When you think of body painters you might think of shirtless middle-aged men covered in crude letters the color of their football team. That is not what Craig Tracy is all about.
Sure, he covers certain human bodies in paint (a coveted goal!), but usually not his own and he thinks of the human body as a canvas for his art, not merely a chest large enough for the letter M in Alabama.
New Orleans born and bred, Craig has achieved acclaim as a fine art Bodypainter. Encouraged by his "working class hippy" parents, Craig learned the skill of airbrushing after his folks presented him with his first airbrush at the age of fifteen. Working nights and weekends as airbrush artist at a local shopping mall, Craig leaned how to paint almost any surface. After graduating from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale with honors, Craig worked in advertising and publishing houses but found being an illustrator "mind-numbinly boring and lonely." He felt no connection to the work and felt like the life was being sucked right out of him. He finally went back to his roots, air brush art on t-shirts and on the occasional human. "It really clicked, from the very first time that I painted a face, it was strangely powerful. I later realized that I had quite literally fallen in love with Bodypainting. It did however take me years to properly process and respect such an uncharted and ancient art form. I finally asked myself what would happen if I take this passionate interest seriously? That one question and a quick Google search changed the course of my life," Craig says.
Renowned worldwide for his accomplishments, he has been both a participant and is now a judge at the World Body Painting Festival in southern Austria. Over 180 artists from over forty different nations participate in what Craig calls one of his life's greatest passions.
On Saturday, Palate 2 Palette will be bringing Craig Tracy to Chattanooga as a special guest for their fundraiser for the Craniofacial Foundation of America, and he'll be painting three bodies! An evening dedicated to celebrating the arts in the historic Southside District, the sixth annual Palate 2 Palette will feature a gallery stroll either on foot or on the double-decker bus beginning at 5 pm. You can savor the art as you enjoy a glass of wine served with local cuisine at each stop. The artists, including Craig Tracy, will be around to chat as you mix and mingle and admire breathtaking floral arrangements.
New this year is the CFA Gallery which will be at Cobblestone Rue. Some of the CFA patients will work with local artists to create a piece to be auctioned that night. Brent Sanders, Terry Cannon, Carolyn Killabrew, and Miki Boni are some of the artists working on the children around the theme "Reason to Smile."
The Youth Gallery, sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union is another high point. The outstanding artwork from high school students will be juried and gives young promising artists a chance to exhibit their work. There will actually be a preview party Friday, April 26 to view the exhibit.
Following the gallery stroll, guests are invited to the Bubbles and Sweets After Party at Track-29. Exquisite desserts and dancing to Willie Kitchens and band.
Terry Smyth, Executive Director of the Craniofacial Foundation of America (CFA) said, “This event is one we look forward to every year as a fun and unique way to honor the arts in Chattanooga as well as bring light to our foundation. Thanks to the community, this event is always huge success and we look forward to another wonderful evening as we celebrate the foundation’s services.”
Tickets are $75 and more information is available on the website at www.p2pchattanooga.com. Proceeds from the event benefit the Craniofacial Foundation of America which supports the Tennessee Craniofacial Center at Erlanger. Led by Dr. Larry Sargent, the TCC treats patients of all ages with craniofacial deformities.
ferris@waldenloghomes.com