First Friday: Don't get blown away edition
Michael McGurk, "Curvaceous."
If you've been muttering, "Rain, rain, go away," for the last couple days, maybe you're the one responsible for conjuring up the crazy winds forecast to whip around town tonight. Sure, enduring a stiff breeze is better than getting doused, but gusty weather may wreak havoc on at least one venue. I'm talking about The Garage, which has recently become a favorite First Friday destination. The little-venue-that-could, which is only open a few times a month (so, don't skip the chance to visit tonight), features an April installation of prints by University of Virginia art professor, Dean Dass. Given its openness to the elements (The Garage is, in fact, a garage), who knows how the whooshing outside will affect the show inside? Wind or no wind, though, Dass's intriguing work sails the Garage to the top of my First Friday recommendations.
A block away, the McGuffey Art Center presents the annual High School Art Show, as well as exhibitions by member artists, Jennifer Cox, Judy McLeod, and Ninni Baeckstrom. The student show is a reliable highlight of the art year because the pieces, effervescent with the energy of youth, never fail to surprise! Speaking of eye-opening, The Bridge tonight kicks off a two-week residency by Adriana Atema, who displays (and will continue to create) "ecstatic portraits" of people who have touched her heart. Finally, although I know nothing about the artist, the lush, oil pastel I received from Michael McGurk suggests his exhibition at New Dominion Bookshop is well worth a look.
As usual, these shows are just the tip of the arty iceberg. See the list below for more out-and-about options. (And if the wind inspires you to blow out of town, you might consider heading to Richmond where photographer and UVA art prof William Wylie opens his latest show, "Anatomia," at Page Bond Gallery.)
First Friday, April 3:
The Bridge opens Adriana Atema's exhibition "Bright Face (People You Should Know," featuring "ecstatic portraits of dear friends and true-loves she has met along the way and kept in her heart." Live music, 6-8pm.209 Monticello Road (across from Spudnuts). 984-5669.
The Garage hosts an opening for its installation of prints by the always-interesting Dean Dass, 5-7pm. N. 1 St. (across from Lee Park). 985-630-1466.
Sage Moon Gallery LLC opens Nancy Wallace's "New Works," featuring oil paintings, at Siips, 6-8pm. 212 E. Main St. 977-9997.
In celebration of National Jazz Appreciation Month, Fellini’s # hosts an opening for Martin Phillips' "Jazz Seen: Celebrating Jazz through Photography." Sales proceeds will benefit the Charlottesville Jazz Society. 5:30-7:30pm. 200 W. Market St. 996-7729.
C'ville Coffee opens photographer Todd Cohen's project "8 Years/8 Days," which presents a candid portrait of children's school experiences. 5:30-7:30pm. 130 Harris St. 973-2960.
The Downtown Transit Center welcomes Judy McLeod's mixed media collages in the exhibition, "Authentic Moments," until 8pm. 615 E. Water St. 970-3349.
Java Java on the Downtown Mall opens "The Grand Circle of the Colorado Plateau: Landscape Photographs by Ben Greenberg," 6-8pm. 421 E. Main St. 245-0020.
The McGuffey Art Center hosts an opening reception for its four April exhibitions: Jennifer Cox's "Spirituals for Naturalists"; Judy McLeod's mixed-media works; Ninni Baeckstrom's reliefs and sculptures; and the Annual High School Art Show (always worth a look!). 5:30-7:30pm. 201 Second St. NW. 295-7973.
La Galeria celebrates its sixth annual "Spring Fling," featuring spring-focused work by artists Mary Porter, Christine Rich, Matalie Deane, Patricia Travers, Peter Almonte, Ruth Hembree and Lois Kannensohn, 5-8pm. 218 W. Market St. 293-7003.
BozART Gallery opens "It's About the Color," an exhibition of watercolors by Kathy Kuhlmann, with an artist’s reception, 5-9pm. 211 W. Main St. on the Downtown Mall. 296-3919.
C'ville Arts opens its group show of garden-themed work, "Blooms: Images from the Garden and Objects for Landscapes," 6-9pm. 118 E. Main St. on the Downtown Mall. 972-9500.
Art Upstairs Gallery opens "A Moment Caught," a show of mixed-media paintings by Sue Sencer. 6-9pm. 112 W. Main St. in York Place on the Downtown Mall. 923-3900.
