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Totems and Talismans

Notable regional and nationally recognized artists include John Geldersma from Santa Fe, NM and Alice Ballard from Greenville, SC whose work is included in the Renwick collection at the Smithsonian Museum.

Totems and talismans is an exhibition of sculptures that are created with clay, wood, metal, and symbols that in their relationship to each other evoke a spiritual meaning.

The making of objects that evoke or contain special power, either in the spiritual or physical world is an ancient ritual of humankind. In Native American culture a totem is a spirit guide. Artifacts which were buried deep in the earth and recovered, reveal that making totems and talismans is an ancient human tradition going back thousands of years.

Pre-industrial societies harnessed their collective energy through their art and rituals. Some of the exhibited works in this exhibition invite meditation and solitary contemplation. Others appear filled with the primitive energy of the unconscious that flows through us all. What all the works in this exhibition share is that they are alive with a tribal, elemental feeling that is strong and direct. One feels a connection with the primitive energy of the collective unconscious that exhibiting artist John Geldersma calls "contemporary tribalism". Geldersma states that totemic works are created "through the unconscious attempting to transcend into a place of understanding."

This exhibition doesn't attempt to replicate the ancient Totems. Rather it is a contemporary interpretation that gives voice to the inner creativity of each individual artist.

Metaphors of Containment

Donna Polseno: Featured ceramic artist in the lower gallery
Opening Reception: Friday, February 24, 2012 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm
Exhibition dates: February 24 - April 22, 2012

"Artists contextualize and create a point of view that informs the viewer. They tell us what to think, to feel, to understand. They reveal. We know about the sunset because artists have revealed it to us. Likewise, we know about utility in this case because Donna Polseno reveals it so poetically."
Wayne Higby - Chair of Ceramic Art, Alfred University

Spring Forth

Shannon Bueker: Featured visual artist in the lower gallery
Exhibition Dates: March 30 - April 24, 2012

New work portraying the grasses, woodlands and flowers of Spring in North Carolina. Shannon Bueker's loose impressionistic style brings the intimate landscapes in this exhibition alive with atmosphere and movement.

Shannon shares her thoughts on her work and process as follows..."This life we have is a gift. It is a wonder to me that it comes in so many shapes, sizes and forms. My drawing and painting have long been motivated by the need to respond to the beauty I see around me. The amazing grace of trees and plants, the fluidity of animals, the outrageous colors of the earth all provoke me to paint and draw."

"For me, the most compelling puzzle artistically has been and continues to be orchestrating line and color. The process of my painting is layering color and line, keeping wispy lines of charcoal, describing movement and strengths, and developing a rich, varied surface. I see my work as trying to reveal nature¿s grace and unfold the layers of interactions, interconnections and its surprising overlaps."

Shannon Bueker

Steel Canvas

A solo exhibition by Robert Gardner.
Opening Reception: Friday, January 27, 2012 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm
Exhibition Dates: January 27, 2012 to February 21, 2012
See more work here.

Robert Gardner's sculptural paintings blur the boundaries between painting and sculpture. He creates wall mounted sculptures of welded and fabricated steel. Gardner's geometric forms and sculptural surfaces are used as a canvas for his layers of paint, breaking with the historical art tradition of illusionistic space in two dimensions. Gardner says "I apply my paint as an overlay... to portray the process of time, erosion and aging."

Gardner's works create a spatial narrative with architectural references. In fact Gardner's work appears inspired by minimalist architecture as he utilizes basic geometric shapes as outlines, using only a single shape or a small number of like shapes as components for design unity. Architectural geometric outlines are the canvas that Gardner works with.

When I asked Robert if he was inspired by architecture he replied that one of his many influences is the work of the Japanese architect Tadao Ando. The architect's buildings are often characterized by three-dimensional circulation paths. These paths interweave between spaces formed both inside geometric shapes and in the spaces between them. Likewise, the three dimensional constructions of architecturally inspired outlines are the canvas that Gardner works with.

