August 2013

Durham Arts Council in Durham, NC, Features Works by William Beatty, Stacy Crabill, Nadjib Adebola Assani, and Bibi Bowman

The Durham Arts Council in Durham, NC, is presenting four new exhibits, through of which are on view through Sept. 8, 2013 and the fourth through Oct. 13, 2013.

Roadscapes & Bluescapes, featuring works by William Beatty are on view in the Allenton Gallery. Beatty presents a mixed-media approach to making art that explores connections between organic forms and artificial, designed objects. The primary layers of Beatty’s work often begin with pencil or ink sketches, and slowly evolve with the addition of watercolor and acrylics. The artist creates object and landscape-centered compositions, making use of perspective lines and organized geometry to suggest movement through the scene.

Beatty is a trained architect and graphic designer, and he utilizes his skills in these areas to create his colorful landscapes. He has lived and studied all over the country, including California and Michigan, and his travels throughout the North American landscape inform his paintings. Beatty moved in North Carolina in 2010, and currently lives in Apex, NC.

Big Sugar, featuring works by Stacy Crabill are on view in the Semans Gallery. The 2012-2013 Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artists Grant recipient, Crabill, combines acrylics, graphite, and collage elements to portray images of larger than life sweets alongside text from fortune cookie messages. Crabill describes the consistency of acrylic paint as an effective medium to express the feelings of pleasure, nostalgia, and desire that she associates with candy and sweets. The artist uses her artwork to explore the role texture, packaging, color, and sensory gratification play in the way we succumb to these desserts.

Crabill is originally from Texas, and studied painting at the East Carolina University School of Art and Design in Greenville, NC. Her work has been exhibited throughout North Carolina, including the Greenhill Center for NC Art in Greensboro, NC, and FRANK gallery in Chapel Hill, NC. Crabill’s Emerging Artists Grant was used to assist her in the completion of her “Big Sugar “series. She currently lives in Hillsborough, NC.

Legends of Onile, featuring works by Nadjib Adebola Assani are on view in the Ella Fountain Pratt Legacy Gallery. The exhibition, by 2012-2013 Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artists Grant recipient, Nadjib Adebola Assani, is a fantasy video game loosely based on Yoruba mythology. Assani has Yoruba ancestry on his father’s side, and he utilizes Yoruba themes to tell universal stories. Assani is most interested in achieving peace via non-violent means, particularly regarding the distribution of natural resources. This exhibit showcases studies and models of the inhabitants of Assani’s fantastical world, figures that are crafted in great detail to convey a sense of life.

Assani was born in France and traveled extensively as a child. He received his Bachelor’s in Art and Design at North Carolina State University’s Design School, in Raleigh, NC, and has additional visual effects training from Gnomon School in California. Assani currently resides in Chapel Hill, NC, and has started a company, Ilu Works, in order to further his design and storytelling goals. He also teaches conceptual sculpting classes.

Bibi Bowman’s Working Class: Durham, paintings of urban individuals at work and play in Durham and the surrounding areas, is on exhibit in the Durham Convention Center pre-function corridor through Oct. 13, 2013.

The Durham Convention Center is located next to the Carolina Theatre and the Durham Marriot in downtown Durham. These paintings are available for public view and can be purchased by contacting Lindsay Gordon by e-mail at (lgordon@durhamarts.org).

For further information check our NC Institutional Gallery listings, call the Council at 919/560-2787 or visit (www.durhamarts.org).

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