The Mill Magazine Edition 11 No. 1 Art Life

THE MILL

carolina piedmont

A LOCAL EXCHANGE INSPIRING VIBRANT, PROSPEROUS COMMUNITIES

magazine

art life

DI L o ce

usso

lifestyle salon

luxury +style

YOU OWE YOURSELF THIS MOMENT

DOLCELUSSO.COM BAXTER VILLAGE 985 MARKET ST, FORT MILL 803.802.5877

PARK ROAD 4237 PARK RD, CHARLOTTE 980.859.2783

STONECREST 7808 REA RD, CHARLOTTE 704.542.6550

KINGSLEY 1377 BROADCLOTH ST, FORT MILL 803.802.5000

Introducing

THE FIRST-EVER CT6-V FOR A NEW GENERATION

2515 CHERRY ROAD, ROCK HILL SC ∙ 800-424-0852 ∙ BURNSCADILLAC.COM

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE 2020 CT6-V SEDAN, VISIT CADILLAC.COM

3071 US-21, SUITE 103 803.835.0444

|

FORT MILL, SC 29715 providence-chiropractic.com

Dr. Jessica Harden, DC with her German Shorthaired Pointer, LaRue

SLEEPING BEAUTY

MARCH 13-22 KNIGHT THEATER

SPRING WORKS

APRIL 23-25 KNIGHT THEATER

CHOREOGRAPHIC LAB MAY 14-16 CENTER FOR DANCE

701 N. TRYON ST, CHARLOTTE, NC | 704.372.0101 | CHARLOTTEBALLET.ORG

6 Theaters 10x Tony Award Winner 16 Resident Companies 18+ Weeks of Broadway Shows Annually 1000+ Concerts, Comedies, Festivals, and Dance Performances Annually 150,000 Students Participating in our Student-Focused Programs Annually $50+ Million Infused into our Local Economy Annually

130 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28202 ∙ 704.413.7590 ∙ blumenthalarts.org

Lou Waple Attorney | Partner

Lindsey Houk Attorney | Partner

601 East Blvd, Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28203 | 704.954.8697 WA P L E HOU K L AW. C OM

art life

The meaning, the translation, the appreciation, and the value of art has more to do with the viewer than the artist. Art is how YOU see it.

P

10 CELEBRATING

P 2010

YEARS

2020

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

{

The story begins in

PRINT & continues

}

ONLINE

a TMM T H E M I L L M AG A Z I N E

E D I T I O N 1 1 N O . 1

ArtLife PUBLISHER MarketStyleMedia EDITOR IN CHIEF TraceyRoman COMMUNITY EDITOR AubreyDucane CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ElleChristensen AhmedElgammal BriceJacobson MiaPerkins

TomBarrett DanCook ArnelHasanovic

PHOTOGRAPHERS IanKeefe AmandaKerr BruceMars

AnnaKolosyuk GuillePozzi RafaelSaes

ADVERTISING ad.sales@themillmagazine.com 803-619-0491 ©2020 THE MILL MAGAZINE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNER. THE MILL MAGAZINE DOES NOT NECESSARILY ENDORSE THE VIEWS AND PERCEPTIONS OF ADVERTISERS.

