Paul Paiment to Exhibit Works in Solo Show at Sellars Gallery in January
Award winning Los Angeles Artist, Paul Paiment, will be coming to Brenau University to exhibit his contemporary multi-media and installation works Jan. 18th – March 14th, 2023 in Sellars Gallery at Simmons Visual Arts Center. He will also give an artist talk to the public during the opening reception discussing his concepts and studio processes.
An artist reception and artist talk will be held Jan. 18th @ 6 PM during the opening reception at Sellars Gallery.
Free and Open to the Public
Show Dates: Jan. 18th – March 14th, 2024
Opening Reception: Jan. 18th, 5:30 – 7 PM
Artist Talk: Jan. 18th, 6 PM
Paul Paiement’s paintings attempt to reconcile the differences between inorganic, synthetic elements of culture with the organic elements of the natural world through the visual languages of linear/atmospheric perspective, representation/abstraction, and the use of layering.
Paiment chooses to paint landscapes that lack any specific identity or location. He uses atmospheric perspective to create a naturalistic scene that is vast and infinite. The airbrushed plexi-glass overlays are flattened architectural drawings and though flat, they are rendered using perspective techniques that create a geometric abstraction that contrasts with the detailed representation in the landscape.
Paiment is also known for his Hybrid Series of installations and ceramic works His series of “Hybrids” transforms everyday electronic gadgets to resemble various insect forms, classically rendering the insects in egg tempera.
Electronic overlays depicted by a series of dots created with wooden dowels, are a reference to the halftone screens of vintage ads and the digital pixels of modern photography.
Paul Paiement was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota and graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD). He attended graduate school at the University of Southern California (USC) and has shown throughout Asia, Europe and the United States in both solo and group shows. His solo exhibitions include the Laguna Art Museum (Laguna Beach, California), Palazzo del Bargello (Gubbio, Italy), and Carrousel du Louvre, The Louvre (Paris, France) to name a few. Paiement is a tenured professor (painting/drawing) at Cypress College.
Watch the video on the life of Paul Paiment below published by Twin Cities PBS.
Learn more about Paul Paiment at paulpaiment.com
Brenau University Students Artwork Featured at the High Museum
The annual student exhibit at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta will once again feature current works of art by Brenau University students. The display will be featured in the Stent Family Wing of the Education Center at the High – Nov. 14, 2023, through Jan. 29, 2024.
There will be a special reception on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2024, from 2-4 p.m., and admission to the reception is free for Brenau students, their families, and the Brenau community.
Students and faculty wishing to view the exhibition and attend the reception on Jan. 7 are invited to ride the scheduled Brenau bus to the museum. Loading will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Jacobs Building parking lot, and will leave for Atlanta at 1 p.m., returning to campus by 7 p.m. Seating is on a first come – first served basis. Complete this reservation form by 9 a.m., Friday, Dec. 15, to reserve a seat on the bus.
Regular admission to the High Museum is free to all Brenau students with student ID. We hope to see you at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta for this special event!
Melissa Huang’s solo show, Body Cloud to open at Brenau’s Leo Castelli Gallery in January
Melissa Huang will be have a solo exhibition of her dynamic glitch-inspired paintings and video self-portraiture Jan. 11 – March 19th, 2024 in Leo Castelli Gallery located in the John S. Burd Performing Art Center at Brenau University.
An opening reception will be held from 5:30- 7:00 PM, Jan 11th at Leo Castelli Gallery with an Artist Talk that will be held in the Red Wine Lobby just outside the doors of Leo Castelli Gallery.
This event is Free and Open to the Public
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Melissa Huang (b. 1992) is an interdisciplinary artist living in Statesboro, Georgia, where she is an Assistant Professor of Art at Georgia Southern University. Melissa graduated from the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design at Georgia State University with her MFA in Drawing and Painting (2021) and the Rochester Institute of Technology with her BFA in Fine Arts Studio (2014). Her glitch-inspired painting and video self-portraiture studies the desire, failure, and dissonance associated with portraying an idealized self for a largely digital audience. Melissa has exhibited nationally and abroad with recent solo exhibitions at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, the Albany Museum of Art, and Whitespace. Melissa has a background working in galleries, museums, archives, and art appraisal. She is represented by Whitespace in Atlanta, GA. You can see more of Melissa’s artwork on Instagram (@melissahuangart) or her website (www.melissahuang.com).
