French's Time Capsule

As a resident of Charlotte I am happy to see this city grow and change. In the three years I have been here I can honestly attest to the fact that every time I take a walk through this city there is a new restaurant, a new shop, a new pub that has popped up, and somehow they are all brimming with people and functioning as if they have been there the whole time. Each brings a different vibe, and each makes up a small piece of this ever-changing, ever-growing puzzle known as Uptown. You can’t ignore the art here, because it is everywhere: from the unique and funky décor and signage of the establishments, to the live jazz band that plays on the streets and fills the city with rhythm and life, to the people that cross every intersection.

I met David French the night of the Uptown Christmas Tree Lighting, in the market across the street. He had a booth there, amongst other artists and entrepreneurs selling their artistic specialties: fresh foods, seasonal décor, off-beat gifts and the like. I loved the fact that his booth represented all there is to enjoy in the QC. Many of his paintings were of favorite hot-spots and other local attractions, and for me, this took “local art” to a whole new level. Two paintings of his in particular caught my eye. They were similar in style in that they were the artist’s interpretations of both the intersection of 6th & Tryon, and the intersection of Trade & Tryon. The colors are what drew me in initially, and once I got closer I noticed the beautiful drawings of the statues that box the intersection in the center of the city. Even though I have passed these statues every day, for some reason they seemed even more beautiful in French’s painting. I wasn’t planning on purchasing them, but I was enjoying checking out the detail. Then, a couple came over to look at the paintings. They loved them, and for a moment I was nervous that they would purchase them. The man's complaint: “Hmmm…these would be great, but they are missing some important buildings – the Wachovia Building, The Vue, and the Avenue. That stinks.” The woman quietly nodded, and off they went.

I took a few steps closer and noticed that he was right – those buildings were in fact missing. The artist must have painted these before those buildings broke ground. It put into perspective for me how fast this city was growing, and as a result, his paintings became a time capsule of how this city looked before I called it home. Sometimes when a road is re-done, or a new building goes up, it’s hard to remember what it looked like in the first place. One credit card swipe, two nails and one hammer later, a frozen snapshot of what once was the Uptown skyline now hangs on my wall and serves as a constant reminder of a work of art – even if it is a work in progress. 

-Alessandra Macaluso

http://davidfrenchoriginals.com/charlotte

Taking the Next Step

If you can't beat 'em, have 'em join you.

Due to my less-than-stellar performance at maintaining a modest blog and losing traffic to good writers, I decided to hire one of them.  That decision quickly turned into a plan to hire three writers instead of one.  That's because, in the tradition of Ferdowsi, good writers are worth their weight in gold.  It's a good thing they're not union.

So, I'm pleased to announce that today marks a new beginning for The Artist's Champion blog.  Three new contributing writers will kick start this blog to life starting this week.  The new writers are Alessandra Macaluso, Alex Clark, and Veronica Ibarra.

Here's a few words from each one.  First, Alessandra:  

“Art.” It’s amazing that a three letter word could hold so much meaning. Art listens, interprets, expresses; it makes us feel, connect, grow, and change. And the beauty of it all is that this applies for both artist and admirer. It is no wonder it is referred to as “the universal language.”

I am a freelance writer originally from New York, currently living in Charlotte, NC. I’m excited to have this opportunity with Persepolis. I hope with this blog to discover art, connect art, to be a part of your community, and to build bridges within the art world with words.

Then we have Veronica:  

I am a writer who believes in the power that words have to influence and express, much like art.  My goal as a writer is to convey meaning to engage the reader, as well as to inform.  I am a freelance SEO Writer by trade, but a Word Warrior in my heart.  Writing is my love, my art, my discipline.

And finally, Alex:

Dim the lights, cue the music, and uncork a vintage bottle of whatever you fancy because I for one am excited to be here. I am told we’re here to write about art. The premise seems innocuous enough but it is much deeper than that. We are here to do the near-impossible. We are here to act as liaison between the reader and the art, to charm you with our own “art” to remind you that life is meant to be deeper than six hundred television channels and an endless Internet romp, to show you there is still art in this world and it’s more accessible than you think. Is it near impossible? Probably not, I have faith in you. I just hope you are as thrilled as we are.

As you can see, each one brings a distinct voice, but the goal of their collective effort will remain the same as before - to create a resource for artists at this blog.  Each post will be powerful and short - we're not trying to waste an artist's time here.  The content will be artist-centric and timely.  We invite you to give us feedback on what you'd like to see more and what should be cut out.  After all, this blog is here to serve you, the artists.

Upcoming posts:

A review of a special collection by each contributing writer.

Unveiling by Persepolis Arts Agency of a new platform for featuring artists.

Announcing a new match-making service by Persepolis Arts Agency, connecting artists with figurative models.