Don't Mourn For MorYork

The oracles whiffed on their prediction for heavy rains on Saturday night--or maybe it was just Highland Park that missed the deluge--but it turned out to be a cool crisp night, perfect for gallery hopping.

Those certain 20 somethings in black were gathered between Ave 50 and 51 visiting the galleries and eateries and being hip.  I’m just an old fart, and only wanted to really make only one stop anyway, so Mrs. O’Roscoe and I (also in dressed in black) avoided the crowds and visited .

When we were there the crowd was sparse. It was fine with me because it gave me the time and elbowroom to see the beautiful work by Iva Hladis

In her show,  Origins Extinct, Iva combined old computer chipboards with leaves, beads and wire, which she mounted wood and other layers of material, transforming them into beautiful things. It had an effect on me that is difficult to describe.

If I was in the financial position to buy art--and right now I definitely am not--I would have bought something from this show.

In the area just behind the gallery space, Jeffrey R. Kibbe was there with some of his constructions made from old scientific and workman’s tools mixed with bones, blades, letters, maps and other older objects, from which he makes displays that fascinate and pull you into another older world. I’d also like to own one.

For me, much of the pleasure of these evenings is meeting people and overhearing of conversation. On Saturday, many people were talking about the closing of MorYork. Actually, what people were talking about was the magic of the place.

I heard many people talking about the contribution Clare Graham has made to NELA Art's Second Saturday Gallery Night, and how his place enlivens the community.

I would never have called the mood of the evening mournful. Really, it was celebratory and in appreciation of one of those places one can hold dear in one’s heart. 

For those looking to spend more time inside MorYork, the Graham will be hosting a conversation with Hladis on Sunday, Nov. 20 from 3-4 p.m. inside the gallery. A flier for the event is posted in the media box on the right.

We also visited a couple of other galleries. The turn out at Ave. 50 Gallery was OK.  Not the usual mob, again, I guess that was beneficial to my enjoyment of the art, but was a disappointment for what was a good fresh night for gallery hopping. I ran into an old friend, someone I’ve known since I was a kid but haven’t seen in a few years. The mix of memories and art is a wonderful thing.

The show is worth a visit. The pieces ranged from powerful to whimsical, and there was some wonderful poetry to read as well. The annex room had a forest made of yarn that is also worth a visit.

The group at was very lively, but also a little on the sparse side. There was work there from dozens of Arroyo artists who will be on the Arroyo Arts Collective’s Discovery Tour on Sunday, November 20. If you can’t make this show, go on the tour.

I hope the sparseness of the gallery crowd for this second Saturday was just because I was out of the rhythm of the herd. But then we only got to three stops. On the other hand, the street population on York was pretty good, so you can’t judge the night by me.