The Tryon Fine Arts Center will be staging an encore presentation of 2014’s major exhibits.  Included are “Old Ironsides and the War of 1812,” the Mills Mosseller Rug and Tapestry Studio, the Philip Dusenbury Retrospective and student art from the Arts in Education’s “Evening of Excellence” show. The exhibit will run from Dec. 12 through Jan. 16, 2015.

“Old Ironsides and the War of 1812” features the history of the ship’s construction, its signature battles during the War of 1812 featuring Tom Freeman’s magnificent lithographs, and its legacy as the world’s oldest battleship afloat. Tryon resident and highly decorated Navy veteran Commander Tyrone G. Martin was captain of the ship during its most critical restoration in the mid 1970s and welcomed Queen Elizabeth II aboard during the celebration of the nation’s Bicentennial. Since his retirement, Martin has become a most accomplished Naval historian, publishing numerous books and articles, and is the leading authority on the ship’s amazing history. He has served as a consultant to Time-Life Books, PBS television station WGBH in Boston, and consultant and presenter for the History Channel’s “Great Ships” series.

The Mosseller portion of the exhibit features the fascinating history of the Mills-Mosseller Rug Studio founded by Ron’s mother, Lillian Mills Mosseller, who moved with her children to New York in the 1930s where Ron’s adventure in the arts began. An artist and artisan of exceptional talent, Mosseller studied at the Art Students’ League in New York.  He remains the country’s only formal tapestry and rug maker whose works are wrought entirely by hand.  His creations, “fine paintings in wool,” reminiscent of Aubusson and Savonnerie, are in scores of prominent American homes and are in the permanent collections of, among others, the Smithsonian Institution, the Virginia and North Carolina Governors’ Mansions, and the Williamsburg Inn at Colonial Williamsburg.  Mr. Mosseller also works in watercolor and pen and ink and his new book, “Funny Things Happen When I Look the Other Way,” is illustrated with a number of his whimsical pen and ink drawings.  Beloved for his marvelous humor, his work with the Friendship Council, and his numerous roles on stage, he remains a resident of Tryon.

Born in Tryon, Philip Dusenbury became an accomplished artist whose work can be found in galleries and private collections throughout the country.  He received his bachelor of fine arts in 1968 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Dusenbury began his career as a painter, but soon developed a love for sculpture and built his reputation in that medium. At his studio in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, he created figurative sculpture using the primary materials of papier-mache, plaster cloth and epoxy. His creations were sometimes whimsical, sometimes solemn, but always thoughtful and distinctive, reflecting a serious artist with a realistic and compassionate understanding of human nature. Over his career, Dusenbury’s work has been purchased by everyone from distinguished Hollywood director Wes Craven, to fitness guru Richard Simmons to Chicago Blackhawks owner William Wirtz. He also performed numerous commissions for leading corporations and organizations such as the Bank of America, Liberty Life, Sweet ‘N Low Corporation, and the Philadelphia Visitors Center.

TFAC is very active and involved in promoting the Arts in Education through various programs, believing that the arts are an integral part in the development of our children. Life skills such as creativity, confidence, focus, perseverance and non-verbal communication are learned through the arts and contribute to academic and life success. Proceeds from the Evening of Excellence High School art exhibit help to fund the “Be Inspired Grants” (BIG) program to support teachers in promoting creativity in the classroom.

For more information, call 828-859-8322 or visit tryonarts.org. Gallery I is open from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Tuesday – Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

 

 

 

 

Lady in Blue Hat, papier mache sculpture by artist Phillip Dusenbury, is one of the pieces on loan as TFAC presents an encore of 2014 exhibits in Gallery I, Dec. 12 – Jan. 16.  The show will also feature pieces from TFAC’s Evening of Excellence 2014 exhibit, Old Ironsides, and Mills Mosseller Rugs & Tapestries exhibit.