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For images for use by the press, please call Anne Brown
at The Arts Company, 615-254-2040 or Toll Free: 1-877-694-2040
The Arts Company
continues
“Brother Mel: 50 Years of Fresh Art,”
celebrating 50 years of making art
continuing through August 15
and
“Fresh Picks”
previewing new artwork
and artists every week through August 15
All exhibits will continue through August 15
Tuesday-Saturday, 10-5 pm
at
THE ARTS COMPANY
215 Fifth Avenue, North 615-254-2040
The Arts Company celebrates the July 4th weekend opening during FirstArtSaturday, July 5, 6-9 pm, by continuing “Brother Mel Meyer: 50 Years of Fresh Art,” the 10th annual showcase of the artwork of Brother Mel on the occasion of the artist’s 80th birthday; and with new artwork added throughout the summer months—plus “Fresh Picks,” a gallery showcase featuring new artwork and new artists every week in July, introducing new gallery artists—Louis Recchia, Pam Moxley, and Michele Allen, as well as Jonathan Kimbrell. The exhibits will continue through August 15 during regular gallery hours, 10-9 pm, Tuesday-Saturday, at 215 Fifth Avenue, North. For information, call 615-254-2040.
About the July “Fresh Picks” Exhibit Summer at The Arts Company is always about affordable art, cold lemonade, Brother Mel’s annual showcase of new artwork, fresh new art from gallery artists, and introducing new artists to the gallery. The backdrop for this July is the continuing exhibit of Brother Mel’s “50 Years of Fresh Art.” In addition, this year’s headliners range from plein air landscape paintings to comic superstars to polished oil paintings that give a contemporary touch to modern masters to bringing stylized French landscapes to life with vivid colors. Fresh work from all artists will be added each week in July. All together, this is a selection of summer fresh artwork suitable for every palate, and affordable for novices and collectors alike.
About the Continuing Brother Mel Exhibit The scope of this year’s 10th annual exhibit of Brother Mel’s artwork warrants more time and space than the normal monthly exhibit periods. Therefore, his exhibit is scheduled for the summer months at The Arts Company and other downtown locations, including the Pinnacle Financial Center, the Sommet Center, KVBPR, and the Nashville City Center. Each location features different elements of Brother Mel’s artwork—from paintings, watercolors, large and small steel sculpture, hand made paper, and more.
About the Artists & Artwork
Introducing New Gallery Artists: Artists being introduced to the summer “Fresh Picks” showcase of new artwork include: Michele Allen, a French native and now a Tennessee resident, remembers buildings and flowers of the French landscape in bold modern stylized blocks of color; Louis Recchia, a Denver-based artist, bringing a contemporary style to modern masters, as well as some canvases that are pop art in his distinctive style; and Pam Moxley, an Atlanta-based artist presenting a new approach to photography, combining film with an array of new techniques. In addition, super heroes from the comics urging Americans to vote are the latest pop art paintings to be presented by gallery artist Jonathon Kimbrell, a Dallas-based artist;
Brother Mel: 50 Years of Fresh Art continues….
Brother Mel is an artist who always surprises with inventive artwork, from gutsy to elegant to whimsical…and always with intuitive insight and flawless craftsmanship. He is an unusually prolific artist who works in his studio six days a week, 52 weeks a year. He has outfitted chapels, buildings, parks, homes and backyards—from frescoes to three-story steel sculptures to large-scale abstract paintings to contemporary stained glass. This year’s 10th annual exhibition at The Arts Company reflects on his 50 years of producing fresh art, featuring sculpture, glass, paintings on canvas and paper, handmade paper, sculptural bowls, furniture, and his signature contemporary religious icons.
The Art of Books / Ju1y 2008
The July edition of The Art of Books, the newest signature monthly program at The Arts Company, will focus on the Americana series of books illustrated by Sam Fink, including the U.S. Constitution, the Gettysburg Address, and the Declaration of Independence. The books are a special order signed by Mr. Fink, including a limited edition boxed set of his illustrations of the Constitution. In addition, there are signed copies of his illustrated version of Exodus.
About The Arts Company / 2008
Established in 1996, The Arts Company continues to be a prime destination in downtown Nashville for fresh, original, contemporary artwork in photography, painting, and sculpture, by artists from emerging to legendary. The Company adds new artwork and introduces new artists during FirstArt Saturdays every month, 6-9 pm. In addition, a new monthly series has been added to these monthly receptions scheduled throughout 2008—The Art of Books, a showcase for new and vintage books related to the arts. The Company’s various gallery spaces—over 6000 square feet on two floors in a historic building—include a downstairs gallery, and an extensive inventory of artwork, books and other galleries upstairs at The Arts Company, designed especially to develop exhibits and projects for public and office workplaces. The gallery website, www.theartscompany.com, is available 24/7 for reviewing and previewing artist portfolios and gallery and satellite exhibitions sponsored throughout the year by the gallery. Information on FirstArtSaturday is also available on the website. Regular gallery hours are: 10-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday.
The Arts Company
presents
“Brother Mel: 50 Years of Fresh Art,”
celebrating 50 years of making art
and his 80th birthday
Meet Brother Mel at his 80th birthday party
at The Arts Company
during FirstArtSaturday
June 7, 6-9pm
Brother Mel exhibits will be presented in other locations downtown
and will continue through August 15
Tuesday-Saturday, 10-5 pm
The Arts Company will present “Brother Mel: 50 Years of Fresh Art,” an exhibit celebrating Brother Mel’s 80th birthday, his 60 years as a Marianist monk and his 50 years as a working artist, opening during FirstArtSaturday, June 7, 6-9 pm. This marks the 10th annual exhibition of Brother Mel’s artwork at The Arts Company, and will launch a year-long series of retrospective exhibits, beginning in Nashville and continuing in St. Louis and beyond. Each exhibit is designed to showcase Brother Mel’s full range of work—from frescoes to glass to large and small steel sculpture to abstract paintings and more. Brother Mel will attend the exhibit opening at The Arts Company as part of his 80th birthday celebration during the FirstArtSaturday reception, continuing in the Company location through August 15 during regular gallery hours, Tuesday-Saturday, 10-5 pm at 215 Fifth Avenue, North. For information, www.theartscompany.com, or call 615-254-2040.
