Happy Holidays from Emily Amy Gallery

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you a safe and relaxing holiday season and a Happy New Year!

And...thank you to all of our loyal customers for another year in business.

Cecil Touchon, PDP 453

Please note: we will be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day.

Holiday Gifts!

Doing some last-minute shopping for the holidays?

We have plenty of pieces under $500 that make wonderful and very unique gifts.

Just a few examples...

1) Nate Moore Wood Jets Acrylic on wood 15" x 14" $150 each.

2) Nate Moore 8 Jet Star #205 Origami and graphite lines on museum board 15" x 15" $275.

3) Zuzka Vaclavik Lime Green Sprinkles Mixed media on paper 7" x 8" $375.

4) Jennifer Cawley Other Things to Consider Mixed media on panel 8" x 8" $400.

5) Melanie Parke Morning Poem 3 12" x 12" Oil on paper $300.

Come in and see us, we would love to help you find something for everyone on your list!

Happy Holidays!

The Museum District

(courtesy of www.saadiyat.ae)

(bing.com)

(UnionJackCreative.com)

As the art world is slowly but surely making its way back from the economic downturn, one place that is bubbling with activity is Abu Dhabi. A cultural hot bed of the Arab world, the capital of the United Arab Emirates is experiencing a rebirth the likes of which is unparalleled anywhere in the world. Arms of the Guggenheim and the Louvre, just to name a few, are popping up there, along with a Museum of Islamic Art in nearby Doha, Qatar.

Designed by famed architect I. M. Pei, the Museum of Islamic Art houses a dynamic selection of art and artifacts from various parts of the Islamic world, which were assembled over the last two decades. Per the museum's website, the pieces housed within date from the 7th to the 19th centuries. It is certainly the first of its kind, and is geared towards educating a whole new generation of people by making local culture and art more accessible in this area. And more recently, Mathaf, or the Arab Museum of Modern Art, which is set to open in 15 days in Doha, is a showcase of art produced since the mid-19th century.

The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in a mere three years, has a budget of $600 million to build their collection, a sum made possible by the profitable local resource of oil. Frank Gehry is designing the 450,000 square-foot Guggenheim, the largest of its namesake in the world, which will only be 12 times larger than its New York counterpart. The Louvre branch, also set to open in 2013, will be designed by architect Jean Nouvel. According to a recent article in the New York Times, the government of Abu Dhabi is paying France a meager $1.3 billion, in large part to finance the establishment of their collection.

The museum district in which many of these powerhouse institutions can be found will also boast the Zayed National Museum, which will honor the work and legacy of a more "local" name, the late leader of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The district, found on Saadiyat Island, or "Island of Happiness," barely five minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi, will be connected to the mainland by two large bridges. It can be see in the first image above. Only an hour from Dubai, the intention is for this area to become a luxury cultural travel destination. With this many one-of-a-kind museums, it appears that this will indeed be an oasis of happiness for anyone looking to spend a few days viewing art.

Admission: Free of Charge

(photo courtesy of visitsouth.com and greenworld365.com)

Several months ago the AJC profiled Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day in the Living section. The journalist behind the article pointed out that "this year, 1,300 museums in all 50 states" were participating in the sixth annual day of free art, which took place in late September. With admission to the High at $18 a head right now, and MoMA charging two dollars more, this is a welcome reprieve. Especially as the extraordinary Dali exhibit was, and still is, on view the High Museum for those taking advantage of this offer in the Atlanta area.

While museum goers and arts lovers alike should be thrilled about a free activity such as this, art galleries open their doors for free, well, every day that the doors are open. Not to mention exhibition openings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Often visitors timidly peek in and ask if they can look around for free, which of course, is one reason we are here. To offer some sort of sanctuary where one can come in and have some peace and quiet while experiencing art. Yes, we are running a business, but a gallery is a place to publicly viewing art as much as a museum.

So, just a gentle reminder that gallery doors are open for free all the time! Which is not to say that you shouldn't buy that $18 ticket to see Dali's early works, only in Atlanta through January 9, as there is nothing quite like a trip to a world-class museum. Not to mention, in times like these, museums need just as much support as the rest of us!

