From the new show at Davidson College, “Parodic Machines,” clockwise from left: Hye Yeon Nam, “Please Smile,” 2012; Matt Kenyon, “Coke Is It,” 2004-2013; David Bowen, “Fly Blimps,” 2010. (Davidson College Art Galleries)

The group exhibit “Parodic Machines” opens this week at Davidson College’s Belk Visual Arts Center, with a panel discussion and an opening reception. The show features five artists working in the field of robotics: Nick Bontrager, David Bowen, Matt Kenyon, Hye Yeon Nam, and Fernando Orellana.

A panel discussion is planned Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 6pm at the Semans Lecture Hall in the Katherine & Tom Belk Visual Arts Center, 315 N. Main St., Davidson. The artists will speak about their work, which relies on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics during a curator-led panel discussion.

The opening reception is Thursday, Oct. 24, 6:30–8:30pm, in the arts center’s Van Every Gallery.

“Parodic Machines” is a group exhibition curated by Paula Gaetano Adi, on display through Dec. 13.”Paula Gaetano Adi: Desiring Machine” is also opening Thursday. Gaetano Adi will host a special performance during the opening reception from 7:45-8:30 pm. Desiring Machine will be on view in the Smith Gallery of the Belk Visual Arts Center through December 13, with performances every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 2 to 4pm pm and Saturday noon to 2pm.

Paintings by Katie Wood McCloy are on display through Oct. 31 at Davidson Town Hall.

AT TOWN HALL: KATIE McCLOY

The Davidson Town Hall Atrium Gallery this month hosts an exhibit of paintings by Katie Wood McCloy, an artist who lives at The Pines at Davidson.   McCloy paints a variety of subjects in watercolors, from landscapes to still lifes. Her work has won a variety of awards in recent years, including top prizes at the NC Senior Games, and at the Yorba Linda/Placenita (California) Art Guild.  She also has won awards at juried shows in Lincolnton, Hickory, and Yorba Linda.

Katie McCloy

She’s currently member of the Mooresville Artists Guild and has been a member of Brush and Palette in Lenoir, the Hickory Museum of Art, Foothills Painters in Full Circle Arts Gallery, Hickory, and the Catawba and Caldwell County Art Councils. McCloy also teaches private students, including fellow residents at The Pines, and has taught at St. Albans’ Episcopal Church in Hickory and Abingdon Glen

She says of her work:

We cannot improve on God’s creation but we can interpret it. With imagination we can create a scene, a new flower or mix unusual colors to express a mood.  It is my dream to give the audience an exciting new way to look at an old subject.  Painting in watercolor is a joy filled journey. The joy comes from being in the flow of creativity, helping the colors mix and mingle on the paper to make beautiful surprises.  With strong bright colors and dramatic outlining, my work is uncomplicated and happy.

 The Davidson Town Hall gallery is open weekdays during business hours, 8am to 5pm, and evenings and weekends during town events. Town Hall is at 216 S. Main St., Davidson. The show will be on display through Oct. 31.

Want to show your work at Davidson Town Hall? Contact gallery coordinator David Boraks, david@boraks.net. 

Mooresville Artist Guild

Entries will be accepted at the Depot July 6-7, and the opening reception is July 12 from 6-8 pm. Categories are black and white, color and mixed media (photography combined with another medium).  A complete prospectus and entry form can be found on the Mooresville Artist Guild website at http://www.magart.org/.  Questions? Call Rachel Goldstein at 704-534-0503 or email Rachel.lgoldstein9@gmail.com

Baldwin’s work is included in the collections of the High Museum, Bank of America, the Library of Congress, and more. Some of his work and history may be seen at http://byronbaldwinphotography.com/.

MINT OPENS EXHIBIT OF AMERICAN ART FRIDAY

CHARLOTTE – An exhibition with richly-painted depictions of daily life created during the transformative years prior to the American Civil War will open at Mint Museum Randolph June 29, accompanied by special community events, including a Friday reception and opening.

The exhibition, “New Eyes on America: The Genius of Richard Caton Woodville,” will premiere locally at a First Look Friday at 6:30pm on Friday, June 28, which is free to Mint members and $15 for non-members and features gallery tours, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, and more.

On Saturday, June 29, the community is invited to a FREE Community Wellness Day, sponsored by Novant Health with additional support from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Wellness-themed activities including dancing, lawn games, children’s hand-washing demonstrations, and healthy picnicking will take place from 11am-3pm on the lawn in front of Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road, and museum admission is free to both Mint locations for the day. More information about all special events is available at mintmuseum.org/happenings.

During a tragically short career, the Baltimore-born and European-trained Richard Caton Woodville (1825–55) engaged with issues that dominated American society, including war, intergenerational communication, and new technologies such as the telegraph and penny press. Woodville was born of a prominent Baltimore family and trained in Düsseldorf, Germany. He conducted much of his professional career in Germany, France, and Great Britain. This is the first monographic Woodville exhibition since 1967. It premiered at The Walters Art Museum, which organized the exhibition, earlier this year.

