A look at the artsy side of Huntsville

In these days of wholesale cuts of money for the arts in schools and municipal budgets, it's a testament to Huntsville's appreciation for culture and creativity that it has a vibrant arts scene.

In that regard, it's very much like Chattanooga -- both cities have metro populations of about 400,000 and both a host of art-related activities, venues and events, some city-sponsored and some created by the artists themselves.

And even here, the Germans have a hand. The Huntsville Symphony Orchestra was created in 1955 as the Huntsville Civic Orchestra, a direct result of the city's expanding cultural needs after the Germans arrived in 1950. Some Germans were amateur musicians and other city residents remember them sitting on their front porches in the early '50s, performing chamber music.

Renamed the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra in 1968, it now performs concerts throughout the year. Eight are scheduled in 2015, all at the Von Braun Center, where concerts, theater productions and other events are held year-round.

The coolest element of the city's arts scene, however, is Lowe Mill, a three-story, refurbished textile mill just a few blocks southwest of downtown. A combination of artists' studios and flea market, the mill is open Wednesday through Saturday and truly teems with people on the weekend. Ceramic makers, glass blowers, jewelry makers, painters, printers, sculptors, textile artists -- all have studios inside the mill. But on any day, you'll find many artists in their spaces, working on pieces. They're happy to talk with you about their art, their technique, their vision.

There also are independent businesses at Lowe Mill, including Vertical House Records, a vinyl store, Happy Tummy Restaurant, Tangled String Studio, home to acoustic instruments and Pizelle's Confections, whose chocolates, some covered by hard shells in beautiful multiple colors (yes, they're edible), qualify as true works of art.

On Fridays in the spring and fall, the mill hosts free Friday night concerts (well, you have to pay $2 for parking). Called Concerts on the Dock, they are staged on the mill's former loading dock while spectators sit in a grass field out front. You can bring lawn chairs, blankets, food, even wine and beer. Oh yeah, dogs, too.

And, yes, what you're thinking is right: It is kind of like Nightfall and Riverfront Nights. And, like those shows, Concerts on the Dock focuses on lesser-known artists, some of which go on to bigger fame. In 2013, for instance, it had a show by the suddenly red-hot St. Paul & the Broken Bones from Birmingham.

On a recent Friday night, young hipsters kicked hacky sacks while older folks in lawn chairs watched their grandchildren run, whoop and play around the edges of the field. Dogs were everywhere, and the vibe was extremely laid-back and chill.

When weather gets too cold for outdoor shows, concerts are held indoors in the First Floor Connector, a wide-open 4,400-square-foot area, whose red brick walls and industrial pillars and ceilings also host such events as birthday parties, award ceremonies and fashion shows. In its theater on the mill's second floor, the Flying Monkey Arts Center offers swing dancing, book-release parties, music, yoga, comedians, even roller derby.

Elsewhere around Huntsville, the city's art museum features a pretty solid permanent collection with pieces by American artists such as Andy Warhol, James McNeill Whistler and Reginald Marsh, as well as substantial numbers of glass art and sterling-silver sculptures. It also brings in its share of traveling exhibitions, including works by famous folk artist Grandma Moses through March 1, "Looking at the Collection: American Impressionist Women" through Jan. 11 and "Rembrandt, Rubens, Gainsborough and the Golden Age of Painting in Europe" coming in February.

In the summer, the rear patio of the museum also hosts a 10-week concert program featuring regional acts and sponsored by the Huntsville Arts Council.

The museum is located downtown at Big Spring Park, an area it shares with -- yes -- the Big Spring, Huntsville's original water source, and the Von Braun Center. In April, the park is home to Panoply, a three-day arts festival organized by the arts council.

Contact Shawn Ryan at sryan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327.

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