Ermanos Craft Beer and Wine Bar on Fourth Avenue is hosting its debut art exhibit since the restaurant’s opening on April 1. The exhibit displays local Tucson artists’ works, accompanied with live music by Tesoro, a local Latin-rumba-flamenco-rock band. The exhibition starts tomorrow, Sept. 17, at 6 p.m.
Mark Erman, a co-owner of Ermanos, shares his excitement about the restaurant’s upcoming event.
“We have a spacious brick wall in the space, and it’s always had this natural beauty about it that it almost seems like it was begging to have some color added,” Erman said. “What better way to do that than to feature local artists? We hope to add [an] experience to the restaurant and give back to and help out the local artists.”
Erman plans to showcase the exhibition for 3 months and doesn’t want this to be the restaurant’s last endeavor into art.
“After it’s up, we plan to try to do another one,” he said. “This is our first one, so we’re trying to stay open-minded because it’s a big undertaking.”
Local artist Porter McDonald plans to unveil a new piece in the show. He provided the Daily Wildcat with insight regarding his artistic dreams and follies, as well as his perseverance to display his art in Ermanos via Facebook chat.
Q: How did your artwork end up in the show?
A: When I first met Ermanos owners Mark and Eric Erman, the wine bar was still in the planning stages. I tried to foist 12 gallons of bottle caps on him; I had this idea of creating a giant mosaic for him. The idea fell through… probably for the better! About a year later, they mentioned they wanted to start displaying art from local artists and asked if I was interested. I was!
Q: What are your artistic interests/endeavors?
A: The piece I created for the show was a bit different from the work I usually do. For the past year, my art has been focused on border issues and social justice. This includes a graphic novel that chronicles a Honduran migrant’s journey north through Mexico. All this work was very small in scale and very direct in message. The painting hanging in Ermanos really let me loosen up as an artist. Painting big is fun!
Q: You mentioned on Facebook that you got to map the entire art event. What’s the show like?
A: The show is going to be pretty incredible. It really showcases the diversity and talent of Tucson artists. To top it off, the Etherton Gallery is loaning them two huge Luis Jiménez pieces. Mind blown!
Q: Have you been to Ermanos before?
A: Yes! Many times. I love it. Really great beer selection AND delicious food. Win. That sounds like an ad, but it’s true! You really have to hand it to Mark and Eric. They’ve not only created a great bar/restaurant, but their dedication to supporting the local art and music scene shows us how much these guys love Tucson.
Admission to the event is free, so visit Ermanos to enjoy craft selections of beer and wine, a food menu featuring local and seasonal ingredients, and now thought-provoking art exhibitions.
