Virtual Exhibits at BCAC
DREAMING OF THE ARTS:
A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
and Our African-American Artists
THE ART OF BERTIE: YESTERDAY & TODAY
Dear Members & Friends,
You are cordially invited to a gallery reception on Thursday, October 5th 2023, from 5:30-7:30PM to celebrate the opening of a very special exhibit called “The Art of Bertie: Yesterday and Today.” BCAC has teamed up with the Historic Hope Foundation to deliver a show filled with art reflecting images of people, places, and pastimes in Bertie County.
Excitement has continued to build as members of Bertie County Arts Council and Historic Hope Foundation worked side by side this week to install collection at the BCAC gallery. The table is set, the virtual exhibit is now live and ready for viewing, and we have one final surprise up our sleeves to share with all our members and friends:
We are thrilled to announce that Dot Andrews has generously donated a painting to Historic Hope that was created by the late beloved local master painter, Dr. Fred Saunders. This painting will be part of “The Art of Bertie” collection and available for sale via silent auction. The silent auction begins at 5:30PM on Thursday 10/05/23 and ends at 12:00PM on Thursday 11/09/23. There will be a $300 reserve (starting price) with bids in $25 increments. All bidders must register either in person or over the telephone. More information will be available at our opening night reception tomorrow, 10/05/23 from 5:30-7:30PM at the BCAC gallery (124 South King Street, Windsor NC 27983).
If you can’t make it to the reception on 10/05/23 but are interested in seeing the show in person or purchasing a piece of artwork from the collection, don’t worry. This show will hang in our gallery through November 9th; we will also be accepting remote bids on the silent auction for the Dr. Fred Saunders painting until the conclusion of the show.
Regards,
Bertie County Arts Council & Friends of Historic Hope Foundation
Dr. Fred Saunders (1928-2022) grew up in Aulander, NC. He developed a love for painting while in high school, painting on and off for years. In 1982 , he decided to get more serious with his craft and studied under the direction of watercolor artist Ralph Smith.
He painted in watercolor until 2003, when he switched to oil. He loves to paint waterways, boats, and he is especially fond of the herring industry. Plein Air was his favorite method of painting, because "[he felt] that it was much more personal."
Dr. Saunders was a master painter and we were all lucky to enjoy his company and his artwork at the BCAC gallery during one final exhibition with us back in October of 2018. The show was an unprecedented success; it was extremely well-attended and sold out almost immediately with most pieces selling on opening night.
Our latest exhibition with Historic Hope Foundation, “The Art of Bertie: Yesterday & Today,” will mark the first time in 5 years that a Fred Saunders painting has been available for purchase in the BCAC gallery – and possibly the final time. Don’t miss your chance!
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2023 BCAC MEMBERS ART SHOW
Bertie County Arts Council is pleased to announce the ribbon winners in the annual juried Members Art show, presently on display in the Gallery at 124 S King Street in downtown Windsor. Our 2023 juror was Tom Brennan. It is truly a wonderful show! The opening reception was well attended, with great food and live acoustic guitar music played by the talented Mickey Clement. Thank you to everyone who participated and congratulations to all the winners!
1st Place: Tra Perry, “Quack Shack View Mattamuskeet,” Acrylic Painting
2nd Place: Bill Sayre, “Anita Rose,” Acrylic Painting
3rd Place: Laura Beasley, “The Piglet Posse,” Acrylic Painting
People’s Choice: Barbara Walters, “Taking Flight,” Watercolor Painting
Honorable mention ribbons were awarded to Pamela Brown for her mixed resin “Black Crystal,” Laura Orsini for her paper collage “Invite Someone Dangerous to Tea,” Jaquelin Perry for her acrylic painting “Springer Point,” and to Agnes Powell for her oil painting “Wintertime at Lake Mattamuskeet.”
All items in the show are for sale. Interested in seeing the show in person or purchasing a piece of artwork from the collection? The show will also be available for in-person viewing at the Gallery through July 20th. Our gallery can be reached by phone at 252.794.9402 and is open to visitors from 10AM-2PM from Monday-Friday and on the third Saturday of each month.
AULANDER ELEMENTARY SPRING EXTRAVAGANZA ART SHOW
We have a terrific children's artwork exhibit hanging in the piano room until June 1st: the Aulander Elementary Spring Extravaganza Art Show! Come join us at the gallery from 5-6pm on Wednesday, April 19th as we celebrate the opening of this show along with the community. Snacks provided. Big thanks to teacher Tanisha Newkirk for helping coordinate this wonderful show with BCAC.
