Slippin' Southern at the SweetArts 2013 Bash

Gregory Morris of Slippin' Southern with models at SweetArts 2013 Bash

Yes, this picture is a little bit shocking.... but it's New Orleans y'all.

Two weeks ago we took a few minutes break from sign making to stroll over to our local coffee shop, New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Co. to get a quick cup of chicory coffee when we passed a house on the way that we love walking by because they often times will have two of the cutest French Bulldogs frolicking in their front yard. As you walk by them, they will walk along their fence with you and bark and carry on, they are just adorable!

Too Cute Bubble Girl who greeted us at the entrance to the Bash

Go-go Girl on the Dance Floor at SweetArts 2012

On this day, there was a man walking about in the yard, a Southern Gentleman to be exact. We sort of notice him the same time he noticed us so I pointed at the Frenchies and said something like, "We just love your doggies!"

In no time, the man came over and invited us up on his front porch to sit for a minute and he proceeded to tell us about the dogs, the house and little bit about his family. I explained that I had a wall art business just around the corner and I sold and shipped signs all over the world. It was like we knew him all of our lives. The conversation was warm and friendly. And the Frenchies filled in any awkward moments in the conversation.

Couches for lounging during the Party

Finally, as the conversation ended, he walked us back out to the street and from his car, he pulled out an invitation to the SweetArts 2013 Bash that was to be held the following Saturday. We thought to ourselves, wow, what are the chances that we would bump into someone like Gregg Porter, a Co-Chairman of the SweetArts 2013 Committee? We were so happy to have met him and had this opportunity fall into our laps.

So anyway, long story short, we purchase tickets and attended Gregg's shin-dig the next Saturday. It was like something out of Batman meets Austin Powers movie. Held of course at the CAC (Contemporary Arts Center) building where they are currently featuring an exhibit called Beyond Beasts, featuring props from the motion picture Beasts of the Southern Wild, sorry, I have not seen this movie but the props were amazing.

DJ Matty spinning the best tunes at SweetArt 2012

The party scene went something like this.... Ashley Longshore's film performance piece starring Nissa Teissier is going on in one corner. Local print shop artists are creating on-the-spot mementos and poem relics while you wait in another corner. There's Mystic ponies featuring swamp inspired aerial & dance performances in another corner... there's lots of corners in this place.

Once inside the main party room there were hundreds of guests, all in suits and party attire, dancing and cocktailing the night away, at least for three hours.

There was also a burlesque trapeze act spinning above the heads of the terrific DJ Matty, DJ Bunny & DJ Lingerie who spun tunes that were the perfect mix for such an eclectic mix of Hollywood meets modern art crowd.

At one point in the evening my wife, Susan stopped dead in her tracks and backed up against the wall and told me to do the same. It was if she had seen a ghost. The music was loud, and it was kinda dark. I thought she was getting sick or something. But then she pointed ahead of us and said, "Don't freak out, but, it's him!"  Who? I asked. Robert.... she said. Robert who? I asked. For the next minute or two we could not for the life of us remember his last name. I even grabbed another guy walking by us and asked, "Hey, what's that movie star's last name?" This guy said he couldn't remember it either. It was like everyone was under this spell of complete dumbness!

Gregory Morris, the Gountry Gentelman

I've heard of people blanking-out when meeting a celebrity and now I'm having the same experience y'all!

I looked once again, and then it comes to me, and it wasn't DuVall, it was Deniro. Robert was surrounded by folks who all were trying to get their pictures taken with him as he was trying to make his way through the crowd. Then, in a moment he was gone. I'm not sure how long he was in the room but it was brief.

Oh, by the way, the coat I'm wearing? It's a Slippin' Southern original design... A duck-tape covered vintage suit coat complete with Sharpie pens that we threw together so fellow party goers could draw, write and sign their names right on my coat. Let me tell ya, a great ice breaker at any cocktail party y'all.

I asked a lot of folks to sign it up until I had about three drinks... then folks started asking me if they could sign it. I had the art director from the movie Beasts sign it, and many people that I don't even know. Over the past week I have pulled it out of my closet, looked it over and have tried to decifer the inscriptions all over it.

Anyway, thanks Gregg Porter, for being such a warm host to us at your big shin-dig, we really enjoyed spending an hour on your couch at the party!

Gregory & Susan

Slippin' Southern