Saturday evening I went to the 5th annual Nut Factory party with my friend Marianne.   The Nut Factory is a multi-storied building full of artist spaces located on Fratney in Riverwest.  The building looks like it was used for manufacturing, once upon a time, and the inside of the space had some interesting industrial elements all on its own.  It is close to Flux Design, another group of talented artists.  It was very cool to see all the different artists and diverse media they represented.  For example, Chris Poehlmann of cplighting , the apparent protagonist (he sent the invitation), makes artistic organic lighting and light fixtures out of aluminum and some other opaque molded stuff (that’s a really helpful description, I’m sure.  Just go look at his web site.)  and found objects, as well as furniture and other functional sculpture.  Catherine Lottes of Lucid Glass,  an artist who makes glass tile and glass sculpture, some of it from recycled glass, occupies what seemed like the entire expanse of the 4th floor.  There were also artists displaying paintings and we even saw some interesting film work projected on a couple of walls.

It made for an exciting evening of meeting interesting people; the artists and the people who like to hang out with them.  We were hoping to hook up with our mutual friend Mary Gordon, president of the MIAD Alumni Association, but she had a dinner date that evidently turned in to dessert, and we didn’t see her.  Although, I can only speak as an outsider looking in, my observation is that it is very inclusive and supportive community.  The artists themselves support each other and there seems to be a larger community of artistic minded people who participate and support them as well.  Let me know if you see it differently.

Before I get too much farther, I want to comment on Chris’ invitation on Facebook.  I was not aware of this function on Facebook and I am intrigued.  It is more expedient than Evite, which can be pretty putzy, but the Facbook event has less  opportunity for creativity, glitz and glam.  Obviously a Facebook event can only be viewed by those who have Facebook profiles but if your social circle mostly participates there, then it could bee cool.  There are pictures of last years event on Chris’ event page and you can check out the profiles of other attendees and see notes from them like on Evite.  I am hoping he posts some pictures of this year event.  I can’t see asking my anti-Facebook friends to sign up just to see an invitation, in fact, I think they would laugh hideously at the request.  You’re either into social media, or you’re not.   I also can’t see all the people who I have in my Evite address book going to all the trouble of creating a profiles in Evite. I don’t think I even did that.   Some were so adverse to the idea of an electronic invitation, it was all I could do to get them to acknowledge the invitation at all.  Because, we all know, sending out an email is so much more efficient.  *Sigh*  And these are the same ones who won’t shut up about their iPhones (and are definitely not reading my blog, thank goodness). *shake my head and sigh*

Before we attended the party at Nut Factory, Marianne and I had a bite to eat and some wine at Nessun Dorma.  I couldn’t find a web site so I will at least give you a map so you can find it if you want.  It is a really nice little Italian themed restaurant in Riverwest. We had a salad and split an antipasta plate with olives, peppericini cheeses and salumi.    Thier prices are very reasonable.  The night we were there they had a Lobster Ravioli special for $12.99.  Check it out some time.  Oh, and Nessun Dorma is a song in Puccini’s opera “Turandot”, and it means “no one shall sleep.”  Thank you, Marianne’s iPhone for providing that information during dinner.  Not to be confused with the anti-facebook/Evite friends mentioned earlier Marianne is probably reading this on her iPhone from a link on my Facebook wall right now.