|
Posted on November 28, 2004 Do you own the work of a local artist? If not, one exhibit may show you what you're missing By Linda
Conley | Staff Writer Spartanburg County Museum of Art is featuring works by accomplished area artists in three exhibitions. The showings give the museum a chance to showcase the talent that can be found in the Upstate and surrounding area. A variety of paintings, prints and figurines are displayed in the exhibits. "Leaves of Grass: Area Artists in National Publications," is the largest exhibit in the Milliken Gallery. The showing runs through Jan. 2. Artworks by 12 area artists are included in the exhibition. Each of the artists has connections to the area and have been featured in national publications such as "The Artists's Magazine," "American Artist Magazine" and "Clay Times." "One of the reasons for this exhibit is to educate people, because many local people have no idea of the talent that we have in this area," said Scott Cunningham, exhibits coordinator. Some of the artists in the show have work in many households, though they may not be aware of it. Artist Robert LoGrippo of Simpsonville is the director of the museum's art school. LoGrippo, an illustrator, has seen his work on the covers of Reader's Digest, the Cape Cod Potato Chip bag and the Celestial Seasonings tea box. "I have been an illustrator for 33 years, and I still get a lot of enjoyment out of seeing my work on products," he said. Spartanburg printmaker Pat Kabore's work was included in the 2004 print calendar by the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of American History. She also produced the cover and illustrations for the book "Grandma's Hands: The Heart and Soul of New Orleans Cooking." Other artists featured are ceramic artist Amy Goldstein-Rice of Inman and Spartanburg residents Larry Mauldin and Claire Hopkins and the late Susan Y. West. The other two showings are by individual artists. One is a collection of work by Carl Blair, a retired art professor at Bob Jones University in Greenville. His works will be displayed through Jan. 9 in the Parsons Gallery. "Blair is known for his paintings and drawings, but has gotten into monotype prints over the last few years," Cunningham said. "Some may come to this showing and think his works are abstracts, but they are actually landscapes." The final exhibit is the work of Trey Finney, a Spartanburg native living in Orlando, Fla. He worked as an animator for Walt Disney Feature Animation for 15 years. His animation film credits include, "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin" and "The Lion King." Finney's work is featured through Dec. 26 in the Burwell Gallery. His paintings are bright and colorful scenes of areas found in the Upstate. Linda Conley
can be |