Reflections From InLight


Current national events are to the point where they weary me to speak of them, or write an opinion few will read, and half of the billion-eyed reader will contest as misled at best and false at worst. So. I'm retreating today to pictures of a marvelous reent evening.

These are images from InLight Richmond, produced by the 30-year-old 1708 Gallery and the Wearable Art component co-sponsored by The Phoenix of Carytown. This post's pictures are from photographers Jay Paul and Amie Oliver and constitute a mere sampling.

The top image and the following two are from Jay Paul.

Klimt brought to life...Designer Julien Archer created this piece that translated out of German was "The Witch's Woods" and worn here by the statuesque Ann Marshall -- whose poise and stunning facial bone structure-- and red hair--made this into an unknown Klimt.








Hot 8 gives us some of that NOLA vibe...





Amie Oliver:

Harry and Da Goilz...






















Harry gets his soul projected into the heavens...




























and the ghost of a Jackson Ward house by London architect Peter Culley, in collaboration with lighting designer Eleni Savvidou. This was a life-size, architectural 3-D "light drawing." Savvidou is a lighting designer with L'Obervatoire in New York, Culley the project director for the ongoing expansion of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts...see more here.


























Amie Oliver on the wall...



Torches and banners either protesting or in favor of nothingness...

Illumination of Broad Street
Art and Imagination Reclaim Downtown


The parade of Wearable Art down Broad Street, as recorded by photographer Jay Paul.
This is model Rickita McKinty with designer Kevin Blow in his design, "Untitled: Optica." The outfit includes 33 eyes with lights in their pupils and ostrich feathers.

I haven't seen much pop up blog-wise or in the regular media about what was a historic event--or rather, one of a series of them this past year on Broad--more discussion of Rodney Monroe and the rain. Well, that's too bad. Even Sissy Spacek was there.

My bias is obvious, because I emceed the Wearable Art component of the evening, (with at times less grace than I would've wished), but, apparently this caused no untoward distress. At least I hope so.

Yes, there was rain in the early hours but it cleared off and during the 9:00 to 11:00 stretch the street filled up, the video and audio projections on the walls went on, the Hot 8 Brass played and a man-powered contraption designed to project the spirit into the sky lumbered around. Every gallery was open and some very fine art on display-and will remain so for the rest of the month, and some longer--and would be a credit to any other city, of a greater population.

I stood at the center stage with Jake Crocker at one point when we took in the fanning search lights--for once not indicating the location of a strip bar--the glowing columns of light, the bright pools of activity along the street, the whirling psychedelic patterns on the trees, the great knots of crowds--and he said, "This is like some huge, outdoor Vegas club."

For a massive, first-time event, held when weather conditions threatened to wash out the whole production, InLight Richmond went well as we might've expected.

There's many thoughts and observations I have about this spectacular but time presses.

Here's the bottom line take away we should have, though. Events like InLight, First Friday and Broad Appétite are transforming Broad, its wide ungainliness, its semi-charming, semi-off-putting grittiness. Add in the Folk Festival, the proliferation of markets, and the other street festivals all over town, Richmond is reclaiming its public spaces.

This is an historic transformation. From the latter 19th century and more than halfway into the 20th century, Richmonders divided Broad right along the streetcar tracks; the "bad" north side, with its saloons, vaudeville and burlesque houses, nickelodeons, motion picture and legitimate theaters. Behind them, were Jackson Ward and Navy Hill, predominant black neighborhoods. The "south" or good side was where the major retail bustled, and the colossi of Miller & Rhoads and Thalhimer's. Of course, further east, down in Shockoe, form 1905 to about 1920, on Council Chamber Hill and into Shockoe Valley, was the tenderloin and immigrant tenements.

But like many U.S. cities, the vibrant retail center came to an end in the 1980s, and Richmond has struggled like others to redefine what this corridor can now mean to its citizens. The most successful responses have come from the entrepreneurs, the artists, and the makers and creators. Almost every public-private effort has failed or been mired in over-spending, planning mishaps and outright corruption.

Seeds grow where they are planted. Whether 1708 Gallery or Gallery5 on or near Broad, or Plant Zero in Manhester south of the river, they've been followed by restaurants, lofts, apartments, coffee shops and boutiques. What Richmond now needs downtown is a large grocery, or even department store--a regional based, original Big Store. Where'd you put it now, though, is a tough question.

Now, I'm not saying one event is a cure-all, but the momentum built by several of them creates a cumulative effect. And I've not heard much mention of this by any of the mayoral candidates. I don't understand why; except that the people are (almost) always ahead of the leaders. Whether a candidate was present during the evening, I do not know; there was a Mark Warner for Senate event at Quirk, though. Otherwise, I saw some of those Get Out The Vote petitioners, but no city job seeker out on the hustings. Kind of disappointing, if this was the actual case. Where are these people?

