By Matthew Jackson
Staff Reporter
HUNTSVILLE —
The Wynne Home Arts Center will host an opening reception for “Art Matters,” a collection of works by self-taught artists on Monday from 4-7 p.m.
The show features 26 pieces in various media by 18 artists from throughout the United States. All of the artists featured in the show have no formal training in art, and many create their pieces through the use of found materials.
The show will remain in the Brown-Wynne Gallery through Sept. 2.
“It’s got some wonderfully creative things by people who have not trained in art, but have just wonderful ways to create these pieces through all kinds of media,” Wynne Home Director Linda Pease said of the show.
All of the pieces in the show are on loan to the Wynne Home from the collection of Stephanie Smither and the late John Smither.
“She has a collection of folk art from all over the world, but the pieces that we have are all from artists in this country,” Pease said. “Because of the generosity of Stephanie Smither and her collection, not only do we have these pieces in the gallery, but we also have pieces of self-taught art throughout the second floor of the Wynne Home.”
Stephanie Smither will speak about the collection at 5:30 p.m. during the reception, and featured artists Gregory Warmack, known worldwide as “Mr. Imagination,” will also be on hand.
An Atlanta native, Warmack has become known worldwide for creating pieces using found materials including bottle caps, paintbrushes and saws. His work has been seen at the Smithsonian Institute and exhibits in Philadelphia, New York, Boston and San Francisco.
The show will also include work from the Rev. Johnnie Swearingen, Clementine Hunter, Thornton Dial Sr., Eugene Andolsek, Jimmy Lee Sudduth, David Butler, Hector Alonzo Benavides, Timothy Wehrle, Mose Tollivar, Aaron Birnbaum, John William Dey, Consuelo Amezcua, Wayne McCaffrey, Purvis Young, Henry Ray Clark, Alan Wayne Bradley and James Harold Jennings.
The Friends of the Wynne will provide refreshments.
In addition to his presence at the show, Mr. Imagination will also host two free children’s sculpture workshops at the Wynne Home Tuesday; the first session will be held from 1-3:30 p.m. and the second from 4-6:30 p.m. The size limit for each session is 10 children. Those interested in attending the workshops must pre-register by calling the Wynne Home at (936) 291-5424.
