If These Walls Could Talk… Nude Nite Orlando is back!
If These Walls Could Talk
By Kelly Stevens
What comes to mind when you think of walls? Perhaps you think of walls as keeping something in or out. Or maybe you consider walls as an essential part of a stable structure. Metaphorically speaking, walls may even represent bottled-up emotions serving to protect you in some way. Yes, walls serve all of these functions, but also, walls play a more vital role when it comes to art. They are the back-drop, the canvas if you will, upon which many visual arts are seen. They are the frames outside the frames. And while pieces of art come and go, they are the steady constant that sees, hears and understands the true art community today.
So what might an art wall say? If the wall is in a prestigious art museum displaying infamous works, it might reveal that today only one in five adults visit an art museum each year. If the wall is in a downtown gallery, it might comment how art buyers increasingly prefer online viewing over brick-and-mortar experiences. And if the wall is in your local coffee shop, it might even forget to mention the art since so few patrons take the displays seriously. Each of these messages highlights how the world of art is (and has been) changing for the last few decades. And for the smaller, independent artist, these changes can pose serious challenges.
Faced with such challenges, a collection of artists and art enthusiasts came together in the late 1990s around a common goal to showcase these independent works through a more engaging art venue. In an effort to motivate attendance from the community, the art focused on a nude theme while the venue itself offered a not-so-traditional (and much more interesting!) gallery setting. Since 1996, Nude Nite has maintained this vision by creating “pop-up” galleries in unusual industrial locations which align the rawness of the space with the nakedness of the art. And by engaging attendees through a variety of art experiences, both interactive and otherwise, Nude Nite has grown tremendously supporting independent artists from around the world.
At Nude Nite, the walls show an array of works sure to evoke unexpected emotions and deep reflections. From subject matter ranging from rape, to incest, to breast cancer, artists depict their own interpretations of these harsh realities. At the same time, numerous works celebrate the beauty and wonder of the human form through figurative, fantasy and abstract styles. As individuals and couples stroll through this maze of creative expressions, dialogues occur which otherwise may not have happened. You see, art is what stirs the pot, and if you let it stir feelings and thoughts within, you might just be pleasantly surprised at the result.
These are fast-paced times, and creativity abounds. But art remains the ultimate aesthetic which demands not only time but also interaction. At Nude Nite, the art and artists strive to provide such an experience for all. Such experiences are impossible over the Internet, and similarly, museums, galleries and coffee shops have their own sets of limitations. Add aerialists, burlesque, interactive installations, performance artists, and body painters, one leaves Nude Nite with the feeling they have not just seen and experienced an art event but actually been part of an artistic adventure. So what would the walls at Nude Nite say? Perhaps that message is different for everyone. But one thing is certain…you have to experience the art to hear the message.
Nude Nite Orlando starts this evening at Artegon Marketplace which is located at 5250 International Drive. Tickets are $25 on the door with a starting time of 6pm through to mid-night. The Orlando event runs through to Saturday 13th February before relocating for the Tampa event held from 3rd to 5th March 2016.
For more information and advance tickets, visit the Website at http://www.nudenite.com
