Charleston, SC, artist brings her creations to Macon’s First Friday. Hat’s off to her!
Charleston-based artist Emily Furr has come to Macon to party — and she’s brought hats.
Well, maybe it’s more that she’s delighted to come to Macon hoping to delight others with her quirky, whimsical style than she’s come to party, but she has prepared hand-decorated party hats to give away when her solo show opens Friday at the McEachern Art Center.
The McEachern is at 332 2nd St. and the event is free and open from 4-8 p.m. with a reception at 6 p.m., including light bites, beverages and an artist talk by Furr.
The exhibit runs through March 30.
A talented fine artist, Furr has made a name for herself with her creative, quirky style.
“I wanted the exhibit to be immersive with things like a produce stand I created, a gingham-inspired print shop, clouds and all the wall pieces,” she said. “I thought bringing 100 party hats would help with the immersive vibe plus help me be less scared when I give my artist talk. If I look out and see everyone in party hats, I’m sure it will help. Actually, I’m pretty excited about that.”
Those thoughts are evidence Furr’s quirky bent isn’t just off-the-cuff goofiness, though she did refer to herself as goofy during the phone conversation we had as she headed to Macon this week. No, her work is thoughtfully done with a willingness to put in the work. Clearly, Furr not only likes creating each work as a centerpiece but is also committed to setting the scene for it as well. That’s obvious in her immensely popular Instagram account, too, where she’s @emily_furr. Scrolling there, you typically see painstakingly created scenes enriched with their own vibe and story and not just point-and-shoot photos of her work or her working.
Sometimes, her inventiveness and surprises can be downright LOL funny.
And her IG efforts have paid off. In fact, she said that’s where the McEachern learned of her.
“I’m surprised I started doing Instagram at all because I’m basically a shy person,” she said. “It began because I love documenting my time and what I’m doing and when the pandemic hit I figured I was making all this stuff, I might as well show somewhere. I had this little account but then something I did went viral with 1.8 million views and I got a lot of followers. From that, I started getting commissions. I had been supporting my art as a barista and by working at an art store but I became able to do art full-time. It’s a lot of work, too, and exhausting, but so much fun.”
Furr graduated with a bachelor of fine arts from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., in 2016 then went for her master of fine arts at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2020.
“I do love Southern iconography and all the little stories you find,” she said. “I definitely like giving context to my paintings and I like the process of working things out as I create them. I love how on Instagram I’m curating my own pieces and giving them their own little world.”
Furr, who’s never been to Macon before, said she was surprised to get a call from McEachern director Johnny Cohen about a solo show and the level of commitment, space and preparation the gallery is giving her work. She said after working toward it – finishing work on a piece that will premiere at “Cozy” and creating in-house prints to bring - she was excited to finally get here and see the space herself. After arriving, she told me she was not disappointed and has been hard at work helping bring displays together.
“How often do you get a chance to have such a great space to yourself and people there supporting you saying, ‘Do whatever you want – let’s make this how you want it,’” she said. “It’s amazing.”
Furr’s work is bright and cheery though she said she realizes some of it is born out of dealing with complex emotions.
“I want my work to be very approachable,” she said. “If you don’t know anything about art or if you’re a dedicated art lover I want there to be something to take away. I feel like I’m dealing with concepts in a lot of my bigger works, concepts and feelings you can’t describe in a work or a sentence. Happy and exciting emotions but also sadness and disappointment. It’s communicating heart things that can’t be said.
“A lot of my conceptual pieces start with how I’m feeling at the time and how I’m working my way through them. Like everyone, I want to be happy-go-lucky all the time but no one is. My art isn’t so much a reflection of dwelling on the heaviness of that but the fact you can work through it. That’s a lot more colorful.”
So the subject may be a Duke’s Mayonnaise jar, or fruit, or people’s portraits done 3-D on built-up polystyrene, or have a ‘50s diner feel or be a vignette with a giant parakeet.
Or decorated party hats to make everyone, and herself, feel more at ease and connected amid everything.
By the way, in addition to her Instagram, Furr’s website is www.emilyfurr.com. Keep up with the McEachern at www.macmacon.com.
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There’s much more going on this First Friday downtown, including special dining and nightlife opportunities and shopping and family-oriented fun. There are also many other significant art openings and celebrations. On Facebook, search February First Friday for NewTown Macon’s rundown on happenings and the 567 Center for Renewal’s First Friday Art Crawl events page.
See www.macon365.com for more wide-ranging arts and entertainment goings on.
But keep these downtown gallery events in mind as you’re out and about this First Friday:
▪ The 567, 456 First St., presents a handful of area art instructors in their own show called “Artistic Discourse.” Reception is 5 to 8 p.m. with light refreshments and a chance to meet and talk with artists. Featured are Micah Goguen, Cara Heard of Lush Art, Kathy Murphy of Macon Mud, Bruce Chase of Macon Mud and Casie Trace of Artspace Macon.
▪ Macon Arts Alliance, 486 First St., presents “What I Saw in the Water,” a solo exhibition by Louisiana artist Seth Cook. Opening reception is 4-7 p.m.
▪ Green Light Gallery, 452 First St., will be open 2-8 p.m. featuring paintings by Hazel Caldwell.
▪ The Wesleyan College Leadership Lab, 522 Cherry St., presents “See If It Sticks,” an exhibit by Tammy Marinuzzi and Pavel Amromin with an informal artist lecture around 6 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m.
▪ And a final note of special celebration, join Kirk and Kirsten West at Gallery West, 337 Third St., from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. as they celebrate the gallery’s ninth anniversary with a party featuring original art, West’s iconic photography, live music, food and drink.
Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com.
