Plaza Central merchants thought the area’s October art crawl was a success when more than 900 people showed up. This Saturday, organizers are hoping to more than triple that number. But they’ll be doing it without one neighborhood gallery owner.
At issue? Kevin Starr, owner of that gallery, which bears his name, feels the crawl has become a watered-down “beer bust” that’s more about commerce than art. The crawl’s organizers counter that the crawl is meant to be a democratic event, created to not only promote art but also to advertise the neighborhood and its businesses.
Tim Griffin, one of the men behind the crawl, feels Starr’s ego has gotten the best of him. “It was not conceived by me, nor Kevin Starr, but Kevin Starr seems to believe that he created the Plaza Central art crawl when in fact it was a group effort that was meant to represent all aspects of the business district.”
Starr, for his part, says Griffin is an “opportunist” who seized control of the crawl for his own gain and steered it from its artistic intent. “I’m not going to have my gallery represented by a man in a Santa outfit flashing traffic,” says Starr, describing the crawl poster that Griffin says more than two dozen businesses approved. “This is an art crawl … it shouldn’t rely on shock value.” More than 60 businesses have signed on for the art crawl, and 175 artists have agreed to hang works in shops in the area around The Plaza, Central and Thomas avenues. So the brouhaha isn’t likely to derail the crawl or distract folks who show up.
But it’s a small peek inside how the neighborhood is trying to raise its arts profile, much like NoDa and South End have done with their monthly art crawls. “I’ve met other business owners I wouldn’t otherwise have met,” says Chris Boone of the restaurant Creation. “We’re all in this together. It’s cool. I kind of think that’s the spirit of the neighborhood.”
Previous attempts to organize a crawl have had limited success, at most. Karl Klaudt, owner of Hair Klaudt, says he tried his hand at it. More recently, Starr, who opened his gallery off Central Avenue about a year ago, was planning one but didn’t get it off the ground.
Then Griffin and some friends discussed it. They imagined it not as an exclusive, highbrow event, but rather an opportunity to get bars, restaurants and merchants involved. “As long as you put 10 to 12 pieces of art for sale up that night, we’ll include you,” Griffin says.
The turnout at the first in October pleased businesses. Blake Barnes, owner of the Common Market, estimates more than 1,400 people came in his market that day — up from an average 800.
But when talk began of a second one, Starr objected to how it was organized. He wanted it to be open to sponsors like himself. And he didn’t want to directly include bars and restaurants — they would reap the benefits anyway. But when Griffin got a business license for event, Starr felt the move signaled that Griffin wasn’t going to listen to business owners, including him.
Then the discord began. Griffin says Starr fired off “vile” e-mails to merchants that insulted their intelligence. He says Starr sent e-mails in his name that purported to cancel the crawl. Starr, for his part, says he’s been targeted by hateful e-mails but hasn’t sent them. He posted some on a Web site critical of the crawl that he says he started with six friends.
Creation’s Boone says he can’t understand why Starr is so fired up. “It’s weird,” Boone says. “Why would you want to stop a positive fun holiday event that’s going to help a lot of local business owners, help a lot of local artists get their stuff up who don’t really have steady gallery space? Why would you try to undermine that? I don’t understand that mentality.”
Says Barnes of the Common Market: “Why not just let it be what it is?”
For Starr, though, it’s about principle. He doubts participation will be limited solely to businesses that hang art. Moreover, he feels those neighborhood businesses don’t support art anyway.
Though he’s not participating in the crawl, he’s hoping to have a sidewalk art festival in the spring, during the day and without booze.
The night of the crawl, however, he does plan to hand out free T-shirts emblazoned with his new nickname, courtesy, he says, of nasty a e-mail he believes came from Griffin. The name?
“Art Nazi.”
This article appears in Dec 5-11, 2007.
With the official response from the Jewish Community stating that Mr Starr told them that he never had the T-shirts, was stunned by the media and had never had intentions to distribute shirts leaves one with this question… who is lying? Is it the Rabbi??? Did the reporter make this up for a better story?? or did Kevin Starr lie to the reporter to get attention???? It looks to me that Mr Starr is blaming the media, and taking no responsibility for his actions. So Miss Shurgart…. who is lying? You? Or Mr Starr?
I haven’t spoken with Kevin yet, but I’m concerned that there may be the perception that I’m lying. Mr. Starr provided us with the image and we most certainly had a conversation at his studio about making up T-shirts. Not knowing me, you certainly have no history on which to judge my honesty, but it’s highly unlikely that I would pull that conversation out of the air.
