courtesy of SOVA
On a recent morning visit to SOVA I discovered dirty chai. The shot of espresso cuts the sweetness of the chai perfectly and VAROOM! I climbed up the steep steps to the shabby chic “study hall” and wine bar upstairs. Properly fueled, it’s time to get down to business. Business, on this particular visit happened to be scoping out the art show upstairs.
If you’re looking for carnival masks, mischievous satyrs or pseudo-starry nights, climb the stairs to see the exhibit of work by Nicholas Maziejka. Maziejka, self-described as “slathered in charm,” may indeed be an “enigmatic burrito,” but his work is bit too exuberant for my tastes. It’s a curious affair, pricing artwork. Who knows what the market will bear, but quite often all of the work exhibited at SOVA sells, so best wishes, Mr. Maziejka.
SOVA sports a generous amount of wall space, best used this winter by the The Polaroid Retrospective; and most recently, by the forthright and often haunting images in the exhibit Critical Exposure, Empowering Youth Through Photography. The opportunity to hang a number of pieces and take advantage of southern exposure is a boon for local artists, and it’s a regular bonanza if you think about the assortment of potential buyers among events as varied as Boogie Babies and Bluegrass Night, to the weekly DJ SOVA Sessions. SOVA owner Frank Hankins, an art and wine enthusiast, is open exhibiting all sorts of artists and media, and takes pleasure in how both happenstance and personal connections have handily curated the varied mix of artists who’ve exhibited in his caffeinated space.
They’ve just installed a new small show downstairs of sketches by a local artist and loyal customer. Know a local artist who needs broad exposure? Frank is looking for exhibitors; drop him a line with suggestions at frank_hankins at hotmail dot com.