As tomorrow is the third Saturday of November, the art galleries on our side of town, including Emily Amy Gallery, are gearing up for the Westside Arts Walk. Comprised of ten different spaces, including 8 galleries, plus Octane Coffee and the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, WAD offers locals and visitors alike an opportunity to view art, meet artists, and learn more about the contemporary arts scene in the city. The third Saturday of each month, WAD puts on a free arts walk during which many of the galleries will feature a lecture by an exhibiting artist, a musician playing in the gallery space, or a film screening just to name a few past events. As several of the participating galleries, including Get This! Gallery and SALTWORKS, have openings tomorrow evening, their new shows will be previewed during the walk. In the case of Get This!, the artist Veronica De Jesus will be giving a talk at noon as part of the walk to the backdrop of her solo show which opens hours later. We recently had an opening here at EAG featuring two New-England based artists whose works will be up for viewing during the walk.

Again, all galleries are open free of charge, and the Contemporary is just $5 to enter (members free). All sites have free parking as well. Featured galleries include: Emily Amy Gallery, Sandler Hudson Gallery, Kiang Gallery, TWIN KITTENS, Tanner Hill Gallery, Astolfi Art, Get This! Gallery and SALTWORKS. More complete information about tomorrow's walk and individual shows can be found here.

Art Sells

(photos courtesy of art.anazana.com, Phillips de Pury & Co., and nytimes.com)

Yesterday, a Warhol painting sold at Sotheby's for $35.4 million. The day prior, at the smaller, strictly contemporary auction house on the other side of Manhattan, Phillips de Pury & Co., one of Warhol's Elizabeth Taylor pieces sold for $63 million. Considering that the owner of the Coca Cola, which sold for $35.4 million, purchased the piece in the 80's for $143,000, this price is considerable. According to the New York Times, in a summary of the evening auction, waiters at Sotheby's offered bidders and audience members alike old-fashioned bottles of Coca-Cola. Call it product pushing, but Andy his Coca Cola [4] Large Coca Cola had a great night, with said piece grabbing the evening's highest price. Per Bloomberg, Christie's will join the competition for highest grossing Warhol, as his Campbell's Soup Can with Can Opener (Vegetable), goes up for auction tonight. With the high estimate for bidding at $50 million going into the auction, it will be very interesting to see where the price lands. Many of his other pieces beat out their own estimates last night, a very promising sign for the market. In addition, many of Andy's lesser known works, such as the 1984 screenprint The Scream (after Munich), pictured above, went for $242,500 at Phillips de Pury & Co. last night. For a profile of the artist offered on Sotheby's website, click here.

Andy, however, is not the only contemporary artist who is currently impressing the auction market. Lichtenstein was also catching attention and a high price at Sotheby's, with his Ice Cream Soda. In addition, Francis Bacon and Richter brought sky-high prices at the auction house on York Ave. A Rothko brought $22.5 million. Overall, Sotheby's fetched a whopping $222,454,500. No doubt to the delight of their Chairman of Worldwide Contemporary Art and most famous auctioneer, Tobias Meyer.

Just this week, Lindsay Pollock of Art Market Views, quoted art adviser Mary Hoeveler as saying, "The appetite at the very top seems insatiable. You can name your price." While most of us might not quite be "at the very top," positive auction results such as these can only be good news for all of us in the art market.

To London

(photos courtesy of friezeartfair.com)

(photo courtesy of 'The Art Newspaper')

As fall is in full swing and the holidays are fast approaching, we are also in the midst of auction season. In addition, this post comes on the heels of the completion of the Frieze Art Fair in London. With many people finding themselves very anxious about the current state of the art market, this is an appropriate time to be curious.

Sotheby's and Christie's in New York will be holding Contemporary art auctions in early November, which will include powerhouse names such as Bacon and De Kooning, along with the Dennis Hopper collection. The results of these auctions should prove to give us some slight inclination of where the market stands.

