I was recently invited by Lenscratch to create and jury an exhibition. I was extremely honored and excited. I came up with a call for entry and exhibition titled Seeing Is Believing. Here’s the call I wrote:
“Photography is perhaps the most pervasive part of our daily lives. It’s influence on our decisions, beliefs, and perception of the world is unavoidable. This has only been amplified by the constant increase in our interdependence in technology. We even regularly use photographs as a stand-in for our memories. Perhaps seeing is no longer believing, but rather photographing is believing.For this call, show us your most unbelievable and impossible images. Show us your photographic reflections on perception and/or belief. What work do you have that we really need to see to believe?“
I was really excited to see how people would interpret the call. Once all the entries came in, I had a blast going through them and choosing the final selection of photographs. Above I am sharing some of my favorite images from the show, and here is the response I wrote after jurying the exhibition:
“Image-making often has less to do with what we include in the frame, and more to do with what we don’t. Studio photography, for example, relies on an aggregate of scenery and lighting apparatuses we know are there, but cannot see. This often shapes the way we read photographs. If we aren’t lost in the scene presented, photographs invite us to infer what is beyond the immediately visible. The more questions an image leaves unanswered, the more I find myself enjoying it.I especially chose these two images for this very reason. In very different ways, they seem to do the same thing for me. I feel they leave me with more questions than answers. There seems to be just enough space surrounding this baptismal font to make it strangely opulent and yet uncomfortable. Who felt compelled to bring Reba out here, and why?I spent more time interrogating these images’ integrity than I did revelling in them. In my scrutiny, I was hoping to find some detail that would help me trust (or not) the images. Maybe photographing is believing, but only if you’re the one pressing the button. That would explain why we haven’t stopped photographing sunsets.“
A huge thanks to Aline Smithson at Lenscratch for the opportunity! I had such a great time with this. I really hope to do more curation and jurying in the future. Perhaps it’s time to get back to work on Localhost…
Cabell County artist Vernon F. Howell has lived and worked in Huntington, West Virginia for most of his life and it was there that he attended public school before beginning his undergraduate college career. Vernon accrued credits from Marshall University and Syracuse College in New York and earned his A.B. Degree and Teaching Certificate in 1959. He received a Master’s Degree in Art Education from Marshall University in 1964 and went on to do post graduate work at the prestigious National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Vernon eventually returned to Huntington, where he chose to embark on his Art Education career, teaching in the same public school system he was a part of growing up. He taught for 30 years before taking an early retirement opportunity, allowing him to become a full-time artist creating paintings, relief wood sculptures and experimental mixed-media pieces.
It was during the 1960’s that Howell’s career in studio art truly began. While teaching art classes to high-school students, he entered his work into various juried competitions, earning his first award in 1963 from an Allied Artist exhibition held at the Sunrise Museum of Charleston, West Virginia. He has since acquired over 30 awards for his work and his accomplishments, including the prestigious Governor’s Art Award for Lifetime Achievement, which was presented to Howell by West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin in 2012. Beyond winning numerous accolades, Vernon has had his work featured in several juried and invitational exhibitions across the country, including exhibits that took place in the National Gallery of American Art and the Smithsonian Institution. This year, Howell added to his extensive list of honors, earning the Second Place prize in Tamarack’s 2016 Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition for his mixed-media collage City Life (pictured above).According to exhibition jurors, “this is an intricate, intimate piece. The density of the composition is quite skillful and inventive.”
Please join us in congratulating Vernon F. Howell for earning Second Place in Tamarack’s annual The Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition.
Kanawha Co. artist William K. Lightner fondly recalls receiving an art set for Christmas when he was seven or eight years old. He best remembers a flip book that showed the evolution of simple drawn lines to a finished charcoal rendering of a bulldog, a progression that reminded him of watching a short animated cartoon. Though the book and the kit are now gone, the seed had already been planted for Lightner’s lifelong fascination with visual art.
Lightner spent his grade school years capturing hot rods, planes, and tanks in his sketches as well as super heroes from his extensive comic book collection. Over time, his notebook covers and sketchbooks filled with original comic storylines until one day, a “curmudgeonly” art instructor told him it was time to stop cartooning and learn how to draw. Not long after, he earned third place in a youth art contest with a pen and ink rendition of a baby possum.
Ligthner had planned to major in Art Education after graduation, but instead settled on Social Work and Psychology as an academic focus. He found it to be a good fit, though he continued to draw advertisements, comic strips, and editorial cartoons for a local news publication. While he enjoyed exercising his creative passions, art-based projects eventually took a backseat to his career as a counselor for the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation, a position he held for 26 years.
In the year 2000, the onset of a serious illness changed everything for Lightner. After numerable medical treatments, and support from his wife Libby, he emerged from his prolonged health crisis and finally determined he would commit to creating artwork. Since that time, Lightner has found a strong connection with oil painting, and began to participate in various art associations, juried shows, art walks, and festivals. Though he continues to deal with health issues, he has taken advantage of an early retirement, and now has little excuse not to paint every day.
This year, Lightner has earned recognition from Tamarack’s annual The Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition for his diptych painting Duet,which took third place honors. According to exhibition jurors, the piece “…captures an authentic moment in time, a snapshot in paint.”