The exhibition includes 15 of Woodville’s 16 known paintings, several of which have never been on view, as well as prints, illustrated books, and other related works of art to place his career in historical context. Woodville left behind no written archives; however, his work was highly acclaimed and widely disseminated through premium prints sent to thousands of subscribers to the American Art-Union, a national art membership organization. His beautifully painted, highly detailed canvases examining popular subjects played an important role in the extraordinary increase in visual imagery available to a broad American audience during his lifetime.

“This is the first special exhibition of paintings at Mint Museum Randolph since 2010,” said Jonathan Stuhlman, the museum’s Curator of American Art. “It is an honor to be able to share these iconic paintings with our visitors and for the Mint to have been chosen as the only venue in the country for this engaging show after the organizing institution.”

The scenes Woodville depicts are subtle yet revealing of human foibles, rendered on a small scale but addressing the larger events unfolding outside the scenes of daily life, including the politics of manifest destiny, the power shift from the Revolutionary to the Jacksonian generation, and the issues of slavery, war, and class difference. Although prevalent at this time, Woodville avoids the stereotyping and caricature of African American figures who are often observers to the central narratives. The installation also features a unique interactive “parlor” area, in which visitors can participate in activities popular during Woodville’s era, including making shadow puppets, playing with puzzle cubes and other handheld games, and looking at stereoscopic views.

The exhibition was organized by The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, with generous grant support from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Photo by Matthew Brandt, from the series “Lakes and Reservoirs, Klamath Lake, OR 2,” 2009, Chromogenic print soaked in Klamath Lake water. (CAM Raleigh)

PHOTO EXHIBIT AT CAM IN RALEIGH

CAM Raleigh presents “Currents – Photographs from the collection of Allen Thomas Jr.” opening this Friday, June 28, from 6-8 p.m. Currents is curated by Nils Ericson and features nine photographers: Michele Abeles, Matthew Baum, Matthew Brandt, Debbie Grossman, Carolyn Janssen, Maciek Jasik, Sarah Anne Johnson, Chris McCaw and Arne Svenson.

Here’s a description from CAM:

There is very little straight photography here. The closest examples, images by Arne Svenson2 and Matthew Baum, are so imbued with atmosphere, so emotionally charged by their historical context and/or subject matter3, and so painterly in execution and exhibition, their straightforward photographic nature hardly seems to apply. Their manipulation lies in tone, purpose, and meaning.

The other artworks, whether digital or analog, have taken that gap and interpreted it in a more physical way. The subject matter is largely landscape, including the body as such, and the artists attack its representation via color, space, focus, and authenticity.

CAM is at 409 W. Martin St., Raleigh. More information at http://camraleigh.org/visit/

Iceland by James Delark, 1st place in Lake Norman Art League photography show

Lake Norman Art League’s 2010 photography exhibit is up at South Main Square, and the winners include several landscapes in black and white and color. Meanwhile, artists from Cabarrus, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly and Union counties are being invited to submit works this week for the Cabarrus Art Guild Juried Exhibition at The Galleries at the Cabarrus Arts Council in downtown Concord. Details below on those items, plus grant opportunities from the Arts & Science Council and other exhibits.

JAMES DELARK PHOTO WINS 1st PLACE

A black and white landscape photo titled “Iceland – 2006″ by James Delark recently won first prize in Lake Norman Art League‘s 2010 photography show. The show is on display through Sept. 10 at South Main Square, 442 S. Main St.

The photo shows a dark, possibly volcanic landscape rutted by streams flowing and mingling on their way to the sea. Juror Dennis Kiel of The Light Factory judged the show, and called it “beautifully printed, with a tonal range that goes from pure white to deep black. … I also enjoy looking at photographs where the subject is somewhat recognizable but the more you look at it the more it becomes something else.”

Other award winners in the show were:

• 2nd place – Chandler Tyrrell, “Weedy.”
• 3rd place – Ralph Henzler, “Calignosity”
• Honorable mentions – J. J. Burgess, “End of Summer,” and Alesia Griesmyer, “Fear of the Unknown.”

The exhibit may be seen weekdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., at 442 S. Main St., in the offices next to Masterworks School. Details: www.lknart.org

ENTER CABARRUS EXHIBIT

Entries for the Cabarrus Art Guild Juried Exhibition may be dropped off this Friday, July 31, or Monday, Aug. 2.

The exhibition will be on display Aug. 16-Oct. 7 at The Galleries in Cabarrus County’s historic courthouse at 65 Union Street S., Concord. The artwork to be included will be chosen by Robert Tynes, Professor of Art and Director of the S. Tucker Cooke Gallery at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. He also will choose the winners of a $200 first place award, $150 second place, $100 third place and up to four $50 honorable mentions.

To be considered for the exhibition, artwork must have been created in the past three years and not have been shown previously at The Galleries. Copies of works and works done in workshops are not eligible.

