“I am interested in individual repeated attempts, which sometimes lead to failure,” says Baptiste Debombourg. “The impression of impotence generated by such situations, and by the individuals themselves, simply highlights the fragile and endearing nature of the human being.”

The French artist is known for large-scale installations that repurpose utilitarian objects like cafe chairs, staples, and windshields into elaborate, immersive artworks. Enormous sheets of glass cascade from the windows of an abbey or slosh around inside of a courtyard, often using many tons of the fragile planes to accomplish a sense of undulating motion.

Debombourg’s most recent work, “Black tide,” combines black lacquer with broken glass, silicone, and other materials to flood a Quebec gallery. A powerful gush buries everything in its wake like a tidal wave, landslide, magma flow, or oil spill. Furniture is half-submerged and strewn throughout the deluge, referencing environmental disasters that humans both cause and experience.

“My inspiration and influences come from everyday life, and more specifically, from day-to-day objects that condition our lives,” Debombourg says. Architecture plays a crucial role in his site-specific installations, providing openings, boundaries, and elements that inspire each work. In “Aerial,” for example, classical columns and high windows at Brauweiler Abbey, a former Benedictine monastery in Pulheim, Germany, inspired a set of giant drape-like windows that appear to billow from the walls as if pushed by a strong wind, turning viscous at the bottom and oozing across the floor.

Debombourg is currently working on several projects, including an installation scheduled to open in November at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest, Romania, curated by Anca Mihuleţ. A commissioned, permanent artwork for Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland, is also slated to open in February. Explore much more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

Detail of “Black tide”

“(R)evolve” (2017), windshields, wood, nails, screws, and paint, 8 x 8 x 4.5 meters. Installed at Eduardo Secci Gallery in Florence, Italy

Detail of “(R)evolve”

“Aerial” (2012), 33/2 laminated glass from Glas König, wood, nails, and white paint, 3 x 12 x 4.5 meters, two ons of glass. Installed at Brauweiler Abbey in Pulheim, Germany

Detail of “Aerial”

Detail of “Aerial”

Detail of “Aerial”

“Acceleration field” (2015), white laminated glass, wooden structure, screws, nails, paint, silicone3D, 11 x 7 x 1.8 meters, 250 meters² glass at four tons. Installed at Fondation Antoine de Galbert in Paris, France, with technical assistance from Léa Marchalwith the support of Wellmade and Saint-Gobain

Detail of “Acceleration field”

Detail of “Acceleration field”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Tons of Broken Glass Flood Architectural Spaces in Captivating Site-Specific Installations by Baptiste Debombourg appeared first on Colossal.

NOVI, MI, 31 July 2023 – Asahi Kasei America, Inc., the regional headquarters of the Asahi Kasei Group for North America, announces the successful relocation of its Novi Office to a newer, larger facility. This strategic move is part of the company’s commitment to strengthen marketing activities centered on the dynamic automotive industry.

The field of mobility has always been a key focus for Asahi Kasei, renowned for its cutting-edge car interior materials, plastic compounds, battery separators, and electronic components. Asahi Kasei’s high-quality products have found widespread adoption in numerous vehicle models by major OEMs. As the industry ventures into the era of electric vehicle propulsion, the automotive materials and components landscape is changing dramatically. Asahi Kasei’s new, larger office will serve as a hub to showcase several materials during this significant surge in demand.

By relocating to Novi, near Detroit, the group aims to foster stronger relationships with major automakers and their extensive network of suppliers in the region. The expanded Novi Office will catalyze and reinforce marketing and sales promotion functions, enabling the adaptation to emerging changes in demand swiftly.

“We are excited to embark on this journey of growth and innovation. As the mobility world continues to accelerate in various areas, Asahi Kasei is committed to building a stronger foundation for the future. The office expansion allows us to strengthen collaborations with our esteemed OEM and Tier One partners while showcasing our latest technologies. It aligns with our growth plan, driving us to continuously offer innovative products to an ever-changing market,” said Iichiro Kitsuda, Executive Vice President of Strategic Planning and Marketing for Asahi Kasei America.

The Novi Office is a functional space where people from Asahi Kasei Group operations throughout North America and beyond, along with partner companies and customers, can come together. The facility has been thoughtfully designed to host exhibits, events, and technical demonstrations, providing a platform to showcase Asahi Kasei’s product characteristics and features while promptly understanding customers’ evolving needs. The Novi Office features a dedicated product showroom showcasing Asahi Kasei’s AKXY® POD vehicle interior concept and a demonstration car presenting cutting-edge future technologies.

Beyond mobility, Asahi Kasei’s other business operations will utilize the Novi Office to explore new opportunities, particularly in decarbonization, in close collaboration with the company’s various business units and R&D functions headquartered in Japan.

The expansion of the Novi Office reaffirms Asahi Kasei’s unwavering commitment to being at the forefront of innovation, consistently delivering world-class products and solutions to meet the ever-evolving demands of the automotive industry.

About Asahi Kasei

The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its foundation in 1922 with ammonia and cellulose fiber businesses, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through the proactive transformation of its business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age. With more than 48,000 employees worldwide, the company contributes to a sustainable society by providing solutions to the world’s challenges through its three business sectors of Material, Homes, and Health Care. Its Material sector, comprised of Environmental Solutions, Mobility & Industrial, and Life Innovation, includes a wide array of products, from battery separators and biodegradable textiles to engineering plastics and sound solutions. For more information, visit www.asahi-kasei.com.

