Author Archive

Pam Toll – Painter and Mixed Media

Pam Toll, an Associate Professor at UNC Wilmington, received a BA in Art and English Literature from UNC Chapel Hill and has been painting since childhood. Her studio is located at Acme Art Studios (Wilmington) which she co-founded in 1991, as a work and exhibition space for artists. She also co-founded No Boundaries International Art Colony (Bald Head Island, NC) in 1998, a residency program that in the last twenty years brought over 200 artists from around the world with the goal of creating a cross-exchange of cultures and artistic practices to share with our local community.

Pam Toll – Painter and Mixed Media

Barbara Snyder – Lens Based Artist

Artist Statement

“There is often a commonality in what we think of as our individual past. As a lens- based artist, I seek to reposition my past as an operative with a broader context. In exploring its impact, both active and benign, memory becomes metaphorical and ritualistic. I strive for my images and assemblages to provoke, engage, and inform a universal memory with influences of contemporary life. These new works referencing strength are influenced by the interconnectedness of the natural world.”

Artist Bio

Barbara Snyder is a self-educated lens-based artist, working with digital, film and alternative processes. She has shown nationally and internationally and was a recipient of the 2014 and 2017 North Carolina Regional Artists Grant. Snyder lives and works in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Barbara Snyder – Lens Based Artist

Tim Schwarz – Woodworker

Born in Buffalo, NY my family eventually moved outside of the city to a small town which had an antique shop. I remember at the young age of 12 going in one day and being amazed by the unique one of a kind items including some of the antique furniture in various styles made from varying species. At the age of 15 & now living in Eastern North Carolina I started working my 1st job cleaning floors. I remember being excited to work not only to make some $$ but to learn a skill. I was never one to sit around twiddling my thumbs. I like to blame this on my father who set a great example of how to provide for your family sometimes working 2 & 3 jobs at times to make sure we had a roof over us and food on the table.

Anyway after about 9 years or working in about 6 different fields of work that really didn’t suit me. I started working for my father-in-law’s auction company which I enjoyed since I got to learn so much more about antiques and furniture. I learned how to repair and refinish pieces that came in for the auction. I learned the various styles from throughout the last 200 years along with the species & techniques used to make them. I especially fell in love with Mid Century Modern designs by Knoll, Eames, Jacobsen, Nelson especially the naturalistic style of the famed George Nakashima.

Eventually with my ever growing family of 7 I needed to somehow make some supplemental income. So in 2015 I started buying well used and worn out furniture as well as some cool vintage & antique industrial pieces that I could repair, refinish, recycle or up-cycle into one of a kind pieces I would sell at various local consignment shops. Working on those pieces one day out of the week. One day someone who saw my work contacted me and asked me to make a 10’ long custom entryway table from scratch using new materials. Something I had never done before and had zero experience doing. But if you know me you know I’m always up for a challenge. And from the completion of that table I was hooked with making things with my hands from local sustainably sourced woods and recycled steel.

What started out as a 1 day a week way to make some extra money to help support my family 3 years later it became a full time job where I can work from home and be close to my family and each one of them has at one time or another come out to the garage and helped me work on projects among other things making it a full family affair. I get to work with my hands using natural materials I have always had a special place for in my heart. I always tell people I don’t make the gorgeous materials I use. I can only enhance and show off the beauty our Creator has given us. And I take something that could have eventually rotted and returned to the earth and make it into something that will last a lifetime or longer.

Tim Schwarz – Woodworker

Dick Roberts – Painter

Virtual Tour created by Matterhorn Media.

Artist Statement

The paintings are about the act of painting. Although individually the paintings possess different intensities, opposing levels of complexity and abstraction, and perhaps a vague adherence to a narrative, the core of the process of painting remains consistent. The paintings are a reflection of the process of painting them. Every process is unique.

The magic of painting can never be totally explained. I find joy in discovering the emerging world of a new painting. Although harmony of the mind and the heart is important, the metabolic process of converting color, form and line into the forces that drive the painting is absolutely necessary.

Artist Bio

Education:
Brevard High School
Brevard, NC – 1965
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL,USA – Marine Biology, 1965-1968
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, NC, USA – Creative Writing Program 1970-1972
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC, USA – BFA Ceramics and Painting 1979

Employment:
Science Museums of Charlotte
Charlotte, NC, USA – Exhibits Tech 1979-1982
North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Kure Beach, NC, USA – Curator of Design and Exhibits 1982 – 2008
Artist
Acme Art Studios – Wilmington, NC, USA 1979 – present
Poet
1970 – present

Affiliations:
WHQR Public Radio – Local Advisory Board
Wilmington, NC, USA
1996-2004
North Carolina Museums Council
1979 – 2002
Southeastern Museums Conference
1979 – 1985
Wilmington Railroad Museum – Planning committee chairman
Wilmington. NC, USA 1995
Acme Art Studios – co-founder
Wilmington, NC, USA 1991 – present
No Boundaries International Artist Colony – co-founder
Wilmington, NC, USA 1997 – 2010
Art Point Gumno
Sloestica, Macedonia 2005 – present
African American Heritage Foundation
Wilmington, NC 2009 – 2011

Publications:
Southern Poetry Review
Saint Andrews Review
Kostroma Poetry Project (Russian translation)
Between the Lines – Poetry festival chapbook
Poems for Macedonia
Various chapbooks

More of his works can be found on his website.

Dick Roberts – Painter

Jessie Robertson – Painter

Artist Statement

Ever since I can remember, I have been filled with a great love for frogs and toads. Everything about them, from their bright eyes and wide grins to their powerful leaps and graceful strokes, amazes me. I try to capture the beauty I see in frogs in my artwork, and to express the love and joy I feel for them with those who see my pieces. More importantly, I hope to contribute to amphibian conservation efforts worldwide, and make a real difference in the lives of the thousands of frog species currently threatened with extinction. Frogs need us, and I believe we need them too.

While I have always enjoyed creating frog artwork, it became a true passion for me when I discovered SAVE THE FROGS!, an amphibian conservation organization, and the enormous threats that frog species face. Ever since, I have used my artwork as activism, including informative fact cards about species I depict and donating 10% of my sales to SAVE THE FROGS! I use a variety of mediums, including acrylic paintings, watercolors, sculpture, digital illustrations, and animation. My pieces tend to draw heavily from real life, both because I love animals as they truly appear and so that each species is distinctly recognizable. That said, I make my pieces lively by enhancing colors and giving all of my subjects a smile. Though frogs may be suffering dramatically in the world we live in, I want to live in a world where I can find them smiling everywhere. I work to help create that world in my art, and in real life.

Biography

Born in Memphis, TN, Jessie Robertson moved with her family to Wilmington in 2010. Since 2017, Jessie’s award-winning art has displayed in several group and solo art exhibits, including shows at Wilma Daniels Gallery, ACES Gallery, 216 N. Front Street, the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher, and Art in Bloom Gallery. In 2019, Jessie graduated from Wilmington Early College High School as valedictorian and from Cape Fear Community College (CFCC). Today, she is majoring in both Studio Art and Digital Arts at UNCW and working as a part-time employee at Art in Bloom Gallery, where she edits their artist films. Jessie hopes that the more she learns and creates, the more successful she will be in achieving her goal of saving the frogs.

More of Jessie’s work can be found at: https://jessielrobertson.wixsite.com/portfolio

Jessie Robertson – Painter

Helen Mirkil – Guest Painter

“…Mirkil is never satisfied until she captures a lasting inner truth.”
–Jane Biberman, Montgomery County Town & Country Living

Helen Mirkil moved from the Philadelphia suburbs to Wilmington in 2019. Along with their spacious studios at theArtWorks she and her husband are sinking down roots in North Carolina and enjoying being near her children and their families. Helen is a Certificate/BFA recipient from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (Pafa) and the University of Pennsylvania. At Pafa she also completed an MFA.

Helen was awarded a British American Travel Grant from the Wales/Philadelphia Exchange for a two-month residency. Her Penllyn Series landscapes were exhibited at Walter Wickiser Gallery in NYC. Landscape painting also earned her the Valerie Lamb Smith Painting Residency as well as being twice awarded first prize in the Scenes of the Schuylkill Exhibition.

The large figurative works, Helen’s “Conversations” series, were shown in a solo exhibition starting at the University of Mary Washington Galleries in Fredericksburg VA, and traveling to the Berman Museum of Art in Collegeville PA. Her works in oil and on paper have been juried into the National Midyear Exhibition at The Butler Institute of American Art.

Works by Helen can be seen at the American Academy of Arts and Letters in NYC, Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, Bryn Mawr College Library Collection, James A. Michener Art Museum, Villanova University Art Collection, University of Mary Washington Galleries, Monmouth Comprehensive School in Wales, U.K., Teaching Collection of PAFA, and Woodmere Art Museum.

Helen Mirkil was guest curator/originator of two major museum exhibitions, “In Her Voice: Self-Portraits by Women” and “The Expressionist Gesture”. Helen is also a poet. Her collection of poems entitled Sower on the Cliffs: poems and drawings is published by BookArts Press.

Artist Statement

My creativity is a gift. In part, it is driven by a childhood need to be heard.

With art or poetry, I’m able to express things that inspire and/or weigh on my soul. It doesn’t matter whether I am sitting inside a grove of trees, looking into the eyes of a friend, or admiring the grace of dying tulips. Beauty and depth are there to be found.

When I’m painting or writing, an internal music comes alive in me, a sort of dance with the Holy Spirit.

It’s a form of prayer, the dance, a giving from deep gratitude to Christ, the Lord of my soul.

More of Helen’s work can be viewed on her website at: helenmirkil.com

Helen Mirkil – Guest Painter

Jennifer Mace – Guest Photographer

Artist Statement

Coming out of Covid and constant care for my father Alzheimer’s has made me reflect on my past. Travel and seeing the beauty in nature is something that was impressed on me early. This collection of images serves as symbols of my life. They represent locations, events and experiences from my life that have been embedded in my mind, they instantly take me back to happy times. Working on these allowed me to separate the stress of my daily life and find a new path for my artwork.

I hope you find some connection to these spaces as well.

Artist Biography

I received my BFA in Photography from Colorado State University in 1994 and my MFA in Photography from James Madison University in 2003. I moved to Wilmington in the summer of 2008 where I’ve been teaching photography at Cape Fear Community College. Over the years I have created several different bodies of work. I work with the film process and digital photography just as often. In the last decade as there are advances with technology, I find myself turning away from that progress. This collection of images was shot with medium format black and white film.

Jennifer Mace – Guest Photographer

Curtis Krueger – Photographer

Some of the Curtis Krueger’s earliest memories are of his father and him drawing at the dining room table. He was told our television broke down when he was in kindergarten, and his parents, although they could afford to repair it decided not to. Curtis places much of his fascination with the art-world with their encouragement and direct participation. The lack of television as entertainment is another. Curtis studied art at Eastern Michigan University, earning a BFA, along with two teaching certificates. It was in school where he took a darkroom class and got the incurable photo bug. For the last 25 years he has earned a living selling my photos at various art festivals and galleries across America. Traveling is a big part of his schedule. Half the year is taken up with either shows or photo gathering trips. On an average year, Curtis travels 30,000 miles and shoots 50,000 images.

Curtis Krueger – Photographer

Doug Haas – Wood Turner

Doug Haas is a wood turner who creates exquisite, original works of art often from wood found on local streets. He is a volunteer woodturning instructor and mentor at Topsail High School and an active member of the Wilmington Area Woodturners Association and the American Association of Woodturners. Doug’s wood turning builds upon his previous experience and exploration in painting and design.

Doug graduated from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC with a BFA in Art with a studio major in painting and a minor in wood design. He also studied art at the Universidad de las Americas in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico.

In addition to his work in the arts, Doug has a 30+ year career including 20+ years as an area coordinator for the NC Division of Emergency Management and as an emergency management specialist for the US Marine Corps, in addition to other positions in training and development.

One of his favorite quotes is “Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the fruit is.” Mark Twain

Doug Haas – Wood Turner

Jeri Greenberg – Pastel Artist

After many years as a fashion illustrator and sportswear designer, Jeri turned her love of graphic design towards advertising next. Having time to devote herself to painting again, and falling in love with the pastel medium, has led to a new and interesting “next act”, as a full time painter and teacher.

Feeling that “Pastels are an immediate tool to express feelings” and the perfect vehicle in which to “Make the Ordinary, Extraordinary” and tell stories in her paintings, Jeri works to constantly get a deeper understanding of this wonderful medium. With her background in illustration, Jeri helps her students get a strongly drawn foundation down behind their color work.

Jeri loves painting still lifes, urban interiors, figures and fabrics, and the occasional landscape as well.Recently relocated, Jeri teaches weekly classes at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington NC, and holds demos and workshops around the country, as well as jurying national and international pastel exhibits.

Check out Jeri’s newest project!
Restaurants + Art 2022: Celebrating Wilmington’s Restaurant Scene Restaurants + Art is a joint project, celebrating our local Restaurants, via pastel paintings by artist, Jeri Greenberg in collaboration with Art in Bloom Gallery, Terry Espy of MoMentum Companies, and different restaurants and cafes in our community.

