May 5 – June 23, 2012
Main Gallery
In a Southern Garden
Curated by Tim Malles, In a Southern Garden will feature the work of 16 Gainesville-based artists created during two days (March 9 and 10) of plein air (from the French words for “open air”) painting in the enchanting gardens of the historic Thomas Center and Matheson Museum. Plein air painting challenges artists to capture what they see in front of them, as well the light, the atmosphere and feeling of the moment in time in which they are working. These captured “impressions” are the hallmark of this style of painting, which traces its roots and popularity back to 19th Century Europe.
Reception: Sunday, May 13 (Mother's Day) 2-4 pm
Refreshments and piano performance by Stephen Dolbier from 2:00–3:00 pm, followed by a poetry reading from 3:00–4:00 pm by Lawrence Hetrick and Sean Sexton.
A portion of the sale of the artwork, as well as Mr. Hetrick and
Mr. Sexton's books benefit the Thomas Center Associates,
a membership organization that supports ongoing programs
and events at the Thomas Center.
Sponsored by:
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January 7 – February 25, 2012
Main Gallery
Redeemed by Art: Al Black’s Highwaymen Murals
Photographs by Gary Monroe
In the 1960s, a group of self-trained African American artists began producing iconic Florida landscapes in and around the Fort Pierce area. They became known as The Highwaymen because they sold their paintings alongside the roads frequented by tourists. Al Black (b. 1946) was one of them. For more than thirty years, he worked with the group as both salesman and painter. Then in 1997, found guilty of fraud and possession of drugs, Al Black went to prison. He was about to begin the most productive decade of his life. Encouraged while incarcerated by Dr. Diane Rechtine and Warden Ron McAndrew, Black began to paint Highwaymen style murals throughout the prison. When he left prison in 2006, he had created more than 100 murals that transformed the drab walls of the institution into windows of hope and beauty. Intrigued by Al’s story, Gary Monroe, professor of art and photography at Daytona State College, photographed the prison murals in the context in which they were created. Monroe, author of The Highwaymen: Florida’s African American Landscape Artists and Harold Newton: The Original Highwayman, brings a depth of knowledge and a unique perspective to his subject. Through his photographs, he tells us a story about the power of art as a force for change and as a possible means of redemption.
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More Florida's Highwaymen Art
Two Exhibits - One City
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March 2 – April 28, 2012
Main Gallery
Region4: Transformation Through Imagination
The Region4: Transformation Through Imagination exhibition features works by 17 artists who seek to transform the reality of the local Cabot/Koppers EPA Superfund site into images that convey both the history of the issue and the possibilities for restoration and positive change. The artists have used scientific data from the site to create their art works, often forming partnerships with scientists who served as consultants on the projects. The artists have also worked to portray the concerns, hopes, beliefs and experiences of the people whose lives have been affected by the site over the past 30 years.
The goal of the exhibition is to inform and explore, while offering strategies for healing the community and the land.
It is also hoped that through the exhibition and related programs, the public will learn about the long struggle to remediate the site and how important this remediation is to the health and well-being of our community.
The Artists
The 17 artists who are participating in the Region4: Transformation Through Imagination exhibit include: Kate Barnes, Stacey Breheny, Anthony Castronovo, Jerry Cutler, Bonita Dewiliby, Lorelei Esser, Florida Research Ensemble, Katerie Gladdys, Tom Hundersmarck, Nitin Jayaswal, Debra Lindberg, Jill Murphree-Leitner, John A. O'Connor, Melanie Peter, Sherrie Pettigrew, Anne Stagg, and Margaret Ross Tolbert. Scientific consultants and other collaborators include Lu Cao, Pat Cline, Ky Gress, Wes Lindberg, Tom Morris, Anna Prizzia, Barbara Jo Revelle, Whitney Sanford, Jack Stenner, Greg Ulmer and Samuel Lopez De Victoria. A video documentary of the project by Wes Lindberg is also included in the exhibit.
Friday, March 2 - 5 to 7 pm: Opening reception, Gallery Talk and Cinema Verde Film Preview
Friday, March 30 - 6 pm: Brook Singer Lecture
Brooke Singer is a media artist who lives in New York City. Her work blurs the borders between science, technology, politics and arts practices. She works across different media to provide entry into important social issues that are often characterized as specialized to a general public. Brooke's current work includes Superfund365.org, an online, data visualization application that consists of 365 Superfund sites.
Origins
The exhibition was organized by the Superfund Art Project (SAP) in collaboration with Protect Gainesville Citizens (PGC). Formed in 2008, SAP is a creative public outreach component of the Protect Gainesville's Citizens group. The mission of SAP is "to use all forms of art to express the science and emotions associated with living near an EPA Superfund site. The SAP envisions citizens and the government working together, using art and science to inform the community while healing and transforming the site." The exhibition and related programs are funded by a grant from the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and are managed by oconnorartLLC, a Gainesville-based art consulting business.
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John A Connor
Anthony Castronovo
Lorelie Esser
Nitin Jayaswal
Anne Stagg
Sherrie Pettigrew
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