News

Brenau’s Fashion Department Presents: A walk-In through Princess Shirazi’s Closet – A Historic Clothing Collection Exhibition

Come join the Brenau Center for the Arts – Fashion Program, as they unveil the magnificent collection of Princess Lucie Jadot Shirazi from the Historic Fashion Collection.

Brenau acquired her collection in 1996 after her demise in 1994.

Princess Lucie Jadot Shiraz was married to one of the sons of the Shah of Iran, and was known for her philanthropic work as one of the founders of the World Wildlife Fund. She was also an enthusiastic patron of all things Art & Design, and was notably captivated by Metropolitan Opera and Polonaise Ball, serving as a chairwoman of the Polonaise Ball

In addition to highlighting the exquisite ensembles of the Shirazi Collection at Brenau University, the exhibit is a great resource for our fashion students, including our costume and art students. To be able to view some of these pieces – see how they were constructed, and gain insight of the actual silhouettes, is experiential learning at its best!

Artist talk will be on March 14 at 6 p.m. with a dessert reception from 5:30 – 7 p.m.

Gallery Location: Presidents Gallery, Second Floor of the Simmons Visual Arts Center, Brenau University

200 Boulevard, Gainesville Ga.\

FREE and OPEN to the PUBLIC

 

This exhibit was developed and promoted by the College of Art and Design Department and curated by Dr. Priya Pandy

Jenny Bishop Heaton to Show at Leo Castelli Gallery Opening April 4th, 2024

Jenny Bishop Heaton: Lavish Delights

Opening Reception: April 4th, 5:30-7 PM

Artist Talk 6PM

Leo Castelli Gallery, John S. Burd Center for Performing Arts

429 Academy Street, Gainesville, Ga 30501

Georgia artist, Jenny Bishop Heaton (aka Virginia) is an active and proficient artist in Metro Atlanta. Heaton will be having a solo exhibition at Brenau University’s Leo Castelli Gallery, from April 4th – May 30th, 2024.

Heaton’s solo exhibition, Lavish Delights, will feature a wide range of works consisting of altered silkscreened prints, paintings, drawings, and digital works on paper.

The extensive knowledge of the mediums in which Heaton works is evident throughout her playful, daring, and colorful explorations; boldly investigating themes of the abstracted figure and form using a myriad of mediums. Her repeated layers of carefully placed abstract shapes, combined with delightful, whimsical lines are an evidential nod toward intuitive expression and improvisation.

Jenny Bishop Heaton in her studio discussing her printmaking process.

Jenny Bishop Heaton holds up one of the many silkscreens she uses to create her limited edition prints and one-of-a-kind prints.

Heaton’s love of decorative patterns has led her to embrace a new form of art application with Heaton’s Art Apparel, her line of clothing, and home fashions.   

Gena Brodie Robbins, Director of Galleries

Heaton earned a BFA studying graphic and fine arts from Auburn University with a concentration in figure drawing.  She produced a thesis in fashion illustration and then furthered her education with graduate studies in psychology and education at Georgia State University.  Her varied creative interests also include a fascination for studying and drawing floor plans.  Heaton created house plans to scale for her current home with final plans and architectural elevations professionally executed by Walker Candler, an Atlanta architect.

Multiple prints by Jenny Bishop Heaton, altered and embellished with colored paint pens, marker, ink, and drawing media.

 Heaton has lived in forested areas much of her life and draws inspiration from nature’s curvilinear lines, biomorphic shapes, and myriad colors. She has taught and continually studies art, most recently with California artist Robert Burridge, and Georgia artists Gena Brodie Robbins, Helen DeRamus, and Leslie Newman.  Heaton enjoys taking part in juror-selected art shows.  Anderson Arts Center, Dalton Creative Arts Guild, Cobb Arts Alliance, Tannery Row Artist Colony, and Quinlan Visual Arts Center are among the art centers whose jurors selected Heaton’s works for awards.  A recent multi-media piece was chosen for the Hudgens Center for the Arts permanent collection.  She has had numerous one-person shows, including a solo show in the Main Gallery of Dalton Creative Arts Guild; and recently had the honor of holding a solo show in Gallery 4945 of the former Highpoint Episcopal Church, Sandy Springs, Atlanta.  Her art is in collections in the US, Japan, The Netherlands, India, and Denmark.

