Sol Cooper Gallery

A detail from a new piece I made from this show:
No Reistance
conte and acrylic on wooden puzzel pieces
8" x 8" x 2"
2008

One of Susann Whittier's classic works

curated into this exhibition by Robert Lynch, owner of SOL COOPER GALLERY

If you click on this link it will take you to a collection of photos taken at the opening for LOST AND FOUND: Five Women working with Found Objects. Petersburg is slowing simmering with creative possibilities. I am confident that one day it will be a lively rue of truly charming, occassionally exotic collection of eccentrics and artists from all over. At present it is a little like a salad bar. There are galleries that perfer iceberg and others that go more for roquet!

Sol Cooper Gallery is an exciting indicator of what is possible in Petersburg.

Pollak Prize Quote of the Day!

"You were soooooooo good!"
- Mandy Moore, pop singer and star of HBO's Entourage
talking to Harry Kollatz, Jr, Master of Ceremonies

Last night I collected myself and the arsenal of remedies I am taking for whatever strain of crud that's been draining into my bronchial system. I knew it would be a well worth the effort since it was the tenth anniversary of the awards ceremony for the Theresa Pollak Prize for Excellence in the Arts.

Several friends and colleagues were award recipients and then of course my better half, the Harryman, was the M.C.

I sat in the back row to avoid interrupting the show with my coughing and it proved to be the best place to take in the spectacle of artists being moved by the rare opportunity to watch other Richmond artists receive accolades.

My two favorite responses to Harry's "suave"* introductions were Jerry Donato's and Johnny Hott's. When Jerry was asked if he had anything to say he simply said "no." After the standing ovation he and Joan Gaustad received for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts he was probably speechless. Joan nearly swallowed her words with emotion.

When Johnny Hott accepted his award for Excellence as a Vocalist/Instrumentalist he walked on stage with with his lovely, if tearful, six year old daughter Odessa and said he didn't know if he would be the musician he is today or be part of the Richmond music scene if it weren't for his friend Bryan. These two acceptances both brought tears to my eyes which quickly evolved to laughter with Mr. K's laser wit. He was "on" last night and it added another level of joy to a beautiful evening at the Singleton Performing Arts Center.

The complete list of the award recipients for the
Theresa Pollak Award for Excellence in the Arts:

Photography: Georgianne Stinnett
Vocalist/Instrumentalist: Johnny Hott
Fine Art: Jack Wax
Dance: Pam Turner
Enemble: Modern Groove Syndicate **
Film: Sonali Gulati
Lifetime Achievement: Gerald Donato and Joan Gaustad
Emerging Artist: Colleen Curran
Applied Arts: Karl Green
Theatre: Richmond Shakespeare Theatre
Words: Laura Browder


The artful graphic above and the description of the Pollak Prize below are from the Richmond Magazine website:

This is Theresa Pollak posing for her bat mitzvah portrait at Temple Beth Ahabah on Franklin Street in 1913. A born and raised Richmonder, she had a full life ahead of her.

Pollak established in 1928 what evolved into Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts, where she taught for 41 years. During the 1930s she founded the art program at the University of Richmond, her alma mater (she graduated from Westhampton College, now part of the University of Richmond, in 1921). Pollak’s work was often shown in exhibits and collections, and she was a lifelong student. In 1958, she enrolled in the Art Students’ League of New York and learned from abstract expressionist Hans Hofmann. Pollak died in September 2002 at the age of 103. In 1998, Richmond magazine introduced the honors named for her. Several past recipients are no longer among us: jazz violinist and educator Joe Kennedy Jr.; artist, mentor and professor Richard Carlyon; theater director Ernie McClintock and actor Mary Sue Carroll. Three Pollaks were posthumous, those for artist Esther Elizabeth Motts, editorial cartoonist Jeff MacNelly and musical enthusiast and broadcaster Eric E. Stanley. Perhaps no one honoree was more influential than Carlyon, himself a student of Pollak. He recalled in 2001, “One valuable lesson I learned from Ms. Pollak was that you can’t feign seriousness in the pursuit of art.” Or, in the words of Roger Carroll, the 2006 Vocalist honoree, “There ain’t nobody lyin’ up in here.”

*Harry's comments as described by award recipient Laura Browder
** The pianist for Modern Groove Syndicate is Mandy Moore's beau

TRANSFORMER

Transformer, curated by Amy Moorfield, is one of the best summer shows I've seen at the Anderson since Steven High ran the gallery. It rocks! Feast is a collective of six collaborative artists: Terral Bolton, Terry Brown, Sherry Griffin, Stephanie Lundy, C.J. Hawn and Chris Norris. "Feast Hearts Mexico" is as much fun to look at as it probably was to create. The Mariachi band documented in the photographs makes me want to salsa. If Cindy Shermans's photos were this much fun to create I'd probably enjoy them more.

I wish Mark Newport were really a superheroe who happens to knit his own leotards. Richmond's obessive knitters and comic book collectors would likely find inspiration here. I did. Transformer also includes installations by McCallum & Tarry and Annie Schap and will be up through August 11.

The Soulful Invasion of Carytown

Last Saturday a brass band from a Church Hill neighborhood prayer group decided they wanted to blow their instruments in Carytown. Harry happened to be there to encourage them to set up close to the NYD, the Byrd, etc. It turned into a lovely street party that truly reflected the atmosphere and spirit of our neighborhood and confirmed the many reasons we choose to live in what Harry calls WOBSOC since we don't benefit from the numerous historic designations our neighboring hoods are known for. (west of boulevard, south of cary)

We were wobbly with the spirit of the night, the love of brass and the joy everyone felt that spontaneous good things can happen on our streets on a Saturday night. I shot some video of the band and crowd that I'll try to post before the end of the weekend.
*update The United House of Prayer for All People was handing out postcards this past Friday evening as they performed in the same location in Carytown. The church which sponsors these soulful musicians (and provides their instruments!) is located at 926 Chimborazo Blvd in Richmond, VA. Sunday services are at 11 am and 7:30 pm. If anything could keep me awake on a Sunday morning it would be these guys. They aren't quite a dirge band in the New Orleans sense but they come as close as one will likely get in the state of Virginia. Harry and I would second line these guys all the way to the White House but I don't know if my fellow Virginians would know to get in line behind them. It is a very different culture.

Get ready, get set, GO!

Ay yi yi.
Finally. The holidays are over. NOW, if I can get through a birthday celebration this week I will finally concentrate on life as it is normally lived, directed by a series of NY resolutions that will aid in all things Amie... a better world....or World view, at least. I do what I can but lets face it, I could do more... I WILL do more.

Last night we made the rounds to a number of NYeve parties. The weather held so we were able to take the bus, which was FREE on NY eve! How wonderful! This is a resolution from last year that has stuck.

We landed back at ground central in time to pick up my Mum and walk over the the Byrd for the first ever NYeve celebration in Carytown. It was a good thing and very educational. I learned what a tough old bird my mom is and that was refreshing. We wound up in a bottle neck with dozens of college age kids pushing though. I looked at my mom fearing she would freak out... NOPE. She had a big smile on her face and was pushing back with her umbrella in place to protect herself! What a relief!

Black Cash was playing - which was a perfect sound for this crowd. Every generation loves the original music outlaw, Johnny Cash. The family lore is that my grandfather spent a night in the drunk tank with Mr. Cash... so I have a particular affection for his music. My Mom liked it. "They were good!" She'll be 70 her next birthday so she's heard a lot of music in her day.
If the Carytown event hadn't happened we probably would have made our way to Art6 to hear Rattlemouth. We don't have many traditions in our household but a long standing one was to dance to the Mummies wherever they played on NYeve. Rattlemouth features 3 former Mummies so its the next best thing.

Problem is, as open minded as my Mom is she just doesn't respond to that kind of beat. She's a tough bird, though! Happy 2007 to all, and to all a good night!