MG Stout is a Painter 'OUT LOUD'

"It's all about authenticity", is how painter MG Stout describes the motivation of Art OUT LOUD, which is the product of Stout's partnership with the alternative rock band Big Green Cherry.  It's an innovative mixture of art and music in a live setting.

The two performers came together via an online advertisement. They each were looking for what the other was offering. When Stout and Big Green Cherry lead singer Edd Welsh met offline, they clicked immediately.

"They were looking for a painter to represent their work visually and I was looking for a musical representation of mine," Stout said.

Beyond that, the two artists realized that they shared many of the same values and beliefs. There is a lot of overlap in their subject matter, as viewers will see on Saturday night.

"It's a match made in heaven," Stout said of the partnership. "The stars aligned."

Live art sounds like an oxymoron but Stout does not think it should be. "I think it helps make art more accessible and anything we can do as artists to reach more people is a good thing."

Stout will respond to Big Green Cherry via video screen and the audience can track her reaction to the music in real time. The only framework is that the work from both artists will be framed around the four seasons. Aside from that, their interactions will be mostly unscripted.

The visceral nature of the event on Saturday dovetails nicely with MG's recently published book, "REAL Life Drawing - My Eye on Washington DC" which has been released by Sunbury Press. The book chronicles work bringing Washington Post headlines, using the actual pages as a canvas. Stout will be signing copies Saturday evening.

"My work is very narrative so it was a natural extension of what I would be doing anyway, adding headlines just gives it more urgency."