Company Contact North America:
Asahi Kasei America
Christian OKeefe
christian.okeefe@ak-america.com

“Whenever I think about the future, I think about my children and the fact that I feel that the future does not belong to me; it belongs to them,” says Tawny Chatmon (previously). “The work I’m creating now is what I’m manifesting for their present and future.”

Often centering her portraiture on adolescents, Chatmon is visionary, imagining a time when children are “living in peace, being safe, being protected, being free of stereotypes, living freely and joyously, being treated gently by the world.” This dream is rooted in a long-held desire for young Black people to be recognized as inherently valuable and significant, visualized through the artist’s signature glimmering embellishments.

Reminiscent of Gustav Klimt’s works and pastiglia, or low-relief decorations, of 15th-century Italian artists, Chatmon’s Remnants and Pastoral Scenes series overlay portraits with gold leaf, acrylic paint, semi-precious stones, and other mixed-media. The gilded additions often cloak garments and sometimes the backdrop, while the works retain the original photographic depiction of the sitter’s face and limbs.

Remnants contains cut-and-pasted scraps from the artist’s early paintings, and Pastoral Scenes positions the figures against distant landscapes. Both series, though, honor ancestral ties and emphasize the need to break free from outdated modes of being. “My work is a beautiful resistance simply because it exists,” she says. “Existence, by definition, is the state of being alive or being real, and despite early depictions of Black bodies as background or ‘other’ in Western art, while primarily centering whiteness, we are real. We always have been.”

“Iconography/In honor of the sacred divinity that exists within us” (2023), 24k gold leaf, paper, acrylic on archival pigment print, 47 x 35 inches

Chatmon takes a similar approach in her ongoing Iconography series, which evokes Byzantine-era works that depict religious figures through dense mosaics. “These visual declarations were used to assist the observer in focusing on all things sacred and were viewed more as literal prayers than art. Believed to serve as conduits to the divine, each was meticulously crafted by an iconographer embarking on a journey of prayer and meditation,” she shares.

Her pieces draw on this tradition through swaths of gold tesserae that transcend the earthly. In “A Hopeful Truth,” Chatmon fashions flowing, metallic garments for two young girls, who embrace in front of a tiled backdrop with blue, floral filigree. Another work, “In honor of the sacred divinity that exists within us,” features the artist’s daughter wearing a robe draped over her shoulders and a gown with a portrait of Harriet Tubman near her heart. “Just as Byzantine icons serve as windows to the spiritual realm, may my icons serve as means of sending gratitude to our ancestors and a connection to those who helped shape our lives throughout history,” the artist says.

And the devotional nature of these early Roman works isn’t lost on Chatmon. For each piece, she pre-determines what she’s hoping to communicate and when complete, considers “what I want the work to do once shared with others by saying a prayer over the work and setting intentions.”

Chatmon currently has a limited-edition print available through Art + Culture to support The Last Resort Artist Retreat, a residency for Black creatives. She also has work in several exhibitions opening in the coming weeks, including group shows at Galerie Myrtis in Baltimore, the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, and Florida State University’s Museum of Fine Arts. You can follow her latest endeavors on Instagram.

“Remnants/I Was Born to Stand in the Light” (2020-2022), 24k gold leaf, paper, acrylic, other mixed media on archival pigment print, 63 x 41 inches

“Pastoral Scenes/Ralisha” (2021-2022), 24k gold leaf, acrylic, semi-precious stones, thermoplastic polymer resin, and other mixed media on archival pigment print, 56 x 36 inches

“Bridgetower Frieze” (2021), 24k gold leaf and acrylic on archival pigment print, 40 x 30 inches

“Remnants/Aunt Mattie’s Beloved Frock” (2021), 24k gold leaf, paper, acrylic on archival pigment print, 30 x 24 inches

“Iconography/And All Generations Shall Call Us Blessed (before completion)” (2022), 24k gold leaf, paper, abalone shell, and acrylic on archival pigment print, 44 x 36 inches

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Through Gilded Portraits, Tawny Chatmon Envisions a Dazzling Future appeared first on Colossal.

=

Art Funds Market specializes in showcasing high-level research by understanding major trends, key players, and various other aspects of the industry. The report answers all the questions related to the key alliances. The report is well provided with a detailed analysis of comprehensive research, particularly in questions marking the market size, development environment, futuristic developments, operational situation, and pathways of market. The research presents a complete analysis and insights study of the global Art Funds market.

The report describes the organizations impinging on the global Art Funds market along with the upcoming new challenges that are having an effect on the world market with their latest advancements and enhancements. The study then features an examination of the recent trends and possibilities in each of the subdivisions during the outlook period. The market overview section reveals the potential, opportunities, and scope of the market along with its market size and volume. In addition, the section encompasses an in-depth study on value chain analysis and the core working of the market.

DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE REPORT: https://www.marketquest.biz/sample-request/142900

Segmentation on the basis of application:

• Financial Investment
• Art Development

On the basis of products, the various types include:

• Public Art Funds
• Private Art Funds

Scope of The Report:

• Overview of the global Art Funds market
• Information related to ongoing research and development projects and ongoing research and development projects
• Analysis of regional market trends with numerical data corresponding to market size
• Global Art Funds market estimates and growth forecast for the period 2023 to 2029
• Company profiles of the key manufacturers of the market, along with their comprehensive knowledge of product offerings, revenue information, marketing strategies, and recent market activities.

