Alison McKane
     Staff Writer

From the beginning of December until the Jan. 15, 2016, Greenhill hosted its annual Winter Show.

The exhibit showcased the work of over 120 artists from eight different categories: clay, books and fiber, glass, metal and jewelry, mixed media, painting, drawing and printmaking, photography and wood and sculpture.

Erin Riggins, a graduate of UNCG, said that two of the artists were professors at the university.

“I graduated in December 2014 with a major in Art History,” Riggins said, giving some background on herself. “I interned here as an undergrad [at UNCG]. And when I graduated, one of their positions had an opening. It really was the most serendipitous thing.”

Riggins is now the Curatorial Assistant at Greenhill.

Walking to one end of the exhibit, Riggins said, “There are some empty spaces where art pieces were — we have early pickup for those who are purchasing Christmas gifts.”

The two artists who work at UNCG are Mariam Stephan and Bryan Ellis.

Mariam Aziza Stephan, the Director of Graduate Studies and an Associate Professor of Painting at UNCG, had two paintings on display, both of which across the room from Bryan Ellis’.

The first, titled “Ark,” was casein paint on canvas. Casein is a paint that is fast drying and water-soluble. The piece was priced at $1700.

Her second piece, “Shelter,” was oil paint on canvas. Being much larger, it was priced at $6500. For more of her work, visit ww.mariamstephan.com.

Bryan Colburn Ellis is a Professor of Design at UNCG. He is also an adjunct Professor at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem. His name was listed under “Mixed Media.”

“He sold one of his pieces, which is really awesome,” Riggins said.

Two of his pieces were on the wall across from Stephan’s paintings.  Both of his works were made from cut paper. The first, and the smaller of the two, was titled “Pile/H.B.” It was being sold for $600. The second, “The Worxx,” was priced at $800.”

Kelly O’Briant, whose name was listed under “Clay,” had delicate, light teal mugs and other kitchenware on a podium near Stephan’s work. One of her pieces, a mug, was priced at $56. The pieces all looked delicate and light.

Under “Glass,” there was Michael Hatch, whose two pieces were in the same series he called the “Face Jug Series.” Both pieces resembled African Tribal masks. His earlier piece from 2014, titled “Aylmer” was priced at $350, while “Lewis” from 2015 was priced at $325. Both were made from forged and sculpted glass.

Ben Galata, who made a structure from forged and fabricated steel, was listed under “Metal and Jewelry.” His piece, “Spire,” resembled tall skyscrapers from far away, and its height was 59 inches. It was listed at $1,000.

Artist Jason Van Duyn, under “Wood and Sculpture,” created a set of bowls that looked as if they could actually be used rather than stand alone as art.

The bowls were made from the wood of a Black Cherry Tree from Chowan County, North Carolina. He titled them “Black Cherry Tree Bowl/Utility Set,” which reinforced their usefulness rather than just how beautiful they looked. He priced them at $250.

Tim McNaughton was one of three artists under “Photography.” His two photographs were shot in infrared. His first, titled “Mist,” was shot in 2012 and was priced at $295. The second, “Between Wind and Water,” from 2013, was priced at $275.

In the last group, “Books and Fiber,” Anna Nickles had her “Silk Chiffon Wrap #2,” on display. “Silk Chiffon Wrap #2” was crafted from silk chiffon, silk thread and MX dye, and priced at $95. The wrap was grey, green, tea, and white. It looked like the ocean during a storm, a shallow part that, when sunny, would be clear as crystal.

While this year’s Winter Show is over, there are plenty of upcoming exhibits. The first one is “It’s all about the Hue,” which will be open from Jan. 29 until March 24.

According to the exhibition schedule, “It’s all about the Hue” is described as being an exhibit intended to, “Explore color and gesture in works that utilize variations of hue to ravish the eye.”

This upcoming exhibit will feature the artists: Donald Martiny, Carolyn Nelson, Margie Stewart, and James Williams.

The second show, “Last Remaining Cathedral: Illuminations of Nature,” will be open from Apr. 8 until June 12, and will include works from artists Robert Johnson and Daniel Essig.

From Sept. 2 until Nov. 6, there will be “Insistent Objects: Works by Young NC Sculptors.”

And finally, from Dec 4 until Jan. 17, 2017, there will be Greenhill’s annual Winter Show once again.

For more information on Greenhill, its events, membership, and more, please visit http://www.greenhillnc.org/