Virginia Artists in Action celebrates "See Art, Hear Art, Speak Art," an exhibition showcasing the work of Floyd Hurt, Trew Bennett, Nan Rothwell, and Pam Myers. A portion of sales benefits Virginia nonprofits designated by the participating artists. The reception features live music by Connie Muscuenti and Jim Harrington. 5:30-8pm.112 W. Main St. (York Place) on the Downtown Mall. 989-5480.
The Charlottesville Community Design Center opens "Preserving Place = Sustaining Community," an exhibition that offers opportunities to learn about local preservation successes as well as buildings that have been lost and to become informed about how to take advantage of local and national preservation opportunities. 5-7pm. 100 5th St. (under the Market St. parking garage). 984-2232.
The Gallery @ 5th and Water welcomes Janet Pearlman's exhibition, "Images of Yes," with a reception, 5:30-8pm. 107 5th St. SE (in the upstairs foyer of Henderson & Everett and Stoneking/von Storch). 979-9825.
New Dominion Bookshop hosts an opening for its exhibition of new pastel paintings by Michael McGurk, 5-7pm. 404 E. Main St. on the Downtown Mall. 295-2552.
Richmond's Page Bond Gallery hosts an opening for UVA art prof William Wylie's photographic exhibition, "Anatomia," 7-9pm. 1625 W. Main St., Richmond. 804-359-3633.
14 comments
Perhaps one of the reasons that U.S. sportwriters write about her is that she is, in fact, the top U.S. IndyCar driver. Last year, she finished sixth in points, ahead of all other U.S. drivers. This year, she is ahead of the other six U.S. drivers, finishing ahead of all of them in Long Beach and Kansas. She also beat all nine U.S. entries in the Indy 500, including Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal, John Andretti, Ed Carpenter, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Davy Hamilton, A.J. Foyt IV, Sarah Fisher and Scott Sharp.
Are those drivers wearing out their welcome on the race track too?
To Don B's comment, I never looked at it that way. She is the top US driver. I am a Danica fan not only because she looks good, but because she is very competitive in a male dominated spot. I am also a Sarah Fisher fan from the first day she stepped on the IRL track. If she was with a top team, she would finish higher. Mila Duno is dangerous to everyone on the track.
I see Danica improving and steadily moving up. Good for her and racing.
Totally agree with these two comments. I just got back from the Indy 500 and it was AMAZING watching her race! Well, the race was amazing in general but I was definitely pulling for her. I agree with Steve, she is steadily moving up and hopefully will continue to do so.
Of course it comes to the gender issue the minute a female sticks here head out in a male-dominated world as open wheel racing.
But one looks at it all wrong. This sport has everyting to do with sponsors and money.
What is the best thing in this case? A race driver who can race or makes a complete fool of himself at the track for maximum exposure. Then one only needs away to commercialise the image. And in this case: what an image. Guess who has the larger hitcount on the net Patrick or Fisher of Castroneves? That's what counts. Other proof: the mentioning of the GoDaddy company in the article, again free advertising and the sponsor loves it! ( as a European I never knew what it was until I searched Danica on the net)
Another huge side effect is a big atraction to motorsportsfans all over the world for the IRL. What's a nicer story in any sports as something out of the ordinary is succesfull? Hence: everybody happy aside from a couple of people that indulge themselves in playing the gendercard.
But feel free, to disrespect the exploits of this playmate in a raceoverall, write here in the ground. I'm convinced that there are plenty of other racingsports outside the US that would welcome here on there grids.
Can you imagine Danica in a Formula 1 Brawn GP car...?
Diamondback West Friesland Netherlands.
You are correct about Danica especially when it comes to ABC/ESPN. But your comment about Sarah shows your lack of Indycar knowledge. At the 500 this past week EVERYONE was rooting for her over Danica. Sarah's image is a self made, pull yourself up by your boot straps, nothing will stop me from racing, type of image. The respect she has earned on the track, and off, is hands down compared to Danica. And she is a role model.
I think everyone has heard of Sarah but you!!