Congratulations to William K. Lightner for earning 3rd place in Tamarack’s 2016 Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition.
John Wesley Williams is a studio furniture maker from Greenbrier County, West Virginia whose work is represented in private and corporate collections throughout the United States as well as galleries in the south and north east regions. His furniture has been featured in numerable publications and has earned many “best in show” honors from exhibits hosted throughout the country.
According to Williams, “this work is above all about reverence for the material, both for its stunning beauty and tactile nature. It’s furniture that has to be touched and used. Work this excellent demands an equally enduring design and technique. Traditional methods of joinery, and the age old methods of construction, combine to deliver a piece to be enjoyed for generations.”
Williams considers each piece an exploration that builds upon past works. “One can see the importance to the artist in each piece, from the hand selection of the woods to the incredible finishing process that does not detract from the material or hide it beneath layers of artificiality. The work demands of the builder the highest level of craftsmanship.”
Williams is a one person operation based out of his studio, which is located high atop Butler Mountain. “When I am not in my shop, I am usually out searching through mills for the wood that will inspire my next design.”
Congratulations to John Wesley Williams for earning an Award of Merit from Tamarack’s annual “Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition” for his work “Bubinga Sculpted Console Cabinet” (pictured above).
To learn more about John Wesley Williams, please visit his website:
Every year, TAMARACK: The Best of West Virginia and the Tamarack Foundation for the Arts celebrate West Virginia artists and artisans by showcasing their creativity and talent in this special juried competition. This show, which opens West Virginia Day weekend, is the only exhibition hosted by the David L. Dickirson Fine Arts Gallery that can be entered by any artist or artisan who is a West Virginia resident. Participants compete for five monetary awards, all of which are made possible through the generosity of the Tamarack Foundation for the Arts and their donors.
Trophy set created by Tamarack’s resident glass artisan John DesMeules
Front: “Gravity Drive Double Flying Pendulum Escapement Mechanism Rocketship” by Wood Co. artist Jonathan Walsh
Guests admiring “Hamsa” - stained glass panel by Chris Dutch, Kanawha Co.
Kanawha Co. artist Charly Jupiter Hamilton claiming his David L. Dickirson Best in Show award for the 2016 “Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition”
“Dump Truck on Cans with Flowers and Grow Lamp” by Mercer Co. artist Jamey Biggs
Left: “3D Architectural Composition” by Homaira Ahmed, Putnam Co. Right: “Cyrus” by Lleona Chew, Jefferson Co.
“Red River” by Cabell Co. artist Leona Mackey
Left: “Concave Funkiness” by Randy Selbe, Kanawha Co. Right: “Honoring Air & Space (#4 of Series) by Diana Pittis, Raleigh Co
“Jack of Hearts” by Kanawha Co. artist Byron Young
"Urban Dreamscape” by Ohio Co. artist Robert Villamagna
“Bubinga Sculpted Console Cabinet” by John Wesley Williams of Greenbrier Co. This piece won the Award of Merit from this year’s exhibition.
William K. Lightner posing with his dyptich “Duet,” which was awarded 3rd place in this year’s “Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition”
Kanawha Co. artist Charly Jupiter Hamilton with his piece “Bases Loaded: Summer Evening in Power Park (Charleston, WV). which was awarded the 2016 David L. Dickirson Best in Show award for the 2016 "Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition”
Every year, TAMARACK: The Best of West Virginia and the Tamarack Foundation for the Artscelebrate the creative diversity of West Virginia artists and artisans by hosting this special juried competition.
While exhibitions at Tamarack usually feature work by juried Tamarack artists, this juried exhibit is open to be entered by any artist currently residing in the state of West Virginia. Participating artists are eligible to win up to five monetary prizes, including the David L. Dickirson Best in Show Award of $2,000. Prize money forThe Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition is generously provided by the Tamarack Foundation for the Arts and its donors.
If you or someone you know is interested in entering this year’s Open Juried Exhibition, please take a moment to view the prospectus by clicking the link at the bottom of this post. It contains important deadline information, application instructions, and eligibility guidelines to have work considered by the jury for the show. Please note, all entries must be received by April 18, 2016.
Please feel free to share this post with those you think would like to learn more about our annual Juried Exhibit. And, as always, thank you for your supporting the art and artists of West Virginia.
When Mary Grassell was growing up in a small Western Pennsylvania town, she, like the rest of her family, spent her free time drawing and painting. “I grew up thinking that drawing was what people did for fun, [so] I guess I had a lot of practice early,” Mary tells us. It didn’t take long for that early practice to pay off. When she was just ten years old, Mary was selected to attend the free Tam O’Shanter classes at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh. She was one of two children selected from her school district, and the opportunity proved to be something that would change her life. “I was a little girl from a blue collar family that was given a great gift,” she explains. “What a world of opportunity it opened!”
Every Saturday morning from fifth grade through high school, Mary took a bus and a trolley to Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Institute and, later, to Carnegie Mellon University. She attended classes in drawing, design, and painting and soon knew that she wanted to attend college at Carnegie Mellon as well. “In my family, this was like asking for a million dollars,” she tells us. “Girls did not need to attend college according to my parents. I worked hard in high school so that I could apply for scholarships, which I received, and continued to receive all through my undergraduate years. I appreciate the persons who made these scholarships available.”
