Dogwood Art: UT Downtown Gallery

Sandwiched between The Emporium and Slamdot in the 100 Block of Gay Street is an ever-changing venue for local and international art: The UT Downtown Gallery.

For the past eight years, artist Mike C. Berry, painter of colorful local landmarks, scenes of Paris, and the Pilot billboards, serves as Gallery Manager. His love of art in just about any form and willingness to share the “look-fors” when you’re struggling with symbolism and notable traits make him the perfect host.

Mike C. Berry, Gallery Manager, UT Downtown Gallery

When we stopped by last Saturday, Mike shared the uniqueness of Nexus 2012, the current juried show featuring 17 pieces selected from nearly a hundred entries. Although modern art sometimes leaves me cold, this mixture of mostly sculpture and pieced-together art offers creativity and even a bit of humor in the blend of found objects and natural materials.

In her Metro Pulse article, ‘Nexus 2012′ Challenges Notions About Dogwood Festival Art,” Heather Joyner Spica confirms what I had been thinking: This show is not about dogwood trails, pink blossoms, or lines of wash hanging outside clapboard homes. This is bolder stuff than the usual festival line-up.

And, although sophisticated crafts have long been part of our city’s springtime festivities, unless I’ve overlooked ceramic wind chimes resembling Alexander Calder mobiles on Market Square, I don’t recall fine art from past festivals being particularly modern, let alone cutting edge, so Nexus represents movement in a stimulating new direction.

(H. J. Spica, April 4, 2012)

I’m downloading some of my favorites, saving the Jurors’ Choice Award for last! See if you agree — this is a “stimulating new direction”!