July’s art calendar is full, with a heavy nod to female artists and themes.
The Olde Town Inn Peach Gala is Friday, July 7 starting at 6 p.m. Owner Melinda Swift is hosting the event to celebrate the inn’s 135th anniversary.
“I ran into Melinda on the way to the Imperial Theatre for a concert when she stopped me to ask if I would be interested in making art for her upcoming gala,” according to Francie Klopotic, who is curating the art show. “She is naming each of the five rooms at the Olde Town Inn after local women of history: Butterfly McQueen, Agnes Holliman, Princess Augusta, Marion Hollins and Celia DeLaigle who built the Inn in 1870. These art pieces will be featured in each of the rooms.”
The event will raise funds for a scholarship as well as to offer accommodations for breast cancer patients who stay at the inn while they are in town receiving treatment.
“There will be an art tour throughout the Inn on the night of the gala, and artists will be present to talk about their work. Melinda wants to be a part of the arts community and hopes to use her Inn as an art gallery after this event,” she said.
For ticket information, visit https://www.oldetowninnaugusta.com/peachgala
Also on July 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. is the opening reception for the Second Annual Femmes de Pouvoir — Goddess Edition Art Exhibition at 600 Broad Gallery, 600 Broad St.
The group exhibition, through 4P Studios, highlights women of power.
“This July, we choose to celebrate ‘Women of Power’ with the ‘Goddess Edition’ by sharing the creative talents of our artistic community through displaying a variety of artwork. Some pieces are interpretations of what a ‘Woman of Power’ or ‘Goddess’ represents, while other works display a representation of the strength of the collective female energies shared in strong and healthy friendships/relationships,” according to the Facebook event page.
Artists include Alena Rensch, Alexandrea Johnson, Alicia Cully, Christina Rice, Debra Estep, Francie Klopotic, Guy Sherman Smith, Jean Brejda, Kimberly Oakley, Lexi Kay White, Matthew Berry, May Tuschen and Rhian Swain.
At Augusta & Co. is the reception for Becca Anchor’s Quilted Blooms exhibition from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday.
Anchor focuses on oil painting and ceramics. She uses different media and formats to “explore the development of a home using sentimental patterns, plants and architectural detailing,” according to a post at the Greater Augusta Arts Council website.
Quilted Blooms blends Augusta’s Garden City nickname with its history of cotton and textile production.
Rhian Swain’s Breaking the Barriers — Women Who Impacted The Arts exhibition is dedicated to female artists and is on display at the City Gallery located in the lobby of the Augusta Richmond County Municipal Building at 535 Telfair St. through Aug. 22.
The reception will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., July 14.
The exhibition had a short run at the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History in March. Read about the concept here.
There are 30 artists participating in the Augusta Poster Show. Most of them are from the Augusta area, but there are entrants from other cities including Jacksonville, Fla., Columbia, Atlanta, St. Louis and Raleigh, N.C.
Rachel Baker, Kenneth James Benson, Carrie Brooks, Brian Brownlee, Dawn M. Cardona, Degan Cheek, Jason Craig, Matt Dawson, Mikaela Fuchs, Roberta Hall, Lila Jimenez, Leanne Munro Johnson, Tiraj Johnson-Garay, Andrew Lawandus, Jeremy Mace, Cait Maloney Gabe Marshall, Brett Mosher, Addison Niday, Jon Paschal, Matt Schaade, Colleen Beyer Stewart, Peter C. Stitt, Brad Stoneking, Chad Tolley, Jacki Van Dyke, Autumn Von Plinsky, Drake White, Josh Whiting and Leonard Porkchop Zimmerman have created posters for the show.
The awards will be presented at a VIP reception from 6 to 9 p.m. July 14 at CANDL Fine Art, 1128 Broad St. Tickets are $10. The exhibition will be free and open to the public on July 15.
An exhibition celebrating The Art of the Rings/The Fellowship of the Art show opened July 1 at Le Chat Noir.
It’s inspired by The Lord of the Rings‘ universe and mark the 69th anniversary of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring novel release.
Artists included in this exhibition are Aaron Bailey, Emma Bailey, Jeremy Cohen, curator Heather René Dunaway, Debra Estep, Joey Hart, Francie Klopotic, Dren Munitz, Cynthia Maria Panzella, PASC (Jon Paschal), Erica Pastecki, Christina Rice, Rhian Swain and Jacki Mayo Van Dyke.
A free reception will be from 6 to 9 p.m. July 21 with cocktails and food based on the Lord of the Rings Theme. Also, the extended edition of the Fellowship of the Ring film will be shown in the Le Chat Noir Theatre, according to the Facebook event.
Costumes are strongly encouraged.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News, has covered Augusta’s news for 35 years. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
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