The report explains the value chain structure, industry outlook, regional analysis, applications, market size, share, and forecast. It also provides a market analysis based on types, applications, regional analysis, and for the forecast period 2023 to 2029. The report then focuses on the major key players of the global Art Funds market, providing insights such as company profiles, product structure, and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue, and contact information. Also, important components such as market capacity, price, demand and supply, production, earnings, and competitive landscape are covered in the report.

Key global participants in the global Art Funds market include:

• Anthea – Contemporary Art Investment Fund SICAV FIS
• The Fine Art Fund Group
• Artemundi Global Fund
• Liquid Rarity Exchange
• Saatchi Art
• Dejia Art Fund

Moreover, all the statistical and quantitative analysis mentioned in the report reflects the real-time data. It covers all the market landscapes to help users understand the present positioning of the global Art Funds market along with the probable market trends in the future. Analysis of growth opportunities in different applications and regions in the market has been given in the report. It also provides comprehensive coverage on major industry drivers, restraints, and their impact on market growth during the forecast period.

ACCESS FULL REPORT: https://www.marketquest.biz/report/142900/global-art-funds-market-2023-by-company-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2029

Market breakdown by key regions:

• North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)
• Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, and Rest of Europe)
• Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia)
• South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Rest of South America)
• Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, and Rest of Middle East & Africa)

Further, the report analysis mentions current patterns alongside new and plausible growth openings for the global market. Additionally, the report incorporates the components that can restrict the global Art Funds market growth during the forecast period. Understanding these elements is also mandatory as they help in grasping the market’s shortcomings.

Customization of the Report:

This report can be customized to meet the client’s requirements. Please connect with our sales team (sales@marketquest.biz), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on +1-201-465-4211 to share your research requirements.

Contact Us
Mark Stone
Head of Business Development
Phone: +1-201-465-4211
Email: sales@marketquest.biz
Web: www.marketquest.biz

You May Check Our Other Report @

https://www.innovations-i.com/release/579071.html

https://www.innovations-i.com/release/578591.html

https://www.innovations-i.com/release/578580.html

https://www.innovations-i.com/release/578566.html

https://www.innovations-i.com/release/578555.html

Travel South Dakota, in partnership with the South Dakota Arts Council, rolled out a new marketing campaign this summer (2023) aimed at promoting arts-related activities throughout the state.

The arts-focused campaign aims to leverage the arts across South Dakota. The niche marketing campaign targets art enthusiasts with a high propensity to travel, delivering inspiration to take in the state’s galleries, museums, music offerings, murals, theatre experiences, culinary scenes, and more.

Travel South Dakota hopes to re-engage audiences who have already interacted with the department’s overall marketing efforts and drive further inspiration to book a trip to South Dakota based on inclusion of arts activities. Target audiences include North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, Wisconsin and Montana.

This campaign is focused on delivering ad placements to potential visitors through video placements, digital ads, and added content on TravelSouthDakota.com/arts. The campaign has been live since early June and is already tracking more than 14,000 hotel and flight bookings attributed to it.

Logging more than 5.8 million impressions, the campaign has already surpassed impression goals midway through the first year of the campaign. The campaign will continue in subsequent years, keeping strategies and tactics fresh as it evolves.

This campaign is accompanied by the State of Create South Dakota Passport, a free mobile program that uses gamification to encourage individuals to explore and experience artistic stops across the entire state. To learn more about the passport program, visit TravelSouthDakota.com/south-dakota-state-of-create.

Every month in The Hammer, art-industry veteran Simon de Pury lifts the curtain on his life as the ultimate art-world insider, his brushes with celebrity, and his invaluable insight into the inner workings of the art market.

The minute Patrick Radden Keefe’s in-depth profile on Larry Gagosian appeared in the New Yorker in late July, it became the most forwarded link in the art world. It was being sent to me by collectors, artists, curators and friends from all over the place. I haven’t bought a physical magazine for years and realized while reading the article that I was missing the New Yorker and bought a digital yearly subscription to it as a result of it.

The fact that this article became so much talked about at a time when lots of art professionals were starting their summer holidays is a tribute to the unprecedented success and achievements of Larry Gagosian. It certainly didn’t harm that he never gives any interviews and that this was only the first or second time he ever agreed to speak to a journalist on the record.

There are a number of individuals whose success in the art market made them affluent, well-known or both, but none have even approached the level of influence and dominance that Gagosian exerts. He has achieved financial success without ever compromising the artistic integrity of the artists that he represents, nor cut any corners in the way he presents art around his many galleries. I have never seen any Gagosian exhibition, catalogue or publication that was not done to the highest imaginable standard.

An outstanding eye, exquisite taste, immense charm (when he wants to use it), coupled with a killer business instinct and the most fiercely competitive streak ever, allowed him to create what is undoubtedly the sexiest brand in the art market. On more than one occasion I have asked collectors, the works of which artists they had bought for their collection. They would then concentrate very hard and be unable to articulate the name of a single artist but simply say that what they bought came from Gagosian.

Larry Gagosian and Simon de Pury attend Dinner in honor of Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis hosted by Simon de Pury at Phillips de Pury & Company on November 5, 2005 in New York City. Photo by Clint Spaulding/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images.