Melissa Huang, Reflecting Pool, oil on canvas with video projection
<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/789497070″>Melissa Huang, Reflecting Pool, oil on canvas with video projection, 40" x 60", 2023</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/user109682455″>Melissa Huang</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>Seize the Clay – A Survey of Ceramic Educator Works to Open Nov. 2nd
SEIZE THE CLAY
A Survey of Ceramic Educator Work
Curated by Brenau University Ceramics Professor, Huy Chu
Seize the Clay, which opens November 2nd at 5:30 PM in Brenau University’s Sellars Gallery, is an immersive survey of ceramic art that celebrates the exceptional works crafted by passionate Art Educators hailing from the Southeastern region. These dedicated individuals are on a journey to unlock the boundless potential of the versatile clay medium, channeling its power to inspire, advance, and educate.
This compelling collective showcase not only celebrates the limitless versatility of clay but also brings to light the diverse techniques employed in shaping this fundamental material. Each artist adeptly wields an array of skills, including hand-building and wheel throwing, often interweaving clay with discovered materials, resulting in a seamless blend of creativity melding natural and man-made elements.
Mike Bowen
The artworks on display encompass a diverse range of glazing and firing techniques, spanning from the delicate intricacies of raku firing to the intense rawness of salt kiln firing. These artist educators embark on bold experiments with porcelain, high fire stoneware and a variety of glazes, resulting in the creation of a vibrant tapestry of textures and a rich spectrum of colors. Notably, some artists merge ceramic materials with found objects, as exemplified by the innovative work of Mike Bowen, a Sculpture Professor at Morehead State University. Bowen, residing in Morehead, Kentucky, deftly blends ceramics, wood, mixed media, and found objects, accentuating the juxtaposition between industrial and organic elements.
Alex Kaft
Among the featured artists, Alex Kraft, a ceramics professor at the University of North Georgia, constructs intricate tableaus that interlace layers of memories and sensory reflections, transcending specific details and meanings. Her work gracefully straddles the line between abstraction and semi-abstract realism, often adorned with recognizable symbols and “nouns,” yet maintaining a narrative ambiguity that beckons interpretation.
Diana Farfan
Many works within the exhibition explore the human figure as the central subject. Artists like Diana Farfán, originally from Bogotá, Colombia and now residing in Greenville, South Carolina, prominently feature the figure in her work.
Farfán, who also serves as an adjunct professor at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, creates sculptures that exude childlike whimsy while simultaneously sparking contemplation about politics and the environment.
In addition to her ceramic practice, Farfán is an active participant in local Latino cultural organizations and an advocate for environmental causes.
Angel Estrella, a professor at the University of North Georgia, is another educator who skillfully incorporates the human figure into her creations. Estrella explores the concept of human vulnerability, aiming to elicit empathy in viewers while emphasizing the materiality of the human body as a means to forge connections with others. Her art takes a unique approach by utilizing fragmentation, crafting headless and armless figures to remove identity and encourage viewers to contemplate their own embodiment.
Angel Estrada
Jennifer Graff, an artist based in Athens, Georgia and a professor at the University of North Georgia, delves into both functional and figurative concepts in clay. Her functional pottery pieces narrate a myriad of interactions between characters, with a humorous yet thought-provoking approach that confronts some of the less flattering aspects of human nature.
Jennifer Graff
Jennifer Graff
Renee Rouillier
The Sculptures of South Carolina artist Renee Rouillier predominantly center on the profound environmental transformations
taking place and the adverse consequences they inflict on the Earth and its wildlife. Much of this upheaval results from human apathy and negligence. This truth was starkly underscored during the initial year of the pandemic when mandatory isolation was enforced. During this period, wildlife reveled in boundless freedom, serving as a vivid reminder that animals can not only endure, but also thrive in the absence of human presence, a balance not reciprocated by humanity.
This captivating exhibition also spotlights the works of several other accomplished artists such as Dr. Patricia Burd, Jessica Bowden, Allison Broom, Allen Chen, Huy Chu, Amy Henke, Leslie Hinton, Lester Martin, Veronica Martin, Lyndrid Patterson, Mary Jane Taylor, Ben Trusdale, Michael Valley, Josh Vincent, Erica Watson and Miki Waldrop, each bringing their unique perspective and creativity to the world of ceramics.