I don’t think that anyone that has ever had dealings with Mr Starr would think that you were the one lying. I am sure you were just one more of the victims that he has left in the wake of his negativity and destruction. It is sad to see one person do so much damage to so many people. I am sure he bragged about giving t-shirts out with the “hate” symbol on it, just to get more press and make the story more about him, sad thing is… it worked.
I find it interesting (and slightly insane) that Kevin Starr doesn’t wish for his gallery to be “represented by a man in a Santa outfit flashing traffic” (a reference to the eye-catching flyer for the event) yet he showed the image printed in the Creative Loafing in a slide show visible from the sidewalk outside of his studio the night of the crawl (12/08/07). The image is his face superimposed on a red swastika with the words “Art Nazi” underneath.
Now, most people I know associate the symbol of the swastika when paired with the word “nazi” (which I will not capitalize as I do not consider it a proper noun) with hatred and genocide.
I went to Kevin Starr’s studio the night of the crawl. The gallery was closed; he was not there. But there are windows next to the door which allow you to view the inside of his gallery. He had a slide show going, and on rotation was the image of his face emblazoned on the swastika.
He may act shocked by this article, but somewhere there is a disconnect.
I wish Kevin Starr would understand that real art is happening all around us; life as it happens second by second, and an artist glorifies in existence by sharing and creating, not destroying and feigning shock (in my humble opinion)
I am not sure who should apologize to the Jewish Community first. Kevin Starr who obviously used a symbol of hate to promote his studio or Creative Loafing for giving this hate-filled human the venue to spew his hate for all to see. By informing the community that free Swaztika T-shirts were gonna be available was only asking for more trouble. That type of hate attracts more hate. The fact that Mr Starr was showing a slide show containing the swaztika, viewable through his window shows that he is, in fact, filled with hate and does not care who he hurts. The fact that the media would use the catch phrase, “The Art Nazi rocks the Art Crawl” on their cover just adds insult to injury.
Bradley Scheilsman
If you can print Mr Starr saying that he “didn’t email anyone” and he is “shocked” then I would also like for you to inform the world that I have super powers and can travel through time, since that carries the same truth as the statements made by Kevin Starr.
I feel if we want this out in the open, and Kevin Starr wants to prove his innocence that he isn’t doing this negative campaign, then please ask him to reveal the “hidden ones” he says are doing the emailing.
I agree with Mr Freedman…. I would like to hear from the 6 other people listed on his website as the concerned citizens. I am sure we will see an entry on here from the faceless 6, but I would like to see if they really exist or are they just another one of Kevin Starr’s lies. They claim to not be associated with any business or artist, yet in the article Mr Starr admits to posting letters on a website he created with friends. Yet, another lie. So come out, come out, wherever you are and be interviewed by Miss Shugart!
Saturday night was a huge success for the merchants and the artist in the Plaza Midwood region of town. We bought 3 pieces of art that night and met 2 other artist that we plan to acquire art from in the future. We spent over 4 hours admiring the incrediable art that was being displayed at every business we went to. The merchants that I had the chance to meet were so welcoming. The sheer pride and unity that was exhibited that night made the evening that much more enjoyable. The idea that a business owner / artist would boycott, damage and try to stop this event is beyond my comprehension. I am still trying to understand his reasons of not participating, we saw the “santa poster” and thought it to be both effective and artistic. Kudos to Jim Mcguire for creating a fun image for this area. All this drama over a business license? What? Principles? What? Shock Value? What? Swaztika Logos with your face on them? What?
As far as listening to business owners, I know many of the owners in that area, and do not see any of them letting someone dictate to them about an event in this area. From what I understand, Mr Griffin worked very closely with the business owners to make sure everyone had a voice in the planning and execution of this event. In my opinion, it was one of the best art events I have attended in years. I am looking forward to the next one.
As a long time resident of Chantilly and regular shopper in the Plaza Midwood area, I was “shocked” by the statement that the businesses in this area do not support the arts and artist. I am a closet artist myself and share my work with very few, but I love the fact that the area I live and shop in is full of artist.