The production team that dismantled the Monroe and Broad stage, due to rain, then put together again and set up the sound and lights--those guys were some of the true heroes of the night.

Meanwhile, I danced with an Art Cheerleader to the cheering of a crowd, watched a beautiful woman in an 1830s style garment shoot flames, and experienced my Partner In Art For Life's video creation get projected on two brick walls.

As I stood there and watched the procession of models moving in their often confining creations and confections--including this marvelous Klimt-in-motion with a headdress of antler-like branches adorned with glowing lanterns-- I marveled. The Klimt had some trouble getting up the stairs--the branches got in the way of the handrails--and this true living work of art--needed to be assisted in her ascension.

This was a metaphor of Richmond's possibilities, and how often the biggest thing that gets in her way is herself. She just needs a little help, sometimes, to get unstuck and moving.

I ended my evening on a WoBSoC front porch railing, yakking with Mark Holmberg about Blue Shingles.

It just doesn't get much better.

More later.

Get Lit, Richmond!

InLight Will Brighten Up Broad Tonight

If you are late to the billion-eyed audience, you may not know that these two women, displaying the classic Greek tragedy/comedy duality, represent -- here at the Blue Raccoon, anyway -- the arrival of yet another First Friday High Art Hike throughout midtown Richmond. And the ladies will enjoy weather free of cyclonic activity suitable for their mode of dress exhibited above.

You can see more about InLight rightcheer.

If you know the story, please repeat along. The top image, not taken by me, records a moment at an opening several years ago at the vanished Three Miles Gallery and that this space, and an adjacent one, is now the busy Tarrant's Cafe.

But this Friday is more spectacular than any previous one that I've written of here because this is the inauguration of InLight Richmond, which involves the galleries along Broad and its immediate tributaries, staying open until midnight and all manner of special events, music, fashion, food, and yes, even a children's parade.

And yours truly is master of ceremonies for the 11th annual Wearable Art, that smashes art and fashion together and comes out with unique and sometimes revealing looks at how makers and creators interpret a particular theme, in this case, the illumination of Richmond.

Just call me MC KZ.

So for a few hours, you can come downtown and forget all this Presidential Impolitics mishigas, and just immerse yourself in the splendiferousness of the evening.

One of the highlights of this bright night will be the performance of the Hot 8 Brass Band from New Orleans, whom you may recognize for the Spike Lee film When The Levees Broke. You can sample their sound here.

All this, the Art Cheerleaders, and belly dancers, too.

So load up the station wagon, or grab the Broad Street/Downtown bus, and come on down and get turned on to some art and stuff.

The evening's shedule looks like this:


6 - 8 pm children's art & activities - Richmond Public Library Main Branch

7 pm Official Opening of InLight RICHMOND

7:00 pm Roving Spectacle: heads east from InLight Stage (Monroe & W. Broad) and west/north towards InLight from Richmond Public Library

7:30 pm Art Cheerleaders InLight Stage (Monroe & W. Broad)

7:30 pm Hot 8 Brass Band (Adams & Brook @ W. Broad) with roving processional inbetween

8:00 Belly Dancers InLight Stage (Monroe & W. Broad)

8:00 PM Slash Coleman/Neon Man - Jefferson and W. Broad

8:30 pm Royal Pain InLight Stage (Monroe & W. Broad)

8:45 pm Hot 8 Brass Band (Foushee & E. Broad)

9 pm Wearable InLight: 201 W Broad west to InLight Stage (Monroe and W.Broad) Harry Kollatz Jr., MC

9:30 pm Hot 8 Brass Band (Jefferson & W. Broad)

10:00 pm Belly Dancers InLight Stage (Monroe & W. Broad)

10:15 pm Nightshade (Shadow Puppets, Musicians & Dancers) InLight Stage east to Gallery 5

10:30 pm announcement of awards: Wearable InLight - InLight Stage

10:30 PM Slash Coleman/Neon Man - Jefferson and Broad

10:45 pm Royal Pain InLight Stage (Monroe & W. Broad)

11:15 pm dedication of Light Walk Legacy Piece: InLight Stage

11:30 PM announcement of awards: Best in Show (Curator's Choice); People's Choice Award InLight Stage

Another reason I like living in WoBSoC.*

And other thoughts on matters of the day


So last night I drowsed listening to the speechifying from the Globco Corporate Center in St. Paul, while the Partner In Art was working with the videos that will be displayed during InLight Richmond on Friday evening. Please check it out here.

I startled awake around 2 a.m. to realize that that Sarah Palin was on the television--in rebroadcast--and my glasses were underneath me with both the lenses popped out.

