"Opening
Thurs., Jan. 22 with an Opening Reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the
show will bring together more than 50 works by American self-taught artists of
the 20th and 21st centuries, all loaned from the private collections of
Piedmont Triad residents.
 |
| James Harold Jennings |
Widely known artists
represented in the exhibition include Eddie Arning, David Butler, Raymond
Coins, Howard Finster, James Harold Jennings, Eddie Owens Martin (aka St. EOM),
Willie Massey, Carl McKenzie, Bruce New, Melissa Polhamus, Royal Robertson,
Jack Savitsky, Mary T. Smith and Inez Nathaniel Walker. The exhibition
represents a broad spectrum of work created by artists who haven’t undergone
any formal academic training. Often loosely categorized as folk art, such work
has also been tagged with the contested designation “outsider art,” and some of
it has been characterized as visionary. The works to be shown deal with a range
of themes, including wild nature, farm life, religion and spirituality,
American history, industrial labor, romantic love and celebratory gatherings.
These works have been generously loaned for the exhibition by Tom Fairchild,
Sarah McWhorter and Chris Roulhac, all of whom live in Greensboro. Fairchild is
a native of High Point.
This will be the third
in a series of exhibitions guest-curated for Theatre Art Galleries by writer
and independent curator Tom Patterson, a resident of Winston-Salem who is
internationally known for his books, articles, and essays on contemporary folk
art.
Gallery B will host textile
artist Elaine O’Neil. Growing up in rural
Maine as the daughter of an ardent seamstress, she became inspired to study
textiles at the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science. Her work has been
shown in galleries up and down the East Coast as well as in the mountains
of North Carolina. Elaine regularly does commissions and has created pieces for clients in Russia, England, Greece,
Italy, and France, as well as in many states in the U.S. Her work is also in
the collections of many colleges, businesses, and hospitals, on the cover of
several books and publications, and she has illustrated two children’s books.
Elaine says of her work, “My artistic process
begins with the simple, pure memories of my childhood. I strive to conjure up
the essence of those good times and capture them through whimsy and color,
stitching them together with a sense of humor and delight. My process
begins by approaching each textile collage with a simple sketch. Then through
snips and cuts, my scissors, like a painter’s brush, slowly reveal the image.
Layer upon layer of fabric, stitched into place using a variety of colors and
textures, brings the piece to life. In each piece I create, my hope is to evoke
the kind of pleasure and delight of childhood, when life is simple, sweet, and
full of endless possibilities. For me, place is more about embodying the
essence and the emotionally salient aspects of a location rather than ensuring
physical accuracy. I strive to make my pieces LOOK the way you FEEL when you’re
at a place. A touch of whimsy here and there allows me to create a place people
happily recognize and relate to without re-creating it’s precisely. I hope my
art will make you smile each time you look at it.”
The Hallway Gallery will
feature “IGNITE HIGH POINT: Updated”. This exhibit will serve as a progress
report on new projects that are creating a vibrant center city here in High
Point.
And once again, the
Kaleidoscope Youth Gallery will host the Annual TAG High School Art Exhibition.
Participating schools include Dudley High School, Grimsley High School, High
Point Christian Academy, Doris Henderson Newcomers School, Southern Guilford
High School, Weaver Academy, Wesleyan Christian Academy, and Westchester
Country Day School.
Theatre Art Galleries is
located in downtown High Point at 220 E. Commerce Ave. Gallery hours are
Tuesday through Friday from 12:00-5:00 p.m. For more information contact the
TAG office at 336-887-2137 or visit www.tagart.org."
- A Press Release
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