By J. Everett
In a world full of throw-aways, three artists prove that one person’s trash is someone else’s treasure. Emily Allison, Mark Lammie, and Kenny Hays find beauty and humor in the discarded. Their imaginative works fill Gallery Fifty Six with “trashy art” for the September show, Recycle!
Emily Allison loves junk. You may call it garbage, but in Emily’s hands those tin cans become finely beaten silver and those bits of glass transform into enamel mosaics. Throwing her offbeat sense of humor into her shake and bake creations, she serves up sculptures and collages that are beautiful, yet quietly humorous.
Mark Lammie gathers previously used materials like cans, wood, dirt, and bark for his work. “The materials I use have all been discovered along my art making road and get used, discarded, and reused constantly…every work I create is an act of discovery as well as a repeat of a previous act, just like life.” His creations will lure you in as his stories unfold.
Kenny Hays has always been a railroad man, which means lots of down time waiting for that next train. That’s when he hits the tracks and picks up stuff. Lots of stuff! His found-object mobiles hang from Memphis overpasses, and his lone pipe and pliers saxophone player is soon joined by an entire scrap-metal orchestra. You’ll be delighted with his repertoire.
Everyone is invited to the artist’s reception, Friday, September 10, from 5-8pm, at Gallery Fifty Six, 2256 Central Avenue. Wear your garage sale bargains and enjoy seeing what really happened to all that stuff you’ve thrown away! For more information go online to galleryfiftysix.com or call (901) 276-1251.

By Carroll Oswalt
The Chartreuse Envelope: Murder in Memphis by Dr. James C. Paavola, is a suspense/thriller written from the perspective of a fictional psychologist working with Memphis police officers as they solve murders. This is the first in a planned series of novels with the second book scheduled for release early next year.
In this story the conflict begins when the sub-prime mortgage strategies begin to unwind in 2007 and the stock market experiences the first waves of economic collapse. Against this backdrop, Dr. Charleze Mitchell plans to save her hedge fund by any means necessary—including industrial sabotage, illegal stock price manipulation, and murder.
Beginning with the appearance of a blood-stained chartreuse envelope, Memphis Police Lieutenant Julia Todd systematically uncovers Mitchell’s plot and the planned murders of three biomedical engineers. Both the criminal and the lieutenant are products of abusive parents. One child matured to become protective of others’ rights, while one became self-protective and Machiavellian. These two women lead their respective teams in a high stakes game of “the winner lives.”
Kirkus Discoveries, a national book reviewer, hailed it as an “intricately plotted mystery thriller…sleuthing is engaging…Paavola keeps the action coming and his characters consistently interesting…” And our own Colonel Lori Bullard, Precinct Commander of Union Station, applauded the book as “well thought out…riveting…couldn’t put it down…”
James Paavola has been a practicing psychologist in Memphis for over 35 years, retiring from Memphis City Schools in 1999. He draws upon his expertise with children, adolescents, families, and the education system throughout his writing. From his positions with Memphis City Schools he participated in numerous projects with the Memphis Police Department, including procedures for dealing with substance abuse, physical and sexual abuse, violence, youth gangs, and mental illness. He also facilitated Critical Incident Stress Debriefings for fire fighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and members of law enforcement. Psychosocial themes are highlighted throughout this story including: the power of the family, whether nurturing or violent; trauma and the human capacity for resilience; and the importance of empathy in a healthy society.
The Chartreuse Envelope: Murder in Memphis is available in paperback for $13.95 from Davis – Kidd Booksellers in Memphis and at the author’s website, jamespaavola.com. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Memphis Police Foundation, memphispolicefoundation.org. You may contact the author via email at jimpaavola@comcast.net or by phone at (901) 233-9202. There is also a book signing scheduled at Davis-Kidd on Saturday, October 23, at 1 pm.

Wed Sep 1
9pm Neil’s – Wednesday Night Bar Stars feat: Jeremy Stanfill, Nick Redmond, Grace Askew.

