Chatham -- Real Art, Real Close*

Visitations: First Week in February

2012-02-02T03:57:00.000-08:00

Helebores blooming

A Carolina winter’s

Joyful jewelry

A Geek's Guide to Making Art

2012-01-28T04:09:00.000-08:00

I was educated as a scientist, and came to art very late in life. I like to experiment with different approaches and media. Lately, I have been playing with watercolor. I love the luminosity of the pigments in watercolors. My favorite teacher, Emma Skurnick, has been guiding me in the layering of watercolor and various pencil effects.

I am not very good at drawing, so I use photographs to help me get the basic dimensions down on paper.
Here are the steps that I took in creating a painting of a fellow artist's wonderful horse. Click on the images to see more detail.
First I took a photo of her.

I also took a picture of a window in the barn on the property.

In Photoshop, I combined the two shots into a basic composition.

I printed the combination photo and, using a light box, traced the basic design. After scanning the traced image, I printed it on watercolor paper.

Using watercolors, I blocked out the basic planes of the painting.

Finally, I added details with colored pencil, watercolor pencil and pastel pencil.
I call the piece Homebody.

Charming Springhouse Near Allentown PA

2012-01-28T03:23:00.000-08:00

This little springhouse was built in the mid 1700s. I saw it on a visit to our daughter's family this autumn. I took a photo, and painted it using watercolor and colored pencil.

General Store Cafe has Closed

2012-01-27T08:34:00.000-08:00

I am saddened by the news that our General Store Café has had to close its doors. Since Carol-Ann and I moved to Chatham County, the GSC has been our favorite place to have a nice meal, listen to good jazz, and enjoy original local art. For me personally, the General Store Cafe was a venue for folks to see and purchase my paintings and sculpture. I feel that Chatham artists have lost our “clubhouse”. We have attended several events supporting community organizations at the GSC.

Joyce and Vance are stalwarts of our community, and I thank them for all that they have done for us.

Wishing them all the best in the future,

Forrest

Greenslade's Garden GoblinFest

2011-12-13T05:17:00.000-08:00

In October 2011, artist Forrest Greenslade worked with the staff of the North Carolina Botanical Garden at GoblinFest. Dr. Greenslade and his Goblin Munchkins taught 20 kids, aged 4 to 10, and their parents to create Goblin masks from concrete, found natural materials, and recycled stuff. The kids made some amazing artwork, which was exhibited in the Wonder Garden, a place where kids of all ages can explore and imagine at the Botanical Garden. For more about our Botanical Garden visi:t http://www.ncbg.unc.edu/. For photos of the kids in action, visit: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2585123680473.129570.1625955537&type=3

Caption: Forrest teaching kids to create goblins from glop. Photo by Elisha Taylor, NC Bot Gdn

No Partridge In A Pear Tree

2011-11-29T06:06:00.000-08:00

Visitors to the Carolina Brewery in Pittsboro in December won’t see traditional holiday decorations. Rather, they will be treated with a serendipitous mix of colors and textures created by members of the Chatham Artists Guild, the organization offering the 19^th Annual Chatham Studio Tour the first two weekends in December. This show runs through February 4^th. There will be a Meet the Artists reception on January 8^th from 4 to 6 PM.

The Brewery show was organized by nationally recognized Chatham artist Shannon Bueker, whose nature inspired abstract paintings are featured in the assemblage of works. Bueker is well known for layering color and line, keeping wispy lines of charcoal, describing movement and strengths, and developing a rich, varied surface. Her work reveals nature‘s grace and unfolds its layers of interactions, interconnections and the surprising overlaps. “This exhibit has an interesting mix of media with subject matter ranging from non-objective to nature themes -- space, ocean, leaves, forests, line, pattern, texture.” Bueker explains, “I like the predominant colors -- pink, purple, bronze.” Another featured artist, Joey Howell, is displaying some of his Galaxy Series paintings interpreting what we might see peering out into space through a powerful telescope. Paintings by Cindy Bainbridge, Vidabeth Bensen, Phyllis Burns, Vangie Cathcart, Forrest Greenslade, Kate Ladd, Leslie Palmer, Rita Spina, sculpted gourds by Carol Tinsky, fabric art by Karen Tiede and photographs by Thomas Boone round out the show.

The Chatham Artists Guild (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.

Carolina Brewery (www.carolinabrewery.com) a locally-owned brewery and restaurant, has drawn international attention for its handcrafted beers and traditional bar fare in its Chapel Hill and new Pittsboro locations.

Caption: Lantana, a 48 x 60 inch painting by Shannon Bueker at the Carolina Brewery.

Fearrington Arts Scene Featured

2011-11-07T17:02:00.000-08:00

Fearrington artist and writer Forrest C. Greenslade has published a story “Fearrington’s Vibrant Scene: Behind every studio door, there is a unique life story” in the November online issue of Chatham County Line. Greenslade chronicles the roots of Fearrington’s visual arts community, and highlights the life pathways of several artists who live and create in this rural North Carolina village. To read the story, visit: http://chathamcountyline.org/shtmls/FearringtonsVibrantArtScene.shtml

Caption: A watercolor painting of an old barn, by Florence Johnson, one of the artists featured in the article.

Art in the Village, Sunday October 9th 10 AM to 4:30 PM

2011-10-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

Members of Artist Studios in Fearrington Village are busy readying for their inaugural event, Art in the Village, a celebration of the visual arts in the Village Center. On Sunday , October 9th, more that 30 artists who live and create in Fearrington will display their works. If you like paintings, pottery, sculpture, photography jewelry, fabrics and all sorts of mixed media works, please join us on Sunday.from 10 AM until 4:30 PM. Enjoy the beautiful gardens, the great restaurants and experience our creativity. We will have demonstrations and lovely art for sale. The show is family friendly and free to the public.

For information on the participating artists go to: http://fearringtonartists.blogspot.com/2011/09/fearrington-village-art-show-update.html

Art imitates nature at the Botanical Garden

2011-09-29T03:24:00.000-07:00

The Best is Yet to Come By Anna Norris, Chapel Hill Magazine, September/October , 2011

2011-09-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

Although he has always loved art, Forrest Greenslade says that his right brain – considered to be the creative and innovated side – has aleays been a little suppressed. Educated as a molecular biologist, Greenslade intended to spend his retirement writing books and lecturing. But a massive heart attack ended what had become a stressful lifestyle. New inspiration began to strike after his wife took him on a private tour at Fearrington. Coming home for lunch with images of Zen Palkowski’s wood sculpture still in his head, Greenslade turned on the TV to find Martha Stewart creating a pot of concrete.
“”I didn’t even finish my sandwich – I went to the potting shed, and I threw some peat moss and concrete together and put it on some chicken wire, and I looked up at it and someone was looking back at me.
Today, Greenslade is known for his nature-based sculpture and acrylic and relief paintings, often enhanced with any number of materials, such as clay, concrete, metal and wood.
“This is clearly the best part of my life,” says Greenslade. “When I wake up in the morning – I cannot wait to get to my studio.”

Greenslade is just one of the Fearrington artists who will exhibit works at Art in the Village on October 9th at the Village Center. See: http://fearringtonartists.blogspot.com/2011/09/art-in-village-fearrington-village.html

Caption: Fearrington artist Forrest Greenslade with his metal and concrete sculpture, “Horus – Guardian of the Garden” Photo by Briana Brough, Chapel Hill Magazine

Nature Recaptured: Real and Surreal

2011-08-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

Visitors to the Carolina Brewery and Grill in Pittsboro during September will have three visions of the natural world by Chatham Artist Guild members, Kate Ladd, Rita Baldwin and Forrest Greenslade. You can meet the artists at a free reception on Sunday, September 11th from 4 to 6 PM.

Despite their distinct artistic styles and life journeys, Kate, Rita and Forrest tap into a common inspiration – love of the natural world around us. “I create landscapes based on my garden and travels, or just my imagination,” states Ladd. “My recent work is a series of abstract landscapes, mostly themed on the changes in the weather due to global warming,” she adds. Baldwin asserts, “I am a life-long tree-hugger, and am particularly inspired by vanishing places in Chatham County.” Greenslade notes, “I am recapturing what had my interest as a boy of 8 or 10 years old. I spent my working life as a scientist and executive, but now in my dotage, I am sculpting and painting the birds, trees and butterflies that were my best friends as a kid.”

Katherine Ladd (http://www.etsy.com/shop/heronkate) has a degree in Fine Art from the University of Cincinnati. She has shown and sold her work in Chicago,

Boston, Santa Fe, and in the Triangle area of North Carolina where she now resides. She is a member of the Chatham Artists Guild and has participated in their annual Studio Tour for over 10 years. She paints with acrylics on canvas and she also has a business in which she does murals, faux finishing and floorcloths.

Rita Baldwin (http://faso.com/artists/ritabaldwin.html) has been a member of Chatham Arts Guild since 2007 and serves on its board. A converted horse barn has

become her studio and gallery. Each of her landscape paintings takes a direction of its own. One day it is influenced mainly by the overriding mood of the scene, another calls for bold palette knife strokes, and still another for a dreamlike softness that captures nature's transience. She is especially drawn to environments in rural areas, remote coastal and river locations. Many of her paintings are done in plein air.

Dr. Forrest Greenslade’s (www.forrestgreenslade.com) organic sculptures and paintings, derived from a life-long love of nature and mythology, have a new look and feel. Greenslade’s work is highly stylized yet clearly grounded in the natural

world. His relief 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. His computer enhanced watercolors are soft and luminous. 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 is a Past President of the Guild.

Ladd, Baldwin and Greenslade are members of the artist’s community at the Joyful Jewell (http://www.joyfuljewel.com/) in downtown Pittsboro.

The Chatham Artists Guild (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 19th Annual Open Studio will be held the first two weekends of December 2011

Carolina Brewery (www.carolinabrewery.com) a locally-owned brewery and restaurant, has drawn international attention for its handcrafted beers. Carolina Brewery is equally dedicated to food and its expanding menu, which raises the bar on traditional bar fare. Both the Chapel Hill and Pittsboro kitchens feature Culinary Institute of America graduates. The Chatham Brewery and Grill is located on route 15/501 just north of Pittaboro.

New show at the Carolina Brewery

2011-07-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

Blues and Other Colors at The Joyful Jewel

2011-07-15T16:46:00.001-07:00

Take a pictorial tour of the Forrest Dweller Sculpture Garden in Fearrington Village

2011-06-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

Many artists live and work in North Carolina's Fearrington Village. One Fearrington sculptor and painter, Dr. Forrest Greenslade, displays his work in the family's garden. Take a pictorial tour of the Forrest Dweller Sculpture Garden.

View it in full screen.

On Gossamer Wings

2011-06-05T03:44:00.000-07:00

Luna Moth by Forrest C. Greenslade, PhD

Male Cardinal

2011-06-03T05:50:00.000-07:00

Computer augmented watercolor by Forrest C. Greenslade, PhD

From: North Carolina Arts Council

2011-05-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

Artist Opportunities
The North Carolina Arts Council is pleased to share the latest listing of artist opportunities. Our listings can now be found under Arts News at NCArtsEveryday.org. Opportunities for artists will be posted on this site every other Wednesday, and previous posts are also available for artists to search.
We hope you will take a moment to check out NCArtsEveryday.org and visit often. It is a comprehensive resource for arts news, trends and highlights. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter to get all of the latest information about the arts in our state.

Beer Garden Party

2011-05-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hello folks:

As you may already know, I serve as a volunteer at Chatham County Together
in their Graduation Project program. I get so much satisfaction from working
with high school students in accomplishing a quite daunting task for them.
You can see a photo of one of my students with his horse sculpture on the
home page of the CCT website:
http://chathamcountytogether.org/ Chatham County Together is a critically
important resource for our communities.

Accordingly, Carol-Ann and I are holding a fund raising party in our garden
in Fearrington Village on Sunday May 22nd from 2 to 5 PM. Our garden has
been featured in Caroilina Gardener magazine:
http://www.forrestgreenslade.com/ND08_FG.pdf It will be great fun. It will
be a Beer Garden Party. Carolina Brewery has donated one of its wonderful
spring beers. Harris Teeter and several CCT volunteers have donated tasty
German style snacks. Please join us in support of CCT, stroll through our
sculpture garden and gallery, sip some brew and enjoy a good time with
friends.

We are suggesting a donation of at least $15 per person. Checks should be
made payable to Chatham County Together. Please RSVP to
sculptor@forrestgreenslade.com so we can have an estimate of attendance.

I hope to see you at our party,
Forrest

Artist Studios at Fearrington Village

2011-05-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

Artist Studios at Fearrington Village is an informal group of visual artists who live and work in Fearrington Village, a lovely country community near Chapel Hill with many creative and productive residents. Our mission is to:
Attract visitors to our studios to experience the creative process;
Facilitate opportunities to exhibit and sell our artwork;
Enhance the lives of all in our community through the arts;
Promote Fearrington Village as an arts destination;
Support one another in our professional lives.
We welcome all Fearrington residents interested in creating art and fine crafts.

For more information, visit: http://www.fearringtonfha.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=239

Caption: Pottery by Co-founder Stan Pomeranz

Organic Forrestry at the Joyful Jewel

2011-04-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

Chatham County sculptor and painter Forrest Greenslade has joined the artists community at The Joyful Jewel in downtown Pittsboro. "This is a wonderful opportunity for me to display my nature inspired works along with a very talented group of artists and creators of fine crafts," Greenslade said. We are delighted to have Forrest in our community notes Mariah Wheeler, The Joyful Jewels proprietor and well known jewelery creator.

New visions inhabit the mind of Dr. Forrest Greenslade. His organic sculptures and paintings, derived from a life-long love of nature and mythology, have a new look and feel. Greenslade’s work is highly stylized yet clearly grounded in the natural world. His relief 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. His computer enhanced watercolors are soft and luminous. “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.”

The Joyful Jewel lives up to its motto of "local art fresh from the heart." It is a Community of ~75 local artists who create with care and soul. :You'll find artisan jewelry, stained glass, silk & woolen scarves, pottery, paintings, basketry, spirit tools, woodwork, music, books and cards imbued with meaning," says Wheeler. "These treasures take time and require inspired processes as well as skill, she adds.

The Joyful Jewel
44-A Hillsboro St.
Pittsboro, NC 27312
(919) 883-2775

Caption: Bluebirds and Cherry Blossoms, a watercolor by Forrest C. Greenslade, PhD

Empty Bowls -- April 8th

2011-03-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

Towhees and Vinca

2011-03-11T11:54:00.000-08:00

Mister and Missus Towhee

Dining among in the Vinca

Formally attired

Organic Forrestry at CCCC Siler City Center

2011-03-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

I have a new exhibit of selected artworks at the new Siler City Campus of Central Carolina Community College. Please stop by the main entrance to see some of my paintings, sculpture and prints.
Forrest

Summer afternoon in February

2011-02-23T05:51:00.001-08:00

Bluebirds and cherry blossoms

2011-02-14T03:35:00.000-08:00

Goldfinches

2011-02-12T04:21:00.000-08:00

Cute and smart kids...

2011-01-25T05:45:00.000-08:00

Audubon Remembered

2011-01-21T03:38:00.000-08:00

When I was in graduate school at Tulane University, I spent a lot of time out in the salt marshes and bayous of Louisiana. This is where J. J. Audubon did much of his research and painting. We had a giant folio of his original woodblock prints. The images have been with me my entire life. Here is my reinterpretation of Audubon's Great Horned Owl. It is one of my new series of watercolor, ink and computer designs.
Forrest

Hewitt pottery featured in the Big Easy

2011-01-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

THE OGDEN MUSEUM OF SOUTHERN ART

university of new orleans

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 6, 2011
Contacts: Sue Strachan
504.539.9613; cell: 504.432.8695
sstrachan@ogdenmuseum.org

Mark Hewitt's Big-Hearted Pots at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans

On view January 13, 2011- April 10, 2011

Mark Hewitt: Big-Hearted Pots will be on view at the Ogden Museum of the Southern Art in New Orleans, La., January 13 - April 10, 2011. Eighteen of his signature “big pots” (several of them five feet tall and three feet wide), will form Hewitt’s first major exhibition outside his home state of North Carolina.

“Regional pottery traditions are rare; they are like wild flowers that only grow in certain special soils and microclimates,” writes Hewitt. Well-known for his advocacy of North Carolina pottery, Hewitt co-curated the critically acclaimed exhibition, The Potter’s Eye: Art and Tradition in North Carolina, with Nancy Sweezy, at the North Carolina Museum of Art in 2005. Hewitt used the occasion to examine the poetic attributes of 19th-century North Carolina utilitarian pottery, looking at them through a lens provided by Japanese aesthetes and connoisseurs, and developing a language of appreciation that adds to our understanding of this great American roots tradition.

Last year the British-born potter, who has lived and worked in Pittsboro, North Carolina, for 27 years, was invited to install 12 big pots on the lawn outside Duke University’s Nasher Museum, in a show entitled, Falling Into Place. Writing in the exhibition catalogue, Henry Glassie, College Professor Emeritus at Indiana University, talked about the labors involved in making pots, and about Hewitt’s role in the resurgence of the South’s pottery tradition, “Every day there is work, hard work; there is local clay to handle, local wood for firing. At the center, with his colleagues from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, stands this tall, handsome man from England, Mark Hewitt – in place, at home – productively, inspirationally at work, a great American master.”

