Q&A with Artwork’s member Owens Daniels

How would you describe your work?

Innovative, bold, and creative is how I would describe my work. There is a saying that, “nothing is new under the sun” and I hold to that quote in my work, which means I don’t try to reinvent the wheel. What I do is use the tools at hand in a creative way and take risks with new methods or forms to create artwork from ordinary life and offer the viewer a different perspective of the subject to make the artwork extraordinary to them.

How have you changed as an artist over the years?

The biggest change I have experienced over the years has been becoming an artist. I spent my life perfecting the technical side of photography. I discovered that the art of photography is having something to say. The more I explored the narrative of a picture the more I wanted to try different methods to give a voice to the moment of the picture. Once I accepted the art of being a photographer/visual artist/creative I could accept the changes in my photographic style and vision which continue to evolve.

What artists have influenced your work?

So many artists have influenced my work. Artist Diego Velazquez’s intimate portrait touch and Caravaggio’s bold contrast in highlights and shadows. Photographers Bruce Davidson, Eugene Smith, Steve Curry, Eli Reed, and many others such as Anthony Barboza, Roy DeCarava, and Louis Draper.

Do you have a favorite medium?

My favorite medium to work with is photography. I love its flexibility in post-processing.

What does making art mean in your life?

Art is my voice to communicate to the world that I am here and that because I am here I have something to add to the other voices of humanity.

Anything else you think is important?

An unknown quote I like is “If art does not inspire you to change, move, live then it is not art.”

March 3, 2022March 3, 2022

Q&A with artist Lea Lackey-Zachmann

How would you describe your work?

For this exhibition “Transitioning”, I would say the mixture of printmaking, painting, sculpture, and drawing is evidence that my work is changing or in transition. “Transitioning” is the name of the combined exhibition of my work and Alix Hitchcock’s work. I’ve taken one idea /inspiration and followed five pieces in whatever direction they have flowed. I started with making large monotypes of tree shapes which developed into acrylic paintings. In addition to those five color schemes, a sculptural painting developed as a result of my wishing to say and show more. After that, the people that I know seemed to “fit” into the category of those colors and forms. Then the unique characteristics of the colors, forms, and people reminded me of mythological characters. The correspondences of color, form, meaning, and myth must be the next step or transition I will take in future work.

How have you changed as an artist over the years?

As an artist over time, I have learned to follow my instincts in art-making. I have learned how to maintain a steady studio practice, with occasional forays into new techniques. I’ve become more involved in the process of making than ever. I trust the process of going in the inspired direction with a freer expression more than ever.

What artists have influenced your work?

So many artists have been influential! Rothko, Toulous Lautrec, Kahlo, Monet, Michelangelo, Kandinsky, Hundertwasser, Joseph Raphael, Morris Louis, Bill Viola are a few that come to mind right now. I could type names all day.

Do you have a favorite medium?

I must say that all mediums are interesting to me. Acrylic paints, colored pencils, Dura-lar as a painted sculptural surface, printmaking inks, different kinds of papers are the most recent ones that I’ve enjoyed

What does making art mean in your life?

Making art for me is meaningful as it provides an outlet for my need for visual expression. Making art keeps me inspired for living. If I don’t make art for a few days, I find myself less than happy and often become unwell physically. It is essential to living.

Lea Lackey-Zachmann

February 4, 2022February 4, 2022

Meet Our Members

Q&A with artist Alix Hitchcock

How would you describe your work?

My art involves creating abstract compositions with images from natural objects (trees, plants) often combined with elements representing the human body. My mediums are ink, watercolor, and any drawing materials on paper, plus monotype printing with a press, or gelatin plate printing. I have also engaged in encaustic wax painting.

How have you changed as an artist over the years?

As an artist over time, I have learned to follow my instincts in art-making. I have learned how to maintain a steady studio practice, with occasional forays into new techniques or mediums at workshops. Teaching art has also helped me clarify for myself issues related to art-making. I do not work as large as I used to. And I still do not make art that is created for the sole purpose of being sellable to the public.

What artists have influenced your work?