Jeri Greenberg – Restaurants + Art 2022

Jeri Greenberg – Pastel Artist

Dorothy Gillespie (1920-2012) – Sculptor

“I love color, it goes back to the things I saw as a child – a Christmas tree, a ball bouncing, a kite.”
—Dorothy Gillespie

Dorothy Gillespie was well known as a painter, sculptor, and installation artist whose work encompassed many significant 20th-century trends in art, including abstract expressionism, decorative abstraction, site-specific installations, the women’s movement, and art in public spaces. She pioneered joyful new directions for metal sculpture and is best known for large-scale, colorfully painted arrangements of cut aluminum strips that radiate, undulate, or curl like giant arrangements of ribbon, enchanted towers, or bursting fireworks.

Dorothy Gillespie’s illustrious career in art spanned over 70 years during which time she created, exhibited and sold her art work nationally and internationally.

Gillespie, born in Roanoke, VA, declared early her intention to become an artist. She studied art at the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD then moved to New York City where she studied at the Art Student’s League of New York and the Stanley William Hayter’s Atelier 17.

Among her many honors, Gillespie received The Alice Baber Art Fund, Inc. Grant Award; a Doctor of Pedagogy, Niagara University, Niagara Falls, NY 1990; a Doctor of Fine Arts (Honoris Causa) Caldwell College, Caldwell, NY 1976; an Allied Professions Award,Virginia Society; The American Institute of Architects, Richmond, VA 1986; Distinguished Alumni Award, Maryland Institute, College of Art, Baltimore, MD 1983; Outstanding Services Award, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, AR 1983; and, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Women’s Caucus for Art in 2001. The Gala 8 ” Distinguished Woman” Award at Birmingham Southern College in 1987 honoring women who have made lasting contributions to our society in the fields of endeavor ranging from the arts, medicine, philanthropy, journalism, government, sports, entertainment and business”.

In addition to her demanding studio work, Gillespie served as a Distinguished Professor of Art, Radford University, Radford, VA 1997-99; on the Board of Trustees, Maryland Institute, College of Art, Baltimore, MD 1996-99; on the Board of Trustees, Maitland Art Center, Maitland, FL 1996-99; and on the Art in Public Places Committee, Broward Cultural Affairs Council, June 1993-June 1994; and as Visiting Artist, Radford University, Radford, VA 1981-83 where she initiated the University’s permanent art collection through a gift of her own work and where her work is now archived. Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow from 1985-1993. During that period she made week-long visits to small private colleges throughout the country and gave public lectures, coached and taught young artists.

Early in her career, Gillespie contributed to the women’s art movement through her work at Artist in Residence, Women’s Interart Center, New York, NY 1972 and her lecture series at the New School for Social Research, New York, NY 1977. Gillespie is the subject of numerous reviews, critical essays, film and radio interviews and a book Dorothy Gillespie published by the Radford University Foundation Press.

Click here to download our DG Interactive Brochure featuring Dorothy Gillespie’s work around Wilmington!

Dorothy Gillespie (1920-2012) – Sculptor

Wm. Fridrich – Photographer

Wm. Fridrich: Photographs

Robert Hughes, referring to the DADA movement (and Marcel Duchamp in particular), said that “like his Bottle Rack, Bicycle Wheel and other ‘readymades’…the world is so full of interesting objects that the artist need not add to them. Instead he could just pick one, and this ironic act of choice was equivalent to creation.”

The camera is the definitive instrument for making these ironic acts of choice. Then the function of this device — to record what already exists — in the DADA belief, is equivalent to the act of creation.

Wm. Fridrich studied art, sculpture and photography at UCLA, motorcycle magazines and in the U.S. Army, as a combat illustrator. He then launched a successful graphic design career in the early 1970s.

Introduced to the Dada and Surrealist movements by his wife, art historian Marsha McKee, William became clinically obsessed with Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray and Joseph Cornell: he has not yet recovered.

More of his work can be found on his WEBSITE.

Wm. Fridrich – Photographer

Frank Fierstein – Artistic Photographer

A friend of mine, a world renowned doctor of pharmacology, once asked me a question with regards to my artistic photography; “What is your purpose?“. For decades, I have tried to understand, answer and pursue what that purpose has been. To visually see my feelings in images, that represent myself as a child and young adult, has given me a better connection, a deeper understanding, and a clearer meaning in my personal life. Even as I have become a photography dinosaur, still working in my “chemical darkroom” and still using film for all of my artistic work, I continue to seek images that represent and connect with my heart and soul. Making prints that emit light from the silver they are made from is as important today as it ever was in this digital age of ink and sensors. After being given clear guidance by a great teacher about creating art with my photography, my artistic quest to find wonderful images has never ceased and to this day remains amazingly strong. Currently, I teach a class in Artistic Photography at Brunswick Community College, where I encourage my students to connect with who they are through their photography and I too continue to ask them the same question; What is YOUR purpose?

Artist statement

Art is an expression of passion and creativity. As artistic photographers, allowing ourselves to open up and feel this passion and creative flow ties our art to who we are and what we see. This produces images that represent our emotions, our dreams, our fears and our life experiences.

When photographing, the focus is on a different kind of place than our own reality or existence. We try to connect with a place that we figuratively can’t see. It’s a world of sensing a presence, an entity that defies description. As artists, we are compelled to understand how to connect with this feeling and then follow and photograph it. We are driven to find the source, its power. When we do connect, there is a brightness far more brilliant than anything in this world and possesses a feeling like a river of water flowing through our soul. This is a love that can bring us to tears and soothe all of our fears, stresses and anxieties. It’s a moment of discovery that creates a calming like no other; your soul is at rest!

Then, in the very next moment, everything changes and another excitement comes. Although there is literally nothing there that embodies this feeling, an energy courses through our veins with a rush of adrenaline that literally leaves us breathless, yearning and hoping to just take one more wonderful image.

We have seen and taken a photograph that reaches us on an emotional level, a moment that touches us deeply and profoundly. This is the true language of artistic photography.

Frank Fierstein – Artistic Photographer

Robert Beauchene – Guest Photographer

Robert Beauchene is a lifelong photographer and musician originally from Poughkeepsie, NY. His black & white work can be seen throughout the area under the brand CAPE FEAR NOIR and his abstract work has received international recognition. He also builds custom furniture! He lives in Wilmington with his wife, Polly.

For decades, the world of “fine art” photography has fallen into a fairly small list of genres. Landscapes, wildlife, portraits and occasional street scenes are the typical purview of most photographers who are out to create something beautiful with a single image by itself. However, in the past few years there has emerged a style of photography that is not new but is growing in popularity because it is uniquely suited to the capabilities of digital cameras.

Artists have always experimented with the tools that they use in an attempt to arrive at something new, different, fresh or unexpected. It’s an integral part of art as an act of creativity, expression and skill. Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) is a genre of image making that combines slower shutter speeds and intentionally moving the camera while the photo is being shot. Talk about “breaking the rules!” The result is a spectrum of abstraction that can go from creating “impressionist” style photos to “abstract expressionist” style photos.

Unlike many ICM photographers who choose to retain the recognizable forms and subjects of their photos – simply “blurring” fairly traditional subjects (like those listed above), Robert Beauchene centers his attention on light – it’s shape, tone, texture and intensity. The results of this approach are images that are often absent of any recognizable form but are full of interesting lines, colors and patterns. Think abstract expressionist painting – but with a camera.

As with any photographic technique, Beauchene utilizes light, location, camera settings, etc. to intentionally arrive at a pre-conceived “vision”. In other words, these photos are not “accidents” – they are the result of careful planning and the precise use of the tools at hand. All of his images are created in camera with very little, if any, post processing or digital manipulation of any kind.

This particular approach to picture making is appealing because it is an alternative representation of an actual reality. Not an interpretation but an actual capture of something real. The camera is just a tool/ recording device and visual “reality” is processed and constrained by our eyes and brains to perceive things in a particular way. This is NOT the only way, however. For example, insects see things differently than we do because their eyes are designed differently. In this way, the camera allows the photographer to take a real subject and capture it in such a way that it becomes something else – something abstract.

In the end, however, the goal is nothing more than to create something beautiful!

View more of Robert’s work on his personal website! www.mycamerasongs.com

Robert Beauchene – Guest Photographer

Fine Art From $125-500

Fine Art Under $125

Fine Art Gift Certificates

Give a gift that will last forever!

This unique gift can be used for the purchase of any item sold at Art in Bloom Gallery, and can be redeemed in store or online.

Please select from any of the preset amounts, OR mix and match amounts to create your own gift amount!

Art in Bloom Gallery will provide a downloadable gift certificate and an online coupon code for use online.

The certificate is not redeemable for cash and is good for one year from the purchase date.

Fine Art Gift Certificates

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“Ceramic Vessel Sculpture & Mixed Media Art by Gayle Tustin”

Gayle Tustin’s upcoming exhibit “Ceramic Vessel Sculpture & Mixed Media Art” features her most recent red earthenware vessel sculptures using terra sigillata with oxide patinas, along with mixed media on painter’s canvases. “Tustin finds inspiration from her environment, long walks, dreams, and sketches from traveling. Books, conversations, trash treasures picked up from the street, gesture sketches, antique stores, and swimming are other sources. Sometimes her ideas are planned out in the sketchbook, but more often her process represents a spontaneous flow.”

Gayle works out of her home studio and has been a fixture in the Wilmington arts scene for 30 years. She is one of the original founders of No Boundaries International Art Colony that happens annually on Bald Head Island.

Click here to preview the work that will be available during her show.

About the Artist

Gayle Tustin was born in New Castle and grew up in Sharpsville, PA. She has been fascinated with art since early childhood, cutting up old wallpaper books and magazines for pasting into collage assemblages, to making mud pies in the backyard.

Penn State University laid the foundation for her ceramic work as well as Alfred University in NY, after initially completing an Associate Degree in business from Robert Morris University, PA. Tustin is the first person to graduate with honors in Studio Art from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 1996.

She has participated in numerous artist colonies including Northern Macedonia, Spain, Germany, Brazil, and South Africa. She is responsible for helping to create the No Boundaries International Art Colony, a gathering of local and international artists that meet annually on Bald Head Island to make art.

Tustin has been commissioned for donor tile memorial projects in Wilmington by the Lower Cape Fear Hospice including “Celebration of Life I, II & III” and “Safe Passages”, as well as “Bountiful Life I – VI” in Whiteville. Her ceramic relief commissioned works can be seen in Raleigh at the NC State Bar Foundation, “ We are the People of North Carolina” and Novant Health in Winston-Salem, “With Compassionate Care” and “Landscapes from Memory”.

For more information about Gayle’s extraordinary art, read “Freedom, Fluidity, and Flow: The Life and Work of Gayle Tustin” by Fritts Causby in Wrightsville Beach Magazine, September 2023.

On view along with this exhibit will be “Poet’s Garden: New Paintings by Helen Mirkil” and “Intentional Camera Movement (ICM): Photography by Robert Beauchene”. These new shows by our featured artists will be on view from October 5 – November 19, 2023, with an opening reception on Sunday, October 8th, from 2-5pm featuring live music by solo jazz guitar, Roger Davis!

“Poet’s Garden: New Paintings by Helen Mirkil”

A Time to Mourn and a Time To Dance” [Ecclesiastes 3:46], Acrylic on canvas, 19″ x 24″

Helen Mirkil’s upcoming exhibit “Poet’s Garden”features her newest paintings inspired by the artwork of her sons and grandchildren. Helen’s ‘conversations with art’ honor the works they adapt while visualizing her relationships with her family. Helen sees her creativity as a gift and an outlet, and uses art and poetry to express what inspires or weighs on her soul. Helen Mirkil moved from the Philadelphia suburbs to Wilmington in 2019. Along with their spacious studios at the ArtWorks, she and her husband have established roots in NC and enjoy being near her children and their families.

Helen will also be hosting an Artist Talk on Sunday, October 22 as well as a Poetry Reading on Sunday, November 12. Stay tuned for more details and times!

Click here to preview the work that will be available during her show.

About the Artist

Helen Mirkil moved from the Philadelphia suburbs to Wilmington in 2019. Along with their spacious studios at theArtWorks she and her husband are sinking down roots in North Carolina and enjoying being near her children and their families. Helen is a Certificate/BFA recipient from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (Pafa) and the University of Pennsylvania. At Pafa she also completed an MFA.

On view along with this exhibit will be “Intentional Camera Movement (ICM): Photography by Robert Beauchene” and “Ceramic Vessel Sculpture & Mixed Media Art by Gayle Tustin”. These new shows by our featured artists will be on view from October 5 – November 19, 2023, with an opening reception on Sunday, October 8th, from 2-5pm featuring live music by solo jazz guitar, Roger Davis!

“Intentional Camera Movement (ICM): Photography by Robert Beauchene”

“The Idea” Photography by Robert Beauchene

The gallery is excited to show new work by photographer, Robert Beauchene, in the upcoming exhibit “Intentional Camera Movement (ICM)”

Unlike many ICM photographers who choose to retain the recognizable forms and subjects of their photos – simply “blurring” fairly traditional subjects (like landscapes, wildlife, portraits and street scenes), Robert Beauchene centers his attention on light – it’s shape, tone, texture and intensity. The results of this approach are images that are often absent of any recognizable form but are full of interesting lines, colors and patterns. Think abstract expressionist painting – but with a camera. As with any photographic technique, Beauchene utilizes light, location, camera settings, etc. to intentionally arrive at a pre-conceived “vision”. In other words, these photos are not “accidents” – they are the result of careful planning and the precise use of the tools at hand. All of his images are created in camera with very little, if any, post processing or digital manipulation of any kind.

