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Me and the gals at Art Stroll
I walked from one art venue to another with my gal pals Bridget, Jean Gray, and Mel. I remarked how "Sex in the City" we all were, four women of different backgrounds and ages spending time together in a city full of art. We had dinner at 114 West Main Restaurant, which is also a venue for art every month. The Athens neighborhood inspired paintings of Jennifer Hartley are currently on display there. Then we went to Gallery RFD, showcasing the ever-popular "Art of Communication: An Installation of Mailed Art," which debuted last year at this time as well. With this project, the art has to be the mail itself. You should see some of these creative entries! Someone actually mailed in a telephone, all wrapped in tape complete with stamps and postmark. Entries came from all over the country and globe, including Thailand. Isn't it terrific that Swainsboro is now a major player in the art scene in Georgia? After RFD, we went to The Kalmanson, where Terry Brown is now showing his black and white photography. Terry, whose own roots are in Swainsboro, took numerous photos of tree roots in a creek that were exposed from the drought this summer. They are quite haunting to look at. Their twisty, contorted shapes are almost human. From there we went to Folds Photography, where some arresting photos of war-torn Iraq are being displayed. Atlanta based photographer Peter Frey, who is a staff photographer at UGA, took these photos. It was hard for me to look at some of these images of Iraqis caught in such devastating circumstances. The faces of the children were the hardest to look at. More gals--Teresa, Candy, and Joan--joined us in midstroll. We went to Jack's Java Cove and viewed art there. Bridget's students from her introductory to photography class at Augusta State University were the stars of this particular show. The students selected their favorite work to exhibit. Called "Tales from the Darkroom," these students have quite an eye for their subjects. Kudos to Bridget, their teacher! Arum Rae, who performed last year at this time after Art Stroll, was back again with her lovely voice. Her "Too Young to Sing the Blues" CD is quite amazing. Her rich voice will fill a room. My favorite song of hers is about a waitress who yearns to break free and become an actress. Arum waits tables in between her concerts and said she grew up in the restaurant setting. I waited tables for 12 years and know all too well the demands of such a profession. (If this writing gig doesn't pan out, I'll have something to fall back on.) Arum received a standing ovation for her music that night. This time she was accompanied by another musician who played the snare drum while Arum sang and played guitar. If you've never walked through downtown Swainsboro during Art Stroll, plan to do it next month. The downtown fountain, all aglow in burnt orange, is quite breathtaking. The fairy lights that twinkle in the trees lining West Main Street are warm and welcoming. Even if you think art is not your "thing," just give it a try for an hour or two. To me, what's just as important as the art is the sense of community that comes from these Art Strolls- -the many friends you see, the many more you meet, and the comfort of being in a small town with big dreams. Art Stroll is now poised to have a huge impact on the art world in Georgia, and it's happening right here in our own backyard. All the exhibits are up through Feb. 2. Why not come out and be a part of the rural renaissance?- -Jacquie Brasher is senior writer for The Forest-Blade and may be reached at jacquie@forest-blade.com
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