Oct 28, 2008 - Jan 3

Stephen Chesley

Stephen Chesley is a modern tonalist painter yet credits diverse artists such as Inness, Hopper, Pollack, Rembrandt, & Seurat as influences in his work. His paintings often depict the fleeting light of dawn & dusk, combined with primordial elements such as water, wind, and fire.

Among South Carolina's best known living landscape painters, Chesley's work is in the collections of BellSouth, Carolina First Bank, Columbia Museum of Art, Erskine College, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, National Bank of South Carolina, Savannah College of Art & Design, and State of South Carolina Art Collection.

Nov 11, 2008 - Jan 3

David M. Benson
"Out of the Frying Pan & into the Fire"

Known in the Spartanburg area as an arts educator of exceptional ability, and throughout the South Carolina arts community as an artist whose often whimsical insights both delight and inspire, David Benson's impact as artist and art educator has been exceptional. This year marks the Dorman High School Art teacher's retirement from our public school system. A review of the past and a look into the future.

 

Jan 13 - Mar 28

Paws & Reflect

© Joy Kroeger Beckner,
So Good to See You

A nationally touring exhibit, Paws & Reflect features artwork by leading artists whose focus is Canines. Canines are carnivorous mammals that include domestic dogs, wolves (the ancestors of dogs), wild dogs (e.g., the African wild dog or dingo), coyotes, foxes, and jackals.

PAWS & REFLECT was produced by David J. Wagner, L.L.C.; David J. Wagner, Ph.D., Curator/Tour Director; davidjwagnerllc@yahoo.com

Jan 20 - Feb 21

Thomas König: My Amerika / Mein America

Born in Greensboro, NC of German parents, Thomas König grew up as an American in Germany and developed his own perspective on America. During his travels across the United States, his photographic eye has focused on the things that often go unnoticed by the rest of us.

This photography exhibit features images that are reflections of his fascination with this country: Elvis, Little House on the Prairie, native America, the drive-thru phenomenon, class American cars, American holidays...particualrly Halloween, and the Hessian involvement in the American Revolution. Text will be in German and English and explain the significance of these images from Thomas' perspective.

Feb 27 - Mar 1

For more information, please click here.

Mar 14 - May 2

American Society of Marine Artists
Celebrates 30th Anniversary

The American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA) is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a traveling exhibition of work by more than 100 contemporary marine artists.

One of the largest and most ambitious exhibitions of its kind, the show opened at the Chase Center on the Riverfront, in Wilmington, Delaware, on May 16 and is running through July 6 before continuing its tour of other East Coast venues, which concludes in September 2009. Following its stay in Delaware, the show will be on display at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, in St. Michael's, Maryland; The Noyes Museum of Art, in Oceanville, New Jersey; the Spartanburg Art Museum, in Spartanburg, South Carolina; and the New Bedford Art Museum, in New Bedford, Massachusetts. An illustrated catalogue will be available for purchase at each venue, as well as through the society's website.

The ASMA is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to recognize and promote maritime art and history and to encourage cooperation among artists, historians, and mariner enthusiasts. Founded in 1978, it has brought together some of America's most talented contemporary artists in the marine field, and currently has more than 600 members.

For more information on the traveling show or on the ASMA, visit www.americansocietyofmarineartists.com.

 

Apr 21 - Jun 13

Blossom - Art of Flowers

view the exhibit

Flowers have been perennially portrayed by artists for centuries.  Perhaps best known in classical art are the flowers featured in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish still-life paintings.  In the Twentieth Century, flowers served as an inspiration and source of imagery for one of, if not the most beloved and well-known American artists of feminine gender, Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986). 

In the world of floral art, there has not been a recent, major competition or exhibition equivalent to the blockbusters of other specialty subjects such as animals, birds, national parks, or the west.  This international juried, art competition and exhibition was conceived to fill this void, and showcase the quality and diversity of the best work being produced today. 

BLOSSOM - ART OF FLOWERS was produced by David J. Wagner, L.L.C.; David J. Wagner, Ph.D., Curator/Tour Director; davidjwagnerllc@yahoo.com

 

May 19 - August 1

Betty Bramlett

BETTY BRAMLETT served for four decades as coordinator of fine arts for Spartanburg County School District 7, influencing generations of students and teachers. She has received the state's Elizabeth O'Neill Verner award for outstanding service in art education, as well as being recognized as Regional Supervisor of the Year in the Southeast.

