Chatham County in North Carolina is a lovely rural environment, just perfect for artists to create and show their work. In this blog,
I will keep you up to date on our local arts scene and what's exciting with Chatham Artists.
Forrest
January in the ChathamArts GalleryThe Power of One. Showcasing the work of Eddie White and Forrest Greenslade, who have created imaginative works using only one material. Also, featuring the "one" best work from a sampling of our 90 gallery artists. This is a show not to be missed.
Join us for refreshments and a "meet the artist" reception on First Sunday, January 4th from noon - 5 pm. Eddie White and Forrest Greenslade will present and discuss their work, at 1 pm and 2 pm, respectively.
White and Greenslade are also members of the Chatham Artists Guild, the organization that offers the Chatham Studio Tour each December.
Strange creatures inhabit the mind of Dr. Forrest Greenslade. His whimsical sculptures and paintings, which he calls Forrest Dwellers, are derived from a life-long love of nature and mythology. Greenslade's work is now featured in the "art room" at downtown Pittsboro's General Store Cafe. GSC proprietor Vance Remick says, "We are delighted to have Forrest Dwellers skulking around around our restaurant.They bring a feeling of joviality to our place." Included in the GSC show is Greenslade's "Happy Hour" series in which he wonders, "What would happen if animals had a bar of their own."
Greenslade’s work is highly stylized, bounding on cartoonish. His paintings are sculptural, built up with inches of thick acrylics and modeling paste to the point that they nearly jump off the canvas. His sculptures are enhanced with innovative coatings and patinas producing color, texture and an illusion of movement. “I want people to experience motion and emotion in my art,” Greenslade asserts, “so my faces are seldom symmetrical and my figures just can’t stand still.” Greenslade’s use of materials is eclectic. “Because of my scientific training, I tend to be experimental in my choice of media,” he explains. “I use metal, concrete, clay, acrylics, wood, found objects – whatever tells the best story.”
Greenslade’s work feels rather naive, even childlike. Educated as a molecular biologist, he spent his working life as a scientist and organizational executive -- but in his dotage, he discovered his creative self. “After a lifetime of serious business, it’s nice to let the little boy out,” he smiles. “It’s more fun that any old guy deserves.” Greenslade is a member of ChathamArts, the Chatham County Arts Council. He currently serves as President of the Chatham Artists Guild., the organization that produces the Chatham Studio Tour the first two weekends each December. He teaches sculpture workshops at Central Carolina Community College.
The *General Store Café* (http://www.thegeneralstorecafe.com) is at the center of Chatham cultural activities, displaying its art, and featuring its musicians. It is open 6 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and serves Sunday brunch. With articles in the Bon Appétit and Southern Living Magazine as well as numerous newspapers throughout the Triangle area, the café has become a favorite community gathering place as well as a destination for a lot of new folks.
Caption: Happy Hour at the Raw Hide Hay Bar, an acrylic painting by Forrest Greenslade
Renowned painter Jane Filer, who served as judge for the 16th Annual Studio Tour Opening Show, named four winners at the December 5th Central Carolina Community College reception. "This was a really difficult job," Filer stressed. "There are so many exceptional works of art in this show." Joey Howell won honorable mention for his painting "Space Torch". Third place went to Martha Danek for her decorated gourd, "Everyone's Nest". Second place was earned by Sally Rockriver for "Birth of the Melt", a work in fused glass. Filer presented the first prize to Roy Lindholm for his photograph "Myrtle Beach II". "You can just imagine so many stories when you look at this wonderful photo, she explained. Forrest Greenslade, Chatham Artists Guild President, said, "This was one of our best shows ever.” “Hats off to all of our artists, and especially this year's winners," he added, "It is a special thrill to have Jane Filer here to highlight our opening show."