On view along with this exhibit will be “Poet’s Garden: New Paintings by Helen Mirkil” and “Ceramic Vessel Sculpture & Mixed Media Art by Gayle Tustin”. These new shows by our featured artists will be on view from October 5 – November 19, 2023, with an opening reception on Sunday, October 8th, from 2-5pm featuring live music by solo jazz guitar, Roger Davis!

Click here to preview the work that will be available during his show.

About the Artist

Robert Beauchene is a lifelong photographer and musician originally from Poughkeepsie, NY. His black & white work can be seen throughout the area under the brand CAPE FEAR NOIR and his abstract work has received international recognition. He also builds custom furniture! He lives in Wilmington with his wife, Polly.

Wednesday, August 23rd, 2023
Exhibits, Upcoming Exhibits

Jennifer Mace – Guest Photographer

Artist Biography

Artist Statement

I hope you find some connection to these spaces as well.

Wednesday, July 5th, 2023
Artist, Jennifer Mace

“On the Road to Find Out” New Art by Elizabeth Darrow Exhibit

“On the Road to Find Out” Oil and oil pastel on canvas, 36″ x 48″

Join us for a look at the new work of Wilmington’s own, Elizabeth Darrow. “On the Road to Find Out” will feature a selection of work fresh out of the artist’s studio. The art includes Elizabeth’s figurative work and abstract expressionist works.

Elizabeth Darrow has made Wilmington her home since 1977. She works in a variety of styles depending on her medium, but usually does not work “from life” in the traditional sense. Most of the imagery that comes to her seems to hatch of its own accord, emerging from the process. Darrow enjoys working with color, repeating patterns and embedding humor (and angst) into her work. Each piece takes her on a journey of discovery where she hopes to lose herself to the process.

Click here to view the brand new work in this exhibit!

On view along with this exhibit is our featured photography show with new work by Allison Bowman. These new shows will be on view from May 25 – July 2, 2023, with an opening reception on Thursday, June 1st from 5-8pm featuring live music by violinist, Shirley Lebo.

Monday, April 17th, 2023
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Cape Fear’s Ocean Dwellers: Photography by Allison Bowman” Exhibit

“Themes: Tube, 1/1″ by Allison Bowman 16″ x 24”

“Cape Fear’s Ocean Dwellers” is a showcase of impactful photography by, Allison Bowman, whose work tells the stories of some of the ocean dwelling creatures in the waters around Cape Fear. From sleeping loggerhead turtles wintering in ship wrecks to the local art of sunrise wave chasing, Allison presents a body of photography printed on metal depicting the habits of “Cape Fear’s Ocean Dwellers”.

On view along with this exhibit is our feature show “On the Road to Find Out: New Art by Elizabeth Darrow”. These new shows will be on view from May 25 – July 2, 2023, with an opening reception on Thursday, June 1st from 5-8pm.

Sunday, April 16th, 2023
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Revisiting: Photography by Jennifer Mace”

“Dugout” Silver Gelatin Print

“Revisiting” by guest photographer, Jennifer Mace, is a brand new body of silver gelatin prints reflecting on the artist’s past. This collection of images serves as symbols of Jennifer’ life. They represent locations, events and experiences from her world that have been embedded in her mind. They are reminders of happy times. Working on this collection of work allowed Jennifer to separate the stress of her daily life and find a new path for her artwork.

On view along with this exhibit is a special exhibit, “Dorothy Gillespie Art – A Celebration”. These new shows will be on view from July 6 – August 13, 2023, with an opening reception on Thursday, July 6th from 5-8pm featuring live music by solo jazz guitar, Roger Davis!

About the Photographer
Jennifer received her BFA in Photography from Colorado State University in 1994 and my MFA in Photography from James Madison University in 2003. She moved to Wilmington in the summer of 2008 where she’s been teaching photography at Cape Fear Community College. Over the years Jennifer has created several different bodies of work. She work with the film process and digital photography just as often. In the last decade as there are advances with technology, she find herself turning away from that progress. This collection of images was shot with medium format black and white film.

Saturday, April 15th, 2023
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Hearts & Souls: New Pastels by Jeri Greenberg”

“Queen of Hearts” Pastel on paper by Jeri Greenberg

Hearts & Souls is Jeri Greenberg’s newest body of work featuring her amazing pastel paintings.

Click here to preview some of the work that will be on view and for sale.

On view along with this exhibit will be the “Ceramic Creations: Featuring Brian Evans and Dianne Evans”, accompanied by our photography feature, David Norris. These new shows will be on view from August 17 – October 1, 2023, with an opening reception on Sunday, August 20th, from 2-5pm featuring live music by solo jazz guitar, Roger Davis!

About the Artist

Feeling that “Pastels are an immediate tool to express feelings” and the perfect medium in which to “Make the Ordinary, Extraordinary”, Jeri works to tell stories in her work enabling her to draw the viewer in . With her background in illustration, Jeri helps her students get a strongly drawn foundation down behind their color work.

Jeri loves painting still lifes, urban interiors, figures and fabrics, and the occasional landscape as well. Recently relocated, Jeri teaches weekly classes at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington NC, and holds demos and workshops around the country, as well as jurying national and international pastel exhibits.

Friday, April 14th, 2023
Current Exhibits, Exhibits

“Debra Bucci: New Paintings from the Studio”

Debra Bucci is known for her vibrant and engaging floral and abstract paintings.

Dynamic color palettes, moving compositions and translucency from layering oils all work together to enhance the depth and bring Debra’s art to life. Her inspiration comes from the high’s and low’s of the human experience and believes this tension makes the art connectable. Her style is rooted in realism and woven with abstract elements.

Debra is a published illustrator and has achieved success as a licensed fine artist. Her art has been featured in Plow & Hearth magazine and can be found on ArtNeedlepoint.com. She has public and private collectors throughout the US including Savorez Restaurant and Wilmington Magazine. She is an anchor artist at Art in Bloom Gallery and has showing work at The Cameron Art Museum. She currently has paintings on sale at True Blue Butcher & Table Restaurant and has exhibited at the Wilmington International Airport.

Debra has a BFA in Design from Drexel University where she studied oil painting and enjoyed a corporate career in Package Design. She has recently moved to Wilmington, NC with her husband “Art” and dog “T-Bone”.

On view along with this exhibit is our featured photography show “Interconnected” with new work by Barbara Snyder. These new shows will be on view from April 13 – May 21, 2023, with an opening reception on Thursday, April 13th from 5-8pm.

Click here for a preview of the work that will appear in this exhibit!

Wednesday, April 5th, 2023
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Ceramic Creations: Featuring Brian Evans & Dianne Evans”

Ceramic Works by Brian Evans and Dianne Evans

This new exhibit celebrates the 3 dimensional ceramic work art of Brian Evans and Dianne Evans.

Click here to view the work that is available.

On view along with this exhibit we will be also featuring the new exhibit “Hearts & Souls: Pastel Paintings by Jeri Greenberg“ accompanied by our photography feature, David Norris. These new shows will be on view from August 17 – October 1, 2023, with an opening reception on Sunday, August 20th, from 2-5pm featuring live music by solo jazz guitar, Roger Davis!

About the Artists

Brian Evans‘ work conveys inspiration that he finds in his surroundings. Sometimes something as simple as the blade of a saw or a bellows used to blow on a fire can inspire an entire series of work. This body of work conveys simple found objects that inspire minimal or complex linear forms. Brian Evans was born in Beaufort, SC, but was raised in Western Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1993 from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Studio Art. He moved to Wilmington, North Carolina in 1995. He studied ceramics through the Continuing Education program at Cape Fear Community College while searching for an outlet for artistic expression. Brian studied under a Japanese-American Potter, Hiroshi Sueyoshi. Brian is currently serving as President of the Coastal Carolina Clay Guild.

Local artist and potter, Dianne Evans, has had a passion for art since childhood. She was born and raised in scenic Indiana, Pennsylvania. Dianne developed an interest in art while studying under an inspirational high school art teacher. This experience also inspired her to want to become a teacher. Dianne earned a BS in Elementary Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1994. In 1995 she moved to Wilmington, North Carolina where she began teaching in several private schools. Although she is no longer teaching, she works at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Continuing her love of art, she took art classes at UNC Wilmington in 2009-2010 where she focused on sculpture and ceramics. A field trip to Penland School of Crafts sparked an interest in pursuing ceramics as an art form. Dianne is an active member of the Coastal Carolina Clay Guild and participates in local art shows. She predominately works in the medium of clay focusing on hand-built pottery.

Tuesday, March 28th, 2023
Current Exhibits, Exhibits

David Norris – Photography Feature

“Ibis Two-Step” Photograph on paper

David Norris has been a long time Art in Bloom Gallery artist whose work continuously evolves. From his earlier monoprints, engravings, drawings, watercolors to his most recently painted oil on canvas. David loves to experiment with multiple processes but has almost always worked from the photographs he has taken of landscapes and place, which serve as his muse.

Stay tuned to preview the work that will be available.

On view along with this exhibit will be “Hearts & Souls: Pastel Paintings by Jeri Greenberg“ along with “Ceramic Creations: Featuring Brian Evans & Dianne Evans”. These new shows will be on view from August 17 – October 1, 2023, with an opening reception on Sunday, August 20th, from 2-5pm featuring live music by solo jazz guitar, Roger Davis!

About the Artist

Wilmington artist, David A. Norris, has a BFA degree from the East Carolina University School of Art. Long settled in the Port City, he finds the historic atmosphere of Wilmington and the natural beauty of the Cape Fear River and the coast provide limitless sources of artistic inspiration.

Most of David’s work reflects the landscapes of the places where he has lived or visited. Through his interest in art history, his work has absorbed influences such as English watercolors, 19^th century engravings, Japanese woodblock prints, Dutch Baroque landscapes, and Van Gogh’s reed pen drawings.

Monday, March 27th, 2023
Current Exhibits, Exhibits

“Dorothy Gillespie Art – A Celebration” Special Exhibit

Dorothy Gillespie Photo Courtesy of The Dorothy M. Gillespie Foundation

In collaboration with The Dorothy M. Gillespie Foundation, Art in Bloom Gallery is pleased to present the work of, painter, sculptor and installation artist, Dorothy M. Gillespie (1920-2012), in a special exhibit of her work.

Wilmington celebrates the legacy of artist & activist, Dorothy Gillespie, in collaboration with The Dorothy M. Gillespie Foundation. Gillespie had close ties in Wilmington through a long-time friendship with Thalian Hall’s, Tony Rivenbark, who worked as her studio assistant in the 1970s. Rivenbark brought Gillespie and her art to the Cape Fear Region. Gillespie’s legacy lives on in Wilmington and the additional public venues showcasing Gillespie’s art, including the Cameron Art Museum, the New Hanover County Arboretum, Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Cape Fear Community College’s Wilma W. Daniels Gallery and the Wilson Center, and UNCW’s CAB Gallery.

The Foundation proudly presents the works and history of the 20th century American Artist, Dorothy Gillespie, which included abstract expressionism, decorative abstraction, site-specific installations, the women’s movement and art in public spaces. She was a pioneer in the new directions of metal sculpture and best known for large-scale, highly colorful painted arrangements of cut aluminum with enamel strips radiating, undulating, or curling in giant arrangements of ribbon, enchanted towers, and even the burst of fireworks piece. Dorothy Gillespie is well known as a painter, sculptor and installation artist whose work incorporated many significant 20th-century trends in art.

Click here to preview the work on view at Art in Bloom Gallery from July 6 – August 13.

Click here to view our DG Interactive Brochure featuring Dorothy Gillespie’s permanent art in public places around Wilmington!

Click here to download our List of Current, Temporary Exhibits featuring Dorothy Gillespie’s art in public places around Wilmington!

About the Artist

Dorothy Gillespie (1920-2012, American) was a painter and sculptor born in Roanoke, VA. She enjoyed an artistic career that spanned over 70 years before her death at 92. She studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art, MD then moved to New York City in 1943 where she studied at the Art Students League of New York and Stanley William Hayter’s Atelier 17.

Gillespie was also an important player in the women’s art movement. Known for her tremendous output of colorful, joyful sculptural art, she was among those who helped blaze a path for women artists during the feminist art movement in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Always experimenting and trying new materials and techniques, Gillespie mastered many mediums, including painting, paper, sculpture, printmaking, environment and happenings, ceramics, jewelry and set designs.

As a painter, sculptor and installation artist, Gillespie’s art encompasses many significant 20th Century trends in art, including abstract expressionism, decorative abstraction, site-specific installation, the women’s movement, and art in public spaces.

Education was always very important to Dorothy Gillespie, and during her life she visited over 50 colleges and universities where she gave public lectures, coached and taught young artists. She was a Distinguished Professor of Art, Radford University, and a Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellow for many years. In 1990 she was recognized for her commitment to education when she received a Doctor of Pedagogy, Niagara University.

Dorothy Gillespie is the subject of numerous reviews, scholarly articles, television and radio interviews and the book Dorothy Gillespie.

This selection on view, and for sale, is organized and sponsored by The Dorothy M. Gillespie Foundation. The work is directly from the late artist’s studio located in Narrowsburg, NY. The Dorothy M. Gillespie Foundation fosters the legacy of Dorothy Gillespie’s life and work. The Foundation supports artists, initiatives, and institutions that embody the same innovative, inclusive multidisciplinary approach that Dorothy Gillespie exemplified in both her art and philanthropic endeavors.

Visit The Foundation’s website for more in depth information on the artist and her larger than life works of art.