WE ARE SOCIAL, TOO. JOIN THE CONVERSATION @themillmag

12

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

P

10 CELEBRATING

2010

P

2020

YEARS

eatures F T

p.18 MOST CREATIVE

aintings P IN TIME

AN ALGORITHM MAY HOLD THE KEY

p.30

LIGHT +

DARK

p.44

TWO LOCAL ARTISTS EVOKE FEELING WITH A RESTRAINED PALETTE

QUEEN CITY’S ART EXPLOSION

8

m

ust-f ollow

CHARLOTTE ARTISTS

p.58

get your Art on

WHERE TO MAKE ART AND GET YOUR CREATIVE FIX

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

13

Natasha Duff-Cole Owner & Style Consultant

THE SHOPPES AT TWIN OAKS

1419 East Boulevard, STE E Charlotte, NC 28203 704.547.4208 KINGSLEY TOWN CENTER

1329 Broadcloth St. STE 103 Fort Mill, SC 29715 803.233.1722

ladiesoflineage.com

Dr. Teresa T. Mercado, DDS with her English Bulldog, Boris

803-547-7779 | 1515 ONYX RIDGE, SUITE 108, FORT MILL, SC 29708 | MONARCHDENTISTRYOFGOLDHILL.COM

CHARACTER

∙

BACKYARD

∙

TEXTURE

∙

PROVISIONS

Character inspiring small town living

16

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

Samantha Ellison NC/SC Realtor ®

124 MAIN STREET FORT MILL, SC 29715 704-756-7888 SELLISON@HIGHGARDEN.COM THESELLISON.COM

MOST CREATIVE

aintings P IN TIME

AN ALGORITHM MAY HOLD THE KEY Te x t b y A h m e d E l g a m m a l

F

rom Picasso’s The Young Ladies of

Avignon to Munch’s The Scream, what was it about these paintings that arrested people’s attention upon viewing them, that cemented them in the canon of art history as iconic works?

18

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) by Pablo Picasso scored extremely high when entered into the creativity algorithm, Museum of Modern Art, New York, Public Domain-US.

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

19

In many cases, it’s because the artist incorporated a technique, form or style that had never been used before. They exhibited a creative and innovative flair that would go on to be mimicked by artists for years to come.

Throughout human history, experts have often highlighted these artistic innovations, using them to judge a painting’s relative worth. But can a painting’s level of creativity be quantified by Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Computers can perform the same task – and may even be more objective.

HOW IS CREATIVITY DEFINED? Of course, the algorithm depended on addressing a central question: how do you define – and measure – creativity?

There is a historically long and ongoing debate about how to define creativity.

We can describe a person (a poet or a CEO), a product (a sculpture or a novel) or an idea as being “creative.”

In our work, we focused on the creativity of products. In doing so, we used the most common definition of creativity, which emphasizes the originality of the product, along with its lasting influence.

At Rutgers’ Art and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, my colleagues and I proposed a novel algorithm that assessed the creativity of any given painting, while taking into account the painting’s context within the scope of art history.

These criteria resonate with Kant’s definition of artistic genius, which In the end, we found that, when emphasizes two conditions: being introduced with a large collection of original and “exemplary.” works, the algorithm can successfully highlight paintings that art historians They’re also consistent with consider masterpieces of the medium. contemporary definitions, such as Margaret A Boden’s widely accepted The results show that humans are no notion of Historical Creativity longer the only judges of creativity. (H-Creativity) and Personal/

20

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

Psychological Creativity (P-Creativity).

The former assesses the novelty and utility of the work with respect to the scope of human history, while the latter evaluates the novelty of ideas with respect to its creator.

BUILDING THE ALGORITHM Using computer vision, we built a network of paintings from the 15th to 20th centuries. Using this web (or network) of paintings, we were able to make inferences about the originality and influence of each individual work.

input and parameter settings. In our case, the input was what the algorithm saw in the paintings: color, texture, use of perspective and subject matter. Our parameter setting was the definition of creativity: originality and lasting influence.

The algorithm made its conclusions without any encoded knowledge about art or art history and made its assessments of paintings strictly by using visual analysis and considering their dates.

INNOVATION IDENTIFIED When we ran an analysis of 1,700 paintings, there were several notable findings. For example, the algorithm scored the creativity of Edvard Munch’s The Scream (1893) much higher than its late 19th-century counterparts.

This, of course, makes sense: it’s been deemed one of the most outstanding For example, when you search the web Expressionist paintings and is one of using Google, Google uses an algorithm the most reproduced paintings of the of this type to navigate the vast network 20th century. of pages to identify the individual pages that are most relevant to your search. The algorithm also gave Picasso’s Ladies of Avignon (1907) the highest Any algorithm’s output depends on its creativity score of all the paintings Through a series of mathematical transformations, we showed that the problem quantifying creativity could be reduced to a variant of network centrality problems – a class of algorithms that are widely used in the analysis of social interaction, epidemic analysis, and web searches.

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

21

The Last Supper (1480) is a fresco depicting the Last Supper of Jesus by the Italian Renaissance artist Domenico Ghirlandaio, Public Domain-US.

it analyzed between 1904 and 1911.

This is in line with the thinking of art historians, who have indicated that the painting’s flat picture plane and its application of Primitivism made it a highly innovative work of art – a direct precursor to Picasso’s Cubist style.

Last Supper (1476) than to Leonardo da Vinci’s eponymous masterpiece, which appeared about 20 years later.

