Go Fish

We’d love to welcome you to OFF THE WALL/DIRTY FRANK’S tomorrow night, SEPTEMBER 26, 7-10 PM, as we officially raise the curtain on TOGETHER and by ourselves, the new solo show from NATALIE HOPE MCDONALD. The 72 works pictured here — and installed by curator JODY SWEITZER with a possible nod to the life aquatic — are only a little more than half of the 138 paintings and 3D works on display! The artist will of course be in the house. Plus, we’ll offer the usual amenities of any OPENING RECEPTION: great conversation, company and jukebox music, as well as light hors d’oeuvres and your fave drinks poured by ROSE COSSABONE. See you there!

Art for All, All Day Long

Combine the amazing new show from NATALIE HOPE MCDONALD, 138 works strong, with the community members now preparing to bring their own art to one of our famous ART MART gatherings...and you get a SUNDAY that is definitely a wildly creative FUNDAY. Of course, HEATHER RAQUEL PHILLIPS will be behind the bar, with a heavy pour of the fun. It all starts at 2:00. So bump up that brunch or get in those errands right now. You won't want to miss today (9/22) at DIRTY FRANK'S and OFF THE WALL -- and we don't want to miss you. See you this afternoon!

Paging Guinness

Not the beer. The record book...well, at least the OFF THE WALL record book. This shot, taken hours ago of curator JODY SWEITZER starting to co-install our newest show with artist NATALIE HOPE MCDONALD, only vaguely suggests the scope of this new installation. When all is said and done, we expect TOGETHER AND BY OURSELVES to feature some 140 distinctive works of art, not just surpassing but altogether shattering our old record of 101. WOW! Come in tonight and check this out (and consider acquiring a piece!). Return for the OPENING RECEPTION this Thursday, September 26, 7-10 PM.

A Dolls' Case

We neglected to say in our last post that Leah MacDonald is one of five artists to take jury awards in INLIQUID TOASTS 25. Another is J.A. PANETTA, who won BEST USE OF MATERIALS for her seven doll assemblages front and center in our 3D case. Alternating between the expected, unexpected and a couple of doses of the macabre, the work riffs freely on the traditional folk poem “Monday’s Child.” The dolls, spread out for good measure, draw viewers into the space. So far, three have sold individually, but the entire set is also available for purchase. Reflecting on the installation, the artist carries her unique sensibilities into her statement. “I was raised not by wolves, but by a single kind and righteous wolf,” muses Judy. “This creature taught me mercy and compassion—debatably, behaviors at odds with contemporary values. What our culture identifies as coarse or fine, lewd or decent, profane or sacred is confounding. The art exposes a topsy-turvy world view shared by a population hell-bent on destroying itself. I also enjoy a good chew bone now and again.”

J.A. PANETTA
“Monday’s Child”
8.5 x 27.5 x 3.5 (full series)
bisque, polymer clay, acrylic, found doll clothes and mohair
975. for the full series
150. for each doll

Splendor in Tones of Silver

The right side of our Wall for INLIQUID TOASTS 25 features a compelling array of work, all of it in living BLACK AND WHITE. Two of these pieces are extraordinary silver prints from LEAH MACDONALD, whom we are excited to welcome to our space for the first time. “I began my art career as a traditional B&W film photographer and this medium remains essential, sometimes as the foundation of my collages,” says the artist. “My work is a dialogue among my imagination, my curiosity, my imperfections and my desires. We are neither one thing nor another—not fully our past and its traumas, not fully the beauty we seek. We are all of these, accreted layer by layer over years. And we are the space between.”

LEAH MACDONALD
“No. 704” (first image)
18 x 14 framed
#analog silver photograph
500.

“No. 1642” (second image)
16 x 16 framed
analog silver photograph
500.