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RAW: natural born artists Coming to Nashville

Jan 13th, 2011
by Jason Kirk.
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Mercy Lounge is the place for artists this weekend.

One of the toughest things about being an independent artist is getting yourself, and your work, in front of a significant audience. This weekend a big opportunity will present itself to Nashville artists in the form of a visit from the California-based independent arts organization RAW: natural born artists.

Founded in March 2009 by Heidi Luerra, who has worked in the arts and fashion industries for eight years, RAW’s mission is to provide independent artists of all creative genres with the tools, resources and exposure needed to inspire and cultivate creativity. After a year of discovering and showcasing artists in California, the RAW crew is heading out to 17 cities this year to pursue its mission across the country.

“With a changing industry in every way I really see a response to grassroots efforts more than mass media,” says Luerra. “I believe people and artists are really beginning to realize the power they have. Why not just D.I.Y? RAW is here to really incubate and support that individual mission.”

This weekend Luerra and the RAW crew will be bringing their vision to Nashville, and they’re looking for artists who are interested in participating in future monthly RAW showcases here in our city. To that end they’re hosting a meet-and-greet session this Saturday at Mercy Lounge. They hope to attract like-minded individuals here in the city who are interested in supporting creativity of all types. While they’re at Mercy Lounge they’ll also be filming for a documentary they’re producing about independent arts around the country. If you’re involved in the arts in Nashville, RAW hopes you’ll stop by and talk to them about the local arts community, and how social media has influenced and affected independent artists.

The meet-and-greet session will take place this Saturday, January 15, 2011, from 7pm-9pm at Mercy Lounge. Learn more about RAW: natural born artists and stop in to say hello this weekend.

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Woodbine Community Organization Benefit at Billups Art

Nov 19th, 2010
by Jason Kirk.
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This weekend Billups Art features more art for a good cause

East Nashville has yet another chance to take in some art for a good cause this weekend with the Gifted Energy show at Billups Art.

Gifted Energy benefits Mimi’s Fund, a project of the Woodbine Community Organization. WCO has been in operation here in Nashville for 20 years, serving the community in various ways as their grant-based funds have changed over the years. Right now they offer a number of services, but their housing programs are the driving force behind the Gifted Energy benefit show.

“We have a number of rental properties called living centers,” says Kim Bradshaw, a housing specialist at WCO who helped to organize the benefit. “These units are for individuals who are living off Social Security, or maybe a pension or disability. They’re very low-income individuals, and so we pay the utility costs on 13 of these living center houses. That way their rent stays fixed – it’s a very low price. Their rent includes the utility bills, because in a lot of places the energy costs just keep creeping up and a lot of people can’t afford their rent because they have to pay their utility bills. So we pay those costs in order to keep the rent consistent for them, because their checks aren’t going up. So the Gifted Energy fundraiser is to help cover these costs to keep these individuals safe and housed and keep them from becoming homeless.”

Bradshaw reached out to a number of local artists to participate in the art benefit and the response was overwhelmingly positive. The end result is this weekend’s show featuring the art of Olga Alexeeva, Jade Bradshaw, Laurie Poole, Jairo Prado, Molly Rich, Southern Stained Glass, Holly “Raventalker” Stokes, Turnbull Pottery and Belinda Yandell. The show runs from 1pm-6pm on Saturday, November 20, at Billups Art here in East Nashville. Cost is a $10 donation at the door, and a silent auction, which concludes at 5:30pm, will help to raise more money to keep Woodbine’s clients warm this winter.

In addition to its low-income housing initiatives, Woodbine Community Organization also offers a varied lineup of other programs, including mortgage counseling, first-time homebuyer classes, Spanish classes, English-as-a-second-language classes, and rental assistance programs. For more information on Woodbine, visit their website at www.woodbinecommunity.org.

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Fight Back/Move Forward Art Show to Benefit Cancer Charity

Oct 1st, 2010
by Jason Kirk.
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See the work of local artists and contribute to a great cause at Billups Art

Looking to check out some local art while contributing to a worthy cause? You’ll want to block off your calendar later this month for Fight Back/Move Forward, an art show benefiting the SAMFund for young adult cancer survivors.

Since 2003, the SAMFund has awarded $500,000 to more than 250 young adults all over the United States. Those recipients have used the money to pay for rent and utilities, car and health insurance premiums, graduate tuition, vocational training, student loan repayment, current and residual medical bills, fertility-related expenses, gym memberships and transportation costs. The SAMFund website describes why they do what they do:

Transitioning into your 20s and 30s is difficult; the job market is tough, real estate is expensive and the cost of tuition is at an all time high. Learning how to live on your own is difficult.

