Opening reception of 'Christopher Lane - Circle of Life,' Sumter Artists' Guild Winners Show is Jan. 19

STAFF REPORT

The Sumter County Gallery of Art invites the public to the opening reception of "Christopher Lane - Circle of Life" and the Sumter Artists' Guild Winners Show from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19.

The gallery is honored to present Lane's first institutional solo exhibition that illustrates how we are all interconnected, according to a news release from the gallery. "Lane, who was born in Minnesota in 1968, spent these formative years inspired by regional artists Thomas Hart Benton, Andy Warhol, Georgia O'Keeffe and Roy Lichtenstein. His early teenage years were spent in Cairo, Egypt, where his work was influenced by the great architecture, sculpture, symbolism, hieroglyphs and the expressive colors used in their paintings. During this time, Christopher discovered he had dyslexia. After completing high school, he spent a year living in Paris, which fueled his creative instincts. He returned to the United States and pursued an art degree at Eastern New Mexico University but left to support his young family while serving in the United States Navy as a submariner.

"Lane has made his home in South Carolina, where he continues to use fantastic imagery to turn his life experiences into visual stories that primarily focus on people and their relationships with one another. Employing flora and fauna, Lane's stories often feature historical, political or spiritual narratives as Christopher is passionate about these subjects. Christopher is a modern Surrealist and a storyteller.

"For the last 10 years, Christopher has created unity themed oil and acrylic paintings and presented them in multiple galleries in both group and solo exhibitions. He has been in many of South Carolina's most prominent group exhibitions including The South Carolina Watermedia Society Exhibition and Artfields several times. Lane is currently featured in a group exhibition at The Holy Art Gallery in London."

Along with Lane's exhibit, local artists will be featured in the annual Sumter Artists' Guild Winners Show judged by Kyle Coleman, former Sumter gallery education director and current fine arts manager at ArtFields in Lake City.

The show will include the works of Linda Beard, first-time winner, who received Best in Show for her watercolor of a crashing wave titled "Wild and Free." Following Beard is first-place winner Barbara Dunn Rowe's clay sculpture "Sinister Masquerade," second-place winner Olivia Cardello Tucker with her metal-and-ink sculpture, The Family Tree," and third-place winner Carolita Cantrell's oil painting, "Searching Twilight." Honorable mentions also on exhibit are Jane Hray's embroidered "Erin's Afternoon at The Flower Shop," Jenna Binion's autobiographical photocollage "Just Sleep When the Baby Sleeps" and Kerry Strathman's oil painting of a spirited horse, "Feeling It." And, don't forget the People's Choice award-winner, Julie Watts' retro Holiday Inn sign, "Get A Room."

The reception is sponsored by the Sumter Artists' Guild with flowers courtesy of Poinsett Garden Club and the Council of Garden Clubs of Sumter. Masks are recommended.

Both exhibits will continue at the gallery, 200 Hasel St., through Feb. 17.