FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Grateful Dead drummer and musicologist Mickey Hart held 2 showings of his fine art collection in South Florida. His pieces were strikingly displayed at the Wentworth Gallery Fort Lauderdale on Friday, Oct. 19th & the Wentworth Gallery Boca Town Center on Saturday, Oct. 20th.
When he's not on the road beating the skins for Dead & Co., Hart makes art, or rather, channels the energy he creates from making music into making art! He describes his pieces as "Vibrational Expressionism" and keeps his methods of creation top secret! He did tell me it once took him almost a day to mix his paints, while he has apparently also invented the machine and/or method he uses to create his stunning canvases!
His artwork is quite impressive and active. Nearly every piece seems to contain an entire universe of movement and action, patterns of rhythms.. there's a lot contained in the frame! Hart admits his painting was a private endeavor until it just got to be too much and his wife said some had to go! There was certainly a lot of interest in his shows; the phones were constantly ringing at the Wentworth Gallery in Fort Lauderdale on Friday! A fan had ALREADY purchased a piece before the artist himself had even arrived to speak with me!
Stealie!
Mickey also spoke about performing at the BB&T Center earlier this year as a makeup date for an earlier show that had to be canceled when guitarist John Mayer had to have an emergency appendectomy. Hart spoke about the emotion and strength he felt after meeting with survivors of the Parkland tragedy and their parents, especially after seeing Emma Gonzalez use her time onstage at the March for Our Lives rally to remain silent; 6 long minutes-representing the amount of time the killer had to mow down his victims that terrible day. Hart says he finds a lot of inspiration and courage in the students he and his bandmates met.
On a much happier note, Hart says Dead & Co. will be back in South Florida soon..he specifically said there was going to be another tour soon! And if the popularity of his 2 art showings were any indication, fans just cannot wait!