With the doors of collegiate study now open to her, Mary decided to pursue the study of graphic design because of her love for type, layout, and illustration, but continued to take painting and printmaking courses as well. After graduation, she became a working graphic designer and was successful in finding jobs while she raised her children and traveled the country for her husband’s career. At one point, Mary was asked to fill an open Typography instructor position at a local community college. Teaching wasn’t something she had planned to explore in her graphic design career, but Mary decided to take the job anyway. To her surprise, she learned that she enjoyed the fusion of practicing and instructing. She liked it so well, in fact, that she decided to pursue teaching at a collegiate level long term. She continued teaching art and design courses at the community college for many years and returned to school herself, earning an MFA from Syracuse University. Eventually, Mary’s husband was transferred to Charleston, West Virginia, but she was able to obtain an adjunct teaching position in Typography at Marshall University. She soon became a full time professor and has remained a faculty member there since 1992. Although Mary continues to teach graphic design, she began to seriously focus her energies on relief printmaking as well and now frequently exhibits her autonomous works. “The two things I had avoided when I graduated from Carnegie Mellon (teaching and exhibiting) are the very things that keep me going now,” she tells us.
When I look back at my life, I think that without the foresight of an art teacher who chose me to attend those classes at Carnegie Institute, and how my knowledge of Typography has gotten me into teaching in two institutions, I was destined to be doing this. I love the classroom and the way teaching keeps the principles of drawing and design at the forefront of my brain. I can’t imagine my life any other way. I always remember that someone informed me that I had talent so many years ago, so I try to give the same encouragement to my students. Maybe they just need someone to tell them: “Hey, you are good at this, and should do this for a living!
While Mary continues to encourage her students and helps to cultivate their talents, she’s spent significant time and energy for her own body of work over the years. She specializes in printmaking, a discipline that has captivated her since her days at Carnegie Mellon, where she was exposed to diverse historical examples of the medium. She takes particular inspiration from two distinct traditions – one being pre-Incunabula printed books and the other Japanese woodblock prints. “While these appear to be two entirely different artforms, they share a few common traits,” she tells us. “Both depicted life as it was at the moment of the creation of the print – the landscape, the dress, the furnishings of the time. Both told stories, making the works important, thereby validating their creation. Both reflected the social climate of the times portrayed. I realized that this is what I wanted to do. I, too, wanted to depict, in my own art forms, what life is like in my time. I wanted the narrative and meaningfulness to be present in my work.”
Mary continues to keep the heart of those historical traditions in mind when she develops her own prints, but an additional layer of inspiration comes from the spontaneity of the process itself. “Every print I make is an experiment,” she explains, “screen printing, mono printing, and etching – and sometimes I use them all together with relief printing. It is all an experiment. There is the creative part, which the artist pursues in good faith, picturing the end product, and then there is the print part, where whatever the artist envisioned is altered by the process itself.” In appreciation of the balance between intentionality and surprise, Mary is particularly drawn to making prints with woodblocks, where the incorporation of an organic component like wood encourages an even deeper relationship between artist and their tools.
I have come to know different woods and their resistances. Some are impossible to cut and some are compliant. The uncooperative woods are a challenge, and I almost like them best…When I print what I have cut, it is always a surprise. I consider the cutting of the block drawing with a knife, and I am so focused at this point, trying to figure out how to approach the wood to get what I want. The wood, at the same time, is saying “do not cut that direction; I don’t like that.” Or “No matter what you do, I am going to leave some residue here that is sure to print. Or, “I am going to cause you to slip here, and cut what you don’t want to cut.” It may sound crazy, but this is the dialogue that the wood has with me. But, the more difficult the wood, the more amazing it prints. It leaves some of its grain in the print as a gift and it produces a quality of line that cannot be drawn or painted, only cut. In the end, both of us working together produces some fine results.
An especially fine result of Mary’s effective balance between her artistic intentions and the natural properties of her tools exists in her print Vandalia Vantage Point, which recently won an Award of Merit from the 2016 West Virginia Juried Exhibition. The enormous print was cut over the course of five months because of the unruly threadlike grain of the wood. According to Mary, she almost had to “trick” the wood so that it wouldn’t unravel like it wanted to. But, in the end, she produced a profoundly detailed 20x30” print. In addition to investing a significant amount of heart and soul in the complex technical process, the subject of the print is representative of an emotional bond, too. The piece depicts a group of string band players circled at the trunk of a massive magnolia tree. Hidden among the branches are two young children, who are watching and listening as the musicians play their songs. “The music I have portrayed in Vandalia Vantage Point is the music of the mountains,” Mary tells us. “I have no special gift for performing, so in my work, I am portraying music with the gifts I have been given. My family, my husband and children, are all very musical, so there is always music in my life.”
