The College dedicated the gallery and hosted the opening reception of the 2009 Virginia Wesleyan Invitational on Friday, Feb. 20.
By Megan Z. Shearin '06
Suburbia by Will Corr '94
Virginia Wesleyan College proudly presented for the first time the newly constructed Neil Britton Art Gallery on Friday, Feb. 20.
Students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the College gathered in the 1,200-square-foot gallery to witness the opening reception of the 2009 Virginia Wesleyan Invitational and the dedication of the gallery.
"This gallery really sets a new tone for the College," said John Rudel, curator of exhibitions and assistant professor of art at Virginia Wesleyan. "This is a place that showcases student accomplishments in the visual arts and enhances the educational mission of the art department at Virginia Wesleyan College."
For the exhibition, Rudel reached out to Virginia Wesleyan art professors and alumni and local artists, who filled the gallery with water color paintings, sculptures, photographs and ceramics. Contributing artists for the 2009 Virginia Wesleyan Invitational included: the late Neil Britton; former Virginia Wesleyan art professor Barclay Sheaks; Virginia Wesleyan art professors Phil Guilfoyle, John Rudel and Sharon Swift; Virginia Wesleyan alumni Robyn Bailey '98, Will Corr '94, Ola Gurney '82, Ben Harris '92, Christine Harris '92, Greg Jackson '06, Ryan Jones '06, Susan Jones '75, Beverly Mansfield '99, Lorrie Saunders '79, and Clayton Singleton '94; and local artists May Britton, Matthew Fine, Anna Freeman and James Jones.
Growth Pattern by May Britton
During the event, the College recognized Barclay Sheaks for his contributions to Virginia Wesleyan and Robyn '98 and Curtis Bailey, who made the gallery possible through a generous gift to the College. Robyn majored in art at Virginia Wesleyan and was a student of Neil Britton, a founding member of Virginia Wesleyan's art department. Britton taught ceramics, sculpture, and crafts such as jewelry making, weaving and batik at the College for 23 years until his retirement in 1999. He passed away in 2003.
Bailey '98, who said her favorite architectural element of the gallery is the red brick and original waffle ceiling, displayed slab and coil constructed clay from her Easy Rider series.
"This is an outwardly fun spirited and humorous piece," said Bailey. "For me, however, the animal imagery refers to the search for sanctuary, support and comfort. For some carry the load and others ride along. But when they all stay together they create something stronger than each could have alone."
The soft water color painting displayed by Ola Gurney '82 is a recent piece of artwork. Gurney, who said she created several three-dimensional pieces in Britton's art classes more than 20 years ago, attributes her art success to her late professor.
"Neil was not only my teacher, but a very close friend," said Gurney. "He taught me to look at art and make art for the sheer joy of it. The touching, the seeing, the sensing of line and shape, and the emotional impact is the joy."
Both Bailey and Gurney say they have many fond memories of art classes with Britton.
Fossil by Christine Harris '92
"Neil was a wonderful presence in the studio," said Bailey. "He was always encouraging me to push the elastic boundaries of my ideas as my hands formed the clay. I considered him my teacher, my critic and my friend."
Virginia Wesleyan President Dr. William T. "Billy" Greer described Britton as a terrific artist and teacher who loved his students and whose students loved him.
"It is telling that the gallery was made possible by one of his former students," said Greer. "The art department at Virginia Wesleyan has been one of the jewels in the academic crown of the College for a long time and Neil was a part of the success."
The 2009 Virginia Wesleyan Invitational exhibition will be on display from February 20 – April 16. The next exhibition in the Neil Britton Art Gallery will be the Virginia Wesleyan Senior Art Exhibition, April 24 – May 16.
About the Neil Britton Art Gallery
The Neil Britton Art Gallery was created during the modernization of Virginia Wesleyan’s Henry Clay Hofheimer II Library. The modernization of the library is part of the College's Key to the Future Campaign, transforming the facility into a hub for study, research and relaxation for students and faculty.
The Britton Gallery is an exhibition space for the perpetual and exclusive display of student and professional artists' works. Measuring 1,200 square feet with a closed floor plan, the gallery is a welcoming space for classroom instruction and exhibition openings with minimal disruption. The ceiling of the gallery is exposed and the floor is sealed concrete, accentuating the aesthetic neutrality of the space and highlighting the artists' work. A combination of glazed windows and frameless glass doors allow daylight through to and acoustic separation from the Library.
For more information on Virginia Wesleyan's Key to the Future Campaign to become a Phi Beta Kappa-caliber college, visit www.vwc.edu/campaign/.
02.25.09