easy for me to gather up 1,024 of the same UPC code,” Herrick says. “Even those of us who recycle, we’re getting it out of our house, so we don’t think about how it adds up.” That said, it is a truism that people like what they like. So beyond the deeper meaning of mass consumption in Herrick’s mosaics, viewers feel an almost talismanic affection for the cans themselves. On some level, soda cans represent a collective American consciousness. They’re democratic; they symbolize togetherness, and, at their most basic, they quench our mass thirst with that whimsical fizz of sugary bubbles, which in themselves are reminders of childhood.
On another level, viewing Herrick’s mosaics becomes almost a game, a puzzling out of which type of cans created each one. American Quilt is comprised of Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller High Life cans. The UPC codes in Megabytes are f rom seltzer-water cans. The 36” x 36” Tools is a mind-blowing mix of letters f rom various cans, f rom Mello Yello to Coke; it looks like an aluminum ransom note. Herrick says, “It’s interesting when people look at the work made out of cans and they try to identify them. And sometimes there’s nothing to go on other than color. Sometimes there’s a bit of pattern.” What are Herrick’s favorite cans? “Bud Light is a lovely shade of blue. Coke is nice for the red.”
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several years. There’s an inherent beauty in such shiny shapes; any self-respecting magpie would surely feather her nest with them.
But Herrick has also made her point about mass consumption with less attractive bits of detritus, including those flimsy plastic bags used at every store. From Walmart bags, she made an old-fashioned “rag rug” with dimensions of twelve by ten feet. The kicker? Its weight. “It weighed over one hundred pounds,” Herrick says. “And those were just the bags that I, and a few of my friends and co-workers, saved with regular shopping in the course of two to three years.” A question Herrick often gets asked is about how much time such intricate mosaics take her to make. She confesses she has to “very tediously cut all the shapes out,” but notes that there is an almost meditative quality to the process.
Reflective IV, 2014, Aluminum cans and steel nails and MDF, 50” x 50”
“Bud Light is a lovely shade of blue. Coke is nice for the red.” In December, Herrick’s exhibit Works and Days was on view at Bennett Galleries in Nashville’s Green Hills. In January she is debuting Miranda Herrick: New Works at the Planters Bank Peg Harvill Gallery at the Customs House Museum in Clarksville.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JERRY ATNIP
Herrick graduated from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville with a bachelor of fine arts degree with a concentration in drawing and ceramics. She has used aluminum cans as a medium for
“I like prepping my cans,” she says. “I cut off the tops and the bottoms. That’s very time intensive. I could spend the whole weekend plowing through bags and bags of cans that people have given me.” When putting together her aluminum-can canvases, Herrick uses steel nails to connect hundreds or even thousands of tiny shapes. “I think of the nails as stitches,” she says. “I see these things as quilts in a way.” She laughs. “I find it very soothing to do things repetitively, luckily. I wouldn’t be able to do it if I didn’t enjoy it.”
American Quilt, 2014, Aluminum cans and steel nails and MDF, 22” x 22”
Miranda Herrick: New Works, sponsored in part by Nashville Arts Magazine, is open at the Planters Bank Peg Harvill Gallery at the Customs House Museum in Clarksville January 8 to February 1. Herrick is represented by Bennett Galleries. For more about the artist, please visit www.bennettgalleriesnashville.com, www.mirandaherrick.com, and www.customshousemuseum.org.
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Joan Miro, L’Invitee du Dimanche Fond Noir II, 1969, 24” x 39”
Major Art Revisted Opening Reception • January 17
Cumberland Gallery’s From the Vault Will Send Nashville Collectors Over the Moon by Joe Nolan
C
umberland Gallery’s first show of 2015 will be a spring cleaning of sorts that will see Nashville gallery-goers getting their first chance to purchase works from the gallery’s extensive archive, which has been collected over decades of exhibitions.
The most exiting news about From the Vault is that it includes a collection of prints from noted artists like Joan Miro, Alexander Calder, Robert Motherwell, Adolf Gottlieb, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Red Grooms, and more. Closet-clearing shows are typical of the wintertime and the spring, but a sale of affordable works on paper by some of modern art’s biggest names is something that every collector in Nashville ought to be excited about.
The lithographs are sure to draw the most attention here. Rauschenberg’s Quarry is a red, white, and blue composition of images that might look like a color test for those unfamiliar with the artist’s deconstructed aesthetics. Joan Miro’s L’Invitee du Dimanche offers a colorful sequence of playful lines, while Robert Motherwell’s simple and serene Flight Portfolio is a monochrome affair that plays with background/foreground relations. These numbered prints all offer great examples of these artists’ work, so don’t be surprised when they’re quick to sell.
Of course the exhibition also includes work from artists closer to home. Edgar Tolson was a noted folk artist from Kentucky before he died
Robert Motherwell, Flight Portfolio, 1971, Color lithograph, 26” x 20”
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in 1984. The artist was a woodcarver who traced his art back to generations of Appalachian woodcarvers who came before him. Tolson was known for his idiosyncratic subject matter, and his Fall of Man series—which tells the story of Adam and Eve—was his best known. Cumberland is offering Adam, Eve and Serpent (Temptation Scene), which finds the first man and woman standing naked before a tree sheltering a coiled black serpent. Fans of Southern photography will also be pleased to see work by Jack Spencer included in the show. Man with Fish Como, MS is a close-up shot of a carp being held in the hands of a young African-American man. In Spencer’s dramatic blacks and whites, the fish looks more like an exotic prize catch than a cheap meal.
From the Vault opens with a reception on January 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. Nashville Arts Magazine’s Paul Polycarpou will facilitate a panel discussion about the show on January 22 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., www.cumberlandgallery.com
Robert Rauschenberg, Quarry, 1968, Color lithograph, 35” x 26”
Jack Spencer, Man with Fish Como, MS, 1995, Brown tone selenium print, 20” x 24”
Friedel Dzubas, Tropic, 1973, Acrylic on canvas, 41” x 41”
Adolph Gottlieb, Flight Portfolio, 1969, Color lithograph, 26” x 20” NashvilleArts.com
January 2015 | 75
Sculpture Fields Groundbreaking Chattanooga, Tennessee by Stephanie Stewart-Howard
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PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK GILLIL AND
hen renowned sculptor John Henry and his wife moved to Chattanooga fifteen years ago, the building where they lived overlooked a former landfill, now grown up with tall trees, weeds, and an assortment of brush. “It was really a wilderness,” Henry says. “We discovered shortly afterward that the front side of the property was actually a public softball field, but the back was a jungle.” Henry thought at the time it would be a great idea to have a park in that unused space, even after the whole property was shut down for environmental concerns. Now, after years of working to make that happen, Sculptor John Henry at the groundbreaking the site is about to reopen as a public-private partnership sculpture garden for the benefit of residents and visitors. Sculptors already participating include John Henr y, F. Douglass Schatz, Roger Colombik, Carl Billingsley, Mark di Suvero, Jesús Moroles, and Neltje.
