From September 19 through October 25, the Aiken Center for the Arts invites everyone to experience the new exhibitions in our art galleries. “Small Expressions”, an annual exhibition from the Handweavers Guild of America, Inc., celebrates works from national and international artists, by exhibition only, in the Brooks Gallery through October 10. Aiken artist Ellene Southerland’s mixed-media work will be featured in the Aiken Artist Guild gallery. Collectively, Penny Beesley, Betty Brand Perry and Lucy Weigle will bring together three different approaches to abstract painting in a collaborative exhibition, “Convergence: Three Women, Three Voices.” This joint exhibition will give us all a chance to contemplate and experience new perspectives in all that remains beyond a realistic representation of the world: our emotions, our unanswerable questions, and the general mysteries of being alive.
Penny Beesley is an abstract artist who has embraced and explored art throughout her lifetime. While rooted in a deep love for art that began with family ties, Penny’s work with color, shapes, and negative space, as well as the motion of abstract expression, continue to give each piece of her work a unique and flowing character of its own. She is inspired by her environment, which often informs the palette of colors, textures, and techniques she employs. Penny holds a BFA in ceramics and painting from Eastern Michigan University.
Betty Brand Perry has also created a life surrounded by and sustained in a celebration of the arts. She has experience working in arts education, coordination of community arts programs, and grant writing, all in service of community enhancement through the arts. Currently, she explores abstract and mixed media painting, wherein she believes that lines, color, and other elements can be translated through the brush into a kind of visual poetry. Betty says, “I am especially interested in painting what might occur within the garden of my imagination when no one else is watching.”
Lucy Weigle is both an artist and leader who resides in North Augusta, SC. In an effort to integrate the arts with community, she has served on the Board of Trustees of the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, as President and Signature Member of the Southern Watercolor Society, and in various other capacities as well. Her work has received numerous awards, both locally and nationally. She has also received the Woman of Excellence Award from her community for her contributions to the arts. Lucy holds a degree in Art from Auburn University. Currently, she works in oil, acrylic and often mixed media, combining acrylic and collage to create texture and pattern.
The Handweavers Guild of America, Inc. is a nonprofit association of fiber artists aiming to support the fiber art community through education, inspiration and interaction with the public. Their exhibit “Small Expressions” highlights contemporary, small-scale works created using fiber techniques in any media. While small in scale, these works compel excitement and communicate the thoughtfulness and intimacy that is possible through design and artistic expression. This traveling exhibit comes to the Aiken Center for the Arts with works from many different artists, all of whom are pushing the boundaries of techniques and materials, both traditional and non-traditional. “Small Expressions” is sure to present an exciting experience for audiences of all ages. This exhibition was produced by the Handweavers Guild of America, Inc. (HGA). All works courtesy of the artists. This exhibition is made possible with support from the Fiber Trust.
Ellene Southerland began expressing her love for art after moving to South Carolina in 2007. She has explored various mediums including oil, watercolors, pastels, colored pencils, alcohol inks, and acrylics in the process of cultivating her own artistic expression. Ellene says her work is inspired by a feeling inside, moving her to look further. She believes each person brings his or her own unique collection of experiences to the creation and interpretation of art. Ellene is a member of the Aiken Artist Guild and her work will be on display in the Aiken Artist Guild gallery of the Arts Center.
For more information about this exhibition, please visit aikencenterforthearts.org or call 803-641-9094.
By Ashbrook Gwinn
