Paris Art Gallery has Obama Fever

by Josh Lew on

Barack Obama has done what very few Americans have done before. No, not run for president. Get respect from the French.

An art gallery in Paris is running a show that demonstrates just how much street cred the the Democratic candidate has with Europeans. Dorothy’s Gallery, in the Bastille District of Paris (Rue Keller) will be running the show until November 17th. Most of the works on display are by French artists; and most, if not all, cast the Illinois Senator in a positive light. There are sculptures, photographs, sketches, caricatures and photo collages.

I doubt many red-staters are going to put the Dorothy Gallery on their itinerary. I’m sure very few undecided voters are going to be swayed by a visit. And French people aren’t going to head to the polls a week from Tuesday. So the Obama exhibit is more about the way French culture celebrates celebrities and statesmen than it is about politics. No word yet on whether Jerry Lewis will lose his status as top American if Obama pulls out a victory in the elections.

Tamarack: One-of-a-kind-center offers top-notch handmade arts and crafts

by Jamie Rhein on

A couple years ago, when I was writing a magazine article on best fall foliage places in West Virginia, a person working at a visitors and convention bureau told me that Tamarack Art Gallery is a place to shop. Actually, not a place, but the place. If you’re looking for anything artsy, Appalachian and West Virginian, this is it. (Not all art is Appalachian in subject matter, but it does showcase Appalachia’s finest work.) I was interested to see a feature article about the place in The Columbus Dispatch.

Part of the success of this gallery, I think, is that the crafts and art for sale are juried pieces. This means that artisans have to apply to get their work accepted–it’sa more formal and strict process for selecting what will pass muster. The result is a collection of high quality pieces that represent more than 2,800 artists. Therefore, if you shop here, you can’t go wrong. West Virginia’s art bounty is huge and Tamarack reflects this. Usually for less expensive pieces the gallery also pays the artists upfront instead of the artists selling their work on consignment. I like that. It seems fair. The reason behind the gesture is so artists have a shot at making a decent living from their work and have the support to practice their craft at a higher level.

Tamarack also has a restaurant that serves up traditional Appalachian fare. I wonder if there are soup beans and cornbread on the menu–or is this a Kentucky specialty? There are also changing exhibits and demonstrations. Here’s an audio slide show designed to bring you there. I love listening to the accents. They remind me of where my mom is from. By the way, you can also shop on-line if driving to this spot in West Virginia is too far.