About the June-August 2008 Brother Mel Exhibit
The scope of this year’s 10th annual exhibit of Brother Mel’s artwork, including a digital preview of a book in progress on the life and artwork of Brother Mel, warrants more time and space than the normal monthly exhibit periods. Therefore, the exhibit is scheduled for three months at The Arts Company and other downtown locations, including the Pinnacle Financial Center, the Sommet Center, KVBPR, and the Nashville City Center. Each location will feature different elements of Brother Mel’s artwork.
About the Artwork
Brother Mel is an artist who always surprises with inventive artwork, from gutsy to elegant to whimsical…and always with intuitive insight and flawless craftsmanship. He is an unusually prolific artist who works in his studio six days a week, 52 weeks a year. He has outfitted chapels, buildings, parks, homes and backyards—from frescoes to three-story steel sculptures to large-scale abstract paintings to contemporary stained glass. Over the years, he has had commissions from corporations, hotels, hospitals, buildings, parks, and other public spaces, as well as individuals. The Nashville exhibits will feature sculpture, frescoes, glass, paintings on canvas and paper, handmade paper, sculptural bowls, furniture, and his signature contemporary religious icons.
About the Artist / Brother Mel Myer, s.m.
Brother Mel the artist stems from the fact that he was first Brother Mel the monk. They are one and the same. He became a member of the Marianist order, a Catholic community of brothers, just out of high school in 1942. He attended the University of Dayton for his bachelor’s degree and later to Notre Dame for a master’s degree in art, which included also a year of traveling 14,000 miles on a moped to visit cathedrals, shrines and museums throughout Europe, and study with 20th century masters of frescoes, stained glass and sculpture. After teaching English and art in some of the Marianist schools, he was given the opportunity to develop a studio to work full time as an artist. He was given no constraints, no particular demands, other than to fulfill his spiritual vows as he saw fit as a working artist. This was a groundbreaking idea in the 1960s of what vocational choices might be appropriate for a monk. Much of his work shows no specific signs as being religious art. However, when asked, Brother Mel will always reply, “All of my work is religious.” Truly, the monk and the artist are one and the same. What you see is what you get—the art speaks for itself.
Brother Mel set out full steam 50 years ago working 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year as an artist. That, combined with decades of annual painting and sketching trips world-wide and visits to museums, resulted in a prolific outpouring of artwork that continues unabated to the present time on the occasion of his 80th birthday. His work, if anything, has become over time more inventive and fresh, both in ideas and in the materials he works with.
The Art of Books / June 2008
A digital preview of a book in progress about the life and artwork of Brother Mel will be featured as the highlight for the June edition of The Art of Book series at The Arts Company. The book is being developed to document and showcase the wide range and substance of the artwork produced by this singular artist. In addition, there will be books by artists selected by Brother Mel as his artistic mentors—from Jean Charlot and Ivan Mestrovich to Alexander Calder, Van Gogh, David Smith, Frank Gehry and Daniel Liebskind.
About The Arts Company / 2008
Established in 1996, The Arts Company continues to be a prime destination in downtown Nashville for fresh, original, contemporary artwork in photography, painting, and sculpture, by artists from emerging to legendary. The Company adds new artwork and introduces new artists during FirstArt Saturdays every month, 6-9 pm. In addition, a new monthly series has been added to these monthly receptions scheduled throughout 2008—The Art of Books, a showcase for new and vintage books related to the arts. The Company’s various gallery spaces—over 6000 square feet on two floors in a historic building—include a downstairs gallery, and an extensive inventory of artwork, books and other galleries upstairs at The Arts Company, designed especially to develop exhibits and projects for public and office workplaces. The gallery website, www.theartscompany.com, is available 24/7 for reviewing and previewing artist portfolios and gallery and satellite exhibitions sponsored throughout the year by the gallery. Information on First Saturday is also available on the website. Regular gallery hours are: 10-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday.
FirstArtSaturday / June 2008
at
The Arts Company
presents
“Brother Mel: 50 Years of Fresh Art,”
celebrating 50 years of making art
and his 80th birthday
Brother Mel exhibits will be presented in other locations downtown
And will continue through August 15
Tuesday-Saturday, 10-5 pm
Exhibition Opening Reception and 80th Birthday Party for Brother Mel
June 7, 6-9 pm
Gallery open 10 am until 9 pm
Exhibit continues through August 15
during regular gallery hours: 10-5 Tuesday-Saturday
The Arts Company
presents
“1st Day in Purgatory,”
a collaborative exhibit,
paintings by Jonathan Richter
writing by Doug McKelvey
also continuing two exhibits
“Still Life for the 21st Century,”
Oil on canvas by Aaron Morgan Brown
and
“On the Road with Rod Daniel,”
Black and white photography by Rod Daniel
plus
The Art of Books, the new monthly signature series,
Featuring “1st Day in Purgatory” by Richter & McKelvey
Meet Jonathan Richter, Doug McKelvey, and Rod Daniel during the FirstArtSaturday opening reception, May 3, 6-9 pm
Exhibits continue through May23
The Arts Company exhibition for FirstArtSaturday on May 3 features both painting and writing—a collaboration between painter and animator Jonathan Richter and writer/songwriter Doug McKelvey, in an exhibit titled “1st Day in Purgatory.” An opening reception to meet the artists and have them sign their exhibit-related book is scheduled for May 3, 6-9 pm during the popular First Saturday event. The exhibit will continue through May 23 during regular gallery hours, 10-5pm Tuesday-Saturday, at 215 Fifth Avenue, North, www.theartscompany.com, or call 254-2040 for information.
The tie-in with the Company’s newest signature monthly series, The Art of Books, featuring vintage and contemporary art books, is particularly appropriate for the May exhibit. Along with the original paintings and captions, an art book version of the entire “1st Day in Purgatory” show will be available for purchase.
Two additional exhibits—paintings by Aaron Brown, “Still Life for the 21st Century,” and photography by Rod Daniel, “On the Road with Rod Daniel” will continue through May 23, during regular gallery hours. Additional information about the continuing Aaron Brown and Rod Daniel exhibits and the artists can be found at www.theartscompany.com/press.