Roger Colombik, Some Waves Spark Stone, Bronze, aluminum, steel, 13’ x 30’ x 8’
Chattanooga’s already fine reputation as an arts town will be enhanced by the site, Sculpture Fields at Montague Park. Henry says it’s intended to provide a green oasis on the south side of the city, serving as both an educational resource and outdoor venue for school-aged kids. It’s an ideal public park, great for kites, dog friendly, and a clean site for the community as a whole (with all environmental issues resolved). The diverse sculptures come from a plethora of internationally known artists, some American, some European. F. Douglass Schatz, River City Queen, Welded steel, red paint, 40’ x 20’
With an opening anticipated in late 2015, fourteen sculptures have been delivered, and work is underway. “The most important thing for guests to understand is the necessity of keeping an open mind, a willingness to look at the art without prejudice. ‘What’s that?’ isn’t an appropriate question. We in the U.S. feel the need to put a label on everything; we think a message must accompany an image. . . . It’s good to bring questions, but you must let the sculpture be sculpture,” says Henry, clearly excited to share the park with visitors. Schatz’s work River City Queen is among those displayed. “It’s based on my experiences studying geology,” Schatz says. “It expresses my ideas about geological processes, looking at what’s above the surface, what is seen, and what’s below, what you can’t see. I liken it to an iceberg. The points coming from the ground, that’s what you can see; you infer what’s underneath.” With acres of walkable landscape dotted with artistic gems, it’s sure to be one more jewel in Chattanooga’s arts crown.
Mark Di Suvero, Swizzle, Steel, 23’
To make a donation or for more information on Sculpture Fields at Montague Park, visit www.sculpturefields.org.
76 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
Stacey Irvin Nashville 6 A.M. It hit me hard when I realized just how early I would need to wake up in order to be a functioning and personable photographer for the “Nashville 6 A.M.” assignment. I decided on a whim to capture my initial wakeful moments before heading to the truck stop to make “real” photographs. I got out of bed, pressed a couple of buttons, and stood there while the shutter snapped in succession from my tripod. Some of you may be natural early birds. Others, do you feel my pain?
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Nashville
6 a.m.
78 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
Words and Photography by Stacey Irvin
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ashville plays host to a diverse array of transient populations on a daily basis. Most of us share the road with truck drivers on the highways around town, but rarely do we have the chance to meet them and learn their stories. This early morning assignment inspired me to explore a place just minutes from my doorstep but miles from my daily experience: Travel Center of America on North 1st Street.
Still half asleep, I entered the Country Pride restaurant and took a seat at the counter. After placing my order, I noticed the huge “Counter Reserved, Professional Drivers Only Please” sign above. Fortunately, the truckers didn’t take offense, and when I told Pippy the waitress of my transgression, she just smiled and joked, “If anybody asks for your CDL, just tell them you left it in your cab.” Pippy graciously allowed me to photograph a little behind the scenes, including Anthony the thirdshift cook. The next morning they helped introduce me to some drivers at the counter. I also met people in the travel store where Marie, aka Granny, and Brandy cheerfully greet customers. I marveled at the bizarre display of dolls that hangs from the ceiling over isles of knick-knacks and auto supplies. Quintrell the mechanic let me spend some time in the shop while he inflated tires and changed oil. Kit from Pennsylvania showed me her truck and introduced me to her three traveling-companion chihuahuas: Turbo, Sassy, and Wizard. There are too many great characters to mention in this article. This early morning introduction has inspired me to pursue the truck stop as a longer-term project. For more about Stacey Irvin, please visit www.staceyirvin.com.
NashvilleArts.com
January 2015 | 79
The opera’s brainstorming led them to the increasingly influential Casa Azafrán, the Nolensville Road community center for immigrants, which has also become a business incubator and hub for social services. Enter Marcela Gomez, a marketing and communications dynamo who has been a key player in the bilingual and bicultural life of Middle Tennessee for more than a decade. From there, the opera connected with Anne Brown, a longtime mover and shaker on Nashville’s art scene.
“The opera wanted to reach out to the Spanish community, to find artists who might do some special pieces related to their upcoming production,” says Brown, owner of downtown’s The Arts Company gallery. “We love to collaborate, but this was not the typical approach, since usually artists come to us looking for a gallery. Marcela helped us figure out how to discover the artists and get them interested in the project.”
The visual art exhibition—which begins its life at The Arts Company ( January 3–17), travels to TPAC, then to the opera’s Noah Liff Center in Sylvan Park, and finally comes to rest at Casa Azafrán through May—features nine artists: Mandy Peitz Moody, Antuco Chicaiza, Yuri Figueroa, Liliana Velez, Orlando García-Camacho, Jairo Prado, Jorge Arrieta, Jorge Yances, and Mike Quiñones.
Jairo Prado, Journey to Macondo, Acrylic on canvas, 67” x 52”
Magical Realism Flourishes through Community Collaboration
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by Martin Brady
ashville Opera kicks off 2015 with the highly anticipated presentation of Florencia en el Amazonas, performed January 23, 25, and 27 at TPAC’s Polk Theater. Composed by the late Mexican Daniel Catán, this strikingly lush piece draws on the rich musical influences of Puccini and Debussy and features a libretto that evokes the magical realism of Nobel Prize-winning novelist Gabriel García Márquez (who passed away in April 2014). It is also the company ’s first Spanish-language production, a fact
that has presented new challenges in connecting with the local audience. “Once we programmed the opera, we started looking for ways we could engage Nashville theater-goers, in particular the Spanish-speaking community,” says Reed Hummel, the opera’s senior director of sales and marketing. “We went to the Vanderbilt Center for Latin American Studies and discussed a lot of different educational options. Then we considered the possibility of somehow involving local visual artists.”
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“Many of these artists were unknown to me,” says Brown. “Their work all relates to the theme of magical realism or as an expression of their individual experience as part of the Latin community in Nashville.” The opera’s collaboration with The Arts Company was made possible by a generous grant from the Metro Nashville Arts Commission. As for the Vanderbilt connection, the university’s ongoing involvement includes a course on composer Catán’s work ( January 9, 14, 21), plus a teachers’ workshop ( January 10) on the environment and ecology, which relates to the opera’s South American setting and its romantic Amazon River adventure. As always, opera artistic director John Hoomes has assembled an impressive cast of world-renowned singers, including Cuban-born soprano Elizabeth Caballero (last seen in Nashville in Pagliacci in 2011) and gifted bass—and former college and pro football running back— Keith Miller.
“Nashville has one of the largest and fastest-growing Hispanic communities in the country,” says Hummel, “and we want to represent their cultural interests.
RECENT AUCTION RESULTS Native American and Southwestern Art
Jorge Yances, Delirio, Oil on canvas, 48” x 40”
After Florencia’s success in Houston, Los Angeles, and elsewhere, we thought it was the right time to program it here.” Florencia en el Amazonas, will be performed by the Nashville Opera January 23, 25, and 27 at TPAC’s Polk Theater. For tickets and information, visit www.nashvilleopera.org. The accompanying exhibition will be on view at The Arts Company January 3–17. Visit www.theartscompany.com for more information about the art and artists.
