Thursday, July 10, 2014

Spring 2013 - Visual Expression





Students selected for this discussion were cordially invited to dinner on 

Monday, March 4th, 2013 at 7:30 PM 

featuring a specially prepared menu and casual conversation with:

Karen Brummund

Jamie Cicatiello/Grace Aberdean - Habitat Alchemy

Mama Dixie - Madam, Owner, & Business Manager – Pink Box Burlesque

Janis Edwards 

 Shweta Gamble - Kentuck Art Center

Emily Leigh - Kentuck Art Center

Claire Lewis Evans - Artist, Writer, & Publisher

Stacy Morgan - Professor – UA Department of American Studies

Cory Patton

Natassia Perrine - Choir Director – Central High School

Jessica Peterson  The Southern Letterpress

Wesley H. Rorex - Twice As Nice Consignment Shop

Jenny Ryan - Theatre Tuscaloosa/Tuscaloosa Children’s Theatre

Tina F. Turley - Theatre Tuscaloosa

Stephen Watson - Artist


To check out the blog discussion for this topic, continue reading below

  1. Dinner With Strangers says:
    February 17, 2013 at 7:32 PM
    Welcome! Those of us at the Ferguson Center are excited to finally open up discussion for Dinner with Strangers for Spring 2013! This page will be a space for the community members and selected students involved with this project to begin discussing the culture of visual arts and theatre in Tuscaloosa, before meeting for dinner on March 4th.
    Let’s start the conversation with a few simple questions: How would you describe the visual arts and theatre scene in Tuscaloosa? What is interesting about it? How could it be improved? What do you see as your role in the scene?

  2. DWS Mama Dixie says:
    February 18, 2013 at 3:19 PM
    Hello! I’ll dig in, if that’s cool.
    How would you describe the visual arts and theatre scene in Tuscaloosa?
    It’s diverse and, at the same time, very indicative of Southern culture. The university fosters a continuous actor stock and the community seems to like the staple cultural mark made by theatre and print arts.
    What is interesting about it?
    The fluid movement. Everyone’s had to chisel their space…so we all stick together. Everyone plays well together. I’ve had such wonderful, and unexpected, experiences because of good-natured, more experienced community members.
    How could it be improved?
    I don’t know that I have an opinion on this. I sit on the outskirts of what’s happening much of the time, so I don’t have a good view on such things. …and I’ve been harping on Community Bulletin Boards on the corners of downtown streets to post bills for years. It’s hard to reach out to the community sometimes. We’re dependent on the kindness of shopkeeps…and, understandably, they’re often a bit nervous about advertising for a burlesque show.
    What do you see as your role in the scene?
    First and foremost, I’m a fan and a groupie. Beyond that, my job is to make the uncomfortable comfortable…to offer an opportunity for personal appreciation and empowerment. Everyone is safe in Mama’s house.

    • DWS Stephen Watson says:
      February 18, 2013 at 11:05 PM
      Mama,
      I’m very interested in your description of the visual arts and theatre scene in Tuscaloosa as, “…very indicative of Southern culture.”
      Will you please say more about that?
      Stephen

      • DWS Mama Dixie says:
        February 19, 2013 at 4:12 PM
        Hi Stephen! Sure – let me give it a go. [I've tried a couple of times. It's harder than I anticipated.] I think an environment is painted by the history of the land. Steeped…which is something that happens slowly, like molasses. It’s those deep, emotional things that I reference.
        I’m going to oversimplify [forgive me in advance?] and say that, visually, the art – primarily the folk art – speaks of Southern history and how it continues to live. The Civil Rights battles, the Native Americans, the poverty that affects everyone across the board at one point or another and the gentile wealthy class whose land rolls and rolls and rolls…the suffering of everyone at someone else’s hand at one point or another. The South – and the deep South specifically – is often a conversation on survival. Look at our traditional food. ;)
        From a theatre, visual performance standpoint: while the theatres perform a wide variety of works by a wide variety of authors [something that is encouraged by the university and colleges around town], it is those that kindle the feelings of survival that seem to resonate with audiences the most. Stories by Southern authors are chosen more frequently than elsewhere. [I don't think this is a chicken-egg thing. But even if it is, it doesn't matter. What we put in the stew is what we taste.]
        I think it’s important for me to say that I don’t think these things are particular to the South…but that when they’re here, they have a specific flavor. The flavor of swamps and moss and tea and 110 degree mornings and linen suits and Mardi Gras – the warriors that lived here before and the ones who live here, still. I also think it’s important to note that I’ve avoided references to religion here intentionally. ;)
        How’s that?
        md

        • DWS Natalie Beck says:
          March 3, 2013 at 1:50 AM
          In your opinion, which “Southern Story” carries the most significance to you?