About the May 2008 Collaborative Exhibit
The May exhibition at The Arts Company is about artistic imagination. Richter is known as Nashville’s own Toulouse-Lautrec. He plies his craft in public places, using a limited palette and mechanistically consuming one beer per finished portrait. Douglas McKelvey wrestles with each of the resulting paintings to distill their essence into a line or two of poetic prose. The featured book in the Company’s The Art of Book series will be the Richter-McKelvey art book of the images in the exhibit.
About the Artwork
Jonathan Richter and Doug McKelvey have been working for months to produce a collaborative project that consists of a series of 50+ new small paintings, each with a line or two of poetic prose attached as part of an imaginative narrative of 50 subjects in the first moments or days after their deaths. Richter contends that his portraits have no meaning whatsoever beyond being studies; but Douglas insists they do have meaning. Once his words are attached to each piece both artists contend that “between randomness and order…people find surprising connections with the portraits.”
About the Artists / Jonathan Richter & Douglas Kaine McKelve
Jonathan Richter, painter and animator, debuted his work at The Arts Company in November 2005. To capture the spontaneity of the moment and the images of the people interacting, he experiments with color, form and concept. His paintings, like those of Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas and Glackens, are created in bustling peopled places rather than in sterile studios. Considering himself to be a public space painter, Jonathan was trained in fine art, illustration and animation at Otis Parsons in Los Angeles. Jonathan followed his painterly path to Nashville where he discovered the city’s most populous places—the sidewalks, the watering holes, the juke joints and diners—an abundant inspiration for his spontaneous portraitures.
The remote descendent of Scottish horse-thieving ancestors, Douglas Kaine McKelvey has already bested the dubious achievements of his predecessors by penning four published books, crafting lyrics for more than 140 songs recorded by a variety of artists, and engaging in numerous other professional writing type endeavors. Douglas is currently an artist-in-residence with Orbit Media Group, and a lyricist with Simpleville Music. His favorite dance move is "The Aluminum Biscuit" and his favorite facial expression is the "cool, detached stare."
The Art of Books for March 2008
The featured book for The Arts Company May edition of The Art of Books series will be the art book version of the Richter-McKelvey exhibit of “1st Day in Purgatory.” In addition, books of other artists identified as mentors by this month’s exhibiting artists, from Toulouse-Lautrec to poetry to illustration, will be included.
About The Arts Company / 2008
Established in 1996, The Arts Company continues to be a prime destination in downtown Nashville for fresh, original, contemporary artwork in photography, painting, and sculpture, by artists from emerging to legendary. The Company adds new artwork and introduces new artists during FirstArt Saturdays every month, 6-9 pm. In addition, a new monthly series has been added to these monthly receptions scheduled throughout 2008—The Art of Books, a showcase for new and vintage books related to the arts. The Company’s various gallery spaces—over 6000 square feet on two floors in a historic building—include a downstairs gallery, and an extensive inventory of artwork, books and other galleries upstairs at The Arts Company, designed especially to develop exhibits and projects for public and office workplaces. The gallery website, www.theartscompany.com, is available 24/7 for reviewing and previewing artist portfolios and gallery and satellite exhibitions sponsored throughout the year by the gallery. Information on First Saturday is also available on the website. Regular gallery hours are: 10-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday.
FirstArtSaturday / May 3, 2008
at
The Arts Company
Presenting
“1st Day in Purgatory,”
A Collaborative Exhibit.
Paintings by Jonathan Richter
Writing by Douglas McKelvey
And Continuing
Paintings by Aaron Brown
And
Photography by Rod Daniel
+
“The Art of Books,”
A monthly signature series of new and vintage art books
Book signing by Richter and McKelvey
Exhibition Opening Reception for Artists
Jonathan Richter, Douglas McKelvey, and Rod Daniel
May 3, 6-9 pm
Gallery open 10 am until 9 pm
Exhibit continues through May 23
The Arts Company
FirstArtSaturday
Presents
“Still Life for the 21st Century”
oil on canvas by
Aaron Morgan Brown
&
“On the Road with Rod Daniel”
Black & White Photography by Rod Daniel
Meet Rod Daniel
April 5, 2008, 6-9 pm
During FirstArtSaturday
Also previewing the Nashville Film Festival
and continuing
The Art of Books, the new monthly signature series
Featuring new and vintage art books
Exhibits continue through May 23
During regular gallery hours, Tuesday-Saturday, 10-5 pm
The Arts Company will introduce two new artists to Nashville—Aaron Morgan Brown, “Still Life for the 21st Century,” oil on canvas, and Rod Daniel, “On the Road with Rod Daniel,” black and white photography—during the FirstArtSaturday reception April 5, 6-9 pm at 215 Fifth Avenue, North. The two exhibits will continue through May 23 during regular gallery hours, 10-5 pm Tuesday-Saturday. The Company’s new signature series, The Art of Books, will feature books of art and photography of artistic mentors identified by the two featured artists, as well as other exceptional art books. In addition, The Arts Company is hosting a preview of the Nashville Film Festival.
About the April 2008 Exhibition
These two exhibits match perfectly one of the primary goals of The Arts Company—that is, to introduce exciting and successful new artistic talent to Nashville audiences as often as possible. Each of these artists has a lengthy portfolio of accomplishments and acclaim in their fields. The medium of choice for Aaron Morgan Brown has always been oil on canvas. For Rod Daniel, the medium of choice has long been black and white photography. From these two very different mediums, these two artists—each with contemporary mindsets and with a broad knowledge of the changes history and circumstance bring to our culture—offer rich new visual insights into the new world of the 21st century. The Art of Books will reflect the interests of both artists by featuring new and vintage books of artwork and ideas identified by each artist as influencing their artistic development. The Company will also host a Nashville Film Festival preview during the FirstArtSaturday reception, 6-9 pm, April 5.
About the Artists and Artwork
Aaron Morgan Brown / “Still Life for the 21st Century”
A series of figurative paintings, oil on canvas
The artwork: The elements in Aaron Brown’s paintings are always individually recognizable. On first look, it is easy to believe that these paintings make sense, that you can see what they’re about. There are real people in real places doing real things. But very quickly the viewer sees that they are not narratives, nor are they traditional still lifes or landscapes. In a very real sense, he brings figurative action, movement and object placement to a standstill—creating a contemporary still life of various actions in progress, there to be looked at again and again. Aaron’s advice is that it is “helpful to think of my work as a crossroads, a meeting place for elements that are traveling in different directions, at different speeds.” According to him, “the result is a painting.” Whether the painting is “a dance of seven veils, or a car wreck depends on the viewer, and the nature of the elements.” As the painter, Aaron says the elements he includes in each painting are “brought together by chance, circumstance, or design.”
