Try-me Art Gallery

You guys, there's a hidden art haven right in the middle of The Fan....

And my company's founder and former owner/president owns it (along with all the awesome pieces featured inside it).

In December, Bill Royall through a little get together for the employees of Royall and Company to make up for our holiday party being cancelled this year (apparently one giant, almost all-expense paid conference for 3100 employees is all our new owners were willing to foot the bill for - pffffttttt cheap skates.... JK YOU KNOW I'M KIDDING RIGHT :D New owners whom I luv very much).

He hosted it at his private art gallery at 1623 W. Main St. (right across from Home Team Grille, where I'd sat on the patio looking at this space many times before, never knowing it was 1) a gallery and much less 2) that my former company head owned it).  I'd seen the issue of Style Weekly that ranked Richmond's most powerful and influential figures in the art and culture scene, and I had seen the powerful art figure that Bill was in the community, but I had no idea how similar our tastes were!

I was so impressed, mesmerized, and/or impressed/blown away by so many pieces that day.  The full list of featured works and all their relevant information can be found on the Try-me website.  For now, here are some of my favorites! (Artists information and descriptions coming ASAP!)

Moment

David Schnell

Oil on canvas, 2010

Incense Burner (How do you like me now?): Self Portrait No. 5

Michelle Florence

Glazed porcelainous stoneware on LED platform, 2014

Untitled Legal

Guner 

Site specific graffiti piece in aerosol paints on painted steel door, 2009

Only A Thief Thinks Everybody Steals

Ryan McGinness  

Acrylic on canvas, 2008

Standing Security Guard

Marc Sijan 

Polyester resin, mixed media, oil paint, 2010

Every Man Has His Tastes

Jessica Jackson Hutchins

Upholstered chair and ottoman, glazed ceramic, ceramic objects, paint, 2013-14

Soundsuit

Nick Cave

Fabric, sequins, beads, embroidery, and mannequin, 2011

Amor en Rojo

Stainless (Alejandro Pinero Bello, Jose Gabriel Capaz, Roberto Fabelo Hung)

Oil, wood, polyester resin, canvas, prime stage polyurethane paint, 2014

Memory Fails

Titus Kaphar

Oil on canvas, tar, gold leaf frame, 2011

(U) Afterimage

Vincent Lamouroux

Aluminum tubing, paint, fluorescent lights, edition 2/3, 2009

Wading (Pink I) and Wading (Blue II)

Isca Greenfield-Sanders

Mixed media and oil on canvas, 2011

OMG

Kristin Baker

Acrylic on PVC panel, 2014

I've Been Good to Me

Mickalene Thomas

Acrylic and oil enamel with rhinestones on panel, 2013

Channel

Mary Weatherford

Flashe, neon on linen, 2015

Chorus (Coro#1, Coro#2, Coro#3)

Eva Rocha

Vintage mannequins, plywood, found objects, textile, encaustic, wooden pallets, 2015

Shutter

Elizabeth King

3 minute silent stop-frame film animation of (KING 13), glass lens, bellows, brass and steel frame, steel table, 2008

Drawing (Pins)

Tara Donovan  

Paint, nickel-plated steel pins on gatorboard, 2010

The de Toilette: Self Portrait No. 2

Michelle Florence

Glazed porcelainous stoneware, 2013