The Inbetween Series at Avalon Gallery is a hidden gem of the Orlando Music scene.

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On February 15th I went to the Gallery at Avalon Island (39 South Magnolia Ave, Orlando, Florida) for the salon style in-between series. Patrick Greene, Avalon’s curator host this music series between art exhibits on the week before Third Thursday when all the downtown galleries have opening for their new exhibits. This group featured a bass guitar, drums, a xylophone and a cello. There was no cost to attend, but donations are always welcome. I set up to sketch behind the drummer and sketched with vigor through the performance. The group was known as “Attached Hands“. The experimental music felt new age and melodic. It soothed and felt improvised.

The hippest folks in Orlando can be found at Avalon once a month.The In-between Series just won the “Best New Imaginative Music Series” by voters of The Orlando Weekly.  The series is cultured, it’s progressive and it’s free. The next performance will likely be August 17th but that is unconfirmed since the invitation isn’t out yet. It is a relaxing way to start out a Monday evening once a month.

The Sketchbook Project Mobile Library

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The Sketchbook Project Mobile Library rolled into Orlando on July 2nd and 3rd at The Gallery at Avalon Island (39 S. Magnolia Ave.
Orlando, FL). The library was open from 5pm to 9pm. It is an interactive art exhibition on wheels, featuring a rotating selection of work from The Sketchbook Project installed in a custom-crafted library trailer filled with 4,500 sketchbooks.

The event was free to attend. Steven and Sara Peterman, co-founder of the Sketchbook Project and the director of Brooklyn Art Library were inside helping people check out sketchbooks. The sketchbooks were cataloged by theme, material, mood,  artists names, tags, city, country and more! “It’s like a taco truck but with sketchbooks.” Orlando is one of 30 cities that the Mobile Library will visit in 2013. There were three steps to participate. 1 you get a library card, 2 you check out books using a computer to pick a theme, city or artist, 3 you’re given a sketchbook to flip through.

I submitted a sketchbook to the Brooklyn Art Library in 2009. All of the sketches from that sketchbook were posted on this site. Because I visited the Sketchbook Project when it came to Full Sail and Urban ReThink in past years, I already had my library card. I just had to laser scan it and pick out some sketchbooks.

First I searched by city, looking for sketchbooks from NYC. I was given, “Into the Forest” by Lily Feng. She had precise photo real pencil renderings of women in forest settings. She had to have spent an eternity getting the wide range of values right. I was given a second, arbitrary sketchbook of sketches done in Saint Marten. This sketchbook was part collage and part sketchbook documenting an island vacation. As it grew dark more people showed up to check out sketchbooks. Part of the fun is to see what quirky sketchbook a friend is flipping through.

Patrick Greene, the new curator at Avalon Gallery interviewed TrezMark Harris as I sketched. By the time I finished my sketch, dark grey storm clouds had rolled in. The warm light inside the truck illuminated the threatening gloom. An E-Z Up pop up tent was leaned up against the truck in case it rained. I checked for a sketchbook from Orlando and was given one by Lilah Shepherd. It was full of abstract pen line drawings with light watercolor washes. A second arbitrary pick was from Kelly Zarb from Melbourne Australia. She sketched some of her favorite things like terrariums and owls. Spreads highlighted inspirational sayings like, “Don’t hide your beauty, let the world see you.” And, “See the beauty in the everyday.” I can relate to that. As I returned the sketchbooks, it began to rain. I popped up my umbrella and headed home.

Paint the Town

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Orlando Magazine is partnered with Brad Biggs and Jason L. Lee of The Arts Hub Florida to host it’s eleventh annual Paint the Town Art Show at the Gallery at Avalon Island (39 South Magnolia Avenue Orlando, FL) from March 21 – April 11.  I didn’t submit any work for the show because Orlando Magazine said they would have the right to publish any art submitted for the show in the magazine without paying the artist for the reproduction rights.  Ironically the article in the magazine, which is about the sad state of the arts in Orlando, featured a photo of Terry Olson standing in front of the mural I did for the Mennello Museum. From looking at the photo, you would assume Terry was the artist responsible for painting the mural. The magazine didn’t give me any credit in the article, although the photographer got credit for the photo. This oversight is typical of the state of the arts in Orlando.

I got to the opening on March 21st a bit early to sketch. Brad was the only person in the gallery and he was happy to show me around. He gave me a quartz crystal which should with any luck channel good energy. Submissions to the show were not all your typical “City Beautiful” cityscapes. In the front window was a large portrait of a homeless person. A serial number was on the person’s forehead and the ramshackle frame had grocery bags stuffed full of possessions. From where I sat, the photos of Cindy Murray were most predominant. One photo was of the demolished Amway Arena and the other showed a crowd of bicyclists around City Hall.

