Named one of the top 20 events of the summer by the Southeastern Tourism Society in 2007, Art on the Rocks, the Birmingham Museum of Art’s wildly popular after-hours event, is moving into its third season. This series of hip, culturally driven evenings full of art, music, food and drinks thrill guests with the energy of the Museum and the spirit of downtown Birmingham. Art on the Rocks not only provides the most unique gallery viewing experience available in Alabama, but also showcases “right under the radar” musical talent on the verge of making it big. (Past performers included Augustana, DJ Logic, Lori McKenna, Todd Snider, Tift Merritt and Alejandro Escovedo.)

Art on the Rocks tickets are sold in advance online at www.artsbma.org/artrocks07. Tickets are $10 for Museum members and $20 for the general public. Limited tickets are available. Admission includes live music, hors d’oeuvres by Kathy G and adult art activities. A cash bar will feature wine, beer and specialty martinis. Complimentary parking is available in the Jefferson County lot adjacent to the Museum.

The 2007 Season
Four Fridays, 5-10pm

All Art on the Rocks dates and activities -- including art projects, scavenger hunts, food and decorations -- are themed to tie into the Museum’s permanent collection or a temporary exhibition the Museum is hosting. Houseblend plays tracks in the Terrace Café from 5-8pm. The musical guest performs in the Upper Sculpture Garden at 8pm. Bromberg’s provides the scavenger hunt prize.

June 22, Theme: 77 Dances

Musical act: Mindy Smith, www.myspace.com/mindysmith

Borrowing
from private and public collections across the United States, the exhibition features 77 works including a pair of six-panel screens, hanging scrolls, hand scrolls, framed fan paintings, albums, tanzaku (poem cards), and ceramics. The exhibition is unique in that it visually expresses the mind of historically important Japanese poets, scholars and monks.

Bromberg's June scavenger hunt prize is an 18-karat yellow gold necklace from designer Marco Bicego’s Paradise Collection, with citrine, aquamarine, peridot, pink tourmaline, and amethyst stones. The retail value is $1410.
See more pictures from June!

July 20, Theme: American

Musical act: Indigenous, www.myspace.com/indigenousrocks.com

Many works in the Museum’s American collection capture scenes of the west, including selections by Bierstadt, Remington and Martin Johnson Heade. Get ready to giddy-up through the galleries!
Bromberg's July scavenger hunt prize is a David Yurman 5mm Cable Candy bracelet. It has pink tourmaline on the end caps and pave' set pink sapphires surrounding the end caps. The retail value is $1900.
See more pictures from July!

August 24, Theme: VULCANALIA!

Musical artist: Patterson Hood, www.myspace.com/pattersonhood

This will be an Art on the Rocks you don’t want to miss! The annual ancient Roman Vulcanalia festival was held on August 23 in honour of the Roman god Vulcan. Fish were sacrificed on festival bonfires lit in honour of the god. Vulcan was the god of fire, tools, and smithing, so it also was customary to make crafts by candlelight in his honour. Ironically, Mount Vesuvius erupted the day after the citizens of Pompeii celebrated Vulcanalia in 79 AD.  Too few fish?
See more pictures from August!

Here’s the fun part...
Celebrate the holiday properly. Wear a toga!. If you do, you’ll be placed in a drawing for a brand new red Vespa donated by Bogart’s Motor Sports. (Click here for toga-making instruction.)

September 14, Theme: Pompeii
Musical artist: Kim Richey, www.myspace.com/kimrichey

Feel the heat when we blow the top off the season’s final Art on the Rocks. As we get ready for our huge Pompeii: Tales from an Eruption exhibition in October, look for ancient Rome to provide a perfect backdrop for the last hoorah!

2007 Sponsors

Birmingham Beverage, Black & White City Paper, Bromberg’s, Dale’s Seasoning, FOX6 WBRC, Reg’s Coffeehouse, Sand Mountain Booking, Soft Rock 94.5, Starnes and Atchison, and Walls New Media.