Elder Gallery
Presents

Studio Selections Volume I

During the month of June Elder Gallery will present the first in a series of exhibitions which are designed to honor the talent of artists represented by the gallery located in Charlotte’s Historic SouthEnd District.

Studio Selections Volume I will open on June 5 and will run through June 30, 2009.  The gallery has selected paintings and sculpture from nine of its artists’ studios for the first in a series of exhibitions designed to recognize the vast amount of artistic talent represented by the gallery. Featured in Studio Selections Volume I are Terri Amig, Javier Lopez Barbosa, Mitch Lewis, Gage Opdenbrouw, Hodges Soileau, Sheri Skeahan, David Skinner, Angelita Surmon, and Ralph Turturro. 

The June exhibition will feature paintings and sculpture that demonstrate a variety of painting styles and techniques. Subject matter ranges from realistic to impressionistic to abstract. “Our gallery is fortunate to have such a large number of very talented painters whose careers range from emerging to mid-career to well-established” says gallery owner, Larry Elder. “Studio Selections Volume I will be composed of work from several regions of the nation and will serve as a study in contemporary American regional art.”

Of special note in the exhibition will be the sculpture of Mitch Lewis, two of which are from his Collateral Damage series.  These works address the plight of African women, who are being victimized in the Sudan and Darfur regions, as well as in many other nations throughout Africa. Lewis feels that much of mankind has turned a blind eye to their abuse and it has become a non-issue for much of the civilized world.  

Lewis states “my sculpture depicts these women as fragmented figures. I expose their fragility and vulnerability, while at the same time, also portray their strength and dignity. Through the use of missing limbs, I have created haunting negative space and one is reminded of the Japanese expression Zan Ketsu No Bi - finding beauty in something missing.”

An opening reception will take place on Friday, June 5th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

Below are a few images from our exhibition.