Coming up in the Cultivate Beauty exhibit opening March 27th, you'll be able to see a few of James Michael Starr's assemblages and collages at the 930 gallery.  As the director of the 930, people often ask me how we choose what to hang on the gallery walls. The artists I choose to show come to me in a variety of ways. For the upcoming Cultivate Beauty exhibit, I invited Texan artist James Michael Starr to ship us a few pieces.  I came to hear about his work by doing an internet search of the words "art for God's sake." I did this search because of the book of the same title.

That internet search turned up an article about Starr in the Dallas Observer called "Art for God's Sake." The article really articulates the art world's feelings toward religion pretty accurately: "Most people don't want their art-going experience mixed up with God. To them -- to us -- the separation of art and church is a modern-day luxury we've grown to take for granted, necessary for keeping our high culture clear of any brainwashing effects of organized, God-fearing religion." That sounds about right to me.

By the end of the article though, the writer actually argues that the religious themes in Starr's work are actually what give the work its power.  "It's religion all right -- more religion than mere spirituality -- and in this case, the art world would do well to give him this space. Instead of squirming with moral discomfort, just let yourself enjoy the work of one truly gifted. The best artists are driven by real impulses, by the need to say something. That Starr's voice springs from his devotion to a certain messiah and the perspective he gained from this conversion not only seems perfectly natural here, but gives his work its power."

[video post: click title to view] David Taylor is an arts pastor based in Austin, Texas. He writes my favorite blog - Diary of an Arts Pastor. In this video, he shares some of his thoughts about how we can bring the gospel to the art community. (more...)

Tomorrow evening during the first friday gallery hop, be sure to visit Swanson Reed at 638 E Market to see Scott Scarboro's exhibit.  He'll also be playing some wild music incorporating circuit bent noise makers, electro fried canjoes and other bits of archaic technologies.  Scott's art often has a lot to do with aliens and past visions of the future and modified toy robots.

I found this interesting bio for Scott on his website www.junkabilly.com:

Scott Scarboro is a Multimedia Artist and Entertainer from Louisville, Ky who creates kinetic junk art and electrified home-made Instruments with a Fat Albert and Rube Goldberg meets Lester Flatts and Earl Scruggs anything goes kitchen sink esthetics.

He attributes his main source of inspiration to childhood memories of his Grandfather, who would often solve everyday house hold problems in highly creative ways.  The sight of his grandpaw attaching a Falls City beer can to a mouth harp with wire to remedy the lack of the teeth needed to play the instrument, changed Scott's life forever.  Other sources of inspiration are Dr. Seuss, Kiss, Batman reruns and Rock-A-Billy musician Hasil Adkins.

He's been a kindergarten teacher,  a lamp repairman and a prop builder for clowns at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College in Venice, Florida.

Exhibit runs to March 28

Swanson Reed Contemporary

638 east market Louisville ky 40202

(This poster is not in the art show, but it is by Tyler Deeb and it does advertise a great show happening next week at the 930.)

Our own Tyler Deeb (Pedale Design) will have some concert posters in the show "Gig Posters" at Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft.  The show opens this Friday 5-9 pm and features concert poster art by a bunch of local and national poster artists.  This opening is during the first friday gallery hop event, so that means all the galleries downtown are open and you can go see stuff and eat cheese and drink wine, all for free.

Ron Jasin (Madpixel), who does a good chunk of the design work for Sojourn also has work in the show and will be there at the opening in person, making some new silkscreen posters on site.

Again: "Gig Posters: The Art of Contemporary Music Promotion" Friday March 6, 2009 @ Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft. 715 W Main St. www.kentuckyarts.org.  Free.

It’s not well known, but there’s a Sojourn Visual Arts Room on the 3rd floor of the 930 for your use. There’s a bookshelf with good arts-related books for you to borrow. There’s also the completed series of Art21 DVD’s made by PBS. You can check them out if you promise to bring them back.

Room #302 is also a nice place to come and use the wireless connection or to work on a messy art project. You can pretty much get in 9-5 Monday-Friday by buzzing in at the East Entrance.