Wednesday, April 2, 2003
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Wednesday, April 2, 2003 |
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Traveling "Women of Substance" exhibit features work by local artists, arts groups By MICHAEL
BOYLAN While fans of fine art can travel to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum to see portraits of our presidents, those looking for something a little more local can take in the "Women of Substance" exhibit presented by the Southern Crescent Alliance of Visual Artists (SCAVA). The exhibit, which features over 30 paintings of notable American women, recently ran at the Coweta County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The exhibit now moves to the Griffin Gallery - Welcome Center Depot in Spalding County before traveling to the Fayette County Public Library in May and the Peachtree City Library in June. It will also run at the Georgia National Fair for part of October and then will spend the rest of the year at Chateau Elan in Braselton. SCAVA was founded in July of 1997 as a way to unite local arts groups and make them stronger. There are over 775 members in SCAVA coming from arts groups in Clayton, Carroll, Fayette, Coweta, Henry and Spalding counties among others. They hold a juried art show in February of each year and participate in different contests and exhibits each year. SCAVA has also displayed their art in the Georgia State Capitol for three consecutive years. The "Women of Substance" exhibit has been largely successful for SCAVA and the group is trying to plan another exhibit based on Georgia's state parks. The exhibit features both well-known and not so well-known American women both alive and dead. Some of the women featured in the exhibit are Helen Keller, Christa McAuliffe, Peggy Lee, Eleanor Roosevelt, Maya Angelou, Loretta Lynn and local pilot Pauline Mallary. Mallary was painted by Barbara Scruggs of Grantville, an artist since 1966 whose portrait of Mallary was her second portrait ever. "I met Pauline and read her autobiography and thought I really need to paint her," said Scruggs. "Besides, I was tired of trying to paint dead people." Many of the artists who contributed to the exhibit have won awards at different competitions and do commissioned work from time to time but they are involved with art out of love and a need to express themselves visually. "SCAVA gives both beginner and professional artists a support system," said SCAVA President and Fayetteville resident Gloria Solly. "Everyone looks at life differently and artists learn from other artists." The different styles of paintings in the "Women of Substance" exhibit may be one of its most striking attributes. One painting may be more abstract, while another may be more classical. Visitors to the exhibit not only learn a little bit about each woman that is the subject of a painting but also learn about the artist by examining his or her style and their choice and treatment of the subject. The viewing of the "Women of Substance" exhibit is free and none of the paintings are on sale. A book featuring photos of the paintings and a small bio on each subject is available at the exhibit for $5. For more information on SCAVA, visit www.scavagroup.com. |