A company becomes a brand when the brand is bigger than any individuals associated with it. In the art market so far there were only two such brands: Sotheby’s and Christie’s. They were started in 1744 and 1766 respectively. There haven’t been any descendants of John Sotheby or James Christie in either house for what seems like forever.

At any given moment there are rainmakers at either auction house who seem single-handedly responsible for pulling in the bulk of the business that is being conducted by these two firms. Whenever such a star leaves one of these two firms, it prompts intense gossip that it is going to be a huge blow for those companies. At the latest by the next auction season these fears are proven wrong because when anybody anywhere wishes to sell anything they first think of Sotheby’s and Christie’s, who have a duopoly. In other words, the brands are stronger than the names of the highly talented individuals who, for a while, create all the excitement at their respective houses.

If you look a bit back in time the businesses of most leading art dealers have ceased with the passing of their founders. They have left formidable legacies but in most cases not an ongoing business.

Galerist Ernst Beyeler in 1997. Photo by Rolf Haid/picture alliance via Getty Images.

Ernst Beyeler was for years one of the most important, if not the most important, dealer in modern art, and his Galerie Beyeler in Basel an absolute must for any serious or ambitious collector. His legacy is the Fondation Beyeler which houses the world class collection he built over the years in a gorgeous Renzo Piano built museum in Riehen near Basel. It is being brilliantly run by Sam Keller, the former worldwide head of Art Basel, who year after year organizes one blockbuster show after the other, making the Fondation Beyeler the best attended museum in Switzerland. The Galerie Beyeler itself however wound up all its activities a few months after the passing of its founder.

Heinz Berggruen is another towering figure of the art market in the 20th century. His gallery in the Rue de l’Université in Paris was a place of pilgrimage for any art lover wishing to see first hand some of the best works by the leading artists of the late 19th century and of the 20th century. Towards the end of his life he secured his legacy by selling the core of his outstanding collection to the city of Berlin who put a magnificent building outside of Charlottenburg Castle at his disposal for the Museum Berggruen where it is accessible to the public in principle for perpetuity. The Prussian cultural authorities also put a very elegant apartment at the disposal of Heinz Berggruen and his wife inside the same building. The art dealing business of the Galerie Berggruen ceased to be a meaningful force after the death of its founder, although there is still an Espace Berggruen at the original Paris address.

Heinz Berggruen and David Douglas Duncan at theDiner Phillips Exhibition At Collection Berggruen In Paris. Photo by Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images.

Leo Castelli is the legendary dealer whose near totality of artists represented by him during his lifetime are now considered to be the most significant of their generation. His aura due to his exceptional discernment, charm and elegance will live on, but the Leo Castelli Gallery ceased to exist with him.

There are numerous other examples of course but I am using the above ones just to make the point.

There are very few living artists whose names have become brands, i.e. names that anywhere around the globe, people who are not part of the art world would be able to mention. Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Gerhard Richter and Yayoi Kusama are definitely some of them.

The world of fashion and luxury has been much more adept at creating brands that have outlasted their creators. Dior, Vuitton, Cartier, Gucci, Chanel or Saint Laurent are some of them. The rainmakers at these brands are the creative directors that are handpicked by their owners. Every now and then the profile of these creative dynamos threaten to become nearly as big as the brands themselves. However, whenever these designers leave or move on, and the analysts following these markets get concerned, the demonstration is rapidly made that these brands are stronger than their creative heads.

“Branding is boring” Lauren Taschen told me over dinner in Tuscany last week. “Luxury brands need the art world to look cool.” (Incidentally, her husband Benedikt Taschen has created with Taschen the ultimate brand in art book publishing, an area he has revolutionized.)

Bernard Arnault Photo by Julie de Rosa/AFP via Getty Images.

Bernard Arnault is the undisputed king of the luxury and fashion world. Nobody understands brands better than him. He has assembled under the LVMH umbrella the biggest collection of mega brands in existence. He has pioneered the collaborations between artists and his multiple brands. Before him some artists might have been weary of lending their talent to better sell luxury products. Today most artists would jump at the opportunity of collaborating with his brands. I have been getting some flack for suggesting on Instagram that the two collaborations between Yayoi Kusama and Louis Vuitton had done more to make out of Kusama the global pop phenomenon that she is, than any museum or gallery exhibition could ever have done. Nobody else has a more powerful marketing machine.

Bernard Arnault—like Larry Gagosian—has been at it for a little while, and continues to consolidate his position of total dominance in his field at unabated speed. About a year ago endless rumors were circulating about LVMH acquiring Gagosian. These have been strenuously denied from all sides since, including by Larry in the New Yorker profile. “Se non e vero è ben trovato” say the Italians: If it is not true it was well invented. Larry Gagosian has to my knowledge no children, whereas Arnault has five hugely talented children that are all running parts of his empire. At a time when the borders between art, fashion, music, cinema, gastronomy and the hospitality business are more and more blurred and melding into the maelstrom of contemporary culture, such a move could have made a lot of sense.

That is only if Larry Gagosian had the ambition of his business outliving him. His legacy is guaranteed in any way since wherever his formidable private collection will end will become a high octane cultural magnet. Larry Gagosian may be immortal and in case he was not, all the people who know him very well tell me that he just couldn’t care less. Could it be a case of “Apres moi le déluge!” the famous words attributed to Louis XV?