Thu Sep 2
7pm Neil’s – Memphis Blues Society

Fri Sep 3
12:30pm Memphis Symphony Orchestra -
Arts in the Airport. memphissymphony.org
8pm Neil’s – Country Music featuring Eddie L Smith, Buddy Church, & Terry Bailey

Sat Sep 4
Memphis Symphony Orchestra – Borders
Family Tunes & Tales.
8pm Neil’s – Funk Music with Michael Morales & Mo Boogie!
9pm Neil’s – The Olde West – Record
Release Party

Mon Sep 6
7am Chick-Fil-A 5K @ Autozone Park
www.chickfila5k.com
9pm Neil’s – Monday Night Folk Ups Acoustic Singer Songwriter Showcase.

Tues – Sep 7
6pm CYCA Beautification Meeting – 2298 Young
9pm Neil’s – Open Mic Comedy Night

Wed Sep 8
9pm Neil’s – Wednesday Night Bar Stars feat: Jeremy Stanfill, Nick Redmond, Grace Askew.

Thu Sep 9
6pm  National Civil Rights Museum
Freedom + Money
Change Comes Knocking presented by the National Civil Rights Museum. A powerful documentary poses an important question. The North Carolina Fund proved that a grassroots campaign on a large scale, federally funded, could successfully combat poverty. So why was it stopped?
indiememphis.com/freedom
9pm Neil’s – Orchestra Calienté w/ Marcella

Fri Sep 10
8pm Memphis Symphony Orchestra -
Russian Folklore – Paul & Linnea Bert Chamber Series – Buckman.
8pm Neil’s – Country Music featuring Eddie L Smith, Buddy Church, & Terry Bailey

Sat Sep 11
9pm Neil’s – The Van Duren Band & JD Reager and the Near Reaches.

Sun Sep 12
4pm Memphis Symphony Orchestra -
From the Heart to the Soul
LeMoyne-Owen College. Contact the MSO Box Office at 901-537-2525 or LeMoyne-Owen College at 901-435-1000 for tickets.

Mon Sep 13
9pm Neil’s – Monday Night Folk Ups Acoustic Singer Songwriter Showcase. Tue Sep

Tues sep 146p
6pm CYCA General Meeting – Book Signing at Burke’s Book Store. cooperyoung.org
9pm Neil’s – Open Mic Comedy Night

Wed Sep 15
9pm Neil’s Wednesday Night Bar Stars feat: Jeremy Stanfill, Nick Redmond, Grace Askew.

Thu Sep 16
6-9pm Art Invitational and Festival Kickoff Party – David Perry Smith Gallery
7pm Neil’s – Memphis Blues Society

Fri Sep 17
7pm Cooper-Young Festival Friday 4 Miler
cooperyoung4miler.racesonline.com
8pm Neil’s – Country Music featuring Eddie L Smith, Buddy Church, & Terry Bailey

Sat Sep 18
9 am-7pm Cooper-Young Festival

8pm Memphis Symphony Orchestra -
Russian Masters – Cannon Center
9pm Neil’s – Comedy Show

Sun Sep 19
2:30pm Memphis Symphony Orchestra -
Russian Masters – GPAC.
9pm Neil’s – Rainy Day Manual & Mobley

Mon Sep 20
9pm Neil’s – Monday Night Folk Ups Acoustic Singer Songwriter Showcase. T

Tues Sep 21
9pm Neil’s – Open Mic Comedy Night

Wed Sep 22
9pm Neil’s – Wednesday Night Bar Stars feat: Jeremy Stanfill, Nick Redmond, Grace Askew.

Fri Sep 24
8pm Neil’s – Country Music featuring
Eddie L Smith, Buddy Church, & Terry Bailey
9pm Neil’s – Larry Raspberry & The
Highsteppers.

Sat Sep 25
7pm Memphis Symphony Orchestra -
Symphony League Inaugural Gala
One Commerce Square
10pm Neil’s – Nedi & Turbo w/ The Rindstars

Sun Sep 26
5pm Memphis Symphony Orchestra
Symphony in the Gardens
Gates open at 3pm
7pm Neil’s – Kwest Jazz.

