If you have not been into South Austin lately it is time to plan a visit. 2209 South First Street is the new home for the Laughing at the Sun Gallery. The gallery, which is fairly new, opened in March of 1996 and has been gathering steam ever since. What, or in this case, Who is fueling this resurgence? Three professional and very busy artists, Daryl G. Colburn, Rita Ross, and Nicole Tarnay have arrived and are infused with an energy that is inspiring. They are here with a vision, a purpose, and the knowledge to make their dream come true. The beauty of it all is that their dream is one that has encompassed the Austin Art community for quite some time, with the exception that these three plan to turn the dream into reality. A dream of creating an avenue where the Artist is truly free to express their own ideas in their own way. In this situation the emphasis is on Freedom. Daryl, Rita, and Nicole want to stretch the perceptions of their themes to open the arena for the Artists' uninhibited expression. They want to help expose Austin to it's very own treasure, the Artists that live and work here. There is a lot of great art here in Austin from Artists who arealready established and also from new emerging talent. The Laughing At The Sun Gallery Owners want to make this Gallery the place to find it. The gallery owners also hope to break the barrier between Artist and Patron. One of their courses to achieve this happens on Sundays, when the Artists show up and do actual carvings and create their work right on the premises. All are invited to attend and even try out the techniques that are being demonstrated in this informal setting. It is a time for the Artists to interact with their peers and for anyone who is interested in art to come relax and get to know the Artists and their work. All branches of the Arts are represented as poets, writers, and musicians are all invited to attend.

Bringing all of these art forms together is yet another vision expressed by the gallery owners. They feel that the promoters of the music and the art scenes are not making the connection between the two. All of the Artists are trying to do the same thing here in Austin and are just using different forms to express themselves. The gallery owners would like to help illuminate that similarity and create more of a community feel to the whole atmosphere. To help open those doors and get the two forms together to talk, meet, and network they have live music at all of their openings. Another attempt at bringing the two together will be with their Music Show that opens on February 27th & 28th and runs through April 5th. The show will include artwork about music by several different Artists and some artwork done by the Musicians themselves. Also live performances from Jake Andrews, LeeAnn Atherton, Jimmy George, Carolyn in Wonderland, and more. Z Z Z

Call the gallery for information on this and other upcoming shows; also various classes are ongoing so call if you are interested. The Laughing At The Sun Gallery can be reached at (512) 326-4410 or visit their website at...
http://www.viewtopia.com