THE GIFT OF COLOR: A CELEBRATION OF BLACK HERITAGE ARTWORK IN BERTIE
Dear Members and Friends,
You are cordially invited to join us for a gallery reception from 5:30-7:30PM on Thursday, February 23, for the opening of our latest exhibition, “The Gift of Color,” which celebrates the intersection of Bertie Arts Culture and our community’s rich Black heritage. Drinks and light hors d'oeuvres will be served. The artwork is fantastic, and this event is sponsored by the arts council so it's FREE OF CHARGE to the public. Please come join us for a fun evening of art and fellowship! Come one, come all -
The show features exciting visual artwork by Michael Bennett, Dion Burroughs, Dr. Steven Ferguson, Anthony Gibbs, Suzette Gonzalez, Gerald Knight, Trudy Riggens, Walter Smallwood, Varick Taylor, & James Winston. There will also be a live musical performance by Henry Britt aka "Mr. Tune."
If you can’t make it to the opening night reception on 02/23/23 but are interested in seeing the show in person or purchasing a piece of artwork from the collection, don’t worry. This show will hang through 04/13/23. Our gallery hours have recently been expanded. We are still open from 10AM-2PM on Monday through Friday, but we are now also open from 10-2 on the 3rd Saturday of each month! The virtual exhibit is now LIVE on our website at www.bertiearts.com/virtual-exhibits
We hope to see you on February 23rd!
Regards,
Bertie County Arts Council
INNER BANKS VINTAGE ARTWORK RETROSPECTIVE: 01/12/23-02/10/23
Dear Members and Friends,
Happy New Year! We’re starting off 2023 with something a little different that we hope will be lots of fun: a Vintage Artwork Retrospective. This exhibition is a collaborative effort between BCAC and Rebecca Jinnette of Inner Banks Vintage and will feature work dating between 20-300 years old, made by many different artists using a variety of mediums. You are cordially invited to join us at the gallery from 5:30-7:30PM on Thursday, January 12, to celebrate opening night with fellowship, drinks, tea, and snacks.
This is going to be a laid back, come as you are, relaxing type of event. We hope to recreate the joyful experience of rummaging at a terrific estate sale. Most items will be available for purchase and careful handling is permitted. There will even be a couple of more immersive spots where visitors are encouraged to root through a jewelry box or a box of old linens. And, in true estate sale fashion, any remaining items from the Vintage Artwork Retrospective will be priced 50% off during the final three days of the exhibition! (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday February 8th-10th)
If you can’t make it to the reception on 01/12/23 but are interested in seeing the show in person or purchasing a piece of artwork from the collection, don’t worry. Our gallery is open to M-F from 10AM-2PM and this show will hang there until Friday February 10th. There will also be a corresponding virtual show posted to our website www.bertiearts.com.
Hope to see you on January 12th!
Dear Members and Friends,
You are cordially invited to join us for a gallery reception from 5:30-7:30PM on Thursday, November 3, to celebrate the opening of a very special exhibit, “Back Home for the Holidays.” This homecoming show will feature the work of artists who were born and raised in Bertie but later moved away. The participating artists include Munroe Bell, Tracy Bell, Lucy Coulbourn, Sis Hall, Margie Worthington, and there will also be a book signing with Joan Daniels. Drinks and light hors d'oeuvres will be served.
If you can’t make it to the reception on 11/03/22 but are interested in seeing the show in person or purchasing a piece of artwork from the collection, don’t worry! Our gallery is open to M-F from 10AM-2PM and this show will hang there through 01/05/23.
THE CREATIVE ART OF DIVERSITY BY ARTIST DION BURROUGHS
Dear Members and Friends:
You are cordially invited to join us on Thursday, September 8th, from 5:30-7:30 PM at the gallery for a reception celebrating the opening of our latest solo exhibit featuring the work of Mr. Dion Burroughs. Drinks and light hors d'oeuvres will be served.
If you can’t make it to the reception on 09/08/22 but are interested in seeing the show in person or purchasing a piece of artwork from the collection, don’t worry! Our gallery is open to M-F from 10AM-2PM and this show will hang there through 10/20/22. There will also be a corresponding virtual show posted to our website www.bertiearts.com.
We hope to see you on September 8th!
