I’m Getting Ready

 

Installation processes are in full swing here at the John Cleary Gallery for Keliy Anderson-Staley’s Imagined Family Heirlooms, opening this Saturday, March 26 with a reception from 6-8pm.

Keliy and husband, Matt, hanging pieces from her Baking Pan Series.  I want cookies NOW!!!

 

Selections waiting for placement. PICK ME, PICK ME!!

 

Imagined Family Heirlooms harkens back to the rootless nature of the American identity, with many individuals unable to place family histories back more than one or two generations. This series of installations, comprised of both found and newly-made objects alike, suggests those photographs and sentimental objects one might have collected over the years. Domesticity in a wide range of connotations plays a central part in her works, as is evident in the use of rusted baking pans as a unifying visual motif.

As is the nature of the beast, we are sad to see Renate Aller’s One View, Ten Years exhibit coming to a close but simultaneously thrilled to welcome Keliy to her first solo show here at the gallery!

Please join us for the opening this weekend or stop by anytime during the next month to see the exhibit or peruse our other selections.

Catherine hard at work on the website!

 

Artist: Ann Nesby/ Album: The Fighting Temptations

When the Suns Come Out

 

At one point we had to endure a brief, yet quite torrential, downpour.  If it were June I would have called it a summer shower but, you know, it’s still February.  Lucky for us it only lasted about ten minutes and the sky remained stunning for the remainder of the day.

When I was a senior in High School our church choir took a tour to Washington D.C. to perform with other choirs from around the country.  As Congressman Turner is a member of our church were were able to get a group picture taken on the steps on the Capitol building with him and Ginny!

 

With such a short span of time in the area I had to pick and choose which buildings/museums to delve into and which to just take at what essentially amounts to “face value.”  This go around the Capitol happens to fall into the latter of the two.

And, for a further insight into how my mind works, I took this picture from here because the view reminded me of one of Renate Aller’s photographs now on display at the John Cleary Gallery in Houston. You see the resemblance, right? RIGHT!?!?!

 

I dunno… some statue of some guy on some horse.  It’s probably historically important?

 

“There it is,” as David said, “your tax dollars at… something.”

 

Artist: Judy Garland/ Album: The Capitol Years

Up on the Roof

 

You know how it goes… you meet a sassy Brit, make a few Catherine Tate* references and all of a sudden you’re on the roof of an art gallery making up one fifth of a United Colors of Benetton ad.  Oh those sassy Brits, always getting me into trouble.

That’s right, folks, it’s time for another one of our (mostly) monthly installments of “Gallery Row” openings, brought to you of course by Catherine and the John Cleary Gallery. I was unable to make the last one, but luckily they held showing over for one more month.

“Untitles (42- December 2006)” from Renate Aller’s One View, Ten Years

 

In addition to the main exhibit there are always a rotation of other pieces from the Cleary collection.  I hadn’t seen this one during any of my previous visits and couldn’t look at it without thinking of one night at Blue Lake when my friend Mason and I went out to the beach and took a much needed respite from all those campers.

Where’s the soccer ball!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

 

In addition to geeking out over photography at the Cleary, I also love these evenings because there is such a breadth of styles and genres spread out over the various galleries.  My other favorites of the night came from Thom Andriola’s New Gallery.  Their current exhibition of Russian artist Valentin Popov’s work actually fit in perfectly with the sea-scapes next door.

“Looking into…” (2009)

 

Much like the Cleary, they also had a variety of other pieces not representing the main exhibitionist.  Or is it exhibitioner?  Exhibiter? Painter… we’ll just say painter.

Margaret Munz-Losch’s “Black Cat” (2009)

 

Gordon Terry’s “Depleted Aristocrats, marginal Poets, Unhealthy Socialites and other Deviants” (2003)

 

Upon being asked by the girl (wo)manning the wine I had to comment: “you must hear this all the time, but your accent is absolutely intoxicating!” And thus Betsy and I were instant friends.  We chatted throughout the evening (while she wasn’t answering questions about the artwork) and I even subbed in a bit:

“Ugh, darling, I’ve been at it all night and haven’t even had the chance to sneak away to the lou.”

“Sheesh, lemme take over for you!”

So… I did a little impromptu bartending (the options were red, white, or water; it’s not like I was whipping up Pisco sour’s or anything) and fielded some questions about the artist, knowing about 30% of the answers and making up the ones I didn’t. Betsy even gave me some of the tips at the end of the evening with one stipulation: you can use this to buy me a drink later.  SOLD!

Left: Popov’s portrait of Thom.  Center: Betsy Betsy  Right: Thom

 

After closing, two other art-goers invited us to the roof of a nearby gallery which was of course answered with an emphatic “YESSSS” by Betsy and me.  We were joined by her two Italian friends (their names escape me…let’s just call them Roberto and Francesco, shall we?), bringing together the Benetton add I mentioned earlier.  Also on the roof was another patron (I say “patron” because she probably actually has the money to buy the pieces on display) who was decked out in a black top hat, veil and a ruby red jacket, the culmination of which I can only describe as Alexander McQueen meets the Ringling Brothers.  Yet another reason why I love the arts… the crazies are always out!

I had the chance to follow through with my drink promise when we all headed out to Zimm’s Martini Bar. Two more of Betsy’s friends, this time a bevy of Mexican beauties, Laura and Paulina, met us there effectively rounding out our mock U.N. assembly for the evening. A lovely evening was had by all and it’s always a plus when I can add new names to the short list of friends I have in the city.

As always, I’ll put my final caveat here… GO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ARTISTS!!! (Hell, support foreign artists—just support!)  Much like opera, it is something that can only really be experienced in person, so just get out and DO IT!

Artist: Carole King/ Album: The Essential Carole King

Don’t know who Catherine Tate is?  SHAME ON YOU!!  Besides being my favorite companion on Dr. Who, she is also one of Britain’s best sketch comedians.  There was a point when I was in Michigan and all I could talk about was the most recent skit I had seen on The Catherine Tate Show. In honor of Matt and Joanie, Matt and Mallory, and basically anyone who has ever had a child, here are two clips from her show that I love:

 

“Do you remember that baby I had six months ago?…”