In the catalogue to the Ogden’s current exhibition, Christopher Benfey, Mellon Professor of English at Mount Holyoke College, writes, “The vision of North Carolina pottery that Hewitt conveys in his writing and in his work is audacious and compelling. He talks the talk and walks the walk; in doing so, he has bent inherited tradition into potent new shapes. His big-hearted pots are on a truly heroic scale—heroic in conception and execution. They place him in the company of the great folk potters who have preceded and inspired him.”

Presenting these massive contemporary manifestations of the old tradition in New Orleans seems appropriate, says Hewitt, “This show is my big-hearted gift to a big-hearted city.”

###

ABOUT THE OGDEN MUSEUM OF SOUTHERN ART/NEW ORLEANS
The Ogden Museum of Southern Art/University of New Orleans is home to the largest and most comprehensive collection of Southern art in the world, and includes the Center for Southern Craft and Design. Here you will find the story of the South—the old as well as the new, as told through its art, music and education programs. The museum includes Stephen Goldring Hall, which opened in 2003, and two buildings under construction and renovation: the Clementine Hunter Education Wing and the Patrick F. Taylor Library, designed by American 19th-century architect, Henry Hobson Richardson. Among the many artists represented in the museum’s collection are Benny Andrews, William Dunlap, Ida Kohlmeyer, Will Henry Stevens, Kendall Shaw and George Ohr.

Museum hours are 10 am-5 pm Wednesday through Monday and 6 pm-8 pm Thursday evenings for Ogden After Hours.

Admission: $10 Adults;  $8 Seniors (65 and over) and Students (with current i.d.);  $5 Children 5 to 17; Free Children under 5 and Museum members.  Free except for special events (i.e. Ogden After Hours - $5): University of New Orleans Students, Faculty, Staff (with current i.d.). Thursdays are free to Louisiana residents, courtesy of the Helis Foundation. Please note other special event prices (such as Ogden After Hours) may vary.
For more information, call 504.539.9600, or go to .

Uncle Nick’s World -- Happy Holidays

2010-12-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

My wife's uncle, Nicholas Herrnkind, was a remarkable man. He never graduated from high school, yet he grew to head the pay roll department of a major American corporation in New York City. On the way, he struggled through the great depression, unemployment and the loss of a young child. Throughout his entire life Uncle Nick drew and painted in whatever spare time he had. As a financial watch dog, Nick was a man of precision. He was equally exact with his art. His style was photo-realistic. In the era of Abstract Expressionism centered in the New York City area, Nick's work was out of sync. His sketches and paintings, mostly rustic landscapes, remained housed and much loved by Nick's friends and family. He died in December, 1970.

In 2010, my wife's sister Diane was downsizing for a move. In the process, she uncovered a bunch of Uncle Nick's old unused canvases. In the pile, there was an unfinished painting of an old farm house and barn, a winter scene. Nobody knows when he started the work, or why he never completed it. Diane gave me the canvases, including the unfinished piece, for me to use. At first, I just planned to paint over his incipient oil painting -- but I couldn't. Something in the detail and feeling in those two buildings demanded preservation.

I decided to attempt to frame Uncle Nick's precise images within one of my stylized and rustic relief paintings, using modeling paste and tarnished metals. I started by repairing a gash in the background sky. Nick had started to sketch in a tree to the left of the barn, so I developed my component of the painting there. On the right side of the farm house, the canvas had been damaged. I covered that space with an additional tree. In the fore ground, Nick had penciled in some details. I didn't attempt to develop them. Rather, I just piled up snow and ice to further strand the little farm in winter's grasp -- focusing the eye on my glimpse into Uncle Nick's world.

Toys for Tots at Carolina Brewery

2010-12-11T06:53:00.000-08:00

I will display some of my artwork Wednesday December 15th from 5 to 6:30 PM at the Carolina Brewery's Toys for Tots Drive. All customers who bring in a toy at this time can enjoy free food and beer samples and 10% off merchandise. I will donate 15% of any sales of my art to Toys for Tots. Santa will visit too.
I hope to see you there,
Forrest

Old Bynum Bridge painting

2010-11-17T02:13:00.000-08:00

I just finished a new painting to show at the Chatham Studio Tour Opening at CCCC on Friday December 3rd. It is a relief painting using modelling paste and tarnished metals on canvas. It is one of nearly 50 works by members of the Chatham Artists Guild who open our studios the first two weekends on December.
Click here for a tour map.

Art museum pioneer to judge works at Chatham’s 18th Studio Tour

2010-11-07T07:39:00.000-08:00

Art-lovers have a lot to choose from these days, with the newly designed North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh and the new Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. Dr Michael Mezzatesta, former Director of the Duke University Museum of Art, played a critical role in the creation of our region’s vibrant art scene.

During his tenure as Director, Dr.Mezzatesta restructured the museum, organized dozens of touring exhibitions with scholarly catalogues covering ancient to contemporary art, and significantly expanded the collections. He spearheaded the $30 million, multi-year campaign to bring a new museum building to Duke University, and served as a member of the architect selection committee that brought Rafael Vinoly to design the Museum building. He is now Director Emeritus, and in recent years, Dr, Mezzatesta has served as curator and private consultant to collectors, artists and museums in the US, Italy and Russia.

On December 3rd, Dr Mezzatesta will bring his extensive artistic knowledge and experience to judge works by the Chatham Artists Guild at the Opening Reception for the 18th Chatham Studio Tour at the Central Carolina Community College Pittsboro Campus. Samples of art by 49 artists working and living in Chatham will be on view starting at 7 PM. The reception is free and open to the public. A delightful array of hoers devours by well known artist and caterer Gretchen Niver will be served.

“I am excited that Dr Mezzatesta will judge our opening exhibit,” notes Edwin White, internationally recognized sculptor and President of the Chatham Artists Guild. “He will have a challenging job. We have many creative and expert artists in this year’s Tour.”

At the 2010 Chatham Studio Tour, 49 visual artists will open their doors to the public for art-lovers to experience the creative process. Painters, sculptors, photographers, potters, wood workers, jewelers, and fabric artists will share their ideal and offer their local artworks for purchase. Five artists are joining the Tour for the first time. Hand tool wood worker Elia Bazzarria, abstract painter Cassani, gemstone jeweler Billy Mason, home-grown gourd artist Carol Kroll Tinsky, and portrait and fine art painter Kim Werfel.

"The Studio Tour sets the standard for the emerging artists of Chatham County, notes Maggie Zwilling, the Guild’s Executive Director. “It puts the County on the map for being the place to come when one wants to purchase high quality art”. It is easy to plan your own personal Tour. A print brochure and Tour Map is available at local restaurants and shops and a digital map is posted on the Guild’s website: www.chathamartistsguild.org. The Tour Facebook link is: www.facebook.com/pages/Chatham-Studio-Tour-Artists-of-Chatham-County-North-Carolina/157885530911322

The Chatham Studio Tour, founded in 1992 to promote artists living in Pittsboro, Siler City and throughout scenic rural Chatham County, is one of the oldest in North Carolina and a prototype for other area studio tours. The Chatham Artists Guild, a nonprofit member organization, provides educational opportunities for its members and the general public through exhibit opportunities, demonstrations, and teaching workshops.

Caption: Willow, a painting by Chatham Artist Kim Werfel

Chatham County Line Story

2010-11-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

We have a front page story in Chatham County Line
Please send this to your friends, colleagues, customers and other email contacts,
Thanks,
Forrest

Mark your calendars for Nov 2nd

2010-10-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Swing is the thing at the General Store!!!
Come on down and enjoy the music, food, drink and support your local artists.

Organic Forrestry: Recent paintings and sculpture by Forrest C. Greenslade, PhD Sincerely Gallery, Asheboro, NC Opening October 15th

2010-10-13T05:20:00.000-07:00

New visions inhabit the mind of Dr. Forrest Greenslade. His organic sculptures and paintings, derived from a life-long love of nature and mythology, have a new look and feel. 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.”

Best known for his whimsical animal sculptures and paintings, his new series presents an excursion into the mind of a much more serious artist. Greenslade’s highly stylized, sculptural treescapes are created in modeling paste and tarnished metals on canvas. They depict remembrances of special woodland places. Forrest Greenslade, educated as a molecular biologist, spent his working life as a scientist and organizational executive. Serious business has now been replaced by ventures into creative, playful expression. He creates art that feels to many as rather naïve, even childlike. Playing, it seems, is what Forrest does best. Whether his creativity leads to whimsical sculptures, or takes him on a journey to a “Petrified Forrest”, his work shares common threads. It displays the delight and playfulness of creating art, his unique scientific experimentation of materials and Greenslade’s life-long love of nature.
Leslie Palmer, Friends of the Pittsboro Memorial Library

Forrest’s paintings using modeling paste and tarnished metal coatings are a little reminiscent of Van Gogh in their sculptural surfaces and use of light.”
Philip Ashe, Director of the Central Carolina Community College Sculpture Program

Greenslade the scientist, in his dotage, has discovered his creative self. He doesn’t over intellectualize about his work, “Sometimes a duck is just a duck.” “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.

Forrest Greenslade is a member of the Chatham Artists Guild, and opens his studio and garden the first two weekends each December during the Chatham Studio Tour. Free Tour guides and maps are available at Sincerely Gallery.

At the heart of a flourishing community of unique shops, galleries and eateries, Sincerely, is centrally located at 130 Sunset Avenue, in downtown Asheboro, a short drive from the Triangle or Triad.

Greenslade in Landscape Contest

2010-09-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

Forest Greenslade has been Juried into a Landsacpe Contest at the Cary Gallery of Artists. His entries are relief paintings using modeling paste and tarnished metals on canvas.

"Perfect Mornin for Catchin Crawdads" is a remembrance of southern Louisiana. With the tragic events in the Gulf of Mexico over these last years, my thoughts have been on my days in the 1960s as a graduate student at Tulane University. I spent a lot of time in the wetlands and bayous, studying the animals and plants there. On weekends, my wife and I enjoyed cafe au lait and beignet in the French Quarter. We loved watching local artists paint bayou scenes. I created this idyllic bayou, free from hurricanes and oil spills.

"Somewhere South of Savannah" is a composite of views that my wife and I see on our trips from North Carolina to Florida to visit her sister. We always stop overnight in Savannah to break up the drive, and sample the wonderful seafood. We take the secondary routs out of the city, to meander through the wonderful salt marshes. Every bridge we cross, reveals a dynamic landscape.

The contest judge master colorist, Susan Sarback, is the founder of The School of Light & Color and has written two books, her latest being Capturing Radiant Light & Color in Oils and Soft Pastels. She has taught painting workshops and classes throughout the US and Europe. Her paintings are in private collections throughout the world and in the Cornell Museum of Art and History’s permanent collection. International Artist Magazine named her one of the Master Painters of the world.

The Opening for the Landscape Show is Oct 1, 2010, 6 – 9 pm, and runs through Oct 22.

Caption: Somewhere South of Savannah a relief painting by Forrest C. Greenslade.com

Less is More: A Little Potpourri of Art

2010-09-14T04:30:00.000-07:00

A sampler of small works of art created by members of the Chatham Artists Guild are featured at the PAF Gallery of the NC Arts Incubator in Siler City, North Carolina. "This intimate gallery is a wonderful venue to enjoy the paintings, photography jewelry, sculpture and pottery created by our regionally and nationally known artists," says Maggie Zwilling, the Guild's Executive Director. "It is a nice little preview of what art-lovers will see at the 18th Annual Chatham Studio Tour December 4, 5 and 11, 12 2010"

The Chatham Artists Guild, a nonprofit member organization, provides educational opportunities for its members and the general public through exhibit opportunities, demonstrations, and teaching workshops. Our Guild is comprised of a variety of visual artists, many of whom are regionally and nationally recognized. We are the organization that produces the Chatham Studio Tour the first two weekends each December. The Chatham Studio Tour, founded in 1992, is one of the oldest in North Carolina, a prototype for other area studio tours, and a highly respected art venue. Since its inception, participation in the Studio Tour has grown from 32 artists to nearly 60 in recent years.

Caption: "Perfect mornin' for catchin' crawdads" by Forrest Greenslade

Sculpture in the Garden

2010-09-10T04:47:00.001-07:00

Chatham Artists Guild Newsletter -- September

2010-09-02T05:19:00.000-07:00

Studio Tour

The 2010 Chatham Artists Guild Studio Tour will open at CCCC Building Two in Pittsboro on Friday, December 3, from 7-9 pm. Artists studios will be open Sat and Sun, Dec 4-5 and 11-12.

See the Chatham Artists Guild website for more information and online copies of the map.

Paper copies of the map will be mailed in October and available locally in November.

Newsletter Sign-up

If you received this copy of the newsletter from a friend, you can sign up to get it directly at the Guild website. We only need an email address for the newsletter; if you give us your land mail address, we'll add you to the mailing list for the paper map as well.

Manage Your Subscription

Links to unsubscribe or change your email address are at the bottom of this newsletter.

Sculpture in the Garden, NC Botanical Garden

Chapel Hill

Guild artists Rita Spina and Forrest Greenslade have work in the 22nd annual Sculpture in the Garden show, which will be on display September 11 through November 13. The show opens on Friday, September 10 at 5:00-8:00 pm.

Rita's work is called "Flower Time Rework." Rita also has jewelry for sale in the Incubator Gallery in Siler City.

Carolina Brewery, Pittsboro

The September-October show at the Carolina Brewery in Pittsboro will have the theme, Recycled Art: Eco-friendly Art Made from Recycled Materials. The show will be installed on September 11. The opening reception will be Sunday, October 3, from 4-6 pm.

Mark Hewitt Kiln Opening

Mark Hewitt will be have his summer kiln opening second weekend on Saturday Sept 5 (9-5) and Sunday, September 6 (noon-5).

Shannon Bueker at NC Crafts Gallery, Carrboro

Shannon Bueker has a show called Local Motives at the NC Crafts Gallery, 212 W. Main Str, Carrboro (the triangle building) from September 1-30. She will be at the gallery for the Second Friday Art Walk in Chapel Hill and Carrboro on September 10, 6-9 PM.

Come Out and Play! at JimGin Farm, Pittsboro

Come out to the 9th annual Come Out and Play! party at the JimGin Farm for art, food, and music, every Saturday in September, from 4:00 pm till dark. Children, and dogs on leashes, are welcome.

Several Guild artists are among the 40 artists participating.

150 Wild Horse Run, Pittsboro, NC 27312 (919) 942-3252

Kim Werfel in NC Pastel Society Show

Kim Werfel has two pieces in the the Pastel Society of North Carolina's Art Exhibition. She won the People's Choice award on both of her paintings! (They tied in the voting.) The show runs through Sept 25th at the Halle Cultural Arts Center, 237 North Salem Street, Apex, NC 27502.

Joyce Bryan, Stone Crow Pottery

Joyce Bryan, at Stone Crow Pottery, invites everyone to her customer appreciation sale, September 18-26.

Kim Werfel teaching art marketing

Kim Werfel will be teaching This Business of Being an Artist: Resumes, Bios and Statements, on Thursday, Sept. 23, 7:00 pm, at the Halle Cultural Arts Center, 237 North Salem Street, Apex, NC 27502. The talk is free.

Coming in October

Julia Kennedy at the Open Eye Cafe

Join us at the Open Eye Cafe in Cary to view the richly textured, complex, and colorful paintings of Pittsboro professional artist Julia Kennedy. Julia's artwork will be on display for viewing and purchase from October 1-31.

The Open Eye Cafe is located at 101 South Greensboro Street, Cary NC. (919) 968-9410, M-Th 7 am-11 pm, F-St 7 am-midnight, & Su 8 am-11 pm.

Mark Hewitt featured in Craft in America

On October 7, potter Mark Hewitt will be featured in a nationwide broadcast of a new episode of the PBS TV series, Craft in America. Several viewing parties are being held to benefit the NC Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC.

Vidabeth Benson teaching screen printing

Vidabeth Benson will be teaching a workshop in screen printing at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro on Saturday, October 9 from 10 - 4 and also at the NC Art Education Staff Development Weekend in New Bern October 22 - 24.

Janet Resnik kiln opening

Janet Resnik will have a kiln opening on Sunday, October 17, from 1-6 pm.

Mark Hewitt Pottery Summer Kiln Opening this weekend

2010-08-31T03:37:00.000-07:00

WHEN:
Saturday, Sept 4, 9am - 5pm
and
Sunday, September 5, noon - 5pm

Internationally recognized studio potter Mark Hewitt has fired the Salt Kiln for the 79th time, and the pots came out beautifully. A new glaze variation using the Chapel Hill grit fired to a soft, shiny gray, and the salt glaze is perfect. Mark also made a series of elegant new vases, inspired by classical Greek vases, but using Southern folk pottery glaze treatments.