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5701 Old Harding Pike Orlando García-Camacho, Portal, Oil on canvas, 48” x 36”
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10:30am - 5:00pm Wed. - Sat. Tuesday by chance or appointment
Jacob Olds Clothing Designer, Founder Vincent Reeve, Lead Singer–Family Force Five Jacob Olds, an Atlanta native, loves his home in Nashville. Filling his days with music, fashion design, and anything creative he can find, he is seriously happy and content with where life has taken him. Olds feels like he has found the elixir of creativity here in music city. We sat down with the fashion music maven and asked him if there was anything else up his sleeve. 82 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
Q&A
NAM: What’s your mantra?
JO: Live each day as if it’s your last. NAM: What is your greatest regret?
JO: Knowing that you have a talent when you’re younger and not going for it full tilt. NAM: What is your most treasured possession?
JO: My wife. I don’t possess her, but she is treasured. NAM: What talent would you most like to have?
Photography by Eric Brown
JO: If I could only have that Mariah Carey whistle! NAM: What are you going to be when you grow up?
N a s hvi l l e Ar t s M a g a z i n e (NAM): What are you most proud of?
JO: I don’t think I’m ever going to grow up. I might get a bit more wrinkly, but I’m not growing up.
JO: Being able to survive in a creative space. Doing music and art full time.
NAM: Which songs are you most proud of?
NAM: What do you like most about the city?
JO: T he title track off our new album Time Stands Still. It was a beautiful mistake.
JO: The Nashville TV show. NAM : W h a t d o yo u l i ke least?
NAM: What music do you like to listen to?
JO: The Nashville TV show.
JO: I am an R&B fiend. Soul music. Michael Jackson, Lynn Hathaway, Erykah Badu.
NAM: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
NAM: What do you want to be remembered for?
JO: Maybe my big feet. You can get better shoes in smaller sizes. NAM : Are you happy with where you’re heading?
JO: Yes. Extraordinarily happy. As an artist I’m always asking, is this great or am I just going crazy? But, yes, I’m happy with where I’m heading.
JO: That I lived my life without any regrets. NAM: What about surprise people?
would
most
JO: People don’t know that I have an affinity for furniture. I like to get home, get out the beeswax, and polish my hutch.
NAM: What characteristics do you most like about yourself?
JO: My hair, and that I have a passion to be creative.
NAM : What do you wish for yourself?
JO: To eat Mexican food every day and not gain a pound. NAM : What do you most despise?
JO: The word “can’t.” NAM: What is your greatest extravagance?
JO: Shoes, and my 1998 Mercedes.
NAM: Who would you most like to meet?
NAM: Do you have a hero?
JO: Michael Jackson, RIP. NAM: Who is your favorite artist?
JO: Music artist would be Björk. I like Van Gogh’s work. In fashion I like Alexander McQueen.
you
JO: My hero is my wife. I know people will throw up, but marriage is good. For more about Jacob Olds visit www.familyforce5.com and www.vincent-reeve.myshopify.com.
NashvilleArts.com
January 2015 | 83
K at e K i ll s I t Kate Mills Brings Her Wholly Unique Vision to the Concept of Interior Design by Stephanie Stewart-Howard
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Most know Mills from her work with East Nashville’s Old Made Good, where she handled furnishings and Ashley Sheehan dealt in clothing and jewelry. Now, their businesses are more separated, with Kate operating out of a warehouse behind Ashley’s shop.
PHOTOGRAPH BY PATRICK SHEEHAN
ate Mills may be Nashville’s patron saint of fur nit ure. Not the vast sho w rooms neatl y compartmentalized into trendy suites, but the pieces, old and new, that mean something, with good bones and lasting value. She pairs them with other elements that aren’t created deliberately to be complements, showcasing instead craftsmanship, character, and good design. As a designer, what she brings to the table is not generic style, but a layering of pieces that express the owner best.
Kate says she came to her aesthetic from a “cookie cutter” beginning. “I’d never set foot in a Goodwill, no flea markets or thrifting,” she says. “Then one day I went to the flea market with a friend, and I’d entered another dimension, full of things very different and beautiful, with history behind them. My meditation became wandering through Wonders on Woodland or GasLamp Antique Mall.” She had a knack for finding the unusual and gravitated toward pieces she felt were “needed.” Her collecting led to an Etsy store, and before long, she’d made more money than at her job with Metro Schools. Then Kate met Ashley, and they found themselves a tiny shop on Porter Road. “It was a kind of living Etsy shop—art, jewelry, furniture . . . all curated in real life, one of the first of its kind in Nashville.” Six weeks later, they required a bigger shop.
Kate began designing and curating, including at Barista Parlor and Jackalope Brewing. As requests grew, a shift to her own space became the natural next step.
“I try not to follow blogs or Pinterest,” she says. “Originality is important; your home should reflect you. Interior design isn’t what I do; f inding is—it’s my mission. Special pieces tell stories, transform spaces. I hate the notion that you buy something on sale at Target or Pier One and it’s just disposable. I loathe disposable culture. It’s not about the ‘look’; it’s about the person, telling your story through pieces. A room isn’t about what you’ve spent; it’s about what you’re about, who you love, where you’ve been.” Musician Marchelle Bradanini purchased a historic East Nashville home and brought in Mills to decorate. “We got to be good friends during the process,” she says, detailing the Pinterest board she made to share her aesthetic with Mills. “I was overwhelmed, having this historic house and traveling all the time. And I was on a budget. She found me amazing things—old tapestries of JFK to turn into pillows, some literally $2 side tables, cow skulls with painted horns—things with personality, but not overwhelming kitsch. She painted the whole house white, which let everything else come through beautifully. It’s her attention to detail. She doesn’t root out and replace everything; she’s sensitive to the integrity of place. She can work a room, a corner, and change a whole house’s aesthetic.” And that aesthetic is brilliant, authentic, and wholly original. Kate Mills is available for styling and interior design projects. Contact her at 615-457-5043 or visit www.katekillsit.com.
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by Bob Doerschuk
n Friday evening, January 30, Schermerhorn Symphony Center will host the North American premiere of Rogers Waters’ Ça Ira. Some will find it cool that the program will spotlight a rock ‘n’ roll legend, the heart, soul, and engine that has piloted Pink Floyd on its explorations for nearly half a century.
Laurence Tucker has a different take on it. As the Nashville Symphony’s Director of Artistic Creation, he sees the event as epic and exciting, yes. But more than that, it’s one of many examples showing how his organization takes its responsibilities seriously.
“Premiering music is our mission,” he explains. “It’s who we are. In a city so rich with great songwriters and great musicians and great artists, we would be shirking our responsibility if we didn’t seize an opportunity like this.”
