West Main Artists Co-op to Host SC Watermedia for Second Time

Tree Tops by former Spartanburg resident Dwight Rose

West Main Artists Co-op to Host SC Watermedia for Second Time

For the second year in a row, West Main Artists Co-op (WMAC) will host on behalf of Spartanburg and the entire Upstate the SC Watermedia Annual Exhibition that travels throughout the state each year, showcasing the wealth of talent that uses water-based media to create works of art. The exhibit of 30 pieces will open at WMAC on Tuesday, July 2, and close Saturday, Aug. 3.

Dwight Rose

The public can see this exhibit for free Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A public reception for the exhibit will be held on Thursday, July 18, 5 to 9 p.m., during the city’s monthly ArtWalk.

Among the 30 pieces that are in the 2018 collection is Tree Tops by former Spartanburg resident Dwight Rose, who is one of the only three artists from Upstate South Carolina chosen for the exhibit. (see sidebar)

“We are delighted to host this very important show again,” WMAC Chair Beth Regula said. “The SC Watermedia Society sponsors the competition and exhibit each year, thereby curating the very best watermedia art in the state and now in other states, too. Watercolors and other watermedia art are a consistent favorite among gallery visitors and art lovers. There is just something about the flow and blending that appeals to people. But this show also displays other sides of watermedia, styles that are more solid, intense and dense, even photo-like. It is a traditional, evolving, and amazing medium. Also, we are extremely proud that one of our own Dwight Rose is in the exhibit. Dwight is a Spartanburg favorite. His work is very deserving, and I am sure all art lovers in Spartanburg will want to come to see his work as well as the work of the 29 other artists.”

This is the 41st year this exhibit has been sponsored by the SC Watermedia Society, which works with the SC State Museum to coordinate the statewide tour at various art facilities. The Society is the only statewide visual arts organization in South Carolina. It promotes artists who work in watermedia, which may be watercolor, acrylic, gouache, casein and mixed media in conjunction with water based media on any surface. The annual traveling exhibition appears in cities across the state and reaches 20,000 visitors annually.

Prior to arriving in Spartanburg, the exhibit will have been in Sumter, Hartsville, Lancaster, and Walterboro.

Through the Eyes of a Child, Looking up

This year’s exhibition was juried by Laurie Goldstein-Warren, a renowned and nationally respected watercolor artist in West Virginia. The exhibit features original works from artists like “Best of Show” award winner, Lynda English of Florence, SC for her piece, Through the Eyes of a Child, Looking up. Other award winning artists included are: Anne Hightower-Patterson of Leesville and Suzanne Accetta of Columbus, OH. This year, the competition allowed artists who are not South Carolina residents to compete. In addition to the award winners, 33 other artists were also accepted into the show from around the nation in a digital format. The exhibit will provide public access to the “best of the best” and is facilitated by the South Carolina State Museum’s Traveling Exhibit Program.

WMAC is one of the leading arts agencies in Spartanburg. It is a membership-based nonprofit agency that has more than 50 members, most of whom are visual artists. Some are performing artists. Each month, it sponsors three new monthlong exhibit by its members and by guest artists. In addition to its public galleries, it also has about 30 working studios for its members, two stages, a printery, and Spartanburg’s most extensive collection of locally made artwork for sale on an ongoing basis. For more information about WMAC, please visit online: WestMainArtists.org.