  3. DWS Claire Lewis Evans says:
    February 19, 2013 at 1:36 AM
    Hi everyone! I’ll let Mama Dixie and Stephen chew on the relative Southernness of visual culture in the Tuscaloosa area — I’ll throw in another dimension, which is its diversity.
    I’d be curious to hear what the theater people say, but I can’t say that I know many of them very well — whereas I’ve got a decent handle on the visual artists in the area (at least, I think I do). In other words, these are, in some ways, two different scenes and probably both have different pockets of interests and activities within them. Which is great, in and of itself, but it makes it hard to keep up with everything – especially for independents who don’t have marquee value in town.
    The problem, I think, is that everyone is so busy and focused on keeping their balls in the air that it’s hard to take time off to keep up with and see what other people are doing. What can we do about that, and how could it be improved? Well, Dinner with Strangers seems like a great step to me, and Jim Harrison launched Bohemian Nights last year — it’s a monthly come-one-come-all for artists and art-lovers to socialize, share news, brainstorm, etc. It moves around from place to place, and is fairly organic in approach. The downside to that is that it mostly attracts people who are already in the loop and can make the time — which mostly seems to be the visual arts community. The challenge, it seems to me, is how to expand the loop so everyone will know they and their ideas are welcome — not just at Bohemian Nights, but at everything.
    Maybe we just should have one big interdisciplinary creative circus where people can share what they’re doing. I guess that’s what DCAF is all about, but the bands last year were too loud for me to stick around for long. Plus, I had work to do in the studio, as I do now.
    Later!
    Claire

    • DWS Mama Dixie says:
      February 20, 2013 at 5:12 PM
      I know for many of us our performance/art is our second or third career. I know I miss lots of cool things because I’m at rehearsal or at another job…even when I do know about them.

        • DWS JAMIE CICATIELLO says:
          February 25, 2013 at 8:55 PM
          I think it goes to getting a better bus system. Maybe students at Stillman want to come or people who live over on Skyland or out 69 north and south. If we are making downtown a destination for art and artists we need to get people down here and back home.

          • DWS Natalie Beck says:
            March 3, 2013 at 2:02 AM
            I know that UA used to (they may still, but I am unsure) offer a Crimson Ride transit system for UA students that ran downtown every Thursday-Saturday from 6pm-2am. I believe it was, in part, to increase exposure to the Arts (Bama Theatre, amphitheater, etc.).
            Have you heard about this, or even seen students taking advantage of it? I heard through the grapevine that it wasn’t as nearly successful as hoped….I am hoping I heard wrong. What could be missing for UA students to buy-in?

    • DWS Natalie Beck says:
      March 3, 2013 at 1:53 AM
      Claire- I am sure that we will continue to discuss this during dinner on Monday night, but could you please share some additional information on this Bohemian Nights that you speak of? It sounds fantastic, and I would certainly be interested in learning more about what past events have looked like, and perhaps what is in store for this spring.