Simon de Pury is the former chairman and chief auctioneer of Phillips de Pury & Company, former Europe chairman and chief auctioneer of Sotheby’s, and former curator of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. He is now an auctioneer, curator, private dealer, art advisor, photographer, and DJ. Instagram: @simondepury

Follow Artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.

This weekend’s events include Tennessee Knockout, community festivals and a roller derby. Here’s a chronology.

ARTS

— In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave., continues its exhibition “Creating Waves With Wax,” featuring the encaustic paintings of Margaret Park. Encaustic is an ancient artistic medium made from beeswax and damar resin, which are melted together, receive pigment for color and are applied to a surface like wood while still hot. The exhibition will run through Aug. 31. The gallery is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Learn more at intowngallery.com.

— Association for Visual Arts, 30 Frazier Ave., Suite A, is hosting its juried member exhibition through Sept. 8. All works featured were judged and scored by three regional arts professionals. The works were scored based on technique, creativity, design, visual impact and professional presentation. Out of 87 local artists, 30 were selected for the exhibition. The works represent a variety of mediums, including painting, photography, sculpture, textile and mosaic. The gallery is open noon-5 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and noon-6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Learn more at avarts.org.

— ClearStory Arts, 1673 S. Holtzclaw Ave., continues its two-year anniversary exhibition, which showcases the works of the gallery’s studio and workspace artists. The exhibition will run through Aug. 26. The gallery is open 2-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Learn more at clearstoryarts.com.

— Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View, will host a “Create & Sip” class at 6 p.m. Thursday. The class, open to those 21 and over, will give attendees the opportunity to create their own landscape artworks while enjoying a glass of wine. The paintings of the museum’s current exhibit, “In Nature’s Studio: Two Centuries of American Landscape Painting,” will serve as inspiration for the class. Cost is $25 for non-members and $20 for members. Learn more at huntermuseum.org.

— Institute of Contemporary Art Chattanooga will have two events Thursday at the UTC Fine Arts Center, 752 Vine St. At 6 p.m., the institute will have “An Evening with Jake Xerxes Fussell” in the Hayes Concert Hall. Afterwards at 7 p.m., the institute will host an opening reception for its latest exhibition “When the World’s On Fire” by artist Kevin McNamee-Tweed; there will be food and drink offered, and the reception and gallery are free and open to the public. The exhibition will run through Oct. 21. Learn more at icachatt.org.

MUSIC

— Nightfall, a weekly summer music series, continues at 7 p.m. Friday at Miller Plaza, 850 Market St. The headliner will be Ashes & Arrows, and the opener will be Randy Steele. There will be an art market starting at 6 p.m., and food trucks will start serving at 6:30 p.m. The event is rain or shine, and admission is free. Learn more at nightfallchattanooga.com.

— Songbirds, 35 Station St., will have a show by Screaming Females at 8 p.m. Friday. The band’s sound is characterized as “a hearty, surprising mix of indie, alt, punk and stoner rock.” Tickets cost $17 in advance or $20 the day of show. Learn more at songbirdsfoundation.org.

— Barrelhouse Ballroom, 1501 Long St., will have two shows this weekend. At 9 p.m. Friday, Hardwired, a Metallica tribute band, will perform; tickets cost $15 in advance or $20 the day of show. At 8 p.m. Saturday, there will be a Woodstock Anniversary Party featuring Moon Juice, The Pool, Paul Childers and Jess Goggans covering the music of performers like Jefferson Airplane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and more; tickets cost $15 in advance or $20 the day of show. Learn more at barrelhouseballroom.com.

— Riverfront Nights, a weekly concert series, continues this week at 6 p.m. Saturday at Ross’s Landing, 201 Riverfront Parkway. Concessions and drink sales begin at 6 p.m. The music performances begin at 7 p.m. This week’s featured performers are The Afternooners and Joslyn & The Sweet Compression. The event is rain or shine, and admission is free. Learn more at riverfrontnights.com.

    Staff photo by Olivia Ross / Families sit and listen to the music at Riverfront Nights on July 22. The weekly concert series continues this week at 6 p.m. Saturday at Rosss Landing, 201 Riverfront Parkway. Concessions and drink sales begin at 6 p.m. The music performances will begin at 7 p.m. This weeks featured performers are The Afternooners and Joslyn & The Sweet Compression. The event is rain or shine, and admission is free.
  OUT & ABOUT

— Tennessee’s Sales Tax Holiday on groceries continues through Oct. 31. The holiday exempts food and food ingredients from the state’s standard sales tax. The holiday covers most groceries but does not apply to prepared foods, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, candy or dietary supplements. Learn more at tn.gov/revenue/taxes.

— The Feed Co. Table & Tavern, 201 W. Main St., is hosting a celebration for its eighth year anniversary from noon-9 p.m. Thursday. Expect drink specials, live music by Eric Turner and a variety of foods including those on its wagyu chophouse menu. Learn more on Feed Co.’s Facebook page.

— Dynamite K-Pop Skate Night will be from 5-9 p.m. Thursday at the Chattanooga Skate Park, 1801 Reggie White Blvd. The all-ages event will feature a live DJ, freebies, giveaways and skate rentals via Pop-Up Skates. Attendees are encouraged to wear purple or a ’70s-inspired outfit to the event celebrating the 10th anniversary of K-Pop group, BTS. Admission is free. Learn more at eventbrite.com.