Mon Sep 27
9pm Neil’s – Monday Night Folk Ups Acoustic Singer Songwriter Showcase

Tue Sep 28
7pm GSL-Screamfree Parenting Seminar at Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal School, Anchor Center. gslschool.org
9pm Neil’s – Open Mic Comedy Night

Wed Sep 29
9pm Neil’s – Wednesday Night Bar Stars feat: Jeremy Stanfill, Nick Redmond, Grace Askew.

Fri Oct 1
8pm Neil’s – Country Music featuring Eddie L Smith, Buddy Church, & Terry Bailey.

Sun Oct 3
4pm Memphis Symphony Orchestra -
Bach at Idlewild Presbyterian Church

Sat OCT 9
1pm Cooper-Young Regional Beerfest
1015 S. Cooper, cooperyoung.org

By Judy Kitts
Memphis Acoustic Music Association (MAMA) will be presenting Spencer Bohren at 8pm on Saturday, September 11, at Otherlands Coffee Bar located at 641 Cooper. Spencer Bohren’s music resonates with the ambience of the rivers, roads, and bayous of the American South. He has a marvelous gift for sharing his great love for America’s traditional folk, blues, gospel, and country music with audiences of all ages. His ability to animate the musicians and singers of the past, with both respectful readings of their music and spellbinding stories, is legendary. Spencer’s laid-back stage presence and comfortable delivery make each concert feel like a pleasant visit with an old friend.
Since he last performed in Memphis, Spencer has released his latest CD, Live at the Tube Temple, recorded in Solingen, Germany, and earning rave reviews. In ad­dition to an active concert schedule, he continues to host gui­tar workshops across the country, and he regularly performs his Down the Dirt Road Blues show to educate audiences at schools, universities, and museums about the shared history of blues and rock music. For this work Spencer received the Keeping the Blues Alive in Education award from the Blues Foundation this year.
For more information about this artist you can visit spencerbohren.com. Tickets are $12 and are available at Otherlands and Davis-Kidd Booksellers.
For more information about the Memphis Acoustic Music Association visit mamamusic.org.

From the official press release from Gallery 210:

The other day I was at a friend’s house. He was looking for a corkscrew and couldn’t find it. Fumbling through one drawer he asked another friend to take a look in the junk drawer—pointing to one just down from where he was rummaging. “Junk drawer? That’s an intimate thing!” said the one to the other.  Filled with things too precious to discard but neither valued, neither useful nor useless—in some sense like the treasures tucked away by a child in a shoe box and shoved under the bed or buried by a tree in the back yard. They are like souvenirs taken from sojourns as though they were the deepening of childhood memories: sluggishly past traumas, whizzing by the mundane, dawdling in the company of the cherished and monumental, or just pebbles in shoes. Intimate perhaps because we often feel as though we are those junk drawers: cobbled together with miscellany that doesn’t quite seem to fit together, point to anything larger or say anything—anything; just a discarded mess of unattended to questions. Baubles.

Chad Irwin’s Patchwork Junk Drawer deals in these baubles. His is the amalgam of dust and detritus all too often discard into drawers like these or tossed to the side of the road or passed by without any thought. There he pauses and contemplates, sifts through the confusion and re-envisions it into art. A bottle cap, denim patch, button and bone become Coelacanth. The discarded becomes the “discarded, found and re-integrated” just like the prehistoric fish once thought extinct but now rediscovered and highly sought after by museums and collectors.

His medium is just junk: frayed pieces of yarn, buttons, broken shells, rusted nails and cast off on canvases and in frames which look equally regal. It’s a hard sell to a culture so enamored by the pristine, and who already threw this stuff away once before. But where most see irrelevance, Irwin finds a challenge. May be its out of his own brokenness (or may be its in response to the shattered he’s encountered) mingling with an out-and-out dissatisfaction with the status quo that necessitates his humble attempt at mending. That’s why he collects, catalogs and assembles as if he were an archeologist, or anthropologist, but instead of deciphering and piecing back together what was, he attempts to study the discard in order to re-shape it into what could be. His is not about answers rather possibilities. And that is most what a junk drawer represents: the perpetual hope for purpose, usefulness and meaning, but always teetering with apprehension—flirting with irrelevance. That is the challenge in each of his pieces for us. First a confrontation with the garbage, then a reconciliation, or at least, the prospect of one. He obliges his viewer to reconsider value both their own and in general.