I read article after article and blog after blog bashing Danica about being sexy and exploting it. They all seem to have an underlying theme. That is, that Danica will never ever be a true race car driver worthy of the respect of the world, for her driving abilities, no matter what. Some people have made it perfectly clear with their hidden words of saying it without screaming it from the rooftops with prejudcial rage and disgust in their eyes that no matter how much of a champion she becomes, she will never, EVER achieve greatness in their eyes because of what she has already done and the fact she's a woman. As soon as she appeared scantily clad in all those mags and exploited her fame from being in the right place at the right time, "just getting lucky", to become the marketing machine she is, she tainted herself. She poisoned the well of her fame and stained her reputation with a deep ink that goes so deep it can never be washed away, no matter how much scrubbing she does. No matter how high she goes in racing, no matter what she achieves, she will never ever, gain the true deep profound respect she deserves, not just from her fellow racers but, from everyone who loves racing, even just a little bit. Once Danica mania started, in the eyes of too many she was doomed forever, never to achieve greatness because she will never be able to do anything more than just trade on her name. Surprisingly, the voice that seems to be silently screaming the loudest is from women, afraid that now they can never be taken seriously. As if somehow, from exploiting her fame and looks to secure her racing future, she has betrayed them and every other woman who has ever earned her champion status on sheer talent and hard work alone, not on looks. As a fan of Danica, the race car driver, this breaks my heart. I'm a white male living in the south. I should like nascar but, I don't. According to all of you, I shouldn't like Danica the race car driver but, I do. I've looked at her pictures and yes, I think she's hot and yes, I have a tiny twinge of dissappointment in me from her having done them but, that will never stop me from respecting her for her achievements as a race car driver and getting a little chocked up with every victory she achieves no matter how small or monumental. One huge thing I think gets overlooked is she has the respect of her fellow drivers. No one knows better than them whether or not she deserves it. She has already earned my respect and I think she's just getting started showing the world what she can do with a race car. 6th in championship last year, 6th now, 3rd at Indy. She's just getting started.
I am a woman in a man’s world and no matter what we do we will be criticized for it. I have been promoted meritoriously twice and I was told it was because of my gender and my looks but actually it was because of my record. I am a huge Danica fan because, as women, we have to work twice as hard to stand out and not get taken advantage of and she is doing what she has to in order to make it in that world she is competing in. If one of those guys could use their looks to get sponsorship and get hired by a great team like AGR do you honestly think they wouldn’t jump at it? You're crazy if you think that they wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to get into a better car to show their skills. So what if Danica races safe? It's wrong to race on the safe side and still place 6th in the championship over all the other US drivers? Hum....get over it. Let her do her thing, and if she takes INDY Series racing to a whole new level, stop complaining! More exposure means more money.
@ Nathan,
dear Sir,
I never was disrespectful of the exploits of Sarah Fisher who is a veteran in the IRL. I was just simply stating that as a brand Patrick is a larger commercial asset then Fisher. That's what counts for sponsorships in racing. And of course ranking in races: Patrick finished 3rd and Fisher finished 17th.
As for respect from fellow drivers: Respect is gained on the track, in every lap, during every overtake. And I doubt it very much that the other drivers, when seeing her car appear in there rearview mirrors still think: "Hey, there's the chick from the SI Swim Suit issue that's pinned on the wall of my mobile home." ( althoug I have my doubts about Milka Duno ) The way she drives, calculated, composed but tough got her that respect. Even marching down pit row after an incident proves that Danica IS one of the boys within the racing community. Too bad journalists still don't get that.
And I am convinced the name Danica Patrick will be remembered as the most succesful, gorgeous open wheel female racer the world has ever seen. And to me: there is nothing wrong with that.
Since Sam Hornish Jr. went to Nascar, Danica is the #1 U.S. open wheel driver. Her stats prove it. She consistently out performs her young gun team mates. Danica is a smart driver who realizes that the race is not won on the first lap. Except for being taken out by that idiot Matos earlier in the year, she has consistently come home in the top five this season.
More should be said about the young second and third generation drivers who can't perform. Graham Rahal was pretty smug at the beginning of the Indy 500. He thought he was a contender for the win. How many ovals has he actually finished? Last year, he crashed out in almost every oval race. Tomas Schekter is rough on equipment. Sometimes he is fast but usually wrecks or breaks. Similar to Marco Andretti. I would like to see the bill for all the wreckage from Marco in the past few years. It is probably more than the combined total of his three teammates. It is a good thing that his dad owns the business, otherwise, he might have to get a real job. If I was a team owner, I would love a driver like Danica who can finish well consistently and bring the car home in one piece. A.J. Foyt IV is another non-contender .
