Art: Jury duty

By F. Andrew Taylor

Before World War II, Henderson was little more than a wide spot in the road to Hoover Dam. Then, Basic Magnesium set up shop there, providing raw material for a lot of the really loud explosions in Europe and the Pacific. Eventually, the unincorporated area became Henderson (of course.) But first, the little town of Basic was built, and it now goes by the quaint sobriquet of Old Town. It's an anomaly in the valley. The short blocks and storefronts bear more resemblance to Mayberry than the pseudo-SoCal sprawl that dominates the surrounding land. It's cute, walkable and has a fair amount of unused retail space. In short, it's a likely place for an arts district.

Following rumors that this was happening, I checked out the new show at the Old Town Gallery. What I saw was typical of the sort of work one sees in small-town galleries across the country. Some of the work was good-hearted but just painful to look at. These were the presumably self-taught painters, the hobbyists who would be otherwise engaged in making button dolls or putting out octegenarizines of poetry about puppies and grandchildren. Other work was well-crafted, but too steeped in kitsch to ponder deeply. Tim Little's sculptures, for instance, are beautiful pieces, but it's unlikely that a serious art aficionado will find room in his collection for a dragonhead carved from a huge tamarisk root. Fortunately for Little, there's a decent chance the Lonnie Hammargrens of our city will make him a very wealthy man.

There are, however, a fair number of remarkably good artists in this show, which was juried by, among others, Guggenheim Hermitage Museum curator Elizabeth Herridge. "Young Hilltribe Boy," a photo by Elva Soper, is an excellent portrait. Likewise, "Rose in Henderson" by Lea Mills proves her to be a first-rate photographer. There are some decent oils, notably a series of Portuguese townscapes by Evi Allen and the figurative "Marie Series #4" by George Jenson. I found myself particular drawn to a set of three watercolors by Mary Ann Cavarra titled "Pear Series."

It's a little early to start calling it the Basic Arts District (there's a lovely acronym). There are really only two galleries and the town boasts an equal number of dog groomers. Of course, there are a greater number of insurance agents, yet as far as I know there's been no effort to attach the moniker "Little Hartford" to the area. Still, deep down inside, I'm an optimist. I can clearly imagine a less edgy First Friday South developing there. Provided, of course, that nothing else blows up down there anytime soon.