Friday, February 10th, 2023
Current Exhibits, Exhibits

“Landscapes Reimagined: A Themed Group Exhibit”

“Landscapes Reimagined” is our newest, themed, group exhibit celebrating landscapes both real and imagined. Each of our artists has been invited to offer their individual take on the concept of a landscape. This show will refresh the soul while filling your eyes with the colors and tranquility of real or imagined landscapes of all kinds.

Featured artists include Bradley Carter, Judy Hintz Cox, Joanne Geisel, David Klinger, Joan McLoughlin, David A. Norris, H.M. Saffer, Kirah Van Sickle, and Virginia Wright Frierson among others.

On view along with this exhibit is our photography guest Michael Mosure. These new shows will be on view from March 2 until April 9, 2023, with an opening reception on Thursday, March 2nd from 5-8pm.

Click here for a preview of the work that will appear in this exhibit!

Thursday, February 9th, 2023
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

Debra Bucci Paintings at True Blue Butcher & Table Restaurant

Join us in celebrating our partnership between True Blue Butcher & Table Restaurant, Debra Bucci Fine Art and Art in Bloom Gallery!

True Blue, a local restaurant in Wilmington, NC, invited Debra to create and display a collection of her large abstract art in their dining room. The paintings are for sale and can viewed in the restaurant and online. Preview the work here!

True Blue Butcher and Table Restaurant
1125 Military Cutoff Road, Wilmington, NC 28405

Sunday, February 5th, 2023
Current Exhibits, Exhibits, Satellite Venues, Uncategorized

Art Collaboration at The Green House

Join us in celebrating a new art partnership with Art in Bloom Gallery and local restaurant, The Green House, along with several of our local artists. This art partnership will offer a curated selection of ceramics, sculpture and fiber art by Brian Evans, Dianne Evans, Angela Rowe, and Rebecca Yeomans in The Green House Restaurant’s beautiful space. All of the original artwork will be for sale and may be viewed in the restaurant as well as online. Join us at the opening art reception at the restaurant on Wednesday, March 8th from 5-7pm. The reception is free and open to the public.

The Green House is a local vegetarian and vegan restaurant welcoming customers to experience an inventive, plant-based menu with an emphasis on sustainability, seasonality, and all of the amazing local producers our area has to offer. Make dinner reservations at OpenTable or contact the restaurant.

Click here to preview the work online!

The Green House
1427 Military Cutoff, Unit 106,
Wilmington, NC 28405
910-679-4994

Wednesday, February 1st, 2023
Current Exhibits, Exhibits, Satellite Venues

“Interconnected: New Work by Barbara Snyder”

Barbara Snyder “Untitled 2”

In April, we welcome a new photography show “Interconnected” with new work by Barbara Snyder.

Barbara states that “There is often a commonality in what we think of as our individual past. As a lens- based artist, I seek to reposition my past as an operative with a broader context. In exploring its impact, both active and benign, memory becomes metaphorical and ritualistic. I strive for my images and assemblages to provoke, engage, and inform a universal memory with influences of contemporary life, reinventing the narrative of the stories and rituals which continue to live on with a deeper, broader, context than the obvious. These new works referencing strength are being influenced by the interconnectedness of the natural world.”

Barbara Snyder is a self-educated lens-based artist, working with digital, film and alternative processes. She has shown nationally and internationally and was a recipient of the 2014 and 2017 North Carolina Regional Artists Grant. Snyder lives and works in Wilmington, North Carolina.

On view along with this exhibit is our featured painter, Debra Bucci. These new shows will be on view from April 13 – May 21, 2023, with an opening reception on Thursday, April 13th from 5-8pm.

Click here for a preview of the work that will appear in this exhibit!

Wednesday, February 1st, 2023
Artist, Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Bold and Bright: New Work by Mark Gansor & Gale Smith” Exhibit

“Sunday Afternoon” by Mark Gansor

“Bold and Bright” is our newest exhibit with fresh new works by long-time gallery artists, Mark Gansor and Gale Smith. Mark is a landscape painter using impasto surfaces to capture fleeting moments caught in the light. His works are playful and full of color! Complimenting Mark’s paintings are the sculptural metal works by, mixed media artist, Gale Smith. Gale’s work in this exhibit is about the transformation of sheets of copper into complex assemblages that create a distinctive visual impact while allowing the intrinsic beauty of the metal to shine through. Vibrant colours dance across the copper pieces and create abstract geometrical shapes. These intricate works contain rich textures and reveal extraordinary manifestations of colour and formations.

On view along with this exhibit is Monochrome Moments: A Photographic Glimpse into Nature by Tim Smith. These new shows will be on view from January 12 – February 26, 2023, with an opening reception on Thursday, January 12th from 5-8pm.

Click here for a preview of the work that will appear in this exhibit!

About the Artists

Mark Gansor is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Out of several decades of work as a decorative finisher and classical musician, Mark Gansor’s career as a painter was born. Entirely self- taught he is now secure enough to tell people that he is an artist. He works in acrylics thickly applied to the

“Here Comes the Sun” by Gale Smith

canvas with knives, fingers, and occasionally brushes. Since moving to Wilmington five years ago he has been caught up in the artistic vibe of the city, and the historical structures, nature, and the downtown all figure in his work. He has painted or restored original work in several structures on the National Registry which have added to his love of all things old or unusual. The beautiful old churches speak to him, bringing his love of sacred music and the pipe organ back time and time again. For several years he has been painting works on canvas and hopes that this can be his career in retirement. His work is available at Art in Bloom Gallery. He has also recently become Director of Music Ministries at St Andrews Covenant Presbyterian Church in downtown Wilmington. Mark Gansor is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Having studied at UNC Chapel Hill, Gale Smith considers painting as an ongoing study. She has found a new interest in working with copper. As a plein air painter, she began using copper panels as her canvas and loved how the copper made her colors warm and vibrant. She experimented with different gauges of copper and mediums and discovered that inks and oils on copper made colors radiate vibrantly. Never quite sure where the colors and copper will take her, Gale paints, cuts and weaves two abstract paintings together to create a dimensional piece of art. The soft gentle curves that she cuts into the copper, allows her to form the piece into soothing and thought provoking structural designs. It is her desire that the viewer will experience a personal interaction with her art. Often, she writes small quotes, prayers or poems that relate to the piece of work on the back of the copper strips and weaves them into the design. Gale donates a portion of the proceeds from her sales to various organizations and charities. Gale is an award winning artist with her works exhibited in galleries, private collections and corporate installations.

Tuesday, December 20th, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Monochrome Moments: A Photographic Glimpse into Nature by Tim Smith”

“Dragonfly on Leaf”

“Monochrome Moments: A Photographic Glimpse into Nature” is a new exhibit by photographer, Tim Smith. Tim’s images, shown here in black/white, illustrate a keen interest in light and composition. His visual voice is often one of quiet reflection and introspection. He is skilled enough to give the viewer those same emotions. His talents have convinced local and regional photo editors as well as the movie industry to use his photographs on their magazine covers, TV shows and movies, often as light-hearted and beautiful scenes. ~Jerry Blow, AIAP, Raleigh, NC

On view along with this exhibit is Bold and Bright: New Work by Mark Gansor & Gale Smith. These new shows will be on view from January 12 – February 26, 2023, with an opening reception on Thursday, January 12th from 5-8pm.

Click here for a preview of the work that will appear in this exhibit!

About the Artist

Tim Smith, a native North Carolinian, is one of those rare people who has known his direction in life from childhood. As the provocative writer, Henry Miller, said: “The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” Tim’s personal photographic direction in life has been to give close attention to and to photograph his world. His interest began around the age of 8 after becoming fascinated with his uncle’s Polaroid camera. He completed his first formal photography course during high school in Asheboro, NC where he contributed many photographs for his yearbook. After that came a photography degree from Randolph Community College and then six years with the NC National Guard as a photographer. He has continued his photographic journey as a fine art photographer while living in the Wilmington area over the past four decades.

Monday, December 19th, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Moments: Photography by Carlos Flores” Exhibit

“Moments: Photography by Carlos Flores” on view in the gallery from December 4^th until January 8, 2023. Carlos states that “Life is nothing but an infinite number of moments that are in constant motion. Unfortunately, it’s quite impossible to remember it all. My camera is my greatest tool because with it I’m able to collect and store passing moments that become memories to later reminisce. It gives me great honor to share those with you. Moments.”

Carlos Flores is a contemporary photographer and filmmaker who was born in El Salvador and immigrated to the United States at the early age of two. In 2017, he discovered his passion for film photography. Ever since then, Carlos has been passionate about capturing moments to show the world what he sees through his lens.

Click here for a preview of the work that will appear in this exhibit!

His photography has been displayed at The ArtWorks Gallery Verrazzano, Gravity Records, Leland Cultural Arts Center, Leland Town Hall, Arts on Fire, and Art in Bloom Gallery.

Gallery events are always free and open to the public. On view along with these exhibits, Art in Bloom Gallery showcases a plethora of fine art of over local 30 artists. The gallery is open Monday – Saturday 10am – 6pm and Sunday 12-6pm and is now located in Mayfaire Town Center at 6866 Main Street in Wilmington, NC.

Wednesday, November 30th, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Collaborating with Nature: Fiber Art with Rebecca Yeomans” Exhibit

“Natural Beauty Pageant” Fiber Art with Eco Printing and stitching, 40″H x 46.25″W

Collaborating with Nature investigates the intricate fiber art pieces created by Rebecca Yeomans. Rebecca’s current work combines botanical printing, knitting, and stitching with a painterly feel. She is a full-time artist residing with her family in Wilmington, N.C.

Rebecca Yeomans has lived her entire life centered around making. She learned to knit at eight years old and was considered the “class artist” in school. She studied studio art at UNC-Chapel Hill, receiving a BFA in 1974. After earning an MFA from Auburn University in 1979 she taught there for several years. Rebecca and her husband Tom moved to Wilmington, NC in 1984 and she worked as a scenic artist in the film industry. She was a founding board member for DREAMS of Wilmington and later taught classes. Her fiber jewelry can be seen at the CAM gift shop. After she and Tom raised two artsy daughters, Rebecca quickly moved into full time artist mode. Her current work combines botanical printing, knitting, and stitching with a painterly feel.

Join us in the gallery on Thursday, November 10^thfrom 5-8pm for a special Opening Reception for this body of work! On view along with this exhibit is Art Made with Light: Photograms by Melissa Wilgis.

Click here for a preview of the work that will appear in this exhibit!

About the Process

The botanical printmaking process is almost always the inspiration and starting point for my work. Eco or botanical printing is the art of transferring color from natural plant material on to fabric or paper using pressure, moisture, and heat. Beautiful contact plant portraits are captured by bundling vegetation and fabric, either by rolling around a pipe or stacking in layers and binding tightly. The bundle is then steamed or immersed in simmering natural dye coaxing the pigment out of the leaves and on to the cloth. Results depend on many variables: type of fabric, water source, plant species, season, climate, and type of vessel used to name a few. Thus each piece is unique and always a surprise. The process involves many steps: scouring, mordanting, pre dyeing, printing with plant material, post dyeing, rinsing, and perhaps printing again. I enjoy the relationship with the natural world inherent in the process: foraging walks, growing my own dye plants, the aroma of cooking eucalyptus, and the opening of a bundle to reveal what gift Mother Nature has given. When a piece of printed paper or cloth excites me, I begin the slow process of embellishing. This involves tearing fabric, arranging and rearranging, pinning, basting, and deciding on a place to start. I approach this process intuitively, reacting playfully, exploring this or that, asking what if? The piece evolves and its story unfolds. Hopefully a lovely whole is created by the intricate details. In a nutshell, the beauty of the materials and the process of making are what my artwork is about. I am co-creating with Mother Nature and collaborating with the fabric, yarn, and thread.

Tuesday, October 4th, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Art Made with Light: Photograms by Melissa Wilgis” Exhibit

“Mushroom Coral” Cyanotype on paper

Art Made with Light is a new collection of cyanotypes by photographer, Melissa Wilgis. Melissa is a fine art photographer specializing in photograms. Her cyanotypes on silver gelatin are a three-step process that requires thoughtful planning and time spent both in a traditional darkroom and outside under the sun. For this body of work, sea whips gathered from local beaches are combined with seashell x-rays and other collected items to create images that are eye-catching and unique.

Join us in the gallery on Thursday, November 10^thfrom 5-8pm for a special Opening Reception for this body of work! On view along with this exhibit is Collaborating with Nature: Fiber Art by Rebecca Yeomans”.

Click here for a preview of the work that will appear in this exhibit!

About the Artist

I’m a fine art photographer specializing in photograms. I made my first photogram in 1986 in Mr. Fecik’s photography class at Boardman High School. I don’t recall the specifics, but I’m fairly certain a clear cassette tape was involved. At the time, making photograms was simply a way to learn my way around the darkroom. It taught me how to use an enlarger and what the various chemicals do. Leaving photograms behind, I pursued photojournalism throughout high school and college. After graduating with a BA in English from NC State University, I started working for a branch of Eastman Kodak called Qualex. I was in tech support, helping one-hour-photo lab operators fix their problems via telephone. Over the next several years, I moved further away from photography and became further entrenched in corporate America. I finally came to my senses and left that world. I found some film photography classes at the local community college and took a few to get back into the swing of things. Soon I started working there as the darkroom assistant. Four years later I became pregnant with my daughter and left my job at the community college to focus on being a mom. When my daughter was about a year old, my husband completed the darkroom in our garage. The baby-monitor picked-up a signal out there, so I was able to go into the darkroom during naptime, in addition to occasional evenings and weekends. Making photograms gained traction for me during this time because it was photography I could do without wandering too far from my young daughter. She was and still is my regular, full-time job.