— History Happy Hour will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Museum and Cultural Center at Five Points, 200 E. Inman St., Cleveland, Tenn. The event entitled “WWII Sunken Ships” will feature a discussion with Paul Mayer, a master diver, photographer, researcher and submersible pilot who has been featured in multiple television documentaries about discoveries of sunken ships. Tickets cost $5. Learn more at museumcenter.org.

— Red Bull Tennessee Knockout will go through the weekend starting at 2 p.m. Friday at the Trials Training Center, 300 Woodland Road, Sequatchie, Tenn. The weekend will see some of the world’s top motorcycle enduro riders facing the gauntlet of the East Tennessee track. Several races are planned throughout the day Saturday and Sunday including timed and head-to-head events. Spectators will have several viewing points throughout the course. Learn more at tennesseeknockoutenduro.com.

— Carpetbagger’s Comedy Night will be 9 p.m. Friday at the Granfalloon, 400 E. Main St. The event will feature comedians from New York City and the southeast including Steve Maloy, Daniel Dellanno, Jet Tatum, Stephen Henry, JoJo Casillas and Jeff Greenspan. There will be a happy hour and magic show starting at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $12 in advance or $15 at the door. Learn more at carpetbaggerscomedy.com.

— Spring Place Community Festival will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Old Spring Place Methodist Church, 237 Elm St., Chatsworth, Ga. The festival commemorates the history of the church while also raising funds to support its continued preservation. The festival’s theme is “What’s Cooking in Spring Place?” Expect breakfast, a bake sale, a flea market, a book sale, an auction, antique kitchen items, recipes, a raffle, vendors and more. The festival is free to attend. Learn more at whitfield-murrayhistoricalsociety.org.

— Reflection Riding and The Chattery are offering an “All About Forest Bathing” class from 9-10:30 a.m. Saturday at Reflection Riding, 400 Garden Road. The class will explore shinrinyoku, the Japanese art of forest bathing/cleansing. Attendees will learn the history and practices of the concept, which suggests that spending time in nature facilitates a spiritual and mental cleanse. Registration costs $30. Learn more at reflectionriding.org or at thechattery.org.

— Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and Outdoor Chattanooga are offering a historical bicycle tour through Chickamauga Battlefield starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the battlefield’s visitor center, 3370 LaFayette Road, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. Participants can bring their own bikes or reserve one through Outdoor Chattanooga. The tour is about 3-4 miles on flat to moderately hilly terrain and will take about two to three hours. The tour is free. Learn more at nps.gov/chch.

— Splash Youth Arts Workshop will host the Splash Summer Arts Festival from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at Miller Park, 928 Market St. The free, family friendly festival will feature live music, food, arts and crafts and artworks by regional artists. The workshop is a nonprofit that has provided free art workshops to Chattanooga youth since 2012. Learn more at splashyouthartsworkshop.org.

    Staff photo by Olivia Ross / Children try out making art with clay at the Splash Summer Arts Festival at Miller Park on Aug. 20, 2022. Splash Youth Arts Workshop will host the Splash Summer Arts Festival from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at Miller Park, 928 Market St. The free, family-friendly festival will feature live music, food, arts and crafts and artworks by regional artists. The workshop is a nonprofit that has provided free art workshops to Chattanooga youth since 2012.
  

— Sunshine & Lemonade Festival will be from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday at The Commons, 4950 Swinyar Drive, Collegedale, Tenn. Enjoy a day of family fun with 100 vendors, food trucks, inflatables, a petting zoo, pony and train rides, music, face painting and more. Local crafters, artisans, boutiques and other small businesses will be selling their goods. Admission is free. Learn more at eventbrite.com or on Facebook.

— Bea Arthur Drags will have two shows this weekend starring Bea Astral Dame, a Bea Arthur impersonator, and other drag performers. The first show will be drag bingo at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Seed Theatre, 1000 E. Third St., Suite 100. Tickets cost $20 and include one card for six rounds. The second show will be drag brunch at noon Sunday at No Hard Feelings, 806 Broad St. Tickets cost $35 and include breakfast and the show. Learn more at b4ck.org or eventbrite.com.

— Chattanooga Market will host Market Karaoke from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at First Horizon Pavilion, 1801 Reggie White Blvd. Attendees will have the opportunity to get on stage and sing their favorite song in front of the market crowd. Additionally, attendees will be able to shop from a variety of vendors selling fresh produce, handmade goods and more. Admission is free. Learn more at chattanoogamarket.com.

SPORTS

— Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball will have games at noon and 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the 6th Cavalry Museum, 6 Barnhardt Circle, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. At noon, the Lightfoot Club of Chattanooga will play against the Emmett Machinists of Knoxville. At 2:30 p.m., the Mountain City Club of Chattanooga will play against the Cumberland Club of Nashville. Attendees will enjoy games of 19th century base ball utilizing the rules, equipment, costumes and culture of the times. The games are free to attend. Learn more at tennesseevintagebaseball.com.

— Chattanooga Roller Derby will have its final home game of the 2023 season beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday at Camp Jordan Arena, 323 Camp Jordan Parkway. The junior team, Ruby Regulators, will battle the Rome Junior Roller Derby at 3 p.m. The Chattanooga All-Stars will play at 5 p.m. against the Blue Ridge Roller Derby. The B-Railers will play against Rocket City at 7 p.m. The event will benefit Downside Up Inc. of Chattanooga. Tickets cost $10-$14 for adults and $6 for children 6-12; children 5 and under get in free. Learn more at chattanoogarollerderby.com.