The algorithm favored da Vinci’s St John the Baptist (1515) over his other religious paintings that it analyzed.

Interestingly, da Vinci’s Mona Lisa The algorithm pointed to several of didn’t score high by the algorithm.

Kazimir Malevich’s first Suprematism paintings that appeared in 1915 (such as Red Square) as highly creative as well. Its style was an outlier in a period then-dominated by Cubism.

For the period between 1916 and 1945, the majority of the top-scoring paintings were by Piet Mondrian and Georgia O’Keeffe.

Of course, the algorithm didn’t always coincide with the general consensus among art historians.

For example, the algorithm gave a much higher score to Domenico Ghirlandaio’s

22

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

Saint John the Baptist is a High Renaissance oil painting on walnut wood by Leonardo da Vinci. Probably completed from 1513 to 1516, it is believed to be his final painting. The original size of the painting was 69 × 57 cm. It is now exhibited at the Musée du Louvre in Paris, France. Public Domain-US.

Painterly Realism of a Peasant Woman in Two Dimensions, more commonly known as Red Square, is a 1915 painting by Kazimir Malevich, Public Domain-US.

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

23

Edvard Munch would be delighted to learn that the algorithm gave The Scream a high score. Edvard Munch, 1893, The Scream, oil, tempera and pastel on cardboard, 91 x 73 cm, National Gallery of Norway, Public Domain-US.

24

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

WITHSTANDING THE TEST OF TIME Given the aforementioned departures from the consensus of art historians (notably, the algorithm’s evaluation of da Vinci’s works), how do we know that the algorithm generally worked?

in their creativity scores when moved forward to AD 1900.

We don’t want our research to be perceived as a potential replacement for art historians, nor do we hold the opinion that computers are a better determinant of a work’s value than a As a test, we conducted what we called set of human eyes. “time machine experiments,” in which we changed the date of an artwork to Rather, we’re motivated by Artificial some point in the past or in the future, Intelligence (AI). The ultimate goal and recomputed their creativity scores. of research in AI is to make machines that have perceptual, cognitive and We found that paintings from the intellectual abilities similar to those of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, humans.

Expressionist and Cubism movements We believe that judging creativity is a saw significant gains in their creativity challenging task that combines these scores when moved back to around AD three abilities, and our results are an 1600. important breakthrough: proof that a machine can perceive, visually analyze In contrast, Neoclassical paintings did and consider paintings much like not gain much when moved back to humans can.

1600, which is understandable, because TMM Neoclassicism is considered a revival of the Renaissance.

Ahmed Elgammal is the Professor of Computer Vision and the

a T H E M I L L M AG A Z I N E

Meanwhile, paintings from Renaissance and Baroque styles experienced losses

Director of the Art & AI Lab at Rutgers University. He is also on the Executive Council Faculty at the Center for Cognitive Science at Rutgers University and he received his Ph.D from the University of Maryland in College Park. This article was originally published on The Conversation.

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

25

aPartnership

CUSTOM CABINETS

26

¤

APPLIANCES

¤

from Planning to Perfection

PLUMBING FIXTURES

¤

TILE

¤

COUNTERTOPS

SHOWROOM HOURS ∙ MONDAY-FRIDAY 9AM-6PM ∙ SATURDAY 10AM-4PM THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE∙ 1300 SOUTH BOULEVARD ∙ SUITE C ∙ CHARLOTTE, NC 28203 704.926.6000 ∙ DCIHOMERESOURCE.COM

Tracy M. Frick Esquire SC Founding Partner

Christina W. Lizzio Esquire NC | Partner

COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE ATTORNEYS

SouthPark-Charlotte NC 704-376-8181 Uptown-Charlotte NC 704-376-8181 University-Charlotte NC 704-376-8181 Fort Mill SC 803-324-4000 Rock Hill SC 803-324-4000

FRICKTRENTLIZZIO

FrickTrentLizzio.com

CHARACTER

∙

BACKYARD

∙

TEXTURE

∙

PROVISIONS

Backyard

inspiring small town communities

28

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

Artist Stuart Coleman Budd enjoying his creative process. Photographed by David Huff.

30

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

LIGHT +

DARK TWO LOCAL ARTISTS EVOKE FEELING WITH A RESTRAINED PALETTE Te x t b y E l l e C h r i s t e n s e n

O

nly very occasionally does a gifted artist emerge who distills a lifetime of experience into his work. That artist is Stuart Coleman Budd, that lifetime is fascinating, and that work has the truly unique ability to capture a timelessness and calm that defy this age of dizzying acceleration.

