FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA ADVISORY
Catholic PRWire

The Arts Company Press
Announces Release of Brother Mel: A Lifetime of Making Art

A 236-Page Review of the Lifetime Achievement of a Maverick Artist & Marianist Monk

St. Louis Book Signing at Marianist Galleries in Kirkwood on Sunday, December 13, 2-6PM

Nashville, TN (December 11, 2009) – The Arts Company Press announces the publication of Brother Mel: A Lifetime of Making Art, a 236-page study of Brother Mel’s life as an artist and as a Marianist brother in a Catholic community in St. Louis. There will be a book signing in St. Louis on Sunday, December 13, 2-6pm at the Marianist Galleries in Kirkwood.

The first part of Brother Mel: A Lifetime of Making Art addresses his life from his family, his spiritual commitment, his distinguished artistic education, his decades of travel, his influences, the development of his studio, and his commitment to making art six days a week, 52 weeks a year, since the 1960s.

The second part of the book is a portfolio of selected images from the thousands of works of art he has produced over a 50-year period. The images are presented in various sections of his special interests and productivity—from his early days of glass, chapels, frescoes, and icons to sculpture, paintings, handmade paper—and his recent work since 2000, which showcases how Brother Mel has experimented sculpturally with all kinds of ordinary materials, including rusted tools, wagon wheels, bicycles and M&M shapes, as well as with large bold abstract watercolors, and other pieces that defy description.

About Brother Mel

Sculptor and Painter Brother Mel Meyer, S.M., has been a member of the Marianists, a Catholic religious order of brothers and priests, since 1948 and a full-time artist since 1958. In the late 1960s, Brother Mel became the first Marianist brother to take on the vocation of artist as his full-time work. He was encouraged to form his own studio in St. Louis where he first made glass, frescoes, and icons for churches and chapels. Today, his celebrated sculpture and paintings are featured in private collections, public spaces and in large corporate buildings that have included 25 Adams Mark Hotels. Brother Mel received an undergraduate degree in English and History from the University of Dayton in 1951, and a master’s degree in fine art from the University of Notre Dame in 1960, studying with Jean Charlot, one of the Mexican Renaissance muralists alongside Diego Rivera, and Ivan Mestrovic, the sculptor whom Rodin described as “a phenomenon among sculptors.” He also studied with two European masters of stained glass—Jacques le Chevallier in Paris and Yoki Abescher in Fribourg—as part of a year of intense study, making art, and traveling on a motor scooter over 14,000 miles during that year. Over his lifetime, he has produced over 10,000 documented works of art, plus public and private commissions.

About Anne Brown

Anne Brown has been an innovative and influential arts leader for more than 35 years. She has led numerous artistic efforts to make the arts a more prominent part of public life in Nashville, including leadership positions in city and state arts commissions, initiating various citywide arts festivals and arts institutions, and owning a premier art gallery. In addition, she held teaching positions at Fisk University, Belmont University, and Vanderbilt University. In 2002, she developed and wrote the book, The Art of Doug Williams: Salvation and Beauty. She holds a Masters of art degree in English and history from East Texas State University and a Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of Arkansas, with additional fellowships and graduate study at Rice University and New York University. Dr. Brown resides in Nashville, Tennessee, where she owns and manages The Arts Company and The Arts Company Press.

About The Arts Company Press

Established in 2009, The Arts Company Press expands The Arts Company Nashville gallery and corporate business with a publishing company for selected high-end art books. Beginning with the publication of Brother Mel: A Lifetime of Making Art, The Arts Company and Anne Brown will expand their business through a series of art publications on a variety of artists, art initiatives and events. All of the books will feature fresh, original, and contemporary artwork in photography, painting, and sculpture, by artists from emerging to legendary. Information on Brother Mel and future publications are available at the company websites, Facebook, and Twitter.

http://www.melsmart.com/main.php

Here is a link to a widget of the book along with a podcast interview featuring Brother Mel. http://www.bookinsider.com/eb/brother_mel/brother_mel.html


Schedule of Events: St. Louis

Brother Mel: A Lifetime of Making Art

Sunday, December 13, 2:00pm – 6:00pm

Brother Mel Signing and Appearance
Marianist Galleries
1256 Maryhurst Drive, Kirkwood, MO 63122
314-965-0877

Contact

Ventures Public Relations
http://www.melsmart.com/main.php  TN, 37212 US
Tinnin Bouldin - Publicist, 615 403.4690

Keywords

art book signing

Category

OTHER