New artists on display at the ACA

The Aiken Center for the Arts will hold an opening reception on Thursday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. for all of the new exhibitions in the galleries.

Main Galleries - March 18 through April 10 - Hickman, Adamick & Steppe Exhibitions

Harrison Hickman - Edgefield

"My work takes advantage of memory within the clay. My purpose, my goals, my vision, my practice and my discipline bring focus to my inspiration as I create new and exciting forms. Clay has memory and preserves what has occurred during its making. How an object is made, the mechanical working of moist, malleable and fluid clay leaves forever instilled in a vessel the mark of the potter's hands. The process of pushing clay outward in a rhythmic manner around a pot's surface to create convex impressions leaves the viewer with questions and answers," said Hickman in his artist's statement.

Hickman's work to be on exhibition at the ACA includes jars, teapots, a wishing well, urns, vases, pitchers, mugs, bowls and more.

Judy Adamick - Ridge Spring

With more than 20 years of experience working in oils and acrylics, Judy Adamick, a native of Connecticut, moved to South Carolina and began to study watercolor. In 1992, she became a full-time professional artist. Her works have been shown in Paris and Adamick painted Claude Monet's gardens in Giverny, France.

Adamick is not only an artist but also a teacher, a judge and a gallery owner. Her gallery called Butterfly Heart Gallery and Gifts is located in Ridge Spring. She has designed a set of western cards with her brother, Walt Gove, and illustrated a children's book written by her daughter, Jodie Cromer, entitled "The Princess of Hope Hill." For more information or to view her work, visit www.judygoveadamickfineart.com.

Wanda Steppe - Rock Hill

Wanda Steppe's art has been described as contemporary realist, influenced by magic realist literature to convey the fragility and uncertainties in life.

She explains her work by saying, "After spending many years teaching myself to paint traditionally, I found myself in the position of not being able to paint at all. Chemotherapy affected my sense of smell so that painting made me ill. Essentially, I spent many months thinking about working without being able to work. When I was able to return to my studio, I knew I needed to create work that was personal and cathartic. I decided to turn from painting objects from life to imaginary landscapes that were metaphors for the passage of time. When I began the landscape series, they were simply about the metamorphic effects of time and the elements, but, as I healed, they became more about emotional healing and spiritual freedom. The final works in the series are contemplations on the fragility and uncertainty of the physical world and the nature of spirituality."

For more information or to view her work, visit www.wandasteppe.com.

Aiken Artist Guild Gallery - March 1 through 31 - Tom Supensky

Tom Supensky - Aiken

Tom Supensky's work has been seen all over the world with numerous exhibitions in America as well as in England, Italy, Germany and Korea. He has given lectures worldwide and served as the visiting artist/scholar at the University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia in 2005 and 2008.¬ 

"I keep technique and materials as simple as possible and focus my attention on content and aesthetics. My work comes directly from my personal life experiences and world events.¬ I use subject matter as symbols to express a variety of ideas or concepts. I enjoy the use of color and often use humor in my work," said Supensky.¬  "My clay sculptures are hand built in vitreous earthenware, basically using the coil method of construction.¬ I use commercial engobes (clay slips) for color and a clear glaze to obtain either a matte or a shiny surface.¬ I am interested, for the most part, in making my objects slightly larger than life size.¬ The overall scale of my work relates directly to the size of the objects I am depicting."

Brooks Gallery

The Mead Hall Episcopal School is holding an exhibition in the Brooks Gallery on the second floor of the Aiken Center for the Arts through March 31.

Want to Go?

What? Artist's Opening Reception

When? Thursday, March 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Where? Aiken Center for the Arts

Cost: Free