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

31

STUART COLEMAN BUDD

Clockwise from top: Southeast, Acrylic on canvas, 40 x 60, 2019; 10am, Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 24, 2019; Budd in his studio - photographed by David Huff.

32

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

Budd grew up in Charlotte, NC. His dedication to art began as early as kindergarten when he would often skip recess to finish painting. At Myers Park High School he studied with the iconic Dean Barber, earning scholarships to several schools and eventually selecting Ohio’s Columbus College of Art and Design. He later studied at the prestigious School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Fine Arts at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and Charlotte.

work, “more about the way places feel than look.”

Budd has a background of accomplishment in a variety of artistic subjects and mediums, but his true calling is clearly his painted recreations of the natural world. Landscape holds a sacred place in the history of the arts, and Budd pays homage to this tradition while also bringing an entirely fresh approach to the process. His landscapes and oceanscapes aren’t painted so much as allowed to emerge from a unique application of materials and manipulation After school, Budd traveled extensively with flame, water, gravity, solvents, sprays, and throughout the United States, including several brushes. years of painting in the Virgin Islands. In 2002, he returned to Charlotte to dedicate himself to But mastery of technique is only partly his artwork. responsible for the majesty of these landscapes.

He has a lifelong relationship with the Budd arrives at his painting studio in the environment, having spent time hiking the morning and works late into the evening, often Appalachian trail, painting in the Caribbean, sleeping on a cot among canvases in various winter-climbing in Montana, and living in stages of completion. Decades spent drawing the Tennessee mountains. Budd’s profound on-site in the mountains of Tennessee, Virginia, understanding of his subject gives his paintings and North Carolina provide him the practice, an intimacy, authenticity, and mystical quality familiarity, and essence needed to recreate his that transcend the quaint or trite work often beloved wilderness from memory in the studio. found in this genre.

“It is an ethereal thing,” Budd says about his Of

his

paintings,

one

collector

wrote,

“The work is so subtle, sheered, layered surfaces

delicate as moth wings, colored in shades of gray, ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

33

James Island, Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 60, 2019 by Stuart Coleman Budd.

silver, pewter, cream, and gold. They glow, but

they don’t illuminate their own details. Looking at his paintings is like watching the sun come up over the meadow. Beyond that, they defy description.”

You can experience the works of Stuart Coleman Budd at Anne Neilson Fine Art in Charlotte.

Cassandra Richardson, Gallery Sales Director stated, “we are proud to share Stuart Coleman Budd, one of our most well-renowned local artists, as he pays tribute to our beloved Southern Coastline and misty mountain ranges, elevating both to High Art.” You can follow Stuart Coleman Budd on Instagram @stuartcolemanbudd or visit stuartcolemanbudd.com.

34

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

CASE BAUMGARTEN

Clockwise from top left: Presence of Mind, Oil, acrylic, stain, enamel on paper, 72 x 36, 2019; Neon Highway, Photography, oil, acrylic, stain, ink on paper 36 x 36, 2019; Baumgarten in front of his works - photo courtesy of Anne Neilson Fine Art.

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

35

mentor to thousands of burgeoning minds over the decades before his unexpected passing last year. Carrying the torch of his father’s creative proclivities, Case Baumgarten is an accomplished artist in his own right, winning the Sculpture award at his senior thesis show at Corcoran, exhibiting at KunstHaus Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia, as well as in Cologne and Berlin, Germany.

Case Baumgarten is a professional artist currently working and creating in Charlotte, NC. Baumgarten’s current series of work, “Feet in the Garden,” is a collection of abstracted figure paintings utilizing an alchemy of his own invention including oil, acrylic, stain, ink, powdered metal, tar, acetone, and iron oxide to achieve a mesmerizing surprise of texture and surface aesthetic. Baumgarten’s paintings present the incessant search for lost loved ones, with profound wisdom and maturity which belie his youth.

In his own words Baumgarten explains,

“Through emotional depiction, I create work Odyssey, Oil, acrylic, stain on paper, 72 x 36, 2019 by Case Baumgarten.