Patchwork Junk Drawer will be on display at Gallery 210 from September 9th until October 16th 2010. It will feature more than 20 works by local artist and Pennsylvania transplant, Chad M. Irwin. There will be an opening reception Friday, September 17, 6:00-8:00 PM. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. General gallery hours are from 9:00 a.m. – Noon, Monday thru Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sundays.

By J. Everett

Ah, the hound-dog days of August in Memphis. Heat, mosquitoes, music, and Elvis Week…and all the fans that come to keep the pop-phenomenon’s flame ablaze.  At Gallery Fifty Six one artist pays tribute to the hungry musicians who were turned loose on the insatiable public, while two other artists’ feature the fans who will never let them go.

Michael Whitaker’s objective lens captures the individuals who make up the masses that refuse to forget the King. Whitaker explains, “After a twenty-five-year career in social psychology documenting some of the most disturbing human behaviors…I pursued a second career in fine art and documentary photography, documenting brighter aspects of human nature…spotlighting unpretentious persons with gentle spirits who traditionally go unnoticed.” Beginning on the 25^th anniversary of Presley’s death, Whitaker spent two years documenting the Elvis phenomenon, intrigued by “the extraordinary manner in which fan devotion continues to grow across generations extending from those who first experienced Elvis in 1954 to those unborn at the time of Elvis’ death.” He adds, “Along the way I interacted with hundreds of persons who readily articulated the impact Elvis had upon their lives… ensuring the legacy of Elvis will remain on the road to forever.”

Pop-music inspired graffiti grabbed the attention of M.J. Reeves. She turned her camera lens toward concrete walls to give us glimpses of sentiments so heart-felt that the words had to be written for all to see. Her photographs are mounted on tiles bringing the illusion of real walls into the gallery.

Then, to really turn up the heat, Jeannie Reynold’s oil paintings (on canvas and guitars) evoke memories of a sexy, mellow voice on vinyl. In vivid colors she captures the energy and expressions of a certain sensuous singer leaving us all to plead, “Turn-ma-loose!”

The public is invited to the artists’ reception on Friday, August 6 from 5-8pm, at Gallery Fifty Six, 2256 Central Avenue. Turn-ma-loose runs through the month of August, Tuesday-Saturdays from 10am-5pm. For more information, call (901) 276-1251 or go online to galleryfiftysix.com.

By Jim Allman

The latest show to hit Midtown Memphis’ new but increasingly potent Gallery 210 is a collaboration between Chris Nadaskay and Melinda Eckley titled, Sitting up with the Dead. This title refers to the distinctly southern tradition of keeping a vigil over the recently departed. You’re probably wondering “Who’s passed?” According to Nadaskay and Eckley it is our modern culture’s place of archeological significance.

The show will exhibit a museum like atmosphere in an attempt to encapsulate the feeling that each piece is a “remnant of some future past” excavated and historically meaningful. But what is it that our present culture esteems, and how will its treasures be perceived when exhumed? What contribution, if any, will they make? Will they liberate, enlighten or impede?

Nadaskay and Eckley are both artists of repute and professors at Union University. Eckley is also an alumni of Memphis College of Art. Nadaskay currently works in mixed media/ceramic wall relief, while Eckley creates sculptural installations.

Gallery 210 is located in Lifelink Church at 1015 S. Cooper. The show opens with 
a reception and artist lecture and runs July 16th-August 15th. The opening night reception (July 16th from 6-8 pm) is open and free to the public. General gallery hours are from 
9 am-noon, Monday-Friday 
and 9 am-1 pm, Sundays. For more information please call 901-377-3372.

By J. Everett

Gallery Fifty Six reaches beyond Memphis as members of the Energy Art Movement (EAM) contribute their work for the July show, Energizing Radiance. EAM is an international contemporary multimedia art movement promoting quality, diversity, and evolution on the common ground of energetic depictions. The artists believe that enhancing their creations with energy adds value to their art as they strive to follow a progressive trend of evolution in the Fine Arts.