Now imagine that you have just finished cancer treatment. You have lost valuable time and savings. You feel like you are years behind everyone else in your age group. To top it off, you are suddenly faced with many expenses you didn’t have to think about during treatment. In addition, you are trying to pay off residual medical bills while acquiring new ones through follow-up tests and check-ups.

When all of these issues collide, how do you find a job, pay for rent and afford school?

While wonderful organizations exist for both cancer patients and survivors to provide support, none were solely to provide financial assistance for young adult survivors struggling with their transition into post-treatment life. Frustrated by the lack of support, we sought a way close the gap.

Fight Back/Move Forward goes down on October 22 from 6pm-10pm at Billups Art, located at 1008-C Woodland Street here in East Nashville. A donation of $5 gets you access to artwork from local artists Jeff Bertrand, Dustin Dirt, Brooke E, Janet Lee, Brandt Hardin, Erin Lord, Charles Bennett and many more, as well as music from John Salaway’s Acoustic Revolution. All proceeds from the door, as well as from any artwork sold at the show, will go directly to SAMFund.

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The Art Show Strikes Back! at Octane Gallery

Aug 2nd, 2010
by Jason Kirk.
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When I was a kid, I loved the Star Wars films. The crazy aliens, the big space battles, and most of all the interesting characters grabbed my attention like little else could. Seeing Return of the Jedi in the theater was the highlight of second grade. I got my picture taken with Yoda at the mall that year, and I spent many a quarter in video arcades during the early 1980s playing the original Star Wars arcade game. The intervening years have seen my love for the franchise fall off a bit as it’s been watered down by over-marketing and the dull prequel trilogy that George Lucas forced on us all, but I still hang on to those fond memories of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca and the Millenium Falcon.

Jeff Bertrand's Darth Vader will be on display at Octane Gallery next month

It’s those childhood recollections (and my support for local artists) that will draw me out to Octane Gallery at Kustom Thrills Tattoo next month for The Art Show Strikes Back!, a two-man show featuring Star Wars-themed artwork by Jeff Bertrand and Charles Bennett. Solo pieces (pun intended) and a few collaborations between the two artists will be on display, illuminating the secret lives of major Star Wars characters and the bit-players who never got the full screen time they deserved.

“Priced to sell this artwork is,” says Bertrand from behind his classic 1980s Yoda mask. “So come prepared you must.”

The Art Show Strikes Back! opens on September 5th as part of ArtEast, and the show runs until October 17th. Octane Gallery is located inside Kustom Thrills Tattoo at 1000 Main Street, Suite 107.

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Reminder: Nashville Flood Relief Art Show on Saturday

May 14th, 2010
by Jason Kirk.
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Come help your neighbors - buy some art!

While you’re making your plans for this weekend, we hope you’ll make sure to incude a stop at Billups Art here in East Nashville on Saturday night to check out Art Flood, the Nashville Flood Relief Benefit Art Show. Your $5 donation at the door will benefit flood relief efforts at Hands On Nashville. A food drive to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank will also be held alongside the art show, so you can double up on helping the community by bringing along a few cans of non-perishable food. (Donations of pet food are also welcome!)

A full roster of local artists including Meg Winston Macfadyen, Dustin Dirt, Deez Decks, Jessica Hill, Jeff Bertrand, Rachel Hall Kirk, Brooke E., Garrett Foster, Athena Workman, Abigale Horne, Heather Walker Cecil, Jodi Reeves, Charles Clary, Michael Bielaczyc, Ash Sivils, Janet Lee, Anjeanette Illustrations, LA Photographie, Bradley Spitzer, Robert Cortner, Claudia M. Overstreet, Aaron & Michelle Grayum and others have donated works of art, with at least 50 percent of the proceeds of each piece, and in some cases 75 or 100 percent, going to Hands On Nashville.

In addition to all the art, there will be music all night from John Salaway of Acoustic Revolution and Mystery Trip. The show kicks off at Billups Art (1008-C Woodland St. here in East Nashville) at 6pm on Saturday, May 15th, and runs until 10pm.

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Nashville Flood Relief Art Show Next Weekend

May 4th, 2010
by Jason Kirk.
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Billups Art hosts the Nashville Flood Relief Art Show

The local art community is coming together this weekend to raise funds for the Nashville Red Cross and Hands On Nashville.

East Nashville art gallery Billups Art will play host to the Nashville Flood Relief Art Show next Saturday, May 15th, 2010. The opening will begin that night at 6pm and run until 10pm at Billups Art, which is located at 1008-C Woodland Street in the Five Points area of East Nashville.

