Raleigh on Film; Seckel's Cultural Scene and Nashville Tour; Lille on Three at The Joyce; Espoz on Jose Carlos Martinez; Kolpas on Music; Rena Tobey on Theresa Bernstein; Steiner on Tastes and Opinions; Franklin's "Get Social"; New Art Books; Short Fiction & Poetry; Extensive Calendar of Cultural Events…and more! Vol. 32 No. 1 Summer 2015 (June/July/August) Nashville: Country Music & much more By CornELiA SECkEL 1919. this bank was the first bank (Part 1) I’m not a country music person, but I in the US to be staffed and managed am now after spending 5 days in nash- entirely by women. there seemed to ville, where country music is part of be a hundred Church Spires gracing the air one breathes. Visiting the Musi- the skyline. When I asked I was told cians Hall of Fame gave me a deeper that there were all sorts of Christian appreciation for the musicians behind churches and “Had I heard of the Bible the performer: the composer, lyricist, Belt? this is the buckle.” sound engineer. I was with a press Joanne Cash Yates, sister of tour visiting the middle part of ten- Johnny Cash and musician with nessee to explore “The Soundtrack 30 albums, several # 1 songs and the of America”. Each day was packed subject of a documentary (joannecash. with places to see, music to hear, BBQ com) met our group at Hendersonville to eat, museums and historic sites to Memory Gardens where Johnny visit, moonshine to taste. the region Cash and June Carter are buried, as has numerous professional opera, sym- are numerous other musicians. Joanne phony, dance and theater companies, spoke with us about Johnny, his deep The nashville Film Festival, Ten- commitment to Jesus, his music, some nessee Craft Fairs, and then there is of the misbeliefs about him and the the music. movie about him and why he wore black Everywhere we went there was which, she said, he told her that it was music. along Broadway in nashville because in the 50’s when many singers Honky Tonks lined up on both sides were wearing glitz he said he wasn’t of the street. music began around noon fancy and black was basic. She sang and went on into the night. most places several songs encouraging us to sing this mural is in the window of Legends, one of the honky-tonk saloons (bars and some restaurants) schedule along as she sang Amazing Grace. along downtown Broadway, nashville. musicians in advance. Even the airport Joanne was gracious and appreciative where we enjoyed BBQ (one meat + 3 source of all those decorations. In 1969, had live musicians playing from early of the journalists “after all, writers are sides) and the excellent music of Blue founder Dan Evins who was in the gas- morning. Everyone I spoke to was a what made Johnny famous” she said. Creek, a 6-piece traditional country oline business, realized that he could musician. When asked if she had met Elvis she band; many are also studio musicans. sell more gas if he also met the needs there were numerous places, people said, “oh yes he was extremely pretty, there is dancing in this alcohol and of people traveling on the highways. and things I learned about during my he had the prettiest eyes you ever saw.” smoke free restaurant and I was happy He felt there should be a good place time in nashville and going to the as for other musicians living in the area to get up and join the line dancing. for breakfast for travelers and home Grand ole opry, meeting Joanne she said that they are one big family the patrons, primarily seniors, were style cooking, much of it made from Cash Yates, visiting the Musicians getting together informally when they all decked out in country wear, hats, scratch. after enjoying a meal, diners Hall of Fame and the Country Mu- can to play together. Joanne Cash cowboy boots tassels and glitter and I might pick up some snacks or gifts and sic Hall of Fame & Museum and Yates and her husband Harry have must say they were very tolerant of my fill the tank with gas before heading to learning about the Americana Music been married for 43 years and he is the stumblings on the dance floor. their destination. He wanted the res- Triangle were truly highlights. there founder and pastor of the nashville Did you ever wonder about all the taurant to be homey and reminiscent of is no way for me to recount all of my Cowboy Church, “a unique ministry “stuff” decorating the Cracker Barrel america’s country heritage so he asked time so this is Part 1. also online you that combines spirit-filled gospel sing- (crackerbarrel.com) restaurants that his friends who had an antique shop to can see videos from much of my time in ing and straight-forward evangelical