Ça Ira
Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters Brings His Magnum Opus Ça Ira to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Set in the French Revolution, it offered acrobats, video projections, and other delights. Those who witnessed the TPAC production of Pink Floyd’s The Wall wouldn’t be surprised at the magnitude of its spectacle as presented during full productions in Poznań, Poland, and Kiev, Ukraine, in 2006. But with the event scheduled now for one night rather than four, the words translated to English, and the one-hundred-minute extravaganza abbreviated for concert rather than operatic format, music will trump razzle-dazzle in Nashville.
Roger Waters
COURTESY OF NASHVILLE SYMPHONY
That opportunity arose a few years ago, when Waters was looking around for a market in the United States where he might offer Ça Ira for a four-week run. He had already presented it several times in all its glory as a three-act opera, with a French libretto written by his friends Étienne Roda-Gil and Nadine Delahaye in the 1980s.
“It’ll still be a full evening,” says Kelly Corcoran, Director of the Nashville Symphony Chorus. “It’s absolutely a full operatic and dramatic listening experience.”
As she began studying the Waters score and leading initial choral rehearsals in December, Corcoran found plenty of pleasant surprises. “Roger Waters did a really good job in making sure that the vocal parts are very natural, almost like speaking the text,” she points out. “Not every composer utilizes that approach; you have to shift gears to understand what each one is trying to do.”
“It’s cool too because the chorus is woven throughout the work,” she continues. “There are moments when they might sing eight or ten bars. Then they sit out for a little while. Then they’ll come back in. We’re preparing Handel’s Messiah right now (performed December 18–20). It’s very much ‘here’s the chorus, here’s the solo part, here’s the solo, here’s the solo part.’ In Ça Ira, it’s more about the soloists and the orchestra coming together as a whole larger work.” The concert will benefit from the fact that the conductor, Rick Wentworth, has led previous performances of Ça Ira. And Waters himself will take part with a live narration. That alone will probably draw plenty of Floyd followers to the box office, though Tucker admits that that could pose a minor problem in perception.
“The traditional Pink Floyd fan is not going to get what they expect from Roger,” he says. “I mean, there’s great historical significance to the theme. From that standpoint, he could have written about it in a Pink Floyd song, though considerably shorter. So if people are expecting Pink Floyd, they’re not going to get it. What they will get is a very topical, timeless piece. And he did a marvelous job with it.” For more information about Ça Ira’s performance on January 30 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, visit www.nashvillesymphony.org.
NashvilleArts.com
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rt Around A Local Look at Global Art
Ernesto Neto Please Do Touch by Sara Lee Burd
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I stumbled upon Egg Bed Crystal Shell at Art Basel Miami this December. I was so excited to see his works in person, but I didn’t dare take the opportunity to recline under the canopy. I danced around it, ducked under it, and snapped a few photos with my iPhone. It seems that old habits of viewing art die slowly.
No matter what the artist intends, context makes all the difference. I think that if I’d seen nós sonhando (spacebodyship), which was installed in front of the Bass Museum as part of Art Basel Miami Beach Public, I would have taken Neto up on his offer to lounge in his hammock to pause, rest my aching feet, and enjoy the warm breeze, palm trees, and blue skies of Miami in an artwork built for two. Ernesto Neto is represented by Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in NYC. For more about the artist visit www.tanyabonakdargallery.com. ARTIST BIO — Since the mid-1990s, Ernesto Neto has produced an influential body of work that explores constructions of social space and the natural world by inviting physical interaction and sensory experience. Drawing from Biomorphism and minimalist sculpture, along with Neo-concretism and other Brazilian vanguard movements of the 1960s & 70s, the artist both references and incorporates organic shapes and materials — spices, sand, and shells among them — that engage all five senses, producing a new type of sensory perception that renegotiates boundaries between artwork and viewer, the organic and manmade, the natural, spiritual and social worlds. Born in 1964 in Rio de Janeiro, the artist continues to live and work in Brazil.
ALL IMAGES COURTESY THE ARTIST AND TANYA BONAKDAR GALLERY, NEW YORK
PHOTOGRAPH BY TONY PRIKRYL
e’ve grown accustomed to keeping our distance from art. Stand behind the line at museums or risk being asked by a security guard to step back, or worse . . . sounding an alarm. Refrain from touching art at a gallery unless you plan to buy it. We stay away to protect the artwork, and often there’s really no need to break the “Please do not touch” policy.
Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto creates work that breaks down physical barriers to engaging with art. He invites you into his strange world of amorphic shapes by making a space to relax, lie down, and soak in sensations, emotions, relaxation, and tranquility.
Flower Crystal Power, 2014, Plywood, fabric, polyurethane foam, semiprecious stones, pulleys and spices, 166” x 292” x 264” 86 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY TONY PRIKRYL
LeviteSprout HeartOnSoul, 2014, Corten steel, crystal sphere, cushion, 81” x 56” x 56”
PHOTOGRAPH BY SYLVIA ROS
PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL ORCUT T
Egg Bed Crystal Shell A, 2014, Plywood, fabric, polyurethane foam, semiprecious stones and pulleys, 166” x 102 “ x 52”
nós sonhando (spacebodyship), 2014, Corten steel, wood, cotton, rope, ceramic pot, plant, 85” x 132” x 109” NashvilleArts.com
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Installation by Jazzmyne Sims at WAG
Jazzmyne Sims at WAG
SEE ART SEE ART SEE
Luisana Mera at WAG
The Arts Company
The Rymer Gallery
Elise Stawart and Kathy Stawart at The Arts Company
Debrah Fritts and Jay Wallace at Leiper’s Creek Gallery
Matthew Deric Gore and Dan McCormic at TAL
88 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
Paige Przybylski, Dustin Moore at WAG
PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIFFANI BING
Linda Johnson, Jane McGinnis-Glynn, Jean Gauld-Jaeger at TAL
Nadine Wondem and Didi Foster at The Arts Company
Carol Larimore, Carol Edwards, Emily Stout, and Ben Crumbaker at The Rymer Gallery
John Jackson at The Rymer Gallery
Lily Barrie at Zeitgeist
Mark Hooper and Nick Riggins at Tennessee State Museum opening
PHOTOGRAPH BY BEV MOS ER
Eye of the Beholder TNT at OZ
Chloe Moore at The Rymer Gallery
Lysiane Luong Grooms and Sharon Dennis at Tennessee State Museum opening
PHOTOGRAPH BY BEV MOS ER
Red Grooms, Lois Riggins-Ezzell, and Bob McDill at Tennessee State Museum opening
PHOTOGRAPH BY BEV MOS ER
SEE ART SEE ART SEE
Alanna Styer at Zeitgeist
Eye of the Beholder TNT at OZ
Zeitgeist NashvilleArts.com
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Peace by Constance Bynum
PHOTOGRAPH BY L ARA RICHARDSON
Poet’s Corner
I have ideas of what it might be. Picture examples of peace: Like maybe it’s a hippy hovering through life with clouds stuffed in his pockets. Or the park walking through the sky, the sky walking through the park, a walk through the park with the sky. It’s calm, living life without jelly beans hopping through your skin, a Tyler Perry styled dinner with family and friends; or a fire hair girl’s passion for rhythm, or a scrawny boy’s love for American football. Perhaps it’s days spent lying on grass watching cotton absorb the atmosphere. Maybe it’s Jesus. Whatever it is I pray the glitter gods shower your years with it, and your days are forever drowned in this mystery known as peace.
