Sunset River Marketplace art gallery in Calabash, N.C. will feature acrylic works by gallery owner Ginny Lassiter in an exhibition titled An Artist’s Journey: Abstracts By Ginny Lassiter. The show opens Tuesday, Jan. 6 and runs through Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015.
Structures, acrylic on canvas by Ginny Lassiter
A native of Wilson, N.C. Lassiter has always been a creative soul. She’s a potter, she paints, she sketches, and she designs fabrics. She graduated from East Carolina University with a major in art and an emphasis in Int
erior Design.
Night Glow, acrylic on canvas by Ginny Lassiter
“My work has always been related to art,” Lassiter says. “But I didn’t start painting seriously until about two years ago after I sat in one of the gallery’s workshops with Sterling Edwards. He really pushed me to develop my own voice, my own art.”
Calabash #1, acrylic on canvas by Ginny Lassiter
Lassiter also credits her design instructor at East Carolina, the late Warren Chamberlain. “He helped me hone my drawing and composition skills and taught me how to critique my own work. With his help, I learned the importance of spontaneity and the value in limiting my palette. It keeps the work from becoming too busy.” For pure inspiration, she cites the work of internationally known Myrtle Beach, S.C. native Brian Rutenberg.
Working with a warm palette of earth tones, Lassiter has created a sophisticated collection for her exhibition. She adds, “For me now, it has to be spontaneous and has to be expressive. I think that’s why the abstract process is so exciting for me. It frees me to be those things.”
Lassiter is at the gallery most days and happy to answer questions about her art.
Other upcoming gallery events include:
Paint & Party: Birch Trees
Wednesday, Jan. 21
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
$35 per person
Reservations are required for this “after work” art class for adults. Participants will be creating their own acrylic landscapes of birch trees on canvas. The gallery provides all instruction, paint, canvases and other supplies for the evening. Participants should bring their own beverage. For information, call 910.575.5999
Special Exhibition & Reception
An Artist’s Legacy
Tuesday, Jan. 20 – Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015
Reception: Saturday, Jan. 24, 2 – 5 p.m.
The gallery will be celebrating the lives and work of four of its artists who passed away in the recent past: Betty Bee, Brenda “Bree” Goff, Ed Fitzgerald and Ramona Batsford Bendin. Some of the works shown will be available for purchase. Family members will be at the reception. The public is invited and there is no admission charge.
About Sunset River Marketplace
Since opening in 2002, Sunset River Marketplace has become an active supporter of performing, literary and visual arts in the area. The 10,000 square-foot gallery features work by over 200 North and South Carolina artists. Its on-site pottery studio has two kilns and three wheels for use by students. Ongoing oil, pastel and watercolor classes are also provided, in addition to workshops by nationally known artists. The gallery’s Coffee With the Authors programs feature presentations by local and regional offers. A Paint & Party series provides a fun after-work experience for those with no previous art background. The gallery’s framing department offers full-service, on-site custom frame design.
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. From January through March the gallery closes on Mondays. For more information, visit the website (www.sunsetrivermarketplace.com) or “like” the gallery’s Facebook page, which is updated daily. Reach the gallery by telephone at 910.575.5999.