Once a year, the 1970s-era motel on University Avenue morphs into an art gallery to showcase work by new artists.
Written and Researched by Leslie Criss | Photographs Courtesy Erin Austen Abbott
Nearly two decades ago, photographer Erin Austen Abbott was driving around Oxford in search of things to photograph. She pulled into a motel parking lot just to turn around and a creative idea began to take shape.
“I grew up in Oxford, and I had never seen this place,” Abbott said. “I was immediately taken by the blue doors with little red hearts that were there then. There was something nostalgic about it, and it spoke to me.”
Abbott had stumbled across the Ole Miss Motel, a 20-room landmark which has occupied 1517 University Avenue since the 1970s. The motel is more than a place for travelers to rest — the business offers support to such organizations as Vietnam Veterans of America, the Family Fund for Paralyzed & Disabled Police Officers, the Firefighters Charitable Foundation, and for the past 17 years, it has hosted the arts community with One Night Stand.
From her turnabout in that parking lot, Abbott’s idea morphed into an art show of a different kind. The One Night Stand art show will celebrate its 17th year on Oct. 5.
“When I drove into the parking lot that long-ago day, I saw this one-level building that you could drive right up to, and I immediately thought of an art venue,” Abbott said.
When thinking what the show might be called, she came up with One Night Stand, and delving into the history of the phrase, Abbott discovered it is in fact art-related. According to Merriam-Webster, a one-night stand is a performance, as of a play or concert (art show), given by a traveling group of actors or musicians (artists) only once in a series of localities.
Abbott’s purpose for One Night Stand has, from the beginning, been to offer a creative event for the community and to give new artists a feel for what it’s like to show their work. To that end, each participating artist transforms a motel room into their own gallery.
In addition, this year’s family-friendly event will include a room filled with artwork different artists have donated to sell to benefit the Oxford Skateboard Association. In another room, a collective of artists from Mississippi and Tennessee called Exist Impactfully and sponsored by TIN (This Is Noteworthy) will complete an installation.
The first hour of the Oct. 5 event, First Dibs, will be from 5 until 6 p.m. and include a meal. Tickets for First Dibs are $25 per person. One Night Stand is free and open to the public from 6 until 9 p.m.
Learn more at erinaustenabbott.com.
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