HYPERLOCAL NEWS HUB BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS DEPARTMENT OF JOURNALISM
Arts of March event raises funds for public projects in Cooper-Young
Micro Memphis/Latresia Sutton-Reporter
The Arts of March event kicked off with live music from The Delta Project, as potential buyers surfaced through the rooms where diverse art work was displayed.
Inbalance Fitness hosted this event in hopes of raising money to help support two murals and the maintenance of the gazebo at Cooper and Young. Curator Mary Long-Postal helped select artists who live, own businesses, or have some special talent in the Cooper-Young area. “We have 16 artists participating in all mediums, to get a good range of prices and for people to gain an (insight) of what the neighborhood artists are about.”
Chere Labbe Doiron, one of the participating artists, is a resident of Cooper-Young. It’s her first year entering the event as an artist. Doiron, a professor at the University of Memphis of Art Application & Foundations, actively started painting two years ago and was thrilled to contribute to the art gallery.
Doiron submitted two paintings, one of which is called Louisiana Coastline 1. “The Louisiana Coastline 1 represents the coastline of Louisiana and brings about the awareness of it. The second painting is called Pointe a la Haches, and it’s a marsh straight cut.” Both canvases are a mixture of acrylic, plaster and oils.
Across the street from Inbalance Fitness and also as part of the Arts of March event was Valeria’s Wings, a Circus-Style Aerial Performance Troupe. Valeria Russell, the owner of Valeria’s Wings (Push Pilates), had aerial acrobatics to perform with silks and a hoop as part of live entertainment.
“We perform and teach circus-style aerial acrobat, along with Push Pilates,” Russell said.
Valeria’s Wings has been together as a group for over a year now and it was their first time performing at the event. The Aerial Performance Troupe can also perform circus acts such as fire dancing, stilt walking, balloon sculpting and juggling for various events.
About 150 people that attended the event and Chris Bevel, a Cooper-Young resident was among them.
Bevel, attending the Arts of March for the first time, said he had a great time and enjoyed the food. “I like abstract art. And the photo booth is awesome, great idea. Wish I would have had it at our wedding.”
The Arts of March event sold three art pieces and a total of $1,875.00 were in ticket sales. This event had a support staff of L’ecole students and several sponsors such as 20/20 Diner, Alchemy, Sweet Grass and Tsunami, to help assist with public projects in the Cooper-Young community.
Inbalance Fitness hosted this event in hopes of raising money to help support two murals and the maintenance of the gazebo at Cooper and Young. Curator Mary Long-Postal helped select artists who live, own businesses, or have some special talent in the Cooper-Young area. “We have 16 artists participating in all mediums, to get a good range of prices and for people to gain an (insight) of what the neighborhood artists are about.”
Chere Labbe Doiron, one of the participating artists, is a resident of Cooper-Young. It’s her first year entering the event as an artist. Doiron, a professor at the University of Memphis of Art Application & Foundations, actively started painting two years ago and was thrilled to contribute to the art gallery.
Doiron submitted two paintings, one of which is called Louisiana Coastline 1. “The Louisiana Coastline 1 represents the coastline of Louisiana and brings about the awareness of it. The second painting is called Pointe a la Haches, and it’s a marsh straight cut.” Both canvases are a mixture of acrylic, plaster and oils.
Across the street from Inbalance Fitness and also as part of the Arts of March event was Valeria’s Wings, a Circus-Style Aerial Performance Troupe. Valeria Russell, the owner of Valeria’s Wings (Push Pilates), had aerial acrobatics to perform with silks and a hoop as part of live entertainment.
“We perform and teach circus-style aerial acrobat, along with Push Pilates,” Russell said.
Valeria’s Wings has been together as a group for over a year now and it was their first time performing at the event. The Aerial Performance Troupe can also perform circus acts such as fire dancing, stilt walking, balloon sculpting and juggling for various events.
About 150 people that attended the event and Chris Bevel, a Cooper-Young resident was among them.
Bevel, attending the Arts of March for the first time, said he had a great time and enjoyed the food. “I like abstract art. And the photo booth is awesome, great idea. Wish I would have had it at our wedding.”
The Arts of March event sold three art pieces and a total of $1,875.00 were in ticket sales. This event had a support staff of L’ecole students and several sponsors such as 20/20 Diner, Alchemy, Sweet Grass and Tsunami, to help assist with public projects in the Cooper-Young community.
Photographs by Chris Freitas
Video by Manon Priebe
Chris Freitas/MicroMemphis reporter
_ Chris Freitas covers Arts and Entertainment for MicroMemphis.
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