Tweethearts of the Rodeo

Home Tweet Home

Gallery 801’s new show wants to tell the world about the Tucson Art Scene and How Tweet It Is

May 9, 2009 Gallery 801 opens “Home Tweet Home” a fine art show featuring Tucson artists on Tucson. From Steven Derks’ bright tiles baked in the Tucson sun, Bryan Crow’s abstract painting expressing dry-heat urban angst to cool tranquility, to J Randall Harris’ photographic travel posters featuring Tucson’s favorite destinations, the show features original work interpreting what we all love about the Old Pueblo. Painter Carolyn Anne Anderson has contributed a series for the show called “Pollos del Pueblo” featuring hens en route to Club Congress, a fowl couple leaving The No-Tel Motel, and inebriated roosters stumbling out of The Buffet. Her pollos offer a whimsical take on our city landscape. Edward McCain, who is best known for his award winning photographs featured in publications including Arizona Highways and Sunset Magazine will have an artist talk and book signing for his photo-documentary "7 Days in Tucson” at the gallery May 16, 1-3 pm. The show will also feature McCain’s photographs from the book.

In addition to the diverse artists represented, Home Tweet Home features an innovative interactive element. Art fans will be able to view the show at Gallery 801 and also online at www.tweettucson.com . Through the website you can click and transfer images, links, and artist information onto your blog, social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook, and Twitter.

Twitter is a micro-blogging platform that allows user to send 140 character messages to their followers called “Tweets”. For example, a visitor to the gallery can go to the tweetucson.com website and click the “tweet” button to post something like:

“Chicken’s At the No-Tel Motel? Check out a Painting by Tucson’s Carolyn Anderson muttbutt.com all part of Gallery 801s show tweettucson.com”

This allows visitors to the physical and online shows to interact with the work in a new way. The site also allows you to get to know the artists directly through Facebook, MySpace or to link directly to their individual websites.

The show came together when Steven Derks, Carolyn Anne Anderson, and Bryan Crow, members of the Tucson Revivalist Artists Collective, got together to brainstorm creative marketing ideas. The show grew out of an effort to offer people who want to support local artist an easy means to do so. Gallery 801 owner Derks states “Most people know Tucson has an incredible art community and are interested in supporting it. With this show we wanted to explore ways online that people can interact with the art, the artists, as the relationship goes both ways. The Twitter and Facebook component exponentially increases who can experience the show. The tweetucson.com website gives folks a free and easy opportunity to support local artist and give them exposure to thousands of people.”

“Tweeting” has the potential to bring about great publicity for our local artists and the Tucson arts scene as a whole.
Check Out “Home Tweet Home” opening May 9, 2009 at Gallery 801 and online at www.tweettucson.com.
With an opening artist’s reception Saturday May 9, 6-9 pm, Photographer Edward McCain’s Artist Talk and Book Signing Saturday May 16, 1-3 pm, the show runs through July 1, 2009.
Gallery 801 is located at 801 North Main and the corners of Main and University. For more information call 520-370-1610.

For more information about the artists mentioned above please visit their individual websites:
Carolyn Anne Anderson www.muttbutt.com
Lee Roy Beach www.leeroybeach.com
Bryan Crowe www.bryancrowartist.com
Steven Derks www.stevenderks.com
J Randall Harris www.jrandallharris.com
Edward McCain www.mccainphoto.com