Wilmington Artist Elizabeth Darrow Exhibit to Open on Thursday | Eastern North Carolina Now

News Release:

    WASHINGTON, NC     The Beaufort County Arts Council will present Wilmington artist Elizabeth Darrow in an exhibit at the Washington Civic Center Gallery beginning on Thursday, September 5. The exhibit will open with a reception that evening from 5:30-7:00pm that is free and open to the public, and will run through October 10. Percussionist Chris Nappi will provide music at the opening.

    The exhibit will be Darrow's first solo exhibit in Beaufort County. A staple of the Wilmington arts community since 1977, the exhibit will feature the artist's newest oil and figurative works. The new works playfully render her figures in a flat, two-dimensional style similar to children's crayon drawings. The exhibit also represents a new direction for the artist, who has created most of the works that will display on top of abstract pieces she had become disenchanted with, developing a new body of work without increasing inventory.

    Ironically, one of the re-worked pieces on exhibit won Best In Show at BCAC's annual Fine Arts Show in 2010. The original work, a collage piece titled Karma, is now called The Naked Truth: Life Is But A Dream, and features a figure in a bathing cap staring down a blackbird. "This is what I love about Elizabeth's work," says Joey Toler, executive director of BCAC. "She's constantly changing things up and always succeeds in surprising you with her creative process."
From the Elizabeth Darrow exhibit: Above.    Click the image to expand.
    Toler, who first met Darrow about 10 years ago, had to cajole her into entering work in BCAC's Fine Arts Show at first. "Elizabeth didn't have to enter her work in juried shows - she didn't need to do that anymore, she was established," said Toler, "but once she did, her work was well-received and she made a few sales, and now she is active in a lot of our art events. In addition to participating in the Fine Arts Show, she is a BCAC member, she always has work in the Members' Exhibit, and she donates about four pieces to our Little Art Exhibit Fundraiser each year - so I guess you could say it's worked out well."

    "I've been working as an artist for a long time - all my adult life," Darrow says, "and I've gone through many phases, trying different media to get varied results. But this large, colorful, figurative work resonates with me the most. I think it's because so many factors come into play that evoke humor, angst, irony, and naiveté. It's engaging work and fun to do."

    Toler says that while it is the role of the arts council to present work by local artists, he is glad to be able to occasionally bring something new and different for arts patrons to enjoy. "It's like when we partner with the School of Art & Design at ECU to present student work - I think it challenges our audience to a certain extent, and it challenges some of our local artists, too," says Toler. "I'm glad Elizabeth will be here for the opening, and I hope our arts community will show up to give her a warm Beaufort County welcome."

    More information about the artist and her work can be found at www.elizabethdarrowart.com. The exhibit is open Tuesday - Friday from 9am-4pm daily. The civic center is occasionally closed for private events, so the public is encouraged to call the arts council at 252.946.2504 to verify gallery hours.

    Contact Person: Joey Toler,
     BCAC Executive Director

    Beaufort County Arts Council
    P.O. Box 634/108 Gladden Street
    Washington, NC 27889
    PH 252.946.2504  •  FX 252.975.6948