Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Celebrate Art Exhibition – Ponte Vedra, Florida

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Juried artist member exhibition in Ponte Vedra on January 16 – February 21, 2009
Opening Reception January 16 — 6:30 to 8pm
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl – The Cultural Center is pleased to announce the opening of Celebrate Art 2009, a juried exhibition of artist members of The Cultural Center. This year’s exhibition was juried by Hillary Tuttle, owner of Steller’s Gallery in Ponte Vedra Beach. Mrs. Tuttle viewed over 190 pieces of media and chose 52 of the most outstanding pieces to be exhibited from January 16, 2009 to February 21, 2009. Susan Ober, Jacksonville artist, won Best of Show. Christina Foard won second place and Gordon Meggison followed in third place. Meet the exhibiting artists during our opening reception on January 16 from 6:30 – 8pm. A private reception for our Renaissance Society members will be held from 5:30 to 6:30pm.

Juror’s comments:
It was an honor to be asked to jury the annual members art exhibit for The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach. There were over 190 paintings submitted by both professional and untrained artists. Styles ranged from realism, impressionism, expressionism and abstraction with various subjects and mediums.

My criteria was to assess the works of each artist, narrow it down and choose the best three using my honest opinion based on originality, technique/execution, palette- use of color, and lastly subject.

Interacting with our represented artists each day at Stellar’s Gallery, I sometimes forget the vulnerability of putting ones work “out there” and the heart that lies behind each painting. Each artists should be commended for entering their work into this exhibit and I was impressed with the quality of work.

Rose IV, with evening sun in May, oil on linen, 2004The winner, Susan Ober, stood out because of the use of detail, light and shadow. Her oil painting of the rose had such a brilliant balance of the realism of the flower contrasting against a soft, faded background. Every vein on the leaf was executed with such precision. I am really looking forward to her being awarded a one person show at the CCPVB, so I can follow her work.

Susan Ober’s bio:
Susan Davenport Ober, a native of Virginia, moved to North Florida in 1987. She earned a BS degree in art education at Longwood College in Virginia and did post-graduate study in art education at Virginia Commonwealth University. In 1996, Susan earned a BFA, with an emphasis in drawing, from University of North Florida.

Ober has had a nearly life-long interest in portraiture and figurative representation. In this pursuit, she has used a wide range of media through the years, including pastels, oils, clay, wax and bronze. She is perhaps better recognized for her floral and still life paintings, and for her recent (and on-going) “LEAF project”. But to her, every subject is an opportunity to discover and reveal what it is that has made it special and unique.

She has participated in both solo and group shows in the southeastern states. Her work has received both regional and national recognition and is in a growing list of private, corporate and museum collections across the country.

TESTING LINK

Magellanic Penguins to be highlight of Aquarium’s new exhibit Penguin Planet

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Charleston, S.C. – January 13, 2009 – The South Carolina Aquarium confirmed today that Magellanic penguins will be arriving soon to inhabit the new temporary exhibit, Penguin Planet. The animals will be on loan from SeaWorld.

Penguin Planet SC Aqurium courtesy of SeaWorld
Penguin Planet SC Aqurium courtesy of SeaWorld

Opening March 2009, Penguin Planet will host a Magellanic penguin habitat and 550 square feet of exhibit space. Guests will have the opportunity to see these aquatic flightless birds firsthand through the exhibits 10 foot wide window allowing for underwater viewing. Included in general admission, Penguin Planet will delight and educate visitors through its awe-inspiring Magellanic penguins, children’s interactive learning games, educational exhibits on climate change effects in South Carolina and daily programs.

Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) are a near threatened species distinguished by two brown stripes on their chests. They are small birds ranging from 24-28 inches tall and average 8-11 pounds in weight. Magellanic penguins are typically found in the Falkland Islands, Chile and Argentina coasts. They prey on small fishes and invertebrates. Natural predators for the birds include Southern sea lions, leopard seals, and Patagonian foxes. A near threatened species, there is estimated to be only 1,300,000 pairs of Magellanic penguins in the world.

An accredited institution by the Association of Zoo’s and Aquarium’s (AZA), the South Carolina Aquarium’s Penguin Planet exhibit has approval from the rigorous AZA Penguin Taxon advisory group. AZA is the leading accrediting organization for zoos and aquariums and accredits only those institutions that have achieved meticulous standards for animal health, education, wildlife conservation and science. With approximately 2,400 animal exhibitors licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture, only 10% of the institutions are accredited.

Penguin Planet SC Aquarium. Photo: SeaWorld
Penguin Planet SC Aquarium. Photo: SeaWorld

Gallery Talk and Reception at SCAD Museum of Art – Savannah

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SCAD Museum of Art presents gallery talk and reception

SAVANNAH GA—Savannah College of Art and Design art history professor Jeffrey Hamilton will present a gallery talk in conjunction with the exhibition, “Town and Country: British Taste in the Late 18th and Early 19th Centuries,” Sunday, Jan. 18, 1:30 p.m. at SCAD Museum of Art, 227 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. A closing reception for the exhibition is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 21, 5-7 p.m. The gallery talk, closing reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.

