There’s nothing like a Saturday street festival as the weather waxes autumnal. Time to liberate those light jackets from the recesses of the closet and head to Racine’s annual “Party on the Pavement.”
The festival boasts bizarre and bazaar-like range. Gourmands will have their pick of everything from deep-fried festival fare to international foods. Parents will delight in their children’s pleasure over the pony rides, petting zoo, Ferris wheel and other kid-friendly activities.
But visual art enthusiasts will be especially titillated. To name but a few of the highlights: The fine meets the functional at the antique car display. Kai McNulty will wield a chainsaw with an artist’s touch to demonstrate the tool’s underappreciated sculpting capabilities. High noon marks the Public Art Auction. The Racine Art Museum will open its doors and comp its admission fee. In brief: the streets will be glutted with artists, craftspeople and vendors of every stripe.
The festival enjoys a brief existence on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 12-7 p.m. on Main Street in Racine.
Digital Billboard Art Month
Reception at UW-Milwaukee’s Institute of Visual Arts
2155 N. Prospect Ave.
The billboard as an artistic medium has yet to be explored. Generally they have been only the targets of subversive artistic activity for graffiti artists such as Banksy and Shepard Fairey (no relation to Shepherd Express). Milwaukee is ahead of the curve in proclaiming Oct. 1-10 “Digital Billboard Art Month,” for which eighteen digital billboards will display the work of local artists selected by local nonprofit institutions. UWM’s INOVA hosts a reception on Oct. 2, 6-8 p.m.
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‘A Modern Hair Study: Tara Bogart’
Portrait Society Gallery
207 E. Buffalo St., Fifth Floor
While perusing the photo archives of the National Library of France, artist Tara Bogart was struck by 19th-century French photographer Felix Nadar’s “Hair Study,” a sepia-shot of a woman’s hair and cloth-swathed back. Bogart updates the concept and produces “A Modern Hair Study” (Sept. 27-Nov. 17), a touching document of contemporary femininity that captures identity while preserving anonymity. Co-exhibited are Demitra Copoulos’ clay sculptures of extravagant hairdos as well as Nicholas Grider’s “Adornment,” a series of photographs documenting the artist’s head bound by a variety of materials.
‘Hang it First’ Preview Party & Hang it Again Art Sale
Cedarburg Cultural Center
W62 N546 Washington Ave.
Got an unloved canvass gathering dust in the attic? “Do your part—recycle art,” urges the Cedarburg Cultural Center. Whether you need to adorn a dorm or beautify a boudoir, the sale, from Sept. 27-29, will have something for all budgets. If you fear the perfect piece being bought out from under you, splurge on the admission fee and attend Friday’s “Hang it First” preview party from 5-8 p.m. As if the deal needed sweetening, your purchase contributes to the continued existence of the CCC.
