Tag: Art Village Gallery

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Preview Ephraim Urevbu’s Newest Exhibition Before it Heads to Nashville

Courtesy Urevbu Contemporary

Ephraim Urevbu has held down the corner at Huling and South Main since 1998. Prior to that, Urevbu migrated from Nigeria in 1980, earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in fine arts from the University of Memphis, and opened the Art Village Gallery on Beale in 1991, which was moved to the current location. Recently, the gallery was rebranded as Urevbu Contemporary.

A new exhibit, “The Naked Truth: An American Story in White, Red and Blue,” is headed to Belmont University in Nashville and will be shown in the university’s Leu Art Gallery this fall. The full exhibition consists of more than 50 original paintings inspired by the advent of public demonstrations surrounding issues of social justice, the unjust treatment of African Americans, and the normalized presence of systematic racism.

Ahead of the university exhibition opening in late August, the artist will hold a preview exhibition, an artist-led talk, and private tour with a cross-section of paintings on display — a suite of 20 abstract expressionist paintings from the series. Many will be paired with a short essay or reference material, which function as key components to provide interactive and layered experiences to viewers.

“For 400 years, American culture and nationhood has been haunted, stalked, and tormented by the reality and symbols of racial injustice — the chains, the noose, the statues, the bullets,” says Urevbu. “Now, well into the 21st century, the labels, suspicions and accusations, the protests and riots, the righteous indignation, and ‘good trouble’ rise again and again as a shadow on the land and as a spotlight on the hypocrisy of a nation that saw itself as the standard-bearer for freedom.”

A line of limited-edition candles titled “Good Trouble” and a coffee table book titled after the exhibition are to be released in late fall of 2021. Both items can be pre-ordered at the event.

Exhibition preview for “The Naked Truth: An American Story in White, Red and Blue,” Urevbu Contemporary, 410 S. Main, Saturday, July 24, 4-6 p.m., free with registration.

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We Recommend We Recommend

“Dis/contented Realities” Exhibition Opens at Urevbu Contemporary

CREDIT: Courtesy Urevbu Contemporary

You may have heard that the pioneering and ambitious Art Village Gallery on South Main in Downtown Memphis has been renamed Urevbu Contemporary. After a one-year hiatus, the gallery is debuting its first physical exhibition in time for African-American History Month.

The exhibition, “dis/contented realities,” presents a range of works from five emerging artists to watch from Nigeria, Cameroon, and the United States: Sophia Azoige, Samuel Dallé, Árá Deinde, Amarchi Odimba, and Kaylyn Webster.

To promote safe art appreciation, the gallery offers socially distanced art-viewing appointments in seven different time slots.

Courtesy Urevbu Contemporary

Untitled work by Árá Deinde

“Though the paintings in the exhibition are unified by their figurative imagery, each of the artists approaches their subject from a fresh perspective according to their own individual aesthetics, representing a spectrum of styles ranging from the abstract to the naturalistic,” explains Urevbu Contemporary in a post to social media.

Through layers of oil and acrylic — and, in some cases, unexpected additional media — the paintings of “dis/contented realities” are informed by the rich, personal histories and experiences of the artists they represent.

Confronting issues of race and identity, immigration and diaspora, beauty and friendship, the artists grapple with issues of the current moment. Some of the individuals in the exhibition advocate for a restructuring of reality, others stimulate their audience to confront the political and social landscape. The paintings are placed in conversation with one another, allowing the viewer to appreciate and explore the connections and the conflicts of the artists’ respective viewpoints.

Opening reception for “dis/contented realities,” Urevbu Contemporary (formerly Art Village Gallery), 410 South Main, Saturday, Feb. 6, 5:30-9 p.m., free with registration.

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Music Music Features

Ron Campbell’s Colorful World

If you’re into the Beatles or you’ve enjoyed watching cartoons at any point over the past 50 years, chances are you are already a fan of Ron Campbell’s work. The Australian animator has worked on memorable cartoons like The Jetsons, Rugrats, Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, and The Smurfs, in addition to directing the wildy-popular The Beatles Saturday morning cartoon show that aired in the 1960s. After moving to the United States, Campbell was asked to contribute to the Beatles film Yellow Submarine, a job that would define his work as an animator. I caught up with Campbell to find out about his life in the cartoon business and to learn more about his upcoming art show this weekend at Art Village Gallery.

Ron Campbell

Flyer: What was your first paying gig as a television animator?

Ron Campbell: I got a job at a small animation studio in Sydney, Australia, after college. Television came to Australia in 1956, and I graduated art college in 1958. There was only one animation studio in Sydney, so I knocked on the door and I said, “You have to hire me.” They said they didn’t have enough work, so I waited about four days and came back and said, “I need to work here, and you have to hire me.” I did that about half a dozen times before they finally had enough work and hired me.

I sat at a handmade animation desk, and my job was to work on commercials for bug spray. I had the only real scene in the commercial, and it was of a spray can coming out and spraying a 100-leg centipede. I had to do 100 drawings each, and I remember sitting there as a young man thinking, I would pay them to let me do this, but I better not tell them that.

Did The Beatles television show you directed just lead into your doing the animation for Yellow Submarine?

