October 2013

City Art Gallery in Columbia, SC, Offers Works by Michael Cassidy

City Art Gallery in Columbia, SC, will present Things, featuring works by Michael Cassidy, on view from Oct. 17 through Nov. 16, 2013. A reception will be held on Oct. 17, from 6-8pm.

Cassidy comments, “Quite simply, this body of work is about things that are important to me. The paintings are the result of a process of embracing where I came from, who I am, and who I want to be. I grew up around people who take pride in hard work and self-sufficiency, have a strong bond with place and family and possess a deep passion for hunting and fishing. Many of these objects of utility and action were used or given to me by close family and friends. So, with the utmost of honesty and integrity I paint these objects, telling the story about the people and things that have made me.”

Cassidy was born and raised in Michigan. A rural upbringing created a deep-seated connection with nature but an interest in art led him to Kendall College of Art and Design in, Grand Rapids, MI. He found his place in the Studio Art Department and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Printmaking in 2000. After a short stint as a Christmas tree pruner, Cassidy took a job as a house painter. This occupation helped him develop skills in historical restoration and allowed him the time to continue working in the studio and pursue an active showing schedule.

In 2001 Cassidy left Michigan to study Flemish and Venetian painting under David Voros, Associate Professor of painting at University of South Carolina, in Columbia, SC. Homesick, Cassidy was drawn to the rural areas of the South Carolina. Though the flora and fauna was vastly different from that of Michigan, he found the rural culture to be familiar. Spending as much time outside as possible, his subject became the landscape.

Cassidy received a Master of Fine Arts degree in 2004 and took an adjunct instructor position at USC. After 5 years teaching he took a break from academia, to start a historical restoration and fine finishing business. Cassidy became recognized for his work on the historic Lorick House and was a major contributor to the restoration of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, both in Columbia. Currently, he is the Exhibition and Collections Manager at the I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC. Residing in West Columbia, SC, Cassidy continues to draw inspiration from the landscape and cultures of the rural South.

For further information check our SC Commercial Gallery listings, contact Wendyth Wells at 803/252-3613 or visit (www.cityartonline.com).

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