February Issue 2002
ElderArt Gallery in Charlotte, NC, Offers Works by African American Artists
ElderArt Gallery in Charlotte, NC, will launch the first of several theme shows for the year 2002. The exhibition celebrating Black History Month will run from Feb. 1 through Mar. 1, 2002. This show will celebrate the artistic talents that lie within the African-American community in the Southeastern United States. In addition, the month-long exhibit will showcase the masterful skills of a noted Southeastern portrait painter of African-Americans.
"Our objective is to continue providing a professional venue for contemporary American artists and to offer a wide selection of work that will appeal to the varied markets that exist within the two Carolinas," said Larry Elder, owner. "Our first exhibit of the new calendar year will feature the work of five well-established, nationally recognized artists as well as two emerging artists from the Charlotte area."
The five headliner artists in the show are Tyrone Geter, Professor of Art at Benedict College in Columbia, SC; Charlotte Riley-Webb from Atlanta, GA; Claire Miller Hopkins, portrait artist from Spartanburg, SC; Damond Howard, Assistant Professor, Benedict College in Columbia, SC; and nationally-known "Outsider" artist, Jimmie Lee Suddeth of Fayette, AL. Annie Renee Smith and Jeremy Davis, both of Charlotte, will also exhibit their work to round out the show.
Claire Miller Hopkins' work includes pastel portraits of African-Americans in everyday situations. Her work has won national acclaim and membership in the prestigious Pastel Society of America and the Knickerbocker Art Association. She has been featured in numerous national publications and was most recently honored with an article on her work in the November/December edition of "The Pastel Journal".
Charlotte Riley-Webb's work is a visual documentation
of the culture of which she has become so familiar - the importance
of family, church and friends instilled throughout her childhood.
She was recently selected as one of fifteen artists to create
paintings for the prestigious Absolut Vodka's Heritage Tour that
is slated for nine cities in the United States.
The work that Tyrone Geter will present reflects his years of
living in West Africa. His use of color and different textures
captures the beauty and feeling of the historic world of his ancestry.
Geter is nationally known for his exquisite, large-scale charcoal
drawings. His exhibit will feature colorful paintings, as well
as drawings.
Of his work, Damond Howard says "As an African-American in a largely white culture, my work portrays feelings and thoughts that are a part of my everyday experience." His work is powerful and thought-provoking and contains self-portraits that are done in charcoal and chalk on paper.
Jimmie Lee Suddeth is one of America's best known and recognized "Outsider" artists. Born in 1910, Suddeth has been painting all of his life. At the age of 90 he is still painting, although a recent illness has slowed his productivity. When he was a little boy, he painted with a mud, sugar, paint and natural pigment mixture from a "recipe" given to him by his mother. Since he had no money for art supplies, he would mix in grass, leaves, berries and other natural pigments to attain the color he was striving to achieve. Suddeth's work is highly sought after and is included in numerous corporate and museum collections. He was featured on CBS's 60 Minutes and has been included in numerous publications on "Outsider" artists.
"The inclusion of Annie Renee Smith and Jeremy Davis in the show demonstrates our commitment to provide a full spectrum of work for our customers and a venue for talented artists to sell their work," says Elder. Both of these artists have a natural talent that adds an interesting element to our exhibit. "This show should hold wide appeal due to its varied subject matter, the use of different media and the masterful techniques used by the artists."
ElderArt Gallery is located in Charlotte's historic South End district and is one-half block from the Trolley's Bland Street Station that ties the district to the center city area. "We want ElderArt to be a place where people of all ages feel welcome and want to visit often. We have created a space where people visit to unwind and relax in a casual atmosphere. Children and parents are encouraged to enjoy and learn from our exhibitions," says Elder.
For further information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings, call the gallery at 704/370-6337 or e-mail at (lelder@mindspring.com)
Mailing Address: Carolina Arts, P.O. Drawer
427, Bonneau, SC 29431
Telephone, Answering Machine and FAX: 843/825-3408
E-Mail: carolinart@aol.com
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