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Art Shows

Art Shows, Jamming

A Puma and Parting

June 25, 2022

For the summertime members-only show at the local community art gallery, the BRC craftsman fashioned a “Puma”  banjo for the exhibit. The open back instrument was decorated with laser-cut wood inlays of mostly birch. The truss rod cover was made of laminated maple. Although unknown in Missouri, the mountain panther is a solitary species that roams southern Florida and the remote regions of the Western US. Years ago, the BRC family lived a while in the wooded lake district of Florida where sightings of the furtive feline were rare but reported. Later, we resided twice in California- once overlooking the sea and once in the shadow of wilderness mountains where the big cat allegedly prowled, but only yipping coyotes were heard at night.

At the gala evening reception, curious art gallery visitors discover the Puma 5-stringer. The scientific name of this species of cougar is Puma concolor.

Last month, the yogurt shop in our capital city hosted its farewell Bluegrass jam session on the eve of the enterprise being sold to another vendor. Most of the musicians wore signature tie dye T-shirts which were a popular promotional item that the proprietors offered to faithful customers during our 6 year tenure of quarterly gigs at the main street snack bar.

From the BRC: Happy Trails to all and and thanks for the neighborly venue and free yogurt!

Art Shows, Bio, Cell Perches & HVO

On the Wings of Eagles

June 11, 2022

The 64th annual Art in the Park outdoor festival reconvened last weekend in our municipal lakeside green space after a two year covid hiatus. For its yearly Veteran`s Tent pavilion,  the BRC founder, who is a former USAF medical corps serviceman, submitted to the show an “Auric Eagle” banjo which was festooned with laser-cut wood inlays.

To further celebrate the reinstitution of the sprawling June fair and its exhibit honoring veterans, the BRC craftsman simultaneously fashioned the “Wings of Music Cell Perch.” This smartphone holder is ornamented with left-over fretboard decorations and was gifted to his son in Texas who grew-up a Bluegrass musician. Upon receipt, he messaged back to his dad, “Thanks, it’s beautiful!”

Our son`s Lone Star family resides in a home that houses three BRC banjos and a grandson who has an abiding interest in constructing vintage WW II fighter aircraft on his computer like the airborne P-51 Mustang seen below. This pastime invokes detailed conversations  between the Texas youngster and his grandfather who is a life-long student of military history and a wartime poster collector.

From the BRC: A special thank-you to the men and women serving in our Armed Forces.

 

 

 

 

Art Shows, Cell Perches & HVO

The Inside Story

May 14, 2022

For the theme of the Spring exhibit, the community art league challenged its members to “explore their own understanding of the interior: interior design, interior thoughts & feelings, interior to our bodies or minds or buildings and spaces, inner circles of trust and community, and more.”

For the BRC craftsman, who plays Bluegrass with picking pals, writes songs, and builds 5-stringers, identifying his interior life was a no-brainer: music. These invisible sonic waves that we call music enter our inner ears and are miraculously converted into audio perceptions that entertain, comfort, inspire, uplift, and not infrequently transport us by touching the heartstrings. The gift of hearing is a wondrous blessing which brings us a cosmos of music and its myriad genres of  style.

For the Interiors show, the BRC founder crafted the “Inside Bluegrass “banjo which featured laser cut wood inlays representing most of the principal stringed instruments heard in this unique acoustical style of folk music.

At the gala evening reception in the gallery, curious art enthusiasts closely study the open-back instrument.

Also recently constructed was a “Zodiac Cell Perch” smartphone holder which was decorated with celestial inlays left over from the “Not in the Stars” banjo that was built in the BRC workshop last year and exhibited in the “Hindsight is 20/20”  springtime show. It was gifted to the BRC craftsman`s daughter who had skillfully redesigned the BRC website format, inside and out, last year.

Upon receipt, she texted, “Ta-Da! Thank you, it`s gorgeous and just my style.” With the message, she included a photo of the grandkids on her smartphone taken while it was perched on the table top implement.

For more details on the materials used in the Zodiac Cell Perch, enter “retrospect ” in the search engine on the website home page to view the “In Retrospect” posting of May, 8, 2021, which features the aforementioned astrology-based banjo.

From the BRC: Hearing is believing, so listen-up and count your lucky stars.

Art Shows

Refreshment & Resolve

March 26, 2022

Last month, the “Let Them Eat Art” culinary fund-raising reception at the community gallery featured a beverage concocted by the co-owner of a local micro distillery. The cider-based refreshment was based on the motif of a BRC 5-stringer in the exhibit:

The mixologist and BRC craftsman pose (below) with his “Moonshine” banjo and her cordial elixir. The libation was supplemented with distilled spirits to meet the taste of any erstwhile bootlegger who might have been milling about in the throng of guests.

This month, however, the subsequent annual “Tiny Things” art show evening reception was threatened by a surprise late winter storm. Determined art fans, nonetheless, resolved to brave the snowy wind-blown streets and attended the gala event.

After trekking through the wintry weather to the gallery, guests closely studied the 147 diminutive exhibit entries on display which were all limited in dimension to 8 x 8 inches. The “Tree of Life Cell Perch” seen above is a smartphone holder decorated with left-over leafy mother of pearl items from the BRC workshop inventory.

From the BRC: With the refreshing arrival of Spring, resolve to pause and pray for Peace. Enter “peacemaker” in our website search engine and scroll down.

Art Shows

Savoring the Past

January 29, 2022

The annual winter Food Show at the local community art league is entitled “Savor” this year. In this juried exhibition, artists are challenged to express their connections with appetites and sustenance. In addition to an opening reception, the show is later formatted as the “Let Them Eat Art” gala evening fundraiser where local chefs and bartenders (mixologists) offer their entrees and beverages in a contest judged by the votes of the gallery guests. The BRC founder fashioned a “Moonshine” banjo for these savory events.

Twenty-seven years ago, the BRC craftsman formed his Bluegrass band “Gainor & Friends” to play benefit gigs for the Children`s Hospital. In its early days, the group was called the “Moonshyne Reunion” for a while. These musicians are pictured below while providing entertainment at a hospital picnic circa 2004.

The Moonshine 5-stringer fingerboard features bolts of white lightening and topsy-turvy jugs reflecting a potent beverage within. These laser cut wood images spill all the way down the fretboard amidst an occasional star.

As always, BRC banjos have a signature inlay on the heel of the instrument for the eyes only of the musician.

The opening reception was postponed because of the omicron surge, so the art league Director taped a video tour of the Savor exhibit for the artists and patrons. Displayed at the entrance of the gallery, the Moonshine banjo was the very the first work that she presented to the online viewers.

To benefit the Children`s Hospital in 2004, the BRC gig master recorded a solo album of original songs entitled, “Hartsburg Anthology”. An  aged fiddler reminisced that many decades previously, moonshine “white lightening” liquor was sold by the gallon not too far from the rural village of Hartsburg. A sound file of the song “Moonshyne Reunion” from the CD is below.  Enjoy. (copyright 2004)

 

From the BRC: Be safe, be well, best wishes on Groundhog Day.