April First Fridays Guide

Ever since local artist Allan Young can remember, he has been taking things apart to figure out what makes them tick. One day he was tinkering, and created a clock from an old computer hard drive, thus his eclectic approach to constructing time pieces was born. Young has made clocks from a wide range of […]

Seeing things: Illustrator Christophe Vorlet puts the elephant in perspective

Christophe Vorlet painted his mailbox pink, but purely for functional reasons: It makes it easier to give directions to people. That the mailbox also serves as roadside art didn’t factor into the decision, he says. Much of Vorlet’s approach to visual art is filtered through a similar matter-of-factness. As an illustrator and graphic designer who […]

ARTS Pick: Jay Blakesberg

Every great rock ‘n’ roll photograph requires unseen talent behind the camera, and if you follow coverage of jam bands and the hippie scene, then it’s likely the person pressing the shutter is Jay Blakesberg. Since the mid-’80s Blakesberg has been shooting photos of music icons and breakthrough acts from Primus and U2 to Nirvana […]

LIVING Picks: To-do for the week

Nonprofit Jimmy Miller Bracket Breakfast Ralph Sampson, Barry Parkhill, Antonio Rice and Jay James return for the third annual bracket breakfast, which gives you the inside scoop on college basketball and benefits Piedmont CASA. Monday 2/14.$125, 7am. Omni Hotel Ballroom, 212 Ridge McIntire Rd. bb@pcasa.org. Health & Wellness Sugar Hollow Three Bridges 5K and 10K […]

March First Fridays Guide

Local artist Eliza Evans has been painting acrylic portraits from real-life scenes since 2006, and she always tries to capture a good likeness as quickly as possible so the subject doesn’t get uncomfortable sitting. Her latest exhibit is a collection of self-portraits along with some portraits of her close friends and family on canvas, wood […]

A closer LOOK3: New director brings new approach to photo fest

This year marks the 10th year of LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph but promises to bring a new approach to the popular programming, taking place June 13-19. The festival has continued to evolve throughout its decade of public programs to meet the interests of the field’s amateurs and professionals alike. While doing so, it has […]

Below the surface: ‘Visions for 2016’ is a meditation on abstraction

Janet Bruce’s “Shorelines” paintings sneak up on you. Standing in front of them, you see them come alive, as things you didn’t notice at first become apparent. She builds up surfaces with many layers of paint, adding texture and visual interest, as glimpses of the various undercoats are visible. In some, she adds animated squiggles […]