DIRECTIONS at:
www.hewittpottery.com
or by calling
(919) 542-2371

Contact: Carol Hewitt
919-656-8889
carol@hewittpottery.com

This is a wonderfully enjoyable party

2010-08-26T04:51:00.000-07:00

Holly Fischer is featured at CCCC Gallery

2010-07-16T14:23:00.000-07:00

Holly Fischer's work explores notions of femininity, sensuality, and beauty – concepts that are inherently visually seductive but simultaneously contain pejorative undertones. Examples of her sculpture are now on exhibit at the Central Carolina Community Sculpture Gallery in Siler City.

Bynum’s wild wild life

2010-07-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

Emma Skurnick and Martha Danek are "birds of a feather" – nature-inspired artists enjoying life in Chatham’s lovely community Bynum. Known for its energetic music venue, and folk artist Clyde Jones, Bynum is home to a vibrant art scene. Skurnick and Danek are exhibiting their wild life paintings and assemblages at the Carolina Brewery on highway 15/501 in Pittsboro. Art- and nature-lovers can share some brew with these exciting artists at a reception on July 11^th from 4 to 6 PM at the Brewery. “This is indeed a wild wild show,” says Edwin White, fellow artist and President of the Chatham Artists Guild (http://www.chathamartistsguild.org/) “Martha and Emma have special talents in capturing both the beauty and humor that they find in our natural environment.”

Martha Danek grew up in Pittsboro, and had a childhood that was a wonderful balance of barefoot freedom at home, formal older relatives nearby, and a lot of encouragement to learn and to create art. “I was trained in studio art at Meredith College and was fortunate to learn from many talented artists there,” Danek remembers. “I’ve always enjoyed sculpting, and gourds afforded me the unique opportunity of painting on beautiful, pre-sculpted forms” she explains. The show at the Carolina Brewery, has presented an exciting design challenge for Danek because the pieces had to be able to hang on the wall, rather than exhibited on pedestals. “I had been interested in the idea of “flattening” my gourd paintings for awhile, and this show gave me incentive to explore those possibilities” she says. Many of the pieces in this show have images taken from gourds and printed onto fabric, then mounted onto barn wood.

Emma Skurnick is an artist, illustrator, and teacher of illustration and design. Her paintings have been exhibited nationally and published internationally. She received her undergraduate degree in Fine Art from Binghamton University in New York, and her graduate certification in Science Illustration from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is currently the president of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators of the Carolinas. With illustrations appearing in publications such as /American Scientist Magazine/, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s /21st Century Gardening/ series, and paintings commissioned by the North Carolina Aquarium and the North Carolina Wildlife Commission, her work is widely seen. Skurnick says, “I try to introduce a note of humor - or humanity - into my plant and animal portraits. I hope this inspires a moment of rapport and understanding between the viewer and the subject.”

”The Carolina Brewery is a special venue for our artists,” notes Maggie Zwilling, Executive Director of the Chatham Artists Guild, “The family friendly environment there provides an opportunity for Guild artists to present their work to a new audience. Members of the Chatham Artists Guild are national and regionally recognized visual artists living and creating in Chatham County. Each year, members open their studios to the public the first two weekends in December to share the creative process. The 16^th annual Chatham Studio Tour will be December 4-5 and 11-12 2010.

Big Third Friday Celebration

2010-06-16T05:24:00.000-07:00

Siler City art-lovers will enjoy an exciting Third Friday Art Walk June 18th.

At the Chatham Camera Club Gallery

2010-06-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

What: Photographic exhibit from the work of Duane Hall

When: June 18th - 6pm to 9pm

Where: Siler City, NC
Chatham Camera Club Gallery
229 North Chatham Avenue

Contact: Duane Hall / duane@smokyhollow.us

Photographs on exhibit are large serene landscapes and dramatic news events.

Example: http://www.smokyhollow.us/trip2.html (turn on your sound)

Duane was born and raised in North Carolina. He worked as a photojournalist for the Chicago Sun-Times in the '60s & '70s, winning many local, regional and national photographic awards.

Leaving Chicago, he relocated to a farm in Chatham County, North Carolina. From there a freelance career in photojournalism started which carried him all over the world covering wars, rebellions and historic events for most major publications. He photographed the Contras in Nicaragua, the peasants in China, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the revolution in Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and many others. He shot cultures of Thailand, Morocco, Turkey, Cuba, Kazakhstan and Central America. He has photographed many US Presidents and world leaders from Anthony Eden, the Shah of Iran & Ben Gurion to Martin Luther King and Pope John Paul. Also many movie & music celebrities were on his assignments.

Duane's work has been published by:
Newsweek - US News & World Report - Time - Life - Business Week - Nation's Business - The New York Times - Chicago Sun-Times - Chicago Tribune - LA Times - Der Spiegel - Soldier of Fortune - DuPont - Philip Morris - IBM - Union Carbide - PC Week - Merrill Lynch - Southern Bell - Good Housekeeping - Playboy - Pepsi Cola - USA Today - Whittle Communications - MacLean's - RJ Reynolds - AT&T - Sports Illustrated - UPS - Associated Press - NY Times Magazine - Family Circle - Weekly Reader - Ilta-Sandmat - Black Star - Gamma - NY Teknik - Minneapolis Star-Tribune - UPI - and many others including text and research books.

Organic Forrestry: Recent paintings and sculpture by Forrest C. Greenslade, PhD -- PAF Gallery, NC Arts Incubator, Siler City NC -- Opening June18th

2010-05-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

New visions inhabit the mind of Dr. Forrest Greenslade. His organic sculptures and paintings, derived from a life-long love of nature and mythology, have a new look and feel. 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.”

Best known for his whimsical animal sculptures and paintings, his new series presents an excursion into the mind of a much more serious artist. Greenslade’s highly stylized, sculptural treescapes are created in modeling paste and tarnished metals on canvas. They depict remembrances of special woodland places. Forrest Greenslade, educated as a molecular biologist, spent his working life as a scientist and organizational executive. Serious business has now been replaced by ventures into creative, playful expression. He creates art that feels to many as rather naïve, even childlike. Playing, it seems, is what Forrest does best. Whether his creativity leads to whimsical sculptures, or takes him on a journey to a “Petrified Forrest”, his work shares common threads. It displays the delight and playfulness of creating art, his unique scientific experimentation of materials and Greenslade’s life-long love of nature.
Leslie Palmer, Friends of the Pittsboro Memorial Library

Forrest’s paintings using modeling paste and tarnished metal coatings are a little reminiscent of Van Gogh in their sculptural surfaces and use of light.”
Philip Ashe, Director of the Central Carolina Community College Sculpture Program

Greenslade the scientist, in his dotage, has discovered his creative self. He doesn’t over intellectualize about his work, “Sometimes a duck is just a duck.”

“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.

Forrest Greenslade is a member of the Chatham Artists Guild, and opens his studio and garden the first two weekends each December during the Chatham Studio Tour.

At the heart of a flourishing community of artist studios, galleries and eateries, The PAF Gallery, at the NC Arts Incubator, is centrally located at 223 N. Chatham Avenue in the Historic Downtown District of Siler City, a short drive from the Triangle or Triad.

Caption: Petrified Forrest Autumn's Glow, a relief painting by Forrest C. Greenslade, PhD

Northwood HS Senior’s Metal Project on Display at CCCC Gallery

2010-04-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

At the next 3rd Friday Art Walk in Siler City on May 21st, high school senior John Norwood will display his Senior Project metal table at the Central Carolina Community College Gallery. Pottery and Sculpture Program Director Phillip Ashe says, “This is a good example of how our program in metal and ceramic sculpture provides employment and life enrichment skills to our area’s communities.” “One of the students in our program, Forrest Greenslade, is active in passing his knowledge and skills on to younger students as a mentor,” he adds. “We are delighted to have his current student’s work on display in our May exhibit.”

Norwood, like every graduating senior in Chatham County was confronted by a requirement to complete a rather daunting project. He had to produce a product, write a research paper, assemble a portfolio, and give a brief talk about his work. Norwood has a strong desire to work with metal, and got a good start designing and constructing a forge from a garbage can, some scrap metal and an electric hair dryer. His dad supported and guided him with this stage of his project.

Then, Chatham County Together, a mentoring organization intimately involved with the Senior Project program, teamed John up with artist Forrest Greenslade. John thought that he might make some sort of weapon using his forge. He has an interest in the military. In fact, right after graduation in June, he will be off to Oklahoma for Army basic training. For their first step, Forrest took John to the studio of Tamera Mulanix, a renowned Chatham metal sculptor. Mulanix and Greenslade are both members of the Chatham Artists guild, the organization that produces the Chatham Studio tour each December. Tamera showed John the variety of artworks that she creates in her well equipped studio. Inspiration struck when John saw some of her elegant metal tables. He decided to design and produce a table to leave for his parents when he goes on to his military career. Tamera let John scavenge in her scrap pile, where he selected a metal round disc and an old saw blade.

In Forrest’s studio, John polished up his welding skills that he first learned at Northwood. Then he welded the metal disc and saw blade together to for the table top. Back in his yard, he then used his forge to bend three pieces of reclaimed rebar into the table’s legs. The final assembly was done in the Greenslade studio. Finally, back in the Mulanix studio, the John learned to apply Tamera signature finish to the Table.

“I am really impressed with John’s product,” notes Greenslade. “It has the esthetic of the late 19th century industrial period – masculine and functional.” I really like the way it came out, stresses Norwood – I’m proud of it. Mulanix says, “It was a pleasure to work with John. I hope he can continue on in his artistic endeavors. He is talented.”

While doing research for his paper, Norwood learned that blacksmithing, was once the major approach for industrial production, but as metal working techniques such as welding and casting developed, the smithy became relegated to produce artwork and decorative items. “How ironic that John, whose first thought was to use his forge to smith a weapon, decided to create such an elegant and decorative table,” Greenslade smiles.

HEAR FEARRINGTON POETS: APRIL 14

2010-03-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

McIntyre’s Book Store will host members of the Poet’s Corner of Fearrington for a poetry reading on Wednesday, April 14 at 3:00 pm. This offshoot of the Fearrington Writers’ Group is in its fifth year and meets the third Wednesday of every month at 3 PM at Galloway Ridge. Poet’s Corner relies on a set of regular members who, since its inception, have written over 600 poems and also published a 2006 anthology of forty poems call Beautiful Spirit. Many members have had individual poems published in state and national publications while five have individual volumes to their credit.

April is National Poetry Month and the readings combine the effort of our local poets to display their work and, at the same time, celebrate National Poetry Month by underlining the fact that poetry is flourishing in Fearrington.

This should be a great afternoon of hearing good poetry written and read by your Neighbors!! It is also an opportunity for those who would like to join POET’s CORNER to sign up at the reading and get in the swing and rime of their own poetry. No previous experience is necessary: Everyone is welcome!

Working -- A Musical

2010-03-23T06:04:00.000-07:00

Central Carolina Community College and Community Guests present
Working A Musical
April 14th - 18th Chatham Mill, Pittsboro

Adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso with music by Craig Carneila, Micki Grant, James Taylor, Stephen Schwartz, Mary
Rogers, and Susan Birkenhead. Produced by special
arrangement with Music Theatre International, Inc.

Wednesday, April 14th & Thursday, April 15th at 7:00 PM
Friday, April 16th & Saturday, April 17th at 8:00 PM
Sunday, April 18th at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Limited seating: $12 Tickets on sale at CCCC
Pittsboro and www.brownpapertickets.com.
Advanced tickets recommended
Please, no children under age 13.

Love letters to life: February/March Carolina Brewery Art Exhibit

2010-02-16T10:57:00.000-08:00

“When you look at Cindy Bainbridge’s paintings for the first time, it is obvious -- This is a woman who loves color, lyrical motion and humor,” explains Edwin White, President of the Chatham Artists Guild. “This is a woman who sees the world through the filter of her imagination.” During February and March, patrons of the Carolina Brewery in Pittsboro are experiencing Bainbridge’s braiding together of images, ideas and colors into a celebration of her connections with art and her life. The Brewery will host a reception for folks to meet this exciting artist
Bainbridge’s pathway in art has been a bit circuitous. Her first artworks were derivative of her job as an Experimental Cell Researcher in Buffalo, New York. “I was commissioned by the hospital to paint murals on the walls of the labs using photos I'd taken with my microscope for inspiration,” she remembers. “I had painted and sketched and written all my life, but it wasn't until I took drawing lessons with the remarkable Margaret Aiken, mother of well-known Grand Canyon painter, Bruce Aiken, that I began to see myself as an artist.

Her solo exhibit at the Brewery comes twenty years after graduating Western Carolina University with an MFA and moving to Chapel Hill with an eight year old child, two cats and a box of paints. At the same time, a series of 8 foot by 12 foot canvases were being shown at the grand opening of a Wilmington, NC gallery. The venue had to literally knock down a wall to make room for her work. Several paintings were used as set dressing in the film "Sleeping with the Enemy". In 1990 Bainbridge had her first solo show at the Carrboro ArtsCenter, showing very large triangular paintings. “I had to hire a truck to haul the work,” she recalls. “The driver was a young man with a pony tail and the newspaper put a picture of him with one of my paintings on the front page with the caption ‘Artist, Cindy Bainbridge’. “It was his first 15 minutes of fame rather than mine, she laughs.

Ten years ago Bainbridge acquired a hayfield in Chatham County and spent several years developing a homestead. When she decided to start painting the views on her farm, she created "Chatham Plein Air". For the next three years she organized weekly painting events and annual shows for the group. When the membership grew to forty five people, it required more formal management; a board took over and she returned to painting solo. “During that time, I took the Chatham Studio tour” she says. “I met Salinda Dahl and other talented, upbeat artists, and decided that my goal would be to join the Chatham Artists Guild,” she adds.

Bainbridge asserts that, “My art has changed, but people who knew me twenty years ago have remarked that I've come full circle.” Her triangles and funny shapes are back and her colors are even more outspoken. Come to the Carolina Brewery in Pittsboro and celebrate Cindy Bainbridge’s twentieth year in the place that has become her "forever" home.

Uncle Nick's World

2010-02-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

My wife's uncle, Nicholas Herrnkind, was a remarkable man. He never graduated from high school, yet he grew to head the pay role department of a major American corporation in New York City. On the way, he struggled through the great depression, unemployment and the loss of a young child. Throughout his entire life Uncle Nick drew and painted in whatever spare time he had. As a financial watch dog, Nick was a man of precision. He was equally exact with his art. His style was photo-realistic. In the era of Abstract Expressionism centered in the New York City area, Nick's work was out of sync. His sketches and paintings, mostly rustic landscapes, remained housed and much loved by Nick's friends and family. He died in December, 1970.

In 2010, My wife's sister Diane was downsizing for a move. In the process, she uncovered a bunch of Uncle Nick's old unused canvases. In the pile, was an unfinished painting of an old farm house and barn, a winter scene. Nobody knows when he started the work, or why he never completed it. Diane gave me the canvases, including the unfinished piece, for me to use. At first, I just planned to paint over his incipient oil painting -- but I couldn't. Something in the detail and feeling in those two buildings demanded preservation.

I decided to attempt to frame Uncle Nick's precise images within one of my stylized and rustic relief paintings, using modeling paste and tarnished metals. I started by repairing a gash in the background sky. Nick had started to sketch in a tree to the left of the barn, so I developed my component of the painting there. On the right side of the farm house, the canvas had been damaged. I covered that space with an additional tree. In the for ground, Nick had penciled in some details. I didn't attempt to develop them. Rather, I just piled up snow and ice to further strand the little farm in winter's grasp -- focusing the eye on my glimpse into Uncle Nick's world.

Love brunch

2010-02-04T04:27:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Come Celebrate Love with Local Food and Drink!

Slow Food Triangle, The Abundance Foundation, and Loom have teamed up with Chatham Mills, a plethora of sustainable farms, caterers, and a coop in Chatham County to host an I Love u Lunch, on February 14th, Valentine's Day, from 1- 4 pm in the historic Chatham Mills in Pittsboro, NC. The gourmet three-course lunch will feature Greek chicken soup, Sweet Potato Muffins, Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese tarts, Winter Baby Salad Mix, Beet Chiffon Pie, and more! Tickets to the event are only $10 in advance and $15 at the door (children under 12 are $8) and can be purchased online at http://theabundancefoundation.org/i-love-u-lunch.

BYOB or purchase a $3 drink ticket for Benjamin Vineyards wine or Carolina Brewery beer. The luncheon is a fundraiser for Chatham Marketplace, the local coop also located at Chatham Mills, that offers a wide selection of local foods. Specifically the proceeds will help pay to solarize the new Chatham Marketplace sign being installed this spring.

Chatham Mills produced silk and woven labels from 1925 to 1996. Having produced a livelihood for so many for decades, the current ownership is renovating the buildings and grounds for adaptive reuse. Plays, concerts, conferences and events like this luncheon spur Chatham Mills evolution as an inviting, socially vibrant, community centerpiece. Attendees can join a 3:30 - 4 pm tour of the Mill if they wish.

For more information contact Carol Peppe Hewitt at iloveulunch@gmail.com, or The Abundance Foundation at 533-5181.