Each May, Mary’s family ventures to the Capitol grounds to celebrate the Vandalia Gathering, a special festival that brings together the most acclaimed Appalachian musicians and lovers of string band music. “Groups of musicians gather under huge Magnolia trees on the grounds and play and play,” Mary tells us. “My family pulls up camp chairs and listens for hours…This situation is so unusual, musicians playing outdoors, under the trees, tune after tune with no written music to perform to… It is a musical experience like no other.” Mary routinely sketches and photographs scenes from the Gathering so that she can later incorporate their music into her visual art. On one such occasion was when the inspiration for Vandalia Vantage Point struck:
While watching the musicians, two little girls climbed one of the Magnolia trees to get a better view. No parents scolded them, so I quickly clicked a few photos and sketched some fast sketches because I marveled at their nerve. The musicians in the print are a composite of the musicians we have seen repeatedly over the years. I put them together in one ensemble. In this print, I wanted to show the story of this fine day, the broad leaves of the Magnolia and the bravery of the girls who had the best seat in the house. It is a tribute to the natural talent of the musicians and the historical quality of their music, all in the natural setting of the Vandalia Gathering.
Mary pays homage to her love of Appalachia and its rich history beautifully in Vandalia, and her love of the region contributes a special essence to her larger body of prints as well. “I find that I am compelled to demonstrate the good life of Appalachia,” Mary explains. “I grew up in the northern part of Appalachia in a pocket of immigrant coal miners…I realize that my childhood was unique. This uniqueness which I have hidden all of these years is finally starting to show itself, by itself. This is how I remember it. It was a good life for me…I finally feel richer for this life.” Mary’s deep appreciation for her adopted West Virginia home offers endless inspiration, too. “Every time I drive through West Virginia, I am blown away by the landscape. In all seasons, the landscape shows beauty and steadfastness. This steadfastness of landscape, wildlife, and plants plays a part in my artwork. But the people play an important part as well. They are steadfast and hearty within that landscape. I would like the viewer to get this sense of place, confidence, and beauty as I tell the tales of Appalachian experiences. I would like to share the good life I have experienced.”
Please join us in congratulating Mary on earning an award for her piece Vandalia Vantage Point, which symbolizes her love of printmaking, people, and the region she calls home. It will remain on display in the David L. Dickirson Fine arts Gallery until February 21, and will also be displayed at the Cultural Center in Charleston, West Virginia.
Charleston resident Newman Jackson navigated a long and winding path before realizing his goal of becoming a working visual artist. His career in the chemical industry had come to an unexpected halt after the company he worked for moved their operations overseas. He returned to school, earning an Associates Degree in Computer Technology, but soon discovered that job placement in the field wasn’t as accessible as he initially thought. “Years of past job experience, schooling, mailing out resumes, and sitting in interviews was not opening opportunities for me,” he explains. However, with encouragement from his life partner Brenda, Newman decided it was time to embark on a search for new possibilities. “I was told to pursue the thing that I do best,” he tells us, “and that was art.”
Soon after shifting focus, Newman was offered an exciting opportunity by local artist who, knowing nothing of Newman’s background or experience, offered him a solo exhibition at the University of Charleston’s Frankenberger Gallery. “I did not have many pieces,” he tells us, “but what I did have was a few large oil paintings and some photographs that had never been seen beyond the nooks and corners of my house…The sight of my work on public walls was exhilarating. It was a feeling that I rarely felt.” It turned out that aside from providing a splendid introduction to the Charleston arts community, Newman’s first solo exhibit would open more doors than he could have anticipated. After reading about the show, an old friend reached out to catch up and, upon learning Newman was in pursuit of a studio space, offered him one on the spot. “Things just seemed to be falling into place,” Newman tells us, “as though opportunity had been waiting for me to take ownership of my fate.” Over the following years, Newman aggressively promoted himself and his work, proactively seeking opportunities to engage with the creative community to learn how to succeed as a working artist. He joined the Allied Artists of West Virginia and was eventually voted in as President. During his three year tenure, he sought audiences with other artists and organizations, which reinforced his appreciation and understanding of success through shared experience.
Meanwhile, Newman made strides to fold that positive communal energy into his working environment as well. With the help and support of his old friend, the two expanded his studio, offering a total of 22 local artists a place to work and grow their reputation together. They adopted the name Chimera Studio and through word of mouth, became a growing attraction. But, after three years of progress, unforeseen circumstances required the studio to dismantle. “We were forced to move out [and] many did not have a place to be,” Newman explains. “Some, who were encouraged by their new working recognition sought out and found new spaces to work…landlords, who had heard of our plight, were encouraging in offering up new spaces.” Unfortunately, despite the accommodating efforts, many lacked the funds to start over in a new place. Eventually, Newman was put in touch with a building manager who had an opening within his means. He was finally able to work again after losing a year and a half of production time.
Although he had to leave the close-knit environment of the Chimera Studio, Newman has carried the experience with him and applies the lessons he learned there to his painting. “I confess that I was a little closed minded about certain types of art,” he explains, “but my exposure to all of the different styles of artisans at the first building opened my eyes to many possibilities. I began to read about artists who inspired these friends to find out what inspired them to paint the style they had chosen.” As for Newman’s style, his personal idols are Norman Rockwell and Salvador Dali, a combination that at first seems strange, but for his creative process, both Rockwell and Dali’s work possess qualities that offer endless inspiration:
For me, Norman Rockwell is the best storyteller to have ever lived. To look at a Rockwell congers up emotions [and] in one frame, an entire story is told. This is the job of an artist, [to] inspire emotions either through word, song, or painting. As for Dali, I have a tendency to speak in metaphors…Through Dali, I have learned that phrasing does not have to be literal to be understood. His wording, through his paintings, just adds more majesty to the moment than any representation of the same event that I have ever seen.