  4. DWS Stacy Morgan says:
    February 21, 2013 at 7:31 PM
    I’ve been pondering the local artsy happenings that seem to possess the greatest vitality. And I’m thinking that it’s probably not a coincidence that several of the first items to come to mind–Art Night, Bohemian Nights (mentioned above), & Grace Aderdean’s First Fridays–all offer a MIX of artistic expression/consumption AND sociality. First Fridays, for example, offers always interesting live music, rotating art exhibits, crafts, vintage fashions, & an admirable, locally-focused co-op kind of business model–to say nothing of tasty eats & beverages. With such a multimedia sampler platter (as well as Jamie & Hunter’s innate coolness) they seem to draw a diverse crowd that bridges some of the usual town/gown, families vs. couples/singles, and age divides.
    While maybe not ‘social’ in quite the same way, the Bama Art House film series also seems a good model in the sense that it suggests that quality offerings WILL draw in this town and that committed arts enterprises can gradually build a substantial audience. MD’s Pink Box Burlesque also falls in this category.
    Another extremely exciting undertaking in recent years was the Alabama Art Kitchen, which I’m sure other people in this thread can speak to better than I. I can say that AAK provided a space for some of the most wide-open & dynamic artistic, musical, & performance creativity that I’ve seen in my 13 years living here. Unfortunately, that one, at least for now, is on haitus. Maybe in the future similar efforts could aim for some sort of partnership arrangement (perhaps especially for space) to make them less dependent on enormous energy from a small handful of caretakers? I know that UA (my home base) is often the first potential partner folks mention, and that avenue is worth pursuing. But let’s also not forget that we’ve got the opening of the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center in the hopefully-not-too-distant future. Especially with those added resources of space, I think anyone looking to cook something up in the visual arts & theatre realm would find an eager & useful partner in the Arts Council.

    • DWS Natalie Beck says:
      March 3, 2013 at 2:18 AM
      Stacy- I really appreciate how you described the framework for a “good model” of local artsy programming: “interesting live music, rotating art exhibits, crafts, vintage fashions, & an admirable, locally-focused co-op kind of business model–to say nothing of tasty eats & beverages”. But in addition to good program content, how else does a program achieve success from one season to the next? I am unfamiliar with AAK, but it sounds like it had the structure to succeed. What was missing that prompted a hiatus, and how can we prevent the same thing from happening to other current art programs?

  5. DWS JAMIE CICATIELLO says:
    February 25, 2013 at 8:52 PM
    Hey Guys!
    I’m very excited and honored to be asked to participate and to be in the company of such fantastic people! Thank you for all the kind words Dr. Morgan! flattery will get you everywhere with me!:) So let’s get down to business!
    How would you describe the visual arts and theatre scene in Tuscaloosa? What is interesting about it? How could it be improved? What do you see as your role in the scene?
    Let’s see, I give the theaters and the artists that are practicing an A plus. Mama Dixie is a true professional and she shows it. The Bama Theater as well as the Theater at Shelton the bars, they put on a variety of shows and have a good bit of diversity.
    That being said, Tuscaloosa has no sculptures, we have no outside art. There isn’t a place for artists who want to create outside or whose works are meant to deteriate over time (sorry of my lousy spelling) There is no underground theater scene except for Guerilla Theater on campus. So for that the city gets a big fat F. Hopefully the Dinah Washington will address some of the issues for more underground theater.
    What is interesting about it is how the artists who work in this town have been able to do so. Tuscaloosa isn’t necessary art friendly because of the limited spaces for artist to work out of. It’s just that the artist have been extremely resourceful in the ways they get their work out and about. The bama multi tasks to help show artists, The L&N train station, The mellow mushroom will hold shows. It’s great that the artist’s will seek out where they can preform or show their work. It’s interesting that there is usually something “artsy” going on 2-3 nights a week. That’s a huge accomplishment for Tuscaloosa! It could be improved if we had a valid calendar where everyone could post what the hell is going on! Like Soapy said, a place where you could post bills. We always knew what was going on because the posters on all of the utility poles on the strip. Bars, house party’s, weird shit you name it! If you made a poster for it and we saw it, we’d probably be there! I’m sad I miss some really great art shows, lectures and projects at UA because I just don’t know about them.
    Which brings up another issue which is how do we get people from campus to down town? This is a problem. There is no parking downtown. Going to and from campus is a nightmare, I’m not lazy it’s just that if I can avoid going to campus i will. I park in my store’s parking lot 90% of the time and walk to the other side of downtown. If we want to nurture artists and community and get them to come see our programs we have to make it somewhat easy for them to get downtown and then get back to the University. That is how will can stand to get more diversity into the programs people already have going. And maybe myself and intern:) We want educated people to stay and make this a better place! We need to show them why they should stay and put down roots!
    I see my role in the scene is to hopefully inspire people. Show them there are places in Tuscaloosa that want your art, your local band, your ideas and there are a bunch of people that live here who are from all over the United States and they come to the store to mingle and talk and to conspire and to brain storm and to see what other people are up to. Tell stories from when they were playing in New York or New Orleans or where ever. Like Mama Dixie hit upon, I love the art scene in Tuscaloosa/ Northport I think it’s unique, I think it’s all it’s own. I love how the humidity, high temperatures, culture make people think and act. I love how the University has people from all over the world. It’s up to the individual to engage, I just hope my First Friday’s helps people to do so:) And I hope the city or cities will see what a great diverse community we have and help engage them also.

