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James Gemma EXPLORING: New Directions in Abstraction
And Kimberly Varnadoe UNDER THE SUN: New Directions with Light

Exhibition dates: October 27 - November 30, 2019
Reception Sunday, November 10, 2 – 4 pm
Gallery Hop: Friday, November 1, 7 - 10 pm

James Gemma recently began pursuing acrylic painting in an expressionistic, abstract manner. This exhibition represents a personal exploration of new directions for Gemma. Color and shape relationships are key, but in these approaches, Gemma strives for a free style that maintains principles of organization. The objective is not to focus on any one idea, but to find those that best realize his personal vision. The works in this exhibit are a manifestation of this experimentation.

After graduating with advanced degrees from The Ohio State University and careers as university professor and consumer research professional, James Gemma studied art and printmaking at Salem College (under Kimberly Varnadoe), and at Wake Forest University.  He also has participated in multiple art workshops at Penland, the Huntington Museum of Art, and the Sawtooth Center for Visual Art. Gemma served four years as board member of Associated Artists of Winston Salem. As Marketing Chairperson of that group, he created the Practicing Artist Series of lectures and critiques, bringing the participation of nationally known artists to Winston-Salem. He is currently a practicing artist, and has been a member of Artworks Gallery in downtown Winston-Salem since 2009.
 

Kimberly Varnadoe is experimenting with cyanotypes and other light based applications combined with collage and mixed media techniques. Varnadoe has worked with a focus on light throughout her artistic career and has recently explored cyanotype, pushing the boundaries of the medium and incorporating it with experience in printmaking and experimental photography. “Under the Sun” is an aspect of this recent work, as each piece in this exhibition has been created through the exposure to natural sunlight.

Kimberly Varnadoe, Professor of Art at Salem College in Winston-Salem, received her BFA in Painting from the University of South Alabama and her MFA in Printmaking from the University of Memphis. She has exhibited her work nationally and internationally, extensively in North Carolina and in a number of galleries throughout the southeast US. She has been a member of Artworks Gallery, the longest running co-op gallery in Winston-Salem, since 2003 and has served on Artworks Gallery Executive Board since 2007. 
 

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