According to Aaron, “Generally, there is an air of mystery or expectation in my work. I want to suggest, rather than illustrate, a world where all things are connected and informed by an invisible cosmic presence…I believe that a sense of mystery is something that can be enjoyed for its own sake, rather than something that needs to be decoded or solved in order to be meaningful.” As a result, the paintings are full of contemporary topical objects, placements, and suggestions with which contemporary viewers are familiar, but he organizes and presents the information with classical painterly skill.
The artist: Aaron Morgan Brown, a Kansas native, has a wide ranging background in the arts, including painting, music, and theatre. Both of his parents are artists. His wife Ann Piper is a tenured painting professor and artist. He earned his BFA from the University of Kansas, MFA from Syracuse University, graduating with honors from both institutions. He has studied with many notable teachers with national reputations, including the late realist painter Robert Brawley, pop artist Roger Shimomura, and figurative painter Jerome Witkin. At Syracuse University, he was chosen from among hundreds of applicants in every department to receive a coveted third year fellowship.
He is the recipient of numerous other honors and awards, including a Pollock-Krasner grant in 2005. In 2003, he was made an honorary alumnus of the Roswell Artist-In-Residence program and his work was added to the collection of the Anderson Museum, after spending the year in Roswell during his wife's residency. His work hangs in many private collections nationwide, and several corporate and university collections.
Rod Daniel / “On the Road with Rod Daniel”
A limited-edition series of black and white photography
The artwork: Since his youth, Rod Daniel has been taking and printing black and white photographs. It wasn’t until he began to travel the quiet back roads of America on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle that the combination of self-sufficiency and isolation that he felt was met in the landscape he found along the way.
The strong, solid and singular images in his photography confront us foremost with an immensely intimate sense of place. The impact of the constancy between subject and space, the feel-it-on-your-skin use of light, and his full frame approach enable us to experience a sense of joy that comes from the recognition of the importance of seemingly insignificant objects. These become, through the eyes of Rod Daniel, significant subjects through which we might discover a shared and common connection.
The artist: Rod Daniel, a Nashville native and graduate of Vanderbilt University, has returned to Nashville following his 25 years as a successful Hollywood director. Following his time in Vietnam as an army lieutenant, he began as a television advertising producer and commercial director in Nashville, then Atlanta, and then Chicago. His Hollywood career began in 1978 when he joined WKRP in Cincinnati as a director. From there, the list of Hollywood credits is long, with television shows from Newhart to Magnum P.I. to Everybody Loves Raymond to The Mary Tyler Moore Show. His theatrical releases include Beethoven's Second and Teen Wolf. as well as many other episodes for television and additional theatrical film credits. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
He has been actively engaged in developing his fine art photography portfolio over the last fifteen years, combining his motorcycle travels with photography on the road.
Preview of the 2008 Nashville Film Festival
The Arts Company will host a preview to introduce the Nashville Film Festival line-up for 2008. The gallery will highlight the film work and acclaimed autobiography of Patricia Neal, this year’s recipient of NaFF’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Festival officials will be on hand to offer advance tickets.
The Art of Books for April 2008
The Arts Company continues the new monthly series, The Art of Books, showcasing new and vintage books related to the arts as a complement to the Company inventories and exhibitions. For the April exhibits, the Company has asked the two exhibiting artists to identify artistic mentors who have influenced their work. In addition, there will be other new and vintage art books available both upstairs and downstairs. This new book series is intended as a destination for exchange of information and ideas related to The Art of Books.
About The Arts Company / 2008
Established in 1996, The Arts Company continues to be a prime destination in downtown Nashville for fresh, original, contemporary artwork in photography, painting, and sculpture, by artists from emerging to legendary. The Company adds new artwork and introduces new artists during FirstArt Saturdays every month, 6-9 pm. In addition, a new monthly series has been added to these monthly receptions scheduled throughout 2008—The Art of Books, a showcase for new and vintage books related to the arts. The Company’s various gallery spaces—over 6000 square feet on two floors in a historic building—include a downstairs gallery, and an extensive inventory of artwork, books and other galleries upstairs at The Arts Company, designed especially to develop exhibits and projects for public and office workplaces. The gallery website, www.theartscompany.com, is available 24/7 for reviewing and previewing artist portfolios and gallery and satellite exhibitions sponsored throughout the year by the gallery. Information on First Saturday is also available on the website. Regular gallery hours are: 10-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday.
FirstArtSaturday / April 5, 2008
at
The Arts Company
Introducing two new artists:
Aaron Morgan Brown
oil on canvas
“Still Life for the 21st Century”
&
Rod Daniel
Black and white photography
“On the Road with Rod Daniel”
Meet Rod Daniel
Exhibition Opening Reception
April 5, 6-9 pm
Gallery open 10 am until 9 pm
Exhibits continue through May 23
Also previewing
The 2008 Nashville Film Festival
And Continuing
“The Art of Books,”
A monthly signature series of new and vintage art books,
Featuring artistic mentors of featured artists
The Arts Company
presents
Works in Progress
New clay sculpture by Nelson Grice
Contemporary landscape photography by Hollis Bennett
Hand-painted photography by Kimiko
And introducing an inaugural exhibit of paintings by Calvin Morton
Plus
The Art of Books, the new monthly signature series
Featuring new and vintage art books
Meet all of the featured artists during the FirstArtSaturday opening reception, March 1, 6-9 pm
Gallery open 10 AM – 9 PM
Exhibits continue through March 28
Tuesday-Saturday, 10-5 pm
The Arts Company will present “Works in Progress,” featuring four different artists—Nelson Grice, clay sculpture; Hollis Bennett, contemporary landscape photography; Kimiko, hand-painted photography; and introducing Calvin Morton, painter—all scheduled to attend the opening reception during FirstArtSaturday, March 1, 6-9 pm. The exhibits continue through March 28 during regular gallery hours, 10-5 pm, Tuesday-Saturday at The Arts Company, 215 Fifth Avenue of the Arts, North. The Art of Books, the Company’s newest signature series, will feature new and vintage books selected for the occasion. For more information, call 254-2040 or check the website at www.theartscompany.com.
