Way Kool

koelsch haus + Hope Stone =  Way Kool … art, dance, music, a homecoming king & queen, and snow cones at a Way Kool event supporting a way cool cause.

Ten years ago Franny Koelsch, owner of koelsch haus (a project of koelsch gallery), and Jane Weiner, president and artistic director of Hope Stone, teamed up on a hot summer evening for their first Way Kool event – great art for sale, fine music, cold beer, and a mix and a mingle of folks that made the event, well, way kool.

Ten years later they join forces again to collaborate on a groovy three-day art happening from June 11-13, with 15% proceeds from the gallery art sales supporting Hope Stone’s arts education outreach programs.

“I love the idea of an art mixology moment,” says Jane, “and from the get-go I have loved Franny’s raw, colorful, three-dimensional eye for visual art.  Her spaces also have this feel of come in, welcome, take part, have fun.”

Franny says she and Jane “both realized that koelsch gallery and Hope Stone were going through some exciting changes.

koelsch gallery began in a Montrose house and I was so excited about returning to that environment and named the new location koelsch haus. With a return to a more personal environment, I realized how fun it would be with Jane to bring back Way Kool.”

The three-day event kicks off Thursday, June 11 from 6-9pm.  Koelsch curates a lively group show of way kool sculptures, paintings, assemblages, drawings and more. The national and international artists make their work from a multitude of materials such as vintage romance comics, beads, paper quills, sticks / bronze, pencil, acrylic, wwII baseball bases, oil, memorabilia, graphite.

Weiner premieres a site-specific, one-night only work “something brilliant here” featuring dancers Kelly Myernick, Travis Polkop, Seth McPhail, and percussionist Kirk Suddreath.

The Ezra Charles Band kicks up the sound, along with choice cheeses by the Houston Dairymaids, and the crowning of our Way Kool Homecoming King & Queen Jeff Shell and Beth Muecke (pictured, photo by Simon Gentry) –  a royal Texas coronation for sure.

Way Kool continues at koelsch haus Friday, June 12 from 5-7pm and Saturday, June 13 from 1-3pm with photographer extraordinaire Simon Gentry and his pop-up photo booth.  Come get a shot of yourself, your sweetie, or your whole family for $150, with proceeds benefitting Hope Stone’s education outreach programs.