Secrets of Paris

A vernissage is typically the opening soirée of a new show at an art gallery, and in Paris you could organize your entire social life around just attending the many that take place throughout the city every week.

These can also be creatively hybrid events, like the two I went to last week.

"Seats in the City, an invitation to settle down ..." opened on November 4 at the stylepixie gallery (2 rue Edouard Vasseur 94200 Ivry sur Seine, M° Pierre et Marie Curie), an English hair salon that doubles as an art gallery in a loft collective just outside Paris. The show features nine painters from America, Ireland, Serbia and France: Aurore Pallet, Charlotte Salvanès, Sandra Detourbet, Nugent Koscielny, Emily Walcker, Marcus McAllister, Jérôme Quèbre, Filip Mirazovic and Tom J. Byrne.

Salon-Gallery owner Vicky Nelson
with artist Marcus McAllister.

The packed vernissage was also the two-year anniversary of the gallery, so there was birthday cake and some amazing live jazz singing by one of the stylists, Lexi DeRock. The exhibition continues through January 10, sur RDV.

Lexi DeRock sings at the packed vernissage.

*  *  *

Another interesting vernissage was at one of my favorite Belleville ateliers, L'Association pour l'Estampe et l'Art Populaire (49bis rue des Cascades, 20th, M° Jourdain) on November 1st for the Jour des Morts (the traditional Mexican festival known as Day of the Dead). WHile the French remember their dead on Toussaint (All Saints Day), the Mexicans celebrate it with festivals, music and colorful alter decorations.

The atelier not only has an exposition of prints that use the Day of the Dead's skeleton theme, they also have an annual vernissage festif with songs, storytelling, and their own colorful offering to those who have passed. If you missed it this year, get on their mailing list so you don't miss the next one.

The altar with it's candles and incense...

And on the street outside...