The “One Night Stand” art show at the Ole Miss Motel will return for its 17th year on Saturday, Oct. 5 from 5-9 p.m. For one night only, the show will host an eclectic mix of artists across the span of 12 motel rooms converted into makeshift galleries.
Erin Abbott, creator and coordinator of “One Night Stand,” cited her punk rock background as the inspiration for the unconventional use of the motel’s space. Abbott selects artists she believes have potential and deserve support. This year, most artists are from Mississippi, but a few are traveling from Tennessee and Texas.
“I think giving people a place where they can feel supported and seen is important,” Abbott said. “It’s a great stepping stone for a path to a larger career that they could build for themselves in this smaller community.”
Last year’s show dedicated a room to late Mississippi artist John P. Meek, which started a philanthropic tradition. This year, a room will be dedicated to the Oxford Skateboard Association’s fundraising efforts for Oxford Skate Park, located on Bramlett Boulevard, improvements.
In 2022, Abbott was placed on the association’s board while her son was involved in skating. While working with the nonprofit, she began to appreciate the skateboarding community and its aspirations for the Oxford Skate Park.
“Everything those guys are trying to do in town is just fantastic for this community, and I think it’s very needed,” Abbott said. “It seemed like the most obvious fit to give them a room.”
Skyler King is a junior business major and president of nonprofit Oxford Skateboarding Association. After living and skating professionally in California, he moved back to Oxford to invest in the growing skateboarding community in Mississippi.
Since being back, King and the association have made strides to improve skateboarding’s reputation in Oxford by fostering connections with the community. King said the nonprofit plans to use the funds from the benefit for skatepark repairs and to make the park more beginner friendly.
“The park was originally built in a two-phase project, and they only completed phase one because of funding,” King said. “We’re pushing for phase two of the project while also making improvements to the original park.”
Oxford Skateboarding Association’s room will feature close to 30 skate decks customized by local artists. Some boards will feature calligraphy done by Buddhist monks from Magnolia Grove Monastery in Batesville, Miss., and two will be painted by University of Mississippi art students.
Mississippi skateboarders Gavin Bird, Matt Verdell and Pannawat Thamutok are all donating their work to benefit the association.
In addition to local artists, Tim Kerr from Austin, Texas, and Jim Murphy from New York are also among those who contributed art to raise funds for the nonprofit. Artists will set the price for their donated art to be bid on in an online auction during the event.
Olivia Powers, a junior art major, hopes her board will send an empowering message to Black girls who want to start skating. She plans to have her skate deck say “Sk8ting is for everyone.”
While pursuing her masters of fine arts degree, she plans to create a board that challenges gender norms. In reference to the The Hesitant Fiancé by Auguste Toulmouche, a painting that has recently become a trend on TikTok, her board will say “That isn’t lady like.”
Another unique aspect of this year’s show is funding from a Mississippi Arts Commission grant that allows artists to keep 100% of the proceeds for their art, which Abbott said is not always guaranteed.
“To be able to offer that to the artists has been a dream of mine, and I’m thrilled it worked out this year,” Abbott said.
Greta Koshenina, a southern studies graduate student and fellow recipient of the grant, said her room would not be possible without the funding.
Koshenina creates cyanotype art, which involves using iron salts to transform photographs to a deep shade of blue. Her room will showcase her cyanotypes made from old family photos and other memorabilia. She hopes to create an environment that feels homey and cozy to her visitors. Koshenina uses vintage handkerchiefs, flora and other gathered items to “bridge myth with reality.”
“A lot of my work is like a familial mythology of sorts,” Koshenina said. “I’ve made cyanotypes out of old photographs of my nana and my mom’s mom who I never met. I’ve enjoyed bringing stories together that live in my memory and getting to rewrite them.”
Each year, artists are given creative liberty in how they design their rooms. The displays range from obscure immersive experiences to rooms that seem lived in. Abbott expressed excitement for what is to come with this year’s show.
After hosting it for nearly two decades, Abbott has found some ease in pulling off the event; however, she still gets a pinch of anxiety before the show.
“I laugh because it’s sort of ridiculous,” Abbott said. “I’ve been doing the show for so long now I know what I need to do every year, and it has become established in the community, so I don’t worry as much as I used to. But I still worry, is this going to be the year no one wants to come?”
Those interested in early entry can purchase a VIP ticket for “first dibs” between 5-6 p.m. on Eventbrite for $25. The event is open for free entry after 6 p.m. Food and drinks will be sold by G&G’s Fry Co. and Magnolia Coffee. The event organizers request that visitors park in the Oxford Public Parking available behind The Powerhouse.
