|
home sponsors artists volunteers history visit blog exhibitions our collection artist opportunities calendar & activities calendar special events education classes workshops studios library policy support & membership sponsors membership support The Art Center is supported under an agreement between the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. We thank the Tennessee General Assembly and the Tennessee Arts Commission for their support.
|
|||||||||
|
Our galleries host new exhibitions approximately every six weeks. We try to present diverse media, techniques, styles, and content to appeal to a broad audience. Current Exhibition Open Show 2011
If you like color, Open Show 2011 will be a treat. There were 162 artists who
entered 349 pieces this year. Of them, the juror accepted 110 pieces from 102
artists. A few of those are black and white, but predominately, they have strong,
clear color palettes. The 2011 juror was Joseph Mella, the Director and Curator of
the Gallery of Fine Art museum at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
This was the first time Mr. Mella had juried the Art Center's Open Show and the
first time he had been asked to critique pieces, especially such a large number of
pieces for exhibition. As in the past, you may learn from his commentary, as the
critique is posted on the title card for each piece. Recent Exhibitions Women's Work: Memory and Desire
Memory and desire, both rich emotional landscapes from which to draw, make a compelling combination. Some of the women represented in this exhibition interpreted the theme very personally, using symbols and references to which one must be familiar to fully understand their direction. Some used a more universal frame of reference so that understanding is almost immediate and needs no further explanation. Both are equally interesting and give us great insight to the artists who share them with us. Each piece has an accompanying statement at the bottom of the title card. As you walk through the exhibition, these are intended to give you more information and may explain or give you clues as to the intent of the artist. It is interesting to note that in many pieces memory keys desire, in others only one may be present, but both lend an exuberance or palatable yearning to the works.
East Tennessee Woodworkers Guild Shines
![]() "Woodworking" conjures a wide variety of properties and products. From rough hewn benches for trail side rest, to highly polished, detailed furnishings of classic elegance, to utilitarian tools to objects d'art. As a material we have used wood so often that it is as familiar as skin and often possesses the same sensual characteristics. Not touching is very difficult. Exhibited pieces are finely crafted with exquisite attention to detail and reverence to the qualities of the wood. By any definition the pieces are indeed "fine" and we are proud to host the East Tennessee Woodworkers Guild. The Art Center would like to thank Jerry Spady of the Guild for curating the exhibition and serving as liaison. We appreciate his work in making this exhibition a reality. As Jerry says: "This is a rare opportunity for the public to see some of the region's best woodworking. Many types of woodworking will be presented, including traditional and modern furniture, turnings of all sizes, sculptures, carvings, artwork and watercraft. This exhibition will feature some of the recent work of Al Hudson, a master woodworker with well over 75 years experience in the craft. Al will show his Double Oxbow Salem Secretary, a stunning piece that has been featured in several national woodworking magazines. Al completed this secretary just before he reached the age of 90. The East Tennessee Woodworkers Guild was established in 1983 by five Knoxville area woodworkers. The Guild now numbers 110 members who range from rank novice to accomplished masters in the field of woodworking. Many of the members have won awards on the local, regional, and national stage. Many have had their work presented in national magazines and a few have written for these publications. ![]() ![]() "How Great Thou Art," by Theophilus-Alan M. Jones Ebony Imagery XIII These works radiate warmth by their energy and vivid color. One thing that is noteworthy about the show is the lack of conventional landscapes, still lifes and florals. Most of the pieces are about people. They range from polished, formal oil portraits of comfortable well-to-do subjects by John Simms to spare sketchy oil pastel drawings by Gwen Johnson of people in African settings.Several works deal with religious subjects, but none are more striking than the monumental canvas by Theophilus-Alan M. Jones, How Great Thou