I initially began making photograms using what I refer to as my “critters”; seahorses, crabs, butterflies, dragonflies, sea whips, wildflowers and other found curiosities. My husband works in marine biology and helps me gather specimens. No animals are ever harmed—they’re gathered after they’ve passed. One day my husband came home with a deceased baby stingray. He had been out in the field and noticed some fishermen getting ready to toss it back. He asked if he could have the ray and they agreed. So, the joke now is that it’s all fine and good if your husband brings you flowers. But it’s exciting if he brings you a dead baby stingray. Eventually, I knew I needed to expand my photogram creations beyond critters. I’m a thrift store junky and made it a priority to search out photogrammable objects at the charity shops. I’m drawn to antique garments, lace, and glass baubles. My photogram compositions are simple. This simplicity allows the viewer to find their own story, be it politics, feminism, gender, sexuality, body-image, materialism, culture, economy, history, family or simply nostalgia. To me, they’re first and foremost, a reminder to always try to see things in a different light.

Tuesday, October 4th, 2022
Artist, Exhibits, Melissa Wilgis, Past Exhibits

“Pursuit of Joy: Paintings by Debra Bucci + Bradley Carter” Exhibit

“Pursuit of Joy: Paintings by Debra Bucci + Bradley Carter” is an exhibit featuring two artist’s individual search for creative freedom through brush, canvas, and paint. This exhibit will be the first featured artist show to enliven the walls of the new gallery space, located in Mayfaire Town Center.

Join us in the gallery on Monday, September 19th from 5-8pm for a special Opening & Reception for this exhibit of work! On view along with this exhibit is Restaurants + Art, a joint project, celebrating Wilmington’s restaurant scene, with pastel paintings by artist, Jeri Greenberg.

Click here to for a preview the work in this exhibit.

About the Artists

Debra Bucci is known for her vibrant and engaging floral paintings. Dynamic color palettes, moving compositions and translucency from layering oils all work together to enhance the depth and bring Debra’s art to life. Her inspiration comes from the high’s and low’s of the human experience and believes this tension makes the art connectable. Her style is rooted in realism and woven with abstract elements.

American Artist, Bradley Carter, is an award winning, international selling artist who grew up pursuing his passion for art in Virginia before moving to the North Carolina in 2007, where he currently resides in Wilmington, NC. He predominately works in the medium of painting with his passion in Abstract Expressionism.

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Restaurants + Art 2022: Celebrating Wilmington’s Restaurant Scene” with Jeri Greenberg

“White Front: Morning Coffee” by Jeri Greenberg

Restaurants + Art is a joint project, celebrating Wilmington’s restaurant scene, with pastel paintings by artist, Jeri Greenberg. This project is in collaboration with Art in Bloom Gallery, MoMentum Companies, and a delectable selection of restaurants and cafes in our community.

The purpose of the project is to celebrate and support our many different restaurants and cafes in our wonderful city through visual art. Participating restaurants include: Restaurants include: The Cafe at Cameron Art Museum (CAM Cafe), Elijah’s, Floriana, S & L Deli, Quanto Basta, Tarantelli’s, The Basics, The Green House, White Front, Winnie’s Tavern, along with others. A portion of art sales will benefit NourishNC. NourishNC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to “Provide healthy food to hungry children, empowering them to succeed in the classroom and in their community.”

Join us in the gallery on Monday, September 19th from 5-8pm for a special Opening & Reception for this exhibit of work! Along with this exhibit, our featured show is “Pursuit of Joy: Paintings by Debra Bucci + Bradley Carter“ Exhibit featuring the work of 2 exquisite painters.

About the Artist

Jeri loves painting still lifes, urban interiors, figures and fabrics, and the occasional landscape as well. Recently relocated, Jeri teaches weekly classes at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington NC, and holds demos and workshops around the country, as well as jurying national and international pastel exhibits.

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Making A Move: New Art Featuring Art in Bloom Gallery Artists”

Elizabeth Darrow “Wild Flowers” Oil and oil pastel on canvas, 20″ x 24″

Art in Bloom Gallery is celebrating our artists with a brand-new exhibit, Making A Move: New Art Featuring Art in Bloom Gallery Artists, at our new location in Mayfaire Town Center. The Gallery is pleased to present the work of our featured artists showcasing an abundance of creativity with a feast your eyes.

The gallery presents an eclectic mix of original, traditional, and contemporary works of art, represents over 30 artists, many of which are local to the Wilmington area. Our offerings include fine art paintings, functional and decorative ceramics, jewelry, fiber art, blown glass, photography, mixed media art, limited-edition prints and more!

Click here to view the art on view in the gallery!

Featured artists include: Bradley Carter (painting), Debra Bucci (painting), Richard Bunting (blown glass), Judy Hintz Cox (abstract painter), Karen Paden Crouch (sculpture), Elizabeth Darrow (painting), Brian Evans (ceramics), Dianne Evans (ceramics), Susan Francy (photographer), Mark Gansor (painter), Joanne Geisel (painting), Jeri Greenberg (pastel artist), Curtis Krueger (photographer), Dave Klinger (photography), Joan McLoughlin (painting), David Norris (printmaker), Jameka Purdie (jewelry), Jessie Robertson (painter), Gale Smith (painter), Traudi Thornton (ceramics), Gayle Tustin (ceramics), Angela Rowe (painter), Kirah Van Sickle (painter), Roberto Vengoechea (jewelry), among others!

Celebrate with us during our official Grand Opening Event and Reception on Wednesday, August 18^th from 5 until 8pm. Meet our artists, purchase fine art and feast your eyes on the offerings of the gallery during this event. This opening event will be on view until September 11^th.

Tuesday, July 5th, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Primordial Lines: Brian Evans & Kirah Van Sickle”

“Dream House” by Kirah Van Sickle

“Primordial Lines: Brian Evans & Kirah Van Sickle,” will feature artists working in contemporary ceramics and mixed media art. These 2 Wilmington based artists are collaborating in this new exhibition. Brian is a ceramic artist who plays with light and shadow on three dimensional surfaces in his functional and decorative pottery. Kirah’s acrylic and mixed media works explore incorporating found objects and papers with paint glazes. The show will also feature new ceramic works by Dianne Evans.

Along with this exhibit our photographic exhibit is “Visual INTROspection: Photography by WAZgriffin“. WAZ’s show features images meant to evoke self reflection, challenge the viewer, and inspire an emotional response.

Join us in the gallery on Friday, May 27 from 6-9pm, in downtown Wilmington, as part of the Fourth Friday Gallery Night hosted by the Arts Council of Wilmington for the 2022 Season. Visit with the artists and purchase original art! Fourth Fridays Gallery Nights are an after-hours celebration of art and culture. Art-savvy locals and visitors flock to downtown Wilmington galleries for a fun, free, family-friendly experience.

About the Artists

Kirah Van Sickle is an adventurer at heart. Her early years set a foundation for travel, exploration and visual storytelling. Her acrylic and mixed media works explore incorporating found objects and papers with the paint glazes. These are deeply personal expressions of her memories and dreams. In addition to her studio practice, Kirah is a dynamic instructor and lecturer, leading custom studio courses through museum schools and local art associations, directed to both beginner and seasoned artists. She is an award-winning illustrator, graphic designer and studio artist, a certified Golden Artist-Educator, and active in community arts programming, preservation of cultural resources and enhancing arts education. Kirah lives on the Cape Fear Coast of North Carolina and is a staff instructor at the Cameron Art Museum, Johnston Community College, and Cape Fear Community College.

Monday, May 9th, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Visual INTROspection” Photography by WAZgriffin

“Bees on a Pear”

Visual INTROspection is WAZ’s first show at Art in Bloom. The show features images meant to evoke self reflection, challenge the viewer, and inspire an emotional response. Some will experience amusement at a gathering of ballerinas, warmth watching a young girl dance on the beach, or amazement at a swarm of bees eight inches long. Whatever the reaction, the desire is that the viewer has enjoyed a moment of contemplation through these images.

WAZgriffin has more than forty years experience as a photographer. A graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he studied photojournalism, television production, and media arts, WAZ has worked both in California and North Carolina as a teacher, teaching computer literacy, photography, and video production. His work has won numerous awards both nationally, locally, and internationally through shows and competitions. He lives in Wilmington, NC.

Along with our photography feature will be the exhibit, “Primordial: Brian Evans& Kirah Van Sickle,” including contemporary ceramic and mixed media art.

Monday, May 9th, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Intimate Interiors: Pastels by Jeri Greenberg & Ceramics by Traudi Thornton”

Jeri Greenberg “Red Chair with Leather Ottoman”

“Intimate Interiors: Pastels by Jeri Greenberg & Ceramics by Traudi Thornton” is an exciting new exhibit featuring the colorful work of two very different artists. In addition to her pastel paintings of intimate interiors, Jeri will be featuring several of her newest works from “Restaurants + Art 2022: Celebrating Wilmington’s Restaurant Scene“, a joint project in collaboration with Art in Bloom Gallery, Terry Espy of MoMentum Companies, and different restaurants and cafes in our community. A portion of art sales from Restaurants + Art 2022 will benefit NourishNC.

After many years as a fashion illustrator and sportswear designer, Jeri Greenberg turned her love of graphic design and color into a new and exciting “next act”, working as a full-time painter and teacher. Jeri loves painting still lifes, urban interiors, figures and fabrics, and the occasional landscape as well. Recently relocated, Jeri teaches weekly classes at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington NC, and holds demos and workshops around the country, as well as jurying national and international pastel exhibits.

Traudi Thornton is a ceramicist currently showing Raku and Stoneware at Art in Bloom Gallery. She was born in Czechoslovakia and raised in Germany. Traudi first studied music at Creighton University before studying ceramics with Henry Soreco at Creighton, the University of Nebraska at Omaha and then moving back to Germany. The artist relocated to Wilmington in 1983. Additionally, Traudi completed a Raku workshop with Paul Soldner in 1974 at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Along with this exhibit our photographic feature will be, “The Water of Life: Photography by Allison Bowman”.

Join us in the gallery on Friday, April 22nd from 6-9pm, in downtown Wilmington, as part of the Fourth Friday Gallery Night hosted by the Arts Council of Wilmington for the 2022 Season. Visit with the artists and purchase original art! Fourth Fridays Gallery Nights are an after-hours celebration of art and culture. Art-savvy locals and visitors flock to downtown Wilmington galleries for a fun, free, family-friendly experience.

Monday, April 18th, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“The Water of Life: Photography by Allison Bowman

Fractal Shape of Rebirth 1, 1/1 by Allison Bowman

“The Water of Life: Photography by Allison Bowman” is a showcase of impactful prints created during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Allison’s photography highlights the unique experience we all shared in the isolation. While I lived in the Outer Banks through the course of the pandemic, the manifestations of these experiences seem to be idealized in the forms and relationships I built with the bodies of water around me. Please enjoy “The Water of Life”.

Along with this exhibit “Intimate Interiors: Pastels by Jeri Greenberg & Ceramics by Traudi Thornton” is an exciting new exhibit featuring the colorful work of two very different artists. In addition to her pastel paintings of intimate interiors, Jeri will be featuring several of her newest works from “Restaurants + Art 2022: Celebrating Wilmington’s Restaurant Scene“, a joint project in collaboration with Art in Bloom Gallery, Terry Espy of MoMentum Companies, and different restaurants and cafes in our community. A portion of art sales from Restaurants + Art 2022 will benefit NourishNC.

Monday, April 18th, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Sibs 2: Brooks Koff & Michael Van Hout” Exhibit

“Still Life in Ochre and Grey” by Michael Van Hout

“Sibs 2” features the newest glass mosaic art and oil paintings of siblings, Brooks Koff and Michael Van Hout. These Wilmington based artists have collaborated together on many projects and are bringing new work to the gallery walls. The artwork will range from beautifully rendered paintings to colorful glass mosaics.

Brooks Koff “paints with glass” creating unique stained-glass mosaics that beg for a sunny window to catch and transform light into brilliant color! Unlike traditional stained-glass work, her pieces are created without the use of patterns, giving her freedom to fully explore color and design.

Michael Van Hout started creating professional art over thirty-years ago after studying Forestry at NC State University and graduating with a BSA degree in sculpture from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1980. In addition to wire and metal sculpture, Michael creates wood sculpture, woodcut prints, mixed media, mobiles, paintings, and commissioned works.

Join us in the gallery on Friday, February 25th from 6-9pm, in downtown Wilmington, as part of the Fourth Friday Gallery Night hosted by the Arts Council of Wilmington for the 2022 Season. Visit with the artists and purchase original art! Fourth Fridays Gallery Nights are an after-hours celebration of art and culture. Art-savvy locals and visitors flock to downtown Wilmington galleries for a fun, free, family-friendly experience.

The gallery is open Monday – Thursday 10am-4pm, Friday – Saturday 10am-5pm, and by appointment. If you prefer to shop from home the Art in Bloom Gallery Website (www.aibgallery.com) is always open! Purchase art online and pick up at the door or take advantage of our free local delivery. Plus we can also ship anywhere within the U.S.

Tuesday, February 8th, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“The Holiday Art Exhibit + Sale” Featuring Art in Bloom Gallery Artists

The 2021 Holiday Season and Art in Bloom Gallery will celebrate with a rotating exhibit featuring over 30 of Art in Bloom Gallery’s Artists! Feast your eyes on new work directly out of the artists’ studios. Shop for unique works of art that come with an abundance of creativity, which will bring smiles all year round! All of our artists are offering fine art under $250.