Constance Bynum is a senior at Middle College High School. She represented Nashville at the national teen poetry slam this past summer in Philadelphia. For more information, go to www.southernword.org. 90 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
ART
SMART A MONTHLY GUIDE TO ART EDUCATION
STATE OF THE ARTS
by Jennifer Cole, Executive Director, Metro Nashville Arts Commission
Nashville’s Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate
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PHOTOGRAPH BY L ARA RICHARDSON
PHOTOGRAPH: JERRY ATNIP
he auditorium is full of a very incongruous buzz: Naz and nerves and snapping fingers. This is a poetry slam, Southern Word’s annual State of the Word to be exact, and the room is a tsunami of hormones and tension and love. Most of all, love. If you’ve never sat for three hours listening to 13 to 25 year olds take the stage and share in 120 seconds the most intimate, disturbing, gorgeous, and powerful things in their lives, then you haven’t really allowed yourself to listen, to be vulnerable. Lyrical poetry has existed for millennia; however, the modern form of spoken word blossomed during the Harlem Renaissance and expanded during Beat sessions in the 1960s. During the 1980s and 90s Def Poetry set a competitive framework to the genre giving rise to regular slams in most major urban areas. Southern Word has been cultivating the form and local writers since its founding in 2008.
PHOTOGRAPH BY SUBHANK AR MUKHOPADHYAY
Young person after young person takes the stage, wrestling with lost love, Ferguson, domestic abuse. It is hard to listen sometimes; it is hard not to cry out in anguish or solidarity. So people do cry out and they snap. Snapping fingers is the universal language of love in a slam. You snap at a powerful turn of phrase or a difficult revelation or to help someone get through a moment where they forget their next line. Most kids turn to poetry to wrestle with life. Some revel in the performance, others in reworking draft after draft until it flows off the page. Tonight, Southern Word is attempting something new. Three of the students taking the stage are competing for more than props. They are attempting to become Nashville’s first Youth Poet Laureate.
Following New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, Southern Word and its national sister, Urban Word, are Lagnajita Mukhopadhyay, 2015 on an evangelical mission to spread Nashville Youth Poet Laureate spoken-word culture and its raw love through programs like Youth Poet Laureate. More than a dozen contenders submitted work samples and school transcripts, and three have been chosen to share tonight. One by one, Cassidy, Lem, and
Sean Smith performs spoken word poetry at the Frist Center
Lagnajita take the stage and pump the room full of truth—racism, neglect, joy, power. Moments later Lagnajita Mukhopadhyay, a tiny ball of grace and wisdom, is selected as our city’s first ambassador of words. When I ask her what she thinks about representing other students as a poet laureate, she says she can’t quite think. She’s shocked; her piece tonight is the first she has ever performed for a crowd. But she is no stranger to writing songs and poetry. In fact, her debut EP, Orange, is being released in just a few weeks. She is the antithesis of every pop culture idea of Nashville, and yet she is exactly Nashville. She is a young, first-generation American and ready to make it up as she goes along. Her voice is clear and her ideas beautiful. I have no idea how she will transform a room the first time she takes the stage with elected officials and business reporters instead of fellow poets from Austin Peay and MTSU. In my heart, I hope Lagnajita will transport our city to a place we need to go. That place is probably uncomfortable, perhaps sad, full of energy and, most of all, truth. This is what poets do—they lay us bare and rebuild us—individually and civically. I’m ready for the journey, one snap at a time. The Youth Poet Laureate Program is led by Southern Word with support from Nashville Public Library, Metro Arts, Mayor’s Office of Children & Youth, and Urban Word. www.southernword.org
NashvilleArts.com
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ARE ALL THE ARTISTS DEAD?
Greg Decker, Departure, 2014, Woodcut, 12” x 24”
by Cassie Stephens
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PHOTOGRAPH BY JUAN PONT LEZICA
ike all art educators, I feel an overwhelming responsibility to squeeze as much art history and technique as possible into each lesson while leaving room for individual exploration and creativity. And I used to think I was pretty good at it. Until one day, when I was introducing a group of fourth graders to the artist Andy Warhol, an inquisitive student raised her hand and asked, “Are there no more artists left? All the ones we learn about are dead.” Oh, boy, I thought. What have I done? Now, before I go any further, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cassie Stephens, and I’ve been an art teacher for seventeen years. I fancy myself a creator of many a thing, and I love sharing it on my blog. Recently my artsy dress collection (of “dead artists,” by the way) was featured in Nashville Arts Magazine. When I was approached to write this column, the above incident was still fresh on my mind. Could Nashville Arts Magazine help me introduce my students to contemporary artists? Could I then return the favor by sharing my student/artist interviews and findings here? In this column, I hope to do just that.
Recently, I introduced my third grade students to artist Greg Decker. We explored his colorful, imaginative work and discussed his career as a contemporary artist. The students came up with questions for Greg, who was kind enough to respond. I like making art because it is fun. Is it always fun when you are a grown-up and an artist? “It is important to artists, whomever they are, to have their artworks looked at and appreciated. Even if one works alone in a studio, there are still [unseen] eyes looking at your paintings when they are finished. “So, to answer your question: YES, it is fun to paint. And to draw and to anticipate and Self Portrait/ Sailor, 2003, Oil on canvas, 36” x 24” plan for the next painting. I would say that it can be more than fun; it can be joyful.
PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID POAG
“But it can be difficult to make a living by selling your paintings, and that is not always fun. But to a real artist, whether they are man or woman, young or old, that joy can be rediscovered.” Sharing Greg’s work and words with my students was very impactful. It went beyond me, simply teaching about artists, to actually having the children converse with one. I’m looking forward to seeing where this takes my students in the future. For a full transcript of my students’ interview with Greg Decker, please visit my blog at www.cassiestephens.blogspot.com or www.nashvillearts.com. To see more of Greg’s work, please visit www.gregdeckerstudio.com.
