Artist Reception: Saturday, July 29th 
7pm-11pm

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Plowhaus Artists' Cooperative Gallery is proud to present: "Cardinals, Clowns and Naked Ladies", a One-Wall/One Artist Show in which each artist has a 25' wall to treat as their own "mini show", featuring Michelle Cribbs, Mel Davenport, Aaron Grayum, Michelle Grayum and J. Belinda Yandell.

As the title of the show reflects, the works vary widely, featuring paintings, sculpture and photography. As a whole, the show is easily accessible art designed to delight and re-energize. Whether in the serenity of nature or the whimsy of childhood, the works are far more likely to provoke warm smiles than deep philosophical debates on the nature of existence — and the artists are just fine with that, thank you very much!

The opening reception will be Saturday, July 29, 2006, from 7 -11 p.m., with food, wine and musical entertainment.

Michelle Cribbs' work evinces a profound love for wildlife photography. Many of her most memorable shots were captured in her own backyard, but her images are far from commonplace. From flying pigs to hummingbirds frozen in flight, Michelle's work goes beyond technical proficiency to capture intimate moments of wonder in the world around us.  michellecribbs.com
Mel Davenport, a self-taught artist, has developed a boldly distinctive style that is immediately recognizable around Nashville. "Working in black and white," Mel explains, "or with a few stock colors, I seldom use backgrounds, allowing my subjects to stand alone on the canvas. For me, simple and bold is the way to go!" Whether his subject is a boxer in the ring or Bettie Page, Mel's work packs a punch.
Writer J. Belinda Yandell (Small Change: the Secret Life of Penny Burford, Cumberland House Publishing) has returned to her first love of the visual arts with a strong emphasis on line and color. Her acrylic paintings and digital prints range in tone from Zen surrealism to jewel-colored images of the feminine, to a naughty whimsy. Her handcrafted jewelry is also available in the PH gallery store.  jbelindayandell.com
Aaron Grayum didn't reach his full inspiration to paint until he stood nose-to-nose with a room full of Mark Rothko paintings in Washington, D.C. That experience made it crystal clear how paint could not only express emotion, but move the soul. His current work utilizes acrylic paint on canvases filled with whimsical clowns, birds, umbrellas and other childhood memories he has chosen to revisit. tinymusicbox.com
Michelle Grayum is an award-winning graphic designer and recently started her own company, Zoë Tops, sculpting cake toppers from polymer clay. She is drawn more to 3-D media these days, especially polymer clay. Her images are surreal, free-flowing, and humorous. Michelle’s ultimate goal is creating art to inspire hope, imagination, and outright silliness in a world bent on taking itself too seriously. zoetops.com

PRESS:
Tennessean: Clowning around at Plowhaus

Cardinals, Clowns and Naked Ladies will run through August 13, 2006. 
The gallery and gift shop are open
Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
and by special appointment.

Plowhaus Artists' Cooperative
211 S. 17th St.
Historic East Nashville. Tn 37206
615-262-2224
www.plowhaus.org
info@plowhaus.org

J. Belinda Yandell: jbelindayandell@yahoo.com
Michelle Cribbs: jmichellecribbs@aol.com
Aaron Grayum: agrayum@hopepark.com
Mel Davenport: cdavenpo@bellsouth.net
Michelle Grayum: michelle@zoetops.com