John Rankine – The Art gods blessed us with perfect weather last weekend. The rain stopped just in time for the White Street Studio Walk, and the long-lost sun shone on the Art of Crochet. My WSSW started off with a deadly Margarita by First Place World Hot Sauce champions Burt Hamilton and Carly James, who added a couple drops of their “Butternut Bomb” sauce to the tequila and lime, concocting a spicy, delicious cocktail.
Donning 1920’s garb, poets Mackenzie Doss and Molly Sroges typed on-the-spot personalized poems for a mere 2 bucks. Sponsored by the Writers’ Colony, it was a welcome addition to the Walk.
Commendations to WSSW founders Zeek Taylor, Mary Springer and Eleanor Lux for continuing this 26-year tradition that anchors the May Festival of the Arts.
Gina Gallina and friends hit it out of the (Basin) Park Saturday with a cacophony of color and texture, an event like no other we’ve seen. Kids, families, hipsters, hippies, grandmothers, et al., interactively mingled while crocheting, trying on crazy garments, and playing with crotchet-covered toys and beach balls. Even a gang of serious bikers in full leather drag paused to smile as they walked through the park.
Melonlight Dance’s Maypole extravaganza added to the zaniness, along with bandshell music that was anything but sad from Sad Daddy.
Saturday ended with the long anticipated return of Eureka ex-pat Opal Fly, who rocked Chelsea’s as much as swung, for three full sets. The dance floor was full.
Competing with Memorial Day Weekend, there’s not a lot happening art-wise in May’s final week.
Valerie Damon has new work at Iris at the Basin Park Saturday, and check out James K. Sawyer’s work at Zarks. The HI artist combines sculpted polymer clay with found objects, bound to make you smile.
Main Stage is sponsoring the Arkansas Arts Center’s Artmobile, stationed May 23-28 in the non-profit’s North Main parking lot. It’s a great opportunity to introduce kids to art; the Artmobile is touring the “Animals Familiar and Fantastic” exhibition. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., it’s all free.
My “On My Morning Walk” exhibit continues at Brews, and in Basin Park. Rumor has it those retro photo-viewer key chains will be given away in the park on Saturday between 12 and 3 p.m.
Wishing a speedy recovery to Anna and Joel, the fabulous musical duo known as Handmade Moments. Their tour bus was in a horrible accident in California. Though banged up pretty bad, the show will go on.