Artists Collective | Spartanburg presents ‘Informing the Hand’ exhibit
Greenville artist Nancy Thomas’s retrospective show July 6-31
“Informing the Hand: Form, Figure and the Artist’s Journey,” an upcoming exhibition at the Artists Collective | Spartanburg, is a retrospective of the evolution of Greenville artist Nancy Thomas and the influences classical art has had on her. The show will run from July 6 through 31 in the Collective’s Solomon Gallery.
“The exhibition will feature some work never shown before and will show the process of art making and artist making over time and style development,” says show curator Erin O’Neal. “‘Informing the Hand’ is the life process of becoming and evolving as an artist. The eye and the hand learn from the repetition and time spent focusing on light, color and meaning.”
Thomas, a native of Rock Hill who moved to Greenville in 1986, says, “This exhibit shows a body of work done while studying classical art. Most great masters have studied the rigors of classical art. It provides a greater understanding for students of art. This is an educational exhibit aimed at providing an appreciation of the classical methods and history that evolved from ancient Greece and Rome.
“Classical training allows the art student to push the mind to observe life more precisely, resulting in an elevated awareness when working,” she adds.
The exhibit will feature paintings and figurative drawings, anatomy, still life, landscapes and other subjects. “It is a retrospective of two-dimensional works in charcoals, pastels, oils and acrylics,” she says.
The most important feature of the exhibit is its educational theme, Thomas says.
A film produced by South Carolina Educational TV director Brandie Perron, “Art, Self Expression and Antique Technique,” will be shown throughout the exhibition. Perron also will provide a talk during the opening reception from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 15, in the gallery during Spartanburg’s Art Walk.
“I’m honored to be a part of the growing arts community in Spartanburg through the Artists Collective as they continue to elevate an appreciation of the arts in their community,” says Thomas, who received a BFA in visual arts from Winthrop University. She also trained at the Fine Arts League of Asheville from 2003 through 2007.
