Author: Kevin Ledgewood

(Tuscaloosa) “Monster Makeover” is back and will open on Oct. 4th, 2024, during First Friday at Harrison Galleries, 2315 University Blvd., in downtown Tuscaloosa from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.  The exhibit will be on display throughout the month and will end on Oct. 30th when the artists’ works are auctioned off from 6 p.m.-8 p.m., benefitting The Community Foundation of West Alabama’s Arts in Education fund.

Originally established by staff at The Tuscaloosa News in 2010, “Monster Makeover” is an annual exhibit consisting of drawings of creepy creatures created by students from a local elementary school alongside the interpretation of the monsters by West Alabama visual artists.  After the students completed their drawings and an accompanying written description, they were sent out to local artists who then chose the one that appealed to them the most. The artists could work in their chosen media for the project in two- or three-dimensional formats. This year’s exhibit will feature the work of 48 second grade students from Westwood Elementary in Coker, Ala., alongside 48 different local artists.

Artists whose work will be included in the exhibit are Sandee House, Anna Humphreys, Lee Hubbard, Debbie Hite, Jennifer Champion, Sarah Ferguson, Abel Phillips, Greer Jones, Ryan Watson, Sharon Greenwood, Abi Brewer, Christi DeZoort, Cecily Downey, Sherry King, Charlotte Wegrzynowski, Daniel White, Tony Bratina, Richard Nowell, Hannah Warner, Huey Rudder, Kayla Moring, Kimberly Barfield, Northridge High School, Jeremy Rich, Joslin Milstead, Neel Alexander, Sherri Warner, SK Steen, Jeremy Satcher, Amy LeePard, Marysia Galbraith, Jack Leigh, Natalie Peeples

Sheryl Jefferies, Tiffany Amirkahnian, Tom Wegrzynowski, Margaret Wilson, Allison Hetzel, Michael Hand, Leslie Sheppard, Amy Smoot, Jude Weaver, Rhandie Weaver, Victoria Christensen, Molly Brooke Threadgill and Shweta Bratina.

Contact Autumn Fuller, Director of Education for The Arts Council, for information about the upcoming show. For updates regarding this year’s Monster Makeover exhibit, visit The Arts Council’s Facebook page at https://tinyurl.com/monstermakeoverXII.

For more information about The Arts Council, Bama Theatre, or Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center, patrons should follow and like “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” on Facebook and also on Instagram @tuscaloosaartscouncil. Call 205-758-5195 or visit tuscarts.org for further information.

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(TUSCALOOSA, Ala.) The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa is announcing its annual Small Grants Program, awarding projects by Tuscaloosa County artists and non-profit organizations. Grants to all local teachers for arts related projects are also available through the Community Foundation’s Arts in Education Grant. 

The Arts Council is now accepting grant applications from local artists and organizations for upcoming projects taking place between Oct. 1, 2024 and May 15, 2025. The deadline for applications is Oct. 1, 2024 with recipients announced by Oct. 31, 2024. The maximum Small Grant available to organizations is $1,000 and $750 to individuals. 

Organizations can apply for Small Grants Program awards for such projects as exhibits, festivals, residencies, consultants, attendance at seminars, institutes, workshops by artistic and/or administrative staff and productions. Professional artists may apply for grants covering pilot or short-term projects or opportunities such as seminars, workshops, conferences or apprenticeships with master artists. Since the advent of the Small Grants Program in 1986, local artists and organizations have received more than $140,000.  

The Arts in Education Grant provides funds that are specifically earmarked for arts related projects through the Community Foundation of West Alabama. Local educators pursuing any arts related project can apply for funding from the Foundation through The Arts Council with a deadline of Oct. 1, 2024 for grant activities which will be taking place between Oct. 1, 2024 and May 15, 2025. 

Guidelines and applications for both grant programs are available online at https://tuscarts.org/small-grants/.  Additional information is available to individuals or groups interested in applying by contacting Autumn Fuller, Director of Education, at education@tuscarts.org or 205-758-5195, ext. 4.