“Town and Country: British Taste in the Late 18th and Early 19th Centuries” will be on display through Jan. 23. The exhibition features approximately 30 works by great English masters that exemplify typical British art across a 75-year span. The paintings depict a world of prosperous merchants and their wives, and of the English landed gentry and aristocracy, as they pose for posterity in their finery. Artists represented include Thomas Gainsborough, Sir Joshua Reynolds and John Constable, a trinity of English masters. A masterpiece by John Constable, an oil sketch titled “Noon” depicting an impending storm on Hampstead Heath, is displayed near an almost contemporary mezzotint engraving of the final painting. Glimpses of the English landscape in drawings by Gainsborough or a hunting scene by Francis Sartorius reveal the taste of the times, as do the fashions as they trace the period’s growing sense of realism and romanticism. Five portraits by Joseph Wright of Derby bring together a particularly strong showing of the artist.

The works are drawn from the museum’s permanent collection and from outside lenders. The exhibition is dedicated to H. Thomas Mauldin and Raymond L. Levin.

For more information about the gallery talk, exhibition and to arrange group tours, call 912.525.7191.

SCAD presents Comics Art Forum XV Alumni Exhibition

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SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Savannah College of Art and Design presents outstanding works by SCAD sequential art alumni and friends in the Comics Art Forum XV Alumni Exhibition now through Jan. 22 at Alexander Hall, 668 Indian St., Savannah, Ga. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The exhibition is free and open to the public.


“We have mainstream superhero comics, alternative comics, Web comics, instructional comics, character design, toy design and more,” said David Duncan, chair of the SCAD sequential art department. “The most exciting thing about this exhibition is that it showcases many of the different fields of the industry that our students have moved into.”

Works on display also include independent and commercial features such as spreads for the comic book industry, cartooning, illustrating, short story writing and production.

“Standout artists in the show include Lee Loughridge, who has made a very reputable name for himself as one of the top colorists in mainstream comics, and Meghan Jean Kinder, who received a position in the visual development department at Laika Entertainment shortly after graduating,” said Duncan. Additional artists include Jennie Breeden, Erica Reis Currey, Jon Proctor, Mark Schultz, David Silva, Chris Sasaki, Nick Dragotta, Joey Weiser and Kristian Donaldson.

“The SCAD sequential art department really is the crossroads for many industries. The professional opportunities for our students reach out so much further than just comics,” said Duncan.

The exhibition was developed in conjunction with Comics Art Forum XV during the university’s fall quarter. Exhibiting artists were hosted as guests for the 15th annual event that brings in industry professionals for two days of workshops, portfolio reviews and a panel discussion with SCAD students. The event is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for students to network with industry professionals, learn more about the latest industry trends, and secure internships or jobs.

For more information about the SCAD sequential art department, visit www.scad.edu/sequentialart.

China on My Mind – Jekyll Island, GA

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China on My Mind: Inspired by Travels Exhibit of Painting and Pottery

Presented by Jekyll Island Arts Association

The powerful visual inspirations from trips abroad have given us China on My Mind: Inspired by Travels, a collection of new work by two Jekyll Island Arts Association members, painter Linda Wunder and potter Nan Phillips. Wunder’s works of Chinese watercolor on rice paper, colored pencil, acrylic, mixed media and photography alongside Phillips’ high fire stoneware bring the Far East to the Golden Isles.

An Interior Designer by trade with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Linda Wunder enjoys her studio on Jekyll Island.  She wants her painting to reveal her impression of and feelings about a subject. Linda often paints by memory, however, her memory is refined by the feelings the subject is generating.  She truly feels sentiment and mood should prevail in a successful painting. This collection, inspired by her travel to China, has allowed Linda to share her impressions through the integration of traditional Chinese brushwork and contemporary techniques.

Nan Phillips, a Potter since 1957, holds a Bachelor of Arts. She calls the Jekyll Island Pottery Guild in the basement of Goodyear Cottage home.  Nan states, “When I first touched potters clay I knew that I wanted to make beautiful things with this medium for the rest of my life. Everyday, I deal with earth, water, air and fire, each in its proper proportion, all in a rhythm dictated by nature’s science.” Nan’s new collection, inspired by China, is a reminder to her, “My art keeps me connected with all the potters whoever worked in mountain caves, desert canyons and village markets. I think how these pots of mine will outlive me and be passed down from user to user.”

China on My Mind: Inspired by Travels , a collection of new work by these two exceptional artists will be for sale during their show at Goodyear Cottage in Jekyll Island’s Historic District February 1st – March 8th as well as at the artist reception Sunday, February 1st from 1-3 PM. Admission is always free at Goodyear’s gallery and shop, where regular hours are M-F Noon – 4 PM and weekends 10 AM-4 PM. For more information call 635-3920.