92 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
ART MOVES Art Classes on Demand by Wendy Wilson Photography by Wendy House
P
eople in today’s fast-paced world are used to getting things in a hurry. Juli Schumann is happy to cater to them, if it means she can help others discover their creative side. Schumann runs an art studio on wheels that travels to students instead of requiring them to travel to her. Her business is called Art Moves, and it’s housed in a 1968 Metro Mite van, filled with the materials needed to teach a variety of art classes at schools, parties, workshops, and special events. The van even has a name, Pearl, chosen in a contest Schumann ran on Facebook. “What I want to do is bring connection and playfulness to people,” Schumann says. A native of Minneapolis, Schumann moved to Nashville in 1997 after working in New York City as a clay instructor and studio manager. Before starting a family, she worked for a few years as an associate professor of fine art at O’More College of Design in Franklin. She then founded a home-based art studio for kids and adults, which became Art Moves in 2011. Schumann used her 1994 Chevy Tahoe for Art Moves while restoring the 1968 vintage van. International Harvester made Metro vans from 1938 through 1975, and
they were commonly used as milk and bakery delivery trucks. The inside of the van is for storage only, though students can walk in and get materials as needed. Schumann provides a pop-up tent, tables, and seating for outside the van. Events are generally held outside, but the van can be brought indoors. While she feels most at home with art clay and oil painting, Schumann gives her students the chance to try making a variety of things, including sculptures with recyclables and artwork featuring items from nature, such as feathers, shells, and twigs. “I like to do all the prep myself,” she says. “The whole process is a creative e x p r e s s i o n f o r m e . I ’m c r e a t i n g a n experience for people, and all the details are important.” Jana Albritton is one of S chumann’s biggest fans. Her children were art students at Schumann’s home studio, and they stayed involved when the studio turned mobile. “We have art displayed all over our house that has been created under her guidance,” Albritton says. “She always has so many different projects and media to choose from.” For more information about Art Moves, visit www.artmovesvan.com.
NashvilleArts.com
January 2015 | 93
ON THE HORIZON Pope John Paul II High School by Rebecca Pierce • Photographs by Tamara Reynolds
Visual Arts Instructor Lisa Deal carefully balances creativity and technique in her photography class. Her students are free to use digital cameras and to enhance their images digitally, but first they learn to use film cameras, developing film and printing in the darkroom. Regarding her overarching approach, Deal says, “I hope to kindle the skill of attentive seeing, of looking with curiosity and rich observation, and to follow that up with exploration and interpretation. Then, as students begin making connections between themselves and the world they’re absorbing, there is an opening for them to create from a point of engagement, empathy, and authenticity.”
CHRISTINA YI
C
hristina Y i wasn’t interested in photography at all, nor did she think she would be good at it, but in her sophomore year she took a class. While working in the darkroom and learning the processes of developing film and prints, she found herself totally engaged. “When you draw or you paint, I feel like you have to have some sort of idea or concept, but in photography you can make art out of anything around you, and I think that is really important,” she says.
Christina prefers working with black and white because she feels it creates harmony between the subject and the setting. “I like the way the dark and light values are emphasized and can become the most important elements in the photograph. There’s something very emotional about black-and-white photography that I really like.”
Christina’s senior concentration is titled The Photosynthesis of the Human Soul. The main point of her concentration is that light is not just a tool to be used in photography, but rather a character in itself. “By being a character it creates a connection between humans and nature. Without light we wouldn’t be able to survive, and we take that for granted.” Excavate
Christina hopes to attend Rhode Island School of Design or the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She will continue with photography but is also exploring career paths in animation.
ALLEY MCDONALD
W
atching her mother behind the camera sparked an interest in Alley McDonald when she was just a youngster. Her mom is also the person who motivates her the most. According to Alley, “She doesn’t just inspire me by being my role model. She also inspires me artistically. She has always been invested in my art, and she always encourages me to keep pursuing my love of photography.”
Alley enjoys working with black and white and color, depending on what she wants to achieve with an image. She absolutely loves working in the darkroom. “Because there is a long process, it keeps you waiting and waiting to see your beautiful masterpiece show up on that paper. There is no Photoshop in the darkroom, which makes it a lot harder to edit your photographs, so the photograph you print is actually all your own work. I like the purity of that.”
Taking more pictures of people in their natural habitat is one of Alley’s goals. “I am very interested in poverty among children. My dream has always been to get a good enough education so I could earn enough money to help the children who aren’t as lucky as me. This inspires me as a photographer because I value the beauty of children, and if I ever became a professional photographer that would definitely be my main focus.”
Alley plays softball and plans to attend college for it, but she intends to continue with photography.
94 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
Gone Up in Smoke
BAYLIE FADOOL
T
hrough photography, Baylie Fadool hopes to generate a conversation that is insightful and thought provoking. “Sometimes pictures are more powerful than words, so I like the concept of using pictures to speak to people instead of words.” W h e n B a y l i e g o t h e r fi r s t camera in eighth grade, she could not put it down because she wanted to see the world through her lens. When she sets out to realize an idea, she will stop at nothing to achieve it. “I just feel like I am a really determined person, and once I have an image in my mind I have to go out in the world and find it. If I don’t create the image no one else will. So I want to bring that to people.”
Baylie is a junior, so she is still experimenting with different techniques and concepts, but she says that some recurring themes are emerging. In many of her recent images she uses collapsed body language to portray sorrow and defeat. “I want to show people that everyone goes through these emotions. Hopefully they’ll see something in my photographs that inspires
The Recreation of Blowing Bubbles
or helps them. I’m also a big advocate of art therapy. I think that it can help people heal.”
Baylie hopes to integrate her creative endeavors through all areas of her life. “I believe through the exchange that happens in art, differences can be made and healing can happen.”
ELISE RUTTENBUR
M
emories from childhood strongly influence Elise Ruttenbur’s imagery. She gets her inspiration from fairy tales and says she is good at creating “real-life fantasy with a twist. I enjoy invoking a feeling of curiosity and wonderment in a photograph.” The working title for her senior concentration is Beautiful Rebellion in which she portrays the “curiosity of childhood and the amazement and awe, but you are not amused with just a leaf, for example. You just see it
as a leaf instead of a piece of art. I am trying to reconnect with the little things in life that make e ver y thing so beautiful.” Elise began taking pictures i n n a t u re b e c a u s e o f t h e simplicit y and beaut y, but now she is into photographing people. “I am often drawn to younger subjects, because of their obvious innocence. As I deal with the edgy aspects of growing up, my subjects grow older as well.” She credits Ms. Deal with easing her into more intuitive imagery. For the most part, Elise prefers digital color to black and white because she feels color heightens the intensity in her imagery. “I tend to enjoy the greater degree of control I can have with digital.”
A Spell for Buoyancy
The University of Tennessee, the University of Alabama, and Wofford College are among the schools Elise is considering. She will continue with photography but is also strongly considering a career in fashion. NashvilleArts.com
January 2015 | 95
PERISCOPE ARTIST ENTREPRENEUR TRAINING The Arts & Business Council’s Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training is an intensive program that prepares working artists to manage the business aspects of their creative endeavors. Hosted at the Entrepreneur Center (EC), Periscope offers artists access to professional development, entrepreneurial resources, and mentors.
Limited to twenty-five artists, Periscope includes practitioners of all artistic genres from Nashville and its surrounding counties. This month, Nashville Arts Magazine introduces five members of the 2014 Periscope class. For more information on Periscope, visit www.abcnashville.org.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MAT T SCHALLER
LILY HANSEN
Forthcoming author Lily Hansen calls herself a storyteller rather than a writer, saying, “I have always loved people and digging into the essence of who they truly are. My background is in journalism, and since moving to Nashville I have established my niche as a biographer.” Lily has been working on a non-fiction book of black-and-white portrait photography and interviews titled Word of Mouth: Nashville Conversations. Her book was recently picked up by Spring House Press and will be available this spring. About Periscope she says, “Spending time at the Entrepreneur Center truly hit home that my career is a business and needs to be treated as such.” Visit www.lilychansen.net and read Nashville Arts Magazine’s article on Lily at www.nashvillearts.com/2014/06/08/word-mouth.