I’m influenced by most of the artists of Art History, but especially Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky, Arthur Dove, Isabel Bishop, Lee Krasner collages, Brice Marden line ptgs, Sean Scully stripe ptgs, Eastern calligraphic brushwork, etc.

Do you have a favorite medium?

I work in all types of mediums that revolve around two-dimensional art-making, including printmaking and encaustic wax.

What does making art mean in your life?

Making art for me is meaningful as it provides an outlet for my need for visual expression and experimentation combined with incorporating my search for understanding life.

Alix Hitchcock

March 31, 2024March 31, 2024

April 2024 – Frank Campion

Frank Campion: Selected Works

Exhibition Dates: April 3 – 27, 2024

Also open for:
Gallery Hop: Friday, April 5, 7-9 pm
Art Crush: Friday, April 19, 7-10 pm
Artist’s reception: Thursday, April 11, 5- 7 pm

farrab, Acrylic on canvas, 48″ x 96″, 2023

Artworks is pleased to announce “Frank Campion: Selected Works,” a special solo exhibit of paintings and works on paper. This exhibition offers both large and small works executed between 2019 and 2023. In a variety of ways, the work explores his interest in the coexistence of chaos and order, the emotional content of color, and the dichotomies that define human nature: our instinct to judge the world and our experiences in an either/or way—good/bad, true/false, right/wrong, etc.

Kakinada, Acrylic on canvas, 72″ x 108”, 2023

Frank Campion started out in life as a successful starving artist in Boston. In the early 1980s, he was represented by the Clark Gallery and enjoyed three successful solo shows there as well as a solo exhibit at Bridgewater State College. He was also included in Boston Art Now, a juried group show at the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art and again the following year at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Additional group shows include the Sunne Savage Gallery, the Mona Berman Gallery, and Abstract Art in New England at the Danforth Museum. His work is included in both private and corporate collections in New England including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the DeCordova Museum.

After what can only be described as a lover’s quarrel with the art world, Campion put his studio in moth balls and took up a career on the creative side of the advertising business. After several agency jobs in Boston, he was recruited to Long, Haymes & Carr in Winston-Salem in 1989. He retired from this successful career in 2013 and began making art again. In 2016, he completed work on a studio at the back of his home in Clemmons, NC and began in earnest once again to create large abstract paintings on canvas as well as smaller works on paper.

THE IK (HEEK), acrylic on canvas, 46″ x 96″, 2020

Campion has enjoyed solo shows at the Stella G. Contemporary Gallery (Charlotte), Gallery VI (Winston-Salem), Salem College, the Sunset River Gallery (Calabash, NC). He has also been included in juried group shows at the LongView Gallery (Washington, DC), the Greenhill Gallery (Greensboro, NC), the Mark Arts/Mary Koch Gallery (Wichita, KS), and most recently “the future of non-objective art” at the Atlantic Gallery in New York City.

This exhibit is free and open to the public.

February 26, 2024February 26, 2024

March, 2024

“Warmth”
Featuring Julian Silverman: Photography and Elliot Strunk: Collage

Exhibition Dates: February 28 through March 30, 2024

Also open for:
Gallery Hop: Friday, March 1, 7-9 pm
Artist’s reception: Thursday, March 21, from 6-8 pm; Gallery talk @ 7pm

“Warmth” is the name of a new exhibit open during the month of March at Artworks Gallery in downtown Winston-Salem. The show is a combination of the work of two artists under a single theme: where comfort can be found. Whether it be in New York City, Havana, Osaka, or anywhere else in the world online or off, the human quest for warmth fosters connections and sparks interactions.

In addition to the work itself, certain pieces will have additional narration by the artists explaining the motivations behind their work.

“Art is…” by Elliot Strunk

“Sand” by Elliot Strunk

Elliot Strunk is a collage artist who uses found items in his work. His digital and traditional compositions highlight items of visual interest discarded once their original use has been exhausted or repurposed and infused with additional meaning. A throughline of his work is what we all consume in terms of food, time and information.