Along with this exhibit we will feature “Night: Photography by Jeff Chase”. Jeff is a photographer and painter who lives in Wilmington, NC. This body of work continues an ongoing theme…capturing a moment in time gone unnoticed by others.

Featured artists include: Bradley Carter (painting), Debra Bucci (painting), Richard Bunting (blown glass), Judy Hintz Cox (abstract painter), Karen Paden Crouch (sculpture), Elizabeth Darrow (painting), Brian Evans (ceramics), Dianne Evans (ceramics), Susan Francy (photographer), Mark Gansor (painter), Joanne Geisel (painting), Dumay Gorham (sculpture), Jeri Greenberg (pastel artist), Curtis Krueger (photographer), Dave Klinger (photography), Brooks Koff (stained glass), Helen Lewis (encaustic painter), Joan McLoughlin (painting), David Norris (printmaker), Jameka Purdie (jewelry), Jessie Robertson (painter), Gale Smith (painter), Traudi Thornton (ceramics), Gayle Tustin (ceramics), Angela Rowe (painter), Michael Van Hout (sculpture), Kirah Van Sickle (painter), Roberto Vengoechea (jewelry), among others!

The exhibit opens on Friday, November 12 and continues through January 9, 2022.

Click here to preview the work that will be featured in this exhibit and sale!

The gallery is open Monday – Friday 10am-4pm; Friday – Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 12-4pm and by appointment. If you prefer to shop from home the Art in Bloom Gallery Website (www.aibgallery.com) is always open! Purchase art online and pick up at the door or take advantage of our free local delivery. Plus we can also ship anywhere within the U.S. Art in Bloom also offers complementary gift wrapping.

Tuesday, January 4th, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Jeff Chase: Night” Photography Feature

“Ted’s” by Jeff Chase

“Night” features the work of Jeff Chase, photographer and painter who lives in Wilmington, NC. This body of work continues an ongoing theme…capturing a moment in time gone unnoticed by others.

Jeff states that “Photography has been a passion for me since I got my first camera at age 6. It was a Brownie Box Camera which introduced me to the idea of capturing a moment in time which, most likely, no one else saw. At age 14, I set up my own darkroom and would spend hours trying to edit and perfect what I had seen through the camera’s lens. In high school and in college I furthered my education by taking all the photography classes available. Once digital photography became the norm, I continued to advance my skills by learning Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom. These tools have furthered the way photographers can use their photos to “paint” imagery that they saw in their mind’s eye, images that were only imagined while looking through the lens of a camera. This level of advancement has opened a new world for me, allowing me to not only capture images but also to interpret what I see. However, after all these years, I am still after the same thing – trying to capture a moment in time that has gone unnoticed by anyone else. It is truly a passion that will keep me fascinated the rest of my life.”

Along with this exhibit will be the “The Holiday Art Exhibit + Sale” with over 30 of Art in Bloom Gallery’s Artists! Feast your eyes on new work directly out of the artists’ studios. Shop for meaningful, original and special gifts of art that will bring smiles all year round!

Tuesday, January 4th, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Unique & Precious: Our Coast’s Irreplaceable Landscapes by Joanne Geisel”

“Warm Winter Day” Oil on canvas 8″ x 10″

“Unique & Precious: Our Coast’s Irreplaceable Landscapes” features the newest paintings of Joanne Geisel, who lives in Wilmington, NC. Joanne began a new series of paintings commenting on how unique our particular geographic area is. She illustrates this through local coastal scenes and her paintings of Venus Flytraps. Flytraps are indigenous to only this 150 mile geographic area and marshes that are estuaries to animals and plants.

Joanne’s love of drawing and painting began as a child. After completing a degree in Art Education, she enjoyed careers in human services and higher education. She received a Masters in Public Administration using her creative skills in program development, marketing and helping others with career and educational goals. Since 2006, Joanne has been a full time artist; painting, teaching, exhibiting and selling artwork. Her goals in creating oil paintings include capturing the feelings, sights and sounds of her subject. She continues to experiment with texture, edges, brushstrokes, and palette knife and the layering of color to create depth, luminosity and beauty. Joanne is on the faculty of The Cameron Art Museum School, Wilmington, NC, and the Leland Cultural Arts Center and conducts workshops for many organizations.

Along with this exhibit, our featured photography show is “Seeing Art Through the Camera: Joe P. Wiegmann”. This show features photographs that combine technical and artistic aspects of what he sees through his camera lens.

Join us in the gallery on Friday, January 28th from 6-9pm, in downtown Wilmington, as part of the Fourth Friday Gallery Night hosted by the Arts Council of Wilmington for the 2022 Season. Visit with the artists and purchase original art! Fourth Fridays Gallery Nights are an after-hours celebration of art and culture. Art-savvy locals and visitors flock to downtown Wilmington galleries for a fun, free, family-friendly experience.

Tuesday, January 4th, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Seeing Art Through the Camera: (Joe) P. Wiegmann”

“Restaurant Ready”

“Seeing Art Through the Camera” is our newest show featuring the photographic work of (Joe) P. Wiegmann. Years ago, a professional photographer gave me great advice, “Always carry your camera with you.” Over the years, I have cultivated my own philosophy to taking photographs and my advice is, “Vary your camera angle and the height at which you shoot your images.” The theme of my January 2022 Photo Show is, “Seeing Art Through The Camera”. I usually see the art of the image before I actually grab for my camera. Then I think about how to take the photo technically. I try various angles or staging heights to take the photograph. I hope that the image captured represents what I envisioned. Once the image is printed, I look forward to a printed piece that displays an additional richness of artistry. Not all photographs work perfectly but when they do, it is such a great high!

As far back as I can remember, I was always engaged in creative endeavors such as drawing and painting. Two years of Civil Engineering at the University of Maryland did not provide me with the means to express my creativity. When I changed my major to Fine Arts, it didn’t make my parents happy but they were supportive of my new goals. After 43 years in the graphic design field and serving as a Creative Director, I retired and moved to the Wilmington area. The beauty and natural energy of the places and artists here have rekindled my creative energy.

Along with this exhibit is “Unique & Precious: Our Coast’s Irreplaceable Landscapes” featuring the newest paintings of Joanne Geisel, who lives in Wilmington, NC. Joanne began a new series of paintings commenting on how unique our particular geographic area is. She illustrates this through local coastal scenes and her paintings of Venus Flytraps.

Join us in the gallery on Friday, January 28th from 6-9pm, in downtown Wilmington, as part of the Fourth Friday Gallery Night hosted by the Arts Council of Wilmington for the 2022 Season. Visit with the artists and purchase original art! Fourth Fridays Gallery Nights are an after-hours celebration of art and culture. Art-savvy locals and visitors flock to downtown Wilmington galleries for a fun, free, family-friendly experience.

The gallery is open Monday – Thursday 10am-4pm and Friday – Saturday 10am-5pm and by appointment. If you prefer to shop from home the Art in Bloom Gallery Website (www.aibgallery.com) is always open! Purchase art online and pick up at the door or take advantage of our free local delivery. Plus we can also ship anywhere within the U.S. Art in Bloom also offers complementary gift wrapping.

Tuesday, January 4th, 2022
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“What We Keep: Karen Paden Crouch & Angela Rowe”

“Emerging “Welded Bronze by Karen Paden Crouch

What We Keep is an exhibit with a continuing conversation between two old friends Karen Paden Crouch and Angela Rowe. Along with this exhibit we will display the work of our photography feature Audrey Kriss Berkowitz.

Events of this past year drew us inside, kept us inside and made us look inside. We have examined our history, our symbols, and what matters most to us when so much of what we considered essential became inaccessible. Evolving from that experience, “What We Keep” is a continuing conversation between two old friends Karen Paden Crouch and Angela Rowe who have relished the blessing of time to make art and make sense of what has sustained us and what we will take with us as we emerge from this complex experience. The work includes individual and collaborative pieces in clay, bronze, paper and canvas.

The exhibit opens on Friday, August 13 and continues through September 19, 2021.

The gallery is open Monday – Thursday 10am-4pm and Friday-Saturday 10am-5pm. If you prefer to shop from home the Art in Bloom Gallery Website (www.aibgallery.com) is always open! Purchase art online and pick up at the door or take advantage of our free local delivery. Plus we can also ship anywhere within the U.S.

Tuesday, May 11th, 2021
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Harmonious Relationships: Art Inspired by Music” Exhibit & Fundraiser

“Spiraling” Oil on canvas by Debra Bucci

Art in Bloom Gallery is delighted to partner with Opera Wilmington to celebrate the production of The Magic Flute Opera. Harmonious Relationships: Art Inspired by Music celebrates the convergence of music and visual art. This exhibit will include works of art by artists Debra Bucci, Bradley Carter, Elizabeth Darrow, Helen Lewis, Lori Joy Peterson, Jameka Wrisbon Purdie, Traudi Thornton, and Pam Toll among others. In addition to this exhibit our photography feature is Gary Allen.

The exhibit opens on Friday, June 25, during Fourth Friday Gallery Night and continues through August 8, 2021.

A portion of art sales from the Opera Wilmington Shop on the Art in Bloom Gallery website will be donated to Opera Wilmington.

Stay tuned for more details and to preview the work that will be featured in the exhibit.

About Opera Wilmington

Founded in 2013 as the area’s only live, fully staged professional opera company, Opera Wilmington has become a cultural touchstone in the coastal Carolina region. Artistic Director Nancy King, along with a board of dedicated community supporters and devoted opera lovers, envisioned a dynamic company that would provide excellence in operatic performance and education, as well as inspire appreciation of the art form within the Wilmington community and surrounding areas.

To bring this vision to life, Nancy King (a voice/opera professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington) brought together a collaborative artistic team of fellow UNCW faculty members: Assistant Artistic Director and costume designer Mark Sorenson, scenic designer Max Lydy, conductor and chorus master Joe Hickman, and choreographer Nancy Podrasky Carson.

Cast members include nationally emerging singers along with local talent and advanced UNCW students, and the Opera Wilmington Orchestra is composed of UNCW faculty and other professional musicians from across the state.

The gallery is open Monday – Thursday 10am-4pm and Friday – Saturday 10am-5pm. If you prefer to shop from home the Art in Bloom Gallery Website (www.aibgallery.com) is always open! Purchase art online and pick up at the door or take advantage of our free local delivery. Plus we can also ship anywhere within the U.S.

Thursday, February 11th, 2021
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Springtime Celebration with New Elements Gallery”

Exhibit Graphic

Springtime Celebration with New Elements Gallery is a collaboration presenting an eclectic mix of paintings capturing elements of Spring – when life is alive with everything! The artists included that are represented by New Elements Gallery are Kristen Dill, Fritzi Huber, and Sheila Keefe Ortiz. Art in Bloom Gallery artists include Debra Bucci, Bradley Carter, Mark Gansor, Laurie Greenbaum Beitch, Jeri Greenberg, Joan McLoughlin, and Kirah Van Sickle. In addition to our featured painters, our photography feature is by Nydheri Brown.

The exhibit opens on Friday, March 19 and continues through May 2, 2021.

Click here to preview the work that will be featured in the exhibit.

The gallery is open Monday – Friday 10am-4pm and Saturday 11am-4pm. If you prefer to shop from home the Art in Bloom Gallery Website (www.aibgallery.com) is always open! Purchase art online and pick up at the door or take advantage of our free local delivery. Plus we can also ship anywhere within the U.S.

Thursday, February 11th, 2021
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Beauty in Everyday Life: Photography by Nydheri Brown”

Exhibit Graphic

Beauty in Everyday Life: Photography by Nydheri Brown is a photography exhibit in conjunction with Springtime Celebration with New Elements Gallery.

Nydheri Brown is a contemporary multidisciplinary artist based in southeastern North Carolina. Experimenting with different materials and mediums and exploring her interests, Nydheri enhances her ability to see the spectacular and create new things reimagining what inspires her. Being homeschooled allowed her to explore different avenues of creative expression and to experiment with different mediums. She has been featured in several group showings. She is currently enrolled at Cape Fear Community College.

In her artist statement, Nydheri states “I am passionate about creating and exploring art. For as long as I can remember, and certainly before I could articulate it, I have taken a multidisciplinary approach to art. My parents share fond memories of me combining unlikely things to create new textures, colors, and shapes. As an artist, I endeavor to capture the beauty of everyday life. Most people miss the spectacular because they do not slow down to appreciate the beauty surrounding them in real-time; at the moment. I have found that photography is the most accessible way to capture and share the spectacular beauty that draws my eye.”

The exhibit opens on Friday, March 19 and continues through May 2, 2021.

Thursday, February 11th, 2021
Exhibits, Past Exhibits, Photography

“Canvas and Clay: Creating Art with Expression by Debra Bucci, Brian Evans & Dianne Evans”

“Grey Canteen Vessel” by Brian Evans

Canvas and Clay: Creating Art with Expression is a new exhibit celebrating the two and 3 dimensional art of Debra Bucci, Brian Evans and Dianne Evans along with featured photographers.

The exhibit opens on Friday, May 7 and continues through June 20, 2021.

Debra continues to experiment with abstract and nature-based images to build emotional connection. She is exploring the rhythm of repeating elements with high contrast to build depth and explosive color to lift up and empower the viewer.

