Festival Hall in downtown Greensboro will mark a milestone when it hosts the Georgia Watercolor Society Member Exhibition Sept. 14 through Oct. 26.
The event is open to the public.
“This will mark the first time this annual exhibition has been displayed in this area,” says Steve Kippels, co-chair of the exhibition and a Greensboro resident.
The show will feature around 80 watercolors from artists throughout Georgia and the Southeast. GWS accepts all kinds of water media: gouache, acrylic, tempera, acrylic ink, casein, and, of course, watercolor. These artists will compete for awards totaling $3,000. Many of the framed watercolors are for sale.
A painting demonstration, opening reception, and awards ceremony will be held on Sept. 28. Jurist Anne Hightower-Patterson will demonstrate her painting style from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by the opening reception and awards announcement from noon to 2 p.m.
All the events are open to the public.
Hightower-Patterson, of Newberry, Tenn., is a quintessentially American watercolor artist celebrating over 60 years in the arts. She is a signature member of both the American Watercolor Society and the Transparent Watercolor Society. As a celebrated artist, she has been the subject of multiple articles and books, including a recent feature in Fine Arts Connoisseur Magazine’s American Masters Series.
Hightower-Patterson will also conduct a three-day workshop to help artists tackle a sharp-focused still life that “blends realism with a painterly flair.”
The workshop is open to advanced beginners and intermediate artists. To learn more, visit the Georgia Watercolor Society’s website (georgiawatercolorsociety.com).
The early bird registration deadline is Aug. 25. Register now for a $50 discount.
GWS President Viviane Van Giesen, Watkinsville, stresses that artists do not need to be GWS members to take the workshop.
Hightower-Patterson says, “You can explore the art of painting fine china and sunlit shadows in a beautiful style. This workshop is not about photorealism; it’s about achieving artistic realism.
You’ll learn techniques for transferring photographic images onto paper realistically to capture the nuances of light and shadow effectively.”
The Georgia Watercolor Society has been supporting this beautiful art form since 1975. It promotes water media painting as a rich and vibrant medium in Georgia and provides education, demonstrations, workshops, outreach programs, and juried competitions for its nearly 400 members.
Go to the GWS website to explore the fine art exhibited at previous shows, learn about upcoming exhibitions, and join the Society.
Artists of any level and non-artists who want to support the arts are all welcome to join.
The exhibition's site is Festival Hall, a performing and visual arts facility and event venue unlike any other in Georgia’s Lake Country.
Located in the heart of historic downtown Greensboro, Festival Hall is rich in history and offers a versatile setting for any event.
Stop by Festival Hall during regular hours to see the exhibition.