In the Great Depression, Birmingham and Jefferson County were dirt poor. Which made them prime targets for the Works Progress Administration (WPA), part of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal initiatives to put people back to work and energize the economy. Many of the projects the WPA built here still exist in some form today, including major sections of Trussville, UAB Hospital, and our state parks to our iconic landmark, Vulcan Park.

The Birmingham Public Library deserves major kudos for creating a fascinating new Web site cataloging WPA projects in Birmingham and Jefferson County. Their list isn’t complete, but it mirrors a new Birmingham Historical Society photo exhibit–”Digging out of the Depression: Federal Programs at Work”–on display in the central library’s gallery through Dec. 31. In many cases, the site includes modern photos with historical images to show how the buildings and landscapes have evolved over the years.

I am fascinated by the WPA–especially by how a government stimulus program was able to encourage an explosion of surprisingly good art and architecture, which continue to influence the fields of design, communication, and urban planning, not to mention communities across the country. When you go to that site, be sure to click “Murals” in the sidebar to see some of the beautiful artworks, created by local artists, that still decorate some schools and post offices. (On a related note, check out this al.com story on the status of the restoration of the big WPA mural at Woodlawn High School. There’s also a blog and Facebook group working to raise support to finish the restoration project.)

And if that’s not enough WPA for you, here’s a reminder about “Signs for Our Time,” a Naked Art show next June that is encouraging artists and designers to put a modern spin on WPA posters. For details on that, visit this page on Naked Art’s Web site and scroll down a bit.

Dia de los Muertos rolls around once again at Bare Hands Gallery this Monday evening, and I can’t wait. This festive, fun, colorful celebration of the dead is one of my very favorite annual events in town. If you haven’t been, you really should check it out, and if you have been, invite someone who has never been or–even better–someone who is new to Birmingham. It’s quite an unexpected spectacle–a homegrown mix of Mexico and Alabama decorating a corner of downtown.

This year there will be live bands, fire performers, dancing, children’s crafts, food, and plenty of Dia de los Muertos art for sale in the gallery. Be sure not to miss the roll call and procession, which last year featured at least one Frida Kahlo, a coffin, musicians, and two giant puppets circling the block. And take some time to look at all the altars set up in remembrance of the dead. All of them are creative, real, and very touching. The altars will be on display until November 14, but try to get to Monday night’s celebration if you can–there’s nothing like seeing them at night in a festive atmosphere.

For details on the festival, including the entrance location, schedule, and the admission fees, see the Bare Hands site.

This has been a busy month in my art studio–a.k.a. my living room and kitchen. Mainly, I’ve been working on ornaments and other little goodies for Naked Art’s annual “Kitschmas” show in November.

But more about that later. First I want to show you this. It’s the print resulting from the really tough block I mentioned in my last post. And it’s debuting at a new–and somewhat unique–art event next month. Artscape is an auction benefiting the Freshwater Land Trust, an organization charged with protecting some of central Alabama’s most beautiful natural spots–treasures like Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, which needs a post of its own so that I can wax poetic about it. For Artscape, the Land Trust challenged artists to visit many of its protected properties and then create art inspired by those lands. You can see some of the resulting artworks here, and I think they’re fantastic. Among those, you’ll spot my other piece created for this event, a multiple-block-print piece on wood inspired by Red Mountain Park.

Speaking of Red Mountain Park, check out its totally revamped Web site. It’s got a lot of great features on it, but I particularly like the two movable maps: one showing what the park hopes to feature on opening day and another that presents some tantalizing additions for the future. (Find boht under “View Master Plan.”) The concept illustrations are great, too–they’re an exciting preview of what could become Birmingham’s crown jewel.

All right! Tonight I finished carving a very intimidating block, and the resulting print turned out fantastic, which means I’m on a little artistic high–which means it’s time to talk about intriguing new art exhibits in town.

First up in Christy Daniel’s new solo show opening at Naked Art this Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. I can’t wait to see what Christy has created for this one, titled “Woodland Wonder Misfits.” Her work often seems to be a cross between cute and bizarre–like a twisted version of a Rankin-Bass stop-motion holiday special–but it always makes me laugh. It’ll be a fun show.

There’s another show you need to see over at Bare Hands Gallery. Pat Snow’s “Would you like me better if I made you a pretty picture?” is a collection of random images–from stars to supermarkets–on mostly unframed paper. It sounds simple, but each image is painted in watercolor–expertly, I might add. I love watercolor, but I have no patience with painting with it; it’s so uncontrollable. Pat doesn’t have that problem, apparently. His pieces are detailed–some approach photorealism–and he knows how to use color or even shades of black to create a great image. Most of his images also feature text, from a simple phrase to stories several hundred words long. You can’t help but read them, and some will make you laugh or think, “Ah, I’ve been there, too.” For me, the text is an essential part of these pieces. It certainly adds an extra dimension to the art, just like the use of watercolor. Pat’s show is up at Bare Hands until Oct. 24.

I’m back from a week of vacation in Oregon–which was fantastic, and which I’ll revisit in a future post comparing Portland and Birmingham. So I’ve got some catching up to do.

But one thing I wanted to alert you to is a new group for Birmingham printmakers–of any kind. The printmaking community isn’t huge here, but there seem to be a lot of people creating some really interesting things–and I hope this group will provide an arena where we can see each other’s cool work, learn some new things, get to know each other, etc. Students, people who want to know more about printmaking, and those who appreciate it are welcome, too!

Right now Birmingham Printmakers is simply a group page on Facebook (search for it there, and you’ll find it easily), but I hope it will evolve into get-togethers and perhaps some shows, either formal or informal. If you have ideas for the group or want to know more, please e-mail me here or on Facebook, and if you know any printmakers, please pass along the info about the group.

