What small southern city can boast of 100 visual artists of exceptional merit? The Upstairs Artspace answers the question with its new exhibit, “Artists Among Us: 100 Faces of Art in Spartanburg.” The purpose of the blockbuster show is to pay tribute to the concentration of fine artists living and working today in Spartanburg County.
Exhibition dates are March 16 through April 28. A public reception to meet the artists is Saturday, March 17, 5 to 8 p.m. where light refreshments will be served.
The three galleries of the Upstairs will be filled with two- and three-dimensional work by each of the 100 artists. The range of art includes painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, mixed media, sculpture, turned wood, and ceramic and fiber art. About half of the artists have exhibited before at the Upstairs; about half are showing in Tryon for the first time.
“We want to familiarize our audience – especially people from Tryon to Asheville – with the great artistic talent in Spartanburg,” said Margaret Curtis, exhibits committee chair. She adds that the Upstairs has only mounted one other exhibit of such magnitude in its 34-year history.
The inspiration behind “Artists Among Us” is a coffee table book of the same title, published last November by Hub City Press. The book is the collaboration of Edward Emory, writer and editor, and Stephen Stinson, photographer. Emory, who owns and operates Carolina Gallery in downtown Spartanburg with his wife, Shannon, selected the 100 artists. His three criteria were an artist’s individual skill, professional achievement and contribution to helping make Spartanburg an arts destination.
The book will be for sale at the opening reception; artists can sign individual books on request.