“The World is Yours”

Julian Silverman is a photographer from New York City who has recently relocated to Winston-Salem as an undergraduate student at Wake Forest University, where he is a Presidential Scholar in the arts. His work focuses on the beauty and human narratives that permeate everyday scenes.

This exhibit is free and open to the public.

February 2, 2024February 10, 2024

February, 2024

Steve Mizel:
“Color, Movement and Storytelling”

Exhibition Dates: January 28 through February 24, 2024

Also open for:
Gallery Hop: Friday, February 2, 7-9 pm
Artist’s reception: Sunday, February 4, from 3-5 pm; Gallery talk 3:30pm

Moving from the research lab to the art studio—a new exhibition by Steve Mizel opens January 28th at Artworks Gallery in Winston Salem. The exhibition features paintings and will be on display until February 24th.

A reception will be held on February 4th from 3-5 pm and is open to the public. Mizel will give a brief gallery talk at 3:30 pm on the 24th.

“The Great Divide”

In the exhibition titled Color, Movement and Storytelling, Mizel’s paintings range from the fully abstract to intense images of earth and sky. When Mizel paints a sky, he doesn’t paint what a sky looks like, but rather the emotion that it evokes. He hopes that viewers seeing his work will engage in an active conversation with each painting. In so doing, each work becomes much more than simply paint on a surface. In a sense, the painting changes with every viewer and every conversation.

“A New Beginning”

Mizel is an artist based in Lewisville, NC. He is Professor emeritus of Wake Forest University School of Medicine where he served as Chair of Microbiology & Immunology for the first 20 years of his appointment. In his career in biomedical research, Mizel was an internationally recognized immunologist who made major research contributions that not only advanced our understanding of the human immune system, but also catalyzed new therapies in medicine. In 2015, he retired and committed his full energy to making art. His work has been exhibited nationally in juried group exhibitions as well as in Winston Salem at Associated Artists of Winston Salem and Artworks Gallery where he is a juried member.

This exhibit is free and open to the public.

November 26, 2023December 20, 2023

Artworks Gallery Winter Exhibition

Exhibition Dates: November 26, 2023 – January 13, 2024

Also open for:
Gallery Hop: Friday, December 1, 7-9 pm
Art Crush: Friday, December 15, 7-9 pm

Artworks Gallery presents an all-members exhibition celebrating the cozy months of winter. These works will ignite the holiday spirit and inspire the serene ambiance perfect for the winter months.

“Maple Leaf Dreaming” by Mona Wu, “Opened” by Diane Nations and “Trough the Trees” by Lea Lackey-Zachmann

With a blend of traditional and contemporary mediums, this exhibit offers an intimate experience for you to savor and share a gift from the heArt. Celebrate the season with a warm shopping experience supporting our local artisans.

“Snobby Gourd” by Kathy Schermer-Gramm and “Ready to Fly” by Alix Hitchcock

This exhibit is free and open to the public.

October 29, 2023October 30, 2023

November, 2023

Wendell Myers:
“Arboreal Dreamscapes”

Exhibition Dates: October 29 – November 23, 2023

Also open for:
Gallery Hop: Friday, November 3, 7-9 pm (Artist will be in attendance.)
Art Crush: Friday, November 17, 7-9 pm

Wendell Myers is entranced by the transformative power of improvisation and the extraordinary outcomes that arise with spontaneity and reaction. Jazz music, with its emphasis on evoking emotion, stirring the heart, and kindling creativity, has been a wellspring of inspiration for his work.

“Dreaming in Gold”

Myers artworks take the form of abstract landscapes, weaving together memories from the diverse places he has inhabited and explored throughout life. His creations are a tribute to the ever-changing beauty of the natural world. Through his art, Myers aspires to encapsulate the very essence of these locales and share his profound affection for them with others.

“Purple Fantasy”

Painting, with its immediacy and ability to yield rapid results, is a medium that can be guided but never entirely controlled. Myers employs motion, light, color, and energy as a vocabulary to evoke emotional states and conjure an air of mystery. A fascination with improvisation is ever-present, resembling the improvisational nature of jazz, where musicians simultaneously listen, react, and create. In the realm of both music and art, it is the unforeseen results that are the most expressive and delightful.

