Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Unhindered by Seriousness Sculpture by Carl Blair

Opening July 3 at the Morris Museum

Anyone that loves animals can’t be all bad. - Carl Blair

Unhindered by Seriousness: Sculpture by Carl Blair features 22 polychrome wood relief sculptures, as well as free-standing three-dimensional works by one of South Carolina’s most admired artists. The exhibition opens Saturday, July 3, 2010 at the Morris Museum of Art and remains on display through Sunday, August 29, 2010.

“Using nature as a point of departure, Blair has created a world populated by whimsical, three-dimensional animals of his own creation,” said Kevin Grogan, director of the Morris Museum of Art. “Most of these creatures are derived from barnyard animals that find themselves in precarious, humorous, or dire situations and pursuits. The artist’s good humor and bracing world view are amplified by his use of color, expressive line, and intriguing titles for his sculptures.”

“Animals have reoccurred in my sculptures for years,” said artist Carl Blair. “I grew up on a farm, so as a young boy, I was surrounded by animals—we had coon hounds, chickens, and pigs and our neighbors had Brahma bulls, cows, and goats. Animals are like people, they are unique; they have their own personalities and own souls; some are mean and some are nice.”

Typically, Blair does not walk into the studio with an idea of what he is going to create. He begins working and the object or animal changes as he works on it. The animal then takes on a story, theme, or song lyric. For example, Live Free or Die is about patriotism (Blair is a Korean War veteran) and Billy Goat Gruff is based on a poem from Blair’s youth.

Born in Atchison, Kansas, in 1932, Blair is a painter and sculptor who was a professor of art at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina for more than 41 years. Now retired, he continues to create and exhibit throughout the Southeast. Blair has a long history of awards and exhibitions. His work has been featured in previous exhibitions at the Ringling Museum of Art, the Hunter Museum of American Art, and the Greenville County Museum of Art.

Carl Blair will discuss his work Friday, July 16, at noon during the Morris Museum’s Art at Lunch.. Members, $10; nonmembers, $14. Lunch by Moe’s Southwest Grill. Paid reservations due July 14.

The Morris Museum of Art was founded in 1985 and opened to the public in 1992. It is the oldest museum in the country that is devoted to the art and artists of the American South. The museum’s permanent collection holds approximately five thousand works of art that date from the late-eighteenth century to the present. The Morris is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., and on Sunday, noon–5:00 p.m. For more information about the Morris Museum of Art, visit www.themorris.org or call 706-724-7501.

Morris Museum of Art
Augusta, Georgia I 706-724-7501
www.themorris.org

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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Fine Arts Photography Reflects Rural South in FREE Exhibition this September, 2010‏

SlowExposures is the nationally recognized juried photo exhibition held annually in Pike County that faithfully captures the rural South's distinct history and character through fine art photography.

The eighth showcase of photography opens on Friday, September 17th, 2010, in the 1887 R. F. Strickland Building (listed on the National Register of Historic Places), a late nineteenth century mercantile store, in historic Concord, Pike County Georgia, located one hour south of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The photo celebration, which lasts for two event-filled weekends, includes salons and portfolio reviews; a local children’s photography contest; satellite shows and a celebratory ball on Saturday, September 25th. SlowExposures 2010 concludes on Sunday, September 26th.

In addition to the primary collection of over ninety photos, a self-driving road tour features a map of the satellite shows and historic sites throughout picturesque Pike County.

SlowExposures is the annual fundraiser of Pike Historic Preservation and is dedicated to supporting the historical and cultural heritage of the rural South through contemporary photography.

All proceeds from the show and the accompanying events go toward the preservation of Pike County's historic buildings and landscapes.

SlowExposures attracts hundreds of visitors each fall to central Georgia’s bucolic surroundings.

For more information, please visit www.slowexposures.org or contact Slow Exposures, PO Box 489, Zebulon, GA, 30295, (770) 567-3600.

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Monday, June 21, 2010

'Painters’ Reel: Contemporary Painting in Georgia' Now at the Morris Museum of Art

Painters’ Reel: Contemporary Painting in Georgia, featuring the work of eleven of Georgia’s leading contemporary artists, opened to the public on June 19 at the Morris Museum of Art. Organized by Macon’s Museum of Arts and Sciences, the exhibition remains on view at the Morris Museum through September 26, 2010.

The exhibition was originally organized by Corrine Colarusso, acting as a guest curator on behalf of the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences. After Eric O’Dell, curator of exhibitions at the Museum of Arts and Sciences, invited her participation, she provided the premise for the exhibition and devised the selection process that identified the artists included in it.

However, she says, ”in a sense, the exhibition organized itself.” Corrine Colarusso first invited the participation of two other Georgia painters, Don Cooper and Cheryl Goldsleger, whose work had been a source of particular pleasure, intellectual stimulation, and engagement to her over many years. After selecting their work, she invited them to choose the next participants, using the same highly personal criteria as the basis for selection. They, in turn, asked the next, and so on. Although it is unusual, this selection process seems peculiarly appropriate for this exhibition.