In his recent work, Brian explores complex geometric, linear, and abstract forms. He focuses on how they relate to each other and how they entice the viewer’s eye to explore the intricacies of each piece.

In her recent work, Dianne continues to focus on the relationship of dynamic graphic patterns and forms. She is interested in how the interplay of these individual elements elevate each other into a more harmonious design.

Click here to preview the work featured in the exhibit.

Thursday, February 11th, 2021
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Birdsong: Helen Mirkil”

“Squirrel’s Nest” by Helen Mirkil

Birdsong features the work of artist, Helen Mirkil alongside Kelly Starbuck‘s photographic works in Full Circle.

Birdsong is a continuing series of art by artist, Helen Mirkil. Birds can put a song in our hearts when there’s no song to be found. Each bird species is entirely different, and for Helen each journey into the world of birds is different too. She never quite knows where it’s leading her. It’s not unlike the life of following and listening to the music of the Holy Spirit.

Born in 1952, Helen Mirkil is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) Certificate and MFA programs, as well as the BFA program of the University of Pennsylvania (with studio classes at PAFA). Helen is also a poet. Her collection of poems entitled Sower on the Cliffs: poems and drawings was published in 2013 by BookArts Press. Helen’s home is in Wilmington, North Carolina. Along with a spacious studio across town, she is setting down roots, enjoying her children and grandchildren.

The exhibit opens on Friday, September 24 and continues through November 7, 2021.

Thursday, February 11th, 2021
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Full Circle: Photography by Kelly Starbuck”

“Harbor Island” by Kelly Starbuck

Full Circle features the photographic of Kelly Starbuck alongside the paintings of artist and poet, Helen Mirkil, in her featured show Birdsong.

Deeply inspired by memories, documentation and the feeling of a specific moment, Kelly’s personal work seeks to capture a sense of time and space by playing with light and shadow. Growing up in Wrightsville Beach, then experiencing the intensity of New York City, her latest collection honors her relationship with both nature and city life. “New York is where I became a photographer. This exhibit is all about utilizing the energy of the city, the bright lights and connecting it to where I am now, back at my roots, back at the beach,” explains Starbuck.

Kelly Starbuck, a native of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, moved to New York City where she resided for 14 years. During those years Kelly found her calling to become a photographer. Fernando Bengoechea, an international celebrity, interior and lifestyle photographer gave Kelly her start as his studio manager. She assisted on photo shoots and worked as a teaching assistant at The International Center of Photography. Kelly began her work as a photographer soon thereafter with a focus on portraiture, interior, product, travel and lifestyle projects as well as personal fine art projects. At the end of 2009, Kelly returned to Wilmington, NC to be near her family at the beach and to make Wilmington her home base for business. Starbuck made her mark in the Wilmington art community by curating fine art photography shows at her gallery, SALT Studio Photography, in the Brooklyn Arts District.

The exhibit opens on Friday, September 24 and continues through November 7, 2021.

Thursday, February 11th, 2021
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“The Holiday Art Exhibit + Sale” Virtual Shop

“The Holiday Art Exhibit + Sale” Featuring Art in Bloom Gallery Artists &
“Artistic Photography: Frank Fierstein”
December 11, 2020 – January 24, 2021
View more about this exhibit.
Virtual Tour created by Matterhorn Media.

Thursday, January 21st, 2021
Virtual Shopping

“Elements: Bob Bryden”

“Untitled” Printing Ink on paper, 22″ x 30″

“Elements: Bob Bryden” is a showing of art dedicated to the idea that simplicity can reveal great complexity. This show is featured in the gallery along with “Wm. Fridrich: Cyanotype Print Collection”. The exhibits open on Friday, February 5 and continue through March 14, 2021.

Bob Bryden’s work exists comfortably within the traditions of minimalism and optical art. Utilizing the simple elements of point, line and plane, he creates abstract images which are highly structured and concise while at the same time are optically active and visually illusive. The perceptual experience of his work involves the interaction of seeing and understanding and is directly related to how vision functions. Bob grew up in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. He is a graduate of Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. He went on to do graduate work in South Asian art history at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. His desire for a greater involvement with creative arts lead to Kentucky and graduate work at the University of Louisville where he received a Masters Degree in Art with a concentration in printmaking. In addition to art he has worked primarily in graphic design and commercial printing. Today he pursues his creative endeavors in his swamp side home/studio in Wilmington, NC.

Click here to view the work that will be featured in the exhibit.

Tuesday, January 19th, 2021
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Wm. Fridrich: Cyanotype Print Collection”

“Augusta” Cyanotype on paper

“Wm. Fridrich: Cyanotype Print Collection“ is an exhibit of photography based works by our first photography feature of the 2021 Exhibit Season. This show is featured in the gallery along with “Elements: Bob Bryden”. The exhibits open on Friday, February 5 and continue through March 14, 2021.

In his investigation of the cyanotype process Wm. Fridrich credits this body of work to a quote by Peter Henry Emerson (1899) “No one but a vandal would print a landscape in red or cyanotype”.

When speaking about this body of work Wm. states “Robert Hughes, [when] referring to the DADA movement (and Marcel Duchamp in particular), said that “like his Bottle Rack, Bicycle Wheel and other ‘readymades’…the world is so full of interesting objects that the artist need not add to them. Instead he could just pick one, and this ironic act of choice was equivalent to creation.

Introduced to the Dada and Surrealist movements by his wife, art historian Marsha McKee, William became clinically obsessed with Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray and Joseph Cornell: he has not yet recovered.

Click here to view the work that will be featured in the exhibit.

Tuesday, January 19th, 2021
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“Artistic Photography: Frank Fierstein”

“Out of the Mist”

This month’s photography feature is focused on artistic photographer, Frank Fierstein. The exhibit opens on Friday, December 11 and and continues through January 24, 2021.

A friend of Frank’s, a world renowned doctor of pharmacology, once asked him a question with regards to his artistic photography; “What is your purpose?“. For decades, Frank has tried to understand, answer and pursue what that purpose has been. “To visually see my feelings in images, that represent myself as a child and young adult, has given me a better connection, a deeper understanding, and a clearer meaning in my personal life. Even as I have become a photography dinosaur, still working in my “chemical darkroom” and still using film for all of my artistic work, I continue to seek images that represent and connect with my heart and soul. Making prints that emit light from the silver they are made from is as important today as it ever was in this digital age of ink and sensors. After being given clear guidance by a great teacher about creating art with my photography, my artistic quest to find wonderful images has never ceased and to this day remains amazingly strong.” Currently, Frank teaches a class in Artistic Photography at Brunswick Community College, where he encourages his students to connect with who they are through their own photography.

Click here to view the work that will be featured in the exhibit.

Now you can view and shop the gallery virtually!

Thursday, December 3rd, 2020
Exhibits, Frank Fierstein, Past Exhibits

“Manifestations of Colour and Form with Gale Smith & Photographer Melissa Wilgis”

“Manifestations of Colour and Form” is a new exhibit featuring metal artist, Gale Smith and photography feature, Melissa Wilgis. The exhibit opens on Friday, October 23 and continues through December 6, 2020. It will be displayed in the gallery and will have many virtual components including a virtual tour, artist videos and more.

Photography By Aris Harding and Justin Williams Pope – Wilma Magazine

Gale Smith‘s work in this exhibit is about the transformation of sheets of copper into complex assemblages that create a distinctive visual impact while allowing the intrinsic beauty of the metal to shine through. Vibrant colours dance across the copper pieces and create abstract geometrical shapes. These intricate works contain rich textures and reveal extraordinary manifestations of colour and formations. Each sculpture is made using dozens of strips of copper which are assembled into a design that create movement with dimensions. These meticulously cut strips of copper undulate as they reflects light that in turn creates movement.

Melissa Wilgis is a fine art photographer specializing in photograms. Initially she began making photograms using what she refers to as her “critters”; seahorses, crabs, butterflies, dragonflies, sea whips, wildflowers and other found curiosities. Eventually, she knew she needed to expand her photogram creations beyond critters. She is also thrift store junky and made it a priority to search out photogrammable objects at the charity shops. “I’m drawn to antique garments, lace and glass baubles. My photogram compositions are fairly simple. This simplicity allows the viewer to find their own story, be it politics, feminism, gender, sexuality, body-image, materialism, culture, economy, history, family or simply nostalgia. To me, they’re first and foremost, a reminder to always try to see things in a different light.” Her most recent body of work incorporates images from box of early 1900s glass negatives.

Click here to view the work that will be featured in the exhibit.

The exhibit will be in the gallery and will have many virtual components including a virtual tour, artist videos and more. View the virtual tour!

Due to ongoing COVID-19 adjustments, this exhibit will be in the gallery and online beginning on October 23rd. The gallery now has normal business hours. Face coverings are required and we do have additional supplies if needed.

About the Artists

Having studied at UNC Chapel Hill, Gale Smith considers painting as an ongoing study. She has found a new interest in working with copper. As a plein air painter, she began using copper panels as her canvas and loved how the copper made her colors warm and vibrant. She experimented with different gauges of copper and mediums and discovered that inks and oils on copper made colors radiate vibrantly. Never quite sure where the colors and copper will take her, Gale paints, cuts and weaves two abstract paintings together to create a dimensional piece of art. The soft gentle curves that she cuts into the copper, allows her to form the piece into soothing and thought provoking structural designs. It is her desire that the viewer will experience a personal interaction with her art. Often, she writes small quotes, prayers or poems that relate to the piece of work on the back of the copper strips and weaves them into the design. Gale donates a portion of the proceeds from her sales to various organizations and charities. Gale is an award winning artist with her works exhibited in galleries, private collections and corporate installations.

Melissa Wilgis at her home studio.

Melissa Wilgis is a fine art photographer specializing in photograms. She made her first photogram in 1986 in Mr. Fecik’s photography class at Boardman High School. At the time, making photograms was simply a way to learn her way around the darkroom. It taught her how to use an enlarger and what the various chemicals do. Leaving photograms behind, Melissa pursued photojournalism throughout high school and college. After graduating with a BA in English from NC State University, she started working for a branch of Eastman Kodak called Qualex in tech support. Over the next several years, she moved further away from photography and became further entrenched in corporate America. She finally came to my senses and left that world. Melissa soon found found some film photography classes at the local community college and soon became the darkroom assistant. She is now a full time mom with a home darkroom where she creates her work. Melissa regularly exhibits her work in shows in and around Wilmington.

As of right now Fourth Friday receptions, held during the Arts Council of Wilmington’s Fourth Friday Gallery Night are on hold until January of 2021.

Wednesday, October 28th, 2020
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

“The Holiday Art Exhibit + Sale” Featuring Art in Bloom Gallery Artists

The 2020 Holiday Season is here and Art in Bloom Gallery is celebrating with a rotating exhibit featuring over 28 of Art in Bloom Gallery’s Artists! Feast your eyes on new work directly out of the artists’ studios. Shop for meaningful, original and special gifts of art that will bring smiles all year round! All of our artists are offering fine art under $250.

Click here to view the work that will be featured in the exhibit.

Featured artists include: Bradley Carter (painting), Debra Bucci (painting), Richard Bunting (blown glass), Judy Hintz Cox (abstract painter), Karen Paden Crouch (sculpture), Elizabeth Darrow (painting), Brian Evans (ceramics), Dianne Evans (ceramics), Susan Francy (photographer), Mark Gansor (painter), Joanne Geisel (painting), Dumay Gorham (sculpture), Jeri Greenberg (pastel artist), Liz Hosier (encaustic painter), Curtis Krueger (photographer), Dave Klinger (photography), Brooks Koff (stained glass), Helen Lewis (encaustic painter), Joan McLoughlin (painting), David Norris (printmaker), Jameka Purdie (jewelry), Jessie Robertson (painter), Gale Smith (painter), Barbara Snyder (photographer), Traudi Thornton (ceramics), Gayle Tustin (ceramics), Angela Rowe (painter), Michael Van Hout (sculpture), Kirah Van Sickle (painter), Roberto Vengoechea (jewelry), Virginia Wright-Frierson (painter), Rebecca Yeomans (fiber artist), among others!

Tuesday, October 27th, 2020
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

Rebecca Yeomans – Fiber Artist

Rebecca Yeomans has lived her entire life centered around making. She learned to knit at eight years old and was considered the “class artist” in school. She studied studio art at UNC-Chapel Hill, receiving a BFA in 1974. After earning an MFA from Auburn University in 1979 she taught there for several years. Rebecca and her husband Tom moved to Wilmington, NC in 1984 and she worked as a scenic artist in the film industry. She was a founding board member for DREAMS of Wilmington and later taught classes. Her fiber jewelry can be seen at the CAM gift shop. After she and Tom raised two artsy daughters, Rebecca quickly moved into full time artist mode. Her current work combines botanical printing, knitting, and stitching with a painterly feel.

Artist Statement

Thursday, September 3rd, 2020
Artist, Collage, Fabric Art, Fabric Art, Featured Artist

“Summer Reprise: Art by Pam Toll (2007 – 2020)” at Acme Art Studios

Mixed Media Paintings by Pam Toll on view at Acme Art Studios

Art in Bloom Gallery is excited to partner with Pam Toll of Acme Art Studio to open a new exhibit, “Summer Reprise”. The exhibit, opening on August 1^st, showcases Pam’s diverse paintings incorporating a variety of mixed media and found objects. The exhibit features an array of work from 2007 to the present and highlights how an artist’s works continue to connect even after years of separation.

