By Shanece Brent, Staff Writer

Published in print Oct. 29, 2014

If you had attended Menace Inc. Studio’s Mischief Night event on S. Elam Avenue this past Friday night, here’s what you would have seen: A television on the right wall played the holiday classic “The Nightmare Before Christmas” on repeat, while electronic remixes of classic Halloween songs played from the DJ booth on the left, near a corridor which leads into Menace Inc. Studios and Art Gallery.

Inc. has been here within Common Grounds for almost a year, with the grand opening occurring this past January. Back here, there’s a designer vinyl toy shop which carries the types of collector’s art pieces you won’t find in the average toy store. Plaster skulls covered a pool table, each decorated by a local Greensboro artist.

In addition to the table of skulls, the walls are lined with the work of local artists, including Dwayne Herbin, creator of the “Jason Voorhees, Professional” portraits. Herbin wore a Jason mask in homage to his inspiration. “I like the layout of Menace Inc.,” Herbin said. “It’s pretty low-key, it’s the right kind of atmosphere for an art studio.”

The gallery also features the work of Lynne Buchanan, who holds both a BFA and MFA from UNCG. “[Studio owner] Jeff Beck is my favorite thing about Menace Inc.,” said Lynne. “He’s a fantastic guy who puts together these shows and works really hard at it. Menace Inc. Studios is really breaking new ground for Greensboro; we needed something like this.”

While the gallery and DJ booth entertained guests indoors, N.C. A&T alumnus and Menace Inc. Gallery manager Marshall Lakes painted on a canvas outside. Over the course of the evening, attendants watched Lakes’s canvas go from blank to dark blue before finally transforming into an image of Godzilla destroying a city.

“I got involved here at Menace Inc. because they’re the only people doing these kinds of illustrative art shows,” Lakes said. “I can put my comic and sci-fi based stuff on the walls here and it works.”

UNCG students Ashley Hallenbeck, Leanne O’ Donnell and Jarryd Brown were also outdoors, drawing free caricatures of guests.

Hallenbeck’s art was featured prominently in the night’s events, and in addition to drawing and taking photos, some of her prints were raffled off to lucky winners. O’Donnell, who will be graduating in December of 2015 with a BFA in Studio Art, Drawing and Printmaking, enjoyed the free wine. Her favorite parts of Halloween are “the costumes, the creepiness, and the scary movies.” Jarryd Brown is graduating this December with a degree in Fine arts, and though he’s proficient in “everything from digital to charcoal, pencil and mechanical pencil,” on Friday he drew attendants with multicolored Sharpies.

According to Beck, the inspiration behind this event was, “the love of Halloween.”

“I always try to go big for Halloween,” he explained. “It’s my favorite holiday, so any way I can incorporate Halloween and art, I love to do it. We just wanted to get people dressed up, do some Halloween-themed art and have a good time.”

And a good time was definitely had by all Friday night, as guests migrated between the gallery and the parking lot, enjoying free art, music and drinks. There were three raffles over the course of the night, as well as a costume contest, and the winners weren’t the only ones who came away from the event happy. “It went really well,” said Lakes at the end of the night, “drinks, art and Halloween – what more could you ask for?”

Though the party is over, the Halloween art gallery will be up for another week or two. The next Menace Inc. event will be a solo show featuring the work of artist Kat Lamp on November 8 from 6-9 p.m., followed up in December with an end-of-year art show.

In addition to putting together events for Menace Inc., Beck is looking for local artists to participate in a painting competition called “Ultimate Painting” in November. For more information on this event and others, you can check out Menace Inc. Studio’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/menaceincstudios/info.