NASHVILLE, TN, April 18, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ — The exhibit, titled Shakers, Breakers & Music Makers, will run April 30 to June 11, 2023, and feature more than 60 rock star portraits from the studio of Russian artist, musician, filmmaker, and photographer Stas Namin. The opening coincides with the MACC’s Fourth Annual Moonlight and Magnolias Gala Fundraiser.
“We are thrilled to introduce the rock ‘n roll portraits of Stas Namin to our Tennessee audience,” says Cheryl Strichik, the MACC’s executive director. “Stas has truly lived a rock ‘n roll life. So, it’s no surprise that his beautiful portraits capture the spirit of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash and other musicians included in this exhibit.”
Born in Moscow in 1951, Stas Namin is widely viewed as the one true rock star of East European music and art. Since the 1960s, Stas has experimented with almost every creative medium imaginable, earning him a level of critical and popular acclaim that perhaps no other contemporary Eastern European artist has achieved. He burst onto the music and art scene in 1969 when he founded the legendary rock band The Flowers, which has sold more than 60 million records in Europe and still rocks out to this day.
As one of the only musical superstars in all of Eastern Europe at the time, Stas took his cultural status seriously and used it to promote freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom from government oppression and the growth of music and art across the continent. It’s no surprise that Stas has often been referred to as “the Bob Dylan of Russia.” He organized his home country’s first pop and rock festivals, including the 1989 Peace Festival. He’s helped found private record labels, radio stations, and TV stations, and even helped establish the nation’s first non-state-sponsored symphony orchestra.
Over the years, Stas has also evolved into a highly accomplished visual artist. His evocative paintings and graphic works have been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout Russia and around the world. He has been featured in major music exhibitions and, in 2014, Stas was awarded an honorary membership in the Russian Academy of the Arts.
Stas will lead an Artist Talk and Brunch from 12- 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 30. The event is part of the MACC’s Moonlight and Magnolias weekend, which raises money for the MACC’s education and outreach programs. Admission to the event is free but space is limited. Call (615) 822-0789 to reserve your space today.
Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) is a jewel-box art museum and education facility housed in one of Tennessee’s most spectacular antebellum mansions. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the MACC has staged exhibitions featuring everything from the ceramic art of Pablo Picasso to the evening gowns of Princess Diana. The artwork of local artists and military veterans are also on frequent display. As an art school, the MACC offers classes to more than 600 children and adults each year. The MACC also provides free arts outreach and healing arts to underserved children, families, military veterans and first responders. For more information, visit monthavenarts.org or call (615) 822-0789.