A couple of hundred people showed up for Thursday night’s opening reception for the “2009 Studio Art Faculty Exhibition” at Davidson College’s Belk Visual Art Center. The event kicked off a new season of art events at galleries in and around Davidson.

See our schedule below, plus items about other shows, opportunities for artists and more photos.
On display at Davidson through Oct. 7 is work by three Davidson professors: Herb Jackson, who has a series of prints exploring the figure; Cort Savage, with small bronze models for monumental public art sculptures; and prints by newly arrived printmaking professor Rebekah Tolley. In a separate gallery is a show titled “Cristina Toro: Alive on the Intricate Earth Under Trees,” with paintings by the Puerto Rico-born artist from upstate New York.

Ms. Tolley gave a brief gallery talk about her own work in a variety of printing methods and multimedia works that include animated images projected onto sculpted forms.

Click on any image below for a gallery from the opening. Once in the gallery, click on the image to advance or go back.

PAINTINGS BY MANNY RASHET

An exhibit of paintings by Manny Rashet runs Sept. 7- Oct. 30 at the Cornelius Arts Center, in the Oak Street Mill behind the police station in Cornelius. The arts center is home to the Community Arts Project, which was formed this summer by the merger of Creative Art Exchange and Children’s Arts Project.

Mr. Rashet is a local artist who practiced pediatric medicine for 34 years in Belleville, Ill. As he neared retirement, he began drawing and painting again. He lives with his wife, Nancy, in Cornelius, where he teaches painting classes in his home studio. His work has also been displayed at the Cotton Ketchie Art Show in Mooresville and won a best of show at Boundless Art, held at The Art Institute of Charlotte.

A free opening reception is scheduled Friday, Sept. 11, 7-9 p.m. at the center. Details below.

ART AND BUSINESS INSTITUTE

The Arts & Science Council offers artists a three-session “Artist as an Entrepreneur Institute” this fall, an award-winning business development program for visual, literary, performing, media and design art professionals.

Sessions will be at the Arts & Science Council, 227 W. Trade St., Charlotte, from 9 to 6 p.m. Oct. 10, Nov. 7 and Dec. 5. (Attend all three.)

Cost is $125 through Sept. 15, $150 after that. Space limited.

The 18-module course is taught by local business professionals, artists and non-artists, practicing in a variety of small business functions. The AEI curriculum offers critical support for artists, enabling them to contribute to strengthening the vitality of the larger urban arts and culture sector.

Click here for more information.

LAKE NORMAN ART LEAGUE SHOW

Lake Norman Art League invites artists to submit works for its “2009 Fall Exhibit.” Take-in will be Friday, Sept. 11, and Saturday, Sept. 12. Download a prospectus and entry form (PDF) at www.lknart.org.

The art league gallery is in South Main Square, 442 S. Main St., next to Masterworks School of the Arts.

Meanwhile, the Lake Norman Art League is now accepting new and renewing memberships for 2009-10. Dues are $35 for individuals, $50 households. Extra donations are welcome, to help buy a new gallery hanging system. Download a membership application on the website.

GALLERIES & ART EVENTS

---

FRIDAY, AUG. 28, 6-9 p.m., Concord – The town of Concord sponsors an “art walk,” with artists displaying their work at businesses and the Piedmont Renaissance Center. The evening also includes exhibit openings for Cabarrus Arts Council’s “For Real? – Art of Deception” and the Cabarrus Art Guild Juried Competition. Details: http://www.cabarrusartscouncil.org/.

MONDAYS, 6-9 p.m., Community Arts Project, Oak Street Mill, 19725 Oak St., Cornelius – open figure drawing sessions, hosted by David Smith. $10 model fee. Contact davidbsmith@bellsouth.net to be added to the notification list.

DAVIDSON COLLEGE VISUAL ARTS CENTER, Smith Gallery, Davidson College, 315 N. Main St., at Griffith St. – Aug. 27 to Oct. 7: “2009 Studio Art Faculty Exhibition” with etchings of human forms by Herb Jackson, bronze models of monumental public art sculptures by Cort Savage and prints and video by Rebekah Tolley. Also, Aug. 28 to Oct. 7, “Cristina Toro: Alive on the Intricate Earth Under Trees,” in the Smith Gallery, with paintings by the Puerto Rico-born artist from upstate NY. Opening reception Thurs., Aug. 27, 7-9 p.m., with gallery talk by Rebekah Tolley, the college’s newly hired assistant professor of printmaking. Hours: Weekdays, 11-4.

CORNELIUS ARTS CENTER, Oak Street Mill, 19725 Oak St., behind the police station, Cornelius – Through Aug. 28: Community Arts Project (formerly Children’s Arts Project and Creative Art Exchange) summer exhibit “Kids Create,” with work by participants in summer camps. Sept. 7- Oct. 30: paintings by Manny Rashet.
free opening reception Friday, Sept. 11, 7-9 p.m. Gallery open Mondays to Thursdays, 9 a,.m. to 5 p.m. Details: 704-892-7323 or www.creativeartexchange.org

ARTWORKS ON MAIN, 165 N. Main St., Mooresville – Oil paintings by Marlise Newman, of Charlotte. She’s the featured artist during the September Gallery Crawl, Friday, Sept. 11, 6-9 p.m. Music by Billy Jones. 704-664-2414. www.artworksonmain.com

MERRILL-JENNINGS GALLERIES, 463 S. Main St. – “The Summer Show,” featuring new works by gallery artists. Through August the gallery will offer rotating original art by all the gallery regulars, with major exhibits by impressionist Dee Beard Dean, expressionist Charlotte Foust, landscapes by Susan Jennings and Ray Byram, folk art by Addie James, whimsical collages by Betsey Hampton, and more. Hours: Mon-Fri 10–5, Sat 10–3. For more information call 704-895-1213 and visit the website at www.merrilljennings.com

DAVIDSON TOWN HALL Atrium Gallery, 216 S. Main St. – Through Oct. 24 Photographs by Dana Pianowski and metal sculpture by Rich Nossell. Ms. Pianowski, of Davidson, has studied at Parsons School of Design and International Center of Photography in New York. Mr. Nossell is a native of Long Island, N.Y., who now lives in Huntersville and makes custom furniture. Open weekdays during Town Hall hours, and other times during Town Hall events.

CHRISTA FAUT GALLERY, 19818 North Cove Road, Jetton Village, Cornelius – Aug. 11 to Sept. 29, an exhibit of gallery artists to celebrate the gallery’s 20th year. Reception Saturday Aug. 22, 4-6 p.m. Gallery hours: Tuesdays to Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., or by appointment. Information: www.christafautgallery.com or 704-892-5312.

WOODEN STONE, 445 S. Main St. – Functional fine art and hand-made objects. Gallery hours: Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sundays/Mondays. 704-892-1449. www.woodenstonegallery.com.

SO ALIVE! GALLERY, 108 S. Main St. (next to Village Store) – New paintings by Rosa Murillo, who is in the midst of a month-long “painting-a-day” project. Her works are watercolors accented with India ink. Also: New work from Larry Dukes, Jenny Kiker, Ryan Blythe, Jason Hendrickson, Michael Joe Moore, and Nora Bouknight. Gallery hours: Tuesday to Friday, 11-5; Saturday, 10-2; Sunday, 12-2; and by appointment. Info: mary@soalive.org.