Sweet and Sour reporting in…….
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Sweet: “What are some of the outstanding or not so outstanding art things you encountered last week?”
Sour: “The vintage cars at the Doo Wop on Kanawha Boulevard last weekend. They were only outdone by the fantastic fireworks fired off the bridge Saturday night. Wow! Firework design today is getting really amazing.”

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Sweet: “Are you being satirical? But is it art?”
Sour: “I am completely serious. The Ultimate Pop Art. Especially the fireworks — Pop Art, get it? Pop, pop! Bang, bang! Ha ha!

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Sweet: “Funny. But I know what you mean. The Guggenheim Museum showed a big motorcycle show a few years ago. The Clay Center itself showed vintage cars inside last year. If they are considered art inside the arts establishments’ walls, the same thing should be art outside of it. Right?”
Sour: “Or is it somehow different — more refined — to be chosen to be shown in a ‘culture palace’ by some rarefied, power tripping… Whoops, I mean power-wielding arts administrator? I ask you? Personally, I loved the outside display on the river. Plus, you didn’t have to pay to get in! I think it was art as much as anything. Art even more so outside of a legit arts establishment building. The display, the carnival atmosphere, the fireworks were excellently presented, displayed and done. (more…)

Renaissance Gallery, based in Huntington, W.Va., is seeking submissions to its Seventh National Miniature Exhibition The Renaissance Gallery is a small artist co-op located in the city of Huntington, W.Va., which draws its members from the surrounding tri-state area of western West Virginia, southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky. Many members are also members of the Tri-State Arts Association, although this is not required. Each year, the group hosts an exhibition of Miniature Art. The exhibition is open to all North American residents 18 years or older. All fine art media except copier reproductions accepted. Artwork must be the original and have been completed in the last year. For a prospectus, send a self-address stamp envelop to: The Renaissance Art Gallery, 900 Eighth Street, Suite 20, Huntington, WV 25701 or e-mail to gallerywv@yahoo.com. (more…)

Dissing the Clay Center in any way is THE OPINION THAT DARE NOT SPEAK ITS NAME. Yet Sweet and Sour give it a go.
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Sour: This blogpost should start off playing DarthVader’s theme from Star Wars epics. The Clay Center. …
‘Duh, Duh, Duh, Duh-da-Duh, Duh-da-Duh, Duh Duh Duh, Dunt-ta-duh, Dunt-ta-Duh, Dunt-dunt-ta-da, Dunt-ta-duntadunt-ta-da, Dunt-ta-duntadunt-ta-da, Dunt-tada-dunt-tada….’ (Did I miss a Duh?)
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Sweet: The Clay Center is really big and awesome.
Sour: Duh.
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Sweet: It’s the biggest and baddest art center ever to be built in WV.
Sour: You mean, overbuilt. And you said “baddest,” I didn’t. You know, the decor actually reminds me of the Death Star in “Star Wars.” Cold, metallic and built to intimidate.
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Sweet: The huge ping-pong, kid -friendly sculpture helps make it friendly.
Sour: Helps make it sound water torture. That “sculpture” would work better if it didn’t echo back off the metal and hard floor. I would pay money NOT to eat there with that awful cacophony going on. A soft wood echo would be much more friendly. I wonder what cost more? The ping-pong sculpture or the ’80s- era swooshed floors? I wish Bob Schwarz or Joe Morris or someone would provide a flow chart of exactly what
$ went for what in the building and staffing of the Clay Center. Inquiring minds want to know. I wish someone would pay me $180,000 to run it. (more…)