This has to be the Reese’s peanut butter cups of springtime events–two great tastes that taste great together. Except the “tastes” are Bare Hands Gallery and Jones Valley Urban Farm. They’re teaming up for the Garden Party with a City View, a fundraising event for Bare Hands. The downtown location of Jones Valley Urban Farm is hosting it this Saturday night from 7:00 to 10:00, and there’s going to be music and drinks and food–really good food, from lots of favorite spots, ranging from Rojo, Urban Standard, and Bottletree to Veranda, Continental Bakery, and lots more.

If you haven’t yet been to the urban farm, this is the event when you should see it. It’s a surprising little spot and a wonderful place to be on a spring evening, where you can walk through mini fields as the sun sets behind a great shot of the skyline. Remember when I was talking about reinvention and Birmingham in the previous post? This event is where you can revel in it.

Tickets are $25 before May 10 and available at Bare Hands (in person or by calling 324-2124); they’re $30 at the door. I’ll see you down on the farm!

Yes, those words were actually spoken–OK, written–about Birmingham. In a national magazine, no less! Check out the article in this month’s issue of Delta Sky magazine. It’s a loving review of the city, and it highlights some favorite spots that haven’t yet gotten a lot of press, including Open Door Cafe and Gilchrist Drug (mmm, limeade).

For me this article is a shot of good news amid the endless drama at City Hall and the Jefferson County Courthouse. It reminds me that people and publications across the country are beginning to discover Birmingham–not because of what our governments are doing, but because of what individual citizens (and groups of those citizens) are doing. I think the Delta article hits the nail on the head when it equates Birmingham with reinvention. That’s definitely us. I see that spirit and creativity in places like Bottletree, Sloss, and the Garage; in events like Artwalk, Sidewalk, Muse of Fire, and Do Dah Day; and even our food and folk art. All of those are unique assets, and they didn’t come about because of any government action–they happened because people here had ideas and reinvented our raw materials into something cooler. We are the ones who will recreate–and are recreating–this magic city.

It’s been a busy weekend for me. I’ve been painting (a bathroom) and drawing (ideas for the bowls I’m going to decorate for the Greater Birmingham Humane Society’s Gimme Shelter auction) and oh yeah, I’ve been carving too. The new block I’m working on is very complicated and detailed, but it’s moving along pretty well. I’ve wanted to do this particular intimidating image for a while, so it will be very satisfying to print.

While we wait for that block, take a look at some recent pieces I’ve posted on my Flickr page. Two of those prints–as well as a new one featuring the Redmont Hotel–are now available at Naked Art.

And speaking of Naked Art, don’t miss the opening this Friday night for “Trashionista,” a show of wearable art made from recycled materials. There’s some truly unique stuff in this one that you have to see to believe! Plus all the Forest Park merchants are having an open house on Friday night and Saturday, with music, food and drink specials, sidewalk sales, and more. (Click the above link for details.) It’s going to be a great night, and hopefully I’ll see you there.

When I was at Magic City Art Connection, I collected a bunch of business cards from artists whose work really struck me. I thought I’d share their names and/or links with you in case you wanted to check them out, too. (In some cases you may have to dig around a bit on the sites to find the specific art I’m talking about.)

Walt Creel–How do I explain this? Imagine a dot-matrix printed image of an opossum–except the “paper” is painted aluminum, and the “dots” are holes made by a gun. Yes, I’m serious, and the result was very impressive! The ‘possum was my favorite, but he had several others, including a deer and an owl.

Kristen Farmer Hall–I love the sleek, colorful, retro-modern glass dishes she had at the festival. You can use them to display something or even eat off of–she says they’re dishwasher-safe!

Bethanne Hill–Mix a Southern folk artist with Van Gogh’s swirliness, and you get Bethanne’s paintings. She’s starting to use more silhouettes in her work, but they still vibrate with energy.

Lucy Graves Hollis–Mosaics using paper instead of tile. I really haven’t seen anything quite like her detailed images, and I wish she had a Web site so you could see them too. She had a large angel piece that looked like stained glass.

Alex Leopold–Mixed media pieces. Naturally, I love all the layering in his work, but I was also drawn to use his use of color, text (especially the scribbled text), and sketchy line drawings.

Allen Peterson–Metal sculpture and rust prints.

Brandon Watkins–Screenprints and drawings. I really liked his large, yellow-and-black take on the Alabama Theater sign and architecture.

Marie Weaver–Block prints. The detail and color are amazing.

There were also two other guys whose cards I didn’t get. One of them impresses me every time I see his work. He puts portions of sepia-toned photographs on transparency paper, then layers and overlaps them to create the full image, pinning everything together in big shadowboxes. The other guy made huge pieces with thick, vibrant red and blue paint–and in the paint, he had stamped patterns using screens and…something circular and industrial-looking. You know I loved that!

What did you think of this year’s Magic City Art Connection? I thought it was a really good edition of the festival–there seemed to be a richer selection of art offerings (in style, subject, and medium) as well as a good number of artists new to B’ham. I spent several hours there on Saturday and bought a painting by Bethanne Hill, whose work I have admired for a long time. I also picked up a few ideas and inspirations for future prints and pieces of my own.

