Louis Jones at Charlotte Country Day School

On January 30^th and 31^st of this year, artist Louis Jones came to Charlotte Country Day School and conducted a workshop with the students, thus sharing his love for creating; as well as teaching; art to those who would share his passion. And, at Charlotte Day School, located on the corner of Carmel Road in Charlotte, he found an eager audience.

Over a period of two days, Mr. Jones took the time to speak about; as well as conduct; hands on advice and provide encouragement to the students. Actually, he worked along-side of them while creating an original painting of his own. The results are displayed on this wall in the Hance Gallery of the Fine Arts Center; which is located on the grounds of the school; surrounded by a selection of some of the works produced in the workshop. They are all worthy of note.

Mr. Jones work’s in acrylic are both vivid and slightly impressionist in nature. He lures you in with color, and at other times, with a sparse landscape, showing an abandoned farm. His titles are humorous and thought provoking. Clearly, this is a man who enjoys his work enough to share it with others, ensuring that the genre will endure.

Sue and I have been to the Hance Gallery before. It is always free and open to the public. Artists, and the institutions that display their works, are becoming increasingly rare. We are very happy to have displays like this to brighten our days. Art is a vital part of life. Ever since man has been drawing on the walls of caves he has sought to visually represent his surroundings.

In the final analysis, art is somewhat subjective to the viewer’s taste. To that end, art can be judged by the joy evident on the faces of the people viewing it. I walked into the Hance Gallery on a raw and gray February afternoon; looking a bit down; and in only a few minutes I was standing with a smile in front of 2 of Mr. Jones’ finer works.

To view more of Mr. Jone's work you can go to his website at http://www.ashevilleart.org/artists/wlouisjones/

On Display - Cundo Bermudez

Sue and I went to a display of some of the works of Cundo Bermudez (1914-2008) at the Charlotte Country Day School's Hance Fine Arts Center the other day. The Center is located at 1440 Carmel Road, just south of Fairview Road. Plenty of signs and parking made the trip very pleasant.

Cundo Bermudez is the Cuban Modernist Painter who fled Cuba in 1967. His exposure to Mexican art in the late 1930's, when he traveled to Mexico, along with his subsequent exposure to some of the finest European painters, such as Matisse, Picasso, and Rousseau give all his work a unique touch, blending colors and lines into images that are at once reminiscent of Mayan art, while at the same time evoking a more modern Cubist flavor. Add to this the fact that he worked right until his death at age 94, and you can easily see how he was such an influence within his genre. Some of his latest works are among his best, with a relevancy that defied his age. He was, to coin a pun, an artist who would not allow himself to be painted into a corner.

The exhibit is a product of the generosity of Isaac and Sonia Luski, who fled Castro's Cuba in 1960, taking only 4 suitcases of clothing with them. On the way to the airport they stopped at the gallery of Renee Portocarrero and purchased 2 of his pieces. They wanted to take something of Cuba with them to their new country.

Over the years Mr. and Mrs. Luski have acquired more than 50 pieces of Cuban art, which they generously share with the public. In the words of Mr. Luski himself, "We collect art because we love it. We give it away because we like to share it." That's quite a statement.

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Luski , along with Charlotte Country Day School, for brightening a grey January afternoon with your generosity. It is people, and institutions, such as yourselves, who keep the world turning, allowing us to always expect a brighter tomorrow with each new dawn.