Because of COVID-19, there hasn’t been much to speak of this year in regard to public events hosted by Gilmer Arts. Several concerts, community theater productions and other events planned by the local arts nonprofit have either been canceled or reshuffled until next year due to the ongoing pandemic.
However, the Gilmer Arts Gallery is still hosting art exhibits, three of which are currently on display in the downtown Ellijay gallery located at 207 Dalton Street.
Exhibits by painter Jill McGannon and potter Julie Brown are on display in the venue’s front gallery. Paintings and sculptures by Pickens County artist Billy Roper are also on display in the gallery’s adjoining Hawthorne Hall. All three exhibits are part of the gallery’s 2020 B.E.S.T. Visual Art Series.
McGannon, an Atlanta area resident, paints in oil to create realistic outdoor and nature landscapes, figures and still lifes. She’s been a guest artist at several previous Plein Air: Art In The Mountains weekends in Gilmer County, and her accolades from those events include first place in the 2015 and 2019 Quick Paint competitions, as well as runner-up in the this year’s Quick Paint.
Brown is an Ellijay resident who creates pottery at her local studio. She uses clay from North Carolina to create such functional pieces as bowls, jars, plates and mugs, that can be displayed for their artistic qualities or used for their intended purposes.
Pickens County native Roper carves intricate sculptures from wood and marble, while also using vibrant shades of blues, reds and yellows to bring life to his often animated paintings. Roper calls his art “visual storytelling,” and his brightly-colored acrylic paintings have been known to include hidden messages written on back of the canvases.
“Our directors, Ted Field and Lance Lewin, work tirelessly to bring artists of stature to the gallery,” said Pam Burns, gallery manager. “Billy Roper is a well-known regional folk artist, who is sought after for commercial installation and has two books written about him and his art. Jill McGannon is an artist and instructor who’s painted around the world. Her collections can be seen in Atlanta, South Carolina, and Chicago galleries. Julie Brown is well known for her hand-mixed glazes and unique ceramic pieces. She creates useful, but decorative items using a wheel and slab clay. She also teaches classes here and always brings something adorable for her students to make, while encouraging them to add their own personal touch using textures. We are incredibly fortunate to be able to bring art of this caliber, by artists who sell nationally, to Ellijay,” she added.
All three exhibits will remain on display for public viewing until Saturday, Nov. 28. The gallery now closes on Monday and Tuesday and will also be closed Sundays during December and January, noted Burns.
The gallery is open for public visitation and viewing from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday.