Sept. 25, 2002 – Yes, there was a Da Da Wine Down last Friday, even though it wasn't the final one of the month, when the art-viewing and wine-tasting events are regularly held. And yes, there will be another one this Friday, which is the last one in September.
No, there isn't a blue moon — that is, a second full moon — this month. But yes, this week's get-together is being billed as a "Blue Moon Da Da Wine Down." Works by four artists represented by the Camille Pissarro Gallery and wines by Wente will be featured.
Steven Fox, a partner in Café Amici, which hosts the usually-monthly events, explains:
Some floor repairs at the open-air restaurant in Riise's Alley had been scheduled for the last week of September, "so we decided to hold the month's Wine Down a week early." Then the repair work was were delayed, "so we decided to have a second event."
The restaurant will close on Sunday for the floor work to get under way, and it will probably take two or three weeks, he said.
As for the "blue moon" designation, "it's just a marketing thing," Fox said. "We actually did have two events a couple of years ago when there was a blue moon."
The artists whose work will be on display Friday are Martha Bryce, C.J. Crawford, Jan Dunn and Sarah Weyler.
Bryce, originally from Amelia Island, Florida, now divides her time between St. Thomas and South Carolina. She works primarily in oil but occasionally in watercolor. Her paintings capture a broad range of subjects — still life, architecture, landscapes, seascapes and pets.
Crawford paints in various media and creates monoprints, ceramic tiles and mobiles. A Texas native, she moved to the Virgin Islands in 1984 and now lives in New Mexico, where she and her husband operate an art school. Inspired by dreams, still life, nature and life experience, her colorful works reveal the islands' influence.
Dunn, born and educated in New York City, has lived in the Caribbean most of her life. She teaches at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School and studies oil painting with Tom St. Vincent di Coio. She enjoys painting the imagery of the islands in a style reminiscent of the 19th and 20th century American Impressionists.
Weyler, a nature photographer born in Kentucky, has lived in the Virgin Islands since 1992. Long captivated by the effect of water on the refraction of light, she seeks in her photographs to interpret the natural beauty of the ocean environment, transmitting her own sense of awe and wonderment to the viewer.
Da Da hours are 5 to 8 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar will be available, and door prizes of dining certificates, artwork and wine will be awarded at the end of the evening. There's a $10 fee for the optional wine-tasting and seminar, which is ongoing throughout the evening as long as supplies last. This week, it's being conducted by West Indies Corp.
For more information call 776-5670.
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