Founder Giorgio Vaselli says, “We are in a phase of transition where distressing economic times have crept into homes with real-life implications. The current mentality, however, is just a fleeting illusion, and it only takes a new energizing vision to alleviate it. This is the purpose of our exhibition. We wish to bring some of our inner light to the people.”

Vaselli, a Hungarian who now lives in Canada, will be at the gallery for the opening reception, as will participating artists from around the world. Vaselli along with curator, Janice Nabors Raiteri, and assistant curator, Rollin Kocsis, will be giving interviews about the movement throughout July at local TV and radio stations. Raiteri and Kocsis, members of EAM, each had several works selected for display in the show.

Energizing Radiance will bring light energy to people who see the show,” says Vaselli. “This show will shine at Gallery Fifty Six, catalyzing the much-needed mental transition from the recession toward more optimistic vistas.” The show will run from July 1-30.

The public is invited to the artists’ reception on Friday, July 9th from 5-8 pm, at the gallery. For more information, please call 901-276-1251 or go online to galleryfiftysix.com. For an intriguing look at EAM, check out their site at energyartmovement.org.

By Andrew Moore

It’s 1962, the ‘50s are out, and change is in the air. Baltimore’s Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion – to dance. She wins a spot on the local TV dance program, “The Corny Collins Show” and, overnight, is transformed from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity. But can a trendsetter in dance and fashion vanquish the program’s reigning princess, win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a television show without denting her ‘do’? Only in Hairspray! Welcome to the ‘60s! “Irresistable! If life were everything it should be, it would be more like Hairspray!” –New York Times.

Directed by Resident Company Member Dave Landis (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Into the Woods), Hairspray stars Resident Company Member Courtney Oliver (Romeo & Juliet, The Full Monty), Guest Artists Ken Zimmerman (The Producers) and Jordan Nichols (Urinetown, The Goat or Who is Sylvia?). The show also features Associate Company Members Hannah Dowdy (Pippin, Narnia), Bryan Robinson (Narnia, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940), and Laura Stracko (Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, The Miracle Worker), as well as Whitney Branan (Pippin), David Foster (Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, The Santaland Diaries), Carla McDonald (The Light in the Piazza, Jerry Springer: The Opera), and Karlos Nichols (Pippin).

Hairspray runs at the new Playhouse on the Square June 25th – July 25th, Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. The new Playhouse on the Square is located at 66 South Cooper Street. For more information, or to make reservations, please call 901-726-4656 or visit our website at playhouseonthesquare.org.

By Donna Bowers

This Saturday night and every Saturday night through August 31st the Painted Planet Artspace will host “Saturday Night Live at the Planet” in the fenced-in performance area directly behind the Painted Planet art gallery. On these Saturday nights, the Planet offers live performance art and live music plus hot dogs, chips, and sodas all free for all our art lovers.

On the second Friday of each month, Painted Planet presents an art opening spotlighting one or more of Painted Planet’s favorite artists. The July show, opening on July 9th from 8-11 pm will spotlight the mystical, dreamlike works of Cherokee Indian Dream Coach and artist Kevin “Chasing Wolf” Hutchins. Read this artist’s bio and see his work on our website, paintedplanetart.com, on the “featured artist” page. We will have live music and refreshments on that evening and some of the most inspirational art you’ll find anywhere. Mark your calendars and invite your friends to join you at Painted Planet.

Healing Planet, Painted Planet’s free cancer ministry for women, meets the 2nd Monday night each month for Spa Nite from 6:30-9:30 pm, where we offer a multitude of free pampering services for women in the fight of their lives. Healing Planet is a host site for the American Cancer Society’s Look Good Feel Better Program. If you are fighting cancer or know someone who is, tell them about Painted Planet – Healing Planet’s free cancer ministry.

Painted Planet is located at 798 S. Cooper. Our hours of operation are noon-6 pm Tuesday– Friday (except on opening nights) and noon-10 pm on Saturdays. Call us at 901-725-0054, email us at paintedplanet@bellsouth.net, look us up on the web at paintedplanetart.com, or check us out on Facebook at The Painted Planet Art Gallery and Healing Planet.