Vol. 15, No. 3 March 2011 - Carolina Arts

Hickory Museum of Art inHickory, NC, Features Works bySally Fanjoy and James LabrenzThe Hickory Museum of Art in Hickory,NC is presenting Scene Unseen, aninstallation by Fanjoy Labrenz, on view inthe Museum’s Coe Gallery, through April15, 2011.Hickory artists Sally Fanjoy and JamesLabrenz transformed the gallery spacethrough the use of digitally projected stillsand video images on walls, LCD screens,as well as photographs printed on alternativematerials such as aluminum.Work by Sally Fanjoy and James LabrenzScene includes close details of the artists’immediate environment seen whilewalking or looking through a window.Scenes further develop in the stagedpoetry, music and dance responses totheir visual findings. Unseen is presentedthrough music, spoken word and dance asthe art forms convey and give life to thethings we miss. These non-two dimensionalworks give form to the symbolismpresent in the natural and the man-madelocal environment.An exhibit showcasing the work ofOak Hill Iron that includes both fine artand utilitarian wares titled, Ironology, ison view through Apr. 8, 2011, at MeshGallery located in Morganton, NC. Fanjoy Labrenz see this work “as a calland response to our community.” Theyinvited other artists to contribute to theinstallation through spoken word, musicand dance, including poets Rand Brandesand Adrian Rice; musicians Marin Fanjoy-Labrenz, Austin Labrenz and the membersof the Kontras Quartet; performer NatalieThomas; and filmmaker Brock Labrenz.They also asked the local community tospeak a word or two on film for Visual Poemsthat play in the exhibition.Sally Fanjoy and JamesLabrenz are photographers,filmmakers, artists and teacherswho have lived and workedin Hickory for over 20 years.Their recent exhibits includePantone 278 at the CharlotteTrolley Museum, and MAYDAY,a collaborative event with poetDr. Rand Brandes made possible throughan Innovative Artist Project Grant fromthe United Arts Council of CatawbaCounty.The Hickory Museum of Art is locatedin the Arts & Science Center of theCatawba Valley in Hickory.For further information check ourNC Institutional Gallery listings, call theMuseum at 828/327-8576 or visit (www.HickoryArt.org).Mesh Gallery in Morganton, NC,Features Works from Oak Hill IronOak Hill Iron was born out of necessityand driven by true talent and sheerdetermination to create beautiful products.Founded over a decade ago by Deancontinued above on next column to the right Curfman, Oak Hill Iron produces customironwork that meets the needs of countlessutilitarian applications as well producingworks of fine art that are at home in agallery space. Both high art and craft areintegral parts of a healthy arts communityand with Ironology Oak Hill Iron willdemonstrate it’s ability to wear both thosehats.Oak Hill Iron is staffed by a team ofProvidence Gallery in Charlotte, NC,will present, The Everyday Extraordinary,an exhibit featuring landscape compositionsby three women: Ann Watcher, LitaGatlin, and Isabel Forbes. The exhibitionkicks off with an Artist’s Reception, whichwill be held at the gallery on Friday, Mar.11 from 6-9pm. The show will be on displaythrough Mar. 31, 2011.The gallery’s newest artist, Ann Watcher,presents a series of paintings depictingrural Carolina landscapes harkening backto our agricultural roots, bringing attentionto the fact that our past is rapidly beingencroached upon by urban development.Watcher says her choice of subjectmatter can be traced back to childhood, foreven then she was fascinated by abandonedbuildings, a prominent element found inmany of her paintings, and the sense of isolation,nostalgia and personal connectionshe felt when discovering these forgottenplaces. The artist’s attraction to “age ofplace” makes Tuscany, with its deep agrarianroots and rich history, a natural destinationfor exploration on canvas.Lita Gatlin expresses her love of natureby using her canvas to capture the splendorof nature’s colors and how those colorsare always in flux due to changes in theatmosphere. Her paintings depict areas inthe southeastern US and Europe.Gatlin has earned her status as a leadingregional artist and her work is included ina number of distinguished corporate artcollections in Charlotte, NC, including,highly trained artistic craftsmen and offersa wide selection of ironwork for bothresidential and commercial projects. Thereis no job that is considered too big or toosmall.For further information check our NCCommercial Gallery listings, call thegallery at 828/437-1957 or visit (www.meshgallery.com).Providence Gallery in Charlotte, NC, OffersWorks by Ann Watcher, Lita Gatlin, & Isabel ForbesDuke Energy, the North Carolina DanceTheater, Marriott Hotels, and Senior LivingCommunities. Gatlin is also an AssociateMember of the Oil Painters of America.Isabel Forbes began her art education atRingling College of Art & Design in Sarasota,FL, where she earned a Bachelor ofFine Art Degree. Upon graduation, Forbesworked as a graphic designer and illustratoruntil 2007 when she devoted herself tofine oil painting full time.Forbes’ urban landscape paintings focuson the beauty that is often overlooked ineveryday day. Her paintings include streetlights,signage, railroad crossings and otherthings we pass by on a daily notice withouttruly taking notice.Forbes is a founding member of theCharleston Outdoor Painters Association(COPA), an Associate Member of OilPainters of America (OPA), and a boardmember of the Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg.While these three diverse artists differin their choice of subject matter and painterlytechnique, they have one importanttheme in common: each seeks to engagethe observer and persuade them to lookat the world surrounding them daily withfresh eyes, hopefully enabling the viewerto see the things in a new, more appreciativelight.For further information check our NCCommercial Gallery listings, call 704/333-4535 or visit (providencegallery.net).Carolina Arts, March 2011 - Page 19