Tryon Fine Arts Center will hold an opening reception in the Mahler Room on Friday, Oct. 17, 2014 from 5 – 7 p.m. to celebrate the opening in Gallery I of the Dusenbury Retrospective – His life & Art.

“We are continuing the theme of showcasing Tryon area history as it relates to the arts and the extraordinary artists who have become major figures in their chosen fields. These folks are truly Tryon treasures,” says Julia Calhoun Williams, Exhibits Chair. “As with the Mills Mosseller show, this exhibit includes not only major works but provides a glimpse into the life of the artist.”

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 a wide spectrum of nationally known personalities, including distinguished Hollywood director Wes Craven, fitness guru Richard Simmons and Chicago Blackhawks owner William Wirtz. He also performed numerous commissions for leading corporations and organizations such as Bank of America, Liberty Life, Sweet ’N Low Corporation, and the Philadelphia Visitors Center.

The Dusenbury Retrospective features a large number of sculptures as well as a number of his rare early drawings, pen and inks, and watercolors. A Walk and Talk through the Exhibit will be held on Thursday, Oct. 23. The Exhibit runs through Nov. 29. For more information, call 828-859-8322 or visit www.tryonarts.org

 

— article submitted
by Marianne Carruth