Regards,
BCAC
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Born and raised in Martin County, Dion Burroughs began drawing and painting at age of fifteen. Through high school years he attended the summer program at the Martin Luther King Center in Williamston before they changed it to Manson Mortuary, learning much from high school teachers Carolyn Ashley, Cyndi Herman and Kathy McKee. Dion experimented with pen and ink, appliqued felt and paint. Burroughs has displayed his work in nearly 31 solo exhibitions and many juried and invitational art exhibits in neighboring counties, earning first place awards for some of my artworks. Dion's quilt entitled "The Scary Scarecrow" is displayed in the First South Bank's Permanent Collection. Several of his paintings have been chosen for the NC Community College Art Exhibit. Works by Dion Burroughs can be seen in collections at First South Bank in Washington; at Williamston Primary School in Williamston; Pitt Community College in Greenville; Cashier Medical Center in Windsor.
Burroughs' artist statement reads a little like poetry: "My art is a journey of self-discovery and self-expression. It is the process by which I choose to explore many different styles of art even experimenting at creating those styles of art. My favorite styles and subject are: Religious Art, Black Art, Fine Art, and Traditional or Folk Art. I am intrigued by my ancestral roots of freedom and what has been internally deemed worthy of remembering. It's truly possible to re-visit my ancestral roots in African American past when the information stored has been distilled by time, dreams, love, bravery, and fear. My memories are a source of pain, healing, poverty and freedom. My memories are what I tap into when I'm creating my works of art."
The annual BCAC Members Juried Art Show opened with a lovely gallery reception on June 23, 2022. Sixteen BCAC members submitted their original works of art in a variety of mediums, which were then reviewed by our juror, Ms. Margi Wynn, and the results are in!
Best in Show - Pamela Brown, Mixed Media, “Sparkle Rock”
First Place - Jaquelin Perry, Acrylic on Canvas, “Easter”
Second Place - Bailey Phelps, Oil on Canvas, “After the Storm”
Third Place - Pamela Brown, Mixed Media, “Ocean Blue”
Honorable Mention Ribbons were also awarded to Donna Higgins Colson, Tom Brennon, Lisa Roll, Barbara Walters, Laura Beasley, and Frances Copeland
This show will hang through August 26th if you are interested in seeing it in person or purchasing an artwork from the exhibit. More information about the event and its participants can be found in the wonderful article about the 2022 Members Art Show which was published in the Bertie Ledger Advance and can be found online by clicking here.
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More about our juror: Ms. Wynn is an artist and instructor from Chowan County who has been studying and painting in oils, acrylics, and watercolors for almost 60 years. A member of Southwest Watercolor, Dallas, TX, Perquimans Arts League, Chowan Arts Council and Arts of the Albemarle, Margi has won numerous awards in NC, VA and TX, held one person shows and sold countless numbers of art works. Her enthusiasm for painting is contagious. She credits God for her gifts – particularly that of seeing His beauty in the world and her visual expressiveness.
You are cordially invited to a gallery reception from 5:30-7:30PM on Thursday, May 5th to celebrate the opening of "Sound Tree." This special photography exhibition will feature the work of our good friend, artist Tom Brennan. Drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served.
Brennan's "Sound Tree" series is interesting. Tom has spent over a decade documenting the same bald cypress tree on the Albemarle. This long-term laser focus sets the Sound Tree study apart from his previous showings with BCAC. You will, however, instantly recognize the artist's voice as Brennan once again reliably captures the essence and charm of Inner Banks life.
If you can’t make it to the reception on 05/05/22 but are interested in seeing the show in person or purchasing a piece of artwork from the collection, don’t worry! Sound Tree will be posted to our website's Virtual Exhibits page within a few days of the opening reception and will remain available for in-person viewing through June 17th. Our gallery is open to visitors on Monday-Friday from 10AM-2PM.
MEET THE ARTIST: TOM BRENNAN
I tend to photograph where I am. For the past eight years I've been traveling up and down the by-ways of northeast North Carolina. Lots of beauty in a simple farm landscape or bee wings on a rosemary bush.
I've been charting my path across the photography landscape for more than 50 years. From film to digital, from an Instamatic to a full frame digital DSLR, photography has always been my creative outlet. For many years I've been an educator, teaching young folks the value of expressing themselves through visual art. It's been a great joy for me.
My first solo show in 1978 was shot completely with a $1.50 plastic drugstore camera, the Diana. While the technical is critical to exploring the artistic, the price of my tools have never outweighed the possibilities of 'seeing light'.