Newman’s appreciation for representational storytelling, coupled with his love of metaphor, comes through in his paintings, which often blend figurative elements and abstraction. The combination offers just enough visual information to suggest a sense of a story, while the expressive abstract styles add a compelling emotional layer. Going back to Newman’s appreciation of Rockwell and Dali, it makes one consider the complexities of depicting human feeling. So often, true emotions are disguised and clouded by the conditions that create them. Using his method, Newman encourages those who view his work to decode a deeper message. A stellar example of this principle exists in Newman’s piece Sorrow Revealed, which recently earned an Award of Merit from the 2016 West Virginia Juried Exhibition.
According to Newman, his award winning painting was inspired by a famous scene from the 1967 film In Cold Blood in which Robert Blake’s character shares a painful story from his youth. As he spoke, light passed through a rainy window pane, making it appear as though tears were streaming down his face. “I saw this as a sorrow revealed through what I considered to be a metaphor for his dysfunctional childhood,” Newman explains. “There were no tears shed, just the illusion. The pain of experiences is often disguised by false smiles, pharmaceuticals, alcohol, or a walk in the rain.” In Sorrow Revealed, heavy rain is suggested rather than depicted through vertical drags of paint. A woman crouches with her umbrella beneath the torrent, but her reaction is clouded by the flow. The painting does an excellent job of connoting the complexities of sadness or regret through the depiction of both posture and atmosphere. With the combination, we are offered an opportunity to experience emotion in Newman’s metaphorical sense, but are afforded just enough freedom to extract personal interpretations, too. The effect is moving and proves to be a lovely balance between figurative storytelling and abstract expression.
Sorrow Revealed will remain on display in the David L. Dickirson Fine Arts Gallery until February 21, 2016 along with his other piece Sunday Distractions.
For as long as he can remember, artist and craftsman Chris Dutch has been a “maker.” “Growing up,” he explains, “I drew and cut up paper and built things with wood and dug holes in the yard. Looking back, I think it was all part of the same thing to me. I wanted to study architecture, but for various reasons ended up in Civil Engineering, which, at its most basic [level] is the study of how to make things stand up and hold together when gravity and time want to make them fall down.” Chris enrolled at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of Troy, NY, but discovered after graduating that entry level positions in his field were not always positioned on the most creative end of the spectrum. He worked as a construction inspector for a few years, but when his wife accepted in a job in West Virginia, he was able to turn his attention to making art again. “I learned how to be a professional artist from the people that I got involved with in Charleston when I relocated here,” Chris explains. “There was and still is a very supportive community of artists [and] I found the medium I love here…”
The medium Chris is referring to is stained glass, a discipline that for him offers several appealing qualities, many of which have connections to the region. Because of West Virginia’s historically strong association with glass manufacturing, materials are abundant. And, according to Chris, that enduring industrial relationship cultivates local interest and support for glass-based works. “I also think that because of the history and promotion of traditional craft in Appalachia, art media and craft media are more integrated,” he explains. “It is acceptable to have fine art aspirations when working with a medium that was considered “craft.” This widely appreciated fluidity between “art” and “craft” in West Virginia offers Chris the opportunity to fuse the visual design aspects of decorative arts with the functionality of historical glass crafts, a combination that works beautifully for both commercial pieces and his independent creations.
Chris’s approach to making stained glass is a blend of problem solving and organic progression, a process that informs his commission projects as well as his autonomous work. “It is hard to do stained glass without getting involved with commissioned work,” he tells us. “It is traditional to the medium and provides somewhere for larger work to be seen. But, often you are asked to create something because you work in a particular media, not because the client likes or has ever seen your work. I’ve enjoyed, been challenged, and been very frustrated in totally switching styles for different projects… When you are working from your own ideas, one piece grows out of the one before, and the one before that. Or, if it isn’t working, you are free to explore other avenues and other subjects.”
In Chris’ autonomous compositions, he embraces the use of bold, leaded contour lines and points to the colorful properties of his glass materials as a secondary interest. For him, the appeal of the medium is the act of taking a drawing (which often starts in black and white) and translating it into graphic lead lines. Color choices are then added “coloring book style” to finish out the idea. His choice of subject material stems from his enjoyment of the creative process and he rarely depicts things in his pieces that promote a specific message. “The most important thing to me is the visual image and what kind of emotion it provokes,” he tells us. “…the subject is often just a frame to hang a style on; to see what happens if you take a bit from this period and tweak it with a bit of that style, or to add something of your own to it.”