This exhibit is free and open to the public.

October 1, 2023October 1, 2023

October, 2023

Betti Pettinatti-Longinotti:
“Celebrating Women Artists”

Exhibition Dates: October 4 – 29, 2023

Artist’s Reception and Gallery Talk:
Sunday, October 22 from 1:30 – 3:30 pm. Talk begins at 2:00.

Also open for:
Gallery Hop: Friday, October 6, 7-9 pm
Art Crush: Friday, October 20, 7-9 pm

“Celebrating Women Artists” presents 145 portraits, vitreous paintings on glass. This installation is a ‘Gestalt’ in that the sum of these women artists is greater than all their contributions combined. The installation of these portraits serves as an archive of women artists completed gradually over the last 12 years. It honors artists that are varied geographically and of local, regional, national, international, and historical reputation.

Betti Pettinati-Longinotti works in drawing, painting and glass. She received a BFA from the Maryland Institute, College of Art and her MA from the University of the Arts/ Philadelphia, in Art Education with a studio major in Glass; an MFA in Visual Arts through the Lesley University College of Art and Design.

Her work has been shown internationally. Betti is a juried member of Artworks Gallery, Piedmont Craftsmen, Studio Montclair Gallery and also holds membership in the American Glass Guild.

This exhibit is free and open to the public.

August 26, 2023August 26, 2023

September, 2023

Artworks Gallery Presents:
Kimberly Varnadoe: “Contemplating the Elements”
and
James Gemma: “Exploring the BOLD in Abstraction”

Exhibition Dates: August 27-September 29, 2023

Artists’ Reception and Gallery Talk:
Sunday, September 17, 2-4 pm. Talk begins at 2:30.

Also open for:
Gallery Hop: Friday, September 1, 7-9 pm
Art Crush: Friday, September 21, 7-10 pm

James Gemma,” Exploring the Bold in Abstraction”, showcases digitally created art prints on archival paper and inks, as well as acrylic paintings on wood panels. His work is contemporary in nature and explores unique combinations of strong colors and bold shapes to express his abstract conceptions. This work uses both hard edge and geometric approaches as well as a surprising diversion. This exhibition also includes two black and white prints, which express the ultimate in strong contrast.

After graduating with advanced degrees from The Ohio State University and careers as a university professor and consumer research professional, Mr. Gemma studied art and printmaking at Salem College (under Kimberly Varnadoe), and at Wake Forest University. He also has participated in multiple art workshops at Penland, the Huntington Museum of Art, and the Sawtooth Center for Visual Art. Mr. Gemma served four years as board member of Associated Artists of Winston Salem. As Marketing Chairperson of that group, he created the Practicing Artist Series of lectures and critiques, bringing the participation of nationally known artists to Winston-Salem. He is currently a practicing artist and has been a member of Artworks Gallery in downtown Winston-Salem since 2009.

Jim Gemma, “Strata Various” and “Converging/Diverging”

Throughout history, the Elements of fire, earth, air, and water have been used as powerful symbols to convey ideas, emotions, and narratives. Depicted in a wide range of artistic styles, the elements provide inspiration and are used to explore themes such as love, loss, transformation, and the passage of time.

Kimberly Varnadoe, “Contemplating the Elements”, utilizes oil painting as a direct response to a personal passage through emotionally conflicting times. Creating spontaneously as a meditation process, Varnadoe focuses on the natural elements as a basis for understanding oneself, the natural world, and the human experience. The Elements remind us of the natural world’s beautiful complexity, and recognizing the interconnectedness of the elements can inspire a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. By appreciating and respecting these elemental forces, we can cultivate a sense of wonder, curiosity, and reverence for our world, enriching our lives and inspiring us to forge meaningful connections with the people, places, and ideas surrounding us.

