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.

A cold, cold day

Andrew Wyeth in Chadds Ford, Pa. 1997

"Christina's World", Egg tempera, 1946

"Trodden Weed", Tempera on panel, 1951

"Winter", Tempera on board, 1946

Literally and metaphorically, it is a cold day in America today.  In Atlanta, for example, it is 0 degrees with the wind chill, and in Chicago it is actually 1 degree, but feels like -13.  Brrrrrrr.

Today is also a cold day in the art world.  Renowned American  artist, Andrew Wyeth, died last night in his sleep at the age of 91.  The cause of death remains unknown (see his obituary in the New York Times here).  Regardless of the often negative criticism he received from numerous art critics, Wyeth remained focused on painting his signature painstaking realism at a time when the Abstract Expressionists were quickly gaining acclaim, in the mid-20th century. Wyeth's portrayals of rural landscapes and sentimental subjects have been and will continue to be revered by a national and international audience.  

I was fortunate enough to tour the exhibit of Andrew Wyeth's retrospective at Atlanta's High Museum of Art in 2006.  The exhibition, Memory and Magic, included approximately 100 tempera paintings, watercolors and drawings, many from the personal collection of Andrew and Betsy Wyeth.  It was truly a treat and provided me with a deeper appreciation for representational art, specifically egg tempera painting.  Wyeth will forever be remembered as one of America's most recognized and beloved artists, whose work is as emotionally compelling as it is beautiful.