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NC Artist Donates Large Abstract Painting To The 2013 “Wish Ball” Auction

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“Where Have All The Balloons Gone II” by Don Mertz

For the seventh year, Don Mertz helps to raise funds for Make-A-Wish-Foundation.

North Carolina abstract artist Don Mertz of Cary has donated an original painting, entitled “Where Have All the Balloons Gone II,” to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Eastern North Carolina, for its annual “Wish Ball” fundraising event.

The gala ball, including a live auction, will be held at the Raleigh Marriot City Center, downtown Raleigh, on Saturday, May 18.

This is the seventh year in a row that Mertz has donated his original abstract paintings 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, and I make it a point not to miss this Make-A-Wish,” Mertz said. “I hope my art can, in some small way, help them in the supportive and caring work they do.”

“Where Have All The Balloons Gone II” is a 30-inch wide by 40-inch high, non-representational, mixed media on canvas painting of exuberant colors, textures, and drip lines.

“I approach my canvasses in a childlike manner,” he explains, “eager to play and to capture the spontaneity, exuberance, and joy of discovery that a child feels when creating art. Yet all the while I am guided by my adult sense of composition. What appears on the canvas is the result of my feelings, influenced by my memories, moods, anxieties, fears, thoughts, or what I had for lunch. There is no subject matter to be recognized; no hidden messages to be interpreted, no angst being resolved.”

Mertz’s abstract paintings have been shown widely in the Triangle area and are included in numerous corporate and private collections.

The Wish Ball brings together business leaders, community activists, and philanthropists. The evening begins with a reception honoring sponsors, followed by dinner, live and silent auctions, live music and dancing. Proceeds from the Ball event help to grant wishes to children in the 49 counties of eastern North Carolina.

For more information on Don Mertz, visit www.mertzart.com.

About Don Mertz:

Don Mertz is an abstract artist who has lived in Cary for 13 years with his wife, Carol, and their two cats, Fred and Ethel. A former Marine and IBM branch manager, 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 by Joe Rowand Art Fine Art Services in Chapel Hill, NC. For more information:

Website: www.mertzart.com

Blog: “Mertz Art News & Media,” http://mertzart.wordpress.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donmertzart

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/don-mertz/3/9a4/900

Fine Arts League of Cary Honors “Snow On The Pond,” An Abstract Painting by Don Mertz

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(April 23, 2013) — North Carolina abstract artist Don Mertz received an Honor Award for his painting “Snow

“Snow On The Pond” by abstract artist Don Mertz

On The Pond” during the Fine Arts League of Cary’s 2013 Annual Juried Art Show, the league’s major event of the year.

“Snow On The Pond,” a 48” by 48” mixed media on canvas painting, is part of Mertz’ evolving White Series. He describes the series as “predominately white with random, glimpses of color. Limiting my palette allows me to use the simplicity of white and the complexity of texture to explore composition. The finished surface is the result of many layers, drips, and gestures. It can be smooth and creamy, opaque or translucent, coarse and gritty.”

The winning art works have been on display at the Page-Walker Art & History Center at 119 Ambassador Loop in Cary since the reception and awards ceremony on Sunday April 7^th. Elaine D. Guftafson, Curator of Collections at UNC-Greensboro’s Weatherspoon Art Museum, served as the show’s juror, selecting 74 works by 74 different artists from the 382 pieces entered by 157 artists.

The Fine Arts League of Cary (FALC) was established in 1993 as a visual arts group of over 200 members including painters, sculptors, photographers and all others engaged in producing visual art as well as those wishing to support these endeavors. Although its home base is in Cary, the FALC membership includes, and is open to, professional, non-professional, and emerging artists as well as supporters of the visual arts from any location. For more information visit www.fineartsleagueofcary.org.

For more information on Don Mertz, visit www.mertzart.com.

North Carolina Abstract Artist To Be Featured in Studio Visit Magazine

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January 14, 2013 (Cary, NC) — Studio Visit Magazine recently announced its intention to include the work of North Carolina-based abstract artist Don Mertz in its Winter Edition.

Studio Visit is a series of professionally juried art volumes covering the United States. Since 2008 it has offered artists a venue through which to introduce their work to a serious national audience of art world professionals.

Over 1000 individuals entered the competition to be included in the 2013 Winter Edition. The juror, Dina Deitsch, invited only 350 of those applicants to participate, including Mertz.

