June 2013

Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg in Spartanburg, SC, Features Works by Bonnie Joy Bardos & Nathan Galloway

The Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg in Spartanburg, SC, will present Perceptions, featuring works by artists Bonnie Joy Bardos and Nathan Galloway, on view from June 1 - 28, 2013. A reception will be held on June 20, from 5-7pm.

Born on Ketchikan Island, AK, Bonnie Joy Bardos grew up in North Carolina and attended Wingate College in Wingate, NC, along with taking courses in watercolor, pen/ink drawing, and oil painting with CPCC; and taken art workshops/classes with Patricia Cole-Ferullo, Dale McEntire; Mike LaLone, Lalage Warrington, Libby Johnson at Arrowmont Craft School in Gatlinburg, Tennessee; and Mike Stiler on Monhegan Island, Maine.

Bardos often incorporates verses of her poetry or phrases in paintings, which have been in juried shows throughout the region. Currently, her “Esto Perpetua” landscape series is represented by Patricia Carlisle Fine Art, Canyon Road in Santa Fe, NM; and her work has been featured in Studio Visit magazine. Paintings and sculpture have been featured at galleries and shows in North and South Carolina, and New Mexico, including several exhibits at the non-profit contemporary art gallery, Upstairs Artspace. Bardos’ “Art House” studio is based in an 1895 Victorian house that was built by the first mayor of Saluda, NC: it is open to the public for the popular Art Trek Tryon open studio weekend.

Bardos, working in oils or acrylic, as well as other mediums - including sculpture for many years, re-occurring themes are nature/landscapes, women, birds, and abstraction. Jungian symbolism is often featured in her paintings. “The Journey Home” series features landscape and lone boats, based on ancient Asian poetry. One on-going series of landscapes is called “Esto Perpetua”: Latin for “It is forever”....symbolic of the artist’s view of nature’s sacredness and fortitude. Part of the proceeds from the “Esto Perpetua” series is donated to the Saluda Community Land Trust (SCLT) which is a non-profit organization. She also received a Regional Artist Grant toward the “Esto Perpetua” series in 2010, and another RAPG grant in 2012/13.

“Art, like writing and poetry, for me is an expression of the soul…the deepest self, where time and place do not matter… I am on a higher plane when creating,” says Bardos. “There is intense spirit and energy in my hands—often I do not know where I will take my creation. I am influenced by color, by thought, by the natural world around us, and see nature as intensely spiritual and symbolic. Always, I endeavor in my work to speak the unknown, to convey the unseen. My work is based on intuition, and what feeling I am attuned to at the moment. I feel the world intensely, both the ‘outer’ world, and most of all, the natural world: which is deeply connected to my inner world.”

Nathan Galloway’s artistic talents where first recognized in grade school. From there, he was accepted into advanced art classes in both the DC area and the Carolinas. He attended college at U.S.C.S. studying as a double major in art and psychology through their Interdisciplinary Studies Program. Upon graduation he accepted a position at The Spartanburg Art Museum.

When on a trip to Italy Galloway’s objectives became clear; “I remember looking up at these incredible pieces of art I had seen since I was two years old. I then realized in our current society, film was a very important form of art able to reach and touch the public like those works did and continue to do.”

Being both an exhibiting professional artist and filmmaker he has had a wide resumé including past positions including a newspaper art columnist, guitar teacher, radio personality, art editor, theatre painter, magazine photographer, museum program coordinator and museum director. Galloway admits, “My resumé is a bit diverse to say the least. It worked out quite well really. Without realizing it I was learning the many multiple aspects of many forms of art. These not only give me purpose, but happiness in life. I know it all may sound a bit verbose, but it makes a lot of sense, at least to me.”

Galloway has received numerous honors and awards in his work as both a filmmaker and artist. He has pieces in the U.S.C.S. permanent collection and his work has been published in various magazines and books including Writer’s Inc. 6 years in a row, one of which was featured on the cover. His pieces have been featured in juried art competitions as well as solo art shows. Galloway is a member of the Spartanburg Artist Guild, The West Main Artist Co-op and his list of awards covers Best in show, 1st –3rd place awards and numerous Honorable Mentions and Purchase Awards.

When asked about his artistic perspective, Galloway says, “‘Art is either Plagiarism or Revolution’. However, I strive to think of ways of straddling this Paul Gauguin quote and delivering an experience to the viewer that is novel and will leave them with a lasting impression. I am constantly searching for similarly appearing objects that have a very dissonant meanings or association. The idea of dichotomy combined with the double imagery of shapes or underlying composition is very intriguing to me. Most works I commit to usually have a familiar icon, artwork or image at their root.”

For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings, call the Guild at 864/764-9568 or visit (www.artistsguildofspartanburg.com).

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