Local artists show off talent at art exhibit

Rebecca Sitzes, The Shelby Star
·3 min read
Regina Bos works on a piece. Bos was a recipient of an artist grant and has her work displayed at the Cleveland County Arts Council as part of a local artists exhibit.
Regina Bos works on a piece. Bos was a recipient of an artist grant and has her work displayed at the Cleveland County Arts Council as part of a local artists exhibit.

Local woodcarvers, potters, printmakers and jewelry creators have their work on display at the Cleveland County Arts Council.

A variety of local talent and creativity is available to be viewed at the Arts Council during the “Local Currents: Ebb & Flow of Ideas” exhibit open now until Sept. 29.

The Cleveland County artists are Regina Bos, David Caldwell, Beth E. Coiner, Matthew Duffus, Darrin Griggs, Allegra Klett-Wilson, Doug Knotts, Ron Philbeck and Chrys Riviere-Blalock, and they are all recipients of an Artist Support Grant funded by the NC Arts Council.

These grants support professional artists in any discipline and at any stage in their careers to pursue projects that further their artistic and professional development.

Over the past 26 years Cleveland County has had 42 artists receive this grant, some of them multiple times. The artists who are part of this exhibit received the grant during the past 10 years.

The Arts Council is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is located at 111 S. Washington St. in Shelby.

Darrin Griggs, is a printmaker producing primarily woodcut but also Lino prints. All his prints are from his own original drawings, mostly of his environment on the family farm in Grover, where he is at least the fifth generation to live on the same property.

Darrin Griggs shows some of this prints. Griggs was a recipient of an artist grant and has his work displayed at the Cleveland County Arts Council as part of a local artists exhibit.
Darrin Griggs shows some of this prints. Griggs was a recipient of an artist grant and has his work displayed at the Cleveland County Arts Council as part of a local artists exhibit.

Matthew Duffus is the author of several books. He was born in Pennsylvania and spent time living in several states before finally settling in North Carolina where he has lived for the past 15 years.

Beth E. Coiner is a modern dancer turned jeweler. She approaches each design much like a piece of choreography, drawing from the inherent movement found in natural and architectural landscapes. Her tiny sculpture designs are textured and intimate, creating wearable urban and rural vistas.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Vancouver, BC, Canada, Allegra Klett-Wilson made her way south via Seattle, Wash. She had been designing and crafting jewelry for over 20 years and officially established Allegra Nichole Designs in 2014. Klett-Wilson’s work embodies a unique and eclectic collection of jewelry combining silversmithing with natural stones.

Doug Knotts has been making pottery since 1972. After graduation, Knotts worked as a park potter in Alabama. Eventually he became known for his bird pots. He got the idea of birds from his grandfather. “He worked at a hospital, and he would carve birds out of wood and give them to the sick children in the hospital.

Studio wood carver and sculptor since 1994, David Caldwell’s experience includes carving for the Shelby Carousel restoration, Cornel Zimmer Organ Builders, and Bob Trotman Studios. His work can be seen in churches from New York to San Francisco.

Regina Bos is a graphic designer, painter, and small business owner.

Chrys Riviere-Blalock shows some of her paintings. Riviere-Blalock is one of the recipients of an artist grant and has her work displayed at the Cleveland County Arts Council as part of a local artist exhibit.
Chrys Riviere-Blalock shows some of her paintings. Riviere-Blalock is one of the recipients of an artist grant and has her work displayed at the Cleveland County Arts Council as part of a local artist exhibit.

She has always been creative with exploring​ ​artistic mediums, and began focusing her work within the encaustic medium in 2014.

Ron Philbeck is a potter specializing in wheel thrown, sodium vapor glazed pottery. The limited production and one of a kind pots are created at his studio in Shelby.

Painter Chrys Riviere-Blalock studied at Meredith College, Parsons The New School for Design, and Appalachian State University. She has taught studio and art history classes for over 25 years, served as an exhibition juror and visiting artist at colleges in North and South Carolina, and led undergraduate art travel/study programs in France.

For more information about the exhibit, call the Arts Council, 704-484-2787 or visit ccartscouncil.org.

Want to apply?

Artists who are interested in applying for the an Artist Support Grant can receive more information at artsandscience.org/artist-support-grants/.

Artists representing visual, craft, performing, traditional, and interdisciplinary art forms are encouraged to apply. The Artist Support Grants will support projects occurring between Jan. 1, 2023 and Dec. 31, 2023 but all funds should be expended by June 30, 2023. Artists may request up to $3,000. The deadline is at noon on Sept. 12.

This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Local artists display work in arts council exhibit