‘Nashville Art Crawl’ Spotlights Local Artists

By Suhaila El-Othman            

 NASHVILLE, Tenn.— Local and national artists showcased their artwork on Nov. 5 during the monthly “Nashville Art Crawl” in downtown Nashville.

            The Nashville Art Crawl is a free public event to the public that occurs the first Saturday of each month from 6-9 p.m. More than 20 galleries across the downtown area participate. Rymer Gallery and the numerous galleries that can be found upstairs in The Arcade on Fifth Ave. (also known as The Avenue of the Arts) are considered the centerpiece of the event.

            The Rymer Gallery is a 3,000-square-foot building with walls covered in art. It is home to a diverse community of exhibitions from various artists. The gallery features an intriguing sculpture by artist Buddy Jackson.

“I love Rymer”, said Nick, a frequent “art crawler”. “It’s me and my girlfriend’s favorite place to stop at first. There are always so many different beautiful inspiring pieces, and this sculpture of a man’s head and neck, it stands out you know. It’s different and exotic.”

Art at the Arcade which is upstairs, includes contemporary art galleries such as andy anh ha, “O” Gallery, and BelArt to name a few.  Among the many fascinating art galleries to choose from, a stop at the BelArt Gallery is inevitable.

 Marleen De Waele-De Bock, an artist originally from Belgium, is the woman responsible for all the artwork inside BelArt Gallery. DeBock currently lives in the Nashville area but has also traveled and lived in many other countries that have brought her inspiration.

“I went to art school in Belgium when I was 15, and attended for seven years,” DeBock said.

Inside BelArt Gallery is an array of exquisite and calming paintings that hold abstract backgrounds with vibrant colors that pop out to the eye just as much as the delicate texture. De Bock’s pieces hold depth as each painting tells a story.

De Bock’s artwork is also featured in five other galleries around Nashville including the leading contemporary art gallery, LeQuire Gallery. For more information on BelArt gallery or Marleen De Waele-De Bock, visit www.marleensartwork.com

For information on “Nashville Art Crawl” dates and other featured artists visit, http://www.nashvilledowntown.com/play/first-saturday-art-crawl