By Tom Wuckovich

Flag Days

Arkansas artist John Salvest will be featured in an exhibit titled “New Glory: Flags by John Salvest,” opening at Cheekwood Museum of Art’s contemporary gallery in Nashville. Salvest uses unique objects to portray differing perceptions of the American flag and his style relies heavily on the innate meaning of materials he used for his art.

Salvest has focused on the American flag for the past six years, and has used materials such as cigarette butts or pills to layer new meaning onto the flag. From a distance, his works appear to be traditional representations, but up close, observers detect how the artist’s use of materials like tobacco makes a statement about America’s historic and economic relationship to the product. After Sept. 11, Salvest says he questioned whether the use of irony or humor in addressing the American way through its most potent symbol was appropriate or even relevant any longer. Over time, Salvest returned to his flag work, providing new pieces for “New Glory” which features flags Salvest has made from 1996 to today.

Critics describe the artist’s work as “accessible art that provokes thought, laughter and sparks our imaginations. He is an artist that lets objects speak for themselves, letting their inherent meaning and beauty do the talking.” Some artists have a keen ability to adopt ordinary, yet universally symbolic, objects and successfully incorporate them into their work. Salvest is one of those artists.

Thru Dec. 1. Call (615) 356-8000 for more information.

Brain Drain

Do you like the challenge of a puzzle? Feel good about unraveling some of life’s little mysteries? If so, you’re in for a treat. Gain a new appreciation for your brain and what it can do in the “Brain Teasers 2” exhibit that opens in the Van Fleet Gallery of the Children’s Museum of Memphis. This collection of puzzles offers 21 challenges to all ages as it sharpens problem-solving skills while providing plenty of fun.

These brain twisters include unraveling mathematical conundrums, separating linked objects and then reassembling them, arranging geometric shapes to form new ones, trying out mind-boggling block puzzles and much more. To solve these puzzles, visitors must use creative thinking and problem-solving strategies, such as looking for patterns, logical reasoning, thinking ahead, setting aside preconceived ideas and looking at problems from different perspectives.

The puzzles featured in the exhibit have various themes: “Shifting Squares” contains 16 sticks arranged to form five squares. The object is to move two sticks to new positions to make either four or six squares. In “Four Blocks in a Box,” fit four blocks together so they fit perfectly in each of two different boxes. “Make a Cube” asks the contestant to put seven puzzle pieces together to make a cube. For “Disorder,” arrange the numbers one through eight on a board so that no two consecutive numbers touch—then arrange the numbers so that the sum in each column is the same.

Thru Jan. 5. Call (901) 320-3170 for more information.

Claus For Celebration

Costumed actors portraying Dickens’ characters, musical entertainment, arts and crafts show, horse and carriage rides and much more will dazzle visitors to the 19th-century ferry and steamboat landing in Savannah when the community celebrates its fifth annual “A Victorian Christmas” festival, sponsored by the Savannah Arts Commission.

Santa Claus will be on hand during the event to hear requests and greet visitors, while a holiday-themed theatrical production, The Gift of the Magi, will be performed at the 1927 Savannah Theater. Just across the street, the Savannah Art Guild’s gallery will be open. In the evening, the Historic District, which contains 17 homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places, will be aglow with the beauty of more than 2000 luminaries, which provide a lighted pathway for horse and carriage rides that will take place during the entire evening. Selected historic homes, decked out in holiday finery, will be open for touring during evening hours.
Costume winners will be escorted by horse-drawn carriages to the First Presbyterian Church where musicians will perform holiday favorites throughout the evening.
Dec. 7. Call (731) 925-6410 for more information.

Working in Vein

Still dream of hitting it big? Play the lottery regularly? Ever thought about an old-fashioned “get-rich-quick scheme”? We’re talking gold digging here. Not the Anna Nicole Smith kind, but real, honest-to-goodness gold digging. Maybe you didn’t know it, but in 1829, the heavy yellow metal was found near Dahlonega, GA, and by 1838, the extensive production of gold got the attention of the U.S. Government and a mint was built in Dahlonega. From 1829-1909, over $17 million in gold was gleaned from the mines and creeks of Georgia.

The gold rush to the West drew the experienced Southeast miners seeking their fortune. Many of the Southern mines were left idle for years, and the creeks returned to their channels awaiting the return of prospectors once more. But before you go out and invest in a mule and a pan, better talk to the experts first. A good source for information can be found on the Outdoor Channel where there is 10 hours per week of prospecting and related shows. Another good source is the Gold Prospectors Association of America. The GPAA has been the main source of information for the new generation of gold seekers for over 25 years.

Gold prospecting is fun and great for family outings. Learning how to pan and sluice for gold gets you outdoors and helps you feel the golden history of the Gold Rush area in the Southeast. The GPAA can help you find your spot to dig. Hot spots in Tennessee can be found in the Coker Creek District near Madisonville.

Ongoing. Call (800) 551-9707 for more information.