RANDY L PURCELL In 2009, at the age of 41, Randy L Purcell graduated from MTSU with a BFA in painting and sculpture. He has focused mostly on painting but makes time to experiment with other media, which, he says, fuel new ideas and techniques. Randy has developed a unique process of transferring ink from recycled magazine pages onto a thin layer of beeswax to create his images. Through Periscope Randy has embraced his role as an entrepreneur. “Without a well-established marketing plan, an occasional calculated risk, persistence, and patience, an artist has little chance to succeed. I feel confident that if I take my knowledge and put it to work I can create a profitable business as an artist.” For more information, visit www.randylpurcell.com.
Beth Inglish is a visual artist who uses an intuitive painting process to express her creative energy. She has been creating art for eleven years and sells her work around the world. Beth has a deep desire to connect with those who view her art. She has been a contributing writer for Nashville Arts Magazine and has worked with numerous organizations, using her experience in business and art to bring people together for the sake of creative expression. “Periscope helped me refine my process and set new strategic goals. It really forced me to think more deeply about why I do what I do and how I can connect with others simply by telling my story more honestly,” Beth relates. For more, visit www.binglishART.com and www.nashvillearts.com.
EDWARD BELBUSTI
A retired architect, Edward is a sculptor who works in clay, steel, and wood. He admits that architecture plays a strong role in his artwork. “I use my thirty years of experience in architecture as the foundation of my thinking about form. I imagine the possibility of each sculpture existing in many different scales—from a desktop piece to a large public sculpture, or an entire building.” “The Periscope program has been extremely helpful in teaching the essentials of marketing and business management. The follow-up mentorship program has been effective in helping me implement what I learned.” Edward currently exhibits his work at The Arts Company. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/EB-Arts and read Nashville Arts Magazine’s article about him at www.nashvillearts.com/2014/10/01/edward-belbusti.
PHOTOGRAPH BY STACY HUCK ABA
PHOTOGRAPH BY CARRIE SMITH FANNING
BETH INGLISH
ELIZABETH SANFORD PHOTOGRAPH BY TAMARA REYNOLDS
Elizabeth Sanford tells visual fairy tales with watercolor sculptures. In her whimsical and fluid watercolor panels she creates space and depth with layers of colors and varying degrees of intricacy. She credits Periscope with giving her a fresh perspective on the business side of art and encouraging the development of effective marketing skills. An expanded version of Reshaping the Shadows, her 2014 installation at Nashville International Airport, will open in November 2015 at the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center in Clarksville. Teaching is an important part of her practice, and she is currently an adjunct instructor at Watkins College of Art, Design and Film. For more information, visit www.elizabethsanford.com and read Nashville Arts Magazine’s article on Elizabeth at www.nashvillearts.com/2014/09/04/elizabeth-sanford.
96 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
Critical I
Blood, Sweat and Tiny Tears at the Airport by Joe Nolan
A
new exhibition at Nashville International Airport combines science fiction themes with power politics, game-playing aesthetics, and evolutionary theory. The display of ceramic figures monkeys around with human institutions and hierarchies and the ignorant, arrogant egos that create and sustain them.
& The Factory
Historic Downtown Franklin
Friday, January 2, 6-9 p.m.
Brian Somerville’s Blood, Sweat and Tiny Tears is on display in the airport’s Concourse C Meeter-Greeter Lounge through March 1. It’s an exhibition of nearly-life-sized busts of anthropomorphic primates dressed in the costumes of power: a feathered Native American war bonnet, a businessman’s bowler hat, and a pirate captain’s tricorn, for instance.
The subtext of each sculpture’s costume and countenance, and the designs and symbols that cover them, is literally spelled out in the poetic wall text that accompanies each sculpture. The Cadet wears the galea of a Roman centurion. His card reads, “Your duty pride and honor / Can sleep in separate beds. / Stay true in all good fights / War ends only when you’re dead.” The Swashbuckler wears the pirate’s hat along with the requisite eye patch. His card reads, “Start this day guns a blazin’ / Sail steadfast towards the sun. / With seven seas to explore, / Don’t anchor in just one.” This would all come off as The Swashbuckler, 2014, Ceramics, metal, wood, epoxy and foam, 39” x 21” x 17” heavy handed if not for the sing-song rhymes and the cartoonish quality the figures inevitably convey—as all dressed-up animals must. However, Somerville’s silly simians are super serious in their sending up of capitalist values, the horrors of imperialism, the threat of religious hierarchies, and the wastes of war. Somerville’s casting of his figures on bases that make them resemble pieces in a board game is the finishing touch for this satire. Two tribes of squirrels scurry around the bases of the sculptures. One group wrings their paws and pleads to the powerful figures represented by the ape sculptures, while another group advances, weighed down with armor, weapons, and snarling bad intentions. The scene reads like a movie poster from 2055 more than 2015—Planet of the Apes: Rise of the Squirrels.
Nearly 30 galleries and working studios in a 15-block area, featuring artists at work, live music, wine and more! There’s no cost to attend
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For more information about Brian Sommerville, visit www.claybeast.deviantart.com. For more about his installation at Nashville International Airport, visit www.flynashville.com.
NashvilleArts.com
January 2015 | 97
PHOTOGRAPH BY TIFFANI BING
Paint
the
Town
WITH EMME Emme is a seventh-generation Nashvillian and an owner of Boulevard Communications, LLC
literary award gala Lee and Brande Thomas, Jennifer and Eric Viars
Barbara Haugen, Don McPherson, Ann Teaff, Collins Weaver Hooper
Psst! Did you know more than 400 people were spotted eating in the Grand Reading Room of the Downtown Public Library? It’s ok. The library staff condones such behavior one night each year as they host their Literary Award Gala. At this fundraiser, folks dress to the nines for feasting with friends and listening to remarks by a respected author. The Nashville Public Librar y Foundation presented bestselling author Scott Turow with its 2014 Literary Award at the joyfully jam-packed Literary Gala held on a crisp Saturday night in early November. Celebration actually began the evening prior at library patron saint Margaret Ann Robinson’s home where event patrons were captivated by Pulitzer Brock and Corinne Kidd Prize–winning Nashville newcomer Jon Meacham’s moderated conversation with Turow. The gala was held the next night at the Robert A.M. Stern-designed downtown library. After drinks in Ingram Hall, guests ventured up the formidable staircases to the Grand Reading Room. Corinne Kidd and Keith Meacham did an A+ job co-chairing this year’s affair, a $500-per-person black-tie affair that also featured a selection of “priceless” silent auction packages. Auction co-chairs Meredith Griffith and Kathryn Hays Sasser were at their most creative coming up with treasures such as a Jan Ramsay, Jean Ann private weekend at Monticello and Barry Banker and a trip to author Julia Reed’s New Orleans. Proceeds benefit the preschool literacy and the library’s after-school teen programs.
