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December Issue 2004
Spartanburg
County Museum of Art in Spartanburg, SC, Features Four New Exhibitions
Twelve artists of Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina
who have received national and international attention in various
publications are featured in a new exhibit at the Spartanburg
County Museum of Art in Spartanburg, SC. The show's title, Leaves
of Grass: Area Artists in National Publications, was inspired
by the book by American poet Walt Whitman, the cultural prophet
whose free and rhapsodic voice reflected the energy and ideals
of the young America. The exhibition will be on view through Jan.
2, 2005.
According to SCMA exhibits coordinator Scott Cunningham, who conceived
and designed the exhibit, the artists in this show likewise "embody
the spirit and energy of our area, and invigorate our lives with
their creative efforts."
Generally, the artists are each represented by at least two original
pieces characteristic of their respective genres, styles and principal
media. Accompanying these are panels documenting their appearances
in various books, magazines, calendars, annuals and other serial
publications.
The show has been dedicated to Susan Y. West (1957-2004), a Spartanburg
public school art teacher who became director of the Fine Arts
department at Dorman High School. Known for her award-winning
animal pastels, she found her work represented in The Artist's
Magazine and in such books as Creative Colored Pencil
and the Best of Colored Pencil II and III.
The work of Greenville's Carl Blair is shown to have received
attention in such publications as The Art Gallery Magazine,
New York Art Review, and Prize Winning Art: Book 6.
An artist's artist who is often spoken of as the dean of South
Carolina Upcountry artists, with works in some 2,500 collections,
the versatile Blair is simultaneously featured in the museum's
Parsons Gallery with a one-man exhibit of twenty-six monotypes
and paintings representing his latest creative direction.
Spartanburg native Trey Finney spent fifteen years as an animator
for Walt Disney in Orlando, Florida, and received credit on numerous
animated films including Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The
Lion King, Pocahontas, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, and
John Henry. Trained at the Ringling School of Art and Design,
Finney is documented in the "Leaves of Grass" show as
being a featured interviewee in a Wildlife Art article.
He is also the subject of a separate one-man exhibit in the museum's
Burwell Gallery.
One of Spartanburg printmaker Pat Kabore's prints, "Going
to Market," was included in the 2004 Original Print Calendar
published by The Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of
American History. She also produced the cover and illustrations
for the book Grandma's Hands: The Heart and Soul of New Orleans
Cooking. Kabore's work of will be the subject of a one-woman
exhibit at the museum during Nov. and Dec. of 2005.
The whimsical folk-life depictions of people and animals in everyday
town-and-city settings of New York City native Robert LoGrippo
of Simpsonville have appeared on the covers of nationally
circulated periodicals, notably Reader's Digest. In a gallery
display case containing publications in which the artists' works
have been featured, LoGrippo's images are well-represented in
a jigsaw puzzle, a Cape Cod Potato Chip bag, and a Celestial
Seasonings Tea box. LoGrippo currently serves as director
of the Spartanburg Museum's Art School.
Painter and pastelist Claire Hopkins, who also lives in Spartanburg,
has taught for the South Carolina Arts Commission and has conducted
workshops for children, teens and adults. She has been featured
in The Pastel Journal and in such other publications as
Pastel Interpretations, The Art of Pastel Portraiture, The
Best of Pastel 2 (1998) and The Best of Portrait Painting
(1998). Hopkins was granted the designation of Master Pastelist
by the Pastel Society of America (NY).
Two area watercolorists who have been represented in national
publications are Lynn Greer of Greenville and Seneca native Larry
Mauldin, who lives in Spartanburg. Greer, an award-winning artist
who specializes in painting sunset and nighttime scenes, has appeared
in The Palette Magazine and in Watercolor Magic Yearbook
2001. Mauldin, a self-taught artist who conducts watercolor
and airbrush workshops across the two Carolinas, has written for
Watercolor Magic.
Clay Times has featured ceramicist Amy Goldstein-Rice of
Inman who is known for her whimsical, colorful and oddly-shaped
animal figures.
Three widely known artists who live in North Carolina are represented
in the exhibit. Greenville native Ann DerGara, who now resides
in Brevard, NC, and owns the Red Wolf Gallery there, has achieved
an international reputation as a painter and printmaker. Working
in both abstract and figurative styles, she has participated in
many exhibits. She has been featured in American Artist Magazine
and in Dooble, a Spanish publication serving the art and
framing industry.
Dom Ferullo and Pat Cole-Ferullo live in Tryon, NC, where they
are well known for conducting various art workshops. Their work
is represented in many corporate, government and private collections.
Cole-Ferullo, who specializes in watermedia in both abstract and
representational styles, has appeared in The Artist's Magazine.
Dom Ferullo adds collage to his award-winning mix. They both have
been featured in Artist's Sketchbook.
According to Cunningham, one of the stated purposes of this exhibit
is to serve as a catalyst for the identification of other Upstate
South Carolina and Western North Carolina artists who have received
national or international attention of this kind. "We
hope that they will come forward and share their contributions
which have helped to make our area reknowned for its culture,"
he says.
Also on view in the Museum's Hallway Gallery through Jan. 31,
2005, will be the exhibit, Chestnut Children's Book Illustrations
by Mary Whyte. Author, Constance McGeorge and Charleston artist
Mary Whyte have collaborated on their sixth children's book, Chestnut
(Peachtree Publishers).
Chestnut, a carriage horse, belongs to Mr. Decker, who runs a
delivery service. Each morning at dawn, Mr. Decker harnesses his
horse to the wagon to make the deliveries around the city. On
the morning of the mayor's daughter's birthday, there are important
deliveries to be made: flour to the baker for Jenny's birthday
cake, bows to the hat maker for a birthday bonnet, and a sack
of sugar to the candy maker to prepare sweets for the party guests.
But when Mr. Decker oversleeps, Chestnut must set off alone, pulling
the heavy wagon through the morning fog, following the familiar
steps to the merchants' stores to make the special deliveries.
The exhbit includes 18 watercolors from the book painted by Whyte.
The illustrations bring Chestnut to life and perfectly recreate
the bustle of turn-of-the-century city life. Young readers, ages
4-8, will almost hear the sound of the horse's iron shoes clattering
over the cobblestones.
The original watercolor illustrations are in the midst of a state
wide traveling exhibit. They will continue to travel to the Aiken
Center for the Arts, Aiken, SC, Feb. 1 - Apr. 10, 2005; and the
South Carolina State Museum, Columbia, SC, Apr. 11 - July 31,
2005. For additional information visit the website (www.colemanfineart.com).
For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery
listings, call the Museum at 864/582-7616 or send an e-mail at
(office@spartanburgartmuseum.org) or at (www.spartanburgartmuseum.org)
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