Hot August art stops

There are several hot spots for summer gallery visits this August. Put on your walking shoes and visit these spots for creative inspiration.

Last Chance: Martin Center Frist Gallery at the Nashville Ballet Offices -- Jason Facio’s exhibit closes August 11

The show, Juissance, explores Jacque Lacan's concept of pleasure and joy against the pain in life. The mixed media paintings on wood, planks and canvas reflect autobiographical anecdotes and social commentary.

Facio, a native of Florida, was raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he received his formal training at the Architecture School of Universidad de Belgrano. He returned to the USA in 1996 to pursue his artist goals.

Facio has designed sets for Nashville Ballet productions and premiered his first gallery show in 2000 to great acclaim. This collection of paintings will be featured at the Nashville Ballet's Frist Gallery from May 11, through August 11.

The Frist Gallery is located in the Regions School of Nashville Ballet studios located at 3630 Redmon Street in Nashville. Paintings may be viewed Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Call (615) 297-2966, ext. 21, for more information.

Plowhaus Temporary Home Second Floor Tennessee Art League*

KA-POW!  The Plowhaus Artists' Cooperative proudly presents "Heroes and Villains," a Plowhaus Art Show running August 2-30. Gallery Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WOW-art bursting with animation, displaying mostly comic book style, sequential art, or art inspired by the world of comic books. A wide array in technique, mediums and style from artist to artist will leave the viewer on a cliffhanger - which to take home?  Twenty-four Nashville artists join forces to bring you jaw-dropping works of art.

HOLY FEATURED ARTISTS! : Tracy Ratliff, Ayjey, John Barcus, Marlynda Augelli, John Newman, Jack Coggins, Alison Logan, Diane Stockard, Susie Monick, Shelly Santana, Stacy Klinger, Kevin Brock, Robert Bruce Scott, Carrie Mills, Mel Davenport, Andee Rudloff, David Goodman, John Holland , Dirk Mooth, Stephen McClure, Barry Noland, Peggy Bonnington, Jennifer Campbell and M. David White.

*Please make note that although TAL has Visa/MC service all art purchased for the Plowhaus is on a cash only basis. I tried to buy a Julie Sola work on a weekday during the Value Menu show and not only did I have to turn the lights on upstairs myself to view the art, when I came back down in the elevator with the piece they would not take my check or my check card for the purchase. 

I didn’t have the right amount of cash on me so I was unable to purchase the work. I was then told by the TAL docent that I would have to take the work back up the elevator and return it to the wall myself. I think it’s great that Plowhaus has a temporary home at TAL, but I for one am eager for them to return to 37206. If you go, take cash. Meanwhile, Julie, call me about that work, I still want it.

Estel Gallery

Most artists can trace their initial interest in art to the drawings they first made as children. Yet as an art form, contemporary drawing has become less appreciated with the increase in variety of art media available and the notion of what is considered art. This summer Estel Gallery dedicates its walls to artists who continue to refine their skills and creativity through the art of drawing, pushing it to new levels. Estel Gallery is pleased to present a group show, Line: A Drawing Exhibition from August 1-31. 

Estel Gallery strives to expose patrons and collectors to exceptional new and emerging contemporary artists, whose work is innovative, stimulating and moving. The gallery is located at 115 Rosa L Parks Blvd (formerly 8th Ave. North). Hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday noon to 3 p.m. and by appointment. For more information, call (615) 251-8997. All works may be viewed on the gallery’s Web site at www.estelgallery.com.

Rymer Gallery

Now see a local artist featuring work by George Downing, Julia Martin and Seth Conley. Seth indicates that his work is more of a "self impression" than "self portraits."

"I enjoy working with a wide range of zymology to express myself," Conley said. "I want to depict segments of my life which seem common yet are powerful cross sections of humanity."

Julia Martin is an artist whose work I hope to add to my own collection some day soon. Martin's latest canvases find her emotive subjects populating dream-scenes, musing on wonders, or perhaps simply laughing to themselves. Surreal and silly, brooding and bizarre; Martin's paintings stand alone as icons, fables, or postcards from the dreamtime. Together, her evolving body of work is like a sci-fi valentine evoking nostalgia for the future: a sense of deja vu about something you can't recall. 

Also showing is an interesting collection from Phurba Namgay. When he was a child, as part of his preparation to become a monk, he studied Tibetan writing (Choki), “dharma” and “ritual” under watchful eye of his uncle, who happened to be one of Bhutan’s Lama’s. Exhibiting unusual talent for drawing, at the age of 13 he entered formal studies of traditional Bhutanese painting, at the Institute for Zorig Chusum, the government’s school of traditional arts in Thimphu. Zorig Chusum means “13 Arts”.

Tennessee State Museum, Two New Exhibits

Legs & Leaves: Creations from the Cumberland Furniture Guild, features furniture that is fun and attractive as well as functional.  This juried show includes a number of internationally known furniture makers, some of whose work is included in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery and the High Museum in Atlanta.  

Also opening is the work of noted photographer Nancy Lee Andrews in an exhibition entitled A Dose of Rock 'n' Roll & A Pinch of Country. The first section of the exhibit will pay homage to the rock and roll artists of the 1970s from Ringo Starr and George Harrison to Eric Clapton and Keith Moon, while the second will showcase such country music superstars as Martina McBride, George Jones and Big & Rich, among others.            

Studio B Gallery

Now presenting Steven Miller and Victor Schmidt.  Steven Miller lives and maintains a studio both in New York City and in Connecticut. He has exhibited on the national and international level including New York, Los Angeles, London, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Berlin and Cologne.

Miller's paintings are all about saturated color, superb selection of form and the interplay of new technology colliding with classical ideals.

Victor Schmidt is a sculpture who recently moved to Nashville.  His work is a reflection of decades of study in the field of metalwork. Though his works are modern in terms of their presentation, the qualities inherent in each piece include timeless reflections of the human experience. The gallery is located at 2814 12th Ave. South in Nashville.

WhistlePig + Alfa Romeo F1

SHOREHAM, VT (September 13, 2023) — WhistlePig Whiskey, the leaders in independent craft whiskey, and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake are waving the checkered flag on a legend-worthy release that’s taking whiskey to G-Force levels. The Limited Edition PiggyBack Legends Series: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is a high Rye Whiskey selected by the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake drivers, with barrels trialed in their wind tunnel to ensure a thrilling taste in every sip.

The third iteration in WhistlePig’s Single Barrel PiggyBack Legends Series, the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is bottled at 96.77 proof, a nod to Valtteri Bottas’ racing number, 77, and the precision of racing. Inspired by Zhou Guanyu, the first Chinese F1 driver, this Rye Whiskey is finished with lychee and oolong tea. Herbal and floral notes of the oolong tea complement the herbaceous notes of WhistlePig’s signature PiggyBack 100% Rye, rounded out with a juicy tropical fruit finish and a touch of spice.

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