Her abstract work is familiar in local galleries, juried exhibitions, and collections, including those of Greenville City Hall, Mary Black Hospital and the South Carolina Arts Commission. Bramlett earned her B.A. from Converse College, her M.A. in Fine Arts from Columbia University, and her Ed.D. from the University of South Carolina, with additional studies at institutions including Furman University and the University of North Carolina. She has received the Alumnae Award for Career Achievement from Converse. She was a founding member of the Artists' Guild of Spartanburg, a board on which she currently serves.

 

ongoing

SAM's Permanent Collection
selections from the exhibit
"Cuba: Un Viaje Judío/Cuba: A Jewish Journey"

Jews began to emigrate to Cuba from the U.S. during the Cuban War of Independence (Spanish-American War), and from Europe in the first quarter of the 20th century. A joint project between photographer Errol Daniels and the Cuban Association of Artists and Writers resulted in the book, "Cuba: A Jewish Journey" upon which this bilingual show was based. To view material from the 2004 show, please click here.

July 28 - Oct 10

The Artists' Guild of Spartanburg
36th Annual Juried Exhibition

The Salon (detail)
Holly Ann Sailors
First Place Winner of the
35th 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.

During the course of this show, a special exhibit about the first years of the Artists' Guild's existence will recap the three main objectives of the early guild: to provide professional development for its members, to start an art school, and to bring an art museum to Spartanburg. It also tells about the relationship between the Artists' Guild and the Spartanburg County Art Association.

Aug 18 - November 21

A Life's Passion
selections from the Heavrin Collection

Alice R. H. Smith

When Alice and Larry Heavrin bought their first piece of artwork many years ago, it was to decorate their house. The purchase of that piece by Elliott Daingerfield began a project that grew beyond their home, spilled into Larry's office, later became a hobby and finally, a passion.

Today, besides Daingerfield, their collection contains many recognizable names: Henry Gasser, Emile Albert Gruppe, Alice Ravenel Huger Smith, Leon Stacks, Lester Stevens, Anthony Thieme, Eugene Thomason, and Elizabeth O'Neill Verner.

With notes about the personal significance many of the works have for the Heavrins, this is a collection that should appeal to everyone from the beginning artist to the seasoned collector.

Oct 20 - Dec 5, 2009

Artwork and Friendships in Postwar Germany
Georg Arnold Graboné

article: Urban Art and Antiques

Georg Arnold-Grabone

In Post-WWII Germany, Prof. Georg Arnold Graboné was well-known for his exceptional use of the palette knife. This work was remarkable in its texture and brilliant color.

In 1951 Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was the commander of occupied Europe. At Winston Churchill's insistance, Eisenhower took up painting as a hobby and began taking lessons from the artist.Through Eisenhower, Churchill became interested in Arnold Graboné's painting technique and in the early 1950s, invited him to spend three weeks painting together on the Isle of Man.

from the collection of Donald Van Riper

Dec 15, 2009 - Feb 10, 2010

Duncan McClellan
American Glass Artist

Duncan's vessels consistently achieve acclaim and superb performances at Glass Art Auctions nationally where the auction performance has been described as "magical" and akin to "watching a close sporting event".

Duncan's beautiful patterns and scenes are achieved through a complex glass layering technique where glass is added and then removed in layers to achieve beautiful and complex scenes and patterns of different colors and depth. Although some vessels may share similar themes and patterns, no two vessels are alike.

Dec 15, 2009 - Feb 20, 2010

Wolf Kahn
Oils and Pastels

WOLF KAHN is one of the most important colorists working in America today. He studied with the well-known teacher and abstract expressionist Hans Hoffman, becoming Hofmann's studio assistant. He is a member of the Nation Academy of Design, as well as the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Kahn is an artist who embodies the synthesis of his modern abstract training with Hans Hofmann, with the palette of Matisse, Rothko's sweeping bands of color, and the atmospheric qualities of American Impressionism. Selected museum collections include Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles, CA.

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