NC Museum of Art move strategist to judge Chatham Opening Show

2009-11-19T15:37:00.000-08:00

Art-lovers are feeling a great void these days. Our North Carolina Museum of Art is closed while the world class collection is moved to the new 127,000-square-foot state of art facility. Dan Gottlieb, the museum's Director of Planning and Design, is one of the people shepherding this delicate operation.

According to a New York Times article, the “behind-the-scenes designs [make] it possible to safely transfer invaluable pieces from one building to another as part of the expansion that will cost $73.1 million in public money and $5.5 million in private funds. The work includes a tunnel that connects the two buildings and a hidden, roll-up door that will allow art the size of the massive museum walls to be moved into the new building.”

Dan Gottlieb will take time from this herculean task to serve as judge for the Opening Reception of the 17th Annual Chatham Studio Tour at the Pittsboro Campus of Central Carolina Community College on Friday December 4th from 7 to 9 PM. Gottlieb will judge artworks from more than 50 regionally and nationally recognized artists who live and work in North Carolina’s Chatham County. Members of the Chatham Artists Guild, these painters, sculptors, photographers, potters, and artists working in a variety of media open their studios across scenic rural Chatham County to give visitors from all around the area a first-hand experience with the creative process.

Guild President Forrest Greenslade asserts, “We really appreciate Dan Gottlieb bringing his depth of art world experience to our Opening Reception.” The free reception is open to the public and features one sample work from each artist on The Tour, as well as elegant refreshments created by glass artist and well known “foody” Gretchen Niver. “This is a fantastic party, and the best way for folks to plan their schedules for visiting our artists’ studios all over Chatham County.” Greenslade continues.

A Tour brochure and map is available at many locations, including: Durham Arts Council, Durham; General Store Cafe, Pittsboro; Aria Spa, Chapel Hill; Arts Center, Carrboro; Artspace, Raleigh and Alamance County Arts Council, Graham; NC Arts Incubator, Siler City. Information about The Chatham Studio Tour is available online at: http://www.ChathamArtistsGuild.org.

“Our members work all year long, preparing artworks, educational demonstrations, and informational materials so that visitors can enjoy The Tour, and learn more about creating art in the artists’ own environments,” explains Maggie Zwilling, Executive Director of the Chatham Artists Guild. “The Tour is also an important economic event for Chatham County. People stop at restaurants, gas stations and all kinds of businesses while they travel from studio to studio,” she adds.

Seven artist are new to The Tour this year. Emma Skurnick has created nature illustrations for American Scientist Magazine, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, North Carolina Aquariums, and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. She teaches illustration and design courses at Central Carolina Community College, the ArtsCenter and North Carolina Botanical Garden. In addition to Skurnick, wood furniture maker David Botts, stoneware potter Lara O’Keefe, iron and steel forger Peter Ross, oil and acrylics painter Deborah Sanks, wood turner Michael Thompson and jeweler Mariah Wheeler are new artists participating in the 2009 Tour.

“The Chatham Studio Tour is a holiday tradition here in the heart of North Carolina,” concludes Greenslade. We look forward to welcoming folks from all around into our studios and sharing with them the joy and excitement of creating art.”

Caption: Illustration by Emma Skurnick

Carrboro ArtCenter hosts preview of 2009 Chatham Studio Tour

2009-11-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

Learning to make pots has been an exciting journey for Chatham artist Lara O’Keefe. “My first employment as a potter was with Rob and Beth Mangum, of Weaverville NC’s Mangum Pottery. It was there that I learned a lot of studio fundamentals like how to mix glazes, wedge clay, and operate the kilns,” she begins. “After a few years there, mostly making slab-ware I was ready to learn how to make better pots on the wheel. It was my good fortune to be offered a job with just such a focus in Seagrove, NC where I began a three year apprenticeship at Jugtown Pottery working for Pam and Vernon Owens,” she continues. Having this rare opportunity to work at such a historic pottery with such well known teachers was instrumental for O’Keefe’s personal artistic development. Her final formative experience was at the Hewitt Pottery in Pittsboro, NC., working as apprentice for renowned artist Mark Hewitt. She gained a true appreciation for the traditional shapes and processes of North Carolina pottery and the seed was planted for the pottery that she established in Chatham County and debuts with this year’s Chatham Studio Tour.
Lara O’Keefe is just one of the 51 artists studios throughout Chatham County open to visitors from all over the region the first two weekends of December. The Chatham Studio Tour, a model for arts tourism, is organized and funded by the artists themselves. A preview of works by Chatham Artists Guild members for the 2009 Tour will be on display at the ArtCenter in Carrboro from November 18th to December 14.

“Our members work all year long, preparing artworks, educational demonstrations, and informational materials so that visitors can enjoy The Tour, and learn more about the creative process in the artists’ own environments,” explains Maggie Zwilling, Executive Director of the Chatham Artists Guild. “The Tour is also an important economic event for Chatham County. People stop at restaurants, gas stations and all kinds of businesses while they travel from studio to studio,” she adds.
A Tour brochure and map is available at many locations, including: Durham Arts Council, Durham; General Store Cafe, Pittsboro; Aria Spa, Chapel Hill; Arts Center, Carrboro; Artspace, Raleigh; the NC Arts Incubator in Siler City; and Alamance County Arts Council, Graham. Information about The Chatham Studio Tour is available online at: http://www.ChathamArtistsGuild.org.
In addition to Lara O’Keefe, wood furniture maker David Botts, iron and steel forger Peter Ross, oil and acrylics painter Deborah Sanks, illustrator Emma Skurnik, wood turner Michael Thompson and jeweler Mariah Wheeler are new artists participating in the 2009 Tour.
“The Chatham Studio Tour is a holiday tradition here in the heart of North Carolina,” notes Guild President Forrest Greenslade. We look forward to welcoming folks from all around into our studios and sharing with them the joy and excitement of creating art.”

Chatham graduation project is exciting experience for high school senior

2009-11-05T03:07:00.000-08:00

Northwood High student Nathan Creel was just one of the anxious rising seniors in Chatham County worried about the Graduation Project. Then, he became involved with Chatham County Together (http://chathamcountytogether.org/), a mentoring organization with 20 years of experience in matching struggling youngsters with caring adults. The team of Gwen Overturf and Marjorie Hudson has taken on recruiting and training mentors for the Graduation Project, a new requirement in Chatham County schools this year. Currently they have more than 60 students working with mentors toward successful completion of the project.

Nate Creel wanted to learn ceramic sculpture in his Graduation Project. The project presented a daunting task. He had to produce a product, a clay sculpture. He had to develop a portfolio documenting all his accomplishments. He had to write a paper on contemporary ceramic art. Creel felt overwhelmed. Chatham County Together introduced Creel and his father to local artist Dr. Forrest Greenslade, who had received training as a mentor. Greenslade is currently President of the Chatham Artists Guild (http://www.chathamartistsguild.org), the organization that hosts the Chatham Studio Tour the first two weekends each December.

Creel and Greenslade mapped out a plan and got to work in Greenslade’s studio in Fearrington Village. Under the mentor’s experienced eye, the student began sculpting a mustang charger, the Northwood logo. While they worked, the team listened to jazz on the radio, and discussed how modern clay sculpture developed from classic pottery, a North Carolina tradition.

During August before Creel began his senior year, they made field trips to several of the interesting art galleries in Pittsboro and Siler City. They toured the Pottery and Sculpture Department at Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) (http://ccccsculppottery.blogspot.com/), where Creel learned of future educational opportunities.

The Graduation Project requires each student and mentor to meet for 10 hours, but Nate and Forrest were having so much fun that they worked together for more than 60 hours. Creel crafted two ceramic horses. They were fired at CCCC, and he learned how to give them a tarnished bronze patina. Chatham County Together Coordinator Marjorie Hudson noted, "Nate's two horse sculptures are just beautiful! They show a deep well of talent and great sense of craft. For a first try, these are very sophisticated pieces! We think Nate has a great future in the arts, possibly as a career choice.”

Greenslade was so impressed with Creel’s work, that he submitted photos of his sculptures to the Carolina Design Craftsmen Guild for their High School exhibit. Creel’s piece, called “Charger Pride” was selected to be exhibited at their 2009 show the weekend after Thanksgiving at the NC Fairground.

The mentor/student pair shared what they had learned with juniors and their parents at Northwood High. Greenslade encouraged students to look forward with confidence to this exciting program. Creel recalled how much he had learned and how much fun he had working on his sculptures.

Coordinator Gwen Overturf concluded, “Nate and Forrest are just one of the pairs of students and mentors that Chatham County Together has put together this year. We are so proud of them, and of all the rest!"

Caption: Nathan Creel and his sculpture “Charger Pride”.

Emerging sculptor Ruth Brown is award winner in debut exhibit

2009-10-12T02:57:00.000-07:00

The theme of the 21st annual Sculpture in the Garden Show at the North Carolina Botanical Garden ( http://ncbg.unc.edu/pages/29/ ) is Celebrating Life Forces – Earth, Air, Fire Water, Spirit. Central Carolina Community College Pottery and Sculpture Student Ruth Ella Brown won a Merit Award in her debut in a major show for her large ceramic sculpture Circle of Life: Susan. Kathy Buck, co-founder of the annual art exhibition said at the October 4th award ceremony exclaimed, “the winners’ works especially express this year’s theme.

“I am fascinated with the life patterns around me, people, animals, plants, everything, explains Ruth Brown. “In my sculpture, a Black-Eyed Susan reveals her entire life journey in the garden.” The sculptures that Brown creates are inspired from her everyday observations, along with an active imagination. “I feel a connection with the clay as I work, whether it’s sculpting a totem pole, or sculpting an animal, she adds. “Sculpting faces that have worn features showing their life journeys are my favorite. These creations have become a way to stay connected with folks whose lives have crossed mine. Clay is a medium that has unimaginable opportunities. Each time the clay comes alive in my hands with a new expression it is memorialized as art.”

Phillip Ashe, Director of the CCCC Sculpture Program, announced “We’re happy to see one of our students begin to achieve some recognition among the local arts community. Ruth has worked hard to develop her own individual style as a sculptor and this award will encourage her to continue refining and exhibiting her work.”

Of the 24 artists exhibiting in the North Carolina Botanical Garden Show, five have participated in either the Curriculum or Continuing Education Pottery and Sculpture Programs at CCCC. In addition to Ruth Brown, Margo Bennett, Forrest Greenslade, Zen Palkoski and Beverly Rouse showed sculpture in this year's event. The sculpture exhibit runs through November 15th.

The Professional Arts and Crafts Program (http://www.cccc.edu/curriculum/majors/sculpture/) in clay and metal sculpture has a unique design and location. The program, the only one of its kind in North Carolina, was developed to teach artistic skills in pottery, clay sculpture, and metal sculpture. The course work in the Sculpture Program concentrates on the development of skills in clay and metal. Emphasis is placed on hands-on training. Courses in design, pottery, metal and clay sculpture, and basic welding give students needed fundamentals in this creative art form. Additional classes provide students with training in metal casting, glaze formulation, kiln design and construction, and advanced artistic design. Students can become a part of an arts community when enrolled in the CCCC program. Located in an historic building in downtown Siler City, NC, the facilities are newly renovated and feature gas and electric kilns.

For more information contact Phillip Ashe or Sandra Martin (phone: (919) 742-4156, email: pgashe29@cccc.edu).

Caption: Circle of Life: Susan, a ceramic sculpture by Ruth Brown. Photo by NC Botanical Garden Staff

Take a walk on the far side at the Carolina Brewery

2009-09-28T03:59:00.000-07:00

What happens when you mix the minds of Andy Warhol and Gary Larson? You get something like the art of Chatham’s own Roger Person. You can walk through that special place that is Person’s brain at the October/November exhibit at the Pittsboro Carolina Brewery. His recent dazzling selection of animals and pure forms will transport Brewery goers into a space far away and exciting. Meet Roger Person at an artist reception from 4 to 6 pm on Sunday, November 1st at the Brewery.

Roger Person considers himself a mixed media artist whose work often reflects his off-beat sense of humor. “I try to incorporate different materials in each piece that I create,” he explains. “I enjoy the challenge of designing large metal sculptures that are simple to build with standard materials and visually different from the materials I use.” For 25 years he worked in the engineering and construction business, and at one point, he ran a company specializing in building domestic elevators. Along the way, Person picked up a substantial knowledge of many materials and processes.

Another hallmark of Person’s art is vibrant color, influenced by Native American themes. “I had a winter home in Tucson, Arizona, where I studied the work of Native American artists. I began incorporating their themes and colors into glass work, and it evolved into much of my sculpture, paintings and prints,” he explains.

Roger Person will never forget the day in 1990, when he was standing on a ladder cutting a limb from a large tree. The branch released, knocking him from the ladder resulting in a crippling spinal cord injury. In that instant, this physically active engineer and adventurer was fated to life in a wheel chair. That instant also was the beginning of the career of an important artist (http://persontopersonart.com).

Over the years, Person lived a very physically active life. He was a horseback rider, skier, tennis player, sailor, golfer and runner. But, that all changed that day on the ladder.

As Person recovered, he began to work with stained glass, as his artist wife Linda was working on stained glass projects at the time. To satisfy his curiosity, Roger started incorporating ceramic sculpture into his glass projects which produced unusual glass pieces. Working from a wheelchair presented special challenges for an emerging artist. “I actually enjoyed figuring out how to accomplish complex fabrications from my wheelchair,” he remembers. “I wanted to turn large wooden bowls, so I designed a special lathe that accommodated working from a wheelchair.” No matter what art project he undertook, he did it with great enthusiasm. “We are only limited by our desires,” Person stresses. As time went by, Person developed a network of skilled crafts people who fabricated the elements of his large assemblages, always working according to his designs and engineering specs.

Forrest Greenslade, President of the Chatham Artists Guild, comments: “When you look at a painting, sculpture or print by Roger Person, you can’t help but be impressed by the humor expressed in every piece. Person explains that, “When I was in the hospital, I had to find a way to make things lighter for myself. I met a lot of disabled people there, and I wanted them to know that you can have a really fun life.” Person began working with Very Special Arts (VSA), an international, nonprofit organization founded by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where all people with disabilities learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts.

NC Potters to be featured in a Nationwide TV Broadcast

2009-09-23T02:45:00.000-07:00

September 18, 2009

On Wednesday, October 7^th, at 8 pm, PBS TV, will air a nationwide broadcast of a brand new episode of the Peabody award-winning series, “Craft in America,” that features two well-known North Carolina potteries. “Craft in America” producer, Carol Sauvion, explains why. “North Carolina pottery has inspired and influenced potters from all over the world,” says Sauvion, “It is authentic, original, and powerful in its simplicity. By including Jugtown and the Hewitt pottery in its new episodes, the Craft in America series showcases their significant contribution to the history of craft in America.”

Jugtown potters, Vernon and Pam Owens, and their children Travis and Bayle, and Mark Hewitt in Pittsboro, are proud to represent the state’s pottery tradition in this stunning documentary that serves as a tremendous affirmation of North Carolina’s role in shaping the ceramic heritage of United States.

Both Pam Owens and Mark Hewitt are on the board of the North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC, and have helped organize a series of simultaneous “viewing parties” across the state on October 7 to coincide with the broadcast, and to raise funds for programming at NCPC.

These “viewing parties”, described as, “a collective group hug for all the potters and pottery lovers across the state,” demonstrate a remarkable show of support from North Carolina pottery guilds and patrons across the state. This support acknowledges the camaraderie among North Carolina potters, and validates the role that the North Carolina Pottery Center plays in promoting public awareness and appreciation of the history, heritage, and ongoing tradition of pottery making in North Carolina.

Eight pottery Guilds, from the coast to the mountains, are hosting “viewing parties” for their members and supporters, including the Coastal Carolina Clay Guild in Wilmington, the North Carolina Pottery Collectors Guild and the Triangle Pottery Guild (both in Raleigh), Durham Clayworks, Carolina Claymatters and Carolina Clay Connection in Charlotte, and the Potters of the Roan in Bakersville and Penland. There will also be a gathering at UNC-Asheville.

The Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary, NC is partnering with NCPC, Craft in America, and UNC-TV, to host a Gala Dinner, Dessert and Viewing Party.

In addition, there are seven parties being held at the homes of NCPC patrons in cities across the state – in Edenton, Fayetteville, Seagrove, Asheboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, and Pittsboro.

Visit www.ncpotterycenter.com or phone 336-873-8430 for more information about attending one of these events. To contact Jugtown Pottery visit www.jugtownware.com or phone 910 464 3266, and to contact Mark Hewitt visit www.hewittpottery.com or phone 919 542 2371.

Captions: Left, Mark Hewitt Right Vernon and Pam Owens

Press Release
Paulette Badgett, Manager · paulette@atomic.net
233 East Avenue · PO Box 531 · Seagrove, NC 27341
(336) 873-8430 · www.ncpotterycenter.com

Chatham emerging artist takes honors at NC Gourd Festival

2009-09-22T03:23:00.001-07:00

The theme of the 68th Gourd Festival exhibit at the NC Fairgrounds was "By the Seashore". Carol Kroll entered a large carved and painted gourd depicting the energy of the ocean. The exterior was done in deeply carved ripples, representative of the ocean's rhythmic waves or patterns one would see left behind in the sand. “I painted the interior in swirling shades of aqua, inviting the viewer to look inside, she explains. Kroll’s first entry in the Gourd Festival, in the novice division, won 1st place and the President's Award.

