Gallery crawl puts the art in Artrageous

BY ALAN BOSTICK
Staff Writer

It's now nearly two decades since Artrageous began combining visual art and a worthy cause into a memorable evening of entertainment.

Tomorrow, in its 18th installment, the popular Nashville CARES fundraiser, which has already raised more than $2 million for AIDS education and services in Middle Tennessee, is back with a tour of 10 galleries followed as usual by the late party.

The gallery tour or "crawl," depending on your state of mind, extends from Green Hills to Madison. It presents what amount to 10 simultaneous parties with art on view, food and drink, and the promise that 10% of each purchase tomorrow night benefits Nashville CARES.

As you'd expect from a lineup of individual galleries across the city, there's a wide range of art on view ranging from painting to sculpture to photography, much of which is affordably priced.

"Supporting this worthy cause — and being able to host hundreds of community-minded art lovers in my gallery at the same time — was pretty much a no-brainer for me," said Shelley Liles, who operates the stylish new Gallery One on Harding Pike in the Belle Meade area.

"Artrageous raises critical funds for an organization that's doing significant work in the area of AIDS education and awareness. I happen to believe that we all share a responsibility to do what we can to relieve the pain and suffering of others."

Kim Brooks of Finer Things Gallery on Nolensville Road says her large space has been an enthusiastic participant for several years.

"Even after eight times on the tour, the party remains new and surprising," she said. "Connecting with a lively group of revelers, while raising money for a worthy cause, makes Artrageous an event we look forward to all year long."

And then there's Anne Brown, a supporter of Artrageous from its earliest days. Her Arts Company downtown is taking part for a seventh consecutive year.

"We have a lot of friends whose lives have been taken by this disease, so we are devoted to the cause," Brown said. "We very often have a lot of artists here for the evening, and we typically get a pretty good crowd."

• Alan Bostick can be reached at 259-8038 or abostick@tennessean.com.

The Galleries

Here's a list of the 10 participating galleries, presented in alphabetical order:
• Art House Gallery & Studio, 2306 12th Ave. S.
• The Arts Company, 215 5th Ave. N. in downtown Nashville.
• Avante Art Glass Gallery, 2209 Bandywood Drive in Green Hills.
• Bennett Galleries, 2104 Crestmoor Drive, also in Green Hills.
• EZ Gallery, 265 White Bridge Road.
• Finer Things Gallery, 1898 Nolensville Road.
• Gallery One, 5133 Harding Road in the Belle Meade area.
• Garage Mahal/Art & Invention Gallery, 1106 Woodland St. in east Nashville.
• Tennessee Art Center at Madison, 403 Gallatin Road S. in Madison.
• Tennessee Art League, 808 Broadway.

If You Go

Artrageous 18 takes place tomorrow. It features a 10-gallery tour from 6-9 p.m., followed by a late party from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. at Municipal Auditorium downtown. Tickets are $75 a person for the gallery tour and the late party and $50 for the late party only. To buy tickets, or for more info, go to www. artrageous.org. You can also call 259-4866, ext. 700.