  6. DWS Stephen Watson says:
    February 26, 2013 at 4:03 AM
    “The flavor of swamps and moss and tea and 110 degree mornings and linen suits and Mardi Gras – the warriors that lived here before and the ones who live here, still.”
    That was beautiful, Mama Dixie.
    My own experience has been that many Tuscaloosans are very underexposed to contemporary art practices. What would be cliche in, say, New York, can be perceived as quite cutting edge here. I wonder if we could add general “naivity” (or at least “simplicity”) to our list of Southern ingredients?

    • DWS Mama Dixie says:
      February 27, 2013 at 6:02 PM
      Aww – thanks. :)
      I think, in many cases, that’s true. Though I think that falls under cultural norms in a different way. The South is full of small towns in which dependence upon one another for survival is important. [Again, this isn't exclusive to the South, but here we are.] When that happens, things that appear ‘different’ or ‘experimental’ translate to ‘threatening’. Skip down two generations and the reason for that translation is lost, but the identity remains. In New York, for example, the melting pot is bigger…so exposure [pardon the burlesque pun] is more common and, while it can be as intimidating, one is more likely to find a tribe that doesn’t find their particular experiments threatening.

      • DWS Mama Dixie says:
        February 27, 2013 at 6:18 PM
        I will say this though, upon reflection — I think this conflict causes serious difficulties in spreading art/theatre news. I said it above, but it could stand repeating — because of the nature of our shows, it’s hard to get the word out. People are afraid to let us post bills or to come to a show…to audition or to be seen in the audience, for fear of what would be said of them based upon the presumption of what goes on during a PBB show. That fear of condemnation is still a substantial threat in a growing, but still small, city.
        Also, I think one thing that hasn’t been mentioned yet is how the economy affects what we all do as visual artists. The money that our audience spends on tickets and merchandise [as well as patronizing the bar of the venue] is generally expendable income. When there is less of that to go around, we end up competing against each other. I want my fellow artists to succeed, and to stay here and thrive and be wonderful. I don’t like considering that having audience members attend our shows is, necessarily, making it difficult for them to attend other shows. We’ve tried to arrange show times around other events to stay cooperative instead of competitive. In a larger city, this wouldn’t be such an issue.

    • DWS Dorothy Beck says:
      March 2, 2013 at 4:51 PM
      Stephen,
      I completely agree with you on your comment that many Tuscaloosans are underexposed to contemporary art practices. I’m a student at the University, and to be quite honest, I feel that without partaking in a class specifically about the arts of Tuscaloosa I would not be familiar with the art scene in this town. Granted, if someone were to take a trip down town they would most likely come across the Bama theatre, but just a visual of the building itself does not provide the appropriate information needed about the purpose and history behind it. Even now, I feel cut off from the art scene on campus and am wondering what opportunities I have missed to partake in learning more about it simply because I did not know the events were happening.
      Since being on campus, the only arts event that I have returned to is Kentuck, and that includes artists from all across the south, and does not necessarily provide a commentary on the culture created by the arts in Tuscaloosa.
      Although I can only speak for myself, perhaps we should also make the claim that many Tuscaloosans are not only naive in their exposure to contemporary art practices, but also naive in the various ways in which they can become involved.

      • DWS Natalie Beck says:
        March 3, 2013 at 5:39 AM
        I took a course centered around the arts of Tuscaloosa as an undergrad at UA about five years ago. While this course was one of my favorite courses taken at the Capstone, upon reflection, this experience did take a seemingly conservative approach to the arts of Tuscaloosa–perhaps because it focused around the fine arts. Here is my concern (one that you sort of hit on, Stephen, when you mention the need for a valid “common room”, if you will, that better informs and connects of art happenings around town): if the fine arts are struggling to gather attention from students, as you seem to somewhat alude to, Dorothy, then how do we approach getting the word out about the arts that are more, abstract or or unrefined in nature? Do these latter art forms face more of a struggle than their finer counterparts in terms of community acceptance, university education and exposure, etc.? I have no idea to the answer, but I ask simply given the South’s past historic record of fearing diversion from “tradition”.

