Register for Drawing Classes at Green Rice!

Not only are we offering a Figure Drawing Group on Tuesdays, but to all of you who are intimidated by drawing in general, we will now be offering Drawing Classes starting in February! We will offer a Monday night class and a Wednesday night class to accomodate your different schedules.

The class will meet once a week, for 8 weeks beginning on Monday nights from 6:00 to 8:00 or on Wednesday nights from 6:00 to 8:00 at Green Rice Gallery, starting February 2nd and ending March 23rd for Monday classes, or starting February 5th and ending March 25th for Wednesday classes.

Sign up now, because each class can only take 5 students and this will fill up fast!

Everyone pre-teen years and up are welcome and no prior experience is needed. Basic instruction in drawing and helpful techniques will be offered to all students by a knowledgeable and experienced instructor.

The cost for this 8 week session is $280. This includes one free admission to a Tuesday evening Figure Drawing Group, and you will also recieve student pricing on all other Tuesday evening Figure Drawing Groups. Students will only need to provide an 18x24 newsprint sketch pad, all other materials will be provided by Green Rice Gallery.

Students may register by contacting Carla Garrison at 704.344.0300, or by e-mail at art@green-rice.com.

Peepholes, Faces and Wings

Due to the holiday season, Green Rice will be extending its hours for the month of December. Our new hours will be Wednesday - Friday from 11-7, Saturday 12-7, and Sunday 12-5. Art is the perfect gift for the person who seems to have everything; it is original, creative and one of a kind! Not to mention the fact that Green Rice carries very affordable art without forgoing the quality of fine artwork. All through December we will be featuring the work of internationally known Illustrator and Sculptor Bill Nelson, as well as a gift priced showing of new works from a large variety of our very own Green Rice Artists. All of the gift priced works will be under $200.00, making it easy to buy for the whole family without breaking the holiday budget! Give the lasting gift of creativity that your loved ones can enjoy all year round this Christmas!

December 12th Festivities!!!

Green Rice is happy to welcome 3 new Studio Artists to the Gallery! Mother/daughter duo Lucy and Rachel Caldwell, and veteran artist Paul Hastings now have working studio spaces within the gallery walls. In celebration of their arrival we will be hosting a welcome gathering on the second gallery crawl of December, which falls on Friday December 12th, from 6-9pm. There will be snacks and beverages, and the artists will be here for you to meet them and see their work!

Book your next event with us!

We just love parties, whether it is an office party, a birthday party, a wedding reception or even a wine tasting, we want to be the venue to host your event! Green Rice is a 2,500 square foot space located in the heart of NoDa. We have convenient parking in the back of the building, and can hold anywhere from 50-150 people depending on your event. Don't worry about decorating, we have all the art you could ever want already adorning our walls!

As far a pricing goes, for a 6 hour/one evening event, the rental fee is $500. If the event goes past midnight, the cost is $100 for each additional hour. A gallery attendant will be on hand for any assistance you may require, and we provide a 25 disc CD player, or you may use our Sirius Satellite Radio for ambient music to compliment your gathering. Call us at 704.344.0300 to book your event with us today!

Keep in mind, Christmas is coming, and what better place to hold your Office Holiday Party than in a beautiful and spacious fine art gallery!

"Nostalgia" by Kate Vasseur

I just can't wait! This coming Friday, October 3rd, will be the opening reception for Artist Kate Vasseur's show entitled "Nostalgia". According to Vasseur, her paintings are a blend of fantasy with an element of nostalgia. Images of a bygone era color her canvas as much as her brush strokes do, and her acrylic palette of earthy hues create vast yet intimate landscapes, which can evoke emotion and memories from any viewer.

On October 3rd, we will have an old time popcorn machine, old school candies, and root beer floats for the kids! Bring your family and celebrate this nostalgic experiance at Green Rice Gallery!

Green Rice Gallery is also pleased to introduce a Bostonian native and newcomer to Green Rice, Matthew Hooker. His oil paintings of cityscapes and custom commissions draw the viewer in to experience a depth and realism that few artists can achieve. The October 3rd opening will run from 7-9pm, and the show will continue through November 2nd.

Natural Surroundings in November...

November will feature local Charlotte artist, Holt McLean’s exhibit, Natural Surroundings. Her Mediterranean inspired works will be celebrated in an artist's reception on Friday, November 7 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The exhibit will include more than 30 of McLean’s original works featuring the beauty of her recent trip to Greece along with some of her favorite spots that we all know and love, right here in North Carolina!

McLean, a North Carolina native, pulls people into her artwork by creating familiarity for the viewer. When looking at either her overseas work, or the art from right here in our own backyard, it is not uncommon to find yourself saying, "I've been there!". Holt studied at the International School of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture in Italy, and was greatly influenced by the European Masters. She adopted a classic style of her own that incorporates impasto style palette knife techniques which add texture and boldness to her paintings.

In a compliment to McLean’s work, we will also be including artwork done by myself, Carla Garrison, which feature architectural doorways of the past, the present and the imagination. The show will run from November 7-29 - don't miss it - I know I won't

Studio Space Available!

To all you artists out there who are stuck creating in a cramped space and are looking for a large area to not only create your work, but also show it to the public - we now have space for you! Coming in late 2008-early 2009, we will be opening 4 x 500 square foot spaces in our gallery!

The spaces are open to the public, and we always have a gallery attendant on duty to assist any patrons interested in purchasing your work. These spaces are huge, and the best part is that Green Rice has a very friendly, family feel to it - with someone always willing to lend a helping hand. Right now we house 5 artists; Kate Vasseur, Paul Hastings, Jay Thompson, Theresa Hollmeyer, and Patricia Thompson - and coming in November 2008 are mother and daughter artist duo, Lucy and Rachel Caldwell! Welcome to the family Lucy & Rachel!

We are now accepting early down payments to reserve your space before it is even created - visit http://www.green-rice.com/AvailableStudioSpace.htm for additional information, or simply call us at 704.344.0300 during our normal business hours. Join the Green Rice team now, we look forward to having you!

"Story" - Figurative Sculpture by Jason Basden

24 hours and counting...last chance to see Jason Basden's "Story" show here at Green Rice Gallery! Jason's opening reception was on September 5th, and its final day will be tomorrow, September 28th from 12-4.

It has been a great month; Jason's work is imaginative and unique and speaks to everyone. It truly comes from the heart, as each sculpture comes with its own story from days gone by. Made out of found objects, from feathers to precious gems, each figure has a life and personality of its own. Although the show only has one more day here at Green Rice, you can always find work by Jason Basden in our gallery! From his "Frog Faeries" to "Creepy Monkey's Uncle", my personal favorite, it truly is a sight to behold. See more of Jason's artwork at http://www.green-rice.com/. Green Rice Gallery is located at 451 E. 36th St. in the NoDa District of Charlotte, NC. Hours of Operation are Monday -Friday 11-6, Saturday 12-6, and Sunday 12-4. The first and third Fridays of each month we host a Gallery Crawl from 6-9; come visit us and see the work of emerging and established artists alike!