Wiley Akers, “Post Covid – Post Modern” and Don Green, “New Paintings and Sculpture”
Exhibition Dates: April 2-30, 2023
Gallery Hop: Friday, April 7, 7-9pm
Reception: Friday, April 21, 7-9pm
Wiley Akers’ new work is an exploration of humans in an abstract style. With an empty mind and no preconceived ideas or plans Akers begins with pencil marks on the canvas of a human form, as if the image and artist is having a conversation on how to evolve. After studying the marks, one thing leads to another with paint. Some are quickly done to repress thinking while others are completed over days.
“The Light” and “Smile” by Wiley Akers
Wiley Akers has a BFA in painting and a MEd from UNCG. He has taught art to middle and high school students for 25 years.
Don Green is exhibiting new paintings and sculptures inspired by the natural landscape. His large-scale paintings reflect the Abstract Expressionist style of art representation. The source of inspiration is primarily nature: the land, rocks, streams, trees, etc. His sculpture is also influenced by the natural world: mountains, sky, trees especially distorted or odd shaped trees with more character.
“Untitled Bronze 1” and “Reynolda Greenway” by Don Green
Don Green received his MFA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin in 1966, his BFA from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois in 1964, and an Advertising Art Degree from the American Academy of Art, Chicago, Illinois in 1956.
Barbara Rizza Mellin: Lunaria 51: Faith in the Future
Barbara Rizza Mellin: Lunaria 59: Glowing Daydreams
Barbara Rizza Mellin: Lunaria 64: Soul of Moonbeams
Barbara Rizza Mellin: Lunaria 52: Bouquet of Moonbeams
Barbara Rizza Mellin: Lunaria 63: Moonbeam Necklace
Wiley Akers, “Chin Warmer”
Wiley Akers
Wiley Akers calls the work in his show an expression of “I Don’t Know Mind,” saying, “the best art that I have created in the past came about, for the most part, because I didn’t know what I was doing. So with an empty mind and no preconceived ideas or plans I start making pencil marks without looking at the canvas.” Upon the artist looking at the marks he determines if it wants to “become something.” Akers process allows one thing to lead to another; some quickly done to repress thinking, while others taking days.
Wiley Akers has a BFA and a MEd from UNCG. He taught art to middle and high school students for 25 years. In addition to his shows at Artworks Gallery he has exhibited at ASU, WCU, UNCG, and Delurk Gallery.
Owens Daniels, “BLM”
Owens Daniels
Owens Daniels uses the visual arts to express his interpretation of the world, and photography to open unexplored spaces between the subject and viewer exposing them both to a world of opportunities and experiences. “Digital Protest 2020” in a narrow sense is “Social Realism Art,” a term used for works by painters, printmakers, photographers, writers and filmmakers that aims to draw attention to socio-political, equity and social justice conditions of the working class. This work also operates as a means to critique the power structures that produce the environment and culture for these conditions.
2019 Duke Energy Grant and Z Smith Reynolds Lead Artist for the Presence Absence Project awardee, Owens Daniels is a visual artist/photographer, educator and the face behind ODP Art+Design Bold, Creative and Innovative Artwork. In addition to formal training at the U.S Army Photographic School of Cartography, Daniels has worked as a freelance photographer and served as Artist in Residences, participated in Public Art Installations, and been the recipient of grants and varied other commissions.
Barbara Rizza Mellin,”Lunaria 65 Garden Lanterns”
Barbara Rizza Mellin
Barbara Rizza Mellin’s“Lunaria,” showcases in black and white, the delicate beauty of the unpretentious plant, sometimes called Honesty or Money Plant. The exhibit of carborundum mezzotints is made up of two components: a wall installation of 48 6-inch-square mezzotints, as well as 16 framed mezzotint print images, each with an original haiku. As an art historian, Mellin likes to reinterpret traditional media and techniques, using less toxic materials for modern audiences.
Barbara Rizza Mellin is a printmaker, painter, and writer, who has been a member of Artworks Gallery since 2017. She is also a member of several local and national professional organizations including AAWS, AFAS, the DADA Collective, the International Mezzotint Society and Winston-Salem Writers.
The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Artworks Gallery, Inc. 564 North Trade Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Gallery phone: 336-723-5890 March Gallery Hours: Friday 12-3 Saturday 11-5 Sunday 1-4 Or by appointment at shop@artworks-gallery.org
