Little Masters Art Exhibit features works inspired by the late Burnard Wiley
Release Date: 12/3/2007. Expired: 1/12/2008
One of the most popular traditions in the history of The Renaissance Center in Dickson is its annual art exhibit featuring works by students in the Dickson County public school system.
The 9th annual Little Masters Exhibit will be displayed in the Visual Arts Gallery Dec. 8-Jan. 12. An opening reception will be 5-7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, with a closing reception set for 6-7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008.
For each annual exhibit, The Renaissance Center partners with Dickson County public schools to coordinate the exhibit. Working with the schools, a theme is chosen and the students spend the months and weeks prior to the exhibit creating pieces surrounding that theme.
The 2007 Little Masters Exhibit will feature pieces by area students inspired by the art of the late Burnard Wiley.
Wiley’s art includes mediums from carbon pencils to watercolors to oils. He is perhaps best remembered for his drawings of historic buildings and homes from around his native Dickson County. However, Wiley’s works cover a wide range that includes pastoral scenes, western landscapes, portraits, murals and more.
Born on a farm in Dickson County, Wiley showed an interest and natural ability in art at an early age and was always drawing. Public education offered little in the way of art instruction so from the beginning Wiley developed his talents with any form of self-instruction he could find. He read every book on art techniques he could find and completed several correspondence courses in art as well as art classes offered in night schools.
Wiley later studied with Morgan Stinemetz, a recognized authority on animal drawings and paintings whose work illustrated many books and magazines in the 1920s.
For several years, Wiley worked as an art director for a major publishing company and produced commercial artwork from a studio at his home in Madison, where he spent his latter years until his death in March 2002 at age 90.
“Last year’s theme of self-portraits manifested itself differently for each school,” said Armon Means, gallery curator at The Renaissance Center. “Some chose to work directly within the tradition of portraiture while others developed a secondary theme, such as questioning who am I, and who do I want to become. Many used traditional materials for drawing or painting while another incorporated a mirror – allowing the viewer’s image to become part of the mass of self-portraits.
“It is this diversity of image making and ideas that is encouraged and fostered by working alongside educators to help develop programs such as this that give the opportunity to incorporate new activities into the classroom. With this annual effort, Dickson County public schools and The Renaissance Center strive to educate and promote arts awareness for all students and blossoming young artists while allowing them the chance to exhibit in a professional setting.”
Past themes for the Little Masters Exhibit have included social awareness quilts, travels around the world, themed Christmas trees and self-portraits.
A reception will be held 5-7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, immediately following the annual Children’s Christmas Workshop and prior to the Renaissance Players performance of Peter Pan. The reception this year includes a performance by the Dickson Elementary School Chorus in the rotunda at 5:30 p.m.
All exhibitions at The Renaissance Center are open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and admission is free. The Renaissance Center will be closed Dec. 21-Jan. 2 for the holidays.
For more information on the Little Masters Exhibit, contact Means at (615) 740-5545 or armon.means@rcenter.org, or visit www.rcenter.org.
The Renaissance Center is a fine arts education and performing arts center at 855 Highway 46 South in Dickson, just 35 miles west of Nashville on Interstate 40 at exit 172.
Visit the Events - Concerts and Recitals page for more about musical performances.