For more information about The Arts Council, Bama Theatre, or Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center, patrons should follow and like “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” on Facebook and also Instagram @tuscaloosaartscouncil. Call 205-758-5195 or visit tuscarts.org for further information.

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PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release                                            
The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa
Contact: Kevin Ledgewood
pr@tuscarts.org
205-758-5195, ext. 6

KIKI KARATHEODORIS EXHIBIT EXTENDED AT THE DINAH WASHINGTON CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

(TUSCALOOSA, Ala.) “The Middle Ground: Connecting Opposing Visual Forces” in The Arts Council Gallery at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center has been extended to August 15, 2024. Featuring works by UA Art and Art History Dept. alumnus Kiki Karatheodoris, the exhibit features both works on paper and paintings.

The exhibit will also be featured at 5 p.m. during the free First Friday Art Walk in downtown Tuscaloosa on August 2. Gallery hours are weekdays from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and admission is free.

To view sample images from this upcoming exhibit and complete background information about the artist, visit https://tuscarts.org/cac/galleries-venues/cac-gallery/.

The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center is located at 620 Greensboro Avenue in downtown Tuscaloosa. For more information about The Arts Council or Bama Theatre, patrons should follow and like “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” on Facebook and Instagram @tuscaloosaartscouncil. Call 205-758-5195 or visit tuscarts.org for further information.

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(TUSCALOOSA, Ala.) The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa will host “The Middle Ground: Connecting Opposing Visual Forces” in The Arts Council Gallery at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center June 7-July 25, 2024. Featuring works by UA Art and Art History Dept. alumnus Kiki Karatheodoris, the exhibit will feature both works on paper and paintings.

The exhibit will open on June 7 at 5 p.m. during the free First Friday Art Walk in downtown Tuscaloosa. Although the display will continue for two months, there will be no First Friday in July due to the holiday. Gallery hours are weekdays from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and admission is free. Visit www.firstfridaytuscaloosa.com for all First Friday information.

To view sample images from this upcoming exhibit, visit https://tuscarts.org/cac/galleries-venues/cac-gallery/.

The exhibit is about bridging contrasts, oppositions, dualities, etc. visually experienced in the world around us.  Contrasts in color, such as violet blue and orange or oppositions in drawing such as the straight as opposed to the curved meandering line, can be described as “opposing visual forces.” Some of the works on paper combine the opposition of the organic, curving forms and lines, with the inorganic, straight, geometric ones. Others contrast the chaotic in nature and the orderly in geometry. Some pieces have actual organic matter (grasses, petals etc.) attached and a bit hidden.

Karatheodoris has over 20 years of experience as an artist, and her work is in many individual and permanent collections. She has been exhibited locally, nationally and internationally in juried shows and invitationals. Influenced by Josef Albers’ work on color, her major interest is in color interaction and transparency. She was invited to exhibit and discuss her work in England at an international conference on color sponsored by Kingston University, UK. Her presentation was published as a book chapter in the book “Cultures of Color.” She has a second book chapter on color in the book “Hermes and Aphrodite Encounters.” She taught art courses at The University of Alabama and painting and drawing at Shelton State Community College before her employment as the registrar at The University of Alabama Honors College. She has retired from UA and works as a full-time artist. Born in Greece, she has also lived in New York and Toronto and resides in Tuscaloosa. She holds a BA degree in Sociology from City University of New York and also BFA and MFA degrees from The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.

Gallery hours are weekdays 9 a.m.- noon and 1-4 p.m.  For more information about all gallery events

taking place on First Friday and the locations, visit www.firstfridaytuscaloosa.com.

The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center is located at 620 Greensboro Avenue in downtown Tuscaloosa. For more information about The Arts Council or Bama Theatre, patrons should follow and like “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” on Facebook and Instagram @tuscaloosaartscouncil. Call 205-758-5195 or visit tuscarts.org for further information.

