Art Pods and Art for Animals

I had such a good time at Abrasive Media's Gothic Circus event last October. They are a unique venue that offers education, exhibitions, and strategic partnerships with Nashville's creative community. They also went out of their way to address all of my accessibility needs to ensure I had as much access as possible to their program. When I found out they were hosting another unique event I knew I wanted to go.

The Inaugural Modular Art Pods Experience was "an open source collaborative art tunnel" comprised of multiple sections, or pods, created by various Nashville artists. Attendees were given the choice to either crawl through the tunnel or walk  around the perimeter and take the "backlot" tour. We were encouraged to "dress down".

Obviously, I wasn't about to crawl through the exhibition. But, as you can see, there were still plenty of ways to interact with and get a glimpse of the work in the pods. While it's true that I would have had a higher vantage point if I was walking around I still thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We were treated to various musical accompaniments and psychedelic light shows as we made our way around. It was a fun, free way to take in some local art in an inviting space.

But the real reason I came was to meet my friend Arthur Kirkby. Calling Arthur a talented artist is the understatement of the milennium. He is easily my favorite living artist, and his vivid Warhol-influenced portraits of Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, and others are truly masterful. A Nashvillian for almost 25 years, his work can be found at, among other places, Ron York Art and The Fontaine Gallery.

We've been chatting on Facebook  for a few months, trying to connect with each other. When I found out he was participating in this event I knew I wanted to lend my support. We snuk off away from the crowd to visit for a few minutes. The artwork in the last photo is Arthur's gift to me - a token of his continuing work with Art for Animals. Co-hosted by Animalia, Pet Community Center, and Nashville Paw Magazine, Art for Animals is an annual fund-raiser to support spay and neuter efforts in the community. Arthur donates original artwork to be included in the auction, which will take place at Riverwood Mansion on March 21st. He and I would like to put out a plea for other local artists to submit their work for the juried art show and auction. The deadline for artist submissions is February 24th.

Just so you know, Penny Lane received all of her veterinary care from Animalia and was spayed at the Pet Community Center. I'm grateful that we have so much support for rescue animals in Music City.

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