Brenau University Galleries Launches FREE ART FRIDAYS, giving away artwork created by local artists, creative alumni, staff, faculty and students to anyone finding the artwork placed around campus
Open Studio Figure Drawing Sessions to begin Monday, Sept. 18th 4:30 PM
What: Monday Evening Open Studio Figure Drawing Sessions
When: September 18, 2023 @ 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm and every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month.
Simmons Visual Arts Center, 200 Boulevard, Gainesville, Ga. 30501
Contact: Gena Robbins 770-534-6181
The first session is Monday the 18th of September.
Session begins promptly at 4:30PM and lasts until 7PM. Several quick gesture warm ups, short and long poses.
- No need to pay in advance, you may pay at the door.
- Model Provided
- All major credit cards, Venmo and PayPal are taken.
- 14 easels provided.
- Cost is 15.00 dollars and 5.00 dollars for students.
What to bring:
- a drawing board
- drawing paper, sketch pad or other surfaces,
- painting or drawing/sketching mediums and tools.
Location: Simmons Visual Arts Center, Sellars Gallery, located to the right of Pearce Theater (Glass doors) 1st floor. 200 Boulevard, Gainesville, Ga.
Gainesville Times writes article, features Brenau exhibiting artist, Maggie Evans
This Savannah artist was nearly killed in a cycling accident. Now, she’s having a solo art exhibit at Brenau
Ben Anderson
The Times
Updated: Sep 1, 2023, 6:10 PM
Published: Sep 1, 2023, 1:19 PM
In April last year, Savannah artist Maggie Evans was struck from behind by a speeding pickup truck while bicycling back from Wilmington Island along a marshy stretch of road. She was flung 130 feet from her bike and woke up several days later in a hospital with no memory of what had happened. Her lungs and liver had been lacerated. Both of her wrists had been crushed. Her collarbone, hip and toe were broken.
Several vertebrae in her spine had been fractured or ruptured.
“They weren’t sure if I was going to make it or what sort of condition I would be in if I made it,” she told The Times.
Now, Evans — a professor at Savannah College of Art and Design, a competitive cyclist and a singer and bass player in a jazz band — is back in the saddle, back on the stage and back in the gallery.
She debuted her solo exhibit, Parallel Narratives, Thursday evening at Brenau University’s Leo Castelli Gallery in the John S. Burd Performing Arts Center, which will be on display until Nov. 16.
Savannah Artist Maggie Evans jams for a bit on the bass guitar prior to her exhibition opening Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023, at Brenau University’s John S. Burd Center for the Performing Arts. – photo by Scott Rogers
Like much of her artwork, which straddles the line between contemporary realism and surrealism, Parallel Narratives explores universal aspects of human nature from a detached perspective, focusing in particular on the tension between “individuality versus the need to be part of a group,” she told The Times.
Despite Evans’ focus on human nature, you won’t see any humans in her artwork.
“You’ll see chairs in different arrangements, and it allows us to kind of look at our social interactions from a broader perspective,” she explained. “By keeping it kind of vague, it allows everyone to bring their own experiences to the piece, and kind of like realize that we’re all doing the same things even though they feel very personal to us.”
Evans holds a master’s degree in fine arts and has completed residencies in Georgia, Texas and China. She has displayed her art in 16 solo exhibits, over 50 national shows, and has received a number of awards, including the 2017 Western Bureau Art Prize and the Best in Category (installation/3D) Award at Artfields 2018.
Parallel Narratives will feature oil paintings, drawings and an installation piece made of about 300 tiny chairs painted with a gradation of values.
Brenau Galleries hosts rotating exhibitions featuring works by local, regional, national and international artists, as well as the works by Brenau students, faculty and alumni.
“It’s Evans’ sheer grit and resilient spirit to push forward, to heal and to come back from such incredible odds that is so inspiring,” said Brenau Galleries Director Gena Robbins. “I met Maggie while enrolled in (Savannah College of Art and Design’s) painting MFA program, and admired her drive and impressive talent for not only her drawing and painting mastery, but how brilliant she was at juggling her academic responsibilities with her many other talents, such as playing bass and being a lead singer in a jazz band. She is a true Renaissance woman.”
Maggie Evan’s Parallel Narratives will be on view until Nov. 16th in Leo Castelli Gallery at the Burd Performing Arts Center, Brenau University, Gainesville, Ga.
