Curiouser and curiouser: Local Curiosities exhibit opens in Birmingham’s Central Library. Art by Melissa Shultz-Jones.
The Amazing Art of Local Curiosities is an intriguing title. The name echoes like a sideshow barker and piques the inquisitive spirit as much as the White Rabbit’s hole. For those unafraid of the old adage about the cat and her fatal curiosity, the Birmingham Public Library fourth floor gallery is calling.
Birmingham artists Paul Cordes Wilm, Melissa Shultz-Jones and Cory Casella have brought their works together to hail the odd, beautiful, mysterious, holy and the grotesque that comprise the Magic City.
The Common Bizarre, Shultz-Jones’ collection of India ink, watercolor and gouache paintings, features phantasms reminiscent of a Hayao Miyazaki kaiju in silhouette against intricate Art Nouveau backdrops. If one were to look closely, a familiar figure may emerge in Shultz-Jones’ “Southside,” the artist reveals her penchant for depicting Birmingham’s homeless population as divine rulers of their domain.
“Birmingham’s homeless population is of particular interest to me,” the artist said in a press release. “They are monuments on their own corners, and they deserve equal portrait alongside any structure. Isolation, misconception, and alienation unify us all in this ever changing narrative we call Birmingham…”
In One Liner Artwork, Cory Casella shares his “one-liners,” pen and ink drawings using a single line to create images. A delicately sketched betta fish and a coiling octopus in repose are a couple of Casella’s pieces. Casella’s stringent process is in itself an oddity; the artist never lifts his pen while drawing.
“I have found for me that my creativity is born from constraint,” Casella said. “Having the constraint of only having one line allows me to focus on making shapes and shadows in interesting ways.”
Paul Cordes Wilm’s ALabstractions is a collection of his typically cheerfully colored folk pop paintings on recycled material. In this exhibit, Wilm riffs on the shape of the state of Alabama with nods to cubism and his deadpan critiques of commercialism and consumer culture.
The opening reception will be held Saturday May 16, from 3 to 5 p.m. The gallery will be on display at the Birmingham Public Library, 2100 Park Place, from May 7 to June 26, 2015.
THURSDAY, MAY 14
Smart Art Youth Cultural Arts Festival — Boutwell Municipal Auditorium. 1931 Eighth Ave. N. The City of Birmingham Mayor’s Office Division of Youth Services invites the public of all ages to explore the arts during the second Smart Art Youth Cultural Arts Festival. More than 20 local artists and vendors will represent Birmingham’s fine arts community in fields including poetry, creative writing and the culinary, visual and performing arts. Demos, games and lessons will be available during the event. 11 a.m.–3 p.m. For more information, call (205) 320-0879.
Wild Atlantic Way Opening — Gianmarco’s Restaurant. 721 Broadway St., Homewood. Irish painter Mark Dwyer offers 30 original oil and pallet knife paintings in Wild Atlantic Way. The exhibit centers on “Boglands and Turf Boats,” a common sight in Western Ireland. Dwyer’s work can be found in private collections worldwide including those of President Barack Obama and of the Prime Minister of Ireland. 6–9 p.m. Free. For more information, visit markdwyer.info.
FRIDAY, MAY 15
Scenes From No Place Opening Reception — PaperWorkers Local. 3815 Claimont Ave. S. Nashville-based artist, David Hellams brings his collection of drawings to Forest Park in Scenes From No Place: Drawings From 2008–2012. Helms wrote that the simplicity of his images allows the viewer to imagine the rest of the fantastical story starring Hellams’ cast of athletes, animals and ordinary people with their misfit props. 5:30–8:30 p.m. Free. For more information, visit PaperWorkers Local on Facebook.
The Way of the Dodo Opening Reception — Naked Art Gallery. 3831 Clairmont Ave. S. Michelle Reynolds and Shawna Ross are both “upcycling” artists who seem to have found a niche at Forest Park’s Naked Art Gallery. The duo will share their newest creations in The Way of the Dodo, a show that illuminates their shared capacity to see quirky beauty in discarded objects. The opening reception will occur in conjunction with Forest Park’s Third Friday in the Park event. 5–9 p.m. Free. For more information, visit nakedartusa.com.
SATURDAY, MAY 16
Mountain Brook Art Association Spring Show — Crestline Field. 25 Vine St., Mountain Brook. Featuring the talents of local artists, Mountain Brook’s annual spring art show returns for its 34th year after being rescheduled because of inclement weather. Food, music and art come together in a relaxing outdoor environment. 9 a.m–4 p.m. Free. For more information, visit mountainbrookartassociation.com.
SUNDAY, MAY 17
Decoding Black Art — Birmingham Museum of Art. 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd. Kelli Morgan, Andrew W. Mellon post-doctoral curatorial fellow of African-American art at the Birmingham Museum Art, presents the next lecture in her series, Decoding Black Art. This week’s topic is Hood Vizualizations: David Driskell’s “Ghetto Wall #1.” During the lecture Morgan will analyze Driskell’s 1972 oil and collage piece. 3–4 p.m. Free. For more information, visit artsbma.org.
Handwork Gallery Show — El Barrio Restaurante y Bar. 2211 Second Ave. N. Sarah Gurganus, a handwork teacher at the Alabama Waldorf School, will have an art show displaying her work and examples from the school’s handwork curriculum. Gurganus will present a lecture about the curriculum’s impact on brain development among elementary and middle school students. 2–4 p.m. Free. For more information, visit alabamawaldorf.org.
TUESDAY, MAY 19
ARTFix! — Space One Eleven. 2409 Second Ave. N. Andy Jordan will continue her figure drawing lessons with an ongoing course on costumed portrait drawing with a live model. 6:15–8:45 p.m. $25. For more information, visit spaceoneeleven.org.
ONGOING
The Sacred and the Mundane — The Future East Lake Performing Arts Center. 7604 First Ave. N. The Sacred and the Mundane: Transforming the Worldly Discarded into Art of the Supernatural is an art exhibit of found-object collage and assemblage, inspired by Hopi Indian kachina dolls, masks and costumes by local artist-historian Craig Legg. The exhibit will be open Saturdays 10 a.m.–3 p.m., or by appointment through May 31. Free. For more information, call (205) 410-7702.