More recently, the Frieze Art Fair in London, which takes place every October in Regent's Park, wrapped up on October 17. 60,000 people attended the annual fair while exhibitors from over 150 contemporary galleries worldwide participated. White Cube, Hauser & Wirth and Gladstone were among them. In addition to being possibly the most dynamic and energetic contemporary art fair in existence, Frieze might also lend itself to be indicative of the current state of the art market. As can be read in Lindsay Pollock's recent article for The Art Newspaper regarding stall presentation at the fair, critic Jerry Saltz's reaction was, "There's not a lot of bling, but you can see dealers are trying to make sales." But did the sales come? Per a recent blog post by Pollock, who was also in attendance, "Sales were selectively brisk...I believe many of the exhibitors made money, thought I did hear moans from some quarters that results were just 'comme ci, comme ca'." According to The New York Times, a Damien Hirst installation brought $5.6 billion, which "may be the highest price point of any work ever achieved at Frieze." Is this a sign of an improving market? Tough to say, but at least there are mumblings of positive trends. It should also be considered a good omen that there were so many participants and so many visitors, a sign that galleries are alive and to some degree, well.

(The Anish Kapoor sculpture shown in the photo above, was featured at Gladstone this year.)

In Vino Veritas

(image courtesy of www.filminamerica.com)

(the following image courtesy of www.bayareaonthecheap.com)

What is it about our culture over the last decade that has us gripped so tightly onto wine connoisseurship? Is it a passing trend, (I hope not), or is wine simply in the midst of experiencing its long-overdue moment in the sun? After all, as I'm sure the French can attest, Pinot Noir is as much a part of their vocabulary as any other dietary staple. And in Tuscany, a meal isn't a meal without a carafe, (or two), of Chianti. It feels as if over the last decade our country has finally been exposed to the love of wine. With the release of Sideways in 2004, Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church brought to our attention the delights of a trip through our own wine country. And for those who had not previously been exposed to wine culture in America, the viewer realized that wine is daily life for portions of Northern California. With all of the new publications, iPhone applications and coffee table books dedicated to wine, we can all call ourselves "experts" of some sort.

This month's issue of Food and Wine aptly points out that wine has begun to saturate many aspects of our culture, from art and film, to design and beauty products, in Purple Reign: The Art of Wine. Upon reading it, Spill, a film about the artist Dennis Adams on an unusual trip through Bordeaux, promptly went straight to the top of my Netflix queue.

Is it any wonder then that wine should be the feature of a new exhibition at The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art? I am lucky to have two friends who are tying the knot in Napa Valley come this October, and will be making the trek out west. (More on that to follow.) Unfortunately, this exhibit does not open until November 20 so I might have to find another excuse to get out there... But I find it very exciting that the purple tones of wine are being explored through new venues. If you have the chance, Peter Wegner's wine-hued mural, In [ ] Veritas, certainly sounds worth the trip. I for one, am delighted that so much attention is being given to this subject, and especially to our own stateside vineyards who certainly deserve it.

Paris, Je t'aime.

(photo courtesy of New York Magazine)

(photo courtesy of NWFLAA)

(The Musée d'Orsay, Paris)

No longer is it necessary to travel across the Atlantic to get a taste of one of my favorite European cities. At least not for a brief window this fall season, as we look forward to an exhibition coming a bit nearer to us than the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Opening this October at the Frist Center in Nashville, The Birth of Impressionism promises to bring one of the many highlights of Paris to us. Embarking upon a mere four hour excursion, and a scenic one at that, seems more than worthwhile to get a glimpse of what will be on view starting October 15th. From Manet to Degas, the exhibit will feature an extensive look at mid to late 19th century artists who were seminal figures in the foundation of later movements such as Modernism. There will be over 100 pieces on view, mostly on loan from the d'Orsay, which makes for more the perfect excuse to make the trek.

While each viewer will no doubt have their favorite piece, one that stands out to me personally is a Whistler piece entitled, Arrangement in Gray and Black, No. 1: Portrait of the Painter's Mother, commonly known as Whistler's Mother. As most who have taken art history courses can attest, this is a heavily studied piece in any American art class, and a haunting image of the artist's mother. It is one of many pieces that I would love to see in person, after spending much time memorizing slides of the image.

In another recent tribute to the city of lights, Gossip Girl, a guilty pleasure of mine, premiered this week with an episode dedicated to showcasing Paris as the female leads romped around the city. Blair Waldorf even made a (daily) stop at the d'Orsay, to gaze longingly at a favorite Manet for hours on end. For more commentary and ridicule regarding this week's episode, I highly recommend a stop over at New York Magazine.

While a trip to Paris may not be on the calendar any time soon, I think a quick weekend in Nashville will make me feel as if I had spent a lovely afternoon at a museum overlooking the Seine, almost.

