When many think of Newport, they think of The Levee - the Aquarium, the movie theater, the restaurants, the shopping. There are some working to change that; at least once a month, the members of WAAM want you to think Newport=New Art. And not just visual art, but all art; WAAM stands for “Writers, Actors, Artists and Musicians.”
David Dalton, 34, owner of Red Hot Promotions and co-owner of Gallerie Zaum, is the main organizer of WAAM. “It's a pretty simple little event,” he says. “Basically, the first Friday of every month, 6-9 p.m., participating businesses will have committed to be open during those hours. WAAM is to unite any business in Newport that features an artist, has artwork hanging, a book signing, musicians or anything to do with the arts. We also have theaters within two blocks, so actors seemed to be a good fit and also another form of art that I think gets overlooked sometimes. It tries to encompass all of the arts and ... (offers) extended hours for people who may not be able to make it to these places during normal business hours.”
WAAM fits in nicely with other first Friday activity in Northern Kentucky; Covington has a gallery hop in its arts district, on the Mainstrasse and on Pike St. Bellevue, the little city neighboring Newport, also sports late hours for shops on its main thoroughfare, Fairfield Ave. (KY 8). The Historic East End of Newport (the area from 5th St. to the river) does an art walk right down the street from (and overlapping with) WAAM. The WAAM event broadens northern Kentucky's first Friday arts territory – both geographically, and into new genres.
“WAAM is not just a gallery hop,” says Dalton. “The other events, Final Friday, Second Saturday, they are fantastic events, all of them ... but they are pretty much galleries ... we have two theaters, and not movies that you're going to watch, they're actual plays put on by local organizations ... and you can walk around the corner to The Southgate house where they have CD release parties and local bands all the time. So, it's different in the sense that there's a lot more to offer in Newport as far as diversity of the arts.”
Adam Shelton, 33, is Dalton's business partner, and co-owns the gallery side to their shared space, called Gallerie Zaum. Shelton says, “With ... us trying to promote people who are taking risks with their art ... galleries and museums sometimes can tend to exclude people and be kind of stuffy ... that's what I think is good about this event – there's so much and it's such a down to earth kind of event. If you want to see a punk rock band, you can go down the street to The Southgate House and then come up here on the same night and see something that would be considered fine art ... I think it's just a broad spectrum of stuff ... no fan of any of these things is left out because there's so much for everybody.”
Dalton adds, “You might find, at York Street for instance, a new show in the gallery upstairs and a band on the second level.”
This commitment to artistic diversity and creative inclusion reflects the personality of the gallery and its owners. The word “Zaum” is derived from a term coined by Russian futurist poets and means, as applied to art, “Traditional conceptions of language bound within the strict confines of grammar and the connotation of socially indoctrinated meanings completely turned 'inside-out.'” This means – basically, that the Zaum owners play by their own rules. This is apparent in their choice of location – in the heart of Newport, more traditionally known as an “entertainment district” rather than a gallery strip. The space, once an old shoe store, now has a contemporary, urban feel, with high ceilings and exposed brick. Toward the back is a frame shop, where artists can have frames custom-designed for their work.
They chose the name Zaum because, Shelton says, “The gallery didn't have to represent a specific type of art. It wouldn't pigeonhole us.”
Dalton and Shelton have as diverse backgrounds as the artists they promote. Dalton studied Graphic Design and Journalism, works with photography and has a love for steel sculpture. Shelton has a Fine Art degree (emphasis in drawing and painting) and also plays drums with local rock and Free Jazz groups. Besides providing a gallery space for artists as well as organizing WAAM, these two cultivators of the arts are also known for putting together the Northern Kentucky Fine Art Festival, a big annual event (usually in June) for showcasing local artists. They have been organizing this for the last decade in Ft. Thomas (this would have been their 10th year); after the move to Newport, they have to find a new venue, but the festival will continue next year.
Gallerie Zaum has its roots in the Genesis Gallery, later renamed Rish Gallery, of Ft. Thomas. Dalton began working at Rish Gallery in 1995, and took over in 1997. In 2004, Adam joined the gallery and they changed their name to Zaum; 10 years later, in 2007, they moved to their space on 811 Monmouth in Newport. The space was larger and met their needs better – and they wasted no time in getting involved in the neighborhood and helping to create an arts community. WAAM is one result, next year's Fine Art Festival will be another – and for artists in the area, their gallery may become a welcome venue for those just getting their start or for those who are a little on the “fringe.” In addition to the gallery, Dalton's business, Red Hot Promotions, does design work and T-shirt screen-printing, which may interest artists and musicians alike. One thing is sure – Newport has a good thing going for them.
Dalton says, “Our mission is to support local art and original art. There's so much stuff you can buy at Target and Walmart, prints you can buy to decorate your home. We want to stay focused on the local artists and to support any way we can the individuals around.”
Shelton adds, “We want to give artists that first exposure they need, which a lot of galleries won't give them. I feel we are set apart by that.”
WAAM takes place the first Friday of every month (but will not happen in July because of Independence Day). This month's participating venues include: Gallerie Zaum, Galleries Together, Southgate House, Steamboat Bagels, York St. Cafe, Monmouth Theatre, Mansion Hill Tavern, Stained Glass Theater, Kentucky Haus, Kula Center for Movement, Mammoth Coffee and Seventh St. Gifts.
Liz Wu is a freelance musician and journalist whose passions include the arts, culture and service to others. She is the author of Rosa Farm (Random House, 1996), has a CincyChic art and culture blog, contributes to CityBeat, Taste Magazine and other publications and is also co-founder/manager of Zeit Productions, a promotions company specially geared toward small businesses and artists/performers.
Photography by Scott Beseler
Jeremy of Straw Boss at the Southgate Parlour
Monmouth Theater
Mixed Media by Mike Mooser at York St. Cafe
Foyer Sculpture at York St. Cafe