“What a way to start the New Year!” Mertz said. “I’m excited about having my new series of white paintings seen by so wide an audience. This kind of exposure cannot help but be beneficial in so many ways.”

Don Mertz is a contemporary, abstract painter whose work pays homage to such masters of the 1950s Abstraction Expressionist movement as Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell, Sam Francis and Robert Motherwell.

“[Mertz’s] philosophy…is not about delivering a message or bringing forth subject matter, it is about making paintings of colors, textures, and a variety of forms,” wrote Durham Herald-Sun art critic Blue Greenberg after a 2010 exhibition of his work.

“His work itself is the gentle marriage of logic and color, rigidity and passion,” wrote Christa Gala in Midtown Magazine (July-August 2008).

Over 2000 galleries, museum curators, and art aficionados throughout the nation will receive Studio Visit Magazine when the Winter Edition is released this spring. For more information visit studiovisitmagazine.com.

Don Mertz is represented in Raleigh by ArtSource Fine Art Gallery in Raleigh and by Joe Rowand Fine Art Services in Chapel Hill. For more information visit www.mertzart.com.

About Don Mertz:

Don Mertz is an abstract artist who has lived in Cary, North Carolina, for 12 years. A former truck driver, Marine, and IBM branch manager, 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 by Joe Rowand Art Fine Art Services in Chapel Hill, NC.

For more information:
Website: www.mertzart.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/donmertzart
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/don-mertz/3/9a4/900

About Studio Visit Magazine:

Each volume of Studio Visit features approximately 150 artists, who have been selected by professional curators. Studio Visit presents all two- and three- dimensional media and is now working on its 19th and 20th volumes. More information: studiovisitmagazine.com.

Statement On War Painting Wins Cary Fine Arts League Prize

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“Embrace Freedom,” 36×36, mixed media on canvas

Don Mertz’ “Embrace Freedom” places second in the 2012 juried show.

December 5, 2012 (Cary, NC) — “Embrace Freedom,” a 36”x36” mixed media on canvas painting by Cary-based fine artist Don Mertz, received second prize in the Fine Arts League of Cary’s 2012 Members Show, a juried exhibition.

Don Mertz moved to Cary from New York City 12 years ago and, subsequently, joined the Fine Arts League of Cary (FALC). Since then, his abstract paintings have been included in many solo- and group exhibitions throughout the Triangle region and sold to numerous art collectors. He has also donated to, and sold paintings in, the Works of Heart charitable fundraising auction for the Triangle AIDS Alliance.

A former U.S. Marine, Mertz explains that “Embrace Freedom” is a “semi-statement on the chaos, loss, and excitement of war.” Subtly embedded in the roughly textured, scraped, marked, and chaotic surface of the painting are: a simple military gravesite cross; the Marine’s motto “Semper Fi;” “HooRah” the military version of “hooray;” a two-bar chevron, the rank insignia of a corporal; the outline of four blue stars; four veiled red stripes; and the words “Embrace Freedom.”

Mertz said he included the corporal’s chevron as a reminder that “our wars are fought and won by the ‘grunt’ — the enlisted man — and the non-commissioned officer. So many of the dead and wounded, our loss of national treasure, come from their ranks.”

Although it was not Mertz’s original intent, he admits that the more prominent four blue stars may be seen as a statement concerning the “higher visibility of military generals, especially in light of recent events,” he said. “The fact that they are scattered around the painting might also reflect the not-so-positive point of view of the wartime contributions of some our senior commanders in Thomas Ricks’ just released book, The Generals.”

Jennifer Dasal, associate curator of contemporary art at the North Carolina Museum of Art since November 2008, served as the judge for show.

The 2012 FALC Members Show will be on exhibit at the Page-Walker Arts and History Center at 119 Ambassador Loop, Cary, NC, until January 2, 2013.

The 200-member, non-profit FALC provides continuing education for its members through regularly scheduled programs. It also offers members opportunities to exhibit their visual art while contributing to the cultural environment of the community and increasing public awareness of visual art. For more information, go to www.fineartsleagueofcary.org.

For more information on Don Mertz, visit his website at www.mertzart.com.

