September 2011

City of North Charleston (SC) Features Works by Ginny Versteegen and Faye Sullivan

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department will present two solo exhibits including: Journeys, featuring paintings by Ginny Versteegen, and Reflections, featuring paintings by Faye Sullivan, both on view from Sept. 1 - 30, 2011, in the North Charleston City Gallery, located in the Charleston Area Convention Center in North Charleston, SC. A reception will be held for both artists on Sept. 1, from 5-7pm.

Ginny Versteegen’s exhibit, Journeys, consists of her latest oil and watercolor paintings which encompass personal journeys, artistic journeys, as well as the artist’s geographical journeys. Recent trips to Tuscany and Umbria have inspired many of the paintings in the exhibit. Local excursions throughout the Lowcountry and Upstate also contribute to the theme.

Versteegen’s fascination with color and light are both evident in the inspired collection of paintings. Done “en plein air,” these works reflect the sunlit landscapes and windows of the world.

Versteegen taught art in private and public schools throughout her life. She received a degree in Art Education through Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and continued her education in fine arts at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC, Queens College in Charlotte, NC, and the University of Oviedo in Spain.

Having resided in Holland, Spain, and Brazil, Versteegen’s work exhibits an international flair. Her paintings have received awards in many shows locally and throughout the United States. She currently co-manages the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery in downtown Charleston, SC, is a contributing member of the I’On Guild, and previously served on the board of the Mount Pleasant Artist Guild.

The oil paintings in Faye Sullivan’s exhibit, Reflections, invite the public to experience the openness and expanse of the Lowcountry through the seascapes and landscapes which surround them.

“Water is the ultimate chameleon,” says the artist. “It reflects the clouds, time of day, wind, sky, and all of the many things which surround it. It is this reflective quality which is most helpful when repeating colors to unify the scene.”

Sullivan first worked in pastels because she was drawn to the softness of the medium. She now paints with that softness using oils, choosing a smooth canvas and applying the paint thinly with soft edges. These techniques help set a mood of peacefulness and solitude and make her work easily recognizable.

Sullivan is a graduate of East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, with a BFA and MFA in Art. She taught art for 39 years at the middle and high school level before retiring in the Lowcountry. She has won numerous art awards and her work is displayed in homes and offices throughout the country and abroad. She currently exhibits at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery in downtown Charleston and is a member of three local guilds.

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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