Archive for the 'Charlotte Arts' Category

Come Into the Park, Charlotte Symphony Springtime Fundraiser

April 13th, 2009 categories: A Charlotte Institution, Charlotte Arts, Fun for Grown Ups, Giving Back in Charlotte, Myers Park, Rhonda Gibbons

Gabrielle Shain is at it again ~ doing what she and her Shain Gallery on Selwyn Avenue in Myers Park do best!  Come Into the Park is an opportunity to support the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, dine and dance and to view new works by two nationally recognized artists. I know this will be an awesome event and an chance to see (watch how fast they sell) new works from Kim Schuessler and Geoffrey Johnson who are two of the countries most original, up and coming artists! Kim and Geoff went to art school together, are good friends and delightful people ~ getting to know the artist makes the art so much more memorable! Their works adorn many of Charlotte’s finest homes. Every time I look at the piece Geoffrey did for our wedding I think of the day I met my good friend in France. (story below)

If you are not familiar with their work you will be amazed, while Kim and Geoffrey’s styles are very different, their art genuinely reflects the way they see the world around them. At first you might think Kim’s work playful and Geoff’s brooding that would  be a mistake ~ look closer to see that Geoff’s ethereal work is all about the light and Kim’s figures have a deeper meaning and backstory. Kim and Geoff are not siblings but their art is what you might expect from a brother and sister, not the same, independent but somehow deeply connected. It is a joy to meet them and to see their work!

So Geoff and me in France…two weeks after 9/11 Rhonda and I off to France for a Connie   Winter’s artist workshop - one week, fifteen women, unlimited wine, french countryside, Geoff and me.  Upon meeting Geoffrey in the Marseilles airport we immediately grabbed a beer, became fast friends and set out together to maintain some semblance of “manliness” for the week. Not to fear, this incredible group of smart, funny, talented women took us under their wing — put it this way we learned about a lot more than just painting! Anyway we became good friends and Rhonda and I have become not only huge fans of Geoff’s work but of the person!

So I hope you will join us for Come Into the Park at the Symphony Park band shell (and don’t forget the Summer Concert Series there later in June!) in Southpark on May 14 more information click here. And when you’re in Myers Park please check out the Shain Gallery, one of Charlotte’s best ~ be sure to check out Connie Winter’s work, her son Darren Young’s and of course Kim and Geoff’s too. Say hello to Gabrielle if art is your thing then you want to know Gabrielle!

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: No Comments »

Charlotte’s Artsy Side, No Duh!

December 17th, 2008 categories: Charlotte Arts, Charlotte Lifestyle, Communities

How would you react if you were walking down the street and encountered a belly dancer in full regalia performing for a crowd?  Would you stay and watch the rhythmic movements of her hips or would you swiftly move away to avoid the scene?  If the day was a first or third Friday in the North Charlotte community of NoDA, then you need not worry since it ’s one of potential sights of the bimonthly Gallery Crawl event.

NoDa, aka North Davidson, is known as a hub for art galleries, performing arts, eclectic shops, and interesting cuisine in Charlotte.  NoDa sits at the intersection of North Davidson Street and 36th Street.  This North Charlotte community, which sits two miles from Uptown, has a bimonthly event to share its cultural richness with the rest of Charlotte and the surrounding area.

Gallery Crawl is an event in which the NoDa art galleries are open every first and third Friday evening of every month from approximately 6 pm to 9:30 pm.  These late openings give interested people an opportunity to take a leisurely walk to get an art galore.  There are also bars, restaurants, boutiques, and other interesting sights along the route.  It’s a free for all so you never know what you may see as you walk along the street. . . belly dancers, fortune tellers, and street musicians are some of the possible sights.   What a great arts scene that we have here in Charlotte!  Soho’s Little Sister, as this area is called by the NODA Association,  may be an accurate description after all.

Check out a video of some of the sights and sounds of Gallery Crawl:

Now, you NoDa scene.

Spoken by Satyra Riggins | Discussion: No Comments »