  7. DWS Janis Edwards says:
    February 27, 2013 at 6:35 AM
    First, I see my name on the list has no identifier. It should say “artist.” That is who and what I am, and I am unaffiliated with an organization, from an arts perspective. Second, I agree somewhat with Jamie; the surprise is that art gets done here. We need to diversify and continue to develop both centralized and decentralized spaces. I started the Alabana Arts Post on facebook in hopes of enhancing the circulation of information, but I still find it difficult to tap into what is going on. The TN doesn’t have much. Some events, such as Art Night and Bama Theatre events and exhibitions are a struggle for me because I need close-in parking, and some of the venues are handicapped-unfriendly. We also seem to have a relatively unmotivated population. Kentuck is wonderful, but the downside comes when people think Kentuck IS the sum total of visual art in this area. We need more good exhibition spaces and visible events, and an arts calendar that doesn’t have to be assembled four months in advance. I don’t know much about “Southern expressions” but I do know there is room for growth and development in visual arts. I wrote art reviews for TUSK for a time, but I don’t think anyone cared, including some exhibition venues. In sum, the visual arts, especially contemporary arts, is dozing in Tuscaloosa, and there is too much assumption that what we have already is sufficient. AAK was the brightest spot in the 12 years I have lived here. We need more energy like that! We have some wonderful things to buikd on, but we do need to build.

  8. DWS Claire Lewis Evans says:
    February 27, 2013 at 11:23 PM
    Upon continued reflection, I have decided that the following must be said if we’re going to have a honest conversation about visual culture in Tuscaloosa:
    – houndstooth
    – the color crimson and its variants
    – Crimson Tide-related trademarks & imagery
    Also, when Jamie Cicatiello says “Tuscaloosa has no sculptures, we have no outside art. There isn’t a place for artists who want to create outside or whose works are meant to deteriorate over time,” she largely speaks the truth, EXCEPT for Black Belt Bamboost’s bamboo park (adjoining Kentuck Park in Northport), of which she a prime instigator. It’s thanks to her that I had a place to install my outdoor sculpture exhibit — but I, too, wish there was better visibility for the non-mainstream events going on around town. It’s not like these things are intended to as underground events… it just works out that way.
    As for handbills and flyers: I have a theory that it’s not just Tuscaloosa that lacks places for such signage. I was talking to a friend in Brooklyn, and she agreed that, even there, the golden age of concert flyers seems to be past. I think the ‘broken window’ approach to urban environments and ‘revitalization’ efforts has sanitized urban living in many communities across the country. In some ways, that’s good, but in other ways it makes for Boring. The bulletin boards that do exist in town (Starbucks at Midtown, for example) are Very Boring — I look for interesting information and all that’s there are business cards and ads for filtered water services. Often with houndstooth borders.

  9. DWS Emily Leigh says:
    February 28, 2013 at 3:16 AM
    I’m finally able to join in. I am Emily Leigh, am originally from New Orleans, and I am the assistant director at the Kentuck Art Center. I have been there for nearly 4 years and have been married to an artist (a painter/sculptor/collector/dealer) for 27 years.
    The Kentuck Art Center in downtown Northport (for those who may be unaware) is a non-profit organization with a gallery shop, a multi-event Art Night every first Thursday, a Kentuck for Kids event every third Saturday, a 2 day nationally known festival every third weekend in October, 6 artist studios and it acts as a venue for small concerts and performances.
    Jamie! Claire! There IS more outdoor sculpture here! Besides the Courtyard of Wonders at Kentuck there’s the Sister City Commission leaf sculpture by Kentuck studio metal artist Steve Davis down on the river near the dock where the riverboat was.
    I must strongly agree with Jamie about getting the word out. I find it very hard to let folks know what is going on in the art arena. Newspaper circulation is dwindling and large sections of the population over a certain age do not use Facebook or other social media to find the action. Many of my middle aged friends have no idea that there’s an art film series at the Bama or that Art Night is every month and has many venues. I love Mama Dixie’s idea of community bulletin boards. I see my role in the area of the arts here as an educator. I want to educate my friends/visitors to Kentuck/students/newcomers/everyone I come into contact with about the things to do here. I point them to FB, Jubilation and the Tusk, but that isn’t enough.
    Even coming from New Orleans I’m amazed at how much TTown has going on – experimental concerts like the Radelunas and Sonic Frontiers, speakers like Neil Gaiman and EO Wilson, art films with spicy/dicey subjects, a Jewish film festival, ballets, a bamboo park, a gay Mardi Gras ball fund raiser, poetry slams, a world class ukulele player, AND a burlesque troupe! THere’s more that I can’t even think of right now, but there’s a huge variety of things happening, but letting people know about it is a challenge.