The newest gallery artist at Anne Neilson Fine Art is Case Baumgarten. He graduated with a BFA from the lauded Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, DC in 2018. Demonstrating talent from a young age, he is the son of the late artist-sculptor-teacher-genius, Lee Baumgarten, 36

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

that shares our global human likenesses. It was the passing of my father which led me to integrate the topic of self-reflection

and connectivity on account of profound anguish into my paintings. This series of figurative abstractions reference something unattainable — a never-ending vexatious search for deceased loved ones. The work abstracts images of faith.

In doing so, I can engage with my audience’s experience in the struggles that come from death’s trials and tribulations. The pieces’ limited presentation of color suspends moments of familiarity in helplessness. In that

which is left behind, in spaces vacated indefinitely, is a tumultuous yearn for direction. Astray in spiritual territories, these figures wander, reflecting our personal affair in the river’s current of trauma. I create this work not only in search of the father I have lost, but for the many who are experiencing similar endeavors for lost loved ones.”

The Gallery Sales Director at Anne Neilson Fine Art, Cassandra Richardson, expressed, “We are proud to be his official gallery representation and to support such a visionary, emerging talent.”

You can follow Case Baumgarten on Instagram @itsnotcase or visit Casebaumgarten.com.

aM T M T H E M I L L M AG A Z I N E

About Anne Neilson Fine Art: Founded in 2013 by renowned artist and author, Anne H. Neilson, ANFA represents more than 60 talented artists from across the world. The gallery is dedicated to being a lighthouse in Charlotte and beyond, illuminating the work of emerging and established artists while showcasing a variety of styles and mediums. With a focus on bettering the world, a portion of gallery sales each month is given directly to non-profit organizations devoted to making our community a little bit brighter. It is an honor to share our artists and bring their talent to local collectors and beyond.

Follow ANFA on Instagram @anneneilsonfineart or visit anneneilsonfineart.com.

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

37

TL T TRAVEL Like TRACY

EXPLORE POSITANO ON THE COAST OF ITALY WHERE A LUXURIOUS ADVENTURE AWAITS YOU. CALL 704-709-2090 OR VISIT TRAVELLikeTRACY.COM TO BOOK.

Fantastic Sams Fort Mill 1046 Regent Pkwy Suite #108 Fort Mill, SC 29715 803-639-7891

Most salons independently owned and operated. Š2019 Fantastic Sams Franchise Corporation.

FantasticSams.com

' SHOP, EAT, and DISCOVER . . . LOCAL EVENTS

{ { PRE SE N T S

THE NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL

APR 28 - MAY 3 OVENS AUDITORIUM blumenthalarts.org

40

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

'

SHOP, EAT, and DISCOVER . . . LOCAL BUSINESSES

1

p.

Burns Cadillac 800.424.0852 burnscadillac.com Providence Chiropractic 803.835.0444 providence-chiropractic.com Charlotte Ballet 704.372.0101 charlotteballet.org Blumenthal Performing Arts 704.372.1000 blumenthalarts.org Waple & houk 704.954.8697 waplehouklaw.com Ladies Of Lineage Bridal Boutique 704.547.4208 Charlotte 803.233.1722 Fort Mill ladiesoflineage.com Monarch Dentistry Of Gold Hill 803.547.7779 monarchdentistryofgoldhill.com Samantha Ellison, NC/SC Realtor ® 704-756-7888 thesellison.com DCI Home Resource 704.926.6000 dcihomeresource.com Frick Trent Lizzio Real Estate Attorneys 704.376.8181 Charlotte 803.324.4000 Fort Mill / Rock Hill fricktrentlizzio.com Anne Neilson Fine Art 704.496.9181 anneneilsonfineart.com Travel Like Tracy 704-709-2090 travelliketracy.com

SHOP•EAT•DISCOVER

local

39 p.40 p.43 p.54 p.55 p.57 p.66 p.67 p.68 p.70 p.

Fantastic Sams Fort Mill 803.639.7891 fantasticsams.com Blumenthal Performing Arts 704.372.1000 blumenthalarts.org ArtPop Street Gallery charlotte, nc artpopstreetgallery.com Loving Hut Charlotte 980-219-4339 lovinghutcharlotte.com Steele Creek Animal Hospital 704.588.4400 keepingpetshealthy.com Blackhawk Hardware 704.525.2682 blackhawkhardware.com Palmetto Eye 803.985.2020 palmetto-eye.com Classica Homes at Arden Mill 704.755.5236 classicahomes.com/arden Made In The Mill 803.619.0491 madeinthemill.com

'

ArtPop Street Gallery charlotte, nc artpopstreetgallery.com

{ {

2 4 6 8 9 p.14 p.15 p.17 p.26 p.27 p.29 p.38 p. p. p. p. p.