This principle is illustrated beautifully in Chris’ piece Sacred and Profane, which recently won an Award of Merit from the 2015 West Virginia Juried Exhibition, a biennial show sponsored by the West Virginia Division of Culture & History. In Sacred, Chris built upon the idea of a traditional church window, incorporating numerous symbols throughout the design that reference historical imagery as well as modern forms. Presented in the top half of the window is a face that, according to Chris, could be a saint or angel wearing what he envisions to be a somewhat confused expression coupled with some (angelic) feather forms. The figure of Death, whose image was inspired by a medieval window design, occupies the bottom half of the panel. Surrounded by snakes, Chris imagines this scene to be significant (or generally “creepy”) for many people who place meaning in the mainstream interpretation of these motifs. The two opposing scenes are unified by geometric patterns that were inspired by both medieval and modern stained glass works, a combination that points to Chris’ appreciation of the discipline’s history and aesthetic development. That same appreciation comes through in his selection of glass material as well. The bold yellow and blue segments were formed using glass from Blenko, a company that has been based in West Virginia since 1921 and continues to produce their signature line of colorful glass works. Also incorporated in Sacred is a broken shard Chris kept from a restoration job, another nod to the medium’s legacy.
Sacred and Profane is currently on view in Tamarack’s David L. Dickirson Fine Arts Gallery, which is hosting the 2015 West Virginia Juried Exhibition until February 21, 2016. Gallery visitors have enjoyed interpreting the window’s images in an attempt to discern whether a particular narrative is embedded in the design. While varied theories and have been culled, Chris is tight lipped about making specific suggestions on the topic. He wants viewers to draw their own conclusions:
I love to hear the interpretations that viewers have for my pieces. They are often much more interesting than whatever idea I had that inspired the work. It is interesting to hear how a work of art came about, but eventually it has to stand on its own without the knowledge of what the artist was thinking. An emotional connection is between the object and the viewer.
Please join us in congratulating Chris on earning an award for his enigmatic piece Sacred and Profane. And, don’t forget, the window will be on view in Tamarack’s David L. Dickirson Fine Arts Gallery until February 21.
Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony: Sunday, November 8, 4:00pm
Exhibition Run: November 8, 2015 - February 21, 2016
The West Virginia Division of Culture & History and TAMARACK: The Best of West Virginia invite you to the 2015 West Virginia Juried Exhibition Awards Ceremony & Opening Reception on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 4:00pm. This event is free and open to the public.
The division will present up to $33,000 in awards for the exhibition, which are made available through the West Virginia Commission on the Arts and the WVDCH through funds appropriated by the West Virginia Legislatureand the National Endowment for the Arts.
Since 1979, the Division of Culture & History’s biennial event celebrates the exceptional talents and creativity of Mountain State artists. This year’s exhibition will open at Tamarack with an awards ceremony and reception at 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015. The show will remain on display through February 21, 2016.
The exhibit showcases the work of state artists and craftspeople and provides the public with a comprehensive view of art and craft activities in the state.
It was six years ago when West Virginia artist and designer Tiera Floyd discovered she had a hidden gift for painting. After earning a Bachelor’s in Graphic Design from West Virginia Wesleyan, she is now committed to exploring and cultivating her talent as a painter. She decided to enroll in West Virginia University’s Master’s Program with a concentration in Fine Art, where she will continue to study and paint for the next three years.
Since the time of her initial discovery, Tiera has employed her skills and created a beautiful and personal body of work, selections from which have already made appearances at esteemed venues and competitions in West Virginia and beyond. Her paintings have earned three awards from the Division of Culture and History’s “West Virginia Juried Exhibition,” including the prestigious D. Gene Jordan Memorial Award in 2013. She will also be participating in ArtPrize7 in Grand Rapids, Michigan this September and her work will be featured in WVU’s upcoming MFA exhibition at the Southeastern College Art Conference in Pittsburgh this fall.
Working in series, Tiera’s paintings celebrate the essence of human experience by honoring her subjects’ most expressive and emotional features. Her tightly cropped portraits of watchful eyes, smiling mouths, and calloused hands invite viewers to consider the personal histories of the people Tiera depicts in a way that’s both intellectual and mysterious. Her intentionality in composition also carries over to her technical process, through which she often makes deliberate connections between her subjects and her materials. Using tools like sandpaper, she modifies the surfaces of her paintings to create conversations between her layers of paint and what lies beneath, emphasizing the physicality of her work.
This unique concept is particularly evident in her “Engrained” series, which is a tribute to her family and heritage. “I come from a creative family,” she explains in her artist statement. “The house I grew up in was built entirely by my parents and grandfather, Pap. Pap is a carpenter, wood-worker, and creative genius. His brothers and sisters, my great aunts and uncles, also quilt, craft, construct, and create. This list of relative talent continues on and on, but the point is – I’m not alone, creativity is in my heritage.” In the series, which is made up of three paintings, Tiera depicted an image of her grandfather’s, father’s, and her own hand on wooden board, but on each piece, left a segment of the panel completely exposed. “By allowing the wood grain to break through the painting – interweaving and flowing with the painted surface – previously ignored aspects of the painting are discovered,” she explains. “…The wood grain further expresses character through the lines created by an aged tree, similar to the wrinkles and fine lines that define that subject’s personality.”
Aside from the visual interest revealing this wood grain presents Tiera also wants to express the symbolism embodied in this creative choice. “The wood grain juxtaposes the oil paintings not only to play on the lines of the painted hands, but for natural significance. Painting the hands of myself, my father, and Pap for an “Engrained” study express heritage. I focus on hands in this series because they serve as the tools we use to convey our creativity. As “Engrained” pay(s) homage to heritage, they also inspire future endeavors in my painting process on wood, as well as other artistic outlets.”
