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

Adam Cave Fine Art in Raleigh,NC, Features Works by DonaldFurst and Diana BloomfieldMiniature and small-scale artworks fullof dreamlike imagery pull viewers acrossthe room for an up-close art experiencein a two-person show at Adam Cave FineArt in Raleigh, NC. The exhibit will be onview from Mar. 4 - 28, 2011, and a receptionwill be held on Mar. 4, from 6-9pm.Work by Donald FurstPrintmaker Donald Furst of Wilmington,NC, and photographer Diana Bloomfieldof Raleigh have each contributedover ten new pieces demonstrating delicatecraftsmanship and some very old andseldom-used techniques. Furst’s pieces,done in a rare engraving technique calledmezzotint, feature mysterious, darkly litinterior spaces, reminiscent of classic filmnoir. Bloomfield makes photographs witha pinhole camera (literally a box with ahole in it) in which familiar scenes of Raleighand the coast take on a surreal, andoften antique perspective.Bloomfield has been creating fine artphotography for over twenty-five years.She is not only renowned for her use ofthe pinhole camera but also for alternativephotography printing techniques suchas platinum printing and gum printingin which the artist makes her ownArtspace in Raleigh, NC, is presentingseveral new exhibits including: Embedded,featuring works by Carolyn Nelson,on view in the Upfront Gallery fromMar. 4 - 26, with a reception on Mar. 4,from 6-10pm and Janelle Howington,the Artspace Regional Emerging Artistin-Residence,in-residence in Studio 108through July, 30, 2011.photo-sensitive papers. Her subject matterranges from coastal scenes on her belovedBaldhead Island, NC, to New York City’sCentral Park.Bloomfield has also created an extensiveseries featuring her daughter asmodel and muse. Images created with apinhole camera are often the result of longexposure times leading to a soft focus andsomewhat myopic perspective. Figuresbecome almost ghostly while fast movingobjects disappear entirely from the image.Work by Diana BloomfieldDonald Furst is a long-time professorof art at UNC Wilmington as well asthe recent head of the art and art historydepartment. His mezzotint engravingshave been shown in invitational exhibitsaround the world including in Poland,Norway, Japan, England and Macedonia.Mezzotints, by the nature of the engravingprocess, lend themselves towards dark andmysterious imagery.Furst fully takes advantage of this inboth works based on reality as well asEscher-like images full of stairs, laddersand odd perspective. The artist has beenusing stone lithography as well to explorehis recent fascination with doorways andhallways. Furst’s prints can be found inthe collections of Harvard’s Fogg ArtMuseum, The Nelson Atkins Museum,Kansas City, The Oregon Art Institute andnumerous other institution nation-wide.For further information check our NCCommercial Gallery listings, call thegallery at 919/272-5958 or visit (www.adamcavefineart.com).Artspace in Raleigh, NC, Offers Worksby Carolyn Nelson & Janelle HowingtonWork by Carolyn NelsonIn this series of textile collages byCarolyn Nelson, partially deconstructedclothing rises and escapes, receding intobackground like ghosts. The works arecreated from personal garments, many ofwhich were made by her grandmother,embedded within layers of hand-dyed silkand a varied network of hand stitches.Nelson sees these works as a metaphorfor the deeply embedded culture of herfamily.Work by Janelle Howington“Each of these garments has had a lifeof its own - meticulously sewn, worn,washed, ironed, torn, mended, handeddown, returned. Each has a story. Eachcontains memory, holds secrets,” saysNelson. “I try to present dichotomies inthe each piece - the facade and the interiorlife - with stitches that float across thesurfaces or nail two opposing elementstogether.”Nelson is an obsessive stitcher, mother,traveler, and hoarder of scraps and thread.In 2002, she began working in shibori dyetechniques and textile collage. Stronglyinfluenced by a sense of place, light,color, energy, Nelson combines layers oftransparent fabrics and handstitching tocontinued above on next column to the rightcreate the atmosphere and spirit of placein her work.Nelson earned degrees in art and indesign from UNC-Greensboro and NCState University School of Design. Shehas studied at Penland School of Crafts,and is a member of Piedmont Craftsmenand Artspace. Previously, Nelson taughtart in public schools as well as design atthree universities in NC. She has served asthe director of design at Elon Universityfor the past 25 years.Artspace welcomes Janelle Howingtonas our new Regional Emerging Artist-in-Residence. Established in January 2000,the Regional Emerging Artist Residency isa program that provides emerging visualartists with time and