Visiting RAW: natural born artists‘ monthly parties feels almost like going on a quest in a Terry Gilliam movie. Located in a lounge named only by a single letter, one can’t help but hope the club is easy to find for fear of the confusion that might ensue from asking people for directions to G.
Actually finding the club isn’t much better. Marked only by a sign shaped in the letter in question, G’s entryway forces guests to travel down a dark stairway, where they are faced by a large, black door that could just as easily guard the secret backroom to a gambling front. But once one makes it past the I.D. check and ticket line, it becomes clear that G isn’t the kind of joint where leering Edward G. Robinsons will try to bilk you of your money (and your life).
Instead, you’ll find yourself in a cross-breed of a futuristic party room a la Logan’s Run and a twisting maze of corners and mirrors straight out of the climactic fight scene from Enter the Dragon. Scattered among neon waterfalls and pixelated screens of light, nooks containing artwork, live bands, and fashion runway shows await the eager wanderer.
On Thursday, March 1, RAW’s Stimulus event featured recent works from a number of local artists. Jen Lightfoot‘s disturbingly alluring explorations of fantasy and the female form splattered the walls like freeze-frames from an unrated horror film. Bright as a splash from Chagall’s palette on a Philly sidewalk, Britt Miller‘s acrylic snippets of the city playfully welcomed guests to take a vicarious trip around town on wings of sunset. Other artists included Kate Bodine, Burning-Owl Anthony Forbes, Elaina Posey, Sabiha Kabir, and Noelle Ferrazzano, as well as photographers Michael Knight, Chandra Lampreich, Tara Beth, Kate Porter, and Sophie Xu.
In between taking in the works of art, guests had the option to browse through jewelry up for sale, watch as runway models exhibited works from the night’s featured designers and makeup artists, or take a break with live music. With every kind of cultural stimulus available, the appropriately-named party more-than-sufficiently merited its $10 cover charge.
Look for the next RAW party, Menagerie, on April 5, 8 pm – 12 am. Fashionable attire.
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