— Chattanooga Football Club will have a home game against the Salt City Union at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Finley Stadium, 1826 Reggie White Blvd. General admission tickets start at $11. Learn more at chattanoogafc.com.

THEATER

— Barking Legs, 1307 Dodds Ave., will host the closing weekend of “50 Miles Away” with performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The play, directed by Stevie Ray Dallimore and written by Jason Tinney and Holly Morse-Ellington, focuses on the journey of two strangers trying to escape their pasts who meet at a highway rest stop and continue to meet at other stops along their journey. The production features a full soundtrack written by Tinney and Morse-Ellington that will be performed by a live, three-piece band. Tickets cost $15-$20. Learn more at 50milesaway.org or barkinglegs.org.

— Athens Community Theatre will perform “Into the Woods” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at The Arts Center, 320 N. White St., Athens, Tenn. The musical, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, follows familiar fairy-tale characters who must deal with the consequences of their actions after their wishes are granted. The show will run through Aug. 27. Tickets cost $15-$20. Learn more at athensartscouncil.org.

— Tennessee Valley Theatre, 184 W. Jackson Ave., Spring City, Tenn., will perform “Dear Brutus” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The play by J.M. Barrie follows a group of guests who venture into and are transformed by the mystical woods on Midsummer Eve despite being warned against doing so. The show will run through Aug. 27. Tickets cost $12-$14. Learn more at tennesseevalleytheater.com.

— Obvious Dad will conclude its summer season with a production of “Lear,” a reimagining of Shakespeare’s “King Lear” by Young Jean Lee, with performances this weekend at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the UTC Fine Arts Center, 752 Vine St. The show is appropriate for ages 16 and older and will run through Aug. 20. Tickets cost $15. Learn more at obviousdad.com.

Find more events, and add your own, at times freepress.com/cnevents.

Contact Sam Still at sstill@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6579.

    Staff photo by Olivia Ross / Rowan Kelly paints on a group art piece at the Splash Summer Arts Festival at Miller Park on Aug. 20, 2022. Splash Youth Arts Workshop will host the Splash Summer Arts Festival from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at Miller Park, 928 Market St. The free, family-friendly festival will feature live music, food, arts and crafts and artworks by regional artists. The workshop is a nonprofit that has provided free art workshops to Chattanooga youth since 2012.

We Create Heirs Through Luxury Fertility & Surrogacy

BEVERLY HILLS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2023 / Patek Philippe Geneve is synonymous with the next generation. IMA ART Fertility helps its Chinese Clientele create the next generation through access to the world’s finest network of specialists in the fields of fertility and reproductive law.

Launching the first of its kind We Create Heirs^® fertility & surrogacy campaign exclusively serving China’s super wealthy, IMA ART embarks upon a truly unique adventure to capture the senses, imagination and desires of discreet high-net-worth families. IMA ART Fertility’s singular focus is helping discerning Chinese clientele build their families – and the next generation – by utilizing the full suite of advanced assisted reproductive technologies, including gender selection, PGT (pre-implantation genetic testing), ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection) & surrogacy. California’s progressive legal framework allows for any single person, LGBTQ and heterosexual couple to become parents – these are luxuries not legally available outside the U.S.

“Indeed, there can be no grander luxury than our children. IMA ART redefined a new paradigm in fertility,” said Michelle Tang, CEO, Co-Founder & Ethnic Chinese.

Unfortunately, for many, this ultimate luxury requires a little help – that’s where IMA ART Fertility’s bespoke family journey comes in. The Co-Founders’ imaginations know no limit when it comes to going above and beyond, with infinite creative freedom to design Chinese guests’ ultra-personalized experience for the next generation. At IMA ART, nobody does what they do at the high level they do it.

Wealthy Chinese clients inherently understand having more children diversifies their generational risk. Wealthy Chinese families are pragmatic and understand competition between their offspring ensures the family’s assets are ultimately passed down to that child with the most ability – offspring who will carry on the family lineage to future generations.

Having one child carries enormous risks for affluent Chinese families. If that offspring is incapable, it is believed the family will collapse. More children minimizes the risk, maximizes social development and the future success of the family over future generations. Chinese families have experienced many upheavals and challenges during their long history. IMA ART Fertility provides a trusted avenue towards successfully continuing the family bloodline.

Traveling across Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai, Co-Founders Michelle Tang and Ron Sonnenberg have taken their case to the super private lives of China’s mega-wealthy. Families who have achieved unimaginable success and who demand the very best in all their endeavors. This is especially important in the field of international fertility & surrogacy arrangements.

About the Company: Privately held IMA ART offers the first-of-its-kind significant, unique, and consistently elevated luxury fertility experiences to intended parents from around the world. The firm’s bespoke professional advisory services provide transformative luxury concierge services paired with fertility & surrogacy in Beverly Hills. The company’s exclusive suite of discreet fertility options is exclusively available to busy high-net-worth individuals. Learn more.

Contact Information:

Ron Sonnenberg
Co-Founder
[email protected]
(424)-284-1408

SOURCE: IMA ART Fertility

The Keep Lee County Beautiful student art contest is now open.

Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc. (KLCB) announced the annual “Leave the Scene Clean” art contest for students in grades K-12 has opened. This contest is open to all public, private, and home-schooled students across Lee County. The goal of the contest is to encourage students to think creatively about how we can all work together to keep our community clean and protect the environment.

To participate, students must create an original piece of artwork that visualizes a correct environmental action such as litter prevention, clean-up campaigns, beautification efforts, protecting the environment, and recycling. The deadline for entries is Jan. 31, and winners will be announced by mid-February.

This is a great opportunity for students to showcase their artistic talents while also learning about the importance of taking care of our environment. The artwork will be judged on creativity, originality and focus on the environmental theme. KLCB looks forward to seeing the creative and inspiring artwork from the students of Lee County.

The four overall winning illustrations will be enlarged and appear on the side of a Lee County Waste Pro truck and printed on reusable tote bags. The overall winning and honorable mention artwork will be on public display during April 2024 in honor of Earth month. All winners will also receive a certificate and prize pack.

The reusable tote bags featuring the four overall winning illustrations will be available for a small donation and will be distributed to public, private, and home schools to serve as a source of funding for school environmental projects. Schools keep 100% of the money they raise to be used toward the projects.

Keep Lee County Beautiful greatly appreciates the support over the years and hopes the “Leave The Scene Clean” art contest will continue to serve as an educational tool across Lee County. The project is made possible through corporate sponsorships. Sponsors include Lee County Solid Waste, The Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Covanta Energy, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, Greenfield Marketing & Media, Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, Southwest Waste and Waste Pro.

Deadline for entries is Jan. 31. For more information on the contest and sponsorship opportunities email Tisha@klcb.org or visit https://bit.ly/KLCBartcontest.

Sotheby’s is the latest addition the list of defendants in an ongoing class-action lawsuit over an alleged scheme to bilk investors in non-fungible tokens. Plaintiffs accuse the house, alongside the creators of Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and a pack of A-list celebrities, of deceptive practices relating to their marketing and sale of NFTs, according to an amended complaint filed with the Central District Court of California on August 4.

The suit claims the auction house colluded with Yuga Labs, creator of BAYC NFTs, to allegedly inflate the value of the colorful NFTs of illustrated apes, which were among the most sought-after digital assets before the crypto market crashed last year.

The allegations revolve around an online auction that took place in September 2021, where Sotheby’s raked in $24.2 million for the sale of a lot featuring 101 BAYC NFTs, far exceeding the presale estimate of $12 million to $18 million and setting a new record for crypto art at the time.

However, in its promotion leading up to the sale, the auction house allegedly claimed that legacy art collectors had begun tapping NFTs, part of what the plaintiffs characterize as an effort to build up an aura of legitimacy to the digital tokens. The suit accuses Sotheby’s of being “deceptive,” alleging that the house had “misleadingly created the impression that the market for BAYC NFTs had crossed over to a mainstream audience.” The plaintiffs also accused the house’s representatives of downplaying the possibilities of an NFT market bubble.

Sotheby’s continued to drum up the hype after the sale, the suit claims. Max Moore, Sotheby’s head of contemporary art auctions, allegedly revealed in a Twitter Space conversation on September 9, 2021, that the winning bidder on the BAYC NFT lot was a “traditional” art collector, when in reality it was the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, according to Ethereum blockchain transaction records.

FTX spiraled from being the world’s third-largest centralized cryptocurrency exchange in mid 2021 to filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2022.

Michael Bouhanna, the house’s co-head of digital art, told ARTnews after the 2021 sale “a growing number of traditional art buyers getting interested in NFTs,” but Sotheby’s did not disclose the identity of the buyer.

“The allegations in this suit are baseless, and Sotheby’s is prepared to vigorously defend itself,” Sotheby’s said in a statement to Artnet News.

The lawsuit, which was initially filed in December, also names Yuga Labs and A-listers including Madonna, Paris Hilton, Justin Bieber, Jimmy Fallon, and Mike “Beeple” Winkelmann as defendants accused of defrauding investors. The suit alleges Yuga Labs made paid celebrity endorsements appear organic, which artificially boosted NFT prices.

The plaintiffs are seeking compensation of more than $5 million before costs and interest.

The case is no. 2:22-cv-08909-FMO-PLA.

More Trending Stories:  

The British Museum Has Reached a Settlement With a Translator Whose Work Was Used in an Exhibition Without Her Permission 

Known as a Deep-Pocketed, ‘Aggressive’ Chinese Collector, Ding Yixiao Has Now Been Blacklisted by the Art Market. What Happened? 

A German Court Rules That Martin Kippenberger’s Estate Must Name a Painter Who Executed His Works as a Co-Author 

Can a Digital Artwork Outlast a 19th-Century Painting? The Answer Is Complicated as Artists, Dealers, and Conservators Battle Obsolescence in the Field 

A Sculptor’s Lawsuit Against Kevin Costner Over Artwork She Created for His Planned Luxury Resort Will Finally Go to Trial 

Creepily, the Woody Allen Romp ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ Channels the Book That Outed Picasso’s Treatment of Women 

JTT, the New York Gallery Known for Minting Star Artists, Is Closing After More Than a Decade 

The British Library Has Discovered Scandalous Details Censored From the Official Account of Elizabeth I’s Reign 

Follow Artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.