Comic books were the first to draw Aort Reed into the world of art, opening his mind to the possibilities of graphics and color.
“I never had any fine arts instruction until 11th or 12th grade,” said Reed, whose High Powered exhibition opened June 29 at the 600 Broad Gallery. A reception will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. July 2 at the gallery.
Artist Corner: Jennifer Sparling
Reed’s artwork runs the gamut from paintings on canvas to murals on walls to designs on skin. He was a tattoo artist for many years and was a teacher after receiving his bachelor’s degree from Augusta University.
After years of working in other careers, Reed gave in to the art and ideas that he said seemed to explode from him. He jumped in and never looked back.
“There are no limits to creation,” said Reed.
Reed’s work will be on display through July 30.
Also on Friday at the Westobou Gallery, the three artists who are part of Rumors of Form will give a talk at 5 p.m. about their works.
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The exhibition explores “painting’s influence on contemporary textile practices, collage, assemblage sculpture and video,” according to a news release.
Jamel Brown, Coulter Fussell and Y. Malik Jalal “share a Southern upbringing and a deep belief in materials’ ability to possess truth. This notion is revealed by the artists’ reliance on found materials, tying their work directly to their surroundings and previous owners of the objects,” the news release said.
Curated by Hasani Sahlehe, the teaching artist at the Morris Museum of Art, Rumors of Form will be on display through Aug. 14.
The artwork of Mary Houston will be at the Sacred Heart Cultural Center from July 8 through Aug. 20.
A former student of the late Bea Kuhlke, Houston has had her work shown across the region. A reception will be from 4 to 6 p.m. July 15 in the center’s Great Hall.
For more information, visit sacredheartaugusta.org.
The works of Tom Crowther and Staci Swider are on display at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art’s main gallery through July 30.
Swider’s background in textile art is seen in her paintings as she draws from texture and pattern. Crowther paints with oil and wants to make his artwork accessible to everyone, according to the Gertrude Herbert website.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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