If it was not for the businesses in this area supporting many of our emerging artist, the overall atmosphere of this area would not be what it is. I have meet many artist working as waitresses, waiters, bartenders, hair stylist and store clerks. To me, this is supporting the arts. I love eating at the restaurants in the area because they all have local art displayed, many of the salons have art for sale, even our local animal hospital has both painting and sculptures on display. The new Central 27 has a fun new piece of art at their entrance, d.i. Central has a metal sculpture out front, the entire wall in American Beauty Garden Center is a piece of art and our public library had a very successful public art program in place until Mr Starr destroyed that also.
Public Art is all around us here in Plaza Midwood, and to accuse the businesses in this area of not supporting the arts is simply.. untrue.
YEEHAW… Mr Starr is having a sidewalk sale in spring… Wooo Doggies, me and mamma luvs us some sidewalk sale. We got a pepsi bottle spinner with a bird in it at the last one. Sure makes our trailer seem more like one of them there uptown places. Thank Gawd there will be no booze, my little woman Ruthie can’t hold her liqour. She might get a little drunk and end up buying another Elvis Painting and we are out of wall room in the single wide. I do hope Mr Starr will have them there nazi swaztika shirts in the discount bin as we luv a good bargin and can always use new clothes.
Who the fuck cares?
How about the six million Jews and millions more Gypsies, handicapped, prisoners of war, political dissidents, homosexuals, and Jehovah Witnesses who were exterminated under the symbol of the swastika. If you really don’t care, why laden us with your vulgarity…just move on to something that is more appealing to you.
That would certainly explain that effeminate little moustache. Kevin Starr is a liar. For starters, his last name isn’t Starr, its Crumbly. That should give some insight into his over inflated ego. I find it disgusting that Kevin is so happy to embrace the name Art Nazi. As a gay man, he should know that hundreds of thousands of homosexuals and artists we persecuted, imprisoned, and killed by the Nazis.
Kevin, we have enough enemies of the arts in Charlotte. Go pick on Bill James if you’re so concerned about defending artists. Better yet, move back to Savannah, Gastonia, or anywhere else that has an arts scene that you approve of. We’ve seen enough women painted up like drag queens posing with dead fish.
The Merchants of Plaza Central proudly announce that March 8th will be the date of the next PLAZA CENTRAL ART CRAWL. We invite you to come enjoy all that this area has to offer.
I was at the Art Crawl and had a wonderful time. I had not been to Plaza Midwood in a long time and had forgotten how great that area was. I am not getting a handle on what this man’s problem is. The stores were packed with people having a good time and I did not go to one store that there was not a line at their cash registers.
The atmosphere of the entire night was quite festive and I, for one will return to the area to shop and eat. So, can someone tell me why this business owner is slinging mud all over the other business owners?
From what I have read on his negative website, he has a real problem with the Griffins, can someone tell me why he is attacking them and not all 60 businesses listed on the poster and ads? It is quite obvious that the area business owners are all working together with the exception of one.
Can 60 businesses be wrong and Mr Starr be right? I doubt it, but would love to have it explained to me.
For my part, I believe I have heard Kevin’s side and the Griffin’s side (Neil, Tim’s partner, has a letter published on Kevin’s hate site…although it appears to have been hacked up somewhat).
My questions are for Kevin’s partner, Arthur E. Bloomwell. Mr. Bloomwell, are you aware of the lies and hate your partner is spewing? Do you support him in his character assassination? Have you, too, adopted the swastika as your personal symbol of rebellion against the community in which you live? If so, have you thought through how these actions might impact you, your family, your employer, your friends and loved ones?
It’s no longer possible to remain in the shadows. Your partner has drawn a line in the sand. Which side of that line are you on?
If you are still receiving the vile and hate-filled emails from any of Mr Starr’s Websites after you have requested to be removed from his email list.. take the time to report him to GoDaddy.com
https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/spamreport/spamreport.asp?app%5Fhdr=&ci=9077
Is this Kevin Starr the same H. Kevin Crumbley from Savannah that owned a puppy mill and receieved an AKC revocation for such? WOW.. he has really moved up in this world, from treating liitle puppies poorly to treating humans poorly. What a great guy!
As a long time resident of Plaza Midwood, I have seen businesses come and go. I have often wondered what could be done to keep this from happening, well, it seems the Griffins came up with a solution. Promote the area and make it a fun place to come hang out and spend money. My sincere thank you for taking the time to make something on such a grand scale happen. Those of us that have lived in this area for a long time are disgusted with the emails and negativity that Mr Starr has heaped upon both you and the merchants. I have spoken to many neighbors and friends who support this event and the Plaza Midwood merchants. Do not let the rantings and ravings of an obvious disturbed individual detour you from doing what is good for the ‘hood. And yes, I too call it the hood as does many of the long time Plaza Midwood residents. And if you do ever run for a political office, you have my vote!