2011 Holiday Celebration

A group exhibit of stunning work by 30 of our finest artists.
Opening reception: Friday November 25, 2011 from 6 to 9 pm

Featuring paintings, handblown glass, fine woodwork, and contemporary ceramics.

Fragile and Strong

A solo exhibition of new hand-woven framed fiber art by Vicki Essig.
Opening reception: Friday October 28, 2011 from 6 to 9 pm
Exhibition dates: October 28, 2011 to November 22, 2011
See more work here.

Vicki Essig's new work is comprised of fine hand-woven fiber, silk, horsehair, and other natural materials. Small, found objects find a home in her subtle pieces. With an exquisite use of natural materials, her work shows the small and delicate as the powerful and significant.

Essig says: "I am fascinated with light and translucency, the contrast between the fragile, and the strong. My work is comprised of fine handwoven fiber. I incorporate into these weavings, small found objects that find a home in the subtle pieces." The work is then framed with double glass, allowing for the intricate piece to remain transparent. Shadows originating from the composition give it an extra dimension.

Carolina Landscapes

Michael Brown's inspiration comes directly from nature...he deftly captures the essence of the North Carolina landscape with his signature 'broken color' brush technique that lends his paintings a sense of spontaneity. However, this seemingly loose brushwork reveals a carefully constructed composition that invites the viewer to share the contemplative experience...

Brown's new work successfully expresses his perceptions of nature, rather than creating exacting representations.  Brown states, "It's no surprise that painters still turn to the natural world to explore their visual understanding and express their artistry. There is no richer interplay of shape and color than that found in nature."

Crossing Paths

A solo exhibition of Lisa Creeds new abstract paintings. There will be a reception with the artist Friday, September 30 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. See more work here.

The solo exhibition will feature new work created in the past two years. Creed states: "In these paintings I am returning to my roots... abstraction. I work in layers of paint and etch back and forth through previous layers to expose earlier marks and colors. Graphite allows me to draw and make notes about what is going on around me."

Creed's most recent work displays an originality and depth that reveal an artist that continues to explore but has found a maturity in her lyrical abstract paintings. Like a solid jazz riff, Creed's canvases swing with shape, color and texture. As Creed puts it "Jazz, in particular 1950's and 1960's jazz, deeply influences my work."

Her work is included in numerous personal and prestigious corporate collections. In 2009, the directors of both The North Carolina Museum of Art and Duke University's Nasher Museum selected Creed's work for juried shows.

"there is a whimsical quality, and a tactile sensibility that links Creed with Klee, Cy Twombly, Antonio Tapies, and even Miro".
"...lively and inspired."
Carol Heft, Adjunct Professor of Art, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA

Regardless of what you think...

Morag Charlton Solo exhibition
Opening Reception Friday August 26, 6pm to 9 pm
Exhibition dates: August 26 thru September 25

A solo exhibition of Morag Charlton's new paintings. There will be a reception with the artist Friday, August 26 from 6pm to 9:00 pm.

Morag's paintings are in collections worldwide, and this exhibition will feature her newest oil on linen paintings produced at her studio Atelier du Monestier in France, and her studio in Raleigh, NC. Charlton was born in South Africa and has been working as a professional artist in the United States for more than 25 years.

This is a very bold body of work using what Charlton describes as 'transient imagery' as inspiration. The exhibition will feature Charlton's large scale oil on linen portraits that are 5 or 6 times life size. The viewer will find that they are compelled into a close up and uncompromising interaction with the subject.

In a review of this work, Peter Wheeler, Professor of Fine Art at Loughborough University wrote: "...whatever the social, historical and conceptual issues that this exhibition raises, the paintings are superb."

VISION & VOICE - The marriage of pen and palette.

Eno Gallery Reception and Poetry Reading
Friday, July 29 at 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm

"If they could only speak and they do"

A poetic journey through Nancy Tuttle May's vibrant solo exhibition at Eno Gallery with Author/Poet Sheridan Bushnell and artist Nancy Tuttle May.

