Gallery 412 To Open "Christmas In July"

The Florence Regional Arts Alliance Gallery 412 will open “Christmas In July—Florence In Retrospect by Stephen Guyton” with a Wine and Cheese Opening on Thursday, June 7 from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. The exhibition will showcase the 17 Christmas Ornaments that have been created by artist Stephen Guyton since 1974 as well as a few other memorable surprises. Guyton is an internationally known artist distinguished for his flair for capturing the natural world as well as the landmarks that are nearest and dearest to our hearts. As a child, he found it easiest to express his thoughts through whimsical paintings or photography. Encouraged by this parents with arts lessons at a very young age, he is found today fascinated by the changing lights and colors of a sunrise or a sunset. “Christmas In July” will be on exhibition at Gallery 412 through Thursday, July 28 and may be seen Monday through Friday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. or by special appointment. All 17 Christmas Ornaments are still available for sale and can be purchased during the exhibition.

A native of Florence, Stephen Guyton has been raised in the traditions and culture of the Pee Dee. His family were bridge builders, restaurants owners, and employees of the Atlantic Coast Line (now CSX and Amtrak). In his youth Stephen meet many travelers, including celebrities, writers, artists, and renowned personalities that emerged from the trains that once were the bustling heart of Florence. This love and pride for the history, places, and people of the Pee Dee gave inspiration to his vista of artwork.

Gallery 412 Opens 2-D and 3-D Works of Denise Greer and Jim Wade

Gallery 412 of the Florence Regional Arts Alliance will open "The 2-D and 3-D Worlds of Denise Greer and Jim Wade" beginning Thursday, June 2 with a Wine and Cheese Opening from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. The exhibition will continue through Thursday, June 30 and will be open daily Monday through Friday from 1:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. The show will feature 40 work by two-dimensional artists Denise Greer and 20 works by three-dimensional artist Jim Wade. Having moved to South Carolina from her native New Jersey only six years ago, Greer resides in Rembert and is developing quite a distinguished reputation for herself with works in watercolor, acrylic, pastels, collage, and, her own personal specialty, mixed media. Wade is a native North Carolinian who graduated from East Carolina University with a B.S. degree in Arts Education. He relocated to South Carolina to teach art in Sumter, where he has made his home for over thrity years and where he also earned his Masters in Art degree from the University of South Carolina. A true Gemini, Wade enjoys creating art using a broad variety of media, a characteristic that has been influenced by his love of travel, to over 5 of the 7 continents and to 48 of the 50 states. He was chosen as a Fulbright recipient to Belgium and The Netherlands for Arts Education. Both Greer and Wade had participated in numerous shows and competitions. As a result, original works by each of them adorn homes and are part of collections far and wide.

ARTS ALLIANCE GALLERY OPENING FOR FOWLE

Gallery Opening at The Florence Regional Arts Alliance from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, January 6th.
The Whimsical World According To Fowle. The show will feature artwork of both Mike and Patz Fowle.

Primarily self-taught, Patz Fowle is an award-winning ceramic artist, innovative teaching artist and published author. Fowle specializes in creating handbuilt anthropomorphic ceramic sculpture and her work is recognized for its distinctive, thought-provoking, witty style.

Fowle’s sculptures and original techniques are acknowledged by the American Ceramic Society and her ceramic sculpture is part of the permanent collection at the American Museum of Ceramic Art. Her work has been chronicled in numerous books on the ceramic arts, reference books on contemporary sculpture, nationally distributed art text books, and featured in a documentary on a PBS series on South Carolina Educational Television. Considered a ground-breaking method for handbuilding in clay in 1970, Fowle’s significant contributions to the ceramic arts have become an American tradition. Through the years, she has taught the Patz Fowle Ceramic Technique nationally and internationally in hopes that this exciting art form will continue to inspire creativity in the ceramic arts for many, many generations to come.

Mike Fowle is a self-taught contemporary visual artist. He mainly focuses on creating sculptures. Fowle creates sculptures by using metal, clay, wood, and other materials that he finds suitable to create a piece of fine art. Whenever he begins creating a sculpture, Fowle is able to envision the final product of his piece from the reassembled recycled materials and objects he has discovered. When not working on a sculpture, Fowle likes to test his talents by oil painting.

For the last thirty years, Fowle has been working with his wife, Patz, in various art-related ventures. However, Fowle states that he only began creating “his own artwork” about three years ago. He has created about a dozen pieces.

ARTS ALLIANCE CONCERTS IN THE PARK

FLORENCE – The Honda of South Carolina Concerts in the Park will feature Ervin Et Al from 3:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 2nd in the Main Gallery of the Florence Museum. Presented in collaboration with the City of Florence Parks and Beautification Department and the Florence Museum, the Honda of South Carolina Concerts in Parks is a Florence Regional Arts Alliance programming initiative designed to showcase area performing talent while aso providing the community with family oriented entertainment on Sunday afternoons throughout the year. There is no admission charge.


Originally from Florence the Ervin Brothers, James and Dewey Ervin, will be joined by their sister, Floramay Holliday Racz from Dallas, Texas. They will also be joined by friends. The group performs Country, Rock and Blues.

ARTS ALLIANCE ACCEPTING ENTRIES

The Alliance is currently accepting entries for CarolinaFest 2011, a Juried Art Competition designed to showcase the quality and diversity of artwork bing created by artists in North and South Carolina. There will be three Premier Merit Awards at $500 and three Distinguished Merit Awards given at $250 each. Applications need to be in by January 7, 2011. Prospectus is available on line at: www.florencescarts.org

Sample Posts of "New Works by Jack Dowis"

"Metaphorical Patterns"

"Carnival at Dusk"

"The Explorers"

Gallery 412 To Present "News Works by Jack Dowis"

Gallery 412 of the Florence Regional Arts Alliance will open "News Works by Jack Dowis" from 6:00 until 8:00 pm on Thursday, November 4. The show includes 48 works completed by the artist since January of 2010 and offers art lovers a rare opportunity to enjoy so large and diverse a grouping of works by Dowis en masse. A retired architect, Dowis has had an avocational interest in drawing and painting for most of his adult life. In addition to exhibiting in groups shows and one-artist shows, he is a regular contributor to competitive exhibitions and has won a significant number of awards. In addition, Dowis has devoted much of the last 50 years to concerted efforts with respec to the advancement of the arts in his community, region, and state. He was instrumental in the founding ad organization of the Florence Area Arts Council. He is an Honorary Trustee of the Florence Museum and served from 1960 to 1970 and again from 1972 to 1975 as President of the Museum and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. When the South Carolina Arts Commission was organized in 1967, he was one of the orginial commissioners appointed by Govenor John C. West, and he served three years as Chairman of the Selection Committee for the State Arts Commission.