High Noon by Gary Grier oil on canvas 48 x 72 inches Collection of Greenville County Museum of Art
The Greenville County Museum of Art will feature work by Gary Grier October 25, 2008 to January 4, 2009. The show will feature new large-scale work, selected paintings from Carolina Galleries in Charleston, SC along with High Noon and Cracker Jack, purchased by the museum for its prestigious permanent collection of Southern art. High Noon and Cracker Jack are a pair of large 48 x 72 inch paintings, and were painted to represent or depict South Carolina from Charleston to Greenville.
Gary Grier is originally from Jacksonville, Florida. After graduating from high school, he studied at the Savannah Branch of the School of Visual Arts. In the fall of 1998, Grier went to New York City and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He studied with Steven Asseal and Anthony Palliser, and also did commission painting. His first commission was a portrait for Sean “P-Diddy” Combs and he also worked for over a year as an art assistant in the studio of pop artist Jeff Koons. What Grier tries convey through his paintings is feeling and emotion, with a sense of spirituality and pure honesty. His images are derived from personal experiences, capturing the essence of Southern life as seen through his eyes. By bringing a drama to everyday, ordinary people and the normally overlooked, Grier keeps in line with the spirit of 19th century painters such as Edgar Degas and Gustave Courbet.
Gary was the 2007 recipient of a $5,000 award from the Coastal Community Foundation through their Griffith Visual Arts Fund. He was their designee as Lowcountry Artist of the Year. Additionally, he was included in the Winter edition of Art & Antiques’ Collectors Sourcebook magazine as one of their four Emerging Artists. Gary’s work has been purchased by and will be part of the permanent collection of the Greenville Museum of Art. He will also be included in a forthcoming book about African-American artists from 1800 to the present.
Gary’s newest work is on view & available at Carolina Galleries. Please call (843) 720-8622 or visit www.carolinagalleries.com for more information.
Gary Grier was named the 4th Lowcountry Artist of the Year upon receiving the Griffith Visual Arts Award, an award made possible by Donna and Michael Griffith, fund establishers at Coastal Community Foundation. Gary’s background rooted in family and passion for travel made his work grounded yet exotic. It was a pleasure working with Gary and learning about his work, vision, and style.
The 2008 Lowcountry Artist of the year is J.B. Boyd. Also a talented artist from the region, J.B. Boyd’s work “depicting the lowcountry” will be displayed at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park for the month of March 2009. The opening reception will be held February 27th. Visit http://www.CoastalCommunityFoundation.org for more information.