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Cary Artist Don Mertz Donates Painting to Make-A-Wish Ball

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To celebrate wishes granted and to help raise funds for more wishes

"Kites In The Clouds," 30x30 mixed media on canvas

 

May 14, 2012 (Cary, NC) — Abstract artist Don Mertz of Cary, NC, donated a mixed media on canvas painting to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern North Carolina’s fundraising Ball. His 30w by 30h painting, entitled “Kites In The Clouds,” was part of a silent auction held during the gala event on Saturday, May 12.

This marks the sixth year Mertz has donated his work to help raise funds for Make-A-Wish, the non-profit organization that grants wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

“I donate paintings to four or five different charity auctions every year but I make it a point not to miss this one,” Mertz said. “I hope my art can, in some small way, help them in the supportive and caring work they do.”

Mertz’s paintings have been shown widely in the Triangle area since he moved to Cary six years, and are included in numerous corporate and private collections.

His paintings are large, abstract acrylic pieces with visible layers of colors, shapes, lines, changes, mistakes, and evidence of his hand. He starts by applying charcoal or graphite marks on the canvas, then paints in a childlike manner, capturing the spontaneity, exuberance, and joy of discovery of a child but with an adult sense of composition and color.

“My work expresses my feelings, thoughts, moods, and memories — or what I had for lunch,” Mertz quips. “I’m not a brooding, angst-ridden artist. I take my art very seriously, but not myself.”

He also finds painting “a perfect opportunity to smoke a cigar, sip some Jack Daniel’s, and listen to Willie Nelson,” he says.

The Make-A-Wish Ball included dinner and dancing along with the silent auction to celebrate wishes granted and to raise money to grant even more wishes to deserving children. For more information on the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern North Carolina, visit eastnc.wish.org.

For more information on Don Mertz and his work, go to www.mertzart.com.

About Don Mertz:

Don Mertz is an abstract artist who has lived in Cary for 12 years.  A former Marine, IBM branch manager, and managing director of an employee engagement and leadership development consulting firm, he attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and The Art Students League in New York City where he lived for 25 years. He is a member of the Visual Arts Exchange of Raleigh, the Fine Arts League of Cary, and the Durham Art Guild. He is represented by ArtSource Fine Art Gallery in North Hills, Raleigh, NC, and Joe Rowand Art Gallery in Chapel Hill, NC. For more information visit www.mertzart.com.

The Umstead Art Gallery Presents New Works by Jason Craighead

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"Who Thought of the Heart" by Jason Craighead

“Who Thought Of The Heart” exhibition to feature nine paintings.

March 8, 2012 (Cary, NC) – The Umstead Art Gallery at The Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary, NC, will present “Who Thought Of The Heart,” an exhibition of nine paintings by Raleigh, NC-based artist Jason Craighead, beginning with an opening reception on Thursday, March 15, from 6-8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

A recognized leader in the North Carolina art scene, Craighead’s original pieces will be showcased in The Umstead Art Gallery through May 31st.

Craighead’s work is frequently compared to the expressionistic, gestural painters of the mid-20th century.

“My current work is an on-going evolution of ‘languaging’ self-discovery and personal truth,” the artist said. “My process is intuitive, emotionally driven mark-making – sensing, feeling, responding to the life that appears, disappears and reappears in the creation of a work. The poetry of passion, the belief in the heart…”

The nine works in the show include six mixed media on canvas and three mixed media on paper. Sizes range from 22-inch by 30-inch to 60-inch by 62-inch.

A Florida native, Craighead studied art at the Gulf Coast Community College and Florida State University. An active member of the Raleigh art scene, Craighead is a member of the City of Raleigh Arts Commission and chairman of its Art, Education and Collections Committee.

Jason Craighead is represented in Raleigh by FlandersGallery; in Pinehurst, NC, by Broadhurst Gallery; and in Atlanta, Georgia, by Thomas Deans Fine Art. For more information on the artist visit www.jasoncraighead.com.

The Umstead Art Gallery/Umstead Hotel & Spa is located off Harrison Avenue at 5 SAS Campus Drive, Cary, NC 27513 (919-447-4000). For more information visit www.theumstead.com.

