"Stark Naked Salon" Exhibition Opening—Expect the Unexpected

"Stark Naked Salon" Exhibition Opening—Expect the Unexpected

Will you attend the art party of the summer? Come to the opening of the Massillon Museum’s “Stark Naked Salon” exhibition on Saturday, August 22. It’s a free public party on the lawn in the heart of downtown Massillon, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. No reservations are necessary.

Hooked on Tonics, a versatile group, will rock the downtown with love, peace, and music, playing funk that makes listeners dance and party from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Dan Monea, Adam Orin, and Nate Monea will perform their matchless original tunes interspersed with intriguing covers of popular songs by 311, Warren G, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Since the band started in early 2005, they’ve criss-crossed the American South, playing universities, pubs, and clubs in Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas, and Louisiana. Closer to their Canton home they’ve crowded McCarthy’s in the Cleveland Flats as well as the Blind Pig in the heart of the city, the Harbor Inn at Turkeyfoot Lake in Akron, and the Olde Jaol in Wooster. They make it a point to connect with their roots and their hometown fans often.

XainGO!, a local collective of artists and dancers, will perform at the "Stark Naked Salon" opening on August 22, at 7:00 p.m. “Water,” a performance art piece, will be showcased for this occasion. The result of their dancing and painting performance will be a large scale canvas, to be raffled at the event. Recently, the Plain Dealer listed XainGO! performances among the "Top 10 Art Events" of the Cleveland area.

“Stark Naked Salon, an eye-popping exhibition, showcases the multimedia work of 11 soon-to-be-well-known Stark County artists who were chosen for their fresh, non-traditional and inspired artistic styles: Bili Kribbs, Scot Phillips, and Derek Zimmerman of Massillon; Marti Jones Dixon, Nick Brewer, Joseph Close, and Dylan Atkinson of Canton; Thomas R. Wentling of Brewster; Steve Ehret of Perry; Erin Mulligan from Minerva, and Ron Copeland of Pittsburgh (formerly of Massillon). “Stark Naked Salon” is co-curated by Alexandra Nicholis (Massillon Museum Curator) and Dan Kane (Canton Repository Arts and Entertainment Writer).

About magazine, opening sponsor, will provide complimentary popsicles; the Chit Chat Coffee Shoppe will offer summer food, and the Stark Naked Saloon will sell beer and wine as well as soft drinks and water. Guests will be able to watch a “Stark Naked Salon” film and pose for their own photos in Nick Brewer’s photo studio.

Additional events will add to the excitement of the exhibition throughout its run: a free showing of “Rock-afire Explosion” at the Lions Lincoln Theatre on September 10, 7:00 p.m.; six-week Oil Painting Class with Dylan Atkinson, beginning on August 29 (advance registration required); “Do the Mu!” Ephemeral Art with Scot Phillips on September 5, a free family activity; free showing of “Beautiful Losers” on September 17, 7:00 p.m., at the Lions Lincoln Theatre; three-week Figure Drawing class with Marti Jones Dixon beginning on September 12 (advance registration required); and the free “Stark Naked Salon” Gallery Party on October 1 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Visit starknakedsalon.com for details.

Also on Saturday, August 22, the Canton Artists League’s exhibition, “A Splash of Color,” will open in Studio M in the Fred F. Silk Community Room of the Massillon Museum, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. That opening reception is also free and open to the public.

In addition to the About magazine event sponsorship, the Massillon Museum receives funding from the Ohio Arts Council and Arts in Stark.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East (Ohio Route 172) in downtown Massillon. For more information, contact the Museum at 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org.

The "Stark Naked Salon" exhibition will continue through October 4. The Massillon Museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. The Chit Chat Coffee Shoppe is open in the Museum lobby from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Saturday; and 10:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Free parking is available on adjacent streets and in nearby city lots. A visit to the Massillon Museum is always free.

Media Contacts:

Christine Fowler Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director: 330-833-4061 or cshearer@massillonmuseum.org

Alexandra Nicholis, Massillon Museum Curator: 330-833-4061 or anicholis@massillonmuseum.org

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator: 330-844-1525 or vogt@sssnet.com

Photographs:

Hooked on Tonics

XainGO!