Bummer.

I left messages at the office saying I'd not be in until 9:30 because I had to deal with this ocular crisis.

I took the glasses to Dr. Toler's office (pictured, from the website) and because I was in something of a rush and in need of catching the bus I left my business card and a short note of explanation, and that I'd call.

Well, I go to the bus stop across the street and who should pull up but Dr. Toler himself. And he greeted me; I explained about my glasses, and he asked when my bus was coming. I didn't know--I never have quite understood the vagaries of the GRTC--but he said, "We'll take a look and get you fixed up."

So I'm standing there, waiting. A well-dressed older African American woman is sitting, purse in her lap, every few moments leaning forward and peering up the street and squinting to see if the bus is near. I'm watching time slip by: 9:18 to 9:22--when Dr. Toler's assistant hallooed from across the street, "Mr. Kollatz!" And laughing, holding my glasses, "Now this is what we call service," she said. Indeed!

And she explained how the left lense was chipped -- which, yes, I could plainly see--thus there wasn't enough for it to hold tight enough in the frame. Either get new frames, or a new lense, and I opted for the lense. "I'll get that started," she said.

And about eight minutes later, the Broad Street bus lumbered up, and I was at the office by 9:37. Now, this is yet another reason why I love my neighborhood.

And, finally, please, please, Hanna and Ike, stay far away or at least until the wee hours of Saturday. I have to lead 30 models down Broad Street for Wearable Art and I'd prefer not undertaking this effort in a cyclonic downpour. These  hurricanes are headed toward the east coast.

•WoBSoC: is West of Boulevard South of Cary, fashionably scruffy and scruffily fashionable.



An Example of Why The U.S. Is In Possible Terminal Late-Stage Weimarism*
--Our reason is replaced by rhetoric and emotionalism--this doesn't end well--

From Huffington Post: In which the goose meets the gander; a sampler.

Sandlynn
...I actually feel a bit sorry for the thinking, fiscally conservative but socially inclusive Republicans who have to come on TV and defend this ridiculous choice [of Sarah Palin for vice-president] and say for posterity that they think she is qualified to be President should anything happen to their 72 year out cancer-stricken candidate. Some of them look positively in pain.
Seeking to ban books from the local library as Mayor? Video of her asking people to pray for God's intervention in getting Alaska an oil pipeline? 1990's member of Alaskan Independence Party, which advocates Alaska seceding from the United States? Please. Forget her parenting choices - irrelevant. Is this the kind of person a thinking Republican wants as a possible -or in McCain's case - probable - President?

Pulemerci
I wonder if this will get as much coverage as the Reverand Jesse Jackson's "I want to cut Obama's n#ts off. He's been talking down to Balck people." Oh wait, the media had as much interest in that as they did in John Edwards affair and illigitimate child. Media bias? Do the math.

Rnactivist
After watching the Repub convention last night I felt like I was in a cinderella movie....you know the part where cinderella dressed in rags gets turned into the fairy princess. Sara Palin is going to be a great leader "because she led her basketball team to victory"...and is strong "because she was in labor on a plane all the way back to Alaska"...and my favorite John Mccain is a "Maverick" even though he voted with Bush 95% of the time. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time at the absurities. Pure spun sugar, like candy cane, all fluff and no substance.

paris79
Obama is a fellow human being...not a diety. I feel certain he can handle criticism as well as what you felt was sarcasm or mocking. When you say someone isn't qualified to have an opinion just because their educational path may differ you look elitist and you leave many people out of the discussion who have valid and reasoned arguments but not an ivy league diploma.

Pulemerci

She got more votes than Biden did running for President.

Mahavishnu

FORMER ARKANSAS GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE: Palin "got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States."
**********Love you Republican liars. "Palin got 616 votes in the 1996 mayor's election, and got 909 in her 1999 re-election race, for a total of 1,525. Biden dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, but he still got 76,165 votes in 23 states and the District of Columbia where he was on the ballot during the 2008 presidential primaries.

...And around it goes; as we spin ourselves into butter.

Commentary from CNN's Hilary Rosen, with some clear-eyed observation of the Palin Question, here.

* Weimarism: Of or having to with the German Weimar Republic (1918-1933), an experiment in representative parliamentary democracy. Weimar was notable for its tremendous cultural achievments, in theater, film, music, philosophy and writing, but also its Jazz Age debauchery that repelled middle-and-working class Germans -- those few who knew or cared at all of the shenanigans in Berlin. Weimar collapsed under the weight of the Great Depression, the cracking apart of poltical coalitions, and open street violence that resulted in the election of Adolf Hitler to the position of Chancellor.

Read more here and here.