Nearly everyone I ran into asked me if I was exhibiting there. We’ll see about next year. I’d definitely like to show in that festival sometime, since I like it so much, but it’s a giant step–in more ways than one–from Artwalk. If I can figure out a good mix of work to sell (more one-of-a-kind pieces, fewer individual prints) and a way to keep everything dry if it rains (I use water-based ink!), then I’ll certainly consider it when the applications come out this fall.

I was searching for old photos of Birmingham online the other day and stumbled across an amazing resource: Alabama Mosaic. It’s a repository of images, articles, etc. from libraries, archives, and museums all over the state. Type in “motels” like I did, and you can find a postcard featuring the *original* sign for Tuscaloosa’s Moon Winx Lodge, a newspaper article about the revitalization plan for Birmingham’s Fair Park (from when Richard Arrington was mayor), and pages of other goodies. Definitely a site to bookmark–and take a moment to enjoy the slideshow of images on the home page. You’ll want to see the people dressed up like bunches of asparagus. :)

I’ve got new art pieces going to Naked Art sometime this week, including a print that been requested a few times–the Redmont Hotel. Stop by and see my new lion print, too. (I’ll let you know if I post them both on Flickr.) There are at least two places in downtown Birmingham where you can find lions in the architecture. Do you know where they are?

I heard the most interesting story last night. I was at an event where I met a woman who had recently moved back to Birmingham. She said that since her move, every time she needed something, someone would appear to provide it. She marveled over this to her hairstylist (I believe), who said (and I’m paraphrasing here), “You know why Birmingham is called the ‘Magic City’? It’s not because it grew like magic. It’s because she is a female entity–and when she favors someone who comes here, she makes sure they get everything they need to thrive. But when she doesn’t like you, that doesn’t happen.”

The hairstylist said it’s an old wives’ tale. I’ve never heard of it, but wherever it came from, it’s mesmerizing. (Todd and Susannah, if you’re reading this, it sounds like the spark of a compelling piece of Southern lit!)

I think if you actively look for magic in this city, you’ll find it, whether or not some mysterious entity hands it to you on a plate. I find it in our art and architecture, blue skies and green forests, our railroad river, molten metal, the 3-D history book that is our neighborhoods, Southern kitsch and eccentric people–and that’s just to start. All of it inspires me; all of it, in some way, makes me glad I live here. What do you think of the “magic” story above–and where do you find magic here?

It’s safe to say that I will be very excited to get my hands on this book, Vintage Birmingham Signs, by Tim Hollis. It goes on sale this week, and he’ll be signing copies at several places around town in the coming weeks, starting with the Alabama Booksmith this Friday evening. Tim is one of the experts on the pop culture history of Birmingham and the South–he’s one of the time-turners behind Birmingham Rewound–and he has written several books already. This new one apparently covers both neon and painted signs, with many photos direct from the archives of some of the original sign companies.

Sorry for the space between posts. I’ve been working on some one-of-a-kind Mother’s Day cards that I’ll take to Naked Art this week–as well as one or two all-new prints that will debut in early May. I’m also toying with an idea or two for this blog that may come to pass if I get some free moments among all the art.

But here’s the point of this post: Time Out New York is spotlighting Birmingham as a travel destination in this week’s issue! The article features many familiar favorites, but it’s exciting to see places like Bottletree, Urban Standard, Naked Art, and even the humble Peanut Depot get some big-time press alongside Frank Stitt’s restaurants and the Civil Rights Institute. Former Birminghamian and current New Yorker Danielle McClure wrote the article. The word is spreading!

A few things have caught my eye recently–well, along with the usual cacophony of signage and architecture demanding to be printified:

1. The dogwoods and azaleas seem to be more vibrant than they’ve been in years. Springtime is a prime reason to live in Birmingham–the city is so beautiful–and this one has been especially vivid.

2. Second Avenue North downtown is developing into an intriguing and active little streetscape. I hear that a skate shop is moving in, patio furniture is popping up on the Athens Flats balconies, lights (and I even saw the glow of a TV) are on in the City Federal building, and around the corner, the New Vulcan Ale House is progressing. There are lot of reasons that area is hopping, but I’d give a lot of credit to the success of Urban Standard, which has hit all the right notes–not only is it an inviting, non-bar neighborhood hangout, but it’s also become a reason for suburbanites to come downtown.

3. The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham has launched an interesting new initiative: the Community Catalyst Fund. You can read more about it in this editorial over on the Terminal and on the Community Foundation’s site, but it’s a fantastic idea. Essentially, it’s a fund that will make big things happen–transformative things that can get projects moving and spruce up the city. These types of capital projects are what I like to support. They allow people to physically see progress, which I think encourages them to believe in it and contribute to it–all of which will get things done faster. (It’s the rolling snowball theory, or perhaps I should call it the Second Avenue theory, to give a more concrete example.) I also like that the fund actively seeks donations of all sizes, meaning even $10 or $20 will help make a difference. So–what big projects would you like to see happen in Birmingham? Add your answers to the list over on the Magic City Question.