McEachern Art Center features ‘The New Macon Open’ exhibit
.jpg "Artists’ works are featured in windows of the McEachern Art Center in Macon during its summer hybrid exhibit of local artists. The exhibit runs through mid-August.")
Last year, when Ben Dunn started planning 2020’s summer-long art exhibit at Mercer University’s McEachern Art Center, the idea was to make it open to all artists in Macon-Bibb, not unlike a come-all open sports tournament.
Dunn is director of the art center, referred to as The MAC, and a lecturer in the university’s art department. He said the idea was to make the show open to all levels but without the element of competition or judging and added to a number of coinciding events and activities.
“It was conceived as something that wouldn’t rank artists competitively, but would be inclusive and bring artists’ work to the community,” he said. “It seemed a fun way to go about it and there was going to be cookouts, artist talks and all kinds of ways of bringing artists and community members together. But many of our plans proved impossible as the pandemic arrived.”
So, as most of these stories go, officials at The MAC decided to adapt and continue the exhibit with some elements dropped and others added.
But Dunn said the heart remained the same and its name, the New Macon Open, was taken from a 1970s Macon tennis tournament.
“We dropped public gatherings and everything that was incompatible with the health situation, but hopefully can get back to some of those ideas in the future,” Dunn said.
The exhibit began in early June and continues into mid-August. Each week features the work of five artists and one piece is placed in a window of The MAC’s 332 2nd St. location as well as being shown across The MAC’s social media, such as at facebook.com/mceachernartcenter, instagram.com/mceachernartcenter, and The MAC’s site at macmacon.com.
All artists’ work is displayed in a second window at The MAC.
In addition, Dunn said next week a show catalog will be on The MAC’s website featuring all work and artist information.
“It’s an unusual inaugural opening, but the results have been so good,” Dunn said. “We’re showing work by professional artists, quality amateurs, art professors from three local universities, schools, a tattoo artist and even work from someone who is 9, so it is proving very inclusive and many media are represented, too.”
Artists Scott Serafy, Alexis Gregg, Craig Coleman, Denise Buff and Jessica Whitley are featured this week. Featured next week are Jacob Chipman, Marisa Winget, Suzanne Macrone Rogers, Kalie Evans and Whitney Bennet.
A work highlighted this week by Serafy, a watercolorist, is a poolroom scene from Macon’s Grant’s Lounge. In his exhibit notes, Serafy said of his work “… if it generates an impression, if it moves the viewer, then it’s a success.”
Asked how he works to engage viewers in a moving way, Serafy said it’s part technique and part organic.
“I’m somewhat conscious — maybe 5 to 10% of what I do while painting — of how the technique can be used to engage emotions,” he said. “Techniques having to do with light and dark and value and such things; how they convey a message or appeal to people and move them. But I suspect at least 80% or more is just the broader sense of what I feel and how I work — how the scene speaks to me — with the result speaking for itself.”
Serafy’ said he’s been pleased with the pandemic-version of The MAC exhibit and working with the center and how organizers have presented artists to the community.
More of his work may be seen at sserafy.pixels.com.
Dunn said the summer show furthers The MAC’s intention to bring the best of national, international and local works from artists and students to Macon audiences, often putting renowned artist’s work alongside student work to help “make the art world feel less mystical and more understandable.”
As for this exhibit, Dunn said some works beyond those in windows may be viewed by appointment at the gallery by emailing dunn_bwr@mercer.edu.
He said The MAC plans to reopen under social distancing and COVID-19 safety conditions beginning with its next show starting Aug. 22 called “Cartoon Violence: Elegy and Testimony,” by Charvis Harrell.
Among other entertainment and online activities available this weekend are:
▪ Cars Under the Stars Movies: “Trolls” – July 24, 8:30 p.m., Macon Coliseum parking lot, 200 Coliseum Dr., www.maconcentreplex.org. $30 per vehicle up to six passengers.
▪ Bragg Jam: Back to Our Roots - An Evening with The Buckleys (Online) – July 25, 7 p.m., search Bragg Jam Back to Our Roots on facebook.com. Brax Bragg was an original member of The Buckleys, and the death of he and his brother, Tate Bragg, led to creation of Macon’s annual Bragg Jam music celebration.
Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
What: The New Macon Open Art Exhibit
Where: 332 2nd St.
How: Online, in gallery windows
Cost: Free
Information: www.macmacon.com, www.facebook.com/mceachernartcenter, www.instagram.com/mceachernartcenter