Various Artists
Avenue Gallery
through July
As you drive down South Congress, past G�ero’s and the Continental Club,
you’ll find a string of shops — antiques stores, mostly. But, as you pass
Rue’s Antiques, don’t blink or you might miss a little gem wedged between Yard
Dog and Uncommon Objects: Avenue Gallery.
This eensy-weensy space manages to house a framing shop and a gallery of works
by three or four artists, and the works are more than framing samples. Not only
is the current show full of good pieces, it contains some interesting
stories.
Take the watercolors by Brother Jeremias Mysliwiec, a member of the
Congregation of Holy Cross for 57 years, who began painting upon his retirement
from teaching 15 years ago. Now 80 and living at St. Edward’s University, he
has found a new passion in painting and has developed something of a reputation
for his folk art-like, simply-detailed, colorful landscapes and figuratives.
Then there’s James Fitzgerald, another somewhat well-known painter, though not
so well-known by this generation. Fitzgerald was a promising, popular young
California artist in the Twenties and Thirties who dropped out of society for
fear of celebrity and its ill meanings. Living as a recluse on an island near
Maine, he spent the rest of his days — he died in 1971 — studying the land,
perfecting his talent. Fitzgerald just happens to be the uncle of Avenue
Gallery owner, Dan Broeckelman, who has started showing his uncle’s resplendent
watercolors.
Fitzgerald’s paintings go for up to $20,000 now and can be found in several
major East Coast museums, including the Smithsonian. Four of his works hang in
Avenue Gallery now, with more arriving soon. Showing a strong Oriental
influence, his pieces posses both strength and gentleness; gushing water is
conveyed with three simple strokes.
Black and white photographs by Kip Holm are on display as well; no dramatic
story here, just nice photos. Holms does a lot of Austin scenes — a careening
plane suspended over Flightpath Coffeehouse, a musician, guitar case in hand,
strolling down South Congress — that convey a lazy, lumbering feel, like the
shutter time was five full minutes.
Stay tuned for more details on Fitzgerald’s future show, and remember: don’t
go blinking too often — you might be missing some gems.
Paintings
Allen Burris
Stubb’s BBQ
through July
This town just keeps getting cooler. As if we didn’t already have a ton of
great barbecue joints, funky art galleries, and hoppin’ live music venues,
Stubb’s BBQ comes along as a dreamy combo of all of the above.
Entering the cavernous new hotspot on Red River, it’s easy to get distracted
by the music and smells-o’-BBQ. Enjoy the brisket and the Wayne Hancock set,
then take a quiet minute to check out the artwork downstairs: paintings by
Allen Burris.
At first, the paintings’ characters, with their broad smiles and big eyes,
may blend in with the characters consorting around you — lots of
playful-looking souls joining in the revelry. It’s like Burris painted one big
extended family of bug-eyed, droopy-haired, fun-seeking love children. His use
of color (i.e., using every color he could get his hands on) gives the revelers
energy, like they might reach out, grab your Shiner, then run away in a
giggling frenzy.
As if that weren’t enough… behind the stage stands (literally) another piece
d’art, a larger-than-life photo cutout of a transient discovered living in the
creekbed behind Stubb’s. Dressed in her birthday suit, arms reaching for the
sky, crucifix dangling from her neck, she was trying to “raise the waters”
when the camera clicked. She is now immortalized, standing, backup to every
band that enters the stage, nekkid.
— Cari Marshall
This article appears in June 28 • 1996 and June 28 • 1996 (Cover).