Returning to the City (a.k.a. I still love NY)

(#1 on our things to do list...)

photo courtesy of The High Line

(#3 on our places to eat list...)

photo courtesy of Bubby's Pie Co.

photo courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

(#4 on our things to see list...)

photo courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

As most of you know, New York City is by far one of my favorite places to get away. Thankfully, one of my gallery artists, Sarah Hinckley, has kindly allowed me to stay in her chic South Street Seaport loft while she is vacationing in Oregon as long as I promise to check the mail and water the plants. Done and done. Now that I don't have to pay for my lodging, that means more money to spend visiting museums, shopping, and dining in one of the best cities in the world, and I absolutely cannot wait.

One of my favorite parts about taking a trip is the armchair tourism that ensues in the planning process. I have been searching online for New York's best new restaurants and not-to-miss shows for the past few days and it almost feels like I am already there...almost. My assistant just returned from a month long summer study program through Sotheby’s in New York, so I am enlisting her help in compiling these ideas. So, here is my short list of places to eat and shows to take in while I am there. Any additional suggestions would be more than welcome!

Where I am eating:

(1) Bread - Best fontina panini and tomato bisque ever tasted. Spring Street (near Mott), and perfectly on the way to New Museum on Bowery.

(2) Locanda Verde - Italian taverna in TriBeCa. 377 Greenwich Street (near N. Moore).

(3) Bubby’s - The best brunch spot in the city! 120 Hudson Street in Tribeca.

(4) The Spotted Pig - Fantastic/cozy pub in the West Village. W. 11th and Greenwich Street.

(5) Le Bilboquet - My all time favorite French bistro, will be heading there solo with a great book and an appetite. 63rd and Madison.

What I am seeing:

(1) Matisse: Radical Invention and Bruce Nauman--MoMA

(2) Haunted: Contemporary Photography/Video/Performance March 26-September 6--Guggenheim Museum

(3) Christian Marclay: Festival July 1-September 26--The WHITNEY

(4) Doug + Mike Starn on the Roof: Big Bambú: You Can’t, You Don’t, and You Won’t Stop April 27-October 31--The Metropolitan*

(5) Rivane Neuenschwander: A Day Like Any Other and Brion Gysin: Dream Machine--New Museum

(6) Otto Dix--Neue Galerie

What else am I doing?

(1) Walking the High Line, which runs above Gansevoort Street in Meatpacking to 20th Street between 10th and 11th avenues on the West Side.

(2) Going to PS1 Contemporary Art Center in Brooklyn/Long Island City.

(3) Galleries of Chelsea: Mary Boone, Gagosian, Pace Gallery, Ed Winkleman.

(4) Shopping in SoHo...

*Number four on our “must see” list above is actually a “must do.” On the roof of the Met, the Starn twins have created an environment of interlocking bamboo that is unlike anything you have ever seen. Extending vertically, and covering the majority of the outdoor “exhibition” space, these innovative brothers have created something truly magnificent. (Not to mention, it is fifteen degrees cooler walking through the bamboo alleyways than it is below on the streets of Manhattan.) As you can see in the pictures above, the view of the skyline and of Central Park is not too shabby either. Morphing and growing on a daily basis, the installation allows for visitors to interact with the bamboo structure. Guided tours are provided, but beware that you must buy a separate ticket from your museum entrance donation, and you are then provided with a timed tour (weather permitting). As the installation unfolds in front of your eyes, you quickly appreciate how hard their team is working to create it. Absolutely a must do.

Making summer 'funner'

We stumbled across this adorable and inspiring list of ten ways to break away from the sometimes humdrum pattern of summer and experience something new, enriching or liberating (thanks to Atlanta's own South of Market Blog!). Here are a few suggestions about how you may fulfill some of these activities around Atlanta:

1. Come see us during the Westside Art Walk this Saturday, July 17th, from 11-5!

2. Trips to lakes and beaches are definitely fun, but are also time consuming. If all else fails, splash around barefoot (#6) in a rain puddle.

4. In the city, it's difficult to find space for gardening, and that is where Artichoke Bliss, a community garden off of Edgewood Avenue, comes in. More information and updates are available on their Facebook page (linked above).

5. WonderRoot offers many interesting opportunities. We think the songwriting workshop taking place July 26th at 6pm sounds like a great time.

