On Thursday, Sept. 7, downtown Augusta’s Sacred Heart Cultural Center will unveil its fall exhibit with works by Alex Foltz and June Klement.
Located at 1301 Greene St., the center will host an artist reception from 5 to 7 p.m. for guests interested in Klement and June’s works.
Foltz, a contemporary realist artist living in Augusta, is a professional portrait painter who specializes in Alla Prima oil painting and the nuances that can make paint resemble a person.
He was announced a finalist in the Portrait Society of America’s 2018 Members Competition, and was awarded first place in the Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta 2022 competition.
Using rich color and expressive brushwork that captures his subjects, Foltz’s initial focus was on how light levels interact with the world by conveying different moods.
“This shows in his conceptual work, which often depicts melancholy subjects with a more lighthearted tone,” stated a press release from the Sacred Heart Cultural Center. “Inversely, his landscapes often display otherwise cheery places under a moody and dramatic sky, showcasing the power of nature.”
Although originally from Knoxville, Tenn., Klement now calls Augusta home and is known for her contemporary impressionist work after first learning how to paint with acrylics in high school.
Her current art focuses on translating her passion for exploring urban and natural environments into oil paintings.
“Her impressionistic style of lively, vibrant and bold brushstrokes highlights the ephemerality of color and light through textures on canvas,” stated a press release from the Sacred Heart Cultural Center. “She has always enjoyed painting, and, after working and raising a family, has returned to translate the beauty, joy and love that she experiences into brushstrokes.”
Preferring to create her works immersed in nature, also known as “en plein air,” Klement said she feels painting outdoors allows her to communicate nuances in light and feelings that cannot be captured within a studio.
According to her website, “by experimenting with pigment and texture on canvas, Klement hopes to evoke the emotional aura of her surroundings through paint.”
Her works have been featured in many local galleries, including: the Westobou Gallery, the City Gallery, the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, the Mascaro Group Art Show, the North Augusta Cultural Center, the Aiken Center of the Arts and several others. Klement has also participated in the Olmstead Arts Georgia Color Plein Air Competition, and was a featured artist by the Greater Augusta Arts Council.
Klement and Foltz’s works will be displayed and for sale in the center from Sept. 8 to Oct. 27, where a portion of all proceeds will go towards supporting Sacred Heart’s efforts to preserve and promote local artists.
For more information, please visit: www.sacredheartaugusta.org.