space to explore theirwork in a supportive, thriving, artisticenvironment. The residency includes aprivate, rent-free studio with 24-hour access.Recipients are selected through a callto artists held twice a year.Howington will work in Studio 108.While in residence, Howington will continueto explore the triangular relationshipbetween herself, her loved ones, and thepractice of making art, through paintings,drawings, and printmaking. Rootedin a skepticism of the mythologies of art,Howington investigates the ritual, habitualThe Progress Energy Center for thePerforming Arts in Raleigh, NC, inconjunction with the Raleigh Fine ArtsSociety, presents the 33rd North CarolinaArtists Exhibition, on view in the BettyRay McCain Gallery, from Mar. 6 throughMay 2, 2011. A juror’s lecture and awardspresentation will be held on Mar. 6, beginningat 2pm.act of making within the context of contemporaryportraiture.A Raleigh native, Howington receiveda BFA from Brigham Young University,Provo, UT, and an MFA from The Schoolof the Museum of Fine Arts in conjunctionwith Tufts University, Boston, MA. Herwork has been exhibited nationally.Artspace, a thriving visual art centerlocated in downtown Raleigh, brings thecreative process to life through inspiringand engaging education and communityoutreach programming, a dynamicenvironment of over 30 professionalartists studios, and nationally acclaimedexhibitions. Approximately 95 artists holdprofessional memberships in the ArtspaceArtists Association. Thirty-five of theseartists have studios located at Artspace.Artspace is located in Historic City Marketin Raleigh at the corner of Blount andDavie Streets.Artspace is supported by the NorthCarolina Arts Council, the United ArtsCouncil of Raleigh and Wake County, theRaleigh Arts Commission, individuals,corporations, and private foundations.For further information check ourNC Institutional Gallery listings, call thecenter at 919/821-2787 or visit (www.artspacenc.org).Progress Energy Center for thePerforming Arts in Raleigh, NC,Offers Annual NC Artists ExhibitWork by Phillip Lopez from the 2010 showThis juried exhibition for multimediavisual art features established and emergingartists from more than 60 countiesacross North Carolina.Event sponsors are Smith, Anderson,Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan,LLP, The Joyce Wilkins Pope Endowmentand First Citizens Bank.In 1978-79, the Raleigh Fine ArtsSociety sponsored its first juried show formultimedia art created by Wake Countyartists. This exhibition expanded overthe years and now attracts artists from allover the state. Thousands of spectatorswho come to the Progress Energy Centerfor the Performing Arts enjoy having thisopportunity to view and purchase artworkcreated by North Carolina artists.For further information check our NCInstitutional Gallery listings, call NancyKenna at 919/787-7753, e-mail to (nzkenna@aol.com)or visit (www.raleighfinearts.org).For info about hours anddirections call the Progress Energy Centerat 919/831-6060.The Hayti Heritage Center inDurham, NC, Offers Quilt ExhibitThe Hayti Heritage Center in Durham,NC, is presenting the exhibit, Reflections,featuring this bi-annual exhibit of worksfrom the African American Quilt Circle,on view in the Lyda Moore Merrick Gallerythrough Mar. 30, 2011.The African American Quilt Circle(AAQC), founded in Durham in 1998 byfour African-American women (BertieHoward, Jereann King, Candace Thomasand Helen Sanders) now boasts over 60members (including one man) and numerousachievements. Their works have beenfeatured in two issues of Quiltmaniamagazine; in several exhibitions stretchingfrom the Afro-American Cultural Centerin Charlotte to annual events at the HaytiHeritage Center to a recent showcase atthe National Humanities Center; and ontelevision in a 2008 episode of Heart ofCarolina Perspectives.Although the group has no formalmission, the primary idea at its formationwas to preserve the tradition of quilting inthe African-American community. Overthe years, its philosophy has expanded toinclude other elements like giving back tothe community through donations, teachingopportunities and community-buildingactivities.Reflections on an idea, thought, concept,experience, event, remark, musicalpiece, image or action evoke a varietyof responses and feelings that vary fromperson to person. These responses andfeelings lead to exciting interactions,discussions and frequently new creationsand discoveries. Experience reflectionsingeniously expressed in fabrics by theAAQC.Support for the exhibition is providedby the NC Arts Council, City of Durhamand other private contributors.For further information check our NCInstitutional Gallery listings, call the Centerat 919/683-1709 or visit (www.hayti.org).Carolina Arts, March 2011 - Page 33