As Kevin Grogan, director of the Morris Museum of Art states, “This method of selection is strangely consistent with the process that attends painting: deciding when and where to begin, trusting instinct, making a decision regarding direction (even though the ultimate destination is unknown), and following that direction to its conclusion before pursuing another line of development until it feels done, until it feels that everything that can be said on this subject has now been said—while all the time presuming that the painting, when finished, will make sense in some way. Like all creative work, painting inevitably involves a leap of faith.”

Painters’ Reel demonstrates that these are fruitful times for painting in Georgia. The region teems with good painters, and the highly select group that makes up Painter’s Reel is proof that this is so. They range in age from mid-thirties to mid-seventies. They live and work in Augusta, Athens, Atlanta, and Savannah. They do not espouse a single stylistic approach. If anything, this selection demonstrates that there are many ways of seeing and just as many ways to capture the thing seen—and, sometimes, felt.

The artists represented in the exhibition include Scott Belville, Athens; Betsy Cain, Savannah; Corrine Colarusso, Atlanta; Don Cooper, Atlanta; Cheryl Goldsleger, Athens; Stefanie Jackson, Athens; Marcus Kenney, Savannah; Philip Morsberger, Augusta; Tom Nakashima, Augusta; Rocio Rodriguez, Atlanta; and Art Rosenbaum, Athens.

The exhibition is accompanied by a full-color catalogue that is available through the Morris Museum store. It includes reproductions of each of the artist’s work, as well as biographical information and a critical appreciation of each artist by one of the other artists in the exhibition.

Related Events:

Thursday, June 24, 5:30–8:00 p.m.

Opening Party: Painters’ Reel: Contemporary Painting in Georgia

Meet the artists featured in the exhibition Painters’ Reel. Heavy hors d’oeuvres by Tastefully Yours; cash bar. Admission fee includes museum admission, food and two bar tickets. Space is limited, paid reservations can be made by calling 706-724-7501 by June 17. Members, $10; nonmember, $15

Morris Museum of Art Founded in 1985, the Morris Museum of Art is the oldest museum in the country that is devoted to the art and artists of the American South. The museum’s permanent collection of approximately five thousand paintings, watercolors, drawings, prints, photographs, and sculptures, dating from the late eighteenth century to the present, is displayed in galleries dedicated to, among other things, Nineteenth-Century portraiture, the Civil War, Southern Stories, Still Life, Landscape, Southern Impressionism, Southerners at Play, Regionalism, Modernism, and Contemporary. It is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., and on Sunday, noon–5:00 p.m. For more information about the Morris Museum of Art, visit the museum’s web site at www.themorris.org or call 706-724-7501.

Upcoming Events at ArtWorks on the Square, Fayetteville, GA

Friday Night, June 25th, 7:00-9:30 pm, ART DATE at ArtWorks on the Square. Bring a friend, partner or spouse to a fun filled evening of painting along with your favorite wine to enjoy. No experience needed as you will be following the instructor step-by-step. $30 a person includes all art materials. You may also preorder special cheesecakes for two. To register, contact Kathaleenbrewer@comcast.net or call 678-545-0275.

Saturday and Sunday, June 26th & 27th, 2:00 pm -5:00 pm MOSAIC STAIN GLASS workshop with Debbie Donathan. $65.00 for both days, includes all materials. ArtWorks on the Square, 107 Stonewall Ave., Fayetteville, GA, 30214. 678-545-0275

Friday, JULY 2nd , 7:00-9:00 pm, Reception for special exhibit by Collaboration Between Artists, a newly formed group of serious young artists that are either seniors in high school or in college. Wine tasting and live jazz music. Free.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Newcomer Artist Spotlighted at ArtWorks on Square in Fayetteville

Atlanta contemporary artist Elizabeth Talmadge brought strong, colorful work to “ArtWorks on the Square” in Fayetteville on June 4th.

The unique studio-gallery-art class and café facility on the square in Fayetteville attracts a diverse talent of artists and consumers as it offers classes and a café respite for art fanciers.

The summer exhibit spotlighted newcomer Elizabeth Talmadge who has a working studio in Atlanta and lives part-time at her family’s horse farm in Hampton. Talmadge studied art at Oglethorpe University and Sotheby’s Institute of Fine and Decorative Arts in, London, England. She also attended the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England and has worked in the art restoration field and managed an art gallery in Chattanooga.

Now a full-time working artist, she creates stimulating mixed-media paintings on canvas. Free expression, vivid color, and raw texture mesh to produce the avant-garde element present in all her works.