This summer, one of the works from this series, “Engrained Study: Pap” was selected for inclusion in Tamarack’s annual “The Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition” by jurors Tim Glotzbach (Berea, KY) and Jennifer D. Anderson (Roanoke, VA). The piece’s impressive technical merits as well as its touching story made quite the impression on Tamarack visitors, whose collective votes earned Tiera and her painting this year’s “People’s Choice Award.” Please join us in congratulating Tiera on this achievement as well as her numerous others. To learn more about her, and to stay informed on her upcoming events, please visit her website , follow her on Instagram, and “like” her Facebook page.
Byron Young’s first introduction to woodturning came during the 1960’s from a lathe his father kept in the basement. However, it wasn’t until many years later when he saw a video of a professional woodturner at work that he thought to himself, “I can probably do that as well as he can.” Ever since, Byron has been honing his skills and now demonstrates his turning abilities for others at events like the Mountain State Arts and Crafts Fair and Charleston’s yearly FestivALL celebration. He is also an active member of the American Association of Woodturners and serves as Vice President for his local chapter, the Mountaineer Wood Turners, which is based in Ripley.
For the second year in a row, Byron’s work earned a spot in The Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition, which is hosted annually by Tamarack and the Tamarack Artisan Foundation. This is also the second consecutive year he has taken an award from the exhibition, this time, a Third Place prize for his piece “Purple Mountain Majesty.” Turned from purpleheart and holly, Byron used “Purple Mountain Majesty” as an opportunity to create a piece of woodwork that would “jump out” at viewers with unique design elements and unexpected hues. “I decided to use those two woods because of their contrasting color,” he explains. “I also spent a considerable amount of time obtaining smooth and pleasing curves, making sure the base and the top finial complimented each other.”
Aside from the general complexities associated with turning a piece with lots of curves and points, Byron challenged himself further by designating purpleheart for the piece’s intricate body. “Purpleheart is a unique wood,” he tells us. “[It] is ranked as one of the hardest and stiffest in the world, which makes the turning process a little slower. Care must be taken when making delicate points so not to chip. The lid was also a challenge to get that perfect fit and dome shape.”
Byron’s hard work made an impression on this year’s exhibition judges Tim Glotzbach (Berea, KY) and Jennifer D. Anderson (Roanoke, VA). They were impressed with the overall design of “Purple Mountain Majesty,” stating it “displayed a mastery of technique that was evident in each individual part as well as the totality of the work.” They were also appreciative of the work’s intentional visual balance, noting that “a very conscious effort was made to juxtapose weight, scale, and color to create tension, and therefore, a dynamic and fluid viewing experience.”
Although awards were just presented, Byron is already thinking about his entry into next year’s Best of show. “I’m always experimenting with new ideas,” he tells us. “More often than not, they don’t pan out well, but I always learn something to take with me to the next project… Right now, I’m working with color and texture in a new realm. I find the mixture of woodturning, the addition of color and different textures to be artistically challenging. Finding the right combination can be quite a challenge, but a challenge I find very fulfilling.”
Join us in congratulating Byron on his second award winning year. And be sure to stop in and see “Purple Mountain Majesty” soon – the exhibit will close on August 9.
It was 30 years ago at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art that Alex Brand was introduced to the art of glass-blowing. “My degree is actually in jewelry making and metal-smithing, as one could not major in glass-blowing at the time,” he explains. “[However], I liked the scale, activity, and immediacy of the glass and knew pretty quickly that I had a gift for it and wanted to do it professionally.” Ever since, Alex has dedicated himself to the art, earning numerous awards and working and teaching in many esteemed venues such as the studio at the Corning Museum of Glass. Alex has also participated in several respectable shows and exhibitions, including the prestigious Smithsonian Craft Show. His glasswork can also be found in many permanent collections including that of the Mobile Museum, of Mobile, AL, the Fuller Craft Museum of Brocton, MA, and Harvard University. Alex now lives in Lewisburg, West Virginia, where he enjoys the supportive and inspiring art community the town has to offer. He and his wife Susan also co-own the Virtu Gallery and Glass Blowing Studio, which is part of the Greenbrier Resort’s Artist Colony.
For Alex, aesthetic and artistic inspiration comes most from seeing the art of others. His time at Corning was especially influential, as he was exposed to other glass artists as well as numerous pieces of exemplary historical and contemporary glass. From blown-glass pagodas to celestially inspired bowls, Alex’s impressively diverse array of works certainly speaks to a vast breadth of experience and influence, leaving those who view his work eager to see more.
This year, Alex’s piece Bubble Encalmo Bowl earned an Award of Merit in the eighth annual The Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition, which is sponsored by Tamarack and the Tamarack Artisan Foundation. Exhibition judges Tim Glotzbach (Berea, KY) and Jennifer D. Anderson (Roanoke, VA.) were especially captivated by the way in which Alex’s piece gracefully explores the relationship between physical form and environmental light. “The simple and straight forward utilitarian shape of this glass bowl was the perfect vehicle for an amazing display of color and reflection,” they stated in their juror’s statement. “[This] bowl was one of the best examples of an artist exploiting light to create a sensory experience that transcended the expectations of a simple, elegant form. The secondary ‘art work,’” they added, “exists in the reflection of light and color on the pedestal.”
