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Art Shows

Art Shows, BRC Activities, Cell Perches & HVO

Kudos & `Scapes

August 6, 2022

The G&F jam band was founded in 1995 and first billed itself as The Bluegrass Jammers at community festivals and street fairs. From its very beginnings, all tips and fees have been donated to the University of Missouri Children`s Hospital. In a few years, the band’s name morphed into The MoonShyne Reunion at local picnics. When this ensemble of Bluegrass musicians began to entertain weekly at a basement coffee house near the University campus circa 2005, the Gainor & Friends moniker evolved. Since 2009, we have performed regularly each Sunday afternoon at the mid-town Broadway Brewery, except during the deep pandemic months when gigs were sporadic. The family-friendly brewpub has been a gracious host to us, and its patrons have consistently donated to the Children`s Miracle Network over the years. Last month, our total donations to the local pediatric medical center surpassed $28K, and three-fourths of these monies have been collected at the popular and busy brewpub.

The BRC craftsman salutes the many devoted musicians, like the ones pictured above during the milestone jam last month, who have donated their time on Sunday afternoons to play music for the brunch crowd and afternoon patrons who have generously supported our fund-raising initiative. Well done, all.

As the emblematic mascot of the University of Missouri sports teams is a fearsome feline, the BRC craftsman fashioned a “Tiger Country Cell Perch” smartphone holder this summer by incorporating thematic fretboard inlay materials left-over from previous banjo projects.

Similar to all BRC banjos having a signature inlay on the heel of the neck for the eyes-only of the musician,  the “Tiger Country Cell Perch” has the silhouette of a leaping big cat on the under surface of its wooden base for the enjoyment of its new owner.

The tiger-themed red oak smartphone holder was gifted to a fellow musician who is a veternarian and research director at the University.

Previously featured in the 5/28/22 “Outback” BRC webpage posting, the  “Ozark Wilderness Cell Perch” is based on the observations of an old-time Bluegrass fiddler who is an avid outdoorsman and cherishes the southern Missouri woodlands and wildlife. These earlier photos can accessed by entering “fauna” in the search engine and scroll down.

A field of 138 oil and watercolor paintings, sketches, fiber art works, photographs, and sculptures were submitted last month to the competitive mid-summer “Scapes” art exhibit at the local community gallery. The Ozark Wilderness Cell Perch was among the 88 entries accepted into the juried show which focused on the world of escapes. At the gala opening reception, guests closely study the diminutive smartphone holder.

From the BRC: The BRC guy applauds the G&F jammers for collecting three hundred hundred and twenty dollars in tip donations during this past month of July at the brewpub. Y’all are the best.

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.