Gallery West to celebrate old and new with exhibit featuring photos of blues’ greats
It’s a celebration of old and new at Gallery West today from 5-9 p.m.
Kirk and Kirsten West are celebrating eighth years at their 447 Third St. gallery – right next to the Bibb Theatre building – by featuring a new exhibit of Kirk West’s old and new photos and the makeover their space has undergone during the last few days.
Gallery West has been known locally and internationally as the showcase of West’s photos of rock, blues and country music’s biggest stars with a focus on the Allman Brothers Band. West’s role as ABB’s tour manager gave him a unique vantage point to capture band members on film along with music legends from Johnny Cash to Frank Zappa. The new exhibit doesn’t ignore his old photos but does highlight shots of classic blues greats taken in his younger days in Chicago clubs and elsewhere.
“There’s a lot of good stuff, a lot of stuff people haven’t really seen here before,” he said. “In those early years, I was in the right place at the right time to catch these great players before they died. It was an amazing time in Chicago with 50 or more blues clubs. Now there are only four or five. I was there in the ‘80s and ‘90s right at the transition and was able to hear and photograph guys like Son House, Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters. There were a lot more – it was great.”
Though exhibits of his blues photographs have been held in places like the National Blues Museum in St. Louis and Chess Recording Studio museum in Chicago, West said he hasn’t had many from that era on the walls here.
Kirsten West, who operates the gallery, said new displays and photo bins will be better organized as to genre plus there are additional city and landscape works from their world travels. She called the photos “wonderful” but rarely seen before now.
“Kirk is such a great photographer in all ways, not just the music photos.
And get this: it’s just been announced that Kirk will be inducted into his native state of Iowa’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in September for his photography and work as a rock tour manager.
At this evening’s gala, West will be available to sign copies of his numerous rock, blues and Allman Brothers photography books as will Bob Beatty who just released a book titled “Play All Night: Duane Allman and the Journey to Fillmore East.”
Art by Johnny Mo Mollica and Lynn Tate will also be featured. Longtime Macon R&B, funk and blues legend Robert Lee Coleman will provide entertainment along with Black Pearl. Follow Gallery West at facebook.com/gallerywestmacon and gallerywestmacon.com.
Today is February’s First Friday and other downtown galleries are opening shows, such as an “intramural” exhibit at Mercer University’s McEachern Art Center, 332 Second St. Ben Dunn, gallery director and Mercer art lecturer, said paintings, sculptures, ceramics, book and letterpress art and an immersive art installation will be shown by a collection of art instructors from Mercer, Wesleyan College and Middle Georgia State University.
“There are 12 artists representing the three schools in what we’re calling a friendly crosstown competition,” he said. “Really, what it is is a chance to showcase the fine art faculties of Macon’s colleges and universities and give the community greater access to their work. The bottom line is it’s a really good show with great art from a variety of artists with very distinct voices and expressions.”
The show runs through March 17. Admission is free and open to the public during gallery hours, 4-8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. Tonight’s opening reception is also from 4-8 p.m. Follow at facebook.com/mceachernartcenter and macmacon.com.
At 6 p.m. today, don’t miss part one of “Macon200 Shines: A Light on Our Journey” at Rosa Parks Square. The unique presentation is part of the yearlong celebration of Macon’s bicentennial and from the park, you can watch as part of the city’s historical journey unfolds on the outside walls of the Macon City Auditorium through 3D mapping technology.
There’s much more to do and see around town this weekend and you can track First Friday’s art, entertainment, food and children-focused offerings on Facebook’s event pages by searching February First Friday Downtown Macon.
But one final mention goes to the Macon Civic Club’s annual musical revue to raise money for local charities.
This year’s theme is “It’s Your Thing” and, as in years past, it features music, dance, jokes and skits performed by friends, neighbors and business people from throughout the community.
The annual show is hosted at The Grand Opera House with ticketing and more information available at thegrandmacon.com and maconcivicclub.com.
Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com.
