April 2013

Aiken Center for the Arts in Aiken, SC, Offers Works by Mary McCullah

The Aiken Center for the Arts in Aiken, SC, will present Diversity, a solo exhibit presented by award winning artist Mary McCullah, on view in the Aiken Artist Guild Gallery, from Apr. 2 - 30, 2013.

The exhibition celebrates the artist’s experiences as artist in residence at the Cheraw and Poinsett, SC state parks. The exhibit will feature acrylic and watercolor paintings representative of the parks’ plants, animals, and scenery. “The diversity of Cheraw and Poinsett is exciting—from swamps to beautiful lakes to high vistas. It was thrilling to discover the different ecosystems of each park.” McCullah expresses.

The artist is a native of MO but has lived from coast to coast. She and her husband retired to the N. Augusta area in 2006. During her travels, McCullah has worked closely with zoos and nature preserves giving conservation related programs and doing hands on work with animals including gray wolves and birds of prey. These experiences have provided inspiration for her nature oriented work. “I want to capture the wonders of the natural world in such a way that the viewer will be emotionally moved with a smile, a memory, or a desire to experience nature.”

Painting primarily in watercolor and acrylic, her work is included in private and corporate collections in the US and Canada. McCullah has exhibited at such venues as the Aiken Center for the Arts, the North Augusta Art and Heritage Center, the Greenwood Festival of Flowers, South Carolina State Fair, the Yellow Jessamine Festival, and local businesses in the Aiken and N. Augusta area. McCullah was selected to demonstrate and exhibit at the 2010 Saluda Shoals Park “unearth” festival. In 2012, the artist received a first place award at the Aiken Artist Guild member spring show and first place at the North Augusta Artist Guild Fall Into Art Member show.

“When I became aware of the SC state park Artist in Residency program I was immediately intrigued. I applied and was accepted to Cheraw in 2010. The experience was so delightful and beneficial I decided to apply again in 2012 to experience Poinsett. I would encourage all artists to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity offered in SC,” McCullah says.

McCullah has been painting for over 35 years dedicating much of that time to teaching and designing educational material. After retiring she began to focus her work more toward exhibiting, selling and commission work. “I now have two horses so often I must choose between the paint brush and the grooming brush. The latter usually wins,” the artist relates.

For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings or call the Center at 803/641-9094.

[ | April 2013 | Feature Articles | Download Carolina Arts' Current Issue | Carolina Arts Unleashed | Home | ]