Sumter gallery hosts exhibit featuring 2 artists that opens Jan. 16

Sumter County Gallery of Art brings a new exhibition to town with Roni Nicole Henderson's "Solace," her first solo exhibit, and Bob Warner's "Out of This World," from Jan. 16 to March 7, at the gallery, 200 Hasel St.

The exhibition will begin with an opening reception and artist talk with Warner from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16.

Henderson is a Columbia-based writer, filmmaker and photographer who earned her MFA in Film and Television at Savannah College of Art and Design. Her work has been exhibited in galleries, museums and film festivals across the country and internationally including Spelman Museum in Atlanta; Leonard Pearlstein Gallery, Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Museum of Contemporary Art in Atlanta; Blackstar Film Festival in Philadelphia; New Orleans Film Festival; and the Columbia Museum of Art. Henderson's photography was published in the 2018 release MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora, and in 2017, she self-published a memoir titled "Of Grace and Moons: The Making of Grace." Henderson was recently awarded a Columbia Mellon Monuments Fellowship by Wideman-Davis Dance and is working to accomplish two creative milestones - publishing her first book of poetry with photographs as well as producing her first feature film, "Grace."

Warner is a native of Chicago, born in 1947. He has been married for 45 years to Dr. Carol Carson-Warner, who is a member of Sumter County Gallery of Art Board of Directors and whose large family has roots in Sumter. Warner is a father, grandfather, mentor and friend. He has been a collage artist since childhood who, as an only child, found his niche in expressing himself, his ideas and his experiences through art. Warner attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania as an undergraduate student. He studied history at University of Chicago and was mentored by the acclaimed historian John Hope Franklin. Warner's love for history and jazz is what inspires him.

Warner's exhibition "Out of This World" (the title of one of his favorite John Coltrane songs) reflects his love of jazz, Black studies, Black culture, life experiences and family. All inform his art. He creates pieces that extol a time, the players and events of his people. His fascination with cardboard, cloth, textured material and myriad other tossed-away items has redefined his own visual and conceptual vocabulary. His work has been exhibited in Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; and Sumter.

The Warners moved from Chicago to Sumter five years ago, and Warner says he loves living in the country. Warner has an insatiable knowledge and curiosity about the world. His art studio, in a separate building, is a magical place lined with books, family photographs, jazz records and collages in various states of creation. In addition to making art, Warner writes poetry and will read a poem during his artist talk on opening night. He is an active member of Sumter Artists' Guild and always enters the annual Guild exhibition.

The gallery thanks the generous support of Sumter businesses, organizations and individuals: SAFE Federal Credit Union, FTC, CRW Insurance and Drs. Brenda and Joseph Williams, Sumter County Government, Williams Brice Edwards Charitable Trust, SC Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. Flowers courtesy of Poinsett Garden Club and the Council of Garden Clubs of Sumter.