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Opening Reception & Gala – Plein Air Biennial & Cheryl Mackian
August 17, 2019 : 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Please join us for a very special Opening Reception and Gala event as the Center welcomes two new exhibits into its galleries, while also hosting a one night ‘pop up’ exhibit in the Community Room!
The Hayloft Gallery will host a curated exhibit from the Plein Air Biennial week’s work. Visitors can also enjoy a special exhibit of the Friday Night Quick Draw Competition from downtown Floyd in the Center’s Community Room. Featured in the Falcon Gallery will be “Journeys and Changing Perspectives”, Oil Paintings by Cheryl Mackian. The exhibits in the Hayloft Gallery and in the Falcon Gallery will remain on display through Saturday, October 5. The pop-up exhibit of Quick Draw paintings in the Community Room will be on display for this one night only.
During the Gala, our Plein Air Exhibit juror, Brett LaGue, will make a statement about all of the artists achievements. Along with the evening’s grand prize sponsor, Clark Gas and Oil, the Floyd Center for the Arts will announce the winner of the 2019 Floyd Plein Air Biennial and the Quick Draw Competition.
A special preview of the exhibit will open for one hour at 5 pm for Patron ticket holders only. Don’t miss out on this special opportunity to be the first to purchase the grandest work of the week!
More information about the Plein Air Biennial can be found at https://www.floydartcenter.org/plein-air
About the Juror, Brett LaGue
“Revealing the energy of the everyday landscape.”
Born in Indiana and growing up in Florida, Brett LaGue spent countless hours wandering woods, fields, along riverbanks and at the beach. After wearing out several pairs of flip-flops while attending Ringling School of Art & Design (Now Ringling College of Art + Design) in Sarasota Florida, LaGue graduated with honors in graphic design & illustration.
After discovering the beauty of Virginia, and a 25+ year career in advertising, Brett is now a full-time artist. He has exhibited in solo and group presentations, art festivals and plein air competitions. LaGue’s work can be found in collections across the United States as well as in England and France, and is a recipient of a professional fellowship grant from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
“Each of my paintings is a combination, of its creative record, the story of its visual content and an interaction between both of these elements and the viewer. Understanding that individuals viewing an artwork – no matter how specific in detail – will reinterpret the artist’s intention as they feel it, I strive to invite that reinterpretation, allowing them to become a part of the work.” – Brett LaGue
About “Journeys and Changing Perspectives” by Cheryl Mackian in the Falcon Gallery: “This is a show centered around and inspired by recent travel to NYC, Seattle, and Washington DC. While I live in rural Floyd County and thrive here, I am deeply inspired by and drawn to the pace, anonymity, and immensity of urban life–to the degree that it has solely driven my work for the past seven years. ” – Cheryl Mackian