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October 4, 2008 Mokah Coffee Lounge
Dallas, TX |
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Review by Funmi Okunbolade
Photos by Jenice Johnson |
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I used to have this dream about a place where quirky creative types could get together and share their crafts. Not a pretentious gathering of wannabe-artists clad in all black traipsing around in berets as they pour their angst upon helpless blank canvasses or pseudo-intellectuals reciting highbrow poetry with little rhyme let alone reason. No, my creative utopia was a place that nurtured the type of art that comes from a deep soul level; creativity that asks you to put your most intimate self on display for others to see—free of any fear of | |
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judgment or recrimination.
So, imagine my surprise when I walked into the ArtLoveMagic show last Saturday night.
I’ll be damned if the heavens didn’t open up and angels sing the
“Hallelujah” chorus—I had achieved Nirvana. |
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Okay, I exaggerate. But you get the idea. ArtLoveMagic offers a unique environ for Dallas poets, musicians, visual and performing artists out to share their passions with others. As you walk through the front doors of Life in Deep Ellum, host venue for the evening’s festivities, you enter into a hip industrial space made cozy by a coffee bar and tattered, over-sized sofas. As a first-timer, I was unsure as to proper procedure to follow (there is none), so I veered to the left and entered the gallery space where painters were busy bringing their visions to life. I stood alongside a small group of onlookers as we watched forms take shape and the artists’ visual stories unfold. After grabbing a soda at the bar, I settled into the Mokah Lounge for the evening’s open mic session. One-by-one poets and singer-songwriter types made their way to the stage. |
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Some fiddled nervously with their
instruments, shy about performing their works for the first time in a
public setting. As a writer, I felt their pain. There’s nothing like
putting your heart and soul into a piece, only to have an editor,
critic—or just about anyone else on Earth with an opinion—deem it less
than perfect. The crowd, however, was supportive, offering cheers and claps of encouragement. I think this is what made ArtLoveMagic such an incredible experience for me—the camaraderie of the artists that stemmed from a mutual respect for the creative process. I settled in for what turned |
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out to be a truly great evening of entertainment, particularly performances by Fort Worth poet Mike Guinn; a pair quirky musicians known as Faded Fools and Mimo; a scruffy guitar player who channeled the essence of John Mayer (a personal fave) during his short set. Frankly, I was surprised at the amount of talent that graced the stage that night. The art was incredible; the love I was feelin’. The magic—well that was the summation of the experience. ArtLoveMagic—it’s the stuff dreams are made of. |
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