About Jason Craighead

Jason Craighead is a recognized leader in the southern art scene and maintains his studio in Raleigh, NC. His work has been included in many solo and group exhibitions throughout the Southeastern United States. He has received numerous awards and served as a juror for various art shows. He has been selected as Signature Artist for charitable art auctions, and his work has been featured in a number of publications, including Artists & Art Galleries of the Southeast. He has also been an active participant in the Raleigh arts community for many years and is a member of the City of Raleigh Arts Commission. He is represented in Raleigh by Flanders Gallery, in Pinehurst, NC, by Broadhurst Gallery, and in Atlanta, Georgia, by Thomas Deans Fine Art. For more information: www.jasoncraighead.com.

About The Umstead’s Art Collection:

The Umstead Hotel’s private collection was carefully curated, and features the works of renowned local and national artists, including famed glass artist Dale Chihuly. A dedicated art gallery, which changes seasonally, allows The Umstead to rotate new artists’ work into the hotel to complement the permanent collection. For more information: http://www.theumstead.com/art/ourCollection-en.html.

LifeSpan Artist To Show New Works During NoDa Gallery Crawl

Categories: art, charity, non-profit, North Carolina arts, people with disabiliites
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"The Colors of High Country" by Lisa Thompson

September 2, 2010 (CHARLOTTE, NC) – The LifeSpan Arts Studio in Charlotte’s historic NoDa arts district will host an opening reception for “The Color of High Country,” an exhibit of new paintings by Lisa Thompson, on Friday, September 3, from 5-8 p.m.

Lisa Thompson is a resident in one of the group homes in Charlotte for people with disabilities operated by RHA Howell, Inc., a statewide organization that has been serving people with disabilities and and their families for more than 35 years. Lisa receives day support at LifeSpan Arts, a community based arts program for individuals with cognitive and physical disabilities.

This isn’t Lisa’s first exhibition of her artwork. Earlier this year, she won first prize in a juried exhibition at the Enrichment Center in Winston Salem for a mixed media piece entitled “S. Lexington.”

“We all know she is a very talented artist, and we would love to see lots of people come out to support her and her work,” said Brittany Higginbotham, an arts assistant at LifeSpan.

LifeSpan Arts is part of LifeSpan, Inc., an organization that develops and operates programs that emphasize inclusion and choice in order to provide education, employment, and enrichment to individuals with developmental disabilities. For more information on the arts program, visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lifespanarts.

The LifeSpan Arts studio is located at 2424 N. Davidson St., Suite 110, Charlotte, NC 28205. Lisa Thompson’s opening reception is part of the NoDa district’s twice-monthly Gallery Crawl.

For more information on RHA Howell, visit www.rhahowell.org.

About RHA Howell, Inc.:

RHA Howell is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently for more than 35 years. Integrity, high standards for quality, and hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell disability assistance program. Proven leaders in caring for people, RHA Howell, Inc. is a pioneering force in the field of human services, particularly supporting infants and children. For more information, go to www.rhahowell.org.

Jason Craighead To Participate In Major Group Exhibition

Categories: art, North Carolina arts, Raleigh arts scene
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The Raleigh artist will show four works-on-paper in Green Hill Center show.

"Studio Floor Drawing 3" by Jason Craighead

August 30, 2010 (RALEIGH, NC) — Raleigh artist Jason Craighead has been invited to participate in a major group exhibition at the Green Hill Center for NC Art in Greensboro, NC, entitled “Drawing Revisited.” The show will run from September 10 through October 31.

“Drawing Revisited” will showcase over 50 North Carolina artists who work “in a medium, which, in the digital age, may appear to be a slow and intimate art form,” according to the Center’s website. “Over 200 works on paper in graphite, watercolor, artist’s crayon, wash, charcoal and ink will attest to the ongoing vitality of drawing.”

Craighead will contribute four 22 by 30 mixed-media-on-paper works that he created “one Saturday morning on my porch while a friend was playing his guitar.” These particular pieces first appeared in a 2008 exhibit at the Fayetteville Museum of Art.

“These particular works represent a very specific moment in my past as an artist and human,” he said, “a moment of clarity and honesty — becoming confident in ‘feeling’.”

The opening reception for “Drawing Revisited” will be held Friday, September 10th, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Jason Craighead will present a lecture on the subject in the Center on October 13.

Jason Craighead is currently represented by Broadhurst Gallery in Pinehurst (www.broadhurstgallery.com) and by Flanders Gallery in Raleigh (www.flandersartgallery.com). For more information on the artist, visit www.jasoncraighead.com.