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(TUSCALOOSA, Ala.) The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa’s Summer Bama Art House Nostalgic Blockbusters Film Series will kick off in June and will feature six movies. Screenings will take place at the Bama Theatre on June 11, June 18, June 25, July 2, July 9 and July 16.

The box office, doors, and bar will open at 6:00 p.m. Single Tickets will be priced at $10 general, $9 seniors & students and $8 Arts Council Members and will be available at the box office prior to screenings. Discount Punch Card Tickets ($70) will also be available and will be good for any 10 Bama Art House films with no expiration date.

Patrons can also order tickets ahead of screenings by visiting The Arts Council’s ticketing page at https://ci.ovationtix.com/36768.

Visit www.tuscarts.org to view the list of films, details and accompanying trailers under the Bama Art House link.

JUNE 11, 2024
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Rated G | 1h 42min | Adventure / Family / Fantasy
Written by: Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, Edgar Allan Woolf
Directed by: Victor Fleming, King Vidor(uncredited)
Stars: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin, Clara Blandick, Terry (Toto)

JUNE 18, 2024
Top Gun (1986)
Rated PG | 1h 49min | Action / Drama
Written by: Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr., Ehud Yona
Directed by: Tony Scott
Stars: Tom Cruise, Tim Robbins, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt

JUNE 25, 2024
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Rated PG-13 | 1h 40min | Drama / Music / Romance
Written by: Eleanor Bergstein
Directed by: Emile Ardolino
Stars: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes

JULY 2, 2024
Independence Day (1996)
Rated PG-13 | 2h 25min | Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi
Written by: Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Stars: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch

JULY 9, 2024
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Rated PG | 1h 44min | Animation / Adventure / Comedy
Written by: Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, Gary K. Wolf
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Stars: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Charles Fleischer

JULY 16, 2024
Jurassic Park (1993)
Rated PG-13 | 2h 7min | Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi
Written by: Michael Crichton, David Koepp
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough

The Bama Theatre is located at 600 Greensboro Avenue in Downtown Tuscaloosa. For more information about The Arts Council or Bama Theatre, patrons should follow and like “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” on Facebook and Instagram @tuscaloosaartscouncil. Call 205-758-5195 or visit bamatheatre.org for further information.

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(TUSCALOOSA, Ala.) “Westwood Art Month at the Bama” will take place April 29-May 17, 2024 and will feature the fine arts programs of Westwood Elementary. The annual event will include an exhibit of the students’ visual art in the Bama Theatre’s Junior League Gallery and the 17th annual Musical Extravaganza in the theatre on April 30. The events are hosted by The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa, Westwood’s adopt-a-school partner.

The Musical Extravaganza will take place on April 30th at 7 p.m. on stage at the Bama Theatre with the Westwood Singers presentation of “Night at the Movies.” Over 60 students in grades one through four will participate in this production, with Chris Babb conducting. Admission to the musical is $1 for adults and teens and $1 for children twelve and under who are not performing on stage. Tickets will be available at the box office.

Art work created by students in grades K-4 will be displayed at the Bama’s Junior League Gallery April 29-May 17. All work is original and consists of drawing and painting. Awards for Best of Show, first, second, third and honorable mention will be presented in grades K-2 and 3-4. Admission to the exhibit is free. Gallery hours are weekdays 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Enter the gallery through The Arts Council offices, located on the second floor of the PARA Building, if visiting during office hours.

The Arts Council is Westwood’s partner in the Tuscaloosa County Adopt-A-School program. For more information about the program, visit the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama at https://westalabamachamber.com/adopt-a-school/.

The Bama Theatre is located at 600 Greensboro Avenue in Downtown Tuscaloosa. For more information about The Arts Council or Bama Theatre, patrons should follow and like “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” on Facebook and Instagram @tuscaloosaartscouncil. Call 205-758-5195 or visit bamatheatre.org for further information.

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(TUSCALOOSA, Ala.) The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa will be hosting “Stand Up!: Ten Mighty Women Who
Made a Change” in The Arts Council Gallery at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center. A project of
The Holle Center for Communication Arts at The University of Alabama, the exhibit will be on display
April 5-May 24, 2024.

