cbellamy@heraldsun.com; 419-6744
Fans of the blues and other traditional Southern music are probably familiar with the work of Music Maker Relief Foundation, the Hillsborough-based nonprofit that helps to support many of the purveyors of traditional music. Raleigh-based photographer Jimmy Williams has been photographing many of the artists for the past two years. Williams has taken portraits of Durham's John Dee Holeman, Sweet Betty, Drink Small and other Music Maker artists.
A solo exhibit of Williams' photos, "Music Makers," will be on view May 21-June 27 at the Durham Art Guild, 120 Morris St. Holeman will perform during an opening reception May 21. More details will be available later in the year.
Here are some more visual arts exhibits coming in the months ahead:
n The Ackland Art Museum at UNC will present two exhibits simultaneously, beginning in January, commemorating the work of Felrath Hines (1913-1993) and Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000). "Color Balance: Paintings by Felrath Hines," pulls together 14 paintings and four drawings that Hines' widow Dorothy Fisher donated to the Ackland, the North Carolina Central University Art Museum and the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. Hines was known for his use of color in abstract forms on large canvases. In many of his paintings, areas of color are painted on a canvas, with each area defined by a thin white line. This exhibit premieres at the Ackland Jan. 15 before traveling to the Nasher and NCCU museums. It is on view until May 9).
The Lawrence exhibit (Jan. 15-May 9), "Jacob Lawrence and The Legend of John Brown," coincides with the 150th anniversary of the abolitionist leader's raid on Harper's Ferry. Lawrence originally painted 22 gouache paintings chronicling Brown's life. By 1977 the paintings were in poor condition, and a Detroit museum asked him to re-create the series as silkscreen prints. He did 22 of these silkscreens, which will be on view at the Ackland. (For information, call the Ackland at 843-3675.)
n In September, visual artist and musician Satch Hoyt began building "Celestial Vessel" at Liberty Arts studio in Durham. "Celestial Vessel" is a canoe-shaped structure to which red, vinyl 45 rpm records will be attached. Hoyt's work will be on view as part of "The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl," which will go on view at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University Sept. 2. This exhibit looks at the relationship of the record to visual art.
Another exhibit at Nasher, "Lines of Attack: Conflicts in Caricature," looks at the history of political cartooning and satire. This exhibit includes works like Honore Daumier's 1832 drawing "Le cauchemar (The Nightmare)," and a Garry Trudeau "Doonesbury" strip. This exhibit opens Feb. 4 and runs through May 16.
Beginning March 25, the exhibit "Displacement: Three Gorges Dam and Contemporary Chinese Art" will travel to the Nasher Museum. Three Gorges Dam on the Yangzi River in China will be the world's largest generator of hydro-electric power. But this power comes at a human price: to date, 1 million people have been displaced. In this exhibit four artists in different media respond to this event -- Liu Xiaodong, Yun-fei Ji, Zhuang Hui and Chen Qiulin. This exhibit is on view through July 25. (For Nasher information, call 684-5135.)
n Works by folk artists -- sometimes called outsider artists -- will be on exhibit and for sale at the Eighth Annual Fearrington Folk Art Show, to be held Feb. 20 and 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Fearrington Village in Pittsboro. Among the artists in this show are Missionary Mary Proctor, Clyde Jones and many others. Tickets are $5 (free for children 12 and under). (For information, visit www.fearrington.com).
A separate wine and hors d'oeuvres reception will be held Feb. 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $25. To make reservations, visit www.fearrington.com/village/folkart.asp.
n UNC is now presenting, through May 31, "Ice Counterpoint," a display of large paintings and photographs of the Norwegian Arctic and Antarctica. The display will be used as the basis for a series of discussions related to global warming and its impact. The exhibit is on view at the FedEx Global Education Center, at the corner of McCauley and Pittsboro streets. The works are on view 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays. For information and other details, visit http://global.unc.edu/ or call 962-2435.
n The Durham Arts Council, 120 Morris St., will present two new exhibits Jan. 15-March 21: "Transient Memories: Photographs by Steven Gregory" and "Under the Influence: Abstract Paintings in Acrylic by Don Mertz." For details, call 560-2787.
n The Durham Art Guild's annual SweetArts fundraiser is scheduled for Feb. 13. More details will be forthcoming. The Guild also will present photographs by Andrew Ross and Michael Donnor, along with two curated shows by Jim Kellough and Teka Selman. For details and updates, call 560-2713 or visit www.durhamartguild.org.
n The Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History will present "La Sombra y el Espíritu: Womens' Healing Rituals in the Diaspora," featuring works by painter Lucia Mendez and photographer Wendy Phillips, beginning Feb. 4 in the Robert and Sallie Brown Gallery and Museum. An opening reception will be held Feb. 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. For details, call 962-9001.