7. Or maybe give a gift. We love these interesting gift ideas from The Peak of Chic blog's recent post.

10. Revisit literary classics, such as Catcher in the Rye and Walden; or, Life in the Woods, or pick up something touching and more contemporary, like Randy Pausch's Last Lecture, which has enjoyed 94 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List.

The best things...

Quote by John Ruskin

I recently ran across this image when perusing one of my artists' Facebook pages a few weeks ago and since then, I have not been able to stop applying it to my daily life. The affect the poetic image had on me is two-fold. Not only have I recently learned more about graffiti, stenciling, and wheat pasting than I ever thought I would need to know (thank you Exit Through the Gift Shop), but I have also been spending a lot of time trying to re-focus my attention of what is truly important. Life is fleeting and I have realized sometimes the most important things in my life are those that are often the most undervalued. Some of my favorite examples are: the color the sky turns when the sun is setting, a really good cup of coffee with a close friend, a two hour phone conversation with someone I haven't seen in 6 months, and a long drive without any necessary destination. If I was asked today to share my favorite things from the last few months, these are some of the things I would mention.

Fortunately for me, when others are asked the same thing, I would wager that some of them would mention visiting a museum or gallery they love or even spending time with one of their favorite paintings. I feel so blessed to be able to offer that respite to passersby and gallery-goers daily. If not every day, at least once a week, I have someone actually thank me for doing what I do and that feels so good. So I just wanted to say thank you in return.

Thank all of you for the support over the last 2 years and for allowing me to do something that I love. One of "the best things in life" is knowing that there are people out there who appreciate art and that I get to share my passion for art with them. I am truly so appreciative.

Living Walls, the City Speaks

(images courtesy of Living Walls Conference, Creative Loafing and Brooklyn Street Art.)

Come this August, our city will play host to the much-anticipated Living Walls, the City Speaks conference, an international, no-holds-barred, outdoor exhibition of street art. As seen recently in Creative Loafing, the very first mural has been completed on the West side of Atlanta by Oakland, California based street artist, Doodles. Canvasing 3,500 square feet, the piece stretches across the entire rear exterior of a building at the corner of Ralph David Abernathy and White Street. One of a number of local and international artists hailing from Europe and South America who will participate in the conference, Doodles has been on the scene for four years now. This large scale figure representing Poseidon comes as a timely reaction to the BP oil spill, and should not be missed!

Living Walls can be seen as part of a larger overarching movement to amp up Atlanta's urban planning, and fuel fundraising for the local arts scene. Similarly, the BeltLine transit system, and like-named 'Art on the BeltLine' project, which runs through October of this year, has been gracing Atlanta's streets with the works of local artists for months now. As citizens of the largest metropolis in the Southeast, Atlantans are feeling a surge of motivation to step out in defense of local artists and artisans as the economic downturn is still being felt, and budgets cuts seem never ending.

Also a part of the conference, scheduled for the week of August 13, is a lecture series featuring the Georgia Tech architecture department, and presentations at Eyedrum. The largest and perhaps most widely-hyped gathering leading up to the main event is being held at 7:00 p.m. this Saturday, June 26 at Mint Gallery and is hosted by Dashboard Co-op. The "Art Auction and Celebration of Badasses" will feature works donated by local artists to support the movement.

To donate, or learn more about Living Walls, please visit them online, or to read profiles of artists and updates on fundraising efforts, spend a few minutes on their blog. We hope to see you there this weekend!

And we're back...

Image courtesy of toxel.com

So sorry for the long delay in posting for the last 6 months or so. Luckily for us, the gallery is very busy at the moment, which makes it a bit harder to devote the proper time and attention to updating the blog. The current exhibition in the gallery is Re-Purposed: The Use of Everyday Materials in Contemporary Art featuring gallery artists Sara Cole, Sherry Williams, Will Corr & Clayton Santiago. The participating artists express their ability to create seemingly traditional work with non-traditional materials, by exploring media such as coffee, tar, sawdust, and rust. The show continues through June 30, 2010. Hurry in to see this wonderful show before it's too late!

In other news, our own Laura Clappier will be jetting off to New York City in just a few days to attend an intensive summer study program at Sotheby’s Art Institute to supplement her education in art history from UGA. What a great opportunity!

We hope that everyone is enjoying their summer, and finding refuge from this sweltering summer heat! More to come very, very soon...we promise!