Jan 16 - Feb 19

David J.P. Hooker
Wheaton, IL

Hooker's work reflects his search for honesty: in his vision, his material, and himself.

"I am fascinated by South Carolina face jugs. I find them haunting– often scary and sometimes prophetic. They often creep into my sculpture. Like the old face jugs, much of my work makes reference to functional pottery: cups, bottles, jars, teapots, and wine goblets. I have no interest in re-creating the face jug, but use it as a reference point to make observations on my experience as an artist, potter, and Southerner."

"I love clay. To me, the process of clay is profound, meditative– almost sacred. It is my hope that the finished work will reflect the juxtaposition between that slow, deliberate process and the energetic frenzy of modern life."

Jan. 16 - Feb. 26

Richard Samuel Roberts
(1880-1936)
Columbia, SC

During the 1920s and 1930s in Columbia, South Carolina, a black man named Richard Samuel Roberts worked from 4:00am to noon at the United States Post Office. In the afternoon, Roberts walked to the heart of the segregated city's African-American commercial district, where he maintained a photography studio.

Roberts' clientele was, for the most part, Columbia's black population.

Although Roberts was one of several southern African-American photographers active at the beginning of this century, he was more successful than most at emphasizing the medium's aesthetic qualities. His mastery of light and his concern for the details of each sitting resulted in moving portraits.

Roberts' photographs are invaluable not only for their artistic qualities, but also for their documentation of a time and a community in Columbia that otherwise might have been forgotten.

Jan 9 - Mar 5

Li Hu
Oshkosh, WI

Hu's work grows out of a personal engagement with art, literature and his private biography. The subject of much of his work is derived from specific historical and literary themes and his personal life experiences in China.

Written materials for this exhibit will be in Chinese and English.

Feb. 27 - Apr. 23

Mid-Atlantic Artists

is a group of four artists who share a training and tradition grounded in the principles of naturalistic art, and who currently inhabit the southern Mid-Atlantic states.

The works of Jason Arkles, Charles Philip Brooks, Lee Johnson, and Henry Wingate, share principles of the academic training that Jacques-Louis David embraced.

Mar. 6 - Apr. 30

Liisa Salosaari Jasinski
Newberry, SC

A Finnish-bom artist who has exhibited her award-winning work nationwide, Jasinski received a Master's Degree in Psychology from the University of Helsinki.

The clean, modem style of Finnish design, crafts, and architecture, as well as the early 20th century European expressionism have had a significant impact on her development as a visual artist.

Written materials for this exhibit will be in Finnish and English.

 

Mar. 13 - May 7

Guy Stevens
Greenville, SC

"A visitor to my studio gallery who makes an effort at careful observation will discover in short order that I love my paintings as a dedicated father loves his children. I want them to fulfill their true destiny in this world. By that, I mean to give happiness and comfort to the viewer."

-- Guy Stevens

May 8- Jun. 25

body image | body essence
John Magnan
New Bedford, MA

The story of John and Mary Magnan was featured on a CBS Sunday Morning broadcast in 2003. John, a retired Cold War security analyst for the NSA, began creating sculptures soon after his wife Mary was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Powerfully affected by the total surprise of her diagnosis and the ordeal of her surgery and treatment, he responded with an unblinking artistic look at the experience of dealing with cancer.

Using recurrent imagery of hair loss, Mr. Magnan explores the conflict between “who I am” and “what do I look like?” His work addresses other aspects of changed self-image, both somber and lighthearted.

This nationally touring show comes to Spartanburg by way of the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington, DC.

May 15 - Jul 2

Selections from
the Museum's
Permanent Collection

“The Girl with the Red Hair,” an oil on canvas by Robert Henri, was acquired by The Arts and Crafts Club in 1907 as the first piece of a permanent collection for the community of Spartanburg. This collection now includes works by George Aid, Leonard Baskin, Lowell Birge Harrison, G. Thompson Prichard, and William Trost Richards as well as many Upstate South Carolina artists such as August and Irma Cook, Margaret Law, and Josephine Couper.

 

JULY / AUG

view the exhibits

Jul. 22 - Aug 27

The Artists' Guild of Spartanburg
33rd Annual Juried Exhibition

Formed in October of 1957, the AGS is among the longest-lived visual arts organizations in South Carolina. This annual event is a benchmark of the guild’s success, always impressing outside judges with the amount of talent that resides in Spartanburg, Cherokee, Greenville, Laurens, Polk, Rutherford, and Union Counties.

Shown above is the 2005 Best-of-Show winner by Joanne Taylor.

Jul 10 - Sep 3

April Harrison
Simpsonville, SC

April Harrison's desire to capture positive cultural imagery results in works of art which evoke an inner spirituality that focuses on "the warmth and comfort of the nurtured, bonded and familiar spirit."

 

SEPT / OCT

view the exhibits

Sept. 11 - Oct. 29

James Wilson
Spartanburg, SC

James Wilson is a nationally published photographer who is also a motorcycle enthusiast. The photographs in this exhibition highlight the artwork often found on custom motorcycles. However, Wilson’s photography is more than a documentary of these “moving canvases.” Art in their own right, his photography finds the beauty of functional forms taken from the context of everyday life.

Sept. 4 - Oct. 22

The Architecture & Art of
J. Frank Collins
(1883-1969)
Spartanburg, SC

An architect of high repute and a man of many other talents, Collins designed many well-known buildings in Spartanburg. The Masonic Temple, old Water Works Building, Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Southside Elementary School (now The Arts Center), Duncan Park Stadium, the original Spartanburg General Hospital, and numerous residences are among the legacy as an architect. Included in this exhibit will be examples of his painting, sculpture, ceramics, and woodworking.

Sep. 11 - Oct. 22

Lenore Barnett
Hendersonville, NC

Lenore Barnett is a national award-winning artist whose work embodies a quiet, heartfelt realism that draws the viewer into her world.

A signature member of the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, she is also an accomplished color pencil artist.

Nov. 6 - Dec. 31

Amy Goldstein-Rice
Inman, SC

Featured in the March/April 2001 edition of Clay Times Magazine, Amy Goldstein-Rice is represented in galleries in South Carolina, Georgia, California and New York.

Behind every one of the whimsical pieces that the award-winning artist creates is a private story which, although it may not be obvious to the viewer, is integral to the personality of the piece.

Nov 6 - Jan 7

"The Return of the Wanderer"
Boyd Saunders
Chapin, SC

A master printmaker and a past winner of the Elizabeth O'Neil Verner Award, the South Carolina's highest award for the arts, "...Saunders' work is pure familiarity, romance, and pathos. He describes a simpler time and place with the skill of a truly great storyteller. He...weaves an extensive system of symbols, archetypes, and illusions. By means of this network the simple is made complex and the complex made clear-images are manipulated, combined and layered to reveal the reality of a place, inhabited and enriched by memory."

--Richard Fisher - in "A Sense of Place"

"...A considerable portion of Saunders work also addresses the land and a sense of place. It is done with a combination of objectivity and myth which is a Southern viewpoint and maybe a birthright."

--Thomas Dewey III- in "Comparisons and Contrasts, 1981-1982"