The Beatles television show became a huge success and enabled me to get job offers in Hollywood, so I moved to America with my wife and first child and started working for Bill Hanna of Hanna-Barbera. I left there after a while and started working on my shows, like Scooby-Doo and George of the Jungle, when I got a call from London asking me to help out on the production and animation of Yellow Submarine. The movie had a huge budget problem, and they were having issues with the animation, so I agreed to help out with about 12 minutes of animation of the submarine and the scenes with the big Blue Meanies. I would draw something up and then send my pencil drawings back to London. The scenes were sent to me, and I would bring them to life with animation. But with The Beatles TV show, I was responsible for directing and hiring people. The work I did for Yellow Submarine accounts for 12 minutes of the film, but it took eight months to complete.

With so many cartoon illustration jobs under your belt, which ones were your favorites? Which jobs stick out as unique?

The show that I produced in the ’70s called Big Blue Marble is probably the one I’m the most proud of. It was an international show, and we sent it to over 100 countries. It featured a lot of live action, but my studio produced all the animation. We won a Peabody and an Emmy for that show, and you might be able to find some of it on the Internet. I don’t see any show as a favorite, though. I love them all. How can you choose between Smurfette and Angelica from Rugrats? I love Scooby-Doo, Fred Flintstone, George Jetson. I love them all.

Ron Campbell

Campbell’s work on Yellow Submarine totals 12 minutes of animation.

Now that you are retired, how often are you able to travel for art shows?

I guess I do an art show or two every month, sometimes less and sometimes they jam up together. I obviously need to spend a lot of time at home painting, but one of the pleasures that I get out of doing a show is meeting the audience. When I was working in animation, all the audience to us was a ratings number on the page. Now, people will come up to me and say, “You represented a lot of my childhood.” The memories that stay with the audience for the rest of their lives really surprise me. Popular culture is enormously powerful, and that’s something I’ve learned since I retired and started meeting my audience.

Being in the industry for 50 years, what kind of changes did you see?

I didn’t really experience any major changes, but I saw them coming. The first computer-generated animation I ever saw was in 1968. Computer technology was used in feature films while I was primarily working on television, but now it’s become the only way to make animation. I did my part, I worked in a different era, and the world rotated on its axis, and time went by. Young people are doing everything on a computer now, and I’m the dinosaur holding a pencil. I saw the technology come, but no doubt in 50 years young people will see another major change because that’s just how the world works.

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News The Fly-By

Memphis Girls Launch Bath and Body Product Line

CREDIT: Cherita Frison

From tomboys who climb trees to little angels who play dress-up, 10-year-old Madison Star and 8-year-old Mallory Iyana have all sorts of girls covered with their new line of clothing and bath and body products.

The sisters have created the brand Angels and Tomboys, which caters to girls with diverse interests between the ages of six and 14 years old.

Cherita Frison

Madison (left) and Mallory (right)

Angels and Tomboys will launch Friday, May 30th at 6:30 p.m. at Art Village Gallery (410 S. Main) during the monthly South Main Art Trolley Tour.

“I hope girls get out of this being able to have their own perfume, smell-good lotions, soaps and stuff. And just to love being yourself,” Madison said.

“We want girls to be who they are. Girls struggle with that,” Mallory added.

During the launch event, attendees will have the opportunity to sample and purchase products, enjoy a candy buffet, meet Madison and Mallory, and watch them perform their song “Angels and Tomboys.”

The kidtrepreneurs have created six signature scents for their line of lotions, body sprays, and soaps — Candied Star Glamour, Frozen Hot Chocolate, Peanut Butter Jelly Time, Deep Fried Ice Cream, Crispie Crème Lemon Cake, and Cotton Candied Apple. The line will also feature T-shirts and bowties themed around the six scents. The average cost of an item is $10.

The sisters hope their brand sparks a “girl power” movement throughout the Bluff City that eventually spills over into other areas. They say they hope to inspire girls to embrace themselves for who they are.

Madison and Mallory decided to market the line to girls with a variety of interests considering that they each have differing personalities and hobbies. Madison loves dancing, sewing, and ballet. She says she wants to be a fashion designer and work in cosmetics when she grows up.

“I’m the girly girl. I like the mall and everything,” Madison said. “I like wedges for little girls and skirts and dresses and bows and earrings. I don’t like getting dirty.”

Her younger sister Mallory is the opposite. She likes playing basketball, skating, and listening to hip-hop. But although she considers herself a tomboy, Mallory aspires to be a hair stylist.

“I’m the rough one,” Mallory said. “I like sports a lot. I don’t like dresses. I like to wear pants. I like to get dirty.”

One thing the girls do have in common is the desire to inspire confidence for girls through their Angels and Tomboys brand. They’ve been brainstorming the creation of Angels and Tomboys since last year, but were intrigued with the world of entrepreneurship since early childhood. The girls cite their mom, Viara Boyd, as their biggest inspiration.

Boyd formerly owned Silver Feet Dance Academy and is now the director of V-Rock Productions, which organizes fund-raising events for local charities. She assists her daughters with creating items for Angels and Tomboys and provides funding for the brand.

“We want girls to just be unique and embrace every part of being a girl,” Boyd said. “Girls want their own stuff. They don’t want their mom’s or their sister’s things. [Angels and Tomboys enables] them to have something that belongs to them.”