Brad pointed out the paintings of Stephanie Kern Stanvey. She had two large juicy portraits on display. Brad said she is the daughter of a preacher and she only recently started painting. Shane Malesky was showing some of his Chronic Damage Art in the bar area. His wife Heather is a riot always making me laugh as I’m trying to focus on the sketch. Someone looking over my shoulder said, “You give a whole new meaning to Paint the Town. I suppose you will hang that sketch in next years show.” “Not likely” I thought.

Harp & Celt

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Kevin Hing informed me that musicians from Ireland were going to perform on February 23rd at Avalon Gallery. The concert was sold out, but the performers and local musicians were all going to the Harp and Celt, (25 South Magnolia Avenue), afterwards for a traditional Irish music session.

When I got to the bar, I didn’t notice any musicians. I ordered a pint of Guinness at the bar and asked the bartender if he knew of any musicians coming in that night. He broke into a loud rendition of “Oh Danny Boy” in reply. Everyone at the bar had a good laugh.

I settled in at a table and waited. Within half an hour, musicians started arriving. They moved many tables together and soon the place was filled with music. Kathleen Cavanagh explained that the Irish musicians had come to Orlando to teach Tionol Irish Music Workshops that she had organized. She plays Irish bagpipes. She was particularly excited because her idol had agreed to come to Orlando to teach at the Geneva School. She tried to relate her excitement. Some people spend a lifetime trying to find the one thing that brings them happiness and a sense of accomplishment. She had just discovered Irish music in the last few years.  I recognized some local musicians like Vicki Gish on fiddle and Scott Vocca on guitar. Other musicians were from as far away as Maryland.

The Irish musicians were next door at the restaurant. I put the pencil down and just enjoyed the music. This music seems to resonate deep inside me, perhaps it is because my Grandfather on my mom’s side came from Cork Ireland.

City Arts Factory

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As part of ArtsFest, City Arts Factory opened its doors for free. Actually, I’m pretty sure you can walk into City Arts Factory anytime for free anyway, but they were also offering a chance to register for a chance to win gift pack including tickets for two to SAK Comedy Lab and Jazz Brunch at the Grand Bohemian Hotel. Since I had time in the afternoon before going to Full Sail, I decided to go to City Arts to sketch. Of course the place was empty.

The hallways were lined with “Youthful Expressions” from children from the Boys and Girls Club of Central Florida. It was fun to see some of the pieces awarded red, blue and yellow ribbons, just like in a Country Fair. The work was from children in the surrounding four counties. The winners of this exhibit would move on to exhibit in the Regional South Eastern competition. Winners from that would move on to a National exhibit. I still remember the thrill I had as a child when I won a blue ribbon in a county fair in New Jersey. Any one of these kids could one day become great artists if their work is valued. Perhaps one day, I can help inspire these kids.

I decided to sit in the hallway and sketch “Orlando Guitartown” created by Munte Olinger. The large Guitar was inspired by Counting Crows and contributed to the space by Ford Keane and Jennifer Quigley. I remembered that Ford Keane is the owner of the building that houses Avalon Gallery and he is the President and CEO of City Beverages. Jennifer Quigley is Principal of WBQ Engineering. Children’s art consisted of, a bowl of spaghetti, a sea monster, and a series of colorful circles.

I was most intrigued by hand prints in cement in an indentation in the tile floor. These were hand prints of Mayor Buddy Dyer, Ford Keane and Jennifer Quigley. This must have come about when Orlando had lofty ambitions of becoming Hollywood East. A pair of pliers and some nails were placed on the cement and then the hole was filled with a piss yellow resin. The only people that entered the hall were searching for the restrooms in the back. A husband fingered his cell phone as his wife was in the bathroom.

Gallery at Avalon Island

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On the Third Thursday of every month the downtown galleries have openings for new art on display. I tried to sketch the gorgeous architecture of the Gallery at Avalon Island once before but it was winter and I couldn’t finish the drawing with my cold hands. The green building is covered with intricate metalwork. The Rogers building was built in 1886 by architect William Mullins. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

As I sketched the sun slipped to the horizon creating a golden glow. When I finished I went inside to look at the art. On display were photo real paintings by Doug Bloodworth. Many of the slick glossy paintings were done with airbrush. Classic black and white movies seemed to be the predominant theme. If I had a home theater I wanted to decorate, then I suppose they would do the trick.

Terry Olson saw me working and said hello. He was off to see the Red Chairs which were being displayed in City Arts Factory. I had watched Genevieve Bernard as she decorated the Mennello Museum Red Chair with hundreds of red and gold buttons. There was a bustling crowd inspecting red chairs which were decorated by each of the arts organizations in town. Terry wanted me to join her for an Orlando Philharmonic event so I didn’t stick around to do another sketch. I quickly glanced at the artwork at Blank Space as I walked back to my truck.