Ann Patchett began the program by introducing Meacham as “the F. Scott Fitzgerald of Davidson County.” Meacham delivered a most articulate tribute to the late John Seigenthaler. Then Karl Dean took the podium, extol ling the e vent and his desire that Nashville “be a city of lifelong learners.”
Keith and Jon Meacham
Never has the Grand Reading Room had such lively conversation. Seen out were: Honey and Lamar Alexander, Martha and Gavin Ivester, Juli and Ralph Mosley, Katy Varney and Dave Goetz, Sara and Richard Bovender, Beth and John Stein, Robin and Richard Patton, Julie and Bob Gordon, Megan Barry, Dolores Seigenthaler, Mary and Lee Barfield, Donna Dalton and Luke Froeb, and Elizabeth and Clark Akers.
Deborah Lovett, Karyn Frist, Ashley and Harrison Frist
the conservancy gala One never knows what might happen at The Conser vanc y Gala each November. The first year set the tone with an aerialist dropping from the ceiling of the Parthenon. In its five-year history, entertainment has included the torching of a gigantic Zozobra marionette over Lake Watauga, a speed-painting demonstration, and shadow performances worthy of America’s Got Talent. Guests expect the unexpected.
98 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
Athena inside the Parthenon
This year’s chairmen Beth Fortune and Debbie Turner went glam for their iteration, which they dubbed “Designs in Elegance.” The entrance ramp and main rooms were blanketed in a sublime golden-yellow carpeting, causing the naos—which already benefits from the gilded vibe radiating from massive Athena—to gleam even more.
sparkle and twang
Dianne Neal and Clare Armistead
Just when guests might have been tempted to think they were attending just another stunningly beautiful Nashville p a r t y, t h e re a p p e a re d a n oh-so-petite woman in a spunky red leotard who began—ahem—tight-roping Todd Binns, Lisa Fortune, Gala Co-chairs Debbie nine feet above the floor. Turner and Beth Fortune Mind you, this was no mere run-of-the-mill Wallenda wannabe: Ariele Ebacher strutted the high wire in stilettos, then en pointe in toe shoes! My, my! Whatever will they think of next? Later, as guests finished d i n n e r, mu s i c i a n Tr a c y Silverman took the stage. He held the crowd spellbound with his electric violin performance, featuring layers upon layers of music.
Karen Elson and Kate Grayken
The gala benefits The Conservancy for the Parthenon & Centennial Park. The week prior, Vanderbilt chief Nick Zeppos and his wife Lydia Howarth graciously hosted the patrons party at Braeburn, the chancellor’s residence in Belle Meade. Spotted out were Hope S tr inger, C lare A r m i s t e a d , To o t y Eleanor Willis, Butch Baxter, Conservancy Chairman Hope Stringer Bradford, Demetria Kalodimos and Verlon Thompson, Brooks and Bert Mathews, Phyllis and Steve Fridrich, Stephanie and Jay Hardcastle, Paiden and Dan Hite, Libby and Ben Page, Mary and Michael Spalding, Ellen Martin and Gerry Nadeau, Anne Davis and Karl Dean, Mary Lea and Rick Bryant, and Kelley and Reid Estes.
Catherine Smith, Francis Guess, Vicki Yates, David Randolph
Donna Caldwell, Nick Riggins, Moziah Bridges, Julie Anne Vanderpool, Matt Miller, Sharon Dennis
“Boots and bling” was the attire description for Sparkle and Twang. And boots and bling it was. The annual event, co-chaired by Jennifer Parker and Mary Seng, was held in mid November at Lexus of Nashville in Metro Center. The $90-per-person fundraiser benefits the Tennessee State Museum and the Costume & Textiles Institute. In addition to cocktails, music, and a silent auction, the night featured the induction of the new Costume and Textile Institute members. Olia Zavozina and Robbie Bell They were: 13-year-old Memphis bow-tie design phenom Moziah Bridges, denim visionaries Matt and Carrie Eddmenson, who founded Imogene + W illie in Nashville, Nashville native and Project Runway top-five finalist Johnathan Kayne; Nashville stylist and hat maven Stacey Rhodes, owner of the epony mous boutique; plus Nashville-based Russian-born bridal gown designer Olia Steve Lynn, J.R. Roper, Milah Lynn Zavozina, whose gowns have appeared in Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides.com and People Weekly.
Rusty Terry, Clare Armistead, Sylvia Roberts, Fletcher Foster NashvilleArts.com
January 2015 | 99
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My Favorite Painting
M ark H ooper Theatrical artist and Curator of Exhibits at the Tennessee State Museum
T
he painting I have chosen is a landscape by the artist Paul Edwards. He was from Detroit originally but spent most of his life as an artist in Memphis where he studied at the Memphis Academy of Art (now the College of Art). He went on to receive a master’s degree in fine art from Yale University. He was in the Army infantry in the war in Vietnam where he was injured and received a purple heart, and he, like many, was greatly affected by the trauma and hardships of it all and the results thereafter. This profound experience also, to a significant degree, influenced his lifelong proclivity to live outside the structure of any conformity to conventional habitations and lifestyles.
The painting traveled with Paul to Washington, DC, where I was living in 1984, and I decided to move along to New Haven with him and pursue my continuing education and journey. He was able to trade the painting to my father in exchange for a 1955 Ford pickup truck in which we barely made it to our destination. Years later my dad returned the painting to me, and it is a treasure to me in its story, its beauty, and its creation by a friend who has gone on from this world.
Through his work as a painter and sculptor, Paul was deeply connected to Van Gogh and Rembrandt by their inspiration to his spirit and in his becoming a learned practitioner of their methods and techniques. He often painted en plein air on site with an Impressionist philosophy in observing details in nature. He created many poignant renderings of people in their surroundings and places of work. The content of his works additionally included extraordinary allegories and historic epics. Paul was a close friend of mine and many others who knew both his struggles and his accomplishments and were touched by his old soul, observant and wry sense of humor, and his commitment to being a true hardworking artist. We now miss him as he passed away this past May. 102 | January 2015 NashvilleArts.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY JERRY ATNIP
Paul Edwards, Along the Path, 1980, Oil on canvas
The reason I have chosen this painting, which was done in 1980 when we were in school together, is for several reasons aside from its being beautiful and vibrant. It is a portal to that place both in a sense of time travel back there and the era of our strongest bond as great friends and kindred brothers. I well recall the location, which was a path that led from an old state highway in West Memphis to a secluded, dilapidated, and abandoned sharecropper’s house, which Paul fixed up and lived in covertly and in low profile for a time. When I look at this painting I can see him in my mind’s eye sitting out there in a straw hat, painting in the heat of a Memphis summer. I can return through it and walk in vivid memory of it as a place with a specific mysticism and a soul of its own.
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