The Patina and the Parishioner: Photographer Tours City with Century-Old Crosses
Chad Moore stands in the stone belly of the Cathedral of St. Paul on Third Avenue North. The photographer is surrounded by the sources of his latest inspiration, 122-year old patina-ed crosses removed from the roof of the church for preservation. In the cathedral’s basement, the ornate grey-green finials and crucifixes present a stark contrast to the smooth beige concrete walls.
When the original copper crosses from 1893 were replaced with new replicas in 2014, Moore saw an opportunity to turn his lens on the massive structures that have overlooked the cultural shifts, crises and celebrations throughout Birmingham’s history and finally bring them street-level, eye-to-eye with the city that has gazed upward at them for a more than a century.
The artist has begun shooting the crosses in culturally significant locales in Birmingham to assemble a coffee table book and raise money for St. Paul’s to cover the renovation of the historic church. The crosses themselves (all of which bear affectionate names: Clarence, Joseph, The Three Musketeers) will be on sale beginning August 6 with proceeds benefitting St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Moore’s photography is known for juxtaposing pop-culture icons against a Magic City backdrop. “Akbar Road,” for instance, is a photography hybrid of Star Wars and The Beatles’ Abbey Road album cover that captures Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Han Solo and Chewbacca action figures mid-step across a street. With his latest project aCross Birmingham Moore, a St. Paul’s parishioner, combines history, religion and art on a larger scale than ever before.
“I do sincerely hope that people find interest in the photographs, but what interest that they find is entirely up to them,” Moore explained. “It could just be the visual aesthetic of the image that they like. It could be the crosses themselves, their age, or that they have to do with the cathedral of St. Paul. Or, it could be the location of where the different shots have been taken in Birmingham.
“It could be a wide range or even a combination of things,” Moore continued. “Which, actually, gets to what I love about art. Everybody brings their own interpretation, their own experience, to what they are viewing.”
For more information on Chad Moore and aCross Birmingham, visit acrossbirmingham.com
FRIDAY, JULY 31
Annual Student/Teaching Artist Exhibit Reception — Space One Eleven. 2409 Second Ave. N. Space One Eleven (SOE) invites the public to the opening reception of the Annual Student and Teaching Artist Exhibition. Collective works by rising second through sixth graders who attended Space One Eleven’s 2015 summer art camps will be on display next to works by the teaching artists who leant their vision to the summer camp “I’M AN ALABAMA ARTIST TOO.” Pieces from the Portfolio Development Course for Teens will also be on exhibit. 5:30–7:30. Free. For more information, visit spaceoneeleven.org.
Between Fantasy and Reality — Birmingham Museum of Art. 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd. Frank Fleming has been working as an artist in Alabama for more than 40 years and best known for his large-scale bronze sculptures, many of which can be found throughout the city of Birmingham. This exhibition highlights Fleming’s sculptures produced between 1970-1985, a period when he worked primarily with clay, stoneware and ceramics. Catch the last week of the exhibit that closes Aug. 1. For more information, visit artsbma.org.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 2
Grady Sue Saxon Opening Reception — Leeds Arts Council. 8140 Parkway Dr., Leeds. The Leeds Arts Council will host artist Grady Sue Saxon with an opening reception of her new exhibit consisting of photography, paintings, sculpture and mixed media works including clay, acrylic, watercolor, copper and pen and ink, available through Aug. 28. 1:30–3:30 p.m. Free. For more information, visit leedsartscouncil.org.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 6
The Right to Decide Opening Reception — Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts. 1221 10th Ave. S. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, signed into law on August 6, 1965 AEIVA presents The Right to Decide, an international poster invitational featuring 62 artists from 25 different countries with previously unveiled works which will be on display Mondays to Fridays from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m. through Nov. 16. During the opening reception Yellowhammer Creative artists will hand-screen Spider Martin Voting Rights posters. 5:30–7:30 p.m. Free. For more information, visit uab.edu.
Art Crawl — Downtown Birmingham. August’s Art Crawl will feature the usual bevvy of artists, local talent and unique-to-Birmingham businesses. The crawl will take place at venues across downtown including galleries, restaurants and bars and companies throughout the historic, loft, business, arts and theatre districts. Specials, giveaways and new art are waiting to be discovered around every corner. 5–9 p.m. Free. For more information, visit birminghamartcrawl.com.
Art and Conversation: Hale Woodruff, an American Artist — Birmingham Museum of Art. 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd. Once a month, the Birmingham Museum of Art offers an in-depth look into the history of a select work or collection. This month BMA curator Graham C. Boettcher will discuss Hale Woodruff’s combined aspects of Modernism with more traditional elements of history painting to depict the story of the Amistad captives. Coffee and light refreshments will be served. 10:30—11:30 a.m. $15. For more information, visit artsbma.org.
Catherine Beaton Art Show Opening — Rojo. 2921 Highland Ave. Catherine Beaton will be showing her art in Rojo’s side room, which highlights a different local artist monthly. The exhibit opening will allow guests to meet Beaton and partake of Rojo’s dinner and drink menu. 6–10 p.m. Free. For more information, visit rojobirmingham.com.
ONGOING
Let Us Now Praise the Roma — Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. 520 16th St. N. Karen Graffeo’s collection of documentary photographs offers more than a glimpse into the lives of the complex culture of the Roma people of Northern Italy. The artist spent 15 years among the refugee encampments, caravans, slums and housing projects of the Romani, or “gypsies,” and has emerged with a body of work that is consistently gaining national and international attention. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sundays, 1–5 p.m. until Sept. 13. $12. For more information, visit bcri.org.
Layers of Meaning — Birmingham Public Library. 2100 Park Place. The acrylic paintings in Layers of Meaning surge with emotion and energy that reflect the artist’s intuitive process of discovering deeper levels of color, mood and importance. Matthew Mayes explained that the properties of acrylic paint allow each painting to determine its direction and give the artist the opportunity to exercise confidence in his talent and display an impressive array of themes. Available through Sept. 4. For more information, visit bplonline.org.
Willie Cole: Transformations — Abroms-Engel Institute for Visual Arts. 1221 10th Avenue S. Internationally recognized artist, Willie Cole is known for his work in mixed media, transforming ordinary objects into sculptures and compositions inspired by African American history and the artist’s personal experience. Shoes, bottles and cellophane transform into striking and complex works of art. Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Saturday, 12–6 p.m. Through August 8. Free. For more information, call (205) 975-6436.
Beth Conklin at Joy Gallery — The Joy Gallery. 513 Columbiana Rd. Beth Conklin’s dreamy Wonderland is full of characters inspired by old photographs with a delicate edge of eeriness. Her collage and digital artwork will be on display at the Joy Gallery in Homewood Cumberland Presbyterian Church until July 26. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Free. For more information, call (205) 942-3051.
Yard Art — Naked Art Gallery. 3831 Clairmont Avenue S. Naked Art’s outdoor gallery is filled with “functional art for the garden.” Various artists have contributed dual-purpose works that will be on display and available for purchase through Dec. 24. Free. For more information, visit nakedartusa.com.
The Freedom Exhibition: Two Countries/One Struggle — Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts. 1221 10th Ave. S. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, AEIVA offers the photography of Spider Martin and Peter Magubane. Fifty comparative photographs by each artist depict segregation in American and the South African apartheid. Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Saturday, 12–6 p.m. Through August 8. Free. For more information, call (205) 975-6436.