The Blue Ridge ArtSpace is proud to feature the colorful abstract paintings of local artist Glenn A. Bruce during the month of July in their Main Gallery. You are invited to take advantage of an opportunity to spend time with the artist to learn more about his colorful creations and how they are created at the 2nd Chance Meet the Artist event on Friday, July 26 from 5-7 p.m.
Glenn Bruce is an intriguing mix of artistic expression in multiple media. His first love is writing, something he has done quite successfully as a career. He has a MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University where he was associate fiction editor from the Lindenwood Review literary magazine. He wrote the hit film Kickboxer, as well as episodes of Walker: Texas Ranger and Baywatch was was a sketch-writer for Cinemax’s Assaulted Nuts. He has won awards for his short stories for writing and directing a series of short media productions for Appalachian State University where he taught for 12.5 years. Glenn is a longtime member of The Writers Guild of America and International Thriller Writers. He has just finished his 14th novel and is a regular judge for art, film and writing contests.
Though interested in fine art photography for decades, it wasn’t until around 2005 that Glenn got the courage to dabble in abstract impressionism painting. His first showing of his paintings was with the Watauga County Arts Council in June of 2007. With that successful venture behind him, he went on to have more than a dozen group and solo shows, and his paintings now hang in private collections in seven states.
This exhibition is a large collection of some of his most recent works. It is his intention to extend that collection into the lives, offices and homes of many people. In the Artist Statement which accompanies the show, he says, “I make a lot of art and I like to share it with the world! To do this, I keep my expenses as low as possible, using repurposed frames as much as I can. This way, my art is more affordable to more people, which is my main goal. Why make art that no one can afford? I believe in pricing my art as low as it is reasonable for the time, materials and effort I put into each piece so that anyone who loves it and wants it can afford to buy it and take it home!”
As the time to hang the exhibit neared, Glenn honed it down from over 300 pieces to a mere 69 works of art hanging on the walls of the Main Gallery in the Blue Ridge ArtSpace. In describing that process he says, “I experiment a lot and get bored if I do the same thing all the time. This collection represents a range of objectives and, I feel, successes. I have displayed only pieces that I feel achieve the goals of that particular series or piece. I have chosen some for their bright colors, others for their subtleties. Some are more graphic in design, others more free-flowing. But all these pieces represent my desire to achieve a balance of composition, color and intent.” Complimenting the colorful walls of the gallery are two large bins of smaller, matted original works and a few painted canvases which are quite reasonably priced. There is also a small collection of some of his more recent novels as well. These novels and small works may be purchased and carried home immediately, while the wall hanging works must remain for the duration of the exhibit.
If meeting the artist on Friday, the 26th, between 5-7 p.m. does not fit your schedule, you may still enjoy the exhibit during gallery hours of Wednesday-Saturday from 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Other exhibits which you might enjoy within the building include the Plein Mountain Air Paint Out in the Open Door Gallery, the Inside/Outside Exhibit in the Serendipity Gallery, and the whimsical collection of works created by Maggie Holmes and Lillee and Hutson Sparks in the Young Artists Gallery. The opportunity to enjoy these shows will end on Saturday, August 3.
For more information, contact the Blue Ridge ArtSpace at 828-264-1789.
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