Talk of the Town - Gwinnett gallery home August 28 2002

Natasha Brewley knows her priorities. She commutes from her house in Duluth to teach at Spelman College, but she’s willing to trade the driving time for the extra space and money used to furnish her home with art. Used to an urban lifestyle since she grew up in New York City, Brewley has lived in Atlanta since she came to attend college, and she’s found that suburban living can work for her after all.

b>CL: It’s interesting to walk from such a cookie-cutter subdivision into a unique and personalized home. Do you get that feeling every time you come home?

Natasha Brewley: Definitely. I worked really hard to create an atmosphere that I would like to come home to. I have seen some people’s homes and wondered what they were thinking of with the decor. I like a lot of earth tones. It gives the home a comfortable feeling.

I feel like I’m in the midst of an international artists’ market. Tell me about some of the artists whose work you collect.

Well, one of the artists that I really admire is Maurice Evans. He is a local artist and his work is constantly evolving. His “Jazz” series and “Still-Life” series are very popular. However, I love his abstracts. Charly Palmer is another local artist. He does several themes on family and love, but lately he has also been exploring abstracts. Grace Kisa is another artist that I adore. She is from Kenya and her work is absolutely fabulous. The other pieces are from my travels abroad. I think that it is important to take a piece of the places you’ve visited. It helps you to relive the experience.

Show me some of your own photography. Are you self-taught?

Well, you are giving me too much credit. I am a novice in the true sense of the word. I really love photography. The ability to capture a frame of life in a photo and tell a completely amazing story says something to me. It is powerful. I guess you could say that I am teaching myself the basics in photography. I haven’t taken a class yet, but I do plan on it.

You mentioned earlier that in New York, teachers get discounts for museums. Because of high admission here, do you go to more galleries instead?

Definitely, around this time, there will be a lot of openings at galleries. I try to go to as many openings as my schedule will permit. If I can’t make those, then I just try to see what work is out there.

Do you explore the northern suburbs here or just go back and forth between home and the city?

You know Gwinnett County got it going on! There is an emergence of cool little eateries and boutiques now. I know! It won’t be quite like the city, but it is a nice alternative on the weekends when you don’t want to drive too far. But I still get to the city for shows and concerts.

How is the commute?

Many people object to living outside the city because of the commute. Well for me, it just isn’t bad. Coming from a city like New York where the average commute is one hour — 25 minutes ain’t bad.
SPACE@CREATIVELOAFING.COM