Talmadge’s participation in the Fayetteville gallery attracted out-of-area attendance from Atlanta and (other cities or areas) for the weekend show and she comments, “It is exciting and rewarding to have my work shown in this venue with other local artists. The gallery displays a wide variety of works and offers collectors and viewers the opportunity to study and purchase exceptional pieces.”

Kathaleen Brewer is owner and director of ArtWorks on the Square, 107 Stonewall Ave., Fayetteville, GA 30214. For show hours and other information, call 678-545-0275.

Photo: Atlanta artist Elizabeth Talmadge (L) shows her mixed-media work to Louise Shingler Davis (R) at ArtWorks on the Square.
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NCAA Fifth Annual Juried Art Exhibit Opens at Arts Centre

Artists Reception Held On June 15

The Fifth Annual Juried Art Exhibit of the Newnan-Coweta Art Association opened yesterday at the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts of Coweta County on Lower Fayetteville Road several miles east of Newnan. There is no admission charge to see the exhibit, which will be on display until June 28 in the art gallery room as well as adorning the walls of the ornate hallways of the Centre. Information on the Centre is available on their website www.thecentreonline.net.

There will be an Artists Reception where the public will have an opportunity to meet the creators of these art works on the evenings of June 15 from

6 PM through 8 PM.

NCAA is one of Coweta's oldest and largest of Coweta's arts organizations. Information is available at www.newcaa.com.

Artist Troy Crisswell to Show at Dogwood Gallery

"Cause for Wonder" solo exhibit for Alabama artist Troy Crisswell

Alabama painter Troy Crisswell is set to display an array of original watercolors and oil paintings during his show entitled "Cause for Wonder" at the Dogwood Gallery and Framer located in Tyrone, Georgia. Opening reception will be Friday, July 30th, from 6:30pm-9:30pm. His work is known for it's extraordinary style and enigmatic subject matter.

On Saturday, July 31st Crisswell will lead a watercolor workshop at the Dogwood Gallery from 10am-3pm. Limited class size, reserve a spot now, $85 per person.

Contact Greg Blair at Dogwood Gallery and Framer, 770-774-3524
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Monday, June 7, 2010

Young Audiences Announces New Board of Directors Members

Young Audiences, Woodruff Arts Center (YAWAC) is pleased to announce that Paul Denton, a transportation solution team leader for General Electric Transportation Systems, and Diane Evans, an active community volunteer and long-time Atlanta resident, have been elected to the organization’s 2010-2011 Board of Directors.

Denton brings to Young Audiences more than 20 years of experience and leadership in business administration and operations management. Denton is also an active member of the Atlanta community through his membership with the General Electric Elfun Atlanta Chapter, which participates in local non-profit organizations and events, including Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Festival of Trees and Habitat for Humanity.

“I am thrilled to serve on the Young Audiences Board of Directors. The organization’s mission is essential to the growth and education of young people throughout Georgia and is one of the many reasons I look forward to providing guidance and expertise to the organization over the coming year,” said Denton.

Evans joins the Board of Directors with an extensive background in community involvement. She has served as co-chair of the Trinity School Spotlight on Southern Artists fund-raiser, president of the Trinity School Parents Association and as a founding member of the Buckhead Chapter of the National Charity League, a mother-daughter service organization.

“I have always been passionate about serving my community, especially in areas that relate to education and the overall development of our youth. As a new member of the Young Audiences Board of Directors, I am excited to focus on building relationships within the community that will help the organization continue its success in reaching students across Georgia with arts experiences and opportunities for creative growth,” said Evans.

“Young Audiences is excited to welcome Paul Denton and Diane Evans to the Board of Directors. Both individuals have shown exceptional leadership and excellence through their professional careers and community involvement, and we are delighted they have chosen to serve our organization with their talents and enthusiasm over the next year,” said Tony Kimbrell, Executive Director of Young Audiences, Woodruff Arts Center.

About Young Audiences, Woodruff Arts Center

Young Audiences, Woodruff Arts Center (YAWAC) is Georgia’s leading provider of arts-in-education programming. Part of the prestigious 31 chapter national Young Audiences organization, YAWAC brings the power of live arts experiences to Georgia students from pre-school to high school. From a small organization of nine artists in 1983, YAWAC is celebrating 25 years of service and has grown into a force in arts education, comprising more than 65 professional artists and ensembles that reach nearly 700,000 students each year in over 50 counties statewide. We fulfill our mission – to transform the lives and learning of young people through the arts – by providing a dazzling and culturally diverse array of curriculum-based assemblies, workshops and residencies in music, dance, theatre, literary and visual arts. For more information, please visit www.yawac.org.

About Woodruff Arts Center

The Woodruff Arts Center is the largest arts center in the Southeast as well as one of the four largest in the nation. The Woodruff is unique in that it combines five visual and performing arts divisions on one campus as one not-for-profit organization. Opening in 1968, the Woodruff Arts Center is home to the Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the High Museum of Art, Young Audiences and the 14th Street Playhouse.