If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “The only thing that would make friend-of-DM Chadwick Stogner’s building behind The Marlay any more awesome is if it was filled with art, had a DJ, offered cheap PBR, and featured a sealed room exhibit complete with a live chicken (or rooster or something),” then you’re in luck. Because that’s exactly what’s going on.

Beginning last night and continuing through this evening, the “Gate Called Beautiful” building is serving as a most righteous gallery space for “Blood Brother,” a really groovy show by artist Cooper Sanchez.

I didn’t know a whole lot about Sanchez going in, but I really enjoyed his work. And for good reason, it turns out, because my positive, first impressions were later confirmed, thanks to this quote from him on Burnaway.com.

“There are so many negative connotations that go along with ‘artist’ — I guess from my family and growing up and I knew so many self-centered artists that rubbed me the wrong way — it never seemed cool to me. I wish there was another term. I just do creative projects. I guess I am an artist, I just think artists can be obnoxious.”

A shy, creative artist who produces absorbing work and who abhors pretension! What could be better? Not a whole lot, as far as I’m concerned. Do yourself a favor and drop by the Beautiful building Friday night between 7 and 11. Park at the Post Office, you’ll thank me. And make time to walk down the spooky hidden path along the east side of the building. It presents outstanding opportunities to pretend you’ve traveled to another time. Or fool around with your date.

More pictures after the jump.

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Here’s my crummy pic of this Flux Project over Decatur this morning.

My wife gets full credit for knowing it was a Flux Project.  I was clueless.  Anyone else see it??

As seen on Ponce de Leon Place…

In case you’re wondering about the leaderboard ad up top is all about, but haven’t had the finger-strength to click-thru yet!

Don’t miss the first ever Artist Studio Clearance Sale Saturday, February 5th in Decatur. Come browse and buy jewelry, paintings, pottery, photography and other at the Holiday Inn in Downtown Decatur. Local Artists who have participated in the Decatur Arts Festival and other area festivals, as well as studio artists, will be selling their work from 11 am to 4 pm.

The event is sponsored by the Decatur Arts Alliance. For more information please email [email protected] or call 404-371-9583.

Andisheh was overcome with emotion when he spotted this crime of passion on an abandoned commercial building on West College near Atlanta Avenue.

My graffiti-annoyance was short-circuited by the sentiments expressed. Someone is deeply in love. Someone with good handwriting, too.

Good luck third-person speaking “boy.”  I can already see the proposal, (“Girl, will you marry boy?”), marriage (“Boy does”) and break-up, (“Boy is totally sick of girl telling boy what to do! Boy is going out to do some theraputic spray-painting!”).

On the eve of the Decatur Arts Festival, and in the time-honored tradition of copping ideas from the New York Times, I thought it would be interesting to pose a question directly to our city’s artists.

The recent response to a question posed by the New York Times about how artists were responding to the recession peaked my locavore-ish interest.  While many artists relayed the expected stories of less work and funding, many also mentioned in the same virtual-breath that the slowdown was also in some ways “liberating.”   Singer/songwriters have found more time to write and play their own work – instead of an endless cycle of covers, while visual artists talked about time to focus on refining their skill set.

Obviously the economic slowdown is going to hit some people harder than they can take it.  What may seem liberating to one artist who brings in less work but can still pay the bills, can feel like the end of the world for one with no work or income.   However, the Times article talked a lot about how these “dispatches from the arts world were infused with fortitude and resolve, as well as a sense of release” and I was curious to see if Decatur/Atlanta/Georgia artists have had a similar reaction.

Art and economics have always been intricately connected, so there’s no doubt that this newly termed “Great” Recession will have a very real impact on the world’s art forms.  The physical results are yet unknown, but thanks to a little more time on our hands, it may just be an age of rediscovery.

I look forward to your responses.

If its Memorial Day Weekend, its also gotta be time for the Decatur Arts Festival! 2008 makes this the 20th year for the grand-daddy of all big Decatur festivals.

There’s lots going on this weekend beyond the artist’s market, so make sure to checkout the festival’s own webpage for complete details. Weather should be nice and warm. Or if you want work up your sweat from physical exertion instead of the heat, hike the 30-stop ArtsWalk on Friday night 5p-10p. (Actually you can take the FurBus for the ArtsWalk too, but then its really not a “walk” now, is it?)

Fellow Decatur-loving bloggers Catherine and Lauren are geared up and ready to go.

And so am I. In addition to visiting all the normal haunts, I might stop in to Eddie’s in the afternoon for a drink and a little entertainment before swinging by Worthmore for their “Grand Opening” weekend. Regardless, I’ll have camera in hand and will report back.

Any other non-obvious events going on this weekend that we should be aware of?

[this year’s excellent poster is designed by Corey Barksdale]