Painting chosen to promote NOH's 25th season

Andrew Wigger, The Newberry Observer, S.C.
·1 min read

Jun. 7—NEWBERRY — Plein Air Newberry not only offered artists an opportunity to create beautiful works of art around the county, but for one lucky artist, his piece will be used for the promotion of the 25th season of the Newberry Opera House.

"I was so excited to hear that the Newberry Arts Center was holding a Plein Air event recently because it is absolutely my favorite event. It is, to me, what Newberry is all about," said Ann Pinckney Smith, executive director of the Newberry Opera House. "How cool is it that you can walk around and see over 20 artists paint your city, in all mediums, all perspectives. It is just really cool and makes Newberry special."

Smith said that she and Marquerite Palmer, Newberry Arts Center program manager, discussed having some artists focus on painting the Newberry Opera House, in celebration of their 25th season.

"We wanted to use the painting for our brochure and also sell limited prints. We sweetened the pot by giving the artist who painted the Newberry Opera House ticket vouchers for shows, win-win," Smith said.

The chosen artist was Mark Conrardy. His oil/charcoal on birch painting is titled, "Newberry Opera House Morning."

The brochures will be sent out to over 40,000 households in the region.

"What great exposure for the artist. We saw this as another way that visual and performance art can collaborate," she said.

Reach Andrew Wigger @ 803-768-3122 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.