The Green Hill Center for NC Art is located at 200 North Davie Street, Greensboro, NC 27401. For more information visit www.greenhillcenter.org.

About the artist:

A professional artist for over a decade, Jason Craighead is a recognized leader in the North Carolina arts community. His work has been included in many solo and group exhibitions throughout the Southeastern United States. He has received numerous awards and served as a juror for various art shows. He has been selected as Signature Artist for major charitable art auctions, and his work has been featured in a number of publications, including Artists & Art Galleries of the Southeast. He is also a member of the City of Raleigh Arts Commission and the Raleigh Public Arts Committee. www.jasoncraighead.com.

Jason Craighead Contributes “Recycled” Art to Green Frame Exposition

Categories: art, charity, downtown Raleigh, North Carolina arts, Raleigh arts scene
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"Self & System" by Jason Craighead, mixed media on encyclopedia and column.

April 12, 2010 (RALEIGH, NC) –  Jason Craighead, an artist and the newest member of the Raleigh Arts Commission, is one of only 16 local artists who were invited by Builders of Hope to recycle discarded materials into works of art for “Green Frame: An Exposition in Reclaimed Materials” fundraiser. His composition, entitled “Self and System,” will be up for auction on April 24 at the Raleigh City Museum in downtown Raleigh along with the other artists’ works.

Builders of Hope CDC is a non-profit, tax-exempted corporation that works to provide quality affordable housing in cities and towns across the United States to stimulate revitalization and develop health, safe communities. “Green Frame, An Exposition in Reclaimed Materials,” is a fundraiser that, according to the website, “celebrates the mission of Builders of Hope through the vision of local artists. Using materials reclaimed from Builders of Hope, 16 invited artists have created unique interpretations of what it means to recycle, rebuild, and renew hope.”

Craighead and the other artists were asked to use items and materials that would otherwise be thrown away to create something of beauty and function. “Self and System” is a mixed media on encyclopedias and column sculpture. The artist describes his inspiration:

“This piece is commenting on education and the renewal of belief in the human self, how we lose it in our educational system and our efforts to achieve ‘status,’ then find ourselves feeling empty, even worthless, by this society’s definition. Returning focus to the self and not the struggle can bring about a community that works collectively and honestly. Less division and competition….no more good, better, best….education vs. inspiration.”

An accomplished artist who has been exhibited widely in galleries and museums, Jason Craighead was appointed to the Raleigh Arts Council earlier this month. Before that, he served on the Council’s Public Art Program. He has also donated numerous paintings to charitable art auctions for many years, including the Works of Heart auction for the Carolina AIDS Alliance and Visual Art Exchange’s annual fundraiser.

Builders of Hope’s Green Frame Exposition began with an “Official Opening Bash,” free and open to the public, at the City Museum on Friday, April 9. The Auction Party will be held in the Museum at Saturday, April 24, from 7-10 p.m. Auction tickets are $100 each or $175 per couple. The City Museum is located at 220 Fayetteville Street. To reserve tickets, call 800-277-6138 or email: Emily@buildersofhope.org.

For more information on the event, including the list of all participating artists, visit www.buildersofhope.org/events/green-frame.

For more information on Jason Craighead, go to www.jasoncraighead.com.

About Jason Craighead:

Jason Craighead has been named Best Artist in Raleigh Metro Magazine’s annual MetroBravo reader’s poll for five consecutive years. His paintings have been featured in numerous gallery exhibits and belong to many public and private art collections. An active member of the North Carolina arts community, he has worked with the Raleigh Arts Commission on its plans for future public art and frequently donates his paintings to charitable causes, including Works of Heart, the Triangle area’s annual premiere art auction to benefit The Alliance of AIDS Services – Carolina. For more information visit www.jasoncraighead.com.

Solo Show at Pinehurst Gallery To Feature Raleigh Artist Jason Craighead

Categories: art, North Carolina arts
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"Whole" 100w x 64h, mixed media on canvas

March 3, 2010 (Pinehurst, NC) – Broadhurst Gallery in Pinehurst, NC, will open a solo exhibit of recent works by Raleigh artist Jason Craighead on Sunday, March 14, from 2-4 p.m. A gallery talk with the artist will begin at 4 p.m.

