Artbreak Gallery at The Carlton Arms Hotel presents ”STAND CLEAR OFF THE CLOSING DOORS: WALKING THROUGH THE GARDEN OF TIME” an exhibition of paintings by Jim Bilgere.
August 15th-22nd, 2019 1-6pm
Opening reception: August 15th 6-9pm
Jim Bilgere grew up painting on the Square in New Orleans before working as an artist in the Deep Ellum area of Dallas in the 1980’s and getting a degree in painting at the University of North Texas.
He has painted and exhibited throughout the US. and Europe. in the 90’s he lived in California, Arizona, Vienna (Austria) Greece and Portugal. In the last years he has been working in New York, Paris, Missouri, Vorarlberg (Austria) Prague, Dallas and now New Orleans.
When I was a teenager I learned to paint from the first black man to paint on Jackson Square in the center of New Orleans. He had a room for me to stay in whenever I would come to see him. He lived on the same block where the guy who invented jazz music lived, so needless to say I’ve been around a lot of music in my life. It’s always been there and I often have liked making paintings that feel like music.
As I’ve become older I’ve heard and played so much music that I like to go to the quiet of nature and listen to the Symphony created by all the creatures that are there and make paintings about the beautiful places I’ve been blessed to experience…
In 2005 he participated in The Carlton Arms Art Project and exhibited at Artbreak Gallery along with Richard Hambleton, Rodney Dickson, Darek Solarski, Billi Kid and other successful contemporary artists.
Room 10B at the hotel created by Jim in 2005.
Jim spent last three month traveling cental Europe, enjoying companion of old friends and solitude of nature.
“Stand Clear off the Closing Doors” is the result of his travels.
Jim enjoying sunflowers.
Switzerland Sunflowers, 2019, acrylic on canvas, 14” x 11”
Tirolean Lake, Austria, 2019, acrylic on canvas, 20” x 16”
Prague at Night, 2019, acrylic on canvas, 14” x 11”
Last year was a very traumatic one for me with the loss of my mother and also many friends. I was very sad so I decided to go see some people and places I love. So I did. The first place I stopped by to say hello was my old friends at the Carlton Arms Hotel and then off to see family and friends in Europe for 3 months. As I was staying at the hotel they asked me to do a show when I returned, so I said of course and now this is the show of the journey and some of the beautiful places I saw.
“JIM BILGERE. AN AMERICAN IN VIENNA” a film by ARAM VOVES
Paintings, photos and music by Jim Bilgere.
Filmed on location at CAFE NAHID, VIENNA, AUSTRIA
Life is a wonderful thing. I’ve often thought to try and fit in to what is so-called normal and it never has seemed to be my destiny. When I forget about all that and all the paperwork and numbers they want all of us to remember just to buy breakfast at the diner and just be part of all the music of life as I know to be everything seems to work out somehow. Life is wonderful. And I have been blessed to be part of it.
Jim is also a musician and his work is often based in free jazz musical inspiration and art that is musically inspired.
His music can be found on bandcamp.
Great collection of items decorated with Jim’s original designs can be purchased at VIDA STUDIO.
More about Jim’s art at ArtDiscover.
© Copyright Carlton Arms Hotel 2019 