 

 

 

Avian Song: Natural History Works from Brenau University’s Permanent Art Collection On View in Brenau’s Renaissance Gallery

AVIAN SONG: Natural History Works from Brenau University’s Permanent Art Collection

The natural history collection on display in Brenau University’s Renaissance Gallery opening April 11th and running through December 5th, encompasses artworks dating from the 1700s to the present, drawing from Brenau University’s Graham Arader Art Collection. These carefully selected original watercolors, lithographs, and engravings vividly capture avian subjects in their natural habitats.

Established by Graham Arader in collaboration with Dr. Michael Stubblefield, the Arader Art Fund at Brenau University is dedicated to expanding its collection of the university’s natural history artwork and integrating them into its academic curriculum. 

Since its inception in late 2018, the Fund has facilitated the acquisition of over 700 pieces, enriching Brenau’s campus with a wealth of artistic representations of the natural world.

This initiative enables Brenau to offer students unparalleled access to an extensive array of natural history art, fostering meaningful integration of artistic expression across various disciplines. With boundless potential for curricular adaptation across departments, this program aims to immerse students in the intersection of art and science, enhancing their educational experience and appreciation for the natural world.

-Gena Brodie Robbins, Director of Galleries and Curator of Permanent Collections

Avian Song will have its opening reception on April 18th during the Historic Gainesville Art Walk from 2-8 PM.

Renaissance Gallery is located on the square at 106 Spring Street, Gainesville, GA 30501

Brenau’s Director of Galleries and Curator of Permanent Art Collections, Gena Brodie Robbins Talks on NPR, WABE with Lois Reitzes’ City Lights Radio Show

Brenau University Director of Galleries, Gena Brodie Robbins talks with Lois Reitzes on WABE/NPR’s City Lights discussing Brenau’s extensive and impressive permanent art collection. Robbins reveals the very beginnings of the collection, sharing how Brenau acquired its very first pieces and the integral connection between Dr. John S. Burd, Brenau’s 8th President, and the famed N.Y. art dealer, collector, and agent responsible for helping Dr. Burd develop Brenau’s world-class permanent art collection.

Robbins also shared with Lois about the current exhibitions on view at Brenau Galleries and its partnership with the High Museum as well as its outreach program, Free Art Friday.

To listen to the City Lights segment with Lois Reitzes, tune in to WABE 90.1 at 11 AM and 8 PM on Feb. 20th, or go online to WABE.org to listen online.

Art on the Green Festival at Brenau Now Open for Registration

Are you affiliated with Brenau in some way? Are you an artist or maker? Then register to sell your creations during the 1st Annual 2024 Art on the Green Festival at Brenau. This exciting event will be on the same day as the Gainevill Historic Downtown art walk. In fact, Brenau University Galleries and Art on the Green will be on the Trolly Stop.

The cost of having a booth at the event is a minimum of 35 dollars to support Brenau Galleries.

CLICK HERE to read detailed information about Art On the Green at Brenau University.

To register, fill out the registration form and hit submit. Once you have submitted the form, print and bring your confirmation email to Sellars Gallery during the Art on the Green check-in between 10-12 PM on April 18th.

Art on the Green begins at 12:00 PM and ends at 8 PM, April 18th.

REGISTER HERE

Los Angeles Artist Paul Paiement to speak at Brenau Jan 17th

Los Angeles Artist, Paul Paiement will be giving a lecture at Brenau University’s Thurmond McRae Lecture Hall on Jan 17th at noon.

Paiement will be discussing his creative process and concepts behind his multimedia layered works exhibited in his solo show, Nexus 2.0 in Sellars Gallery.

Paiement’s Lecture is open to the public.

Learn more about Paul Paiement’s work HERE.

Paul Paiement to Exhibit Works in Solo Show at Sellars Gallery in January

Award winning Los Angeles Artist, Paul Paiement, 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.

Paiement 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.

Paiement 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 Paiement below published by Twin Cities PBS.

Learn more about Paul Paiment at paulpaiment.com

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 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&quot; x 60&quot;, 2023</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/user109682455″>Melissa Huang</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>


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Brenau University Students Artwork Featured at the High Museum- Reception Sunday, Jan 7th

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 Sunday, 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!

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.