Meet up with ‘fellow arts lovers’ from 5:30 - 7:30pm for drinks specials, conversation and a few raffles. A glass piece by McGuffey’s Chip Hall will be raffled off - he has been blowing glass for 18 years and makes fantastic use of both color and form. See you there!
For more info on this monthly series, call the PCA office at 434.971.ARTS. I also encourage you to sign up for their email alerts - very relevant and not too wordy, I promise.
Here’s what’s up and what’s going down for all you First Friday-ers.
Shelby Fischer exhibits a collection (”The Eternal Now”) at Les Yeux du Monde. I implore you to go see her pieces: the Hook touches briefly on her “always-interesting” shows, but I don’t think their meager description does her justice.
We all associate the local university with different things- the football team, the Lawn, the legacy of Southern tradition. But how about adding to that… THE SPOT to make and show art? I read on UVaToday that the Art department has moved into brand-new digs on Culbreath Rd and all programs are now together under one roof. Jane Ford, a senior news officer at UVa tells us that upon entrance in the new Ruffin Hall, “It is immediately evident that the making and displaying of art is serious business at the University of Virginia.”
August droned on for far too long. The prospects of cooler weather (um, maybe), fresh school supplies and a few new happenings at various galleries around town are enough to rouse me from an air-conditioned stupor.
The students are staying on the Corner, so get out, get a drink and see what’s going on at First Fridays this week:
The Bridge opens two new exhibitions: local painter Dave Moore and local photographer Andy Acquaro.
Acquaro’s work is being pulled from his series called ‘Intimate Profiles,’ and the idea is to experience the subjects the same way as if you were standing with them face-to-face.
Allie Pesch received her MA in art history from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University and is a graduate of the University of Virginia and Western Albemarle High School. She has previously worked at Second Street Gallery in Charlottesville, P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in Queens, and most recently at 31GRAND, a contemporary art gallery on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Allie moved back home to Charlottesville with her husband and their three month old daughter this summer.
We’re really excited to add Allie. We’ve got another addition to our arts team which we will announce soon (and word is Pinkie is back in full force!). In the meantime, you can reach Allie at art@spicybear.com !
I stumbled across this really amazing video of Ferrofluid Art. Sachiko uses iron-filled liquids and electricity to manipulate the structure of this really cool substance. You have to watch the video…
It’s almost time for First Fridays again and last month I told you about this cool art/architecture exhibit going up in the CCDC here.
The Design center has some sweet pictures up on their Flickr account now and it looks like it was quite a good time dancing and hanging out amongst the architecture exhibit. The lighting reminds me of Artini. Did we miss the art party of the year?
Since it’s almost Independence day, I’ve been racking my brain for some examples of art that have to do with July 4th. Then I realized that little pieces of art have been under our noses the entire time. On firecracker labels. Have you ever stopped to look at them? There are some pretty cool illustrations on some. Think I’m kidding? Check out some of the fine examples I found… »Read More
While we were getting ready for the Festival of the Photograph, in Australia many were up in arms against the photography of artist Bill Henson. His photographs of nude teenagers were confiscated by police and his exhibit shut down before it even opened.
One more thing: check out Americans for the Arts Action Fund’s side-by-side comparison of where the presidential candidates stand on arts-related policy issues.
Since it’s almost Independence day, I’ve been racking my brain for some examples of art that have to do with July 4th. Then I realized that little pieces of art have been under our noses the entire time. On firecracker labels. Have you ever stopped to look at them? There are some pretty cool illustrations on some. Think I’m kidding? Check out some of the fine examples I found… 