Carol Kroll started painting at a young age with a private teacher and continued taking art classes through her teens. She later attended Newark School of Fine And Industrial Art in New Jersey and graduated with a diploma in textile design. For most of her adult life, she held a successful career as a textile designer in the home furnishings industry. Then she needed to redirect her life.

“I worked as a designer close to 30 years,” recalls Kroll. “I loved my work and felt fortunate that I had a career I enjoyed and at which I was good. My company relocated me to Burlington NC, and then had a major restructuring, moving most of their operation to China. I soon discovered that textile companies all over the country were doing the same. Manufacturing and even design were outsourced. That is when I discovered Central Carolina Community College and the Sustainable Agriculture program.”

Kroll soon conceived the idea of combining gardening and design, creating beautiful sculpture using her home-grown gourds. ”I love growing things, but my first love, art, kept tugging at me. I wondered how I could combine them. "The carving and painting techniques I use evolve with each piece, and are as varied as the gourds themselves." Kroll is continuing her studies at CCCC, in the sculpture program; she is learning how to market her work through the marketing class.
"Creating fine art on gourds seems to come naturally, but marketing them is a whole different ballgame."

Tiny Glimpse of the 17th Annual Chatham Tour

2009-09-15T02:55:00.000-07:00

Several members of the Chatham Artists Guild preview the 2009 Studio Tour at the PAF Gallery with a show of miniature artworks no larger than 12x12 inches. The Peggy A. Fullington Galleryis at the heart of a flourishing community of artist studios, galleries and eateries in down town Siler City. The PAF Gallery, at the NC Arts Incubator, is centrally located at 223 N. Chatham Avenue in the Historic Downtown District of Siler City, a short drive from the Triangle or Triad. An artists reception will be held at the Third Friday celebration on Friday, September 18th.
The Chatham Artists Guild is a non-profit organization of regionally and nationally recognized visual artists who live or have their studios in Chatham County. Each year, Guild members open their studios to the public through the Chatham 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 17th Annual Studio will be held December 5&6 and 2&13 2009.
The Guild artists featured in the PAF Preview are: Vidabeth Bensen, Anne Bigelow, Joyce Bryan, Shannon Bueker, Salinda Dahl, Martha Danek, Forrest Greenslade, Mark Hewitt, Julia Kennedy, Kathleen Ladd, Roberta Marasca, Gretchen Niver, Lara O’Keefe, Roger Person, Deborah Sanks, Bruce Saunders, Joan Sommers, Rita Spina, Annabelle Stein, DL Taylor, Michael Thompson, and Eddie White.
Weather your passion is sculpture, pottery, paintings, jewelry, wood, glass or fabric art, you will be delighted by the small wonders on exhibit at the PAF Gallery.
Caption: Petrified Forrest: Windswept, a relief painting by Forrest Greenslade

CA Gallery Satellite Exhibit

2009-09-03T02:44:00.001-07:00

CA Gallery Satellite Exhibit Opening & Reception @ Briar Chapel, Saturday, September 26th, 4 - 6 pm

Enjoy a special reception for the first ever Briar Chapel/ChathamArts Gallery Satellite Exhibit featuring the work of NYC artist and award winning illustrator, Murry Handler. (Mr. Handler now resides in Fearrington Village)

You'll enjoy wine & culinary delights while mingling with other artists and visitors. Attendees will enjoy an exclusive exhibit at one of the Briar Chapel model green-built homes while Mr. Handler discusses his work. One lucky guest will take home a limited edition print of Handler's "Girl with Butterfly" giclee print, among his most prestigious pieces.

Location: Briar Chapel Information Center, 16 Windy Knoll Circle, Chapel Hill 27516

Spread the word, and please RSVP to: 919.951.0707.

ChathamArts 100-Mile Sustainable Cinema Series,

2009-09-03T02:33:00.000-07:00

ChathamArts 100-Mile Sustainable Cinema Series, Now Showing:
September 29th, 7:30 pm - Josh Gibson's "The Siamese Connection" @ Fearrington Barn

In his documentary, "The Siamese Connection," Durham filmmaker Josh Gibson documents the lives of Cheng and Eng Bunker, the conjoined twins who became world famous as part of P.T. Barnum's circus and eventually settled in North Carolina.

This feature-length documentary explores the living history of these conjoined twins from Thailand, who settled in the North Carolina foothills during the Antebellum South, married two local sisters and raised 21 children. Using a collage of scenes from Thailand to Mount Airy, NC, we discover that these men still exist vividly in the contemporary imagination and have the power to act as potent metaphors for basic human experiences in both life and art. As their history unfolds through document, lyrical reenactments and artists' depictions, we uncover Chang and Eng's legacy through the course of the Bunker family reunion and explore this startling portrait of race, sexual taboo and body politics that defies popular preconceptions about 19th century rural southern life. Evidence of Chang and Eng's relations with the local citizens, their own wives, and their many slaves greatly challenge widely-held notions of Southern racial inequality and aversion to physical "otherness".

Official Selection: Fullframe Documentary Film Festival, Riverrun Film Festival, Carolina FIlm and Video Festival, Cucalorus Film Festival, Rome International Film Festival, Athens International Film Festival, England International Film Festival, Asian Pacific Film Festival

The 100-Mile Sustainable Cinema series features documentaries and independent films involving producers, directors, subjects and/or locations within 100 miles of Pittsboro. Proceeds benefit ChathamArts, which promotes and presents the arts through monthly cultural programs & events, artists residencies in the schools and community, gallery exhibits, and other community building efforts.

Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students for films at the Fearrington Barn.

Cash Bar, Candy, and Popcorn Available.

For additional information contact ChathamArts, 919-542-0394, _www.chathamarts.org_ (http://www.chathamarts.org).

A Walk in the Country

2009-08-30T03:49:00.000-07:00

The August/September Art Exhibit at the Carolina Brewery and Grill in Pittsboro is joyous exploration of today’s Chatham County country life. Phyllis Burns, Shannon Bueker and Cherie Westmoreland craft charming animals and pastoral scenes in clay and canvas. Please join the Chatham Artists Guild in a Meet the Artists Reception on Sunday, September 6th from 4 to 6 PM.

Phyllis H. Burns, a native of Chatham County, NC, grew up on the small self-sufficient farms of her grandparents. She was exposed to nature in ways few people see today. Her love for animals and plants influenced her art and her desire to show the public the beauty of what we take for granted.

The old white farmhouse that has been in the Burns family for generations is where she and her husband raised their three children. Phyllis was educated as a veterinary technician and spent her early years as a housewife and mother. Later she worked as an apprentice at Stone Crow Pottery. Her interest in painting, always in the background, finally surfaced. She left her job as a potter; began studying on her own and taking workshops. She says, “I have lived in Chatham County all my life and many generations of my family are deeply rooted in this county. Creativity is an activity that has dominated my life. It is my hope to stir a beautiful or sweet memory that will help you remember how precious our planet is.”

Shannon Bueker grew up the fifth of six children, spending most of her childhood in San Antonio, Texas. She explains, “I have always drawn. I won my first competition in the fourth grade and have been taking art classes and making things ever since. I earned my BFA in 1987 from the University of Texas at Austin. My greatest challenge there was sculpture, my greatest relaxation painting, and my greatest joy life drawing.” “Anatomy is fascinating to me and animal anatomy more so because it is so accessible and unhidden. I think animals are just beautiful. My childhood sketchbooks are filled with drawings of the grown-up me as a zookeeper or artist surrounded by animals. So my path has always felt pretty clear.” She continues

Narrative is showing up in Bueker’s work lately. Her most recent works look like there is a story going on. “I want more interaction between the players in the composition. My interest continues to be with color, line and gesture. Gesture is the backbone of my approach. I am fascinated by and challenged to see how much shape and power I can express with the simplest of lines and strokes.” She notes.

Cherie Westmoreland, after graduating from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelors degree in studio art (printmaking and drawing), worked in the Artists-in-the-Schools Programs for the South Carolina Arts Commission. In the late 1970s, Westmoreland was a participating artist in Center Gallery in Carrboro and taught classes for Durham Technical Institute and the Carrboro Arts Center. From 1981 she has been a book designer, currently at Duke University Press.

“I began experimenting with clay in 1996, creating handbuilt sculptures, faces, tiles, bowls, pots, and wall art for indoor and garden display (recurrent imagery includes: birds, particularly crows, vines, ferns, and fish). My work also includes laser print photographic transfers fired onto clay.”
Her current work includes tiles, pots, and sculptures, primarily hand-built stoneware fired in an electric kiln. “My work is very organic in form and surface, I love texture. Faces, vines, crows, and ferns appear often in my work.”

Mark Hewitt Pottery's Summer Kiln Opening goes Local!

2009-08-20T04:03:00.000-07:00

Preview: Friday August 28, 4-7pm
Saturday, August 29, 9am - 5pm
Sunday, August 30, 12 noon - 5pm
and
Saturday, September 5, 9am - 5pm
Sunday, September 6, 12 noon - 5pm

The upcoming Kiln Opening at the Mark Hewitt Pottery, just east of Pittsboro, NC, features pots decorated with a new, luminescent, granite glaze, made from our own local "Chapel Hill gravel". One of renowned potter Mark Hewitt's talents is mining and refining local materials to create his own clay body and glazes. This recent load of nearly 2000 pots, fired in Hewitt's huge wood-fired kiln, will be on view at the pottery for two weekends at the end of August and early September. Hewitt has been mining local clays for over 25 years to use in making his pottery, but using Chapel Hill gravel in his glazes is a new departure. “I have a new ball mill that tumbles the gravel into a fine powder which I then use as a glaze material," explains Hewitt. "Everyone knows the tan colored gravel on pathways around the area, but not many people know how beautiful it is when you melt it at 2400 degrees Fahrenheit.” As usual the Kiln Opening will offer a full range of pottery, small and large, including mugs, bowls, jars, bud vases, planters, pitchers, and more...with hundreds of pots priced below $30. All the pots in this firing are stamped “77”, the identifying mark of this seventy-seventh firing of the salt kiln.

The Hewitt Pottery Kiln Openings are always popular events. The preview on Friday evening, August 28th, from 4pm-7pm is a chance to view all the new pots, see fellow pottery lovers, and enjoy the refreshments provided. The Kiln Opening continues on Saturday, August 29th, 9am - 5pm, and Sunday, August 30th, from 12 noon - 5pm. The shelves are replenished for a second weekend, Saturday, September 5th, 9am - 5pm and Sunday, September 6th, from 12 noon - 5pm.

Later this fall, on October 7th, Hewitt will be featured in a nationwide broadcast of a new episode of the PBS TV series, "Craft in America.” Several “viewing parties” are being held around the state that evening to benefit the North Carolina Pottery Center located in Seagrove, NC..

A master potter, teacher, and author, Mark Hewitt is also one of the featured artists of the Chatham Studio Tour which is held the first two weekends of December. Born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, Mark is the son and grandson of directors of Spode, the fine china manufacturer. In 1983 he and his wife, Carol found an old farm at the end of a dirt road near Pittsboro and set up their pottery. Mark built a very large wood kiln and began making the distinctive functional pots for which he is known, specializing in very large planters and jars, along with finely-made smaller items. He blends Southern folk pottery traditions with African, Asian, and European influences, to create his own contemporary style. "I moved here for the clay", Hewitt remarks. "Where there is a lot of red clay, there are pockets of gray or cream-colored clays, which I use to create a stoneware clay body." Good clay, wood to fire the kiln, people with an eye for fine pottery, and close proximity to Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill made choosing Chatham County a wise decision.

For more information about these events, or to schedule a visit to the pottery at some other time, you can call or emailing 919-542-2371 or mark@hewittpottery.com. Directions and images of the new pots can be found at www.hewittpottery.com.

Petrified Forrest

2009-08-18T03:33:00.000-07:00

Friends of the Pittsboro Memorial Library is pleased to present “Petrified Forrest” by Chatham artist, Forrest Greenslade. Best known for his whimsical animal sculptures and paintings, his new series presents an excursion into the mind of a much more serious artist. Greenslade’s highly stylized, sculptural treescapes are created in modeling paste and tarnished metals on canvas.They depict remembrances on canvas of special woodland places. The exhibit runs through Sept. in the Reeves Gallery at The Pittsboro Memorial Library.

Forrest Greenslade, educated as a molecular biologist, spent his working life as a scientist and organizational executive. Serious business has now been replaced by ventures into creative, playful expression. Greenslade offers an explanation, “Strange creatures began to inhabit my mind, and manifested themselves in art”. He creates art that feels to many as rather naïve, even childlike. Playing, it seems is what Forrest does best. Whether his creativity leads to whimsical sculptures, which he calls “ Forrest Dwellers” or takes him on a journey to a “Petrified Forrest”, his work shares common threads. They display the delight and playfulness of creating art, his unique scientific experimentation of materials (metal, concrete, clay or canvas receive innovative coatings and patinas producing color, texture) and Greenslade’s life-long love of nature and nature-inspired mythology.

His studio is open by appointment and during the Chatham County Studio Tour. For more information visit his web site at http://www.forrestgreenslade.com.

For questions/information about the exhibit or if you are an artist interested in displaying your artwork please contact Leslie Palmer at LesPalmer@aol.com. 919-929-9268 For more information about Friends of the Pittsboro Memorial Library visit www.pittsborolibraryfriends.org.

Central Carolina Community College Offers Unique Creative Writing Program

2009-07-20T14:07:00.000-07:00

Do you have stories to tell or poems to speak? Have you always wanted to try writing? Are you writing now, but need support and feedback? Are you an experienced writer who would like to try a new genre or take your writing to a new level? Beginning and experienced writers will be welcome at the new Creative Writing Program to be offered by Central Carolina Community College’s Continuing Education Division on the Pittsboro Campus, starting in August 2009.

The only program of its kind in the state, CCCC’s fall offerings include eight-to-ten week courses in non-fiction, poetry, autobiography, fiction, and writing for children, as well as Saturday workshops on writing screenplays, mysteries, getting published, and journaling. Published writers who are experienced instructors will be teaching the classes and workshops.

Classes will qualify for Continuing Education Units. Details are available on the CCCC website www.cccc.edu/creativewriting For information or to enroll in a class or workshop, call Monica Howell, 919.542.6495 x223. Registration begins August 5.

*********************************************************************

Fall Schedule 2009 Weekly CLASSES

The classes planned for the fall are listed below. Spring class info will be available in December.

General Non-Fiction Writing. Aug 26, Wed, 7-9 PM, 10 weeks. Emily Boyle will introduce participants to various genres of non-fiction writing: interviews, memoir, travel, science, business, sports, and humor writing.

Writing for Children and Young Adults Aug 27, Thursday, 7-9 PM, 8 weeks. Stephanie Green will review the publishing climate and craft skills you need to write publishable books for children. Participants will write and critique their work in class.

Write Your Life Story Sept 9, Wednesday, 9:30 - 11:30 AM, 10 weeks. Karen Pullen will provide a step-by-step process for you to create a written record of your life, a wonderful way to share your unique and priceless experiences.

Beginning Fiction Sept 14, Monday, 6:30 - 9 PM, 8 weeks. Through writing exercises, group work, and critiquing led by Anne Barnhill, participants will become familiar with the elements of fiction and complete a short story.

Journal: Self-Healing Seed Bed Sept 14, Monday, 7-9 PM, 8 weeks. Judy Hogan will show how keeping a journal helps us write more fluently and preserves a life record, while clarifying our inner life and stimulating other creative work.

Poetry Writing Workshop Sept 15, Tuesday, 6:30-9:30 PM, 10 weeks. This class, led by Tom Dow, will improve your writing, editing and critiquing skills. Through reading, writing, and discussing poetry, you’ll write more dynamic poems.

Fall Schedule 2009 Saturday WORKSHOPS.

Get Out There, Get Published October 3, 1 - 5 PM. Maureen Sherbondy will introduce the business side of publishing: how and where to send work, electronic vs. print journals, contests, what to expect when work is accepted.

Intro to Creative Journaling October 10, 9 AM - 5 PM. Through prompts and creative writing exercises, Megan Cutter will show how to use journaling to generate topics, bypass writer's block, and achieve personal growth.

Screenwriting October 24, 9 AM - 5 PM. Participants will learn from Tommy Jenkins the fundamentals of telling a good story in screenplay format.

Mystery Writing Nov 14, 9 AM - 4 PM. Brenda Witchger will discuss turning ideas into plot, creating a memorable protagonist, establishing the setting, playing fair with the reader and the basics of story arc.