Art, that is in the Gomez gallery. It is filled with Biblical images— bands of winged angels, a heavenly chorus of golden trumpets, and the central figure of a triumphant Christ, with his ‘face shining as the sun', riding a fiery white horse. "Go 4 Self Lookin 4 a Better Day," by Frank D. Robinson In this gallery also, the acrylic & mixed media paintings of Frank D. Robinson, Jr, and Thaddeus George are sure to attract your eyes. These brilliant blasts of color spill raucously over the canvases. Mr. Robinson's are rich with collaged relics of everyday living, some speaking of the seamy existence of people living on the edge of society. Many works in the exhibition draw on the artists' African heritage, none more than the unique work of Hawa Ware who captures the spirit of proud, swan-necked African royalty. Her sculpted clay heads, mounted atop large jugs to form an abstract figure are painted solid black. The effect is "Ebony Imagery" to perfection. Oak Ridge fireman, Michael Slay, has an altered photograph of images that have dissolved into wisps of smoke. They could very well be mistaken as shots taken on his job. His wife, Carolyn, also a photographer, has altered the portrait an old man on a porch so that it is not only about the image you see, but also, about the shadows of things not seen. From a distance, it has the appearance of a delicate watercolor. In fact, every work in the show deserves to be mentioned, but perhaps the few mentioned will encourage you to come see what there was not room to describe. ![]() "Family Man," by Jane Buis --Ruth Prince
Smoky Mountains Quilters: Transformations "Redaction," by Loretta Painter
It was winter and we slept in a room off the main house. The windows in that room did not fit precisely into their frames; and, so on those cold nights as the temperature fell lower and lower, the quilts rained down in a never-ending array of color and weights. As the gray light of morning came through the curtained windows, a few flakes of snow might be on the top piece of cover; but under that hillock of quilts, my brothers and I were never cold. Hence, I was excited about this exhibition; but when I came to see these quilts, I realized that here was a place where the utilitarian aim of the quilt had been transformed into pure art. "Northern Lights," by Tone Haugen-Cogburn
They may be square, a loop back to the original form, or irregularly shaped. In "Northern Lights," a group work combined and quilted by Tone Haugen-Cogburn, for example, the form mimics the undulation of the aurora borealis itself, while in "Veggie Kabobs," by Jane Dunham, the quilting extends beyond the edges of the "plate," so to speak. Thus, these new ideas have allowed the quilt to become an expanded form wherein all forms are possible. "Africa Beckons," by Diane Rhea
These quilts are expressions of artists who have intense interests in how color works and how colors inside a design will allow the viewer to feel new and wonderful emotions.
Here there are still-lifes, landscapes, a family album, ladybugs and jitterbugs, kabobs, and explosive designs born of rich imaginations. One can move from the "I've Got the Blues, Blues, Blues" (work by Carol Snapp) to the hope of a "Twelve-and-a-Half" year old girl (by Loretta Painter). Here, there is the opportunity to take a "Respite" (work by Candace Tucker) beside a blue bicycle under arching trees or witness the view at "Morton's Overlook in Spring" (by Nellie Bass Durand). We are invited to become "Delirious" (by Carol Snapp) or feel the beckoning call of Africa ("Africa Beckons by Diane Rhea). All, all of these wonderful thoughts and feelings, are available to you in the two rooms of this exhibit. Come "Catch a Falling Star" (by Lynda Wallace) at the Oak Ridge Art Center; it is a journey that opens into many possibilities.
Sacred Symbols
In addition to those exhibitions listed above, there will be several individual and group exhibitions in our Foyer Gallery. Anyone interested in participating in these foyer shows should contact the Oak Ridge Art Center to insure receipt of specific information regarding entry, 865-482-1441.
To submit a proposal for an individual or group exhibit ... The Art Center's exhibition committee usually meets once a year to select exhibitions. Please submit an artist(s) resume, artist's statement on the content of the proposed exhibit & 12-20 slides or photos of the work per artist. If you wish to have your slides/photos returned, please include return postage (self-addressed stamped envelope/mailer). |
The Oak Ridge Art Center is open to the public seven days a week.
Admission is free, but donations are very welcome.
|
||||||||
| ©2008 Oak Ridge Art Center | |||||||||