About Don Mertz:

Don Mertz is an abstract artist who has lived in Cary for 12 years. A former truck driver, Marine, and IBM branch manager, 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 by Joe Rowand Art Fine Art Services in Chapel Hill, NC. For more information visit www.mertzart.com or find him on Facebook.

Cary Artist Donates Large Abstract Painting To VAE Auction & Gala

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“Water Marks on Lavender and Blue Green,” 48w by 48h, acrylic on canvas.

Don Mertz contributes to the Visual Art Exchange’s annual fundraiser.

November 7, 2012 (Cary, NC) – To help the Visual Art Exchange (VAE) of Raleigh raise money to support emerging artist, Cary, NC, artist Don Mertz has donated a large abstract painting to its annual fundraiser, entitled “For The Love of Art Auction & Gala.”

The Auction & Gala will be held on February 2, 2013, at the Marriot City Center in downtown Raleigh.

Mertz joined other artists at the kick-off party at The Borough on West Morgan Street on October 24, where he donated a 48-inch-wide by 48-inch-tall acrylic on canvas painting entitled “Watermarks On Lavender and Blue Green” (retail value: $2500).

An abstract expressionist, Don Mertz makes it a regular practice to donate his paintings to art-related as well as charitable efforts around the Triangle region. In May, for example, he donated a mixed media on canvas painting for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern North Carolina’s annual fundraising all.

As a VAE member himself, Mertz is especially enthusiastic about supporting that non-profit organization’s efforts to support and educate emerging, professional, and student artists.

“I have nothing but high praise and respect for the work that Sarah Powers and her staff does on behalf of artists and art lovers in the Raleigh area,” said Mertz. “They are not only supportive but damn fun to work with.”

Artwork donated to the “For The Love of Art Auction & Gala” will be sold through a silent and live auction. All proceeds will benefit the VAE.

Honorary Chairs for this year’s event are former Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker and his wife, Dr. Anne McLaurin. General admission is $85 and $170 for couples. Tickets and information on reserved seating for sponsorships are available on line at http://fortheloveofartauction2013vae.eventbrite.com.

For more information call the VAE, go to visualartexchange.org or call 919-828-7834.

For more information on Don Mertz, visit www.mertzart.com.

About the Visual Art Exchange: VAE is a non-profit creativity incubator and gallery that supports and educates emerging, professional and student artists. Each year VAE exhibits the work of more than 800 artists in 60 exhibitions and hosts more than 50 educational programs. VAE also is the force behind SPARKcon, an interdisciplinary art and design festival in Downtown Raleigh. Information: visualartexchange.org.

Cary Artist To Judge Myrtle Beach Art Show

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Don Mertz

Don Mertz will select prize winners for the Waccamaw Arts & Crafts Guild.

October 11, 2012 (Cary, NC) — Fine artist Don Mertz of Cary, NC, has been asked to serve as the judge for the Waccamaw Arts and Crafts Guild’s 2012 Members Show in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, November 7 and 8.

A member of the Visual Arts Exchange of Raleigh, the Fine Arts League of Cary, and the Durham Art Guild, Mertz, an abstract painter, has participated in numerous group art shows himself.

“I am very honored to have been asked to judge this annual show,” he noted. “ One of the jurors from a previous year commented to me on the high level of professionalism she saw in the members ‘ work in the show she judged. It is a real privilege to be able to do this, and I know it will be a challenge to make the final selections.”

The Waccamaw Arts & Crafts Guild is a non-profit, state-chartered organization founded in 1969. Membership is open to professional, non-professional, and student artists and crafts persons, as well as associate members interested in the arts.

According to show director Jackie Stacharowski, there are usually 100 entries in the Members Show. The show will be hung in the Springmaid Beach Resort Convention Center on November 7. Mertz will then award prizes in four categories: Professional, Non-Professional, New Artist, and Student.

He will also discuss his decisions at the show’s opening reception, which will be held from 5:30-7:30 Thursday evening.

For more information on Don Mertz, visit his website at www.mertzart.com

For more information on the Waccamaw Arts and Crafts Guild, visit www.wacg.org.

About Don Mertz:

Don Mertz is an abstract artist who has lived in Cary for 12 years. A former truck driver, Marine, and IBM branch manager, 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 by Joe Rowand Art Fine Art Services in Chapel Hill, NC. For more information visit www.mertzart.com.

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 10^th, 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.

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