Kimberly Varnadoe received her BFA in Painting from the University of South Alabama and her MFA in Printmaking from the University of Memphis. She currently works in oil painting as a meditation practice and explores automatic mark making. She enjoys experimentation and feels that art is most alive during the art creation — the final work of art is the record of the process. Varnadoe is a retired Art Professor from Salem College where she mentored artists for more than 25 years. She has been a member of Artworks Gallery since 2003, serving on the board and serves on the boards of Associated Artists of Winston-Salem and DADA, the Downtown Arts District Association. She is a Founding Artist of Artfolios, an online fine art gallery, where her work can be viewed online. She maintains a studio with the Culture WS collective in Winston-Salem.

Kimberly Varnadoe, “LIVE•GROW•FEEL•CARE” and “FLOW”

This exhibit is free and open to the public.

July 29, 2023August 26, 2023

August, 2023

Artworks Gallery Presents:
Water
A full member exhibition celebrating the life-giving properties of water

Exhibition Dates: July 30-August 26, 2023

Reception with a presentation by Edgar Miller of Yadkin Riverkeeper:
Sunday, August 13, 2-4 pm. Talk begins at 2:30. (Details below.)

Gallery Hop: Friday, August 4, 7-9 pm

Art Crush: Friday, August 18, 7-10 pm

Water, as our most precious resource, has been intimately linked to humankind and cultural development. The spiritual relationship between human beings and water is still present in many indigenous communities today. Nowadays, this spiritual and sacred value of water tends to clash with the perception of water as a resource at the disposal of society that can be used for economic development. Water is the foundation of life and approaches to valuing it vary depending on users.

Jessica Tefft, “Royal Fish,” Wiley Akers, “Ripple in Still Water,” Steve Mizel, “Refuge from the Storm”

Water carries numerous symbolic meanings that resonate deeply with our human experience. Its life-giving essence covers over 70% of our planet and has always held a deep significance in cultures around the world. Its multifaceted symbolism and deep-rooted significance in cultures worldwide, holds a wealth of wisdom to explore. From its properties of adaptability and purification to its association with emotions and intuition, the water element teaches us valuable lessons about the nature of life, power, beauty, wisdom, and the essence of the natural world.

This exhibition is free and open to the public.

Lea Lackey-Zachmann, “Ocean Rain,” Kathy Schermer, “Magnolia Grandiflora,” Elliot Strunk, “Blue Horizon”

Reception with a presentation by Edgar Miller of Yadkin Riverkeeper:
Sunday, August 13, 2-4 pm. Talk begins at 2:30.

Join us on Sunday, August 13 for a reception featuring a presentation by Edgar Miller, executive director of Yadkin Riverkeeper, Inc. Come learn about the history and importance of the Yadkin River,—which provides drinking water to more than one million North Carolinians— plus threats to our water resources and what you can do about them.

This event is free and open to the public.

July 2, 2023July 15, 2023

July, 2023

Owens Daniels, “A.I. Art Innovation”

Exhibition Dates: July 2-29, 2023

Gallery Hop: Friday, July 7, 7-10 pm

Art Crush: Friday, July 21, 7-9 pm

Artists’ Forum, “A Conversation on A.I.”: Sunday, July 23, 2-4 pm
(See details below.)

Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and Adobe Photoshop’s new release, Generative Fill, are both technologies that play a role in the creative process. As creatives, we coexist and collaborate with these tools, but ultimately, it’s the work we produce that receives praise or criticism. When using these technologies, it’s important to focus on the work rather than the tools themselves.

AI art is undoubtedly impressive, as it can create imaginative and captivating worlds. However, without a human connection, it lacks depth, feeling, and passion. Ultimately, it remains nothing more than lines, shadows, and colors, like an elaborate pen without a hand, or a paint brush without an artist’s eye.

“Body & Soul” and “Joe Cool”

Owens Daniels is a photographer based in Winston Salem, North Carolina who happens to be a creative visual artist. He received a 2021 Kenan Institute Creative Catalyst Fellowship at Reynolda House of American Art and was the awardee for the 2019 Lead Artist for the Presence Absence Project.

His vision is to create artwork that builds bridges, promotes cultural exchanges, and artistic endeavors between organizations and institutions that speak to the diverse communities they serve.

