CULTURE VULTURE

 ALS, spring, shoes and everything

BY C.S. GILBERT

I had some trouble putting this CV bite together and I write through a mist of tears, even almost two years after the death from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis of the iconic Senor Lobo, whom I don’t believe I ever met. But I have been a huge fan of the work of Simone Lasswell from the first moment I saw her ceramic work at Renegade Clay, heaven knows how many years ago. Lobo/Charlie was her husband.

     It serves no purpose to wallow in narrative, but ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a particularly cruel affliction. The mind remains sharp as the body’s muscles fail entirely, sometimes neck to toe, more commonly toe to neck. I cherish the memory of two amazing people who died of this disease: Elaine Marlowe and Gib Peters. Those memories give me strength to consider my own possible fate. ALS makes Alzheimer’s/hereditary dementia seem like a stroll in the park.

     As a feature of this month’s Walk on White on April 17, DB Design Studio at 600 Frances St. continues its innovative benefit shows, this time Lasswell’s art for a local family impacted by ALS. Note that the time is 5 till 8 p.m., earlier than the usual third Thursday’s 6 till 9.

     There are as usual elegant refreshments and the elegant furnishings and accessories carried by DB Design. It’s a bit off the beaten path but will be well worth the detour.

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Friday, April 18, is a good day for receptions. First is the official party for Lucky Street‘s current exhibit, Signs of Spring: Emilie Chaix, Claudia Richards, Susan Rodgers and Laurent Viens, rather to my mind to be subtitled Four Faces of Abstraction. I checked it out last week and was particularly taken by Chaix’s magical mixed media constructions. But it’s altogether a lovely and really very interesting show and the party is 6:30 till 8:30.

     And as usual at Lucky Street, wonderful metal works by John Martini (whom I finally met – so as I could remember) and by Cindy Wynn are on display. Catch the show through April 20.

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       Also on Friday the 18th is the opening reception for the duo of Erin Stover-Sickmen and Leah Peeks from 6 till 9 p.m. at Lemonade Stand Gallery on lower Petronia. The gallery, owned by distinctive portrait artist (Faces of Key West) Letty Novak, continues to spotlight strong women artists (duh). 

     I know little of Peeks except that she comes from Virginia and pictures of her work are colorful, with a woven quality, if nothing more; I’m withholding judgment (honest). But Stover-Sickmen has already distinguished herself as one of the new generation of leadership at The Studios of Key West. That she is also an artist who (this is from photos again) beautifully manipulates color and texture is a lovely surprise, in the category of who knew?

          But — how’s this for imaginative marketing and delightful excess? — the gallery will also host a champagne reception on Saturday the 19th from 11 a.m. till 2 p.m. That’s an admirable bit of innovation . . .  perhaps an art brunch in conjunction with the nearby Blue Heaven?

     This is going to be a show well worth seeing.

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Once the religious celebration of Easter is done on April 20, we recommend a radical change of pace: Nancy 3 Hoffman’s Back in These Shoes cabaret. Hoffman, a performing snowbird with international credits for humor as well as music spiced by a multi-lingual repertoire, will do vocals and accordion, with Larry Smith on piano and Peppy Pabon on drums. It’s 7:30 till 9 p.m. at the UU hall, 801 Georgia St., at the corner of Petronia. Tickets $12-15 at door.  For info: [email protected] or 207-939-0301.

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Caught Debra and Patrick (and a very attractive bass player named Gary) joining Skipper Kripitz‘s League of Crafty Musicians Tuesday at Virgilio’s, and, friends, that woman was smokin’. The popular duo will be in town till May, when they head up to Provincetown, so catch them when you can, often at La Te Da. Skippo’s April 15 reunion with visiting longtime music partner Richard Tazewell on keyboards as the “notorious Kopavi brothers,” falls into that uncomfortable crack between deadline and performance. He promised the “evening will morph into a true fusion power trio with the addition of Boston sax/flute virtuoso Tim Mayer.” For me, both Kopavi and Mayer are both “don’t miss” signals. They just need to get the publicity out a bit sooner.

That’s it for now — gotta fly!

                                                 

 

 

 

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