Siler City Third Friday Art Walk

2009-07-13T04:23:00.000-07:00

Central Carolina Community College faculty artists do not have lazy summers! Come see what they can do to please the eye! Again, the CCCC Sculpture student gallery, located at 138 N. Chatham Avenue, will be open during the Third Friday Art Walk in downtown Siler City from 6:00 to 9:00, Friday, July 17. This show is by Sculpture and Pottery faculty, the folks who inspire students to produce the excellent art work you’ve seen here before. View the sculpture of Phillip Ashe, wood sculpture by Aaron Smith, photography by Sebastian Frances, illustrations by Emma Skurnick, and pottery by Joyce Bryan, Jennifer Siegel, Raymond Edwards, and Darlene Brady.

During the Art Walk, which is sponsored by the North Carolina Arts Incubator, 20 galleries, shops, and eateries will be open. There will be live music on stage in the court yard by “Bluesville”.

Enjoy a leisurely summer evening in historic downtown Siler City.

Caption: Crank Assembly, a sculpture by Phillip Ashe, head of the CCCC Ceramic and Metal Sculpture Program.

A Celebration of a life in art

2009-06-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

The Chatham Artists Guild presents a special show at the Carolina Brewery for June and July, a celebration of the life of Jacqueline Hammer, a longtime participant in the Chatham Studio Tour. Jackie lived for many years in Fearrington Village with her writer husband Robert. Her works, along with those of several of her fellow Guild artists who live and work in Fearrington, adorn the walls of the Pittsboro brewery and restaurant on highway 15/501 near the Lowes home improvement store. There will be a reception honoring Jackie on Sunday, July 12th from 4 to 6 PM. Join her Fearrington artist friends and colleagues for an enjoyable time of art and refreshment. Fearrington artists Vidabeth Bensen, Anne Bigelow, Forrest Greenslade, Claire Levitt, Roy Lindholm, Leslie Palmer, Deborah Sanks, Joan Sommers and Rita Spina will be present to meet with Brewery goers and share remembrances of Jackie’s life and work.
From the time that Hammer grew up in the Bronx New York, she was dedicated to her art. Educated at Columbia Art School, she was classically trained in oils, lithography and pottery. She worked commercially, doing line drawings for ads in newspapers like the Boston Globe. She had an expansive career of exploration and sharing her joy of artistic expression. Her son Gilbert recalls, “In 1967 during the time of the Greek revolution, mom spent a month in Greece, collaborating and taking in new ideas from a local artist.” He notes, “Mom preferred abstract design and embraced non-traditional expression. She always translated her own emotions into her work, and stayed away from anything derivative of popular artistic trends.”
Her daughter Leslie remembers, “Mom always had a studio of her own, and was connected with the arts community. People were continually visiting to see her work and learning from her. “She always involved me in her art. She was my teacher as well as my mom. Later, my son worked with her in the studio. Mom loved sharing her art with others.”
Fellow Fearrington artist, Rita Spina notes, “Jackie became my mentor when my life's dream of becoming an artist was beginning. My husband and I retired in Fearrington 20 years ago. Several artists got together here to read THE ARTIST'S WAY. I became a part of this group and some of us eventually became known as the Collection. We had our first show at Fearrington’s Gathering Place. From the time that Jackie and I met, she encouraged my artistic endeavors, and over the years told me to do what I love to do and keep the messages in my head and experiment in every way -- and to close off the world. Her words were always (and still are) in the back of my head. She also told me that as soon as I sold my first piece of work, I would recognize myself as a professional. And she was right on target. Jackie still stands at my shoulder as I ponder what comes next and I close everything else out and the work begins.”

Another friend and Fearrington artist Vidabeth Bensen adds, “In 1997, Jackie, Rita Spina, Fran Schultzberg, and I traveled to Japan. Jackie told me that her lifelong dream was to visit Japan. I am so glad we were able to fulfill that dream and share it with her.” Son Gilbert stresses, “she found the Japanese sense of minimalism within their culture and design to be an important aspect running through her work.”

The Collection helped start what today is the Chatham County Studio Tour (2009 is The Tour’s 17th year) and led to the development of the Chatham Artists Guild (www.chathamartistsguild.org). The Guild 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.

Carolina Brewery (www.carolinabrewery.com) a locally-owned brewery and restaurant, has drawn international attention for its handcrafted beers and traditional bar fare in its Chapel Hill and new Pittsboro locations.

Caption: Jacqueline Hammer, 1922–2009
Jackie’s family would like any donations in her memory to be made to the Chatham Artists Guild or the UNC Hospitals.

Novel paintings debut at Central Carolina Community College Gallery

2009-06-10T01:55:00.000-07:00

CCCC metal and ceramic sculpture student and concrete sculpture teacher Forrest Greenslade introduces a new series of relief paintings called Petrified Forrest in the College’s Siler City Gallery. Philip Ashe, Director of the Sculpture Program says, Forrest’s paintings using modeling paste and tarnished metal coatings are a little reminiscent of Van Gogh in their sculptural surfaces and use of light.” The series depicts stylized woodland scenes. “This is a departure from my wacky animal sculptures and paintings,” notes Greenslade. “I wanted to capture the sculptural beauty of the trees all around us in a format that can decoratively enhance our homes.”

The CCCC Gallery will be a featured venue in Siler City’s Third Friday Art Walk on June 19th, 6 to 9 PM. Other activities for the night will be Julia Kennedy’s Color Shift opening at the PAF Gallery, Fruit of the Vine at the NCAI Gallery, and Siler City Merchant’s Association Birch Alley Art. Music in the Courtyard will be by Bill and Libby Hicks.

The CCCC Gallery will highlight pottery and sculpture by CCCC Exhibit Design students in the June 19th show. Ruth Brown will exhibit whimsical clay sculptures. Brown’s sculptures are inspired from her everyday observations, with a few abstract designs thrown in. “Sculpting faces that have worn features showing their life journeys has become a way to stay connected with folks whose life lines cross mine.”. Holly Felice will show new clay sculptures. Felice considers herself a mixed media artist. “I want to learn everything about using wood, metal, clay, or glass – whatever material tells the best story,” she explains. Ruth Morgans will feature wheel thrown pots that are often altered, paddled or stamped and occasionally hand built. She uses earth toned, layered glazes and slips that respond serendipitously to atmospheric firing. She notes, “It is my goal as a potter to express the surprising convergence of functional, funky and elegant, while utilizing the capacity of clay to accommodate extraordinary machinations, prods, and pulls. Deborah Motter will show new sculptural pieces. She ponders, “How much will the clay let me manipulate it, and what patinas are the most expressive of the shape beneath?” Carol Kroll has just completed an exciting sculpture fabricated from a home grown gourd. She explains, “I love growing things, but my first love, art, keeps tugging at me.” Trish Welsh has produced new functional pottery. She stresses, “I want the pots to work well and look beautiful with the food on the table. I am inspired by the textures and patterns found in my daily life like sand on the beach, bark on the trees and ferns uncurling in the spring.”

The Professional Arts and Crafts Program (http://www.cccc.edu/curriculum/majors/sculpture/) in clay and metal sculpture has a unique design and location. The program, the only one of its kind in North Carolina, was developed to teach artistic skills in pottery, clay sculpture, and metal sculpture. The course work in the Sculpture Program concentrates on the development of skills in clay and metal. Emphasis is placed on hands-on training. Courses in design, pottery, metal and clay sculpture, and basic welding give students needed fundamentals in this creative art form. Additional classes provide students with training in metal casting, glaze formulation, kiln design and construction, and advanced artistic design. Students can become a part of an arts community when enrolled in the CCCC program. Located in an historic building in downtown Siler City, NC, the facilities are newly renovated and feature gas and electric kilns.
For more information contact Phillip Ashe or Sandra Martin (phone: (919) 742-4156, email: pgashe29@cccc.edu or smart025@cccc.edu.

Caption: Petrified Forrest: Sycamore Sunrise a relief painting by Forrest Greenslade

DRAG yourself down to the General Store for an outrageous Burrito Bash

2009-05-16T03:33:00.001-07:00

"Get in touch with your feminine side," laughs Maggie Zwilling, Executive Director of the Chatham Artists Guild. The Guild is teaming up with the Abundance Foundation to host a Burrito Bash at downtown Pittsboro's popular General Store Cafe on Tuesday, June 2nd from 6 to 9 PM. Tami Schwerin, Executive Director of the Foundation, quips, "Mix things up a little with an evening of fun, surprises and art in support of our important organizations. "We’re gathering all the Drag Queens & Kings (and those who aspire to be) to benefit the arts community and sustainability movement in our area."

Tickets are $12 each when purchased ahead or $15 at the door. Buy advance tickets online at: http://theabundancefoundation.org/drag-burrito-bash/ or call 919-533-5181. Forrest Greenslade, President of the The Guild notes, "In addition to The GSC's famous burritos, the evening will feature dinner music by fellow artist and guitarist Joey Howell and friends." "We will have a silent and live auction, and of course a live Drag Queen show not to be missed."

The purpose of the *Abundance Foundation* (http://theabundancefoundation.org/) purpose is to increase the public awareness of sustainable energy usage and local food consumption. The corporation’s goal is to create programs that can model how human beings can harness, use, and benefit from renewable energy sources as well as support the increase of local, sustainable farms.

The *Chatham Artists Guild* (www.chathamartistsguild.org <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 *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.

Spring Sampler

2009-04-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

Celebrate a beautiful Carolina spring Sunday afternoon with an "art bouquet" at the Carolina Brewery. We will hold an artists' reception for several leading artists of the Chatham Artists Guild on Sunday, May 3rd from 4 to 6 PM. Come, have a brew and some nice bar snacks, and talk with painters, photographers, sculptors and other Guild artists. The Chatham Carolina Brewery is on Route 15/501 just North of Pittsboro

Featured chatham artist Joey Howell tells this story:

Chatham County has a long, rich tradition of hospitality to wildlife. The first European explorers who came here found a verdant place teeming with animals of all sorts. Blessed with three rivers and abundant open space, our county is home to several species that live only here. Even today, while out-of-control development, toxic waste and climate change threaten our commonwealth, wild Life refuses to abandon its traditional toehold on this land.

Last year, in early spring, we noticed a fox hanging around our yard. It grew quite accustomed to us, standing its ground and barking sharply at us if we got too close. At some point we realized it was actually a pair of foxes. We loved our “pet” foxes and relished the daily encounters. In mid June, I came out to my studio early on a Saturday morning, looked out the sliding glass door in the back, and there on the steps was a fox kit! Barely three feet from me. It looked up at me through the glass without the slightest trace of apprehension. I glanced to the side and saw another! And then another! Slowly, quietly, I crept back and grabbed my camera. I managed to snap half a dozen pictures before -of course- the battery ran out, mother fox pacing nervously all the while at the periphery of the yard. By the time I replaced the battery they had vanished. I never saw them again. And so they had launched out from the confines of their den nearby. Our neighbors reported seeing the babies accompanying their mama now on her regular forays to their compost piles.

This is the little kit that was boldly checking out my studio. I like to hope that this spring I will see this same fox again, with its own litter of kits. That would be a really cool tradition to establish.

Pottery Dilemma Solved

2009-04-24T06:08:00.000-07:00

How did world-renown potter, Mark Hewitt, of Pittsboro, NC decide which of his two huge wood-fired kilns to fill and fire this winter and spring to supply enough pots for his May Kiln Opening and upcoming shows in Rocky Mount and Highlands, NC, and Pittsfield, MA? Each can hold more than 1500 pots, and with the enthusiastic help of apprentices Joseph Sand and Alex Matisse, they set an all-time record and decided to fill and fire them both!

The newer three-chambered kiln, designed to fire alkaline glazed pottery, produced an array of shiny, dark green and rich amber two gallon lidded jars and robust pitchers, tall beer steins, over 100 mugs and tumblers, teapots, tiered vases, large platters and, of course, several of Hewitt’s signature massive “big pots”. This time they are tall Obelisks, vases and jars, standing nearly over 60” tall.

The reliable, sleek, salt-fired groundhog-style kiln, now at its 76^th firing, was filled with planters of all sizes, plates, bowls, lamp bases, more pitchers and mugs and more “big pots”.

Hewitt Pottery Kiln Openings, held three times a year, are cultural and social events. Collectors, designers, customers, family and friends reunite to share stories of previous kiln loads, dine on homemade refreshments, and add a few more pots to their kitchens, gardens and collections. Newcomers discover why Mark Hewitt is a highly respected household name in the pottery world.
The Spring Kiln Opening will be held on Saturdays, May 2nd and 9th from 9-5pm and Sundays, May 3rd and 10th from noon-5pm. For a preview of all the new pots (no sales at this time) stop by on Friday May 1st between 4 and 7pm. More information and directions to the Hewitt Pottery, (an easy drive from anywhere in the Triangle) can be found at www.hewittpottery.com , or by calling 919-542-2371.

Mark Hewitt is a member of the Chatham Artists Guild (www.chathamartistsguild.org), the organization that presents the Chatham Studio Tour the first two weekends each December.

Kudzu lives in Chatham County

2009-04-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

PITTSBORO - A beloved cartoon character - and all his colorful
townsfolk - come to life when “Kudzu, A Southern Musical” opens at
Chatham Mills April 24.
Central Carolina Community College theater production students and
community members fill the stage with the ups-and-downs of small
Southern town life in a tuneful, happy show that has delighted audiences
worldwide.
The musical grew out of the “Kudzu” cartoon strip, created by
editorial cartoonist Doug Marlette in 1981. Collaboration with Jack
Herrick and Bland Simpson, of the Red Clay Ramblers, transformed the
cartoon into a tuneful musical comedy.
The musical captures the angst, tenderness, and humor in the life of
18-year-old Kudzu Dubose, who aspires to be a writer. Kudzu lives in the
town of Bypass, so named because the state ran a new highway past the
town but forgot to give it an exit; so the world bypasses Bypass.
“We picked this show because of its local connections and because
it's good fun, something people will want in these tough times,” said
Ellen Bland, director and Central Carolina C.C. theater instructor.
The show, its characters and music go straight to the heart of
Southerners and those that love the slow-paced life in the small, rural
towns that dot the South. Such towns are disappearing under suburbia,
but “Kudzu, A Southern Musical,” captures the bone-deep feelings for
their community that many of the characters, particularly Kudzu, don’t
realize they have until they might lose it.
Life in Bypass takes a surprising turn when leading citizen Big Bubba
Tadsworth, played by Mike Broadley, tries to sell land in the tiny town
to a Japanese company that wants to build “the world’s largest plant
to manufacture American flags.” In a surprise plot twist, Kudzu,
played by Layton Sheppard, turns out to be the owner of the land.
Will a young man bored with the dullness of his small Southern town
sell its soul to build a factory? Or will he realize how special it is
and how special he is as part of it? The answer comes, surrounded by
both the poignancy and joy of discovering how precious “home” is.
Tickets for “Kudzu, A Southern Musical” are $12 and are available
at CCCC’s Chatham County Campus, 764 West St., Pittsboro, (919)
542-6495, or online at www.brownpapertickets.com . Chatham Mills is
located at 480 Hillsborough St., Pittsboro. Show times are 8 p.m. Friday
and Saturday, April 24-25, and Friday, May 1; 8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2;
and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 26 and May 3. The show is produced by
arrangement with Samuel French, Inc., and Chatham Mills Development
Corp.

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Emerging artists exhibit new works at Central Carolina Community College

2009-04-09T05:35:00.000-07:00

Carol Kroll started painting at a young age with a private teacher and continued taking art classes through her teens. She later attended Newark School of Fine And Industrial Art in New Jersey and graduated with a diploma in textile design. For most of her adult life, She held a successful career as a textile designer in the home furnishings industry. Then she needed to redirect her life. Kroll is one of the emerging artists showing their work at Emergence a show at the CCCC Gallery in Siler City beginning with the Third Friday Art Walk on April 17th. Meet them at a reception from 6 to 9 PM. Emergence runs through May 15th.

“I worked as a designer close to 30 years,” recalls Kroll. “I loved my work and felt fortunate that I had a career I enjoyed and at which I was good. My company relocated me to Burlington NC, and then had a major restructuring, moving most of their operation to China. I soon discovered that textile companies all over the country were doing the same. Manufacturing and even the design were outsourced. That is when I discovered CCCC and the Sustainable Agriculture program.”

Kroll soon conceived the idea of combining gardening and design, creating beautiful sculpture using her home-grown gourds. ”I love growing things, but my first love, art, kept tugging at me. I wondered how I could combine them. The sculpture program at CCCC is helping me do just that. I am sculpting the gourds I grow and through the Exhibit Design class, I am learning how to get the exposure I need. I hope to continue my studies in the sculpting program to learn about marketing my work. Who knows where it could lead, I am still emerging.”

“What sets the CCCC Ceramic and Metal Sculpture program apart from other professional arts and crafts programs is the inclusion of entrepreneurial instruction that will assist in the planning, operation, and marketing of a professional craft studio and gallery,” asserts Phillip Ashe, the program’s director. “This program was created in response to the expanding interest in pottery, sculpture, and professional arts in the central region of North Carolina. Our students in the Exhibit Design class are learning to display their work professionally. This show is like their final exam.”