His career started at the U.S. Army Photographic School of Cartography, learning the basics of photography and photo printing. In addition to his formal training, he continues to work as a freelance photographer with a distinctive and intimate photojournalistic signature style in visual storytelling which has led to various opportunities that include artist in residences, a Fellowship of American Art, public art Installations, grants and varied other commissions.

“Bass” and “Funky Drummer”

Owens uses the visual arts to express his interpretation of the world, and photography to open unexplored spaces between the subject and viewer exposing them both to a world of opportunities and experiences. This objective can best be obtained with a focus on our commonalities which keeps us in the moment and stops us from regretting the past or fretting about the future.

Owens Daniels’ “A.I. Art Innovation” blends A.I. technology with human creativity.

This exhibition is free and open to the public.

“A Conversation on A.I.,” Artists’ Forum: Sunday, July 23rd, 2-4pm

“I don’t want to be on the ash heap of creativity… Therefore, I CHANGE!”

Owens Daniels speaks about the new works in his Artworks Gallery exhibition, “A.I.: Art Innovation.”

Come out and connect with new artworks exploring the relationship between technology and artist Owens Daniels. Daniels will lead a conversation with creatives Leo Rucker, Nathan Ross Freeman, Leo Morello, and many more artists and community friends!

These new creations represent Winston-Salem’s first Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) art exhibition with over 40 different works from the styles of Dali, Picasso, Thomas Hart Benton, and many other artists reinterpreting Jazz and Blues.

This event is free and open to the public.

May 28, 2023June 6, 2023

June, 2023

Karen Kopf, “D.C al Fine”
and
Jessica Tefft, “Peaceable Kingdom”

Exhibit Dates: May 28 – July 1, 2023

Gallery Hop: Friday, June 2, 7-9 pm

Art Crush and Artists’ Reception: Friday, June 16, 7-9 pm

Karen Kopf is inspired by jazz, classical, and rock music, merged with the natural world to create a sensory experience rather than a narrative one. Sketching the natural forms in the world, she then composes the painting by overlapping individual forms to create more forms within the whole. The result is a web of conflicting energies with many intricate textures.

“Leaves” and “Coltrane’s Crescent” by Karen Kopf

Gold, silver and copper leafing is used liberally throughout the works. The overall impression of the paintings is a tactile and luminous interpretation of the energy within forms in nature.

After studying painting in Austria for a year, Karen Kopf established a studio in Marbella, Spain on the Costa del Sol. Five years under the bright Spanish sun added an intensity to the colors of her palette and a wide range of experiences and exhibitions to her career as a professional artist. Her works from this period are in collections all over the world.

Upon returning to the U.S., she painted in upstate New York, where she was resident director of the Guy Park State Historic Site. Eventually she moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she earned a master’s degree from Salem College and worked for twenty years as a teacher while she and her husband raised two sons. She currently exhibits at Artworks Gallery in Winston-Salem.

A framed print of the “Peaceable Kingdom” by Edward Hicks hung in Jessica Tefft’s living room when she was growing up. The lion’s eyes appeared to watch over her. Later, she realized Hicks’ painting was a visual sermon promoting spiritual and earthly harmony. In addition to being a painter, Hicks was a Quaker minister, and his works were based on Isaiah 11:6-9: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.”

“Madonna” and “Peaceable Kingdom” by Jessica Tefft

When Tefft created this new body of work, she thought about how the Peaceable Kingdom would look today in our gun-crazed country. These works express her thinking on how the things we hold most beautiful are also the most targeted.

Jessica Tefft is an artist and professional photographer based in Winston-Salem. She believes art offers her the language to explore themes of trauma and healing. She also sees art as a lens through which to interpret current events. She worked as a photojournalist in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere and has exhibited and won numerous awards for her work. Photojournalism took her from Cuba to the Alaskan wilderness, and then the presidential campaign trail. She assembled and edited an entry for coverage of the D.C. sniper that was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. She graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in studio art and is currently working toward a master’s in public administration. She is the founder and executive director of The Art SHAC, a creative reuse nonprofit providing affordable art supplies to her community.

This exhibition is free and open to the public.