Artist Isaac Alcantar with his work.(Image contributed by Creative Arts Guild)The Creative Arts Guild in Dalton, Georgia, will open two new exhibits on Friday, Aug. 3.
Janice Kennedy will present work in "One Woman's Viewpoint" in Gallery FIVE20. Isaac Alcantar will exhibit work in Gallery ONE11. His exhibit, "El Color De Mi Cultura," is being presented in collaboration with Coalition of Latino Leaders.
An opening reception for the community to meet these artists will be held Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the CAG, 520 W. Waugh St. in Dalton. The Friday event is also serving as the volunteer kickoff party to prepare for Festival, the guild's signature fine arts and crafts show to be held Sept. 14-16.
Kennedy admits to struggling when she began studying painting a few years after retirement. In math and science (her vocational skill areas), solutions are defined.
"You either get the answer right or you get it wrong," Kennedy explains. "But with art, the artist gets to define what she wants the finished product to be. It took me a while to come to grips with that concept, but when I did, my world became much broader and interesting. "
The artist says studying art has made her much more aware of her surroundings and the nuances of design and color.
Many of the paintings and assemblages in her show at the Creative Arts Guild are depictions of moments captured in everyday life, presented in her own impressionistic style.
"Art reflects my surroundings, culture and thoughts. It is an adventure of discovery that takes me on a journey of exposure using color, texture and subject. Art allows me to express feelings, including ones stimulated by living in a new culture," says Alcantar.
He began drawing cartoons while in elementary school and progressed from tracing pictures to drawing them free-hand. With encouragement from his family, he took art classes in a variety of mediums in high school. He also took drawing classes from Bill Stevens at the Hudgens Center for Art and Learning in Gwinnett County, Georgia.
"On a visit to Kudzu Art Zone in Norcross, I met David Raderstorf, director of Kudzu Art Zone, an organization of volunteer artists whose focus is the support and advancement of local art and artists. After I had an opportunity to show him my portfolio, he accepted me as a student and has been my mentor and painting instructor for over five years.
"In the past year, I applied to and was accepted into 18 juried exhibitions, including the Kudzu Open Exhibit and the Georgia Watercolor Society Member Exhibition. In February, I was honored to receive an invitation from the Mexican Consulate to exhibit my first solo show," says the artist.
The Creative Arts Guild is partnering with Coallicion de Lideres Latinos, Coalition of Latino Leaders, to make accessible the variety of artistic expression from Dalton's Latino community.
For more information about the event: 706-279-3129.