Among the local artists who will be participating in the show are Meg Winston Macfadyen, Dustin Dirt, Deez Decks, Jessica Hill, Jeff Bertrand, Brooke E., Garrett Foster, Athena Workman, Abigale Horne, Heather Walker Cecil, Jodi Reeves, Charles Clary, Michael Bielaczyc, Ash Sivils, Janet Lee, AJ Illustrations and EastNashvilleBlog.com’s own Rachel Hall Kirk.

Come out and support your local artists' efforts to help our neighbors in need!

All of these generous artists’ work will be sold or auctioned off to benefit the charities working to bring relief to all our neighbors affected by this weekend’s flood. There will also be a food drive, so make sure to bring along any non-perishable canned goods that you can spare. Many of our neighbors who are either temporarily or permanently homeless also have pets, so the food drive at this weekend’s art show will accept non-perishable pet food as well.

If you can’t make it out this weekend to the Nashville Flood Relief Art Show, please consider sending a cash donation to the beneficiary organizations. For the Red Cross, you can donate online at www.nashvilleredcross.org, or by phone at 615-250-4300, or you can send $10 by texting ‘REDCROSS’ to 90999. For Hands On Nashville, click here to make an online donation or go to hon.org for more info on HON’s flood relief efforts.

UPDATE: The date of the show has been changed from the original night of May 8th. The show at Billups Art is now scheduled for next Saturday, May 15th, at 6pm.

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April ArtEast Preview

Apr 21st, 2010
by Jason Kirk.
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It’s the last weekend of the month, a time we all look forward to here at EastNashvilleBlog.com because we get to see new art at all the local galleries participating in ArtEast.

This month’s spotlight at Art and Invention Gallery is on Bell’s Bend: A Sense of Place, featuring work connected to “the landscapes, people, history and future of Bell’s Bend.” The show features the work of Anne R. Williams, Brenda Butka, Denise 
Hawkins, DiAnne Patrick, Don Evans, Jean Gauld-Jaeger, Jim Osborn, Joel 
Knapp, John Kuenneth, Lisa Rivas, Martha Berry, Mary Sue Kern, Nathalie Van 
Balen, Paul Schatckin, Sheila B., and Stacey Irvin.

Betty Badd's at Billups Art (say that five times fast!)

Over at Billups Art it’s all about Betty Malo, the artist behind Betty Badd Couture who was named MTV’s designer of the year. Greta Gaines will be the musical act at the monthly ArtEast after-party at Billups.

Translation is still running at Open Lot (though, sadly, Jozef van Willem and his Jimmy Page-style lute have disappeared into East Nashville history). And local artist Dustin Dirt’s show Hide and Go Freak, which opens this Thursday, will continue to run in the new Octane Gallery at Kustom Thrills Tattoo.

The work of Team Rhodes will be up at Humankind

Daniel Hawks‘ gallery Studio 83 and socially conscious thrift store Humankind, both located at the giant complex housed at 604 Gallatin Road, will each host the work of a number of artists. Studio 83 will be the night’s home for artists Robert Cortner and Cheryl Darnell, while Humankind will shine a light on Antwan Hamilton, Lloyd Bruce Tucker, and Josh and Sarah Rhodes, known together as Team Rhodes.

It's mystery night at Fanny's House of Music

Bongo Java features the artwork of the Meigs Magnet Middle School Eighth Grade Advanced Art Class. Wonders on Woodland, Back East, and Cloud 12, all located together at 1110 Woodland Street, are teaming up for  A Fun Art Show with the work of local artists Jerry Uselton, Lori Honig, Fernando Cadena and Debbie G. And Fanny’s House of Music has “a mystery stew of art and musical entertainment” booked for the night.

Looks like there will be a little something for everyone, as we’ve come to expect from ArtEast. All the participating galleries will stay open from 6pm-9pm on Saturday, April 24, with the after-party at Billups kicking off around 9:30pm.

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Reno Bo “There’s A Light” Video

Apr 20th, 2010
by Jason Kirk.
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Among all the many happenings in town today are a few other things – including the release of Electric Western recording artist (and East Nashville resident) Reno Bo‘s new video for his single, “There’s A Light.” Meticulously crafted from hand-drawn pieces and cutouts by Reno himself, this video is part Beatles, part Python-era Terry Gilliam, and all good.

RSS readers, click through for the Reno Bo – “There’s A Light” video

If you like what you see, go check out www.RenoBo.com for links to purchase his album, Happenings And Other Things, and to get a free copy of the “There’s A Light” single. And if social media is your thing, you can follow Reno on Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace.

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