The Castelli Gallery is open from 10-4 PM M-TH. Tours are also available
Contact Gena Robbins for more information at 770-534-6181 or email gallery@brenau.edu.
Solo Exhibition by Chris Boyko to be Held in President’s Gallery in September
Explore the bizarre, strange and unusual world of local Gainesville, Ga. artist, Chris Boyko.
Boyko’s surrealistic works will be on view during his solo exhibition at Brenau University’s Presidents Gallery located on the 2nd floor of the Simmon’s Visual Art’s Center, Sept. 14th – Nov. 28th, 2023. An artist talk will be given by Boyko during the artist reception at 6PM, Sept.14th. Artist reception is from 5:30-7 PM.
Each one of Boyko’s paintings unveils the hidden realities within the human mind.
“The subconscious is constructed like a giant web, which as a whole, creates an individual, states Boyko. If one were to examine each individual piece, they would realize it’s composed of multiple ideas, memories and feelings which are constantly shifting. It’s this shift within our subconscious that changes our perception of reality. It’s why each of us can respond differently to a multitude of situations.”
Using automatic painting techniques, Boyko’s mind enters a meditative state.
“As I begin to follow the strings of the subconscious web, the organic forms develop within the painting – one form leads to another, like a trail of thoughts, Boyko explains. It’s as if my mind and the paint are in sync with each other, for while I explore my own mind, gaining an understanding of myself; I’m also gaining an understanding of the forms.”
Chris Boyko graduated from Kennesaw State University, receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree in Visual Art. He participates in national and international exhibitions along with charity art events in and around community.
Chris has exhibited in multiple group and solo exhibitions throughout his career including a solo show at the Peachtree Branch Library, located across the street from The High Museum of Art. Group shows include Kibee Gallery, Atlanta, Ga., The Studio Door in San Diego and The Creative Soul: Art & The 9 Levels of Self at the Life Force Arts Center in Chicago.
Online magazines like ARTicul ACTION have published interviews in regards to his artwork.
Bonko strongly believes in aiding the community. He volunteers and donates his artwork to numerous local charity art auctions. Hambadge Art Auction at the Goat Farm and Toy Party, For the Kid in All of Us are just two of the charity auctions he participates in. He enjoys giving back to the community that supports his artistic endeavors.
Maggie Evans to speak on her art, rehabilitation from life altering cycling accident
Maggie Evans will be speaking at the Thurmond McRae Lecture Hall.
Wednesday, August 30th, @ 11:45 AM.
She will also be having a solo show at Leo Castelli Gallery in the Burd Performing Arts Center Aug. 31- Nov. 16th.
Opening Reception, Thursday, Aug. 31st @ 5:30 PM. Live Performance by the Atlanta based Bourbon Brothers Jazz Band. (Free and Open to the Public)
Scad Foundations Professor, Maggie Evans will be having her first major solo exhibition at Brenau University in Gainesville, GA since being hit while training for a cycling competition on a long stretch of highway in Savannah, Ga.
After a grueling year- long string of surgeries, rehabilitation, enduring a body cast and having been in a wheel chair… Maggie Evans is experiencing life again to its fullest. Evans is cycling again, singing and playing the bass again in her band, and is now back in the saddle, exhibiting her artwork in solo shows.
Born in Texas and raised in the mountains of Utah, Maggie Evans is a creative powerhouse. She was formally trained as a classical pianist, studied French horn in high school and discovered bass as a teenager in her brother’s punk band. She later added voice studies to the list while pursuing an MFA in painting at Savannah College of Art and Design where she is now an adjunct professor in foundations. Her obsession with Brazil and its music has been a key factor in shaping her sound-her voice and is constantly compared to that of Astrud Gilberto. As a bassist, she has worked with countless groups in many styles but Maggie specializes in the music of Latin America: Salsa, Latin Jazz, Bossa Nova, etc.
In addition to her work as a musician and teacher, Maggie has a career as a gallery artist. She holds the BFA in Illustration from Utah State University and an MFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design. For 2011-2012 she was awarded a position as a visiting scholar at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. See Maggie’s website for more information.
Maggie Evans current work uses painting, drawing and installation to examine human social structures and the internal struggle between the need for individuality and the need for inclusion.
