Artwalk 2007: Ten to go
By Wade KwonArtwalk, downtown’s annual two-day event, takes place Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. If you haven’t been before, maybe you need a reason to attend.
We have 10 …
1. Someday our prints will come … Our pal and friendly printmaker Charles Buchanan will be back at Artwalk, in the tiniest space available. We helped carry his display boards to his car this one time, which kinda makes us like co-printmakers. Or not. You could stop by, just to praise his freshly revamped Web site. Or gush over his My Birmingham essay in August’s Birmingham Magazine. Or buy a print. Or 12.
• James Morgan, esq., 2314A First Ave. N. [map]
2. Tour the lofts. The festival takes good advantage of the businesses and lofts in the City Center to showcase artists and their wares. We have no greater joy than to stumble awkwardly into someone’s third-floor residence, not quite certain if it’s an official stop or not. We’ll gaze at the objects (which may or may not be for sale), drink the wine and eat the cheese (which may or may not be us), chat up the robed hostess (who may or may not be going to bed). Leave, find new loft, repeat.
3. Support those starving their way through college. Rebecca Barton … painter, illustrator, freshman from Alabaster. It’s not just established artists in the lineup but the young hopefuls as well. Barton, a UAB student, moved from sketching horses to painting to who knows what next. She’s not the youngest, because the kids from the Alabama School of Fine Arts will also be on hand.
• The Fanaei Building, 2209 First Ave. N. [map]
4. It’s free. That’s because of sponsors, public funding and supporters like you and me.
5. Shoot to shill. The Magic City Flickr Group isn’t just a loose confederation of amateur and professional photographers in a Web 2.0 networking group — now it’s an exhibiting loose confederation blah blah blah. Cool poster, cool concept, fun outing. Plus, they’re likely to document every inch of their exhibition space.
• The German Club, 2318 Second Ave. N. [map]
6. 1st, a word. The 2nd Hand, a literary broadsheet from our pal Todd Dills, will not only have spoken word performances at 7 p.m. Friday but also the winner of the Artwalk/2nd Hand writing contest. Word. [performance schedule]
• Omni Studio Garage, 2309 First Ave. N. [map]
7. Jazz. Rocks. Brundidge native Lillie Minnifield is painting a series on black musicians. The ninth(!) of 11(!!) children, she began painting on wood, paper, glass and … rocks. The self-taught artist continues to experiment with media.
• Waldrep, Kendrick and Stewart, 323 Second Ave. N. [map]
8. Time to move. Birmingham dance band All That Fuss will be among the nine musical acts performing during the weekend. Catch the show at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. [performance schedule]
• Lemak/Jones Cobblestone Café, 2200 block of Morris Avenue [map]
9. Meet the Naked chick. Veronique Vanblaere ain’t from around here. The owner of Naked Art Gallery in Forest Park hails from Belgium. Galleries across the South have featured her paintings. Her inspiration? Books, magazines, ads and found pictures.
• Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, 2308 First Ave. N. [map]
10. And about 100 more artists left to check out. Get started with this guide.
Artwalk takes place from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday along First and Second Avenues North and South, and Morris Avenue.
Sunday, September 9, 2007, 10:11 pm
Thanks for the plug–and for stopping by on Friday night!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007, 12:16 pm
Always a pleasure.