On Thursday, February 18, the Tryon Fine Arts Center continues its Explore the Arts series when photographer Susan Johann will Explore the Creative Eye.

Johanns portrait work is part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institutes National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Her portraits of notable people in the arts – from Midori&bsp; to Salman Rushdie – have been featured in magazines including The New York Times, American Theater Magazine, Time, Detour, Newsweek, The New Yorker, and innumerable book covers for Penguin, Random House, Villard as well as CD covers for Decca, Classic Masters, and others.

Johann is currently at work on a book of portraits and interviews with contemporary playwrights. Among the almost one hundred major playwrights photographed are Arthur Miller, Edward Albee, Wendy Wasserstein, August Wilson and Sam Shepard, David Hare and Tom Stoppard. Her image for the Broadway musical, The Scarlet Pimpernel, for Grey Media, looked out over Times Square, four stories high and a block long.

Johanns fine art work of floral and other nature forms has been seen in solo exhibits throughout the United States as well as in private and corporate collections. Among her photography awards is the PDN/Nikon Award and a Golden Pen from the NYArt Directors Club for her pictures that were part of an ad campaign for Pfizer. Recently her work, Winter Hydrangea, won first prize in a juried art competition in Spartanburg at the Chapman Center Art Museum.

Explore the Arts organizers say they are fortunate to have such a distinguished photographer as part of the series. Explore the Creative Eye with Susan Johann will take place on Thursday, February 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Call 828-859-8322 ext. 219 for more information.