Maggie has shown her work in sixteen solo exhibits, over fifty national group/juried shows and has received a number of awards including the 2017 Western Bureau Art Prize (San Jose, CA) and the Best in Category (installation/3D) Award at Artfields 2018 (Lake City, SC). Reviews and publications include The Washington Post, New American Paintings and the upcoming INPA 10 by Manifest Gallery Press. Artist residencies include The Hambidge Center for the Arts (GA) and Central Trak (TX) as well as a full fellowship to the Vermont Studio Center. In 2011 she was awarded a Chinese Government Scholarship that granted her ten months to develop new work at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, China. She has been invited to lecture on her work at a number of institutions including Indiana-Purdue University and the University of Texas, Dallas. Maggie holds an MFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design (2008) where she is currently a part-time Professor of Foundation Studies.
Hunt Slonem’s Painting “Looming” on Loan at the Courtyard Marriott in Downtown Gainesville
Brenau University Galleries is pleased to announce that it has decided to Loan one of 76 Hunt Slonem paintings within Brenau University’s extensive Permanent Art Collection to the new Courtyard Marriott located in the heart of Downtown Gainesville, GA. The painting will be on loan for a year with an option to renew the loan each year.
The 8 x 6 foot painting of colorful butterflies, titled, Looming, has been installed on a prominent wall of the 2nd floor lobby along with other local and regional artists. Jeff Payne, owner of the new Marriott with Liz Barr of Artist Resource, worked with Director of Galleries, Gena Brodie Robbins to organize and finally install the piece.
The Courtyard Marriott will be having its Grand Opening on Sept. 7th, 2023 and will also feature several additional works from the Brenau University Permanent Art Collection by artists, Winnie Gier, William Thompson, and LeeAnn White to be displayed in the Vault Gallery, a new event space located in a historic 1930’s building just across the street and diagonal from the Marriott.
Read more about Hunt Slonem Below and watch a video or two on his life, his works and his incredible Showroom and studio in NYC. Videos are published on Youtube by CBS Sunday Morning and Open House NYC.
HUNT SLONEM OPEN HOUSE NYC
View the Hunt Slonem Showroom and his incredible collection of Top hats, harps, plants and 65 pet parrots!
HUNT SLONEM CBS SUNDAY MORNING
Can you pick out the works that are now part of the Brenau University Permanent Art Collection? Many of these works are displayed throughout the Downtown Center and the East Campus Occupational Therapy Wing.
Hunt Slonem, born in Kittery, Maine in 1951, is an American artist best known for his “maximalist” paintings of wildlife exotica —most famously birds, rabbits and butterflies, drawing inspiration from the spiritual and natural worlds. Slonem repeats these motifs on an epic scale in an act of visual and artistic mantra, rendered through loose, gestural brushwork. His figures dissolve into rhythmic patterns at the edges of abstraction, creating symphonies of color, line and form across a highly textural canvas. The painting Looming, on loan from Brenau University’s Permanent Art Collection, is a prime example of his repeated butterfly motif, an element used in many of his works, painted in a bold expressive style.
According to Slonem, the repetitive imagery is a reference to Andy Warhol: “I was influenced by Warhol’s repetition of soup cans and Marilyn, but I’m more interested in doing it in the sense of prayer … it’s really a form of worship.” Slonem’s deep interest in nature, its jungle creatures, and his own 60 pet birds are reflected in his choice of subject matter. “I’m exhilarated by nature, including birds, plants and butterfly forms that most people don’t even know exist. I collected all of those things when I was an exchange student in Nicaragua, and caught my first morpho butterfly, which is an exquisite iridescent blue when I was 16. I think my art comes from being born somehow conscious of other realms, which is what the divine is all about. I grew orchids as a child, and have long recognized that orchids and birds come from those places as a gift to humanity.”
Slonem has also received critical acclaim for his restorations of national historic monuments, including gilded age mansions and antebellum plantations, which the artist saves from neglect and fills with installations combining his work with collections of 19th century antiques.
Slonem has exhibited the world-over and has had over 350 shows, including 20 museum exhibitions. He has exhibited in the Solomon R. Guggenheim museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Airo foundation, and the New Orleans Museum of Art. He has also had a special exhibitions with the National Museum of Art in Kiev and the Odessa Museum of Eastern and Western art. Slonem’s works are in public and private collections all over the world, including Brenau University in Gainesville, GA, who has received over 75 hunt Slonem paintings and sculptures.
Hunt Slonem lives and works in his art studios located in both New York City and Louisiana.