This exhibit celebrates the debut picture book of the same title by Dr. Brittney Cooper, professor of
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers University, with illustrations by
Cathy Ann Johnson. Inspiring text and dynamic illustrations bring to life both famous and unsung Black
women who took a stand and made the world a better place for future generations. Each heroic figure is
interconnected by a united quest for equity, and offers young readers a stirring, inspirational call to
action, reminding them that they are also mighty and can be forces for change when they “stand up!”

For more information about author Dr. Brittney Cooper, visit her Rutger’s faculty page
at https://tinyurl.com/y3p3cx9m. Visit Cathy Ann Johnson’s page at https://www.painted-
words.com/portfolio/cathy-ann-johnson/.

Dr. Robin Boylorn, founding director of UA’s Holle Center for Communication Arts says “Brittney Cooper
is one of the most important and celebrated public intellectuals of our time. It is an honor to showcase
the exhibit celebrating her first children’s picture book, which highlights iconic women and girls who
made history but are often excluded from it. Cathy Ann Johnson, who illustrated the book, brings
Brittney’s words to life by mapping her artistic process through the exhibit, inviting us into the
methodology of illustration. ‘Stand Up!’ offers an opportunity for intergenerational engagement of art,
history, and storytelling.”

For more in depth information about this exhibit, contact Dr. Robin Boylorn at rboylorn@ua.edu.

“Stand Up! Ten Mighty Women Who Made a Change” is curated by Nicole Simpson, Associate Curator of
Prints and Drawings at the Zimmerli Art Museum located at Rutgers University. This exhibition is also
supported by PNC “Grow Up Great.” The program is a $350 million, multi-year, bilingual initiative that
began in 2004 to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life. To date, the
program has served more than 2 million children.

The Holle Center for Communication Arts is partnering with The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa, UA’s School
of Library and Information Studies, the Department of Communication Studies, the College of Education,
the Department of Art and Art History, the Department of Gender and Race Studies, and Mark and
Tonya Nelson to present this exhibition.

Events:

• April 5, 2024: Exhibit Opening during First Friday from 5-7 p.m. at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts
  Center; author Brittney Cooper and illustrator Cathy Ann Johnson of “Stand Up!” speak about the
  book and exhibit at 6 p.m.
• May 3, 2024: First Friday event 5-7 p.m. at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center; Panel Discussion
  about the book and art exhibit with panelists:
  • Moderator: Dr. Darlene F. Atkins, Principal of Westlawn Middle School
  • Katherine Baxter, Librarian at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary
  • Ramona Caponegro, Professor in Youth Services, UA School of Library and Information Studies
  • Exa Skinner, Executive Director of Kentuck Art Center and Festival

Gallery hours are weekdays 9 a.m.- noon and 1-4 p.m. For more information about all gallery events
taking place on First Friday and the locations, visit www.firstfridaytuscaloosa.com.

The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center is located at 620 Greensboro Avenue in downtown
Tuscaloosa. For more information about The Arts Council, Bama Theatre or CAC, patrons should like the
Facebook page “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” on Facebook and Twitter and
Instagram @tuscaloosaartscouncil. Call 205-758-5195 or visit tuscarts.org for further information.

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(TUSCALOOSA, Ala.) Presented by The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa, the 2024 Visual Art Achievement Awards Exhibit will be on display at the Bama Theatre’s Junior League Gallery March 4-21.  A reception and awards ceremony recognizing the winners will take place on March 7 from 6-7 p.m. in the gallery.

The exhibit will consist of the Best of Show, First, Second, and Third Place winners and Honorable Mentions awarded to students from local public and private schools with works divided into two groups based on grade level. Group I will consist of middle school students in grades 6-8, and Group II will include high school students in grades 9-12.  The program was open to students from Bibb, Chilton, Choctaw, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and Wilcox counties. Entries were classified based on medium:  craft, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and photography/digital images/film/new media.