Pam Toll, an Associate Professor at UNC Wilmington, received a BA in Art and English Literature from UNC Chapel Hill and has been painting since childhood. Her studio is located at Acme Art Studios (Wilmington) which she co-founded in 1991, as a work and exhibition space for artists. She also co-founded No Boundaries International Art Colony (Bald Head Island, NC) in 1998, a residency program that in the last twenty years brought over 200 artists from around the world with the goal of creating a cross-exchange of cultures and artistic practices to share with our local community.

The works of art will be exhibited at Acme Art Studio and can be viewed in person or via our Virtual Tour!

Click here to view and purchase the work featured in the exhibit.

To view and purchase the art in-person, an appointment can be made by calling 910-352-4314. Acme Art Studio is located at 711 N 5th Ave, Wilmington, North Carolina 28401. The exhibit can also be viewed virtually on the web with a virtual tour created by Angle Pros, LLC of Wilmington. The exhibit continues through October 10, 2020.

Art in Bloom Gallery offers free local delivery, curbside pick-up or shipping to other locations at reasonable rates.

Wednesday, July 29th, 2020
Exhibits, Past Exhibits, Past Satellite Venues

“Visions of Inspiration Photography Features: Susan Francy & Barbara Snyder”

We are pleased to feature the work of two local artists and photographers, Susan Francy and Barbara Snyder. These two photographers have created work especially for Art in Bloom Gallery.

Left to Right: Susan Francy and Barbara Snyder

Susan Francy is photojournalist, commercial photographer and art photographer for more than 35 years. The overall theme of her art images could be described as “ordinary beauty, closely observed.” These images are often from nature and although they are focused on still life subjects, there is a dynamic sense of movement and emotionalism in them. In recent years she been playing around with scanning objects, as opposed to photographing them, creating “scanographs”. Scanography is a process of image capture using a flatbed scanner as the image capturing device. I work from nature, scanning live flowers, etc. I then print out the resulting digital images on high quality, archival photo paper. Susan lives and works in Wilmington.

Barbara Snyder is a self-educated photographer. Her work is deeply personal and focused on the full cycle of creation to destruction. Reflecting on her Catholic upbringing her work sometimes draws on the metaphysical in life. She has shown in numerous national exhibitions and was a recipient of the 2014 and 2017 North Carolina Regional Artists Grants. Snyder lives and works in Wilmington, NC. Barbara’s newest body of work entitled “virtus valor, fortitude, strength”.

virtus is a new body of work centered on the internal strength that comes from deep within oneself.

These works continue my reference to Saint Barbara, the protector against lightning and one of the 14 Holy Helpers in Catholicism. In virtus, the correlation of my long-felt fascination with lightening and my namesake is now earthbound. Recently, I found an attraction to certain roots, how they can mimic lightening in shape and form. Their duality is unmistakable.

However, while lightening in the sky holds a power for me, the woods have always given me strength for its comfort in solitude. Here, I attempt to understand the connection between the physical and metaphysical, for the energy to continue forward, yet grounded to stay strong on my journey.

Click here to view all of the work featured in the exhibit.

Stay tuned for small ” Meet the Artist” events, as well as virtual events.
The exhibit will be in the gallery and virtual which continues through July 19, 2019.

As of right now Fourth Friday receptions, held during the Arts Council of Wilmington’s Fourth Friday Gallery Night are on hold until January of 2020. Stay tuned for other virtual opportunities!

Tuesday, May 26th, 2020
Exhibits, Past Exhibits

Virginia Wright-Frierson – Painter

Virginia Wright-Frierson has made Wilmington, North Carolina, her home for over 40 years. She travels extensively for inspiration for her painting and frequent visits with family across the United States.

She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, with additional training at the Arts Students’ League in New York City and the University of Georgia Studies Abroad Program in Cortona, Italy. Virginia has lectured and taught many workshops and classes in painting and drawing and on illustrating children’s books.

She is widely known for her design and construction of the Minnie Evans Bottle Chapel and Sculpture Garden at Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, a structure built with mortar and thousands of glass bottles, inspired by the art of the visionary artist who worked in the garden for many years as a gatekeeper.

In 2000, Virginia donated the sweeping mural which is permanently installed on the ceiling of the new atrium at Columbine High School after the tragic shootings there. It is comprised of twenty painted panels which lift the eyes to a perspective of a Colorado forest of evergreens, aspen and sunlight.

She has written and illustrated many children’s books, including three John Burroughs Nature Book Award winners: A Desert Scrapbook, An Island Scrapbook, and A North American Rain Forest Scrapbook.

Her most recent work has included a one-person exhibition of 120 road trip oil paintings at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, and a “pop up” exhibit of new oils and watercolors at 216 N. Front Street sponsored by Art in Bloom Gallery.

At Art in Bloom Gallery, Virginia exhibits a variety of oil and watercolor paintings and lino prints inspired by nature, the figure, landscape, color and light.

Virginia’s website can be found at: virginiawright-frierson.com

Thursday, February 14th, 2019
Artist, Featured Artist

Melissa Wilgis – Photographer

Art Made with Light, Artist Statement

I made my first photogram in 1986 in Mr. Fecik’s photography class in high school. At the time, making silver gelatin photograms was simply a way to learn my way around the darkroom. It taught me how to use an enlarger and what the various chemicals do. Leaving photograms behind, I pursued photojournalism throughout high school and college. After graduating with a BA in English from NC State University, I started working for a branch of Eastman Kodak called Qualex. I was in tech support, helping one-hour-photo lab operators fix their problems via telephone. Over the next several years, I moved further away from photography and became further entrenched in corporate America. I eventually realized that wasn’t where I was meant to be, and left the corporate world to pursue more creative endeavors. I took some film photography classes at Cape Fear Community College to get back into the swing of things. Soon I started working there as the darkroom assistant. Four years later I became pregnant with my daughter and left my job at the community college to focus on being a mom. When my daughter was about a year old, my husband completed the darkroom in our garage. The baby-monitor picked-up a signal out there, so I was able to go into the darkroom during naptime, in addition to occasional evenings and weekends. Making photograms gained traction for me during this time because it was photography I could do without wandering too far from my young daughter. She was and still is my regular, full-time job.

When Hurricane Florence dumped nearly 30 inches of rain on us, a good bit of that went into my darkroom. Sadly, I wasn’t able to work in there for close to eight months. Being in the darkroom is like therapy, so I had to find a substitute. I started making cyanotype photograms in the yard, using UV light from the sun. As my mind wandered while I was working, I wondered if I could combine cyanotype photograms and silver gelatin photograms. I did a small test with some old silver gelatin photograms I had. The results weren’t great, but they were good enough to convince me to pursue the process further. In 2019, I received recognition in the Denis Roussel Awards for an outstanding body of work for a series done in the cyanotype on silver gelatin process. Juror Jessica Ferguson said, “This photographer invented/developed a technique involving cyanotype printed onto black and white gelatin silver paper. The statement reveals great resourcefulness in working without a darkroom in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.”

Art Made with Light is a new collection of cyanotype on silver gelatin photograms. The three-step process requires thoughtful planning and time spent both in a traditional darkroom and outside under the sun. For this body of work, sea whips gathered from local beaches are combined with seashell x-rays and other collected items to create images that are eye-catching and unique. Framed photograms in the series also include the original, found sea whip that was used for the B&W portion of the photogram. Add the sea whip to an existing collection, display it as an object of décor or return it to nature for it’s next, yet unknown purpose.

As with all my photograms, this series is a reminder to always try to see things in a different light.

Watch a short video about Melissa’s Photogram Process

Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Artist, Featured Artist

Pam Toll – Painter and Mixed Media

Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Artist, Featured Artist, Mixed Media, Painting

Barbara Snyder – Lens Based Artist

Artist Statement

Artist Bio

Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Artist, Online Artist, Photography

Tim Schwarz – Woodworker

Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Artist, Featured Artist, Wood

Dick Roberts – Painter

Virtual Tour created by Matterhorn Media.

Artist Statement

Artist Bio

Publications:
Southern Poetry Review
Saint Andrews Review
Kostroma Poetry Project (Russian translation)
Between the Lines – Poetry festival chapbook
Poems for Macedonia
Various chapbooks

More of his works can be found on his website.

Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Artist, Online Artist, Painting

Jessie Robertson – Painter

Artist Statement

Biography

More of Jessie’s work can be found at: https://jessielrobertson.wixsite.com/portfolio

Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Acrylic Painting, Artist, Featured Artist, Painting

Helen Mirkil – Guest Painter

“…Mirkil is never satisfied until she captures a lasting inner truth.”
–Jane Biberman, Montgomery County Town & Country Living

Artist Statement

My creativity is a gift. In part, it is driven by a childhood need to be heard.

When I’m painting or writing, an internal music comes alive in me, a sort of dance with the Holy Spirit.

It’s a form of prayer, the dance, a giving from deep gratitude to Christ, the Lord of my soul.

More of Helen’s work can be viewed on her website at: helenmirkil.com

Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Artist, Featured Artist

Jennifer Mace – Guest Photographer

Artist Statement

I hope you find some connection to these spaces as well.

Artist Biography

Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Artist, Featured Artist

Curtis Krueger – Photographer

Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Artist, Featured Artist, Photography

Doug Haas – Wood Turner

One of his favorite quotes is “Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the fruit is.” Mark Twain

Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Artist, Doug Haas, Online Artist, Wood

Jeri Greenberg – Pastel Artist

Jeri Greenberg – Restaurants + Art 2022

Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Artist, Featured Artist

Dorothy Gillespie (1920-2012) – Sculptor

“I love color, it goes back to the things I saw as a child – a Christmas tree, a ball bouncing, a kite.”
—Dorothy Gillespie

Dorothy Gillespie’s illustrious career in art spanned over 70 years during which time she created, exhibited and sold her art work nationally and internationally.

Click here to download our DG Interactive Brochure featuring Dorothy Gillespie’s work around Wilmington!

Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Artist, Featured Artist

Wm. Fridrich – Photographer

Wm. Fridrich: Photographs

Introduced to the Dada and Surrealist movements by his wife, art historian Marsha McKee, William became clinically obsessed with Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray and Joseph Cornell: he has not yet recovered.

More of his work can be found on his WEBSITE.

Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Artist, Featured Artist, Medium, Photography

Frank Fierstein – Artistic Photographer

Artist statement

We have seen and taken a photograph that reaches us on an emotional level, a moment that touches us deeply and profoundly. This is the true language of artistic photography.

Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Artist, Medium, Online Artist, Photography

Robert Beauchene – Guest Photographer

In the end, however, the goal is nothing more than to create something beautiful!

View more of Robert’s work on his personal website! www.mycamerasongs.com

Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Artist, Featured Artist

Fine Art From $125-500

Saturday, December 31st, 2016
Artist, Featured Artist

Fine Art Under $125

Saturday, December 31st, 2016
Artist, Featured Artist, Fine Art Under $125, Medium

Fine Art Gift Certificates

Give a gift that will last forever!

This unique gift can be used for the purchase of any item sold at Art in Bloom Gallery, and can be redeemed in store or online.

Please select from any of the preset amounts, OR mix and match amounts to create your own gift amount!

Art in Bloom Gallery will provide a downloadable gift certificate and an online coupon code for use online.

The certificate is not redeemable for cash and is good for one year from the purchase date.

Saturday, December 31st, 2016
Artist, Featured Artist

Author Archive

Pam Toll – Painter and Mixed Media

Barbara Snyder – Lens Based Artist

Tim Schwarz – Woodworker

Dick Roberts – Painter

Jessie Robertson – Painter

Helen Mirkil – Guest Painter

Artist Statement

Jennifer Mace – Guest Photographer

Curtis Krueger – Photographer

Doug Haas – Wood Turner

Jeri Greenberg – Pastel Artist

Dorothy Gillespie (1920-2012) – Sculptor

Wm. Fridrich – Photographer

Frank Fierstein – Artistic Photographer

Artist statement

Robert Beauchene – Guest Photographer

Fine Art From $125-500

Fine Art Under $125

Fine Art Gift Certificates

Give a gift that will last forever!

About the Artists

About the Artists

Click here to view the work that will be featured in the exhibit.

Click here to view the work that will be featured in the exhibit.

Click here to view the work that will be featured in the exhibit.

Click here to view and purchase the work featured in the exhibit.

Click here to view all of the work featured in the exhibit.

Artist Statement

Artist statement

Give a gift that will last forever!

Shop Art

Explore

My Account

Contact

Author Archive

Pam Toll – Painter and Mixed Media

Barbara Snyder – Lens Based Artist

Tim Schwarz – Woodworker

Dick Roberts – Painter

Jessie Robertson – Painter

Helen Mirkil – Guest Painter

Artist Statement

Jennifer Mace – Guest Photographer

Curtis Krueger – Photographer

Doug Haas – Wood Turner

Jeri Greenberg – Pastel Artist

Dorothy Gillespie (1920-2012) – Sculptor

Wm. Fridrich – Photographer

Frank Fierstein – Artistic Photographer

Artist statement

Robert Beauchene – Guest Photographer

Fine Art From $125-500

Fine Art Under $125

Fine Art Gift Certificates

Give a gift that will last forever!

About the Artists

About the Artists

Click here to view the work that will be featured in the exhibit.

Click here to view the work that will be featured in the exhibit.

Click here to view the work that will be featured in the exhibit.

Click here to view and purchase the work featured in the exhibit.

Click here to view all of the work featured in the exhibit.

Artist Statement

Artist statement

Give a gift that will last forever!

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Explore

My Account

Contact