Wastelanders’ Summer Solstice Show at Joe’s Market

Since I moved into my house on Park Avenue, I have been wondering who lives in the cute little house across the street from me with the perfectly manicured three (or four? or five?) lot yard and vegetable garden - and who owned the super-cool brick building on the corner just up from it and just what was behind the brick and vines! When I saw that the Wastelanders were having their Summer Solstice show in that building I was excited to see inside! I missed the opening because of my impromptu trip to Southern Illinois, so I was thrilled to see that they were open again the following Saturday.

The show was full of a wide variety of work from the Paducah Wastelanders, an established group of artists from the Paducah area. Included in this exhibition was work by Juanita Gilliam, E.J. Abell, Kristi Hanson, Mark Donham, Jane Viterisi, David Brown, Charlie Robertson and LaNelle Mason. Joining the Wastelanders as special guests were Joe Viterisi Jr., owner of the exhibition space, and Dr. Nassir Saghafi.

My favorite work in the show? E.J. Abell’s quirky assemblages and Juanita Gilliam’s ceramic bowls with lizards climbing up them. She even had one being held up by two blue frogs. I’m pretty sure I have to go buy it from her in her studio downtown! Oh, and Joe Viterisi’s writing desk pictured here.

I was thrilled to meet my neighbor, Joe, and see the beautifully restored 19th century space which was formerly the location of “Joe’s Market,” a neighborhood grocery store run by his father, former mayor Joe Viterisi Sr. — who also happens to be the owner of the cute little house across the street from me. Joe Jr. lives upstairs in the old grocery building in a gorgeous space that he has meticulously renovated himself and furnished with an amazing combination of period antiques and his own extremely beautiful handcrafted wood furniture. He was generous enough to give me a tour of the upstairs and his back woodworking shop.

I will take this opportunity to publicly apologize to the Joes, both Senior and Junior for the consistent disheveled state of my yard and thank them for the beautiful view of theirs!