Upcoming Exhibits
Click the image to View the 2025 Gallery Show Schedule.
Click the image to View the 2025 Gallery Show Schedule.
New Work by Jo Ann Alford & Elizabeth Darrow
Art in Bloom Gallery is celebrating the artistic careers of gallery artist Elizabeth Darrow & guest artist Jo Ann Alford through their collaborative exhibit, “Wrapping It Up.” After pursuing a variety of artistic approaches, these lifelong artists & friends are coming together to embrace the strengths of shape, pattern and collage. Whether by layering wrapping paper over oil backgrounds, or building abstract scenes from a single paper element, both artists allow their pieces to emerge intuitively from their creative processes. So even if Jo Ann & Elizabeth are moving closer to “wrapping up” their artistic journeys … their ever innovating work will continue to develop and inspire!
Join us in the gallery on Sunday, August 3rd, 2-5pm for the Artist Reception. Enjoy special refreshments, meet our artists, and enjoy live music by Robert Beauchene!
About the Artists
From weaving to watercolor, multimedia artist, adventurer & educator Jo Ann Alford continues to pursue her independent path. After studying fiber arts and calligraphy in the West Coast, Jo Ann returned to North Carolina to expand both her own creativity and the world views of her students. Though she finds herself more “settled” now in retirement, Jo Ann still has a wanderlust for life, within and outside of herself. She is currently focusing on nonobjective collage to offer a more open, personal invitation of her work.
About the series, Jo Ann says, “The first element that is adhered to the paper is a catalyst and may disappear as I respond to the lines, shapes, colors, textures, and negative space. As I travel across the surface, I enjoy the surprises that occur during the process. I’m always eager to see where my artistic journey will lead me.”
Multimedia painter Elizabeth Darrow has made Wilmington her home since 1977. Elizabeth has worked in oil and collage throughout her career, exploring a variety of abstract & figurative styles depending on her medium, but never works “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. Says Elizabeth about her newest works, “I enjoy playing with color and shapes and patterns, and watching their interplay … watching them take on a life of their own. It’s a magical process.”
In this exhibit, Elizabeth has incorporated patterns found in wrapping paper, and juxtaposed them with each other against a background of oil paint and gestural drawing to create something altogether new. “That may be why the show is called ‘Wrapping It Up’… Or maybe it’s because we’re wrapping up our artistic careers (a process that could take years)… Either way, it’s always fun to play and see what happens.”
Works by Debra Bucci & Brian Evans
Art in Bloom Gallery is excited to share the new duo show featuring painter, Debra Bucci and ceramic artist, Brian Evans. Their show “Earthly Elements” will focus on the building blocks of their respective media through the stroke of the paint brush revealing Debra’s mystical willow paintings and Brian’s hand built and wheel thrown altered ceramic pieces. Stop in for a first look at the newest works out of the studio!
About the Artists
Debra Bucci is known for her vibrant and engaging floral and landscape paintings. Dynamic color palettes, moving compositions and diversity in applications 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 also been the poster artist for The American Craft Walk in Wilmington for 8 years. 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. She is honored to be the only artist to continually show at True Blue Butcher & Table for the past 4 years. In addition to the Art in Bloom Gallery, she can be found at Red Arrays and the Arboretum Show in Wilmington. Debra has a BFA in Design from Drexel University where she studied oil painting and enjoyed a corporate career in Package Design. She now lives in Wilmington, NC with her husband “Art” and dog “T-Bone”.
Brian Evans was raised in Western Pennsylvania where he graduated in 1993 from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Studio Art. His primary focus was in sculpture and painting. He moved to Wilmington, North Carolina in 1995. He began in 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 named Hiroshi Sueyoshi. He immediately recognized the caliber of Hiroshi’s skills as an artist and took full advantage of his instruction.
From 2002 through 2008, Brian taught Pottery Classes through the Cape Fear Community College Continuing Education Program. He also became a full-time ceramic artist. Since 2002, He has received various awards at Fine Art Shows and Art Festivals. In 2003 and in 2005, Brian was awarded The Regional Artist Grant for New Hanover County, North Carolina. His work can be found in public and private collections across the nation and abroad. Brian is a founding member of the Coastal Carolina Clay Guild in Wilmington, NC which began in 2007. He is currently the Executive President of Orange Street Pottery Incorporated which is a 501c3 organization that includes Coastal Carolina Clay Guild. Brian began teaching at Orange Street Pottery again in 2017 and is still teaching currently.