The local winners will be featured in the state level competition at the RSA Tower Artist’s Gallery in Montgomery. A program of the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the Visual Arts Achievement Program provides local and state recognition for student achievement in the visual arts. The program is designed to offer encouragement to young artists, showcase their work and offer opportunities for advanced training beyond high school. The judge for the District 3 competition was Kaitlyn Redborg.

Best of Show
Alexandra Jones, Tuscaloosa County High School, “Suffocation”

Best of Group 1 (Grades 6-8)
Kinley Presley, The Alberta School of Performing Arts, “Conversation Hearts”

Best of Group 2 (Grades 9-12)
Madison Taylor, Northside High School, “Instincts”

To the list of all winners and those included in the exhibit is available for viewing at https://tuscarts.org/gallery-exhibits-competitions/competition-visual-achievement/.

The Junior League Gallery at the Bama Theatre is open weekdays from 9 a.m. -noon and 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Enter the gallery through the PARA Building, located adjacent to the theatre, during daytime hours.

The Bama Theatre is located at 600 Greensboro Avenue in Downtown Tuscaloosa. For more information about The Arts Council or Bama Theatre, patrons should follow and like “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” on Facebook and Instagram @tuscaloosaartscouncil. Call 205-758-5195 or visit bamatheatre.org for further information.

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(TUSCALOOSA, Ala.) The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa will host the annual Tuscaloosa County School System Fine Arts Showcase March 1-28, 2024 in The Arts Council Gallery and Black Box Theatre at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center. An exhibit of select visual art comprised of art students from the TCSS secondary schools will open on March 1 from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. during the First Friday Art Walk. Each art teacher will select seven to ten pieces for the display in a variety of media. The exhibit will conclude on Thursday, March 28.

Also featured during the First Friday portion of the Showcase will be performances by the Brookwood Elementary Chorus, led by Amber Hartley, at 5:30 p.m. followed by the Tuscaloosa County High School Jazz Band.

Gallery hours are weekdays 9 a.m.- noon and 1-4 p.m.  For more information about all gallery events taking place on First Friday and the locations, visit www.firstfridaytuscaloosa.com.

The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center is located at 620 Greensboro Avenue in downtown Tuscaloosa. For more information about The Arts Council, Bama Theatre or CAC, patrons should like the Facebook page “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram @tuscaloosaartscouncil. Call 205-758-5195 or visit tuscarts.org for further information.

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(TUSCALOOSA, Ala.) The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa is hosting a preview exhibit of works featured in the Alabama Blues Project’s 14^th Annual Evening of Art and Blues through February 23, 2024, in The Arts Council Gallery at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center. The display corresponds with the Blues Project’s annual fundraiser, “Harlem Nights,” on February 23^rd and consists of donated art and crafts from local artists that will be auctioned off with proceeds benefitting the Alabama Blues Project.

Gallery hours are weekdays 9 a.m.- noon and 1-4 p.m. For more information, visit https://www.alabamablues.org.

The 14th Annual “Evening of Art & Blues: Harlem Nights” will take place on Friday, February 23, 2024, from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center. This year the organization will celebrate some of the blues’ “fruits” in a nod back to jazzy “Harlem Nights,” along with more current hits performed by AJ and the Midnight Soulz. Alabama Blues Productions will also perform.

Hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, silent auction, and live auction with art and gifts from local artists and businesses will round out the evening.  Tickets are $35 for adults, $10 for kids ages 8 to 17, and free for kids ages 7 and under. Reserved tables for 8 are $300. For sponsorship opportunities, contact (205) 752-6263.

The Alabama Blues Project is a nonprofit organization that has been preserving the history of the Blues and creating young musicians since 1995. To become a sponsor or for more information, email info@alabamablues.org or call (205) 752-6263.

The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center is located at 620 Greensboro Avenue in downtown Tuscaloosa. For more information about The Arts Council or Bama Theatre, patrons should follow and like “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” on Facebook and Instagram @tuscaloosaartscouncil. Call 205-758-5195 or visit tuscarts.org for further information.

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