March 2011

City of North Charleston, SC, Offers Works by Matt Tomko & Dan Vaughan

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department will present two solo exhibits including: Serene Recollections of the Natural World, featuring works by Matt Tomko, and In Carolina Waterways, featuring works by Dan Vaughan, on view in the North Charleston City Gallery, located in the Charleston Area Convention Center in North Charleston, SC, on view from Mar. 1 - 31, 2012. A reception for both exhibits will be held on Mar. 1 from 5-7pm.

Matt Tomko is from Durham, NC. This exhibition consists of forty oil paintings depicting wildlife and nature scenes. Paying close attention to the fine details in feathers, branches, eyes, or leaves, Tomko’s work invites the viewer to recollect on past memories of special places and experiences often stored away in their memories.

The inspiration for Tomko’s work began in his youth. As a child, he would catch and release birds and small animals. He began drawing as a way to keep a small part of nature with him. From 2007 to 2009, he studied art at Studio Amid the Pines in Bear Creek, PA, with Judith Keats. Since then, he has been a featured artist of the Triangle Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic, the Durham Arts Council Fall Class Catalog, as well as various solo and group exhibitions.

Also on display at the gallery will be twenty-five large pastel paintings by Carrboro, NC, artist Dan Vaughan. His exhibit presents realist depictions of the Carolina coast and waterways. Whether it is the sun breaking the early morning fog or the last rays of sunset illuminating the coastal breakers, the Carolinas’ picturesque coastal regions are beautifully recreated and preserved in Vaughan’s works.

Born and Raised in Michigan, Vaughan received degrees in biology and medicine from Michigan State University and Wayne State University. Though his science studies took up most of his time, remained a serious photographer and painter. His retirement from the University of North Carolina in 2003 has allowed him to devote more time to his art. Vaughan’s work is greatly influenced by his biology training and shows a great appreciation of the outdoors.

For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings, call the Cultural Arts Department at 843/740-5854 or visit (www.northcharleston.org).

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