I crawled.
I danced.
I drank.
I hugged a Roller Girl.
I got a candy cane from a very tall Green Santa.
I ate a fish sandwich.
I got a minute massage at Georgetown spa.
I also bought 1 painting, 2 pieces of pottery and some really fun stuff at the Arts and Crafts store..
What a great night! and who might I ask is this Kevin Starr causing all this BS? Never heard of him until this article and never care to hear about him again.
Plaza Midwood is very lucky to have the Griffins.
Andy
Kevin Starr has just accused Tim of misappropriating funds from a fundraiser. This seems to be a good forum for bringing the truth to bear, so here goes.
Tim is the organizer, I am the administrator of any fundraising we do. Given that fact, the attack leveled by Starr is directed at me as the banker in the family. As the accuser, the burden is on Starr to prove any malfeasance on our part.
As my position with a local bank requires me to maintain a clean record in this arena, I suggest Starr come forward immediately with his evidence. I have contacted my HR representative to avoid any possible uncomfortable repercussions on my end. I hope Starr has not erroneously leveled this charge.
Neil Griffin
I do not know Mr. “Starr”, but I have seen his work.
I knew enough based on that, even before his plagiarism of others promotional language (completely “borrowing” unedited text from other galleries and artists to promote his own) his abuse of list serves and email spamming for self promotion drove the point home.
He is a mediocrity. His work is tedious, predictable and amateurish. Hype and shock are the only ways he can get attention, because his work does not merit any. He has a platform because he has the funds to run a gallery – that is all. It’s hard to believe that anyone takes him seriously.
In other words, he’s a Poseur.
He also seems to be in need of heavy medication.
All of this attention probably just encourages him. The fact that the media would treat the non-issue of his public hissy fit as if it were a real news item and ignore the larger issue of his use of a swastika for attention is par for the course.
Ignore him and he will go away.
What is this man’s problem? I get at least 10 emails a week from him. I have asked, I have begged and I have threatened him to get off his spam list. His emails are degrading, rude and something that I do not want sent to my home. I cannot figure out how he got my email address. I have never been to his studio, have never signed up for it and never asked for all this sick slanderish style emails to invade my life. Mr Starr if you are reading this, you need help! Mr Arthur Bloomwell if you are reading this, get your lover some help.
On another note, I agree with Patrick, the real story here is the “pride” this man shows in using the swaztika as his promotional logo. I urge everyone to contact your local religious leaders about this man. This type of hate should not be allowed to happen here in our lovely city.
I believe that this needs to be addressed as a virus in the neighborhood. I do not think that the owners of the building he occupies would allow someone to show a slideshow containing a swaztika, viewable from the sidewalk. This type of behavior is the type of behavior that can kill the spirit of a neighborhood. The pure hate that this man is putting out into the universe is sitting over this area like a dark cloud. It is time for the voices of the people to be heard.
Please contact the owner of that building at:
John Hatcher
704-375-8515
Some additional background. Kevin Starr watched his long-time companion, Robert (aka Magnolia in the drag circles), die from Aids-related illnesses. Starr inherited this man’s property and insurance and then refused to pay for Robert’s funeral expenses stating, “his family should have saved up for it.”
The accolades he claims for his hair and makeup styling are specious at best. No one can verify that he even has a cosmotology license. It is also not substantiated that he attended East Carolina Univeristy where he “majored in piano performance” per his bio.
He was busted in Savannah for selling drugs at least twice. He ran his business into the ground, and then opened a night club that failed because no one would be seen there.
He has stolen his artistic stylings from Patrick McCay, Derrek Goddard and Laura DiNello. Look them up and see for yourself that Kevin’s “art” is pretty much replication of their styles.
He believes he can bully the Plaza Central community the same way he bullied Savannah until they ran him out of town. I believe he’s picked the wrong city and the wrong community. He is focusing his wrath on a single individual, not realizing there are 100’s of us out here who support the Griffins and their work. We know them and know there dedication, giving spirits, and can-do attitudes.
Kevin Starr is evil as evidenced by his embracing the swastika as her personal symbol of rebellion, although he is a gay man with Jewish heritage.