About the March 2008 Exhibition
The Arts Company has had a decade-old tradition of presenting new artists and new artwork. The March exhibit, “Works in Progress” is all about what four particular artists are working on at this time—in sculpture, photography and painting—as they each continue to develop a body of work that outlines their particular interests. Two of the artists—Hollis Bennett and Kimiko—have been featured in Company shows before; and Nelson Grice has had various pieces in the gallery on occasion. However, this time, their exhibits will be more expansive to indicate the directions in which they are headed. This exhibit will be a first gallery exhibit for Calvin Morton, who is a recent college art graduate with a series of work that connects Tennessee with global issues, all in the language of a painter. “The Art of Books,” the Company’s newest signature series that presents new and vintage art books, will feature books related to the interests of The Arts Company clients.
About the Artists and Artwork Nelson Grice / “Clay Structures”
The artwork: As a college student, Nelson Grice developed a deep passion for making clay sculpture. At the beginning, he specialized in building animal structures, but in recent years, his sculptures have evolved into observations about how animals and people are interconnected. Technically, he uses slabs of clay to create a series of design modules, which he then cuts and knits together into a structure. Using his own custom “legos,” he assembles the parts together. The result is an ironic blending of material, subject matter and animated personalities.
The artist: Alabama-based Grice focused on ceramics and painting for his BFA from the University of Montevallo. Since receiving his MEd in 1996, he has been teaching and developing his clay sculptures. His work merited a cover and the lead article as the featured artist for Ceramics Monthly Magazine in January 2007. His next interest is in creating and converting some of his clay work into large-scale bronze installations.
Hollis Bennett / “Contemporary Landscape Photography”
The artwork: Hollis Bennett describes himself as “a body in motion” all of his life. He moved with his family out of Tennessee before he was a year old, only to return in the last couple of years after having covered hundreds of thousands of miles throughout the world. He observes that this constant travel and motion have been a way of life for him, influencing every image he makes. His landscapes represent his singular vision—that is, to observe the interaction of the natural and built environments. As a result, he produces large-scale landscape images in color that are rich, broad, and haunting. His smaller black and white images are more intimate in scale, scope and technique.
The artist: Bennett studied photography at the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina and at the Art Institute of Colorado in Denver. On his return to Nashville, he established his own commercial and art photography business. His goal is to produce exemplary fine art, travel and documentary work that all fits together as the same body of work. His plan is to spend a year traveling through the U.S., Canada, Mexico and overseas carefully observing and documenting what he sees photographically that is distinctive about the 21st century landscape.
Kimiko / “New Orleans Series”
The artwork: Kimiko’s “New Orleans Series” is the latest photographic series she has completed in recent years, this one inspired by her love of New Orleans. The images make it clear that the spirit of New Orleans remains. She walked the streets day and night to stay focused on what New Orleans is like now, not then. She captured the good, the bad, and the ugly. While Kimiko’s black and white photography can stand alone, she prefers to return from her travels and paint in the color that she wants the images to have. Each piece of her work is an original, hand-painted piece. Altogether, the images offer an intriguing tour of this fabled city seen in its new circumstance, with beauty and dignity still intact.
The artist: Japanese-born Kimiko Sakai graduated from Toyo University in 1982. She came to America and moved to Nashville in 1995. Soon after, she studied photography at Nashville State Technical College and began quickly to develop her own photographic style and techniques. Tutored by some of her painter friends, she began to focus on hand painting each image to make each piece unique. By 2000, she had already won a national photography contest, and was well on her way with her own professional career. In 2007, Travelers Rest commissioned Kimiko to identify and document sites in Nashville related to “The Lives of Women in Nineteenth-Century Nashville,” an exhibit curated by Rob DeHart and presented as a one-person show at the Metro Public Library downtown.
Calvin Morton / “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”
The artwork: Calvin Morton bills himself as an environmental artist. Growing up on the lakes of East Tennessee, he was surrounded by the Smoky Mountains. He was inspired by the natural beauty of the area, but as he grew older, he noted increasingly the smoke stacks in and around the Oak Ridge area and wondered what happened to the smoke. His first extensive body of work is based on his painterly exploration of that observation. His work makes quick connections between the past, present and future of the environment in Tennessee and how we are connected with larger global issues. Simply put, landscapes are not what they used to be; nor is the way painters approach landscape painting the same. His observations and techniques are 21st century. Claiming that lectures and protests about the environment can easily be tuned out, his hope is that a gallery setting makes our understanding of the environment a more personal, immediate, and visual experience.
The artist: Morton was invited to participate in the Governor’s School of the Arts of Tennessee in 2001. That’s when his interest in art became intense. In 2007, he graduated with an M.F.A. in Studio Art from MTSU in Murfreesboro. This exhibit at The Arts Company is his first commercial gallery showcase. He and his art are works in progress. This is truly fresh art of our time and place.
The Art of Books for March 2008
The Arts Company continues the new monthly series, The Art of Books, showcasing new and vintage books related to the arts as a complement to the Company inventories and exhibitions. For the March exhibits, the Company has asked each artist to identify favorite artists and related art books that are most impressive or important to them in their own work. In addition, there will be other new and vintage art books available both upstairs and downstairs. This new book series is intended as a destination for exchange of information and ideas related to The Art of Books.
About The Arts Company / 2008
Established in 1996, The Arts Company continues to be a prime destination in downtown Nashville for fresh, original, contemporary artwork in photography, painting, and sculpture, by artists from emerging to legendary. The Company adds new artwork and introduces new artists during FirstArt Saturdays every month, 6-9 pm. In addition, a new monthly series has been added to these monthly receptions scheduled throughout 2008—The Art of Books, a showcase for new and vintage books related to the arts. The Company’s various gallery spaces—over 6000 square feet on two floors in a historic building—include a downstairs gallery, and an extensive inventory of artwork, books and other galleries upstairs at The Arts Company, designed especially to develop exhibits and projects for public and office workplaces. The gallery website, www.theartscompany.com, is available 24/7 for reviewing and previewing artist portfolios and gallery and satellite exhibitions sponsored throughout the year by the gallery. Information on First Saturday is also available on the website. Regular gallery hours are: 10-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday.
