The reception for the “Art of the Rings, Fellowship of the Art” installation at Le Chat Noir brought out art lovers and Tolkien fans in droves, Friday night.
Curator Heather René Dunaway coordinated the exhibit, which features more than 20 pieces inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” novels and its “Middle-Earth” lore.
To celebrate the anniversary of the first novel in the trilogy, “Fellowship of the Ring,” Dunaway, with the help of some of her fellow creators, hosted a reception for the art show, free and open to the public, at the downtown black box theatre.
Dunaway estimates that between 120 to 130 people attended the high-fantasy-themed soiree, where most visitors, artists and patrons alike, came in attire fit for elves, hobbits and wizards.
“We had so many people in costumes tonight,” Dunaway said. “I think everyone was really overwhelmed with how detailed we made this event.”
Artworks for sale were lined up along the wall of the theatre lobby. At one corner, next to the storefront window, was the Middle Earth Mercantile shoppe, a stand displaying smaller novelty pieces and handcrafted Tolkien merchandise for sale, available only during the event.
At the other end of the lobby was a spread of hors d’oeuvres, also inspired by the books, from honey cakes, stuffed mushrooms and roasted potatoes to a charcuterie board of toasts, fruits and jams and, of course, a dispenser of “Elven elixir” (chilled water with mint).
Dunaway was preparing the food from 9 a.m. that morning. “We’ve refilled the food five times,” she said, noting the refreshments proved a success.
While some partygoers sat in the theatre for the free screening of the 2001 film adaptation of “Fellowship,” others mingled admiring the artwork, which has been on display at Le Chat Noir since July 1.
Within the first hour of the reception, roughly half of the featured artworks had been sold out, Dunaway said.
One of Joey Hart’s mixed media drawings on display, titled “An Air of Wizards,” was inspired by the relationship between the characters Frodo Baggins and Faramir in Tolkien’s epic. The artist recalls the effect their scenes in the books had on him.
“It’s basically Frodo and Faramir mirroring, and sort of testing, each other for honesty, truth dependability—like they weren’t sure if they could trust the other person,” said Hart, recalling how their scenes in the books affected him, prompting reflections on honor and morality. “The books are close to my heart. I read the books when I was very young, and it was very important to me to try to think of the most important part of the books to me to paint about.”
Erica Pastecki, also a long-time fan of both the books and the films, binge-watched the recent film adaptations of “The Hobbit” to mine inspiration for her paintings “My Precious” and “The Adventures of Legolas-Cat.”
The former features the character “Gollum” clutching a cup of coffee, and the latter depicts a feline version of the dashing elven archer played by Orlando Bloom in the films.
“Of course, I love the art forms. I’m a crazy old cat lady, and I’m very fond of coffee,” said Pastecki. “I think those are my main inspirations for it, just kind of blending some fun stuff into the already great themes that [Tolkien’s] got going.”
Jeremy Cohen’s “Middle-Earth” is a detailed drawing of the mythical lands in which Tolkien’s books are set.
“I love maps,” said Cohen. “It was really challenging, all the details—so many details. The rivers, the mounts, the words; it took me a long time, undertaking a new challenge. That’s really why I did it.”
The turnout and enthusiasm were enough for Dunaway to intimate repeating the art show next year, with a theme based on “The Two Towers,” the second book in Tolkien’s trilogy.
“I think the artists were very well received. I think that that’s always appreciated, that people are coming out to see your work and admire it,” said Dunaway. “They’re talking to the artists, and the artists are getting that feedback, which is really important.”
The Art of the Rings art exhibit will be on display at Le Chat Noir through August 5.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