Also, some of my one-of-a-kind, multiple-print pieces from Artwalk will be available in October at Naked Art. I’ve also resupplied the gallery with a bunch of matted single prints. Do your holiday shopping early!

Thanks to everyone who came out to see me–and who bought my prints–at Artwalk! The weather turned out wonderfully, and it was very gratifying to see how much people can enjoy an art festival even in a down economy. I really enjoyed meeting everyone, and I was especially excited to talk with a few newcomers to Birmingham who were discovering our city/art scene.

If you liked my prints, be sure to visit Naked Art Gallery year-round to see my newest pieces, including single prints, one-of-a-kind wall pieces, and functional art. There’s more of my work in the gallery than you’ll see on the Web site, so stop by–and don’t miss one of the show openings. They’re always fun, and I’m usually there taking pictures. Many of my remaining Artwalk pieces will probably end up at Naked Art before the holidays. If you recall a piece you liked, e-mail me, and I’ll let you know its status and location.

Also, I got a lot of great suggestions for new prints this year, and you might see some of them in block-print form by this time next year. I love suggestions anytime, of course, so if you’ve got something in mind–a sign or landmark or piece of architecture–please e-mail me and let me know its location!

Amazingly, it’s that time of year again. Tomorrow night, the biggest Artwalk ever will be under way, and you don’t want to miss it.

This year, there will be more than 130 artists and art organizations scattered across Morris, 1st, and 2nd avenues in the downtown loft district. You’ll see plenty of artists who are new to Artwalk–and plenty of artists who are just plain new, showing their work for the first time. Along with artists inside businesses and lofts, you’ll discover more artists exhibiting outdoors in tents. Plus you’ll see a bigger Kidzone and street performers popping up unexpectedly around the site. And don’t forget that this is your opportunity to check out some of the new restaurants and shops that have popped up in the area in the past year or two.

Things will be a little different in my space over on 1st Ave. N. as well. I’ll be showing more one-of-a-kind, multiprint pieces than ever before, so you’ll have the chance to take home something truly unique. I’ve also got some all-new single prints making their debut at Artwalk, and I’m planning to bring the large wall piece you saw me make on HGTV to the show. Of course, I’ll have the classic prints available as well. With the exception of the HGTV piece, no price will be above $50, and you can buy many of my prints for as low as $18.

Hopefully I’ll see you there! Artwalk is free, and it lasts from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. tomorrow and noon to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. For further details, visit Artwalk’s Web site.

The call for entries has been posted for a Naked Art show that I hope will be a fantastic one: “Signs for Our Time: A Modern Take on the WPA.”

The Works Progress Administration posters of the 1930s, the result of a New Deal program to employ artists, carried messages about health and safety, education, tourism, and life improvement. The messages were simple–they seem rather naive today–but they were effective. The artists were able to experiment with their designs, and their techniques and visuals have influenced modern art and graphic design for decades.

For the Naked Art show, artists and designers are being challenged to reimagine the WPA poster with messages for modern Birmingham. Recycling, transit, saving energy, community, etc.–you name it, and it could be on one of those posters.

I’m very excited about this show because I can’t wait to see what people come up with–and I going to be co-curating it with Vero at Naked Art! Also, I’ll be creating a poster (which may not be the kind of poster you’re used to seeing) and all of the functional art for the show. It opens next June 11.

Pass along this info to any artist or designer you know who might be interested in submitting a piece. Full details are on the Naked Art site. (Scroll down once you hit that page.)

My Artwalk preparations continue, but I’ve got some new pieces debuting at Naked Art this Friday night for the “Electric Oddities” opening. That’s right–Naked Art’s famous lamp show is back, and I can’t wait to see all the weird and wonderful illuminations the artists have created. (I’ve heard something about baby doll heads already.)

I made three lamps for this show, and one of them is so simple, but I think it’s the best lamp I’ve ever manufactured! Let me know what you think of them. I’ve also got some new prints up on the walls at the gallery–the new version of the Magic City sign from the barely seen poster I worked on for City Stages, a Cahaba lily, and a robot. The robot isn’t based on anything in real life–he’s just a bit of fun.

The opening lasts from 5:00 to 9:00 this Friday evening, and all of Forest Park will be in on the action with its Third Friday open house. See you there!

Can you believe Artwalk is just a month away? And all the excitement begins tomorrow evening with the first Preamble, Artwalk’s always-fun preview party and silent auction. Like last year, Artwalk is holding four Preambles–one for each Thursday in August–leading up to the main event on Sept. 11-12 in the downtown loft district.

Here’s the schedule:
August 6–Twist & Shout Dueling Piano Bar, Five Points South
(auction features glass, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture)

August 13–Bottletree Cafe
(auction features paintings and mixed media)

August 20–Steppers & Walkers, 2223 4th Ave. N. downtown
(auction features photography)

August 27–Rogue Tavern (2nd Ave. N. downtown)
(auction features all media)

I’ve seen a lot of the auction items this year, and they are impressive! (Visit the Artwalk page on Facebook for a photo preview.) Plus you’ll be able to bid on tickets and other goodies from local attractions, restaurants, events, and cultural organizations. I’ll have a large new wall piece titled “The Road Home” in the progressive auction, which means it will take bids at all four Preambles, with the winner being announced at the final one.

All Preambles will last from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Check the Artwalk site for full details, particularly the part about how you can win $250 to spend during Artwalk. And be sure to click the “2009 Artist Gallery” link at the top of that page to see who’s coming to the festival this year. I’m really liking the quality and variety of the art, and there are several new names, which I always enjoy seeing.