Wine and art promote jazz
sum1
December 26, 2003
A little wine, a little music
Unusual technique puts jazz artists' visages on bottles; sales help
music education
By Jerry Fink
<je...@lasvegassun.com>
LAS VEGAS SUN
There are those who love art, and there are those who love wine. Many
love both.
Last year Roger Palas, owner of Wine Art Gallery, a small boutique
gallery on Industrial Road, south of Flamingo Road, united the refined
worlds of wine and art collecting.
He developed a technique of reducing canvas-sized paintings to label
size and placed them on bottles of wine -- an unusual way for
aesthetes to display replicas of work by their favorite artists on
bottles of their favorite wine.
This year, Palas has added jazz enthusiasm to his growing list of
discriminating projects.
Now jazz fans can buy bottles of wine embossed with portraits of such
notable musicians as saxophonists David Sanborn and David Koz and
vocalist Al Jarreau.
There are nine jazz artists in all, including local celebrity Clint
Holmes.
The jazz-wine-art project is a combined effort of Palas and KOAS
105.7-FM, The Oasis, noted for its smooth jazz format.
The Oasis chose the artists whose portraits appear on the bottles.
Frank Woodback, KOAS' general manager, said the list comprises some of
the most popular musicians who are heard on the station.
All except Holmes, who qualifies as a pop singer who also does jazz.
"We included Clint because he is so popular, locally," Woodback said.
A good cause
A portion of the sale of each bottle, about 25 percent, will be
donated to the "Have a Peaceful Heart" foundation, an organization
dedicated to music education for children.
The bottles may be purchased through Lee's Liquors.
Suzan Hudson, Woodback's wife, created the association.
"I have been working in the field of arts and cultural promotions for
the better part of 20 year," Hudson said. "Jazz is my personal
passion."
She said she decided to create a foundation that supported music
education a couple of years ago, after watching a television program
about how music helped change lives in Venezuela.
"The country had a high crime rate. Its educational scores were low,"
Hudson said. "Then a doctor in Venezuela started a music program for
kids in grade one -- and the results were unbelievable. Academic
scores increased dramatically and crime was reduced."
She said a light went off in her head.
"I wanted to help kids by making sure they get music education as part
of their regular curriculum," Hudson said.
And "Have a Peaceful Heart" was born.
"We are known as the Entertainment Capital of the World," Hudson said.
"I thought that this would be a really good place to seed future
musicians."
Funds raised by the foundation will go to the Clark County School
District to help pay for musical instruments.
Wine bottles bearing the likenesses of jazz artists, and the original
paintings from which the miniaturized canvases were created, will be
sold at auction during a private New Year's Eve party at Bali Hai Golf
Club. Nine paintings and about 2,700 bottles of wine will be sold.
Other upcoming fund-raising projects planned by Hudson's organization
include concerts, festivals and licensed products.
"Right now, we are just a homespun organization," she said. "But we
want to make a difference."
Marcia Neel, director of fine arts and student activities for the
Clark County School District, expressed gratitude for the fund-raising
project by "Have a Peaceful Heart" and the Wine Art Gallery.
"The folks were very kind," Neel said.
Although the school district has one of the most respected music
education systems in the country, there is always a need for money to
help buy instruments.
"You should go out to the schools and see how many students are in the
band," Neel said. "There aren't enough instruments. Many sit side by
side and take turns playing."
But, she said, it isn't likely there will ever be enough instruments
to go around. There are too many students in the program, about 40,000
in secondary school.
And all that jazz ...
Palas said only two performers who were contacted about using their
likenesses on the wine bottles declined -- Celine Dion and Ramsey
Lewis.
He said Dion rejected the idea because it was associated with alcohol
and Lewis refused because he didn't like the style of the art, which
is abstract. He wanted a realistic portrait.
Local artist Jennifer Main, a professional since age 17, is doing the
portraits for the jazz artists series.
Main is noted for using bright, bold colors in an expressionistic
style reminiscent of Picasso.
"Picasso is an inspiration," Main said. "But I make sure that I have
my own style. The key thing is that everyone can tell who my subject
is."
Main, 23, says she doesn't usually do realistic portraits, although
she can.
"I don't like just looking at something and drawing from a picture,"
she said. "I like it a little crazier, a little less realistic. A
little more imaginative."
Main is busy these days with commissioned work in addition to the jazz
project.
Besides producing work for galleries and individuals, she produces art
for such charities as the March of Dimes and the American Heart
Association.
And she is gearing up for more projects for Palas.
"We're discussing doing a rock series with some performers who are
classic rock musicians," she said.
Another twist in the planning stage is to add DVD and videos to sell
along with the bottles of wine/art.
Palas said eventually he will create a music video of the performer
and combine it with a video of the painter creating the portrait for
the bottle and sell them as a package.
"We will combine the form of watching the artist develop the painting
while listening to and viewing the entertainer performing his music,"
Palas said.
That may be music to the ears of Clark County students who share their
instruments.
"We set it up so it will always help the school system," Palas said.
Mr Zed
> There are those who love art, and there are those who love wine. Many
> love both.
These people actualy don't love anything. It's just a pose to appear
cool, you know, sipping chardonnay while listening to some "difficult"
jazz and saying things like "this is a perfect symbolism of the
darkness inherent in human ignorance" as they stare at a totally blank
canvas. Yet when they are at home, away, from other "cool" people,
they play Keny G 24/7. Phooey, I say!
ric
> These people actualy don't love anything. It's just a pose to appear
> cool, you know, sipping chardonnay while listening to some "difficult"
> jazz and saying things like "this is a perfect symbolism of the
> darkness inherent in human ignorance" as they stare at a totally blank
> canvas. Yet when they are at home, away, from other "cool" people,
> they play Keny G 24/7.
And post under multiple aliases for no apparent reason.
> Phooey, I say!
Try a better chardonnay.
--
Better than hearing "Lady Day", or checking in at Monterey...
gloveman
ROFL, I couldn't help myself, sorry :-[