FirstArtSaturday / March 1, 2008
at
The Arts Company
Exhibition Opening Reception for Artists
Meet Nelson Grice, Hollis Bennett, Kimiko, and Calvin Morton
March 1, 6-9 pm
Gallery open 10 am until 9 pm
Exhibit continues through March 28
Presenting Works in Progress:
Clay sculpture by Nelson Grice
Contemporary landscape photography by Hollis Bennett
Hand-painted photography by Kimiko
Introducing
A new series of paintings by Calvin Morton
And Continuing
“The Art of Books,”
A monthly signature series of new and vintage art books
THE ARTS COMPANY
215 Fifth Avenue, North 615-254-2040
www.theartscompany.com
The Arts Company
Introduces Two New Artists to Nashville
Nicole Katano, “Illuminations”
Limited edition photographic diptychs
and
Javier Barbosa, “Paintings Set to Music”
Contemporary abstract paintings
Also showcasing a special Mardi Gras series of paintings,
“A Passion for New Orleans Jazz,”
by Nashville-based William Buffett,
Opening during
First Saturday / February 2, 2008
Also Featuring
“The Art of Books,”
A new monthly exhibit series
previewing new and vintage books related to art
Meet the Artists: Nicole Katano and William Buffett
During the First Saturday reception, February 2, 6-9 PM
Gallery open 10 AM – 9 PM
Exhibits continue through February 22, Tuesday-Saturday, 10-5 pm
(Hours extended until 9pm on First Saturdays)
The Arts Company introduces two new artists to Nashville February 2 during First Saturday—Los Angeles-based photographer Nicole Katano and New Mexico-based painter Javier Barbosa—and presents a special Mardi Gras series of paintings focused on New Orleans Jazz by Nashville-based William Buffett. The opening reception, to be attended by Ms. Katano and Mr. Buffett, is scheduled for February 2, 6-9 pm. The exhibitions will continue through February 22 during regular gallery hours, 10-5:00 pm, Tuesday-Saturday, at The Arts Company at 215 Fifth Avenue of the Arts, North.
The Arts Company newest monthly signature series, The Art of Books, will feature new and vintage books related to the arts. This month’s showing includes books on artists from Banksy to Lucian Freud to Richard Avedon and new art commentaries such as Peter Gay’s “Modernism: The Lure of Heresy,” and Phaidon’s new “Art Book for Children.”
About the February 2008 Exhibitions
February is the month of Valentines and Mardi Gras. The February exhibits planned for The Arts Company reflect the images, colors and passion associated with this time of year, each exhibit in very different ways. Nicole Katano makes new visual emotional connections in her limited edition series of photographic diptychs. Javier Barbosa pulls out the stops when he paints, accompanied by classical music, often singing along with his favorite operas as he paints. William Buffett, a self-avowed devotee of authentic New Orleans jazz, pays homage to the originators of jazz, presenting them on canvases with formal technique and style, bringing to mind the formality and dignity of Renaissance paintings. Even the Company’s new monthly signature series, The Art of Books, will feature new and vintage books in keeping with the time of year.
About the Artists
Nicole Katano / “Illuminations”Katano’s diptychs are full of recognizable images of familiar things, though she vows that her photographs are not about any thing in particular; but that she is more concerned with detail, texture, shape, light and color rather than images of any particular thing. Her work revolves around “the ability of the camera to isolate tiny fragments of time and space in such a way that otherwise fleeting details can be more consciously examined by the observer.”
Katano literally gathers up qualities found in color, light and shape in details of images and presents them to the viewer in ways that resonate with each other and literally elicit an emotional response in the viewer. The images are specific. The combinations are abstract. The response is emotional, immediate, and encourages a non-verbal experience in the viewer. “The ultimate point,” she says, “isn’t to tell people what to see or think. It is to make them feel.”
Los Angeles-based Nicole Katano began her professional career as a photographer after having received a BFA in film from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and an MFA in ceramics from San Francisco State University. Since then, in the last 25 years, she has produced a broad and deep portfolio of commercial projects for clients such as Nokia, Dreamworks SKG, American Girl and Paramount Pictures, among many others. At the same time, she was producing a large body of personal work, which she has only in the last couple of years begun to exhibit. In addition to The Arts Company, she has been signed for gallery exhibits in California and Santa Fe.
Javier Barbosa / “Paintings Set to Music”
A native of Mexico and currently a resident of New Mexico, Javier Barbosa is totally involved with classical music, especially opera, when he paints. His work is expressive and vigorous in style and palette. Though abstract, his paintings are specifically attached to the music he loves, and his organic style makes them easily accessible as well as exciting to the viewer. His paintings translate the listening experience into abstract visual equivalents of phrasing, tempo, rhythm and dynamics.
As a child in Monterrey, Mexico, Javier Barbosa grew up in a culture that appreciated color and celebrated it vibrantly in fashion, cuisine, entertainment, architecture, music, and certainly in fine art. Barbosa has mined that rich background for inspiration and refined it into paintings that offer fully arresting experiences in contemporary abstract art.
Barbosa is an original painter with a distinctive artistic vision and a substantial technical arsenal at his command. He maximizes the effects of color and intrinsic light by submerging interesting forms and textures under layers of clarity-enhancing mediums. His formidable set of application techniques gives his paintings a quality of exhilarating visual depth. Though often encouraged to go to art school to learn more, Barbosa has chosen to remain self-taught. That has enabled him to formulate and adhere to his own instinctual philosophy of art and to devise his own technical procedures.
Barbosa is a prolific painter who also has an opening of new work at the Elder Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina at the same time of his Nashville show at The Arts Company.
William Buffett / “A Passion for New Orleans Jazz”
Nashville-based William Buffett took a classical route to becoming an accomplished artist. He was awarded a full tuition scholarship at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles in the 1950s and then began his travels as an artist to visit art museums around the country, picking up a Huntington Hartford Foundation Fellowship for painting along the way. In the early 1960s, he was drawn to New Orleans by the music. He went there to make studies of musicians at work. Throughout the decade, he painted portraits, worked as a sculptor, learned screen printing and presented solo art shows. In the 1970s he traveled—to NYC, to art museums in Europe, and to Japan, China, Thailand and Singapore, painting and sketching along the way. In the 1980s he began producing editions of serigraphs, which were published and enjoyed commercial success from widely distributed reproductions of both his serigraphs and paintings.
