Art Shows

Our community themed its end of summer “Arcana” art show on the Tarot card deck, a  psychic compendium of life issues and spiritual lessons referenced by fortune tellers.  Early last April, artists who dared to enter the contest were required to blindly draw a card from the mystical Tarot deck and then craft a work fashioned on the symbolism and message of that card. The BRC founder researched all 78 cards in the deck and decided to risk a leap into the field of contestants. He drew the “Hanged Man.” Not a death card, the hanged man is suspended upside-down by the ankle, so his bad habits and ill behaviors will fall away from him.

The subsequently constructed BRC banjo sported a peg head that features an inverted mother of pearl faun, a half-human mythical creature that is sympathetic to people but devious.

The fretboard displays doves fluttering away- like ill begotten misdeeds. The 5th fret space bears the Chinese character of Wisdom, and the 12th fret space contains the character for Peace.

In recent years, each BRC 5-stringer typically bear a signature mother of pearl inlay on the heel of the neck  for the eyes-only of the musician. At this prescribed site,  the “Tarotology of the Hanged Man” banjo presents a `Peace Dove` image in the hopes that mankind will someday learn to shed its selfish and hurtful behaviors.

So, what’s in the cards for you?

A Bluegrass quartet recruited from the BRC founder`s band entertained at a weekend Farmer`s Market which recently relocated from its winter home indoors at a shopping center to the plaza`s sprawling outdoor parking lot. The temperature was 49 degrees when the foursome set-up their sound system which proved indispensible because of the backdrop of a four lane interstate highway roaring with Saturday morning traffic. Stationed in the shadow of a gigantic marquee advertising the mall`s attractions, the pickers battled chilled fingers till the sun slowly surmounted the towering sign to warm the musicians` hands. On a previous Saturday, the ambient temperature was 28 degrees at showtime when another band suffered 50% member defections home to warmer environs.

The shoppers sang along and danced to the band`s tunes and generously filled the tip jar. A curious tourist from Brazil was intrigued by this American genre of music and took the above photograph for the folks back home.  Noteworthy is the grateful banjo guy bathed in toasty solar rays. As usual, one-half of the collections were donated to our nearby Children`s Hospital.

On the morning preceding the market gig, the BRC founder warily entered a banjo into a juried local art show which had mandated “Critters” as its thematic prerequisite .

While butterflies fluttered in his stomach, he submitted his “Monarch” 5 stringer alongside an acrylic painting of a dozing cat, a graphite drawing of a floppy-eared dog,  and a watercolor of a mare nuzzling her wobbly-leggged foul. In this field of artistically crafted works, he resolved that it would be a surprise if the sunny creatures on his BRC instrument would win acceptance into the competitive show.

The judge, who was from the art faculty of a neighboring university, approved of the winged motif of the “Monarch” which was subsequently hung among a panoply of other “Critters”  for guests and patrons to study at the exhibit`s opening reception.

A staff member mused that the Monarch was `three dimensional art` when it promptly sold.  Another customer asked to reserve any future BRC instrument that might be potentially destined for the community`s upcoming mid summer art show.

The community art gallery recently challenged members and non members to enter works into a juried exhibition entitled “Stranger Than Fiction” as its theme.  What could be more intimidating than submitting a banjo into such a competition along side of water color and oil paintings of freakish landscapes, surreal wood and metal sculptures, bizarre fabric wall hangings, and unearthly ceramic pieces and glassworks? With some trepidation, the BRC founder entered a 5-stringer entitled “The Unicorn” to be judged amidst this eclectic field of unconventional works. A bewildering outcome to this venture, his open back banjo was accepted and hung for display at the gala opening reception.

The BRC founder and his wife happily babysit grandchildren twice a week, and all the grandkids have a BRC 5-stringer residing in their homes. Despite no fewer than 10 banjos strategically positioned around the grandparents`  house, including in grandma`s art studio, the youngest grandchild is showing focused interest in his granddad`s mandolin.

Every musical instrument has its own sonic signature, a unique voice. Every musician (present or future) has a favorite singer- be it stringed, woodwind, or brass.  Incredibly, both grandparents won ribbons at the exhibit awards ceremony for works they submitted to the art show. Truth is always more mystifying than fiction.

P.S. Check-out the `Open back 5 string BRC TimberWolf banjo` on eBay April 1-8.

This month a local art gallery hosted a juried exhibit entitled “Indulge” which studies the art of eating and the culture of food. How could a banjo be linked into this theme and win the approval of a discerning art instructor from a nearby campus who would be adjucating the entries? To meet this vexing challenge, the BRC founder fashioned an open back 5 stringer entitled “Country BBQ” hoping its sizzling mother of pearl flames would fire the imagination and approbation of the judge. Alas, no such luck.

The gallery staff, however, were charmed by the banjo and invited the builder to “showcase” the instrument in an anteroom at the “Indulge” opening reception. A teeming throng of patrons crowded the gala event and spilled over into the anteroom during the awards ceremony. While one potential banjo buyer paused briefly to observe the ceremonial distribution of ribbons and cash prizes, another patron quietly purchased the banjo and prepared to take it home. As a courtesy, the BRC builder demonstrated the musicality of the instrument for the new owner by playing a familiar Grammy-award winning 5 string theme on it.

He then offered a wink and the advice that in the event of an energy crisis, this was a dual purpose instrument which could also be used as firewood to barbecue a meal.

P.S. Best Wishes to all for a Happy Groundhog Day.