seem to be everywhere? We were met decorate the 1st Cracker Barrel old nashville. sites preaching, particularly reaching out at one of the Cracker Barrel stores in Country Store. today, Larry Single- Clarksville is a city about 45 miles to tourists and music business per- Lebanon, by Larry Singleton and ton whose parents decorated that first nE of nashville and we had a chance sonalities”. this ministry reaches out shown the Décor Warehouse, the Continued on Page 8 to visit the Customs House Museum to approximately 250 million people and Cultural Center (customhouse- every week via radio, video-streaming, museum.org), one of the largest general and short wave radio. Joanne, a strong CSS Publications, Inc. history museums in the state. Part of Christian, is very much part of the Support the Arts; PO Box 730 the museum collection is in what had ministry of their Church. I found Harry Enrich your Life been the Customs House and exhibits to be a delight and while having lunch Mt. Marion, NY 12456-0730 were tucked into odd sized rooms in- with them I enjoyed seeing them with www.arttimesjournal.com 845-246-6944 cluding the vault. Creatively displayed one another. they each support each was the history of Clarksville (settled other’s work and clearly are presidents in 1780). Particularly of interest was a of each other’s fan club! display about Brenda runyon who our first full day ended at theLong Subscribe to ART TIMES opened the First Woman’s Bank in Hollow Jamboree & restaurant ART-LITERATURE-DANCE-MUSIC-EXHIBITIONS-THEATRE-FILM-ART-LITERATURE-DANCE-MUSIC Summer 2015 aRt TIMES page 2 Peeks and Piques! tHE oLD FREnCH adage, “Chacun several of my miniature landscapes only stating opinions and not ‘truths’. à son goût” (“to each his own taste”) on sale at an art fair some years back, as I note above, even ‘scientific think- ART TIMES (ISSn 0891-9070) is published quar- terly by CSS Publications, Inc and distributed — is put less elegantly by an un- and a man walked up, looked, and ing’, which ought to be based on fact along the northeast Corridor primarily through- named american: “an opinion is like said, “You call this art?” I shrugged itself, oft goes awry. I’ve been visit- out the metropolitan & Hudson Valley Regions, ing enough doctors and hospitals in Connecticut, massachusetts and new Jersey. an anus; everyone has one and they and replied, “no. I call them paint- Copies are also available by mail to subscribers all stink!” Unfortunately, ‘artspeak’ ings…history will decide what they recent years to learn what it really and arts organizations throughout the US and is entirely made up only of “tastes” are.” and I do not think that any means when they say, “Let’s try this, abroad. Copyright © 2015, CSS Publications, Inc. pompous (bloviated, as they say now) Ray” which causes me to not fully ART TIMES online can be viewed at: arttimesjour- and “opinions” making critiques, nal.com and has a pdf of the current print issue reviews, and explications of art, that word-smithing can make them ‘art’. believe in medical ‘science’. Watch (with images in color), as well as archived critiques, are, in the end, merely ‘arguments’ History shows us that at times in the enough ‘health’ sections on tV and reviews, art essays, theatre, film, music, dance es- says from the past 13+ years. Each month the site without ‘factual’ basis to support the past, cultures (i.e. people) seemed to you’ll see what’s ‘good’ and ‘bad’ for is updated with new essays, videos, advertising artwriter’s “tastes” and/or “opinions. make clear distinctions in what was you change places more often than and resources. Call for visitor statistics as they change daily. Unlike science (which itself is some- or was not considered ‘art’ — a par- not. In the end, if it ‘pleases’ you (or has a bona fide medical impact for the Publisher: Cornelia Seckel times prone to tastes and opinions) ticularly well-made painting could Editor: Raymond J. Steiner ‘art’, other than its existence, is not be called ‘art’ while a well-crafted better), then call it ‘art’ (or medical Contributing Writers: easily nailed down by pointing to church steeple was not. Clearly, we miracle) if you wish. my goût cannot Henry P. Raleigh Ina Cole ‘facts’ that ‘back up’ an artwriter’s do not shy from calling just about tolerate turnips and no matter how Dawn Lille norman Kolpas Leslie Herman Emily mure (or even an artist’s) statements and anything ‘art’ — surely tastes and much you try to prettify or prepare Rena tobey mary alice Franklin pronouncements on a given work (or opinions vary widely in our new- it, it ain’t going down my neck.