Holly Felice notes, “The CCCC program is a great way to jump-start an arts career. I gained both the technical skills and the marketing know how to live as an artist. The teachers give each student a lot of personal attention.”Felice is a joyful young woman, known to whistle and sing while creating her unique sculptures. However, she is stone serious about two things – her art and recycling cast off objects. “I love working with scrap, wondering what it can be. It’s inspiring rather than intimidating, because I can experiment without fear of wasting some expensive art material. Felice considers herself a mixed media artist. “I want to learn everything about using wood, metal, clay, or glass – whatever material tells the best story,” she explains.

Fellow sculptor Sharyn Walker has a degree in Graphic Design. After working for several years as a two-dimensional artist, she took a CCCC class in Welding for Artists, and fell in love at once with three dimensional art, and working with metal. Her background in design is a strong part of every sculpture she creates.. “My love for animals and nature are usually reflected in my art, whether it is a rabbit, dragonfly or a flower sculpture made out of old tractor or automobile parts, found from a scrap yard. Creating art out of something once vitally useful, but later discarded, gives her a sense of satisfaction in holding on to things the way they used to be.”

Ceramic artist Faith Flowers says, “I am in love with clay! There is just no other way to put it. When I am throwing at the wheel, hand-building a piece, or altering a thrown piece; I slip into my own little world. I feel centered - that all is right as I work on a piece.” Flowers was a trained commercial Interior Designer, with many years of experience. “After taking a six-year break, in which I became a Mom – twice! - I started taking structured, serious clay classes at CCCC and have never looked back. I know from this point on, I will always remain in the clay. It is where I feel at home and alive. It is a part of me, and I am a part of each of my pieces.”

For Trish Welsh, making pots started as a way to relax from the stresses of her work as a clinical social worker because the process required both my physical and mental energy, “I was able to focus on learning to throw without the distraction of work. Eventually I traded psychotherapy for pottery and began taking classes, first at Claymakers studio and then enrolling in the pottery and sculpture program at CCCC.” Welsh’s interest has been primarily in making functional ware and fits well with her love for food and cooking. “I want the pots to function well and look beautiful with the food on the table. I am inspired by the textures and patterns found in my daily life like sand on the beach, bark on the trees and ferns uncurling in the spring.”

Deborah Motter explains, “Push, pull, squish, flatten and round back up into a ball; I love the malleability of clay.” From childhood, Motter has been creatively engaged with many media. Now stoneware and porcelain happily exist in her artistic world. They get carved, plodded, pinched, patted, and even thrown into realistic portraits, fantasy pieces or various pottery objects. “How much will the clay let me manipulate it, and what patinas are the most expressive of the shape beneath? These are questions I enjoy exploring endlessly.”

Ruth Morgans makes wheel thrown pots that are often altered, paddled or stamped and
occasionally hand built. She uses earth toned, layered glazes and slips that respond serendipitously to atmospheric firing. She notes, ”It is my goal as a potter to express the surprising convergence of functional, funky and elegant while utilizing the capacity of clay to accommodate extraordinary machinations, prods, and pulls. Ultimately, I want people to have pots in their homes that they find beautiful and that can be used in their everyday lives.”

Ruth Ella Brown recalls, “Six years ago I took a pottery class, and immediately fell in love with clay and the unimaginable creative opportunities the medium provides. I have since studied sculpture at universities, and have taken workshops to gain techniques to transform a large block of clay into an object of art or an original display.” Brown’s sculptures are inspired from her everyday observations, with a few abstract designs thrown in. “Sculpting faces that have worn features showing their life journeys has become a way to stay connected with folks whose life lines cross mine.”

Strange creatures inhabit the mind of Dr. Forrest Greenslade. His whimsical sculptures, 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 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.” Greenslade stresses, “I gain greatly from the CCCC program, the teachers provide both technical and conceptual guidance, and the feedback and camaraderie of fellow students is a joy.”

The Professional Arts and Crafts Program (http://www.cccc.edu/curriculum/majors/sculpture/) in clay and metal sculpture has a unique design and location. The program, the only one of its kind in North Carolina, was developed to teach artistic skills in pottery, clay sculpture, and metal sculpture. The course work in the Sculpture Program concentrates on the development of skills in clay and metal. Emphasis is placed on hands-on training. Courses in design, pottery, metal and clay sculpture, and basic welding give students needed fundamentals in this creative art form. Additional classes provide students with training in metal casting, glaze formulation, kiln design and construction, and advanced artistic design. Students can become a part of an arts community when enrolled in the CCCC program. Located in an historic building in downtown Siler City, NC, the facilities are newly renovated and feature gas and electric kilns.

For more information contact Phillip Ashe (phone: (919) 742-4156, email: pgashe29@cccc.edu).

Caption: Sculpture created using a gourd by Carol Kroll

Chatham County emerging artist debuts at Scrapel Hill Art

2009-03-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

Holly Felice is a joyful young woman, known to whistle and sing while creating her unique sculptures. However, she is stone serious about two things – her art and the environment. “I am so excited about the Scrapel Hill show and contest,” she exclaims. “I love working with scrap, wondering what it can be. It’s inspiring rather than intimidating, because I can experiment without fear of wasting some expensive art material.
Scrapel Hill Art (http://www.scrapelhillart.com/) at the University Mall (http://www.universitymallnc.com/) from April through June, is an inaugural Chapel Hill public arts project, where the best local artists create works of art to help educate and promote the value of recycling. The idea evolved from the Mall management’s interest in art and sustainability. They want to expand this idea to other centers in their portfolio, but believe that Chapel Hill is the best venue for the inaugural event. They had learned about a similar event taking place near San Francisco, called “Scrapture”. They turned to Jeffrey York, the Art Administrator for the Town of Chapel Hill for guidance, and he came up with the unique name, “Scrapel Hill”.
Holly Felice is one of 16 area artists participating in the Scrapel Hill Art exhibit and contest. Felice considers herself a mixed media artist. “I want to learn everything about using wood, metal, clay, or glass – whatever material tells the best story,” she explains.

Felice is developing her multifaceted sculpture career at Central Carolina Community College (http://www.cccc.edu/curriculum/majors/sculpture/). “What sets the CCCC program apart from other professional arts and crafts programs is the inclusion of entrepreneurial instruction that will assist in the planning, operation, and marketing of a professional craft studio and gallery,” asserts Phillip Ashe, the program’s director. “This program was created in response to the expanding interest in pottery, sculpture, and professional arts in the central region of North Carolina.” Felice adds, “The CCCC program is a great way to jump start an arts career. I gained both the technical skills and the marketing know how to live as an artist. The teachers give each student a lot of personal attention. They actually helped me with the Scrapel Hill project.” Metal Sculpture teacher Kevin Eichner drew Felice’s attention to the opportunity that Scrapel Hill Art would offer her, and Design teacher Emma Scurnick advised her on the submission.

Felice is producing her sculptural submission under Eichner’s tutelage at his Moncure Mechanism of Art (MMOA) in southern Chatham County. She describes, “I am making a Scrap Metal Medusa using re-bar that I found at a grocery store demolition site. Using the re-bar, I am forging snakes that will seem to be slithering over a female torso. Medusa's form is defined by the negative space left by the stylized snakes fabricated from scrap. The concept – People only know what they see. Sometimes only the surface defines the whole.” MMOA is envisioned by renowned sculptor Eichner as a vehicle for emerging artists like Felice to advance both technically and conceptually. "Holly possesses a refreshing confidence and ambition that allows her to take great strides in broadening and strengthening her creative talents and technical abilities," Eichner explains.

Felice’s family was always conscious of the environment, but she took it to another level. Her mother Roxanne recalls, “The cable company would not run cable into our subdivision because low population density in the area reduced their profits, so we had satellite TV installed. My husband and son-in-law were all ready to watch their favorite sports channel, but one tree blocked the reception of that satellite. There was discussion about possibly cutting the tree down when our tree-hugging art student threatened to live in the tree if necessary to save it. Needless to say, the tree is still there.”

“I am more comfortable with plants and animals than with people," Felice says. Her Scrapel Hill project reflects her dual passions – art and the environment.

"I look forward with great anticipation to the Scrapel Hill Art show at University Mall. I am always fascinated by artists' creativity in transforming cast off materials into objects of beauty or controversy,” says Forrest Greenslade, President of the Chatham Artists Guild. “I can't wait to see the show and cast my vote."

For more information on the Central Carolina Community College Ceramic and Metal Sculpture Program contact Phillip Ashe (pgashe29@cccc.edu); on Scrapel Hill Art contact Garry Meldrum (garry@businessvaluecreation.com); on MMOA contact Kevin Eichner (eichner@themmoa.net).

Caption: Holly Felice working on her Medusa at the MMOA in Moncure, NC. Photo by Forrest Greenslade

Margaret Maron Keynote for New CCCC Creative Writing Program

2009-03-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

Central Carolina Community College will introduce a new Creative Writing program during a public event Sunday, April 26, from 1pm to 4pm. The keynote speaker will be national best-selling mystery writer Margaret Maron. The audience will have the opportunity to break into small discussion groups to provide feedback on topics for the new program. Sponsored by McIntyre’s Fine Books at Fearrington, the kickoff event will be held in the Multipurpose Room, Building 2, at the CCCC Pittsboro Campus.

Scheduled to begin in Fall 2009, the new Creative Writing program will offer courses in various genres of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. Several weekly courses and one-day workshops will be offered each fall and spring semester. “We are very pleased to offer a Creative Writing Program here at our Chatham County Campus,” said Carl Thompson, Director of Continuing Education for the Chatham County campuses of CCCC. “Our goal is to provide programming that enhances the skills of our citizens, while bringing a level of enjoyment as well. This particular endeavor should satisfy both requirements. We anticipate that this program will be one of the first in this region, and we look forward to serving not only the needs of Chatham County citizens but those of the region.”

Ms. Maron’s keynote topic for the Creative Writing Program kickoff event will be, “My Writing Life”. She is the author of twenty-four novels and two collections of short stories. Winner of the 2008 North Carolina Award for Literature and several major awards for mystery writing, Ms. Maron’s works have been translated into 15 languages. A native Tar Heel, she still lives on her family’s century-old farm a few miles southeast of Raleigh. The farm served as the setting for Bootlegger’s Daughter, which is in the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century as selected by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. McIntyre’s will have Ms. Maron’s books available for sale during the April kickoff event at CCCC.

###

If you would like more information on these courses, please call Maggie Zwilling at 919.542.6594, ext. 228 or Carl Thompson, ext. 224.

Mark Hewitt Featured at Catawba Valley Pottery Festival

2009-03-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

Three years ago celebrated Chatham County potter, Mark Hewitt (http://www.hewittpottery.com/), built a new big kiln to fire alkaline glazes. He already had one kiln the size of a school bus, used for firing salt-glaze, but he likes alkaline-glazed pots so much he felt compelled to build a new kiln. “I guess it was because I love the color green,” says the English-born Hewitt.

The fruits of his most recent firing will be for sale at this year’s Catawba Valley Pottery Festival, March 27 and 28 at the Hickory Convention Center. It’s the first time Hewitt, 53, has attended the festival, and he will also be the Guest Speaker, his talk entitled, “A Few of My Favorite Things about North Carolina Pottery.” The Catawba Valley Pottery Festival is well-known as one of the region’s best loved pottery festivals, drawing pottery enthusiasts and collectors from near and far. Hewitt comments that, “Regional pottery traditions are very rare, they are a little like wild flowers that only grow in certain special soils and climates. A unique set of economic, historic, and cultural conditions have allowed the pottery tradition in the Catawba Valley to survive from the in the early 19th century until now. It’s quite miraculous.”

Recently in his Chatham studio, Hewitt talked about his first visit to Lincoln County in 1981, before he and his wife settled in Pittsboro, NC, in 1983. When they visited Burlon Craig, Hewitt was immediately drawn to Craig’s time-tested methods, “Not many potters used local clays and fired in wood-burning kilns back then,” Hewitt explains. “Most studio potters were, and still are, trained to get clay from a supplier, not from the ground.” Hewitt’s own apprenticeship, thirty years ago, to legendary potter Michael Cardew back in England, taught him about using local materials, so he felt quite at home standing on Craig’s clay pile, dug from the nearby “Rhodes Clay Hole,” and crawling into his groundhog kiln. “I felt comfortable there, it all made sense. I was used to doing it all from scratch, and here was a rare place where the old methods were still being used,” he said.

He remembers that first visit, standing in the doorway of Craig’s workshop, quietly watching Craig turning large jars one long afternoon, and when Hewitt finally announced that he and his wife had to leave, Craig looked up and said, with a twinkle in his eye, “So, what’s your hurry?” Says Hewitt, fondly, “I knew I could live in a place like that.”

“Twenty five years later Hewitt’s reputation has grown,” notes Forrest Greenslade, Chatham Artists Guild President. In addition to his fine quality work, he has written extensively about NC pottery, and in 2005 he co-curated with Nancy Sweezy, former Director of Jugtown Pottery, the exhibition, “The Potter’s Eye: Art and Tradition in North Carolina Pottery,” at the North Carolina Museum of Art, in Raleigh. His work is eagerly sought by collectors at his three annual kiln opening sales at his home near Pittsboro, people line up early in the morning to seek out his treasures. His larger pots are to be found at the Smithsonian, the High Museum in Atlanta, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, but his pots remain affordable. “Many of my pots are priced at less that $50, and I’ll be bringing plenty of my apprentices’ sweet little vases and cups that are less than $10.” His current apprentices, Joseph Sand and Alex Matisse will be traveling to Hickory, as will two former apprentices of Hewitt’s, Matt Jones and Daniel Johnston, who regularly sell at the Catawba Valley Pottery Festival, along with many other fine potters and antique dealers from across the region.

“I love alkaline glazed pots,” says Hewitt, “It’s taken me a while to figure out how to make them, but the alkaline glaze tradition means a lot to me and I’m excited to make my contribution to it. Bringing my new Chatham County alkaline glazed pots to the Catawba Valley is a little like “taking coal to Newcastle”. I’m bringing some pretty good-looking pots, and there may even be a few diamonds hidden in the coal.”

Caption: Mark Hewitt at his kiln. More photos available.

Chatham Artists Guild
artstour@blast.com
http://www.chathamartistsguild.org/

Chatham potter shares life-long skills at CCCC

2009-02-17T04:02:00.000-08:00

Chatham Artist Guild member Joyce Bryan has returned to her roots, teaching pottery skills at Central Carolina Community College (http://www.cccc.edu/). “I have now come full circle and am excited about it. I started out teaching, retired from it for about 34 years and now I find myself back in the classroom sharing all the skills and knowledge I learned in all those years at the wheel,” the renowned North Carolina potter explains. "Joyce brings thirty years of pottery making and running a business to our program. Her real world experience in those areas are invaluable to
a program who's goal is not only to make art but to prosper from it," notes Phillip Ashe, Head of the CCCC Sculpture Program.

Growing up in Philadelphia, Bryan was always an active outside girl. “I knew from the time I was in Junior High that I was going to art school,” she remembers. In her senior year at Moore School of Art in Philadelphia, she worked on a project using clay and colored glass. “That started my life-long love affair with pottery and ceramic sculpture,” Bryan asserts.

After graduation with a degree in Art Education, Bryan’s life journey took her to Alaska, where she was the US Army’s Assistant Craft Director. A move to Maine initiated her teaching career. “Limited budget meant limited clay,” she recalls. “So students and I dug clay in a local gravel pit and mixed it with purchased clay with our feet in the school parking lot. Janitors hated me!”

Teaching in New Jersey, Bryan’s career took a new direction. “While taking a kiln building workshop at Peter's Valley, I met several well known potters and some starting new careers -- like I longed to do. When I got home I told my family they had six months to get ready, because I was leaving teaching to be a full time potter." That decision ultimately brought her to Chatham County to establish Stone Crow Pottery (http://www.stone-crowpottery.com/) and become an influential member of the Chatham artist’s community. Bryon says of her work, “I have always been excited about getting my hands dirty in the clay. My mind is always active and thinking about new patterns and ideas. Because of this my work is very active with layers of pattern and texture, slip and over laid glazes. Most of my work is meant to be used, and is designed for the preparation, cooking and serving of food.”

CCCC student Faith Flowers says, “I took the intro to pottery class with Joyce. I came into the class knowing how to throw, but I left with much, much more. Joyce was able to push me out of my comfort zone and teach me to move to another level. I thought this was a very impressive thing since I was in a class with beginners who also needed her time and attention. She also taught me to move outside of my box in my glazing methods as well. When I would question the assignment or a technique she was teaching, she was always willing to listen and consider my point of view before deciding a final answer in the class.

The course work in the CCCC Sculpture Program concentrates on the development of skills in clay and metal. Emphasis is placed on hands-on training. Courses in design, pottery, metal and clay sculpture, and basic welding give students needed fundamentals in this creative art form. Additional classes provide students with training in metal casting, glaze formulation, kiln design and construction, and advanced artistic design. “What sets the CCCC program apart from other professional arts and crafts programs is the inclusion of entrepreneurial instruction that will assist in the planning, operation, and marketing of a professional craft studio and gallery,” asserts Phillip Ashe. “This program was created in response to the expanding interest in pottery, sculpture, and professional arts in the central region of North Carolina.

