Opening Night for TEXTURAL RHYTHMS: Constructing the Jazz Tradition

It was cccold outside, but inside the King Arts Complex in Columbus, Ohio it was red hot!

Of course, the very first thing I had to do was scope out where my babies were. There weren't many people in the gallery at the time, so I got some good shots of the work. Oh, there's my "There is No Melody to Follow". How I miss her. But, she's doing o.k. out in the world. Nice company, eh?

And around the corner was "The Sweetest Song". My other baby. She looks good. I dashed around taking pictures of the amazing work. Surely, the gallery would be crowded soon. The Elijah Pierce Gallery, in which this phenomenal exhibition is showcased, has so many wonderful expanses, corners and alcoves. It was visually overwhelming. And I'd only been in the space for three minutes when...

the people started coming...

...and coming...

...and coming...

...and coming...

...AND COMING!!! You ask, where did all these beautiful people come from? EVERYWHERE! I over-heard conversations (not that I'm an eavesdropper, but I had to listen in order to report back to you all) and the crowd was a coast-to-coast melange comprised of sophisticated art patrons and appreciators, curators, artists, educators, community supporters.

There was a presentation announcing the release of a stamp honoring Ella Fitzgerald. I thought it was going to be a stamp honoring the exhibition's curator, Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi. Somehow, I missed the unveiling, but you will be able to find it at your post office soon.

Dr. Mazloomi spoke about how she conceived the idea for the exhibition and introduced the artists who were present. I didn't include that particular picture, simply out of vanity.

I took some pictures of individual pieces, but you really must see the show in person and get the book associated with the exhibition, which will be available in a couple of weeks. Please contact Dr. Mazloomi. If you are familiar with the other books she has produced, you will agree that they are treasures. As an artist, it's an honor to have my work published in one of her books. The images are printed from transparencies, not digital and are excellent representations of the work. If you are unable to experience this show in person, get the book. If you are able to view this show in person, you will still want to get the book. I'm holding my breath, waiting to hug it and smell it and pet it...oh, yeah...and read it. OK...I digressed, as usual. Here are a few of the pieces that I particularly enjoyed:

"TRIBAL MELODY" by Linda Gray of Indianapolis, IN

"SPIRIT OF RITA" by Carolyn Crump of Houston, TX

left "SO JAZZY" by Liz Pemberton of Tobyhanna, PA

right "FAVORITE THINGS" by Adriene Cruz of Portland, OR

"BRILLIANT CORNERS" by Carole Harris of Detroit, MI

"OHIO RIVER BLUESMAN" by the lovely Valerie C. White of Louisville, KY

"JAZZ ON MY MIND" by the intriguing Cynthia Lockhart of Cincinnati, OH

"HONEY'S MANGO BOP" by the delightful Carole Gary Staples of West Chester, OH

And then there was L'Merchie Frazier of Dorchester, MA. Ohmygoodness! Her piece is entitled "Q: JUST TWELVE NOTES" and I don't even feel qualified to comment on it's meaning. There's just too much going on there. She has so much musical history represented in this piece. Surely, if she reads this post she will leave a comment explaining it much better than I could in my rambling blabbitity. I should have taken notes. Impressive.

I hope that you will be able to view this exhibition in person when it travels near you. I want to be a groupie and follow it around the country, so I will always announce where it is, even though I know that I won't get to every single opening...someone can function as my proxy. THIS IS SOMETHING YOU MUST EXPERIENCE. It's visual, it's visceral, it's intellectual. Everything you could want in an art exhibit. I bet seeing it could convert non-art lovers into believers.

And then there was me...chatting up the only person that would listen, Dr. Mazloomi's husband. Poor man. I talked his ear off. No really, I, like the other artists who were present, had a line of people wanting to take pictures and discuss the work. It was so glitterati. Loved it. That's why we must follow the show. The fame whore in me is calling.