Booze 'N' Blues Show

My husband and I attended the “Booze’N’Blues” art show at a gallery in the downtown of a subarb north of us. We went for the free wine tasting as much as the art. Influenced by Warhol and Lichtenstein, the artist pasted newspaper clippings together to act as a canvas for his caricatures of famous jazz musicians. As far as I could tell, the clippings themselves were insignificant. (One of the headings showed promise announcing “the end of an era” across the musician’s forehead, but it was joined by what looked to be random selections.) The pieces chosen for this show demonstrated skill but not much imagination with a few exceptions in the back room (i.e. “Street Spirit,” a window piece combining ancient themes of Christ with city-scapes and street artists). Still, it was enjoyable art. It may not be life-changing art-altering work, but it was good for a date night. Home the following day, I googled the artist, Justin Hunt. His webpage exhibited talent and eye appeal, pop art swayed by pop music of the twentieth century, fun stuff for the trendy home looking for something more than Pier One. His flair, if he pursues challenges rather than quick-sells, has possibilities of developing art.
Back at the show, I was generally unimpressed until the woman standing next to me pointed out the artist, a young twenty-something (and by twenty-something, I mean pushing twenty) with designer jeans and trendy (i.e. expensive) shoes. In my opinion, no artist should be shown and selling until they have learned the craft of starving. This young man obviously had it too easy. I moved from generally unimpressed to bitter and gulped down more wine.
The gallery is small, so we made our way through the two rooms in a short amount of time, pushing our way through folks who seemed to attend the event for chit-chat as well as art. This show was the social event of the town. A blues band wept outside in keeping with the theme of the show. Other art galleries, antique shops, and wineries on the square participated in this small town affair, reminiscent of a Gilmore Girls’ Stars Hollow event. All shops, by the way, offered wine and cheese at the least with some adding a spread of coffee, vegetables and dip, and desserts. The local Art Institute, a few steps down the block from the gallery, served a chocolate cake on par with any groom’s cake. I highly recommend the cake.
The gallery hosts an up and coming local artist every month, complete with wine, appetizers, and quaint town life. My husband and I plan on making the drive up again in September’s.