Buffett has lived in Nashville in the last couple of decades, and among other projects has continued to develop a small body of work focused on the roots of New Orleans Jazz. In the 1990s, he showed some of these paintings at the former Carlton Wilkinson Gallery in Nashville. This current exhibit features some 15-20 pieces in a series that includes very large canvases as well as small sketches from which the larger works were built. The exhibit is being presented in cooperation with Richland Fine Art in Nashville, where his work is represented.
With his background of classical training and his interest in the style and substance of indigenous American music, this series of paintings highlights both the dignity and spirit of true original roots of jazz.
The Art of Books for February 2008
The Arts Company continues the new monthly series, The Art of Books, showcasing new and vintage books related to the arts as a complement to the Company inventories and exhibitions. The February book exhibit will feature vintage, as well as recently-released books on the arts and artists—from Banksy to Warhol to Burtynsky to Peter Gay’s new commentary on “Modernism.” Every month, this series of curated exhibits spotlights a broad range of subjects of interest to the arts and to Arts Company clients—from history to biography to various media and issues. Both new and vintage books are included each month. This new book series is intended as a destination for exchange of information and ideas related to The Art of Books.
About The Arts Company / 2008
Established in 1996, The Arts Company continues to be a prime destination in downtown Nashville for fresh, original, contemporary artwork in photography, painting, and sculpture, by artists from emerging to legendary. The Company adds new artwork and new artists during First Saturdays every month, 6-9 pm. In addition, a new monthly series has been added to these monthly receptions scheduled throughout 2008—The Art of Books, a showcase for new and vintage books related to the arts. The Company’s various gallery spaces—over 6000 square feet on two floors in a historic building—include a downstairs gallery, and an extensive inventory of artwork, books and other galleries upstairs at The Arts Company, designed especially to develop exhibits and projects for public and office workplaces. The gallery website, www.theartscompany.com, is available 24/7 for reviewing and previewing artist portfolios and gallery and satellite exhibitions sponsored throughout the year by the gallery. Information on First Saturday is also available on the website. Regular gallery hours are: 10-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday.
First Saturday / February 2008
at
The Arts Company
Introduces two new artists to Nashville
Nicole Katano, “Illuminations,” limited-edition photographic diptychs
And
Javier Barbosa, “Paintings Set to Music”
Also showcasing
“A Passion for New Orleans Jazz”
Paintings by William Buffett
and
“The Art of Books,”
A new monthly exhibit series,
Featuring new and vintage books
Exhibition Opening Reception for Artists
Meet Nicole Katano and William Buffett
February 2, 6-9 pm
Gallery open 10 m until 9pm
Exhibit continues through February 22
THE ARTS COMPANY
215 Fifth Avenue, North 615-254-2040 www.theartscompany.com
Regular gallery hours: 10-5 Tuesday-Saturday
(Hours extended until 9pm on First Saturdays)
The Arts Company
presents
The 12th Annual Preview of Things to Come
Opening during
First Saturday / January 5, 2008
Featuring
Lekhleti’s
“Life is a Dance…of Sorts”
Leandro del Manzo’s
“Life is a Cabaret…and a Tango”
Introducing
The Art of Books,
A new monthly exhibit series
And Previewing
Other New Artists and Artwork
Opening January 5, during the First Saturday reception 6-9 PM
Gallery open 10 AM – 9 PM
Exhibits continue through January 25
The 12th Annual Preview of Things to Come at The Arts Company welcomes the New Year with two exhibits: “ Life is a Dance…of Sorts,” new paintings on paper by French-based Company artist Lekhleti; and “Life is a Cabaret…and a Tango,” paintings on canvas and paper by new Company artist Leandro del Manzo. The opening reception is scheduled during including a First Saturday, January 5, 6-9 pm, preview of new artwork and new artists, and introducing a new monthly series, The Art of Books, showcasing new and vintage books related to the arts. The exhibits will continue through January 25 during regular gallery hours, 10-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday at The Arts Company.
About the January 2008 Exhibitions
Fresh, original and full of energy for a New Year—that’s what the two featured exhibits for January are all about. Arts Company favorite, Lekhleti, French-based artist who has been an affiliate artist at the Company for two years, has just completed ten new paintings on paper for the occasion. Leandro del Manzo, a native of Argentina, will exhibit paintings on canvas and paper, all related to themes of cabaret and tango.
The first exhibit of the New Year is always about previewing what’s to come. This year the emphasis is on lots of new artists being introduced to the Company this coming year in solo exhibits. New artists include: Nicole Katano, photographer; William Buffett, painter; Aaron Brown, painter; and Javier Barbosa, painter, among others. Other Company artists will be previewing new work as well.
In addition, The Arts Company will introduce a new monthly series, The Art of Books, presenting new and vintage books related to the arts.
About the Featured Artists
French-based Mohamed Lekhleti, with an artistic academic background from universities in Montpellier and Aix-en-Provence, has become a successful emerging artist throughout Europe, frequently invited to participate in various European art expos. He is represented by galleries in France and Germany, as well as here in Nashville. His works on paper and canvas are typically dominated by mythical narrative and legend. His interest in embracing as much space as possible has led him to use large shapes and dynamic swells in a world of spirals. This will mark his third exhibit at The Arts Company.
Leandro del Manzo, a native of Argentina, is a fourth generation artist. His talent was recognized at a very young age and a public exhibition of his work was held when he was thirteen years old at the Museum of Art in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Leandro studied drawing and painting with renowned artist Martinez Howard who had studied with Lino Spilimbergo and the great Hungarian artist Lajo Szalay. Leandros’s paintings are included in several International public and private collections in Argentina, Sao Paulo, Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Madrid, Paris, Vienna, Zurich, Mexico City, and Toronto. In the United States his work is included in collections in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City and Charlotte. His subjects often include the tango and cabarets, both of which are featured in this current exhibit. He paints with energy and flourish, and a great sense of color, even with his paintings that are strictly black and white.
Introducing The Art of Books
In January 2008, The Arts Company introduces The Art of Books, a new monthly series showcasing new and vintage books related to the arts, as a complement to the Company inventories and exhibitions. The series will be curated as exhibits that spotlight a broad range of subjects of interest to the arts and to Arts Company clients—from history to biography to various media and issues. There will be guest hosts each month beginning in February, and both new and vintage books will be included. It is intended as a destination for exchange of information and ideas related to The Art of Books.