Dolce Lusso Salon & Spa 803.802.5877 baxter village 704.542.6550 stonecrest 980.859.2783 park road 803.802.5000 kingsley dolcelusso.com

shop local

for a vibrant

prosperous community

'

EXPLORETHEMILL.COM ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

41

CHARACTER

∙

BACKYARD

∙

TEXTURE

∙

PROVISIONS

Texture

inspiring small town culture

42

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

Holt Harris

Michele Hoffman

Jacob Pfeifer

Laurie Smithwick

. ..

â„¢

ArtPopStreetGallery.com

QUEEN CITY’S ART EXPLOSION

8

m

ust-f ollow

CHARLOTTE ARTISTS Te x t b y B r i c e . Ja c o b s o n

I

f you haven’t noticed, there’s and explosion of art throughout this town. From billboards to murals and pop-up galleries, there are plenty of emerging artists to explore. Here are eight of our favorite must-follow artists in Charlotte.

44

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

Encaustic Painting by Artist Lynne Miller @lynnemillerartist

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

45

LYNNE MILLER Lynne Miller is a native of Charlotte, NC. Drawing from her love of nature and illustration, she creates encaustic paintings that are inspired by the beauty that surrounds us. She paints images that are both abstract and representational. The many layers of wax and resin build and weave into an intricate web of detail. Working with a torch as her brush, the amount of heat and density of the various pigments cause the images to be fluid and everchanging. This leaves a sometimes unexpected treasure behind, creating a language of its own.

Whether it is the slight reflection of the surface or the delicate scent of the beeswax, she hopes her paintings can be the quiet moment in your day.

Lynne was chosen to represent Charlotte as one of nine 2018 Community Supported Artists. She has won several juried shows in NC and in the UK. Her work is available at Art House Charlotte in NC as well as Gallery and Barrow in Bath, UK. Learn more at lynnemillerfineart.com and @lynnemillerartist.

Encaustic Paintings by Artist Lynne Miller. Photos courtesy of lynnemillerfineart.com.

46

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

Glass Art by Jacob Pfeifer. Photos courtesy of hotglassalley.com.

JACOB PFEIFER Jacob Pfeifer fell in love with glass during a family vacation to Bermuda where he spent hours observing and asking questions at an open-air, oceanfront, hot shop, at the Royal Navy DockYard. He was fascinated with the thick, free flowing gather of hot glass, the blowing, molding and the adding of color. He could see the technical challenges, but also the range of possibilities in using glass as an art medium. He was 14. During high school, he began learning to blow glass and create glass art pieces; he never looked back.

He graduated in 2010 from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, School of American Crafts – Glass Program.

“The themes and patterns of my work are varied. Some pieces have no message; they are simple, colorful, playful, or functional. Others are serious and complex,” states Pfeifer.

“I want to engage people to look at the work over and over and find something new and beautiful each time. In the end, I trust each piece promotes an understanding and appreciation of glass art. Whenever I part with a piece of my glass, I feel a piece of my life goes with it. Each piece is part of my journey.” Pfeifer is the next generation of craftsmen working with their hands; carrying forward glass making traditions that are thousands of years old. He uses contemporary styles, and traditional Italian, Swedish techniques that reflect a personal glass art style of his own expression and design. ArtPop Street Gallery promoted artist. Learn more about Jacob Pfeifer at hotglassalley.com or follow him on Facebook.

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

47

FOOZHAN KASHKOOLI Foozhan Kashkooli received her Master of Fine arts from Winthrop University, where she discovered a passion for geometric and abstract forms that continues to this day. “I love the intuitive process of abstract art,” she stated, “I could be making a painting and decide that it needs a new layer of color, or other details added. The work takes unexpected twists and turns, I am always excited to see how everything evolves as I don’t quite know how it will end up. Most of my work has been inspired by many iconic and historical masterpieces such as Vermeer, Cezanne, Motherwell, and Matisse.”

Her passion for art led her to enter the world of multidisciplinary art. Her more recent works are mostly environmental installations that contