Art Amiss VII Recap

A few brief notes before I delve into my review of Art Amiss VII:

First, I will be having a reception tonight, Friday, September 21st for my latest exhibit, "Spellbound" at the Julie Wait Designs Gallery in Rogers, Arkansas from 5-8pm as part of the Rogers Twilight Art walk. I am looking forward to being there and talking with folks about my work. This exhibit will include 17 recent works, many of which debuted at the Mullins Library at the University of Arkansas earlier this summer (so if you missed that show, please come to Julie Wait Designs) there will also be several new smaller works in the exhibit as well. "Spellbound" will be up until October 19th.

I am thrilled to be showing at the Julie Wait Designs Gallery, I had the pleasure of working with them last fall and was so excited when six of my paintings were chosen by them to be placed in the President and Vice President's offices of the Legacy National Bank headquarters in Springdale. Naturally, I was pleased when they asked me to show in their gallery. So, come on out to Rogers tonight!

Second, the exhibit "Intuition" with my paintings and Helen Phillips ceramics work will be coming to a close on September 29th. So if you haven't seen it yet, please try to stop by the DDP gallery soon, and of course spread the word. I am very pleased with the response my work has received, so far six pieces have sold, but there are still many lovely pieces that are deserving of a good home or business.

Alright, now back to Art Amiss VII, the event was held last night at the Dickson Street Theatre in Fayetteville.It is so impressive to think that seven of these events have now taken place over the years and they just get better and better. Art Amiss is an impassioned event that captures all mediums of visual art as well as fashion, jewelry, music, movies, and writing-it really is a multimedia extravaganza. The $5.00 cover charge was well worth it and included a free chapbook and CD sampler of some of Fayetteville's local bands.

The event seemed to flow well, and early in the night there was great music at an easy volume to allow the art to really be viewed and nicely accentuated by the music. The artists who were near their work were easily able to be heard while discussing their process. Later in the night the volume was cranked up a notch or two and it was a fun scene.

After I looked at everything on the main floor, I dashed upstairs where the bulk of the visual art was presented, and instantly fell in love with Ginny Sims pottery. Ginny was right there with her work, very approachable and easy to talk with. I really like the solid quality of her work, along with the poetic "decals" of black and white graphics and words fused into her pottery. It was this that really made her work speak to me. There were small houses that could sit on their own, or be placed to hang on the wall. Her chic collection consisted of espresso cups and saucers, plates, salad plates, large platters, and tumblers as well as other functional items, and of course the collection of houses. I really appreciated her ascetic, the Terra cotta clay was glazed in a milky white and then sometimes colored with faint greens, peaches, or a shot of gold to accent the stark black and white images and words. The President of Art Amiss, Robin Atkinson said Ginny's work should be called "Hottery" and I concur. I will look forward to seeing more of Ginny Sims work in the future.

Another stand out for me last night was Greg Moore. His large painting of Assata Shakur caught my eye, and commanded the attention of the room even when placed high over a stairwell. Smartly the artist placed a pamphlet that included a commentary by Mos Def about Assata Shakur, so that we could understand her and learn about her plight.

Greg Moore's war resister series is equally stirring, and I am impressed that he uses his talent to also express his political views, as well as to educate the viewer. His style of painting is bold and painterly with great use of color. For me, his paintings have a slight R. Crumb quality to them that I enjoy without the exaggeration or comic quality. I wish Greg Moore only the best, and look forward to seeing more of his work out in the public eye soon.

I really enjoyed the movies viewed at Art Amiss last night, as it was held outside in the parking lot next door, just that new element gave it an exciting feeling to me, there is nothing quite like sitting outside with the moon peeking through the trees above watching short Indie films. I loved it. There was a nice mix of mystery, ironic comedy, and nostalgia ( Sarah K. Moore's beautiful films always make me want to cry and go back in time- and that is a good thing).

There were many other wonderful artists presenting work last night, and unfortunately I can't mention them all. I was impressed with the overall quality and quantity of the work, and enjoyed the evening. It was full of energy and excitement. I think Art Amiss is an amazing event, and everyone that participated, should feel really proud. The fashion show was fun, the music was great, movies enjoyed and art was being sold- Congratulations to all involved. Thank you for the energy, spunk, and spark you consistently bring to Fayetteville's art scene.


See my painting "Lovely Upheaval" at the DDP gallery
7 East Mountain St. Fayetteville.
Open: W-F 12-7 and Sat. 10-5
and by appointment.

"Intuition" Works by Megan Chapman and Helen Phillips
August 15- September 29 2007