The Ora Mae Gallery at Millhouse
The Ora Mae Gallery was initiated in August of 2022 as a space for emerging artists to have the shows they want to have. The Tuscaloosa area has plenty of empty commercial space, but few galleries. Moreover, to have a show in the existing set of spaces tends to entail a compromise -- work has to be altered to hang on the fiberglass rod system, certain works get deemed unacceptable "because the dean is going to be there," limited space is divided up between multiple artists that need all need a show this month, etc.
The Ora Mae Gallery exists for artists to present a body of work as they see fit. With that in mind, no curation is performed by anyone but the artist and that will never change. There is no board of directors, no very important patron, no silent partners, no structure at all other than the schedule itself. The space itself is maintained in such a way that artists can feel free to show their work the way it ought to be seen. A well-stocked tool room and a motivated host make this process both safe and efficient.
The events are meant to be worthwhile and memorable. In the end, it won't look any different on an artist's CV, but being there for any given Ora Mae art night is a unique experience.
It's ok for things to be awesome, and breath-taking, and worth it.
The rules I gave myself at the beginning: once a month, a visual artist and a musician (or small band) - at least one artist is someone I don't know and at least one artist is not like me. Many artistic endeavors I have contributed to over the years quickly turned into a pre-existing group of buddies just hanging out.
"Too often in small town scenes, good ideas fizzle out through repetition: the same people do the same things over and over again until everyone stops showing up. By inviting in folks from outside the circle, the Ora Mae Gallery should keep things perpetually fresh." -- The Enthusiast, February 2023, theenthusiast.substack.com/p/hey-ho-let…
Within three months, the events started running themselves. All I have to do is take care of food and a little promotion.
Instagram Profile:
www.instagram.com/oramae_galleryholt/