At the age of five in California, Jane Filer (http://www.janefiler.com/) began to paint. At eleven her family migrated to Western Australia where she first became acquainted with the ethereal artwork of the aboriginal people. The mystical nature of this culture made for a lasting impression. She attended Southern Illinois University where she received a Bachelors of Fine Art degree with honors. She moved to North Carolina where she received her Masters degree in Fine Art at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2006, after teaching painting and drawing for 21 years at The Carrboro Arts Center Jane retired and has dedicated the rest of her life solely to painting. To this day, her paintings are inspired by deep contemplations of life, reality and her relationship to nature.
The Chatham Artists Guild (http://www.chathamartistsguild.org/) is a non-profit organization of regionally and nationally recognized visual artists. Each year, Guild members open their studios to the public through the Chatham Open Studio Tour. Visitors travel throughout lovely rural Chatham County to meet artists in their own work spaces, and share their ideas on art and the creative process. The second weekend of this year's Tour is December 13 and 14.
Caption: Chatham Winners. Individual photos on request
December in the ChathamArts Gallery: Over 100 Items Under $100! Local art items with gift giving in mind.
As the holiday season fast approaches, the ChathamArts gallery showcases locally made art items for the gift giver in mind.This enables collectors and gift seekers, new and seasoned, to acquire something distinctly individual. Buying local art also helps bolster the local economy, and it represents a valuable & tangible investment.
At the first Sunday opening reception on December 7th from noon to 5pm, Lynell Dodge will discuss her life as an artist and how that intersects with her former life sailing around the globe with her husband.The show runs from December 1st – December 31st.
Eric Saunders, photography http://www.ericsaunders.com/
Candace King, unique felt work for walls or for wearing
And 85 other artists.
The ChathamArts gallery is a program of the Chatham County Arts Council, and it exhibits the work of more than 90 ChathamCounty artists. This lends professionals a highly respected venue for exhibiting their work & for growing creatively. Many artists have received commissions from visitors who have noticed their work for the first time at one of our shows. The ChathamArts Gallery has also won "Best Place to See Local Art" from the Chatham Journal for two consecutive years. It additionally received a “Best of the Triangle” Award from the Weekly Independent in 2007.
Perhaps most importantly, the gallery also serves an educational role. The Council strives to foster greater arts appreciation via artist presentations on first Sunday, press articles & media interviews, and via their website at www.chathamarts.org. We let people know how much work goes into carving a wooden letter opener, forging a metal sculpture, sculpting with bronze, painting detailed shadows, etc. The works mean a lot more to visitors when they understand what they are experiencing.
The gallery underwent major renovations in July & August of 2008, and all of the work was done by volunteers (David Wehrenberg, El Tremblay, Florence Johnson, Elaine Rhoades, Bill Lahtinen, Linda Anderson, Efrain Ramirez, & Doug Trimble). They knocked out walls, erected display panels, built a new storage area, painted the interior and exterior, extended the track lighting, etc. An employee commissioned the whimsical new outdoor hanging sign designed and crafted by Kimberli Matin.
Strange creatures inhabit the mind of Dr. Forrest Greenslade. His whimsical sculptures and paintings, which he calls Forrest DwellersSM, are derived from a life-long love of nature and mythology. Greenslade’s work is highly stylized, bounding on cartoonish. His paintings are sculptural, built up with inches of thick acrylics and modeling paste to the point that they nearly jump off the canvas. His sculptures are enhanced with innovative coatings and patinas producing color, texture and an illusion of movement.
“I want people to experience motion and emotion in my art,” Greenslade asserts, “so my faces are seldom symmetrical and my figures just can’t stand still.” Greenslade’s use of materials is eclectic. “Because of my scientific training, I tend to be experimental in my choice of media,” he explains. “I use metal, concrete, clay, acrylics, wood, found objects – whatever tells the best story.”
Greenslade’s work feels rather naïve, even childlike. Educated as a molecular biologist, he spent his working life as a scientist and organizational executive -- but in his dotage, he discovered his creative self.