This very special evening will feature Nancy Tuttle May speaking about selected paintings and poet Sheridan Bushnell will read her poems inspired by the paintings. Join us for this unique look into the inspiration of both the writer and the artist. There will be two readings, one at 7:00 pm and one at 8:00 pm. Each reading will be approximately 15 minutes.

35 Years of Inspiration

A solo exhibition of mixed media paintings on canvas by Nancy Tuttle May.
June 24, 2011 - August 20, 2011
Artist's Reception, Friday July 29 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm with special poetry readings by Sheridan Bushnell at 7:00 and 8:00 pm.

A very special exhibition celebrating 35 years of inspiration. Nancy Tuttle May's paintings are in collections worldwide and this exhibition will feature her newest mixed media work on canvas. In a review of May's work, Louis St Louis called her paintings "Ethereal and Haunting". Her most recent work has layers of depth created by her signature collage technique utilizing acrylic, gold leaf powders, oil sticks marble dust and more. May's paintings deftly use color and form to create abstract works of such soul and substance as to win over the most die hard representational art lover.

Best in the West Clay Invitational

Akira Satake is the featured artist for Eno Gallery's Best in the West Contemporary Clay Invitational Series. The clay invitational series will feature one of the finest clay artists from Western North Carolina at each of these bi-monthly exhibitions.

Akira Satake was born in Osaka, Japan and fires his distinctive Kohiki, Yakishime, Yuuyaku-style pottery in a Japanese Kyushu-style oil kiln and a wood-fired kiln. Recently honored with a National Award for Excellence in Contemporary Clay, Akira's work has been exhibited at the Smithsonian Craft Show and is in the permanent collection of the Mint Museum.

Dreamscapes

Vicki Grant will be exhibiting her evocative new sculptural wall pieces and vessels. In addition, we will be unveiling two intriguing new installation pieces. Grant's forms begin with high fired porcelain and utilize hardwoods, glass, metal, fossils, and a variety of natural found objects. Grant manipulates form, texture, and color to create her intricate sculptures.

About the artist and the exhibition...

Grant is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Architecture, and practiced for over 25 years before devoting her creative energy full time to her sculpture. The architectural references in her work are clearly evident and imbue her organic sculptural work with intricate details that draw the viewer closer. Indeed, her 'Windows to the Earth' and 'Galapagos Dreams' are at once both spiritual and totemic... they appear to radiate an almost magical essence.

Grant says "In practicing architecture I explored the complex process of manipulating form, texture, materials, and color to create an emotional response from those interacting with the space. My artwork is a continuation of that process... connecting to the viewer remains the ultimate goal."

Places We Come From

Melissa Miller depicts the un-peopled Southern landscape, often with architecture in various stages of abandonment. Miller finds beauty in the old, the decayed and the disused.

About the artist

For over 15 years Miller has been painting the North Carolina landscape. In love with abandoned farmsteads in rural Orange County, she traverses the county to capture relics of our past lives before they become completely reclaimed by the land.

Miller says "Nothing compares to the incredible beauty and light of the state of the long-leaf pine, ...the evergreens and hardwoods of North Carolina appear to glow from within." Although recently relocated to Maryland, Miller considers herself a North Carolina painter and continues to return to capture the forgotten sentinels of lives lived long ago.

I met Melissa in Hillsborough to take delivery of this exciting new body of work and as she looked wistfully at historic Hillsborough's buildings and trees she murmured "I so miss this light..."

Shared Spaces

Characterized by bold gestural strokes with a rhythm of layered color free of constraint, Bueker portrays humankind's interconnectedness with the world of plants and animals.

Artist Statement

For me, the most compelling puzzle artistically has been and continues to be orchestrating line and color. The process of my painting is layering color and line, keeping wispy lines of charcoal, describing movement and strengths, and developing a rich, varied surface. I see my work as trying to reveal nature's grace and unfold the layers of interactions, interconnections and its surprising overlaps.

Animals We Keep

Outside In