January Issue 2001
Here's a Carolina Arts Update! 7/22/05
erl originals gallery in Winston-Salem, NC, is now closed. The following is no reflection on the artist(s) mentioned in this article. They still deserve the historical fact that this exhibition happened.
Here is an excerpt from an article in the Winston-Salem Journal's Dec. 10, 2004, edition: "In late September, (2004) erl's owners, Peter and Lee Swenson, and the company they operate, Bogart Management Group, were foreclosed on by their bank. They were barred from their gallery at 480 West End Blvd. for being months in arrears on rent and utilities. Peter Swenson is facing numerous tax-fraud charges, as well as a growing number of civil lawsuits filed by creditors seeking to collect payments they say are long overdue".
1st Show of 2001 Features Prominent Potters, Pastel Artists; Vibrant Watercolors on Exhibit in e.r.l's Gallery G
Nationally recognized potters Carol Gentithes and Fred Johnston and pastel artists Joyce Nagel and Don Nagel, both well known throughout the Southeast, will exhibit in the main gallery at erl originals in Winston-Salem, NC, January 12 - February 7. At the same time, vibrant watercolors by North Carolina artist Jeanette Sheehan will be on exhibit in erl's Gallery G.
Both Gentithes and Johnston - a husband and wife team based in North Carolina - have their own distinctive styles. Gentithes' ceramics embody literature, mythology, and life observations, and are meant to be humorous and mythological. A graduate of Duke University with a BA in English literature, she traveled extensively before receiving her BFA from Alfred University, College of Ceramics, New York. She has also studied at Penn State University, State College, PA; The Corcoran School of Art, Washington, DC; and Athens University, Athens, Greece.
Gentithes has received numerous grants and awards. In 2000, she was awarded a travel grant from Artlink/CEC International Partners to work in Estonia on a kiln building project, and in 1999, participated in the Cultural Education Collaborative, Selwyn School, in Charlotte through an Education Grant. Her works of art have been part of numerous juried exhibitions, most recently in Chicago, New Canaan. CT, and Los Angeles, as well as part of many invitational exhibitions in the Southeast. Gentithes' pottery is included in the corporate collection of JLH Interiors, Inc., Boulder, CO; Inflight Duty Free Shop, Inc., Corporate Headquarters, New York; Champagne & Caviar, Inc., Exton, PA; TF Industries, Corporate Headquarters, Warren, OH; and Valley Forge Associates, Valley Forge, PA.
Johnston's origins in clay are rooted in the southern folk pottery traditions of North Carolina. According to Johnston, "growing up in the rural south has given me access to its colorful history and characters, which serves as a wellspring of ideas. Storytelling is a regional pastime. Consequently, I question how a pot can tell a story. Yet my work draws from many cultures: Greek, Korean, Chinese, PreColumbian, European, and Mimbres."
Johnston worked for several years as a chef and a carpenter before entering Alfred University where he received a BFA with honors from the College of Ceramics. He holds a MFA from Penn State University's College of Art and Architecture in State College, PA. He also has participated in workshops and taught at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN, and the Haystack Mountain School, Deer Isle, ME.
Johnston was among 120 potters selected from a field of 1,600 artists nationwide to participate in the 16th Annual Smithsonian Craft Exhibition held in Washington, DC, in 1998. His works have also been part of many other national juried exhibitions, most recently the Fifth Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National Exhibit, New Cumberland, PA, and Ceramics '97 Exhibit, Guilford, CT. In 1999, he was invited to six invitational exhibitions in a four-state area. His pottery can be found in the corporate collections of the Valley Forge Associates, Valley Forge, PA; TF Industries, Warren, OH; and Inflight Duty Free, Inc., Corporate Headquarters, New York, NY
The Nagels, also husband and wife, are well known throughout the Southeast for their pastels.
A native of Buffalo, NY, Joyce Nagel received a BS degree in advertising design from the Rochester Institute of Technology and an MA in printmaking from Wayne State University. She has worked in graphic design studios and as a freelance designer as well as an instructor of drawing, design, printmaking, and landscape painting. Her landscape paintings are in the collections of a number of corporations, among them Northwestern University Hospital and United Airlines in Chicago; Melhado Flynn Associates and Anchor Bank in Hilton Head, SC; First Federal Bank in Michigan; Duke University, Durham, NC; and Wachovia Bank. Nagel has received awards for her pastels from the Degas Pastel Society, the Kansas Pastel Society, the Maryland Pastel Society, the Southeastern Pastel Society of which she is a Member of Excellence, the Pastel Society of the West Coast, and the Pastel Society of America of which she is a full member.
Don Nagel received a BA in art from the Rochester Institute of Technology and an MA in printmaking from Wayne State University. He worked in Pittsburgh and Detroit for 30 years in major advertising agencies as an art director and associate creative director, receiving numerous awards before becoming a freelance graphic designer. He turned to pastels in 1998, and focuses on lighting in his landscapes. He recently received a second place award in the Southeastern Pastel Society International Show, his first major competition.
Watercolors, oils and pastels by artist Jeanette Sheehan will be on exhibit in Gallery G. According to Sheehan. "there are endless ways to depict the landscapes, florals and still lifes to which am attracted and my personal expression incorporates vivid colors and lively textures. The excitement in using watercolors lies in keeping a balance between spontaneity and control. The enjoyment of oils in the 'feel' of moving the paint around and pastels lend themselves to rich textures."
A native of Chicago, Sheehan's early artistic influences were from her paternal grandmother, a sculptor, and her maternal grandmother, a painter. She attended the Art Institute of Chicago before moving to North Carolina 30 years ago. She has attended numerous classes, including studies at the Charles H. Cecil Studios, Florence, Italy, and credits her travels to providing inspiration for her works. Her artwork hangs in many corporate collections, among them Bank of America, Cellular One, Chesapeake Display & Packaging Co., Commercial Designs, Duke Medical Center, Glaxo, Inc., and Wachovia Bank. She has exhibited both solo and in groups across North Carolina.
For further information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings or call the gallery at 336/760-4373 or on the web at (www.erloriginals.com).
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