Other young guns such as Matos, Viso, Moraes are a hazard and should spend several more years in Indy Lights. They should take Marco with them.
I look forward to following Danica's career for many years. I hope she stays in the IRL and gets a ride with Penske. If that loser Briscoe can do well in a Penske car, I think that Danica could win the championship.
She gets better every season. Every race she finishes is experience in her bank. She is a contender for a podium finish in any race she enters.
Nathan,
I can appreciate that you are a big fan of Sarah. I also like her as a person and respect her as a driver. Many folks argue that if she had better equipment, she would be a better driver, but the argument could also be made that if she were a better driver, she would have better equipment. Team owners know how to recognize talent.
Critics say that Danica is only with Andretti/Green because of the money she brings. Sure, she brings attention and sponsors, but Michael Andretti first decided to hire her not for that, but because of one little moment at Indy in 2005. During her qualifying run, her car went sideways in turn one, on lap one, and she never took her foot off the gas. It was an incredible save, and made a huge impression on everyone at the track who saw it. Andretti said at that moment he decided that if he ever had the chance to put her under contract with AGR, he was going to do it, and a year and a half later, he did. "She's going to win," he said, "and she's going to do it in one of my cars."
When you say something like "At the 500 this past week EVERYONE was rooting for her over Danica" you lose all credibility. When Danica moved into the top four, and then into the top three, the Speedway was positively electric with energy, with race fans hoping for a final ten lap shootout between Helio and Danica.
Danica has a huge following of fans (it's very obvious if you go to a race), and they are very loyal to her. And those fans, for the most part, are also appreciative and respectful of Sarah and wish her to do well also.
This is the most incompetent, biased piece of "journalism I have read in a long time. It is obvious Juanita Giles has a ax to grind.
I smell a grudge match. 2 Big Wheels. 1 winner. Juanita v. Danica. Yo goin' down, all the way down, Wanna-be-ica!
(Seriously Juanica, this is absolute drivel. Total garbage. Take a driving school. Get over your average self and do something extraordinary.)
you people forget about the greatest drivers NHRA Ashley Force Melonie Troxiel Shirley Muldowney Judy Lilly Danica has done alot for motorsports but until she wins like the big girls of NHRA who compet with the big boys on a regular basis she will only be a poster girl.
Paul,
No one has forgotten about the ladies of the NHRA. What they have accomplished in their sport is to be commended, and the fact that they compete so well against the men, and have been doing it for some time, shows that women can compete with men in motorsports, especially in straight line racing.
That said, trying to compare someone like Ashley Force with someone like Danica is like trying to compare a sprinter with a marathoner. Same sport, running, but two completely different disciplines. You don't do that when watching the Olympics, do you?
The top level of NHRA has seen many women compete and be successful since the mid sixties. The top levels of open wheel racing have seen a handful of women compete, and only one so far being truly competitive. NASCAR has never seen a woman even remotely competitive. These differences can be directly attributed to the acceptance of women in the different series.
Muldowney won her first top fuel title in 1977, but she was far from the first woman in the NHRA. That happened in 1964. Janet Guthrie was the first woman ever to compete in the Indy 500, also in 1977. In 1976, she would not even have been allowed in the pit area.
Women breaking into male dominated sports benefit from the efforts of those who have gone before. In motorsports, it is evident that women have been accepted in the NHRA longer than in any other series, and the number of successful women running there is proof of that.
Danica is only the fourth woman to compete against the men in open wheel racing, following Guthrie, Lyn St. James, and Sarah Fisher. She is, without question, the most successful, being able to compete against world class drivers on both ovals and road/street courses. What she does on the track is inspiring other girls and women to give open wheel racing a try. When she began karting at age 10, she was frequently the only girl on the track. Today, approximately 40 percent of the drivers at kart tracks are girls. If continuing the legacy, increasing awareness and giving girls hope of following their dreams of racing makes her a poster girl, I'm sure that is one title she would wear with pride.
By the way, what's with the "big girls" and "big boys"? Are you saying that drivers like Castroneves, Dixon, Franchitti and Wheldon are "little boys"?