Date: Friday, Aug 31st, 2018

Time: 5:00 pm


Location: Stuart’s Opera House

Google Calendar iCal File Export

STEVE MOWREY

“No one can walk out on their own story,” the Spirit of the West advised Rango in the movie of the same name. Or can they? I can’t remember any specific motivations that stirred me to take up painting but do recall the circumstances, a fortuitous intersection of large life events that occurred about six years ago: 60th birthday, retirement from Ohio University, & most staggeringly, the arrival of a beautiful baby daughter. Actually, now I think on it, there was an actual moment that felt much like a launching, an unexpected prompt from Motown Records (who I sometimes took “marching orders” from in younger years), when a series of postcard reproductions of early Smokey Robinson albums spilled out of a freshly opened box set. These colorful, almost technicolor stock cards, were further embellished & sent off to family members as a lark, and almost before I realized it, I was off. Experiments with collage led to a series of primitive watercolor & ink portraits of old-time jazz musicians. Finally, or currently rather, I’ve been engaged mostly with free form “abstract” expressions while still maintaining a regular drawing practice. At some juncture early on, I began sharing some images with friends. The response was sympathetic but not exuberantly enthusiastic. Something else was needed. Enter a rascally prankster alter-ego – Fess Toon – who appeared just in the nick of time & took over outright authorship of the paintings, effectively freeing me from “sensitive artist” syndrome & a few other clichéd artiste hang-ups. Though contrary, difficult, & more than a tad anti-social, Fess embodies the all-important spirit of industry, the get-it-done-&-goon-to-the-next-one action component I needed & still depend on. He thinks a fancy schmancy art show in this beautiful, old opera house is the very height of pretentiousness & time wasted.


More Upcoming Events

Old Time Jam Night

Date: | Time:


Join us Thursday, June 1st for the Stuart's Opera House monthly Old Time Jam night! What should I expect? Instructor Joe Burdock will lead attendees in learning a fiddle tune...

Happy Hollow Hootenanny

Date: | Time:


The Stuart's Opera House Arts Education Department has reimagined Old Time Music Week into a 4 day camp-out at Snow Fork Event Center in Nelsonville teaching and celebrating the music,...

The Local Honeys at Happy Hollow Hootenanny

Date: | Time:


The Local Honeys kick off the evening concert series at the Happy Hollow Hootenanny with a FREE performance.