Jason Craighead is best known for his predominantly large-scale paintings that combine acrylic, oil pastel, and graphite in multiple layers of color, lines, and drips. For the Broadhurst show, he will hang 12 to 16 works that range from works on canvas and paper to works on book and encyclopedia covers, representing an evolution from the work he presented in his most recent show at Somerhill Gallery in Durham, NC.

“I always have the feeling of being right on the edge of something,” he said recently. “My work is always about growth and furthering exploration.”

The artist’s ongoing evolution is one of the reasons gallery owner Judy Broadhurst is excited about this show.

“I love to support an artist who realizes that change is important and necessary,” she said. “I love Jason’s new work. It’s more open, there’s more color. It is new for him and I support that. Jason is also great to work with, and I’m delighted that he will be at the opening and give a gallery talk. That’s another reason I’m excited about his show.”

Broadhurst also timed Craighead’s show to coincide with the busy tourist season in Pinehurst. “This is the time of year when anyone who plays golf wants to come to Pinehurst,” she said. “Since Jason is a contemporary artist, this is a good time of the year to have his show.”

Broadhurst Gallery is located at 2212 Midland Road, Pinehurst. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-5pm Saturday 1pm-4pm and evenings by appointment. For more information visit www.broadhurst gallery.com.

For more information on Jason Craighead and to see examples of his work, visit www.jasoncraighead.com.

About Jason Craighead:

Jason Craighead has been named Best Artist in Raleigh Metro Magazine’s annual MetroBravo reader’s poll for five consecutive years. His paintings have been featured in numerous gallery exhibits and belong to many public and private art collections. An active member of the North Carolina arts community, he is now working with the Raleigh Arts Commission on its plans for future public art. He also frequently donates his paintings to charitable causes, including Works of Heart, the Triangle area’s annual premiere art auction to benefit The Alliance of AIDS Services – Carolina. For more information visit www.jasoncraighead.com.

Triangle Modernist Houses.com Hosts “Architects + Artisans”

Categories: architecture, art, environmentalism, green architecture, Interior Design, landscape architecture, mid-century architecture, modern architecture, non-profit, North Carolina arts
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January 13, 2010 (DURHAM, NC) – Triangle Modernist Houses.com (TMH), the largest educational and historical archive for modernist residential design in the nation, will serve as a host site for “Architects + Artisans: Thoughtful Design for a Sustainable World,” a new design blog written and edited by Mike Welton.

“Architects + Artisans strives to wire itself into the coolest design trends on the planet,” said Welton. That sits well with George Smart, founder and director of TMH, who announced the association today.

“Architects + Artisans’ broad and knowledgeable perspective dovetails nicely with our targeted modernist focus,” says Smart.

Mike Welton’s articles and commentary on architecture, design and travel have been published in such national journals as Dwell, the New York Times, Interior Design and Travel + Leisure. This fall he launched a new monthly column on the business of architecture in Raleigh Metro Magazine.  The blog, however, allows the writer to step “beyond print and online publishing into a blog of my own – where good design and those who create it can be illuminated, demonstrated and discussed,” he said.

Welton says he intends for Architects + Artisans to be a “well-informed provider of content, images, and knowledge concerning excellent architecture, artisanship and sustainability for the 21st century.  It is not just about designers – but about the people and products that make a well-designed place ring true.”

“Smart’s www.trianglemodernisthouses.com is a proven leader in raising the consciousness of the state and nation concerning mid-century modern architecture,” said Welton. “It’s a distinct honor and pleasure for Architects and Artisans to be included on his website.”

“Architects + Artisans: Thoughtful Design for a Sustainable World” was created with help from art director Ann Rudy and web navigator Tola Oguntoyinbo. The direct link is: http://architectsandartisans.com.

“TMH is proud – and privileged – to be the first syndicator of Architects + Artisans,” said Smart. “We wish Mike the best and will feature his blog prominently on the TMH home page.”

For more information on Triangle Modernist Houses, visit www.trianglemodernisthouses.com.

About Triangle Modernist Houses

Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH) is a 501C3 nonprofit established in 2007 to restoring and growing modernist architecture in the Triangle. The award-winning website, now the largest educational and historical archive for modernist residential design in America, continues to catalog, preserve, and advocate for North Carolina modernism.  TMH also hosts popular modernist house tours several times a year, giving the public access to the Triangle’s most exciting residential architecture, past and present. These tours raise awareness and help preserve these “works of art” for future generations. Visit the website at www.trianglemodernisthouses.com.