I would like to say I pity him, but he has gone way to far for pity. The community needs to rise up in unison and let him know that we will no longer tolerate his insane behavior. You cannot ignore evil…that’s how Hitler got as far as he did.
Make sure your friends and neighbors read these postings. We need to get the truth out and shut him down.
Before Kevin dings me for my spelling, that should have been cosmetology license. I believe the other word is cosmology. Sorry for the error.
Thank you Mo for doing the research that reporters should do before lending credence to the rantings of an egotistical phony.
It also seems that the glowing reviews of Mr. “Starr” and his work could have been more knowledge based as well.
Want to know why the average person sees art as something of a scam? Might have something to do with this uninformed, uncritical reportage and boosterism.
Wow Kevin, Charlotte is tearing you a new asshole. You really could use a friend right now, too bad you’ve lost so many in the past few years. Real artists don’t copy, they cant. Maybe you should pretend to be a lawyer for the next couple years of your life.
I think the bottom line here is that Kevin Starr is mad. He did not get his way, so he threw a tantrum, nothing new for Herschel. The business owners saw someone that was willing to help the area by organizing a great event at little or no cost to them. They also got to witness an individual spend hours attmepting to discredit and dishonor Mr Griffin. The businesses receieved over 100 emails from the various Kevin Starr websites and even had mail sent to their places of businesses after they quit accepting or opening their email from him.
The event was a good one, but could have been better if everyone had not had to spend so much time and energy defended thier businesses, their neighborhood or in the Griffin’s case, their name. I do hope that Kevin Starr and Art Bloomwell are proud of what they accomplished with this degrading attack on everything and everybody involved in the crawl.
The Crawl is here to stay and we the Merchants of Plaza Midwood are looking forward to the Spring Event.
All this is very interesting, but everyone needs to remember the worst part of this. Noone should ever forget that their is a gay couple living here amongst us that use the swaztika as a symbol of rebellion.
My love and prayers go out to the Griffins for the pain and suffering they had to endure. It is a shame that the very ones that are doing the most to help the area are the ones being crucified by Kevin Starr and Art Bloomwell.
I am sure Mr Starr and Mr Bloomwell will soon start their lastest round of attacks on Tim Griffin with more lies and hate. Keep your head held high my dear, for you have the love and the support of many! You are a GODDESS!!!!!
Kevin starr has no talent. The reason he is upset is clear, The Griffin’s had the will and the know-how to pull something off that kevin couldn’t. All kevin has managed to accomplish through his hate that he has spread around, is too insure that in the future, no buisness owners will take him serious. I beleive they stopped taking him serious when he published that horrible, waste of time “plaza guide”. Everything he touches turns to shit. Maybe that’s why the crawl went so well.. he had nothing to do with it.
Starting in 10 days will be the new website dedicated to Kevin, Hershcel and Arthur… It will contain pictures, mugshots, police reports and many personal interviews with and about friends and family. Everyday that the “THEPLAZACENTRALARTCRAWL” website remains up a new story and pictures will be added…..Should be VURY VURY VURY fun!!!!!!!!!!!
Well the hate Website is still up, so when we launch the website, that will mean 2 stories on the Herschel, Kevin and Arthur Family and Friends website!!! Each day it remains up means another story we are putting together for the launch!!!!! God you have to love public record access!!!!!!
I hope he leaves his website up, I am dying to read the history of Mr Crumbley/Mr Starr and Mr Bloomwell. I bet there are some nasty skeletons in those closets! Looking forward to being a daily reader.
Hello,
I reccommend that anyone who is on those vile mailing lists like plazaland.com or anything to do with the negativity go to the registrar for theplazacentralartcrawl,com and file a formal complaint about the spam you receive. I have done so, and the more complaints they get, the bigger the possibility that the site will become unable to send out mailings.
This is how the domain owner’s name is hidden, and how you can complain formally.
http://www.domainsbyproxy.com/LegalAgreement.aspx#
I wish you all good luck, and Thank you so much Neil, Tim, and all the other merchants.
I just purchased an incredible painting from Mr. Starr
God help us all in Pageland, SC. Tim Griffin, Tim Cody, Tim Aldridge just to name some of his alias are destroying this small town. Still seeing the same posts like misappropriating funds, bullying, stealing, and absolute fraud. Tim doesn’t have a A valid drivers license and it was Meil that watched his lover suffer not Kevin. It’s all Public Record just look it up! That poor man Kevin is so innocent!!!!