    • DWS Janis Edwards says:
      March 2, 2013 at 9:55 PM
      I am sure this was before your time, but when I started to write art reviews I was told by the person at Kentuck Gallery that they didn’t think they needed publicity. Maybe they didn’t, but every other visual arts venue does.

  10. DWS Claire Lewis Evans says:
    February 28, 2013 at 7:25 PM
    A bit more on outdoor sculpture & public art about town (which are not necessarily identical categories): in addition to the Sister Cities leaf sculpture and the Courtyard of Wonder, there is also Steve’s work on the entrance to the Children’s Hands-On Museum, a smattering of sculpture across the UA campus (documented very nicely by Rachel Dobson at the UA Department of Art & Art History’s flickr account:http://www.flickr.com/photos/uaart/collections/72157607491711740/), and — probably my favorite place to have an aesthetic experience in Tuscaloosa — a variety of works at the UA Arboretum, including some really sweet pieces by none-other than Steve Davis, again! He’s wonderful and adds so much to West Alabama’s otherwise fairly pretty bland visual gestalt. We’re so lucky that he’s willing to work at rates that nonprofits like CHOM, the Arboretum, and Kentuck can afford. Ditto for the outdoor artwork that Jamie features on the storefront at Grace Aberdeen’s. And murals — surely there are few that I’m overlooking (besides the ceiling at Ruan Thai and the gone-but-not-forgotten Sistine Chukker ceiling, both by Rich Marcks if I’m not mistaken). Oh yes, also Caleb O’Connor’s murals at the new federal building.
    Almost all of this has been done for free or extraordinarily low costs, as labors of love by creators who need to make and venues that want to help show and share their creations. There’s much to be said for such grassroots activity, but what puts a city like Chattanooga so far ahead of us as culturally interesting places that *draw tourist money* are private-public partnerships, leadership, and foundation support for programs like Public Art Chattanooga (http://www.publicartchattanooga.com/). The grassroots can give and give and give, but all the good things are going on would really get a boost if we could get some programmatic support and administrative/fundraising leadership that applies across the boards and not just at individual 501(c)3 arts organizations. That’s how the Sister Cities sculpture was funded, if I’m not mistaken.
    As for communications and transportation: The very first article I wrote back in 2005 for the now-defunct City Magazine was on the art trolley that *did* shuttle around between all the Art Night venues on both sides of the river — eventually, it got cut, probably because enough people weren’t riding it to justify the expense. Currently, the UA Art Department is offering a monthly Art Ride that takes a group on coordinated Art Nights tours. To find out more about that, contact the Art Department, or just follow/like them on Facebook — UA’s Rachel Dobson (her, again!) does a great job sharing news about art events going on in town. Like Emily, she is a frequent sharer in the Alabama Art Post group that Janis started.
    The problem is, not everyone is on Facebook, and even those of us who are know that it’s a creepy place. I’ve found it to be the best way I know to keep up with everything going on, but I wish there were an alternative. We tried to have an open door and promote/advocate as much local culture as we could find out about at City Magazine, but alas, like the Art Trolley, it was not a financially-sustainable concern.
    Ideally, it would be great to have some sort of lightly curated live-time online compendium to serve as a clearinghouse for all sorts of events, but I haven’t figured out how that would look or how it would be paid for, and there are only so many hours in the day. This is a theme that’s emerged, however — so let me ask (for the sake of the collective): what do people think of Birmingham 365 (http://www.birmingham365.org/home4)? Do people use it? I don’t, but when I go to Birmingham it’s usually with something in mind already. I wonder it’s been proven to pay for itself?

