Sunset River Marketplace art gallery in Calabash announces the opening of two art exhibitions in June. Tarheel Wandering: a Journey in Black & White features the sgraffito pottery of Lincoln County artist Raine Middleton. An opening reception for Tarheel Wandering is scheduled for June 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. The show runs through July 29. POV: Abstraction showcasing abstract acrylic paintings by gallery owner Ginny Lassiter also opens June 7. It runs through July 8.
Lincoln County , NC artist Raine Middleton follows a path of creativity originally taken by her ancestors. She refers to herself as a “master doodler.” She throws porcelain on the pottery wheel, painting the piece in black slip. She paints her designs freehand on each piece and then carves out the background. The ancient pottery decorating technique is known as Sgraffito and Middleton is indeed a master.
According to the artist, “Tarheel Wandering refers to the physical wandering of a traveler as well as the more esoteric wandering of a native North Carolinian. As an artist, my pottery designs are inspired by the beauty of the state from mountains, piedmont, and coastal regions.”
Fresh from showing at the Arts Council in Wilson, NC, Ginny Lassiter brings her exhibition of abstract acrylics back to the beach in an exhibition titled POV: Abstraction. She has a keen eye and uses a limited palette adeptly, the result being a body of work with rich coloration and an architectural feel.
Although she graduated from East Carolina University with a major in art, Lassiter didn’t start painting seriously until 2013 when she sat in on a workshop with North Carolina artist Sterling Edwards. “He really pushed me to develop my own voice, my own art,” she says. She also credits her design instructor at East Carolina, the late Warren Chamberlain. “With his help, I learned the importance of spontaneity and the value in limiting my palette. It keeps the work from becoming too busy.”
Sunset River Marketplace showcases work by approximately 150 North and South Carolina artists, and houses some 10,000 square feet of oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, mixed media, art glass, fabric art, pottery, sculpture, turned and carved wood and artisan-created jewelry. There are two onsite kilns and four wheels used by students in the ongoing pottery classes offered by the gallery. A custom framing department is available. There are realistic and abstract art classes as well as workshops by nationally and regionally known artists. The gallery’s Coffee With the Authors programs feature presentations by local and regional authors. A Paint & Party series provides a fun after-work experience for those with no previous art background. For more information, call 910.575.5999 or visit the website at www.sunsetrivermarketplace.com.
Sunset River Marketplace is located at 10283 Beach Drive SW (Hwy. 179), Calabash, N.C. Regular hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For daily updates, “like” the gallery’s page on Facebook.