Please join us in congratulating Alex for earning the Award of Merit for in the 2015 Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition. Also on view in the gallery is his Black and Gold Saturn Bowl. Be sure to stop in and see them soon – the show will run until August 9.
Each year, TAMARACK: The Best of West Virginia and The Tamarack Artisan Foundation celebrate the diverse talents of West Virginia’s artists and artisans by hosting The Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition.
This show is the only exhibition held in Tamarack’s David L. Dickirson Fine Arts Gallery that can be entered by any artist or artisan residing in the state of West Virginia. Entrants compete for the following awards, which are made possible by the generosity of the Tamarack Artisan Foundation and its donors:
The David L. Dickirson Best in Show Award: $2,000
Second Place Award: $1,000
Third Place Award: $500
Merit Award: $250
People’s Choice Award: $250 (announced at the exhibition’s end)
This year’s judges and jurors, Jennifer D. Anderson, Associate Professor of Art, Hollins University (Roanoke, VA) and Tim Glotzbach, Director of the Berea College Student Craft Program (Berea, KY) employed their respective sets of expertise to determine what would be on view in the gallery and who would take home this year’s awards. A “People’s Choice” award is also given to the work that accrues the most votes from the public between opening and closing day.
On Sunday, June 21, we celebrated the opening of our 8th Juried Exhibition, which showcases an extraordinary amount of skill and variety, paying homage to the breadth of talent and discipline that exists within the Mountain State’s unique artistic community. The following artists were presented with awards for their work:
David L. Dickirson Best in Show: Sandra Wright, Grant County Title: “Shh…” Medium: Oil
Second Place: Shir Wooton Raleigh County Title: Yonder Medium: Pastel
Third Place: Byron Young, Kanawha County Title: Purple Mountain Majesty Medium: Turned Wood
Merit Award: Alex Brand, Greenbrier County Title: Bubble Encalmo Bowl Medium: Blown Glass
Stay tuned for more about each winner and their pieces, as well as posts about the other participating artists whose work is featured in this year’s The Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition.
Images:
“Dump Truck With Bulldozer, Parts, Shards, and Wheel Segment” by Jamey Biggs, Mercer County
“Six Nesting Bowls” by Keith Lahti, Clay County
“Where the Wild Fiddles Grow” by Pamela (Sam) Adams, Upshur County
Detail from “Mountain Spirit” by Andrew Thorne, Upshur County
“Spanish Cabinet” by John Wesley Williams, Greenbrier County
Left to Right: “Engrained Study, Pap” by Tiera Floyd, metal mounted photographs by Kevin King, “Progress in the Mountains” by Susan Feller, “Planting a Forest” by Jorn Mork, and “What About Fracking?” by Joyce Waltz Daniels
“Tranquil Hare” by Lavana Lemley, Wood County
A view of the right side of our gallery space
Top: “Double Rainbow” by Dena Jane Gilchrist, Cabell County, “Beauty at Sunset” by John Crede, Kanawha County “Ronald Briefcase” by Morgan Richards, Kanawha County. Bottom: “The Rise of Inti” by Randy Selbe, Kanawha County
A view of the left side of our gallery space
Left, “Living the Dream” by Jamie Lester, Monongalia County, Right: Miniature house sculptures by Pamela (Sam) Adams, Upshur County
Top: “Sweet” by Nicole Suptic, Raleigh County, “Shh…” by Sandra Wright, Grant County, “Lichen” by Jessica Sutphin, Raleigh County. Bottom: “Lower Mercer Street” by John Coffey, Mercer County.
Every year, the Tamarack Artisan Foundation and TAMARACK: The Best of West Virginia celebrate the creative diversity of West Virginia artists and artisans by hosting this special competition.
While exhibitions at Tamarack usually feature work by juried Tamarack artists, this exhibit is open to any artist currently residing in the state of West Virginia. Participating artists are eligible to win up to five monetary prizes, including the David L. Dickirson Best in Show Award of $2,000. Prize money for The Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition is generously provided by the Tamarack Artisan Foundation and its donors.
If you or someone you know is interested in entering this year’s Open Juried Exhibition, please take a moment to view the prospectus here. It contains important deadline information, application instructions, and eligibility guidelines. Please note, all entries must be received by April 28, 2015.
Please feel free to share this post with those you think would like to learn more about our annual Juried Exhibit. And, as always, thank you for your supporting the art and artists of West Virginia.
Every year, the Tamarack Artisan Foundation and TAMARACK: The Best of West Virginia celebrate the creative diversity of West Virginia artists and artisans by hosting this special competition.
While exhibitions at Tamarack usually feature work by juried Tamarack artists, this exhibit is open to any artist currently residing in the state of West Virginia. Participating artists are eligible to win up to five monetary prizes, including the David L. Dickirson Best in Show Award of $2,000. Prize money for The Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition is generously provided by the Tamarack Artisan Foundation and its donors.
If you or someone you know is interested in entering this year’s Open Juried Exhibition, please take a moment to view the prospectus here. It contains important deadline information, application instructions, and eligibility guidelines. Please note, all entries must be received by April 28, 2015.
Please feel free to share this post with those you think would like to learn more about our annual Juried Exhibit. And, as always, thank you for your supporting the art and artists of West Virginia.