  11. DWS Stacy Morgan says:
    March 1, 2013 at 8:25 PM
    Seems like we already have a few specific recommendations/issues that might usefully be presented to administrations for the city and UA with some help from Heather, no?
    * more spaces for public art
    * public arts/culture event bulletin boards of a tangible sort downtown
    * creating some sort of widely accessible online ‘bulletin board’ for Tuscaloosa cultural events and–perhaps the bigger challenge?–making the broader Tuscaloosa publics (town & gown) aware of that forum as a resource for finding out what’s happening and/or posting their own events [I definitely appreciate Janice & Rachel Dobson's Alabama Arts page on Facebook and the Well That's Cool podcasts for attempting to provide this service already. Should we just attempt to build greater awareness of these existing sources of information? Or is something else needed as a complement?]
    I agree with Jamie & Janice’s sentiments regarding parking. The free garage is a nice addition downtown, but perhaps more of the spaces directly connected to the Bama Theater could be designated as handicap parking? I see this as even more of an issue at UA. As we move to become a more pedestrian campus–which I think is great on many levels–one of the unforeseen drawbacks is that several common lecture/event sites, such as Gorgas Library, have virtually no immediately proximate parking any longer, especially for the general public. Anyone have a brainstorm on how best to address that one?
    Any students on this blog have thoughts as to what you’d like see more of in the Tuscaloosa arts scene in general?

  12. DSW Kelly Parvin says:
    March 2, 2013 at 3:21 PM
    The real estate situation in Tuscaloosa is at a peak, which is fantastic for business and rental owners. For artists looking for studio space it makes the cost both high and locating space difficult. I am interested to hear about studio options and costs for existing spaces. Also, I would love to see a transitional space created for UA undergrads and grads as well as new artists arriving in town to co-exist in a space and build art community. Perhaps a space that could be supported by a local business with low rental rates and an application process for participants. A way to enhance and encourage transition into working in the community. Also, it is wonderful to have a space out of your home that can be visited and open to the public.

  13. DWSKathleenKirkpatrick says:
    March 3, 2013 at 2:43 PM
    Coming to this particular conversation a bit late in the game. Reading this morning has reinforced that I need to be there with y’all Monday evening – to listen and take it all in (the “fly on the wall”), not necessarily to participate directly as I will with the Downtown Revitalization discussion. But it is all related and should be part of a comprehensive approach to building sustainable communities.
    I will say this: stay tuned. The Sassafras Center for Art and Environment (a new non-profit organization I am involved in) aspires to be a community for local artists and those interested in environmental issues. The more I can learn about what y’all think we need in Tuscaloosa, the better. As a recent returnee, I see so much enthusiasm and potential in Tuscaloosa. Let’s harness that and do some wonderful things.

  14. DWS Asanti McRae says:
    March 4, 2013 at 6:39 AM
    Hi everyone,
    Sorry for my lateness with the discussions, being a part of UA’s Army ROTC takes quite a bit of my time. My name is Asanti McRae, and I am a freshmen at UA double majoring in Advertising and Art with a minor in civil leadership. Anyways I’m very delighted to be chosen for this wonderful opportunity. Growing up I’ve been blessed to meet people who valued the importance of art all around us in whatever form it came in. Since being here in Tuscaloosa, and going to school at UA the views of art all around are phenomenal. You really get that sense of the southern culture from it. I’m always seeing and participating in something new with in the town. There’s a lot more things happening in the town that I wish people knew more about, because there is indeed a bit of a poor job of reaching out to the people about these things. After reading a few of you all’s posts I will say I agree; I wish there were more places for artist to have artworks displayed outside. I know when I had gotten a chance to visit my sister in Rochester, NY they have a whole street dedicated for visual expressions. i felt like it was the most colorful and alive part of the city.

  15. DWS Claire Lewis Evans says:
    March 5, 2013 at 3:33 PM
    In hopes of continuing the conversation, there are two subjects I wish we’d had a chance to address a little bit last night: the value of the individual art experience (as juxtaposed to public/community art & outreach efforts), and money as a seldom-acknowledged but ever-present factor any creative practice.

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