About The Arts Company / 2008
In this 12th year, The Arts Company will continue to be a prime destination in downtown Nashville for fresh, original, contemporary artwork in photography, painting, and sculpture, by artists from emerging to legendary. The Company will continue to add new artwork and new artists during First Saturdays every month, 6-9 pm. In addition, a new monthly series will be added to these receptions—The Art of Books, a showcase for new and vintage books related to the arts. The Company’s various gallery spaces—over 6000 square feet on two floors in a historic building—include a downstairs gallery, and an extensive inventory of artwork, books and other galleries upstairs at The Arts Company, designed especially to develop exhibits and projects for business clients. The gallery website, www.theartscompany.com, is available 24/7 for reviewing and previewing artist portfolios and gallery and satellite exhibitions sponsored throughout the year by the gallery. Regular gallery hours are: 10-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday.
First Saturday / January 2008
at
The Arts Company
Exhibition Opening Reception
January 5, 6-9 pm
Gallery open 10am until 9pm
Exhibit continues through January 25
Presenting
The 12th Annual Preview of Things to Come
Lekhleti’s “Life is a Dance…of Sorts”
Leandro del Manzo’s
“Life is a Cabaret…and a Tango”
Introducing The Art of Books,
A new monthly exhibit series
Previewing new artwork and new artists
THE ARTS COMPANY
215 Fifth Avenue, North 615-254-2040
www.theartscompany.com
Regular gallery hours: 10-5 Tuesday-Saturday
(Hours extended until 9pm on FirstArtSaturdays)
The Arts Company
presents
The 11th Annual Holiday Arts Market
Opening during
FirstArtSaturday / December 1, 2007
featuring
April Street’s
“Elastro Pops,” a new painting series
Jim Hubbman’s
“Staged Narrative Paintings”
David Sokosh’s
“Vintage Christmas Ornaments,”
A series of contemporary tintypes
Plus lots of fresh, original artwork, selected art books and art gifts
throughout The Arts Company galleries
Opening December 1, 2007
during FirstArtSaturday reception 6-9 PM
Gallery open 10 AM – 9 PM
Exhibits continue through December 22
Once again, The Arts Company has fully stocked two floors of galleries chock full of art for the holidays—headlined by April Street’s new series of paintings, a new series of paintings by Jim Hubbman—introducing to Nashville a series of vintage Christmas ornaments as the subjects of contemporary tintypes produced by David Sokosh, a NYC DUMBO-based artist—and adding selected art books to the artistic repertoire of the gallery. All of these special features are part of this large-scale holiday arts market that opens during downtown’s FirstArtSaturday, December 1, 6-9 pm, and continuing during regular gallery hours, 10-5pm through December 22.
About The 11th Annual Holiday Arts Market
The Holiday Arts Market is a big deal every year at The Arts Company. This is the 11th annual market that is chock full of artwork that typifies what this gallery is all about—fresh, original, and contemporary artwork brought to the marketplace in full force for this exciting time of year.
This year’s line-up includes: special new exhibits by April Street and Jim Hubbman; introductions to new artists such as David Sokosh, whose artistic specialty is making vintage photographic techniques come to life in contemporary ways; additions to the company’s artistic repertoire through selected art books; and continuing to showcase classic black and white photography and a variety of other artwork through the holidays.
About the Featured Artists
Artist / April Street
“Elastro Pops” is the new series of canvases April Street has produced for her annual exhibit of new work at The Arts Company. They combine both of her worlds of figurative/representational and abstract by focusing on the sheer energy of the shapes and forms of movement, focusing on an underlying patterns of dance movements. Her technical mastery of her subject and materials is part of the great pleasure her work communicates to the viewer. As always, her canvases are typically large scale, which the visual movement she creates requires.
April Street is from the coal mining region of the Appalachian Mountains. She currently lives and makes her work in Los Angeles, CA and Bristol, TN. She has exhibited her painting and sculpture in Chicago, Austin, Santa Monica, Los Angeles' Chinatown, as well as, in Nashville, TN where she exhibits with The Arts Company and annually shows during “Artrageous” – a benefit for AIDS education and services.
Artist / Jim Hubbman
“Staged Narratives,” a new series of watercolor and graphite on paper, presents an expansion of Jim Hubbman’s ongoing interest in stretching the limits of his interest in producing very detailed and intricate watercolor paintings. In his new work, he adds bold strokes of graphite to enhance his watercolor technique. He stages his visual ideas as suggested narratives, but the viewer still has to figure out what the story lines are.
St. Louis-based watercolorist Jim Hubbman completed a fine arts degree at Maryville University in Saint Louis. He has spent several years as a commercial illustrator and graphic artist along with raising a family. Over the years, he has gathered stories and observations which he has incorporated into his paintings. Currently, he is working on a master’s degree in fine art at St. Meinrad’s in Indiana.
Artist / David Sokosh
“Vintage Christmas Ornaments,” a series of contemporary tintypes of vintage ornaments, is one of the projects of vintage photography techniques being revived by Brooklyn-based artist David Sokosh.
In the era of digital photography and mural-sized color enlargements, Sokosh is part of the renaissance in hand-crafted photography, on an intimate scale. In our world of digital, mass-produced photography, Sokosh is drawn to the hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind nature of early photographs. Sokosh says: “I’m a 21st Century person, living in a self-created 19th Century world full of period objects of all kinds. This authentic process lets me explore the mindset of the early photographer/scientist/collector. I’m drawn to the quality of photograph-as-object,,,and excited by the hands-on aspect of the process.”
Sokosh uses original lenses from the period, on cameras of his own design and fabrication. The chemical mixtures are identical to those used in the 19th century. HIs images on metal could be referred to as tintypes, but in a departure from 19th century techniques, Sokosh uses aluminum rather than tin plates. Some are calling these images Aluminotypes
In addition to his own work, Sokosh owns an art gallery in DUMBO Brooklyn, NYC.
About The Arts Company:
Happy 11th Gallery Birthday on December 1
FirstArtSaturday has been one of The Arts Company’s signature events throughout 2007, designed to present a monthly exposition of new artwork, frequently adding special exhibits curated from the rotating inventories of the gallery. The first Saturday of every month was chosen by a group of nearby galleries to extend longer gallery hours each month to downtown residents a | |
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