Feature Articles

November Issue 2002

Ann DerGara Up Next on Transylvania County Arts Council's ArtSpeak Series, in Brevard, NC

Who is that artist spicing up the art scene in Brevard, NC, with bold strokes, both on and off the canvas? Find out during the Transylvania County Arts Council's new evening conversation series ArtSpeak, on Nov. 21, 2002, at 7 p.m., when we'll take an in-depth look at Brevard's own internationally celebrated painter, printmaker and owner of the Red Wolf Gallery, Ann DerGara.

"This new series gives the community a more personal perspective on some of the amazingly talented people who live in Transylvania County," said Jinks Ramsey, former Executive Director of the Transylvania County Arts Council and presenter of the ArtSpeak conversations.

Ramsey and DerGara's conversation, in the style of Bravo Channel's Inside the Actors Studio, will touch on DerGara's life-long experiences as an artist and as a native of this community. A few slide projections also will give a look back at significant moments in DerGara's career.

Ann DerGara has a wealth of background experiences in the arts, especially the art of printmaking. She studied art at Georgia State University, Atlanta College of Art, the Odyssey Studio and the Southeastern School of Photography in Atlanta. She used to create displays for J.P. Allen and Davison's in Atlanta and for Georg Jensen's and Gertz of Long Island, New York. She was an art instructor at Dobbins Air Force Base, near Atlanta, Vanderberg Air Force Base in California, and in the Cobb County School System. In 2004, DerGara will be teaching locally at Kanuga and will have a solo exhibition at the Spartanburg County Museum of Art, in Spartanburg, SC.

DerGara's subject matter ranges from abstract forms to sensitive depictions of animals, nature studies and landscapes. Her interest in the effects of light give her work a mysterious quality, showing that nothing is exactly as it seems. DerGara's signature use of strong joyous colors and her technical expertise combine to create beautifully balanced compositions with subtle, emotional sensuousness. One of her latest designs - a metalwork, red wolf sculpture, created in collaboration with several local artisans - recently became the center of discussion about public art and sidewalk regulations in downtown Brevard.

DerGara's award-winning work has been exhibited internationally and is housed in collections around the world, including the Musee'de Montaut in Chalosse, France and the US Embassy in Togo, Africa. Her work also has appeared in motion pictures and television.

The first ArtSpeak conversation took place in October and featured Mary Beth Shumate, Chair of the Fine Arts Department at Brevard High School. The ArtSpeak series will continue through Mar. of 2003 with special guests including ceramic artist Judith Duff, Brevard College art professor Tim Murray, and folk musician Wanda Lu Green Paxton. All conversations will take place at the Transylvania Community Arts Center at 7pm on the third Thur. of the months Jan., Feb. and Mar.

ArtSpeak is part of the Arts Council's Wine and Wisdom program. The Transylvania Community Arts Center is located at 321 South Caldwell Street, Brevard, NC. For more information call the Transylvania County Arts Council at 828/884-2787.

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