The Chatham Artists Guild (www.chathamartistsguild.org) is a non-profit organization of regionally and nationally recognized visual artists. Each December, 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.

Contact: Phillip Ashe pgashe29@cccc.edu

Call for Artists

2009-02-11T14:40:00.000-08:00

Chatham Artists Guild is calling for artists who either live or work in Chatham County to apply for participation in the 2009 Chatham Studio Tour. Interested artists may email artstour@blast.com for an application or go to our website: http://www.chathamstudiotour.com/artists/application-files/New-Artist-Appl-2009.pdf. The Chatham Artists Guild (www.chathamartistsguild.org) is a non-profit organization of regionally and nationally recognized visual artists. Each December, 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.

Call for Teachers

2009-02-05T03:44:00.000-08:00

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
NEW CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM AT CCCC SEEKING INSTRUCTORS

Central Carolina Community College is seeking qualified instructors in Creative Writing to implement a New Creative Writing Program in the Continuing Education Department at the Pittsboro Campus for the 2009-10 academic year. Instructional opportunities to include possible weekly courses or one-day workshops in Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-Fiction, Freelance Journalism, How to Get Published, Genre Fiction (Mystery, Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy), Autobiography/Memoir; Personal Journal, Screen Play, Children’s Books, including Young Adult, Getting Inspired/Priming the Pump. Instructors should be published writers, and teaching experience is preferred. Qualified candidates interested in teaching for the Fall 2009 semester may email Carl Thompson, Director of the Continuing Education Program: cthompson@cccc.edu or call: 919-542-6495, ext. 224.
CCCC IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Carol Owen and Joel Hunnicutt show at Piedmont

2009-01-30T04:06:00.000-08:00

Color and Form

Chatham Artists Guild members Carol Owen and Joel Hunnicutt are the featured artists for February at the Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery in Winston-Salem. The show runs from Feb. 6-Feb28 with an artist reception on Feb. 6 from 7-10pm. The exhibit will focus on mixed media Spirit Houses by Owen and turned wood pieces by Hunnicutt.

Carol Owen (http://www.carolowenart.com/) has been a professional artist for 30 years, working initially as a weaver and papermaker, and now in mixed media. Carol Owen sees her Spirit Houses as protective icons of family history, "My Spirit Houses are shrines to family memories. They make sacred those shards of the past that have made us what we are," she describes. Enshrining memories of family and home and incorporating personal mementos which celebrate the people, places, and events important to us, Owen’s unique, three-dimensional assemblages honor people's most intimate histories and truest treasures.

Joel Hunnicutt (http://www.joelhunnicutt.com/) works to create vessels out of the organic medium of wood, vessels with the elegance and luminosity of glass. “Using the technique segmented turning, “I am able to achieve shapes and designs that are usually associated with the ancient pottery forms of Greece, China and Egypt,” he says. “The use of classic forms and vibrant colors create a delight to the senses.

Segment turning involves cutting wood into small, precisely measured pieces, then gluing the pieces together into forms that will be turned on a lathe into the final design. Toners and dyes are added to lacquer during the finishing process to give the vessel a unique luminescence.”

Since 1963, Winston-Salem, North Carolina has been home to Piedmont Craftsmen, Inc., a guild founded by craft artists and collectors to honor the work of the hand (http://www.piedmontcraftsmen.org). The organization carries on a centuries-old regional tradition dating back to the eighteenth century when the first Moravian settlers established their workshops, laid out their garden plots, and set up housekeeping in the lovely rolling hills of the Piedmont. Furniture makers, potters, weavers, metalsmiths and glassblowers, their goods were recognized as the finest available in the southeast.

The Chatham Artists Guild (http://www.chathamartistsguild.org/) is a non-profit organization of regionally and nationally recognized visual artists. Each December, Guild members open their studios to the public through the Chatham Open Studio Tour.

Chatham Artists Guild
magz@emji.net
http://www.chathamartistsguild.org/

2009-01-20T05:27:00.000-08:00

Chatham Artists Guild
Contact: Maggie Zwilling at magz@emji.net
http://www.chathamartistsguild.org/

ART THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY

At the Opening Show for the 2008 Chatham Studio Tour, renowned painter Jane 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 exclaimed. Many of Lindholm’s photographic stories will be on display at the February/March Chatham Artists Guild Show at the Carolina Brewery Show. The Carolina Brewery and Grill is located in Pittsboro on Highway 15/501, near Lowe’s Home Improvement store.

Meet Roy Lindholm at a free artists reception on Sunday, March 1st from 4:00 to 6:00PM.

Dr. Roy Lindholm learned photography as a useful tool in his former life as a geologist. “I’ve always loved photography and used it extensively to spice up my geology lectures at the George Washington University,” he explains. The Lindholms moved to Chatham County in 1996, after he retired, just a few months before Hurricane Fran arrived. “My photo epiphany came in late 2002 when I bought my first digital camera and a month later a massive ice storm hit Chapel Hill," he remembers. “I was engulfed by /Kodak Moments/”.

Lindholm’s favorite subjects include dragonflies, butterflies, flowers, medieval European towns and any other interesting scene that strikes his fancy. “I rarely photograph people other than daughters, granddaughters and the UNC women’s soccer team” he notes.

With the digital camera and computer Lindholm creates art in the form of /art photos/. “Unlike some of my artist friends, I use the computer with /Photoshop/ to enhance digital images”, he stresses. “Some are so completely changed that I call them /fantasy photos /while others are pretty much as they came from the camera.”

Lindholm has had one-man shows at the Governors Club, the North Carolina Garden’s Totten Center and the Chapel Hill Library, and has displayed photos in the ChathamArts Gallery.

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 each December 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.

Caption: Myrtle Beach, a photograph by Roy Lindholm

Chatham Arts’ 100 Mile Film Series

2009-01-06T04:39:00.000-08:00

ChathamArts
115 Hillsboro Street
Pittsboro NC 27312
919.542.0394
www.chathamarts.org

Chatham Arts’ 100 Mile Film Series presents “Pearl Diver” followed by a question and answer session with the filmmaker, Sidney Ryan King. January 27^th at 7 pm at the General Store Café in Pittsboro, NC.

The Sustainable Cinema series runs every fourth Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. The series screens documentaries and independent films involving producers, directors, subjects and/or locations within 100 miles of Pittsboro. We like to keep it local! Proceeds benefit ChathamArts, which promotes and presents the arts through monthly cultural programs & events, artists residencies in the schools and community, gallery exhibits, and other community building efforts.

Pearl Diver is the story of two sisters, how they are haunted by the twenty-year-old murder of their mother, and what happens when an accident rips away the layers of secrecy and buried trauma surrounding that night.

This film won BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE at the Winnipeg Int'l Film Festival and at the East Lansing Film Festival, the CRYSTAL HEART AWARD at the Heartland Film Festival, the GRAND JURY PRIZE at the Indianapolis Int'l Film Festival and BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY at Woods Hole Film Festival. It has also screened at the St. Louis Int'l, Asheville, Bethel, Temecula Valley, Kansas Int'l, Rhode Island, Gloria Int'l and Stony Brook Film Festivals. It has been selected to screen at the upcoming Global Peace Film Festival, Malibu Celebration of Films and the Vermont Int'l Film Festival.

Admission is $5 and $3 for students for films at The General Store Café. The General Store Café provides a buffet dinner for $10 and also offers a cash bar. It is located at 39 West Street, just off the courthouse circle in historic downtown Pittsboro. More Information about the film series can be found at http://www.chathamarts.org/news/sustainablecinema9-08.html. For additional information contact ChathamArts, 919-542-0394, www.chathamarts.org.

ChathamArts Gallery January Show

2008-12-29T03:57:00.000-08:00

January in the ChathamArts Gallery The 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.

More...

Caption: Trying To Unwind, a sculpture by Forrest Greenslade created from one continuous strand of galvanized wire.

Strange dwellers at the General Store Cafe

2008-12-16T03:06:00.000-08:00

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

Contact:
Forrest C. Greenslade, PhD
919-545-9743
sculptor@forrestgreenslade.com
http://www.forrestgreenslade.com

Filer Salutes Chatham Artists

2008-12-09T06:17:00.000-08:00

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

Chatham Artists Guild
artstour@blast.com
http://www.chathamartistsguild.org/

ChathamArts Gallery December Excitement

2008-12-04T02:57:00.000-08:00

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.

Other December featured artists include:

Siglinda Scarpa, pottery http://www.siglindascarpa.com/

Tamera Mulanix, metalwork http://gypsysky.com/about.shtml

Rita K.Spina, multi-media http://www.ritakspina.com/

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 Chatham County 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.

ChathamArts Gallery

Open: Tuesday- Saturday 11-5

First Sunday 12-5

115 Hillsboro St.

Pittsboro, NC 27312

919.542.4144

info@chathamarts.org

Jane Filer to judge art sampling at Chatham Studio Tour Opening

2008-11-27T11:19:00.000-08:00

Nationally recognized painter Jane Filer will serve as judge at the opening show for the 16th Annual Chatham Studio Tour. Sample artwork of artists participating in The Tour will be on display at a free public Opening Show at Carolina Central Community College (CCCC) in Pittsboro on Friday December 5th from 7 to 9PM.

Chatham Artists Guild President Forrest Greenslade asserts, "We are really excited to have Jane Filer at our opening to judge this year's show." Filer's paintings are evolved from historical and prehistoric observations. They are a response to clues she has gathered from the most ancient to the most modern visual references available. Blending this with the relationship she has with her own existence, she creates a fantastical story. The sense of story is used to provoke exciting aspects of being and existing in this amazing world. She is in love with color and sensual surface textures on her canvases and is in love with life.

The stories of more than 50 artists will be told through their art in their own studios scattered throughout scenic Chatham County. Visitors to The Tour are guided by a Tour Map and Brochure available at restaurants and shops through the Triangle area, and on the Guild’s website at: www.chathamstudiotour.com/map/map.html.

Specifically, brochures will be available at:
-Hewitt Pottery;
- North Carolina Museum of Art in the Raleigh Visitor Information Station located behind the Information Desk;
-Durham Arts in Durham;
-Aria Spa at Chatham Crossing in Chapel Hill;
-The Arts Center in Carrboro;
-The General Store Café in Pittsboro,
-Alamance County Arts Council in Graham;
-Art Incubator and the other shops in Siler City.

Tour visitors the first two weekends in December will enjoy discussing art, the artists’ personal stories, and the process of creating unique art in the artists’ own environments.

Chatham Artists Guild
artstour@blast.com
http://www.chathamartistsguild.org/

Chatham Studio Tour Maps Available Here

2008-11-26T02:48:00.000-08:00

More than 50 artists in the 16th Annual Chatham Studio Tour, will display their work in their own studios scattered throughout scenic Chatham County. Visitors to The Tour are guided by a Tour Map and Brochure available at restaurants and shops through the Triangle area, and on the Guild’s website at: www.chathamstudiotour.com/map/map.html.
Specifically, brochures will be available at:
-Hewitt Pottery;
- North Carolina Museum of Art in the Raleigh Visitor Information Station located behind the Information Desk;
-Durham Arts in Durham;
-Aria Spa at Chatham Crossing in Chapel Hill;
-The Arts Center in Carrboro;
-The General Store Café in Pittsboro,
-Alamance County Arts Council in Graham;
-Art Incubator and the other shops in Siler City.
Tour visitors will enjoy discussing art, the artists’ personal stories, and the process of creating unique art in the artists’ own environments.

Landmark achievement for Chatham artist

2008-11-24T03:11:00.000-08:00

Master Potter, Mark Hewitt, celebrates 25 years in business and the 75th firing of his wood-burning salt kiln

Mark Hewitt, of Pittsboro, NC, marks a landmark achievement at the 16th Annual Chatham Studio Tour the first two weekends of December. Chatham Artists Guild President Forrest Greenslade says, “Mark was one of founding artists in the tour, and remains a creative leader that all of our members respect and admire.”

In 1983 Mark Hewitt (www.hewittpottery.com) and his wife, Carol, found the setting of their dreams - a ramshackled farm house with enough out-buildings for a workshop, kiln and sales barn. More importantly it was located in Pittsboro, NC, close enough to the clay deposits Mark needed to make wonderful pots, a good source of wood to fire his soon-to-be built wood-burning kiln, and plenty of potential customers within a few miles. This month Hewitt will fire that same school bus-sized kiln for the 75th time, filled with over 1500 pots made by himself and three apprentices, Joseph Sand, Alex Matisse, and Eryn Prospero. "North Carolinians have a special affinity for pottery made in the same tradition as that of their parents and grandparents", Hewitt reflected as he carried a board of swirl mugs into the partially packed kiln recently. "We have beautiful clays here and plenty of yellow pine to fire the kiln. I mix ashes from my wood stove and ground up glass for my glazes, and fire the kiln for several days to a temperature of 2300 degrees. Unloading the kiln is more exciting than Christmas morning." And his customers seem to agree. Three times a year he opens a kiln load and they eagerly trek to his pottery a few miles east of Pittsboro to see and buy his wares. Hewitt has written extensively in the ceramic press and exhibited in London, New York, and Tokyo, as well as throughout the US, and is well-represented in museum and private collections.

From the enjoyment of its daily use, or as a pottery collector’s investment, Hewitt’s finely-made pottery has an intrinsic value and appeal. For this 75th firing, in addition to the swirl mugs, Hewitt has made several massive vases and planters, pitchers and jars of all sizes, plates and bowls, and even a tall wig-stand! Pots from this firing will be on display at the pottery during the first two weekends in December. The festivities will include hot cider, cookies and other delectable treats from the Hewitt kitchen. The Kiln Opening starts with a preview Friday evening, December 5th from 4-7pm. Refreshments yes, but there are no sales or reservations made until the next day, Saturday December 6th between 9am and 5pm. New pots are put out on the shelves for Sunday, when the sale resumes at noon. For those that can't make the first weekend, the pottery shelves are replenished for a second weekend, December 13th, 9am-5pm and December 14th, noon-5pm. All the pots are stamped with a 75 to commemorate the 75th anniversary firing, along with each maker’s mark. They range in size from a 54" tall fluted vase, to several hundred lovely 5" bud vases, tumblers, and mugs priced under $10. Twenty-five years later, Hewitt and his wife, Carol, (who teaches and coaches other artists in the business skills needed to be a successful artist) are still delighted to have found Pittsboro, and the run-down old Johnny Burke farm. She says, "For twenty-five years, we have lived and worked as a team. Mark makes beautiful pots, I handle the bookkeeping and many of the marketing details, and we share in the important business plans and decisions. It's a good life. I couldn't ask for more." In these uncertain times, that's a lot.

Customers are also welcome to visit the pottery between kiln openings by appointment. Visits can be scheduled by calling 919-542-2371 or emailing mark@hewittpottery.com. Directions and more at www.hewittpottery.com.
Mark joins more than 50 artists on the 16th Annual Chatham Studio Tour, who will display their work in their own studios scattered throughout scenic Chatham. Visitors to The Tour are guided by a Tour Map and Brochure available at restaurants and shops through the Triangle area, and on the Guild’s website at: http://www.chathamartistsguild.org.
Specifically, brochures will be available at:
-Hewitt Pottery;
- North Carolina Museum of Art in the Raleigh Visitor Information Station located behind the Information Desk;
-Durham Arts in Durham;
-Aria Spa at Chatham Crossing in Chapel Hill;
-The Arts Center in Carrboro;
-The General Store Café in Pittsboro,
-Alamance County Arts Council in Graham.
Tour visitors will enjoy discussing art, the artists’ personal stories, and the process of creating unique art in the artists’ own environments.

Chatham Artists Guild
artstour@blast.com
http://www.chathamartistsguild.org/

ArtsCenter Features Chatham Artists Guild

2008-11-19T09:45:00.001-08:00

Art sampler at the ArtCenter in Carrboro

This acrylic painting by Katherine Ladd is just one of the works by Chatham Artists Guild members, featured in the 16th Chatham Studio Tour, on view from November 17-December 15 at The ArtCenter in Carrboro.
The Tour will be December 6 and 7; 13 & 14, where the stories of more than 50 artists will be told through their art in their own studios scattered throughout scenic Chatham. Visitors to TheTour are guided by a Tour Map and Brochure available at restaurants and shops through the Triangle area, and on the Guild’s website at: www.chathamartistsguild.org. Specifically, brochures will be available at:

-North Carolina Museum of Art in the Raleigh Visitor Information Station located behind the Information Desk;
-DurhamArts in Durham;
-Aria Spa at Chatham Crossing in Chapel Hill;
-The ArtsCenter in Carrboro;
-The General Store Café in Pittsboro,
-Alamance County Arts Council in Graham.

Tour visitors will enjoy discussing art, the artists’ personal stories, and the process of creating unique art in the artists’ own environments.

Art-lovers can also see a sample of each artist’s work at a free public Opening Show at Carolina Central Community College (CCCC) in Pittsboro on Friday December 5th from 7 to 9PM. The highlight of the program will be the judging of the Show by nationally renowned painter Jane Filer.

The Chatham Artists Guild (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.

Chatham Artists Guild artstour@blast.com
http://www.chathamartistsguild.org/