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Painter of the Month: le Show
From the bottom to the top, that's the plan. This was the scene at the exhibition of new A.R.T. paintings at the Princeton University Art Museum. How cool it is to see the A.R.T. work hanging near world-renown paintings of the Impressionists, ancient Asian, medieval and renaissance masters, famed avant garde artists of the 20th century. Believe me, the A.R.T. paintings held their own. They sang out with absolute confidence, verve, and vision. What a thrill to know these young artists, whom many erroneously deem less capable, can completely wow a sophisticated art audience, especially once this well-heeled audience learns every single aspect of the creative process was under the total, uncompromised control of each individual painter. No teaching. No coaching. Art doesn't get any more pure, fresh, or direct. There was a transcendence beyond that of the artists. A transcendence of fear. Still only an inch of snow on the ground, only hours before the opening, the caterer e-mails to report they can't risk sending staff to the Art Museum. Driving to the museum there is nothing more than slush on the roads, yet these same roads are virtually void of cars, as if the people had been changed into bunnies, hunkered down in their burrows. We arrived at the museum prepared to be sitting there by our selves. Note: kudos to the museum staff who never wavered in their determination to stay open. I'd reported to A.R.T. chair Barbara Vaughn Hoimes about the caterers bailing out on us. I'm sitting there in the empty museum when in BV sweeps, arms loaded with tray after tray of food she had jetted solo to Wegmans to snag before racing back to the museum. These excellent edibles laid out, wine opened, people slowly, but steadily, start filling the room, their voices replacing the silence of impending failure with cheerful chatter. From this possible big-time flopola, which would have been pretty sad after the months of prep we'd done, it was with pleasure we saw the gallery fill to more than twice the number of people we'd hoped would come. The museum staff clicking their people counter, up the count went. Fifty, one-hundred, one-hundred and fifty, and onward upward the count climbed. Yes. And yes, most of the artists made it too. They were pumped. They were lit up. The gallery was packed, a din of animated talking, everyone fizzing, festively fired up by being out on a snowy night; everyone having swept aside the fear factor the media had done their best to sell us. We can only imagine how many people would have been there if the weather had been fair. They might actually have had to turned people away.
The opening over, most of the cases of wine gone, not a scrap of food left, we stepped from the museum to see there had fallen a one inch dusting of weightless glittering pretty powder snow. And on to Conte's for pizza, beer, and celebration that once again A.R.T. had pulled it off. We want to thank the staff of the Princeton University Art Museum for all the work they did making this show possible. We love working with them. Also want to thank the President's office for their support providing A.R.T. studio space with the Department of Creative Arts. The opening was a triumph for the artists, for their art, and for those who underwrote the show: The Karma Foundation, the Llura Gund Foundation, the Kessler Foundation and the David Mathey Foundation. Thanks to all those who, like Kookie Johnson and Phoebe Outerbridge, reached out to invite their networks of friends and colleagues. A most intense cracking high-five for A.R.T. champion Trustee Barbara Vaughn Hoimes. BV has been key to many of our most important successes. A.R.T. Princeton isn't the only one sparking things up: From Diane Halverson, ARC Jacksonville, Florida: Tim, just wanted you to know about some things that happened just this past week. 1. Last Monday morning, I was interviewed on the WJXT Morning Show along with an
So that's just in one week!! A big week! Awesome, eh? Let me know if you ever want me to just pack my bags and start marching across the country (or world) with my A.R.T. banner. I am willing to talk to anyone about how this method has positively changed the lives of our artists and how it is not a financial drain on an agency but rather a self sustaining program that soon provides positive publicity and recognition to any agency that takes the initiative to start a program. Diane From Margaret Beasely, Open Arms, Nashville, Tennessee: Tim, I just wanted to let you know that we have two shows coming up in May. You should be receiving announcements about them from the two operations involved. These are the first shows that Chattanooga and Memphis coordinated on their own (and featuring artists from their locations exclusively.) Both locations are still using trackers that you trained! I am crossing my fingers that the artists make some sells because I know that will ramp up everyone’s appreciation for the program. I’m not too worried—both places already have had interest from potential buyers. I have felt like the little engine that could—knowing this would eventually sink in and become growing programs for each operation… I never thought it would take so much time and work! However, I LOVE it when I get to go spend a week helping stretch and frame. I track every chance I get. Margaret Beasley
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We invite you to visit the gallery of photos pro photographer BV took the night of the opening: 
T. opening at the Princeton University Art Museum.
A nice cherry on the cake was the feature article in Princeton Magazine, splashed with 7 pages of gorgeous color photos. Lynn from Princeton Magazine braved the slush to get a box of one-hundred magazines to the museum in time for the opening. 
2. Our art was featured at last Tuesday’s Soirée of prominent Jacksonville types as well as a Wednesday concert of the Ritz Chamber Players (an African American Classical Music Group that travels around the country and even world). Three huge pieces (about 53 x 50 size) were used as the backdrop on the stage of Times Union Performing Arts Center (where the Jax symphony also plays) and we had 17 more art pieces in the lobby. I gave a speech about A.R.T. before the concert. We think we have sold 20 pieces (18 to the Marine company and two to others) this week.