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February Issue
2009
Converse College
in Spartanburg, SC, Features Works by Betty Bramlett and Carolyn
Alexander
Converse College in Spartanburg, SC, will present the exhibit, Palette Pals Present, featuring works by Betty Bramlett and Carolyn Alexander. The exhibition is part of the Lawson Series of Events, on view from Feb. 8 - 25, 2009, at the Lawson Academy of the Arts.
Both Bramlett and Alexander, who are Spartanburg artists that have taken piano lessons for many years at Converse College, conceived the art exhibit as a way to highlight the programs available to adult students of the Academy.
Both artists are former educators in Spartanburg School District 7. Bramlett, who holds a doctorate in supervision and administration from the University of South Carolina Columbia and undergraduate and master's degrees in Fine Arts, taught art and served as the district's Coordinator of Fine Arts. Alexander earned a degree in English from Converse College and was a teacher and public school administrator.
Paula Morgan, Director of the Lawson Academy of the Arts, knew that both Bramlett and Alexander had been studying in the Converse program for many years as adult piano students and came up with the idea of pairing their art with their love of music. "We all saw them as piano students. Knowing what wonderful artists they both were, I thought it could be lovely to display their art work here, in a sense, allowing us all to see them in a different artistic light," Morgan explained. "They have both also been such wonderful supporters for our program as adult students that I felt this could create an opportunity to get that 'story' out to the public, as well."
The exhibit of approximately 30 pieces includes works that highlight the interests and individual talents of the two artists. Bramlett describes her work as "all two-dimensional painting in mixed media collage, watercolor and acrylic, bordering on the semi-abstract and abstract." Many of the pieces are based on nature that surrounds her Spartanburg home, trees and a creek with the remains of an old grist mill. The natural scenes around her home have always been a source of inspiration for the artist, who credits her father with having sparked in her an interest in art when she was a child.
Alexander's favorite subjects are children, pets and her travels. She uses pastels, oils, watercolor, prismacolor and acrylic to create works that have won awards in juried shows and are held in many private collections.
"As long as I can remember, I have loved to draw and paint," says Alexander, who studied privately with the late Irma and August Cook and internationally known portrait painter, Lazar Raditz. "I believe that artists create for three possible reasons: to be judged in shows, to sell or simply for enjoyment. I choose the latter. If a work is selected for a show or sells, that's fine, but those are not my main objectives."
Both artists are active members of the Artists' Guild of Spartanburg, serving on its board of directors, and promote the arts through their many activities in the community.
For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings or call Paula Morgan at 864/596-9159.
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