Two-dimensional works should be no larger than 60 inches in any direction and be ready for display with hanging wire installed and matted or framed. Three-dimensional works should not exceed 50 pounds, a 24 inches by 24 inches footprint and 48 inches tall.

A non-refundable fee of $20 per art guild member for up to 3 works is to be submitted upon delivery of work to the Galleries. Non-members may submit up to 3 works for a total entry fee of $30. Delivery dates for submissions are Friday, July 30, and Monday, Aug. 2, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Artists will be notified of acceptance on Aug. 5.

For a complete prospectus and more information about The Galleries, visit www.CabarrusArtsCouncil.org or call 704-920-2787.

ASC OFFERS ARTIST GRANTS

Visual artists and filmmakers can apply for up to $5,000 through the Regional Artist Project Grant program, managed by the Arts & Science Council (ASC). The online grant application deadline is Wednesday, Aug. 18 at noon.

Funding will support visual artists and filmmakers in their pursuit of projects that further enhance their artistic development. Grantees may use funding to support their projects in various ways, such as covering costs incurred in creating art, purchasing equipment, developing promotional materials, or supporting the cost of an exhibition.

Artists who have lived in the counties of Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Rutherford and York (S.C.) for one year are eligible to apply. Applicants may not enroll in or currently be enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree seeking programs during the time their funded project is in progress. The online application and guidelines are available at www.ArtsAndScience.org.

ASC will host the second of two  free grant information sessions for interested applicants on Thursday, July 29, 2010, 6:30– 8 p.m., at Wing Haven, 248 Ridgewood Ave., Charlotte.

The program is administered by ASC in partnership with arts councils in Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Rowan, Rutherford and York (S.C.) counties. Funding for the grant program comes from the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency, the Blumenthal Endowment, the participating arts councils and ASC’s Annual Fund Drive.

Literary and performing artists will be eligible to apply next year.

EXHIBITION CALENDAR

CORNELIUS ARTS CENTER, 19725 Oak St., Cornelius (behind the police station) – Through Aug. 27, Cornelius parks and recreation and The Community Arts Project, present the Summer Creates exhibit, featuring works by students in the center’s summer programs. Hours: Mondays to Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 a.m. to noon. Info about the exhibit and upcoming classes at www.corneliusartscenter.com.

LAKE NORMAN ART LEAGUE GALLERY, in South Main Square, 442 S. Main St. – Through Sept. 10, annual Lake Norman Art League Photography Show, with artists selected by juror Dennis Kiel, of The Light Factory in Charlotte. Hours: Weekdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Details: www.lknart.org

MOORESVILLE ARTIST GUILD, The Depot, 103 W. Center Ave., Mooresville – Through July 31: “Hot Town Summer in the City” photography show and “Women Paint Women” show. Hours: Tuesdays to Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays 1-4 p.m., Closed Mondays. Info: 704-663-6661 or www.mooresvilleartistguild.com.

PHOTO SHOWS

Entries are being sought for summer photography exhibits at both the Lake Norman Art League and Mooresville Artist Guild.

Lake Norman Art League invites artists to submit up to 3 works for a show that will open Juy 24 at their gallery in South Main Square. Take-in is Saturday, July 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 442 S. Main St. Details at LKNArt.org.

Mooresville Artist Guild announces “Hot Town Summer in the City” – its 2010 Photography Show. Entries should be delivered to the Depot Art Gallery at 103 W. Center Ave.in Mooresville Tuesday, June 29, 1-4 pm and 5-8 pm. The complete prospectus is availabel at www.mooresvilleartistguild.com. For more information please contact Rachel Goldstein
at Rachel.lgoldstein9@gmail.com or 704-534-0503.

ASC OFFERS ARTIST GRANTS

Visual artists and filmmakers can apply for up to $5,000 through the Regional Artist Project Grant program, managed by the Arts & Science Council (ASC). The online grant application deadline is Wednesday, Aug. 18 at noon.

Funding will support visual artists and filmmakers in their pursuit of projects that further enhance their artistic development. Grantees may use funding to support their projects in various ways, such as covering costs incurred in creating art, purchasing equipment, developing promotional materials, or supporting the cost of an exhibition.

Artists who have lived in the counties of Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Rutherford and York (S.C.) for one year are eligible to apply. Applicants may not enroll in or currently be enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree seeking programs during the time their funded project is in progress. The online application and guidelines are available at www.ArtsAndScience.org.

ASC will provide two free grant information sessions for interested applicants:

Tuesday, July 27, 2010
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Arts Council of York County (121 E. Main St., Rock Hill, S.C.)

Thursday, July 29, 2010
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Wing Haven (248 Ridgewood Ave., Charlotte, N.C.)

The program is administered by ASC in partnership with arts councils in Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Rowan, Rutherford and York (S.C.) counties. Funding for the grant program comes from the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency, the Blumenthal Endowment, the participating arts councils and ASC’s Annual Fund Drive.

Literary and performing artists will be eligible to apply next year.