Dare to go Bare!

Every last Friday of the month at Bokeh Bar Gallery

Poopie-mishaps, profound poems, missing doggies, promotional plug-ins, Bullgator anecdotes, and Nimrod’s ballad. These were some of the topics last Friday night at the Bare Your Soul evening at Bokeh Bar Gallery, owned and run by Tucker Joenz and Dorothy Guerrero, located at the main entrance to St. Augustine. Some stories were prepared, others were completely improvised. Some recited personal poems, family anecdotes, or sang touching songs from the depths of their souls. Others spontaneously put their name in the hat to share a funny situation or string together stand-up jokes. The bar was buzzing with interested listeners and adventurous speakers. Artists of all disciplines were gathered for a cozy, down-to-earth, we-are-all-human get-together in this literary-café-in-the-making.

Bokeh means ‘blur’ in Japanese and is used both as a term to indicate a mental state of a person and as a technical term in photography. In some photographs, the overall visual is more pleasing if certain areas are softened and out-of-focus. The idea of blurring objects and perspectives has been an evolution in visual art since the first half of the 19^th century, originating in Parisian Salons, now called Literary Cafés. French artists would roam the new-and-improved streets of Paris and gather in cafés to talk about their art and visions. New philosophies developed and Eureka!-ideas were experienced. This new artistic style of Impressionism was very much concerned with the impression of the moment, expressed and executed with vagueness of the images, letting the eye understand the overall harmony of the visual. Mental connections between artists are important for art to evolve, and Literary Cafés accommodate this basic need for creatives to bare their souls.

 

Michael Lagasse sharing his song and story about Bullgator

Bare Your Soul is a spoken word and open mic happening at Bokeh every last Friday of the month and invites anybody to go bare. Nobody has to be embarrassed or shy because we are all just people with our own experiences, sorrow, insecurities, and insights. But while being authentic takes courage and standing up can be daunting, the Bokeh atmosphere is genuinely inviting and, unlike regular bars, feels like coming home to friends and family in a safe environment. And that is just what the after-work Friday evening crowd wants: relax and enjoy good company! The evening is facilitated by Ward Hughey, music editor at Narrow magazine and founder of Bleeding Tree Entertainment. Ward brought this event to Bokeh a few months ago and happily jumps in with a story when needed while Tucker and Doe tend the bar.

Tucker Joenz generously shares his gallery with other artists to exhibit creations, accommodate performances, and provide a space for creative interaction. Art is regularly changed out for new work and openings are usually on the first Friday of the month, which makes Bokeh Bar Gallery an important stop on St. Augustine’s popular Art Walk. In the back of this modern space is Tucker’s own studio which he will also happily share for a fee. Live, original music, especially on the weekends, sets the mood and attracts locals and visitors alike. Next time you are in the neighborhood, walk in and settle down for one of the craft beers or a glass of vino. Ask Tucker about the bokeh technique or his next literary event. Go bare!

http://bokehbargallery.com/

https://www.fourseasons.com/magazine/discover/salons-around-the-world/

https://www.facebook.com/BleedingTreeEntertainment/

Royalty!

Sway DiFeo as Marie Antoinette with your author

The Napoleonic Wars are a series of empire conflicts under Napoleon Bonaparte broken into coalitions. In 1809, Napoleon’s Empire and Bavaria are fighting against the Austrian and United Kingdom alliance in the War of the Fifth Coalition. Pauline is heartbroken and does not expect her fiancé, Captain Neuville, to come back from the battlefield. Despite his promise to write every day, Neuville does not even send one letter. Naïve ideas and a sheltered life make Pauline sick with worry so Elizabeth, her sister, decides to write her love letters from the front instead. If that does not create funny scenes on its own, the unexpected return of Neuville creates a Boeing Boeing effect for Elizabeth and Neuville, producing hilarious situations where the two schemers concoct a variety of cover-ups.

Le Retour du Heros (Return of the Heros), a French comedy film, directed by Laurent Tirard was the 7 o’clock movie presented Friday night at the Lewis Auditorium in Saint Augustine and the official opening night film of the annual Film Festival. This festival is organized by Gregory von Hausch, CEO of the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival and sponsored by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners and The Saint Johns County Tourist Development Council. The films, from various countries and cultures, are presented over four days in three locations downtown Saint Augustine, starting on Thursday, January 17 and running till Sunday, January 20. I was late for the start of this film and when I walked up to the Lewis Auditorium, I casually bumped into Marie Antoinette, with her head attached, and her lady-in-waiting, also quite alive. I decided to skip the movie and just hang with royalty.

Marie Antoinette was the last queen of France and married to King Louis XVI. She was accused of high treason after the monarchy was abolished during the War of the First Coalition. She lost her head by guillotine in 1793 at the onset of the French Revolution, when Napoleon was still only twenty-four and a pocket-rebel. He became emperor of the French in 1804, during the War of the Third Coalition. Technically speaking, my royal friend and cohort were slightly outside the time-loop, but that did not spoil the fun! Let them have bread, right?! … that’s right, it wasn’t cake. Although her court was a decadent affair with extravagant expenses and displays, Marie Antoinette is famous for donating generously to charitable causes and showing compassion for the less affluent. The callous remark was uttered decades before by somebody else and corrupted in meaning and intention like in a Chinese whisper game, where the outcome is almost always different than the original word. It just conveys how hateful the French people felt toward the immoral and self-indulgent French monarchy.

Nevertheless, my Marie Antoinette, embodied by Sway Difeo, organizer, costume-maker, and artist-extraordinaire of the annual Great Gatsby Charity Event in Saint Augustine, was a great success greeting all the visitors right before the start of Le Retour du Heros. This particular dress was not made by Sway, though. Zoom camera to the quiet cohort lady-in-waiting, portrayed by Juliana Koutouzakis, top stylist and creative director of Panache Salon in Saint Augustine and costume creator and participant of many fashion shows. Juliana made the dress from plastic Walmart bags and trash bags. She crocheted the bodice, wove strips of plastic boxes through the gaps, and stitched and glued the whole skirt over a petticoat. Needless to say that she also designed and created the almost two-foot high wig. The three of us ended up in Casa Monica, where we had a glass of vino while having fun chatting and talking to the many admirers approaching the Queen and her lady-in-waiting. My friends are royalty indeed!

https://www.visitstaugustine.com/event/st-augustine-film-festival

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Antoinette

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon#War_of_the_Third_Coalition

https://www.gatsbyforcharity.com/

Always talk Art!

first stone wheel

Always talk art!

Duh!

Artists think outside the box. Duh!... Their creative and innovative thoughts are often precursors to the actualization of a concept or product. Duh!... but…Creative regurgitation propels companies into the next phase of business development and societies into cultural evolutions. There!

Reflections, disagreements, and protests are necessary parts of change in ideas and values. This all comes about through communication and connection. Artists networking with other artists. Ideas romanced and brainstormed. Minds dancing and growing. Products improving and advancing. When does the artist stray too far from the box? When is creativity controversial and who gets to decide that? You?

A quick Google search shows that the word culture encompasses “the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively” and “the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or another social group.” Hm… This means that individually made pieces of art can have a tremendous impact on a collective, a group, depending on the subject and message.

We are self-aware and know that artists are fully focused on their creative processes and are often lost when it comes to developing their product for a market to create a revenue friendly environment for continuation of the work. On the one hand, artists need the symbiotic interactions with cutting-edge innovators which are needed to develop and propel the designs, and on the other hand, a warm and genuine rapport with a community will create the added value for a business or customer.

Ideas need to percolate and permeate. Thoughts need rumination. Every new concept will give us a deeper understanding of the complex impact that ideas can have on the culture of a community and vice versa. And in the business world! Actually…. There would not BE a business world without creation and innovation. Ha!

Human connection, wacky ideas, exploring opportunities, and economizing positivity are most important to keep a people happy and a community thriving. Always think outside those four walls! Yeah!... always talk art!