Cast, Forged & Fabricated: The Queen City Metalsmiths

From the Bronze Age through the Iron Age to the present, metalwork has flourished in art, industry and trade. By the 1700’s the village blacksmith ensured the economic survival of early America, making the implements and equipment used in farming, business, and even in the common household. After industrialization, when ironwork could be provided by factories, blacksmiths reinvented themselves, putting their age-old hand forging talents to more creative endeavors. The studio craft movement began in the middle of the past century, allowing the floodgates of creativity to be thrown wide open and unbridled abandon to flow freely. Standing on the shoulders of the metal giants who have preceded them, we welcome J. Aaron Alderman, Steven Sinnett, Mindy Jacobs, Theron Ross and Marilyn Overton as they celebrate their ageless legacy of metalsmithing.

Celebrate with us during the Meet the Artists Reception on Friday, June 5th from 7 - 9pm. Also joining us will be Megan from PRP Wine International as she hosts a wine tasting during the reception.

Don't forget to bring Dad along so he can pick out the perfect Father's Day gift! The show will run from June 5th - 28th.

Help us Celebrate Women in the Arts!

Join us as we help celebrate FemmeFest 2009!
From May 23rd - 31st we will be showcasing artwork by our Green Rice Gals (no boys allowed on our walls!). We have a ton of new works by Artists such as Kendra Baird, Susan Nuttall, Bethany Hadden, Holt McLean, Virginia Dauth and Heather LaHaise that we can't wait to show you! And don't miss out when the streets come alive for FemmeFest here in NoDa on May 30th - we will have live music and spoken word in the gallery from 5:30 - 11pm! Everyone is invited regardless of gender as we provide a showcase for female artists and a forum in which to inform and empower the women of our communities.

PERSISTENT NIGHTMARES: New Abstract Drawings by Andrea Worley

Andrea Worley’s new abstract drawings give spontaneous and energetic form to the frightening nightmares she has experienced—and recorded in detail—over more than 30 years. With their underlying physical, psychological, and sexual tensions, these stark black and white abstractions conjure up the raw and ragged edge between something recognizable and that profound abyss within us all. Each drawing is accompanied by a dated section from the nightmare that gave rise to it. Worley, a native of Chattanooga, received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Tennessee and her Master of Fine Arts from East Tennessee State University. Her studio is near Earl, North Carolina. The show will run from May 1st - 22nd.

POSTGIG

PostGig is a compilation of music posters and highlights the role of art and design in the music scene. The show features works and original concert posters by Modern Dog, Aesthetic Apparatus, Hammerpress, Patent Pending, The Small Stakes and many more. It is curated by Clifford Stoltze, founder of Stoltze Design in Boston, MA, and compliments the recent launch of his book 1000 Music Graphics.

The show was a huge success in Boston and is making a stop here at Green Rice Gallery in Charlotte's NoDa District as it travels to different cities drawing a diverse audience. PostGig's opening reception on Friday, April 17th from 7-9pm coincides with a NoDa Gallery Crawl and the exhibition will be open to the public April 17th – 27th. You can find out more by visiting PostGig's website at http://www.postgigcharlotte.com/.

The Sold Project: Thailand

The Sold Project is a grassroots organization dedicated to inspiring individuals to join the fight against child prostitution. In 2007, a group of 20-somethings went to Thailand for a summer to research the plight of child exploitation, and they walked away with a dream of creating change. The result was a film: The Sold Project: Thailand. Sold's goal is to help everyone realize that they have a unique voice and a unique opportunity to join the fight against child prostitution and that their response to this situation actually does matter.

The Sold Project: Thailand will be screened at the Green Rice Gallery on Sunday, March 22 at 4:30pm and 6pm. Special guests Rachel Sparks and Rachel Goble will share about their experiences and knowledge from their time in Thailand. Jeremy Ezell will be serenading us before each screening. Please join us in this important cause - we hope to see you there!

Live Poetry Reading on March 20th!

Be sure to join us for a Live Poetry Reading here at Green Rice on Friday, March 20th, 7:30-9:00 pm during the gallery crawl! Jonathan Rice, editor of Iodine Poetry Journal and Scott Douglass, editor of Main Street Rag will host the Poetry Reading. Readers include Beth Cagle Burt, Glenn Hutchinson, Charles Israel, Jesse Kidd and Stephanie O'Neill. These poets all have work in the upcoming issues of Iodine Poetry Journal and Main Street Rag. You can check out the Iodine Poetry Journal at http://www.iodinepoetryjournal.com/, and Main Street Rag at http://mainstreetrag.com/. So come on out for a night of poetry and art!!!

"An Unclear Sky" by Kendra Baird

Green Rice Gallery will host “An Unclear Sky” featuring new works by Artist Kendra Baird, opening on March 6th from 7-9pm with a Meet the Artist Reception. Also included will be a wine tasting by PRP Wine International, featuring wine personalized with images of Kendra’s latest works. One of Kendra's original works will be included in a raffle as well, each ticket will be $10 and the drawing will be held on March 29th. Don't miss this chance to win an original work of art!

The show will run from March 6th until March 29th. Baird’s work over the past few years has evolved from quirky little creatures in nature into a deeper subject beyond the object we see on the surface. The nature of how uncertain our futures are, and how at any given time – no matter how aware we are of our life, the world around us and ourselves – we can never see the entire picture. She displays this in her work through using a frame of texture and color that crops the scene. We can only imagine what is hidden by this frame, and we step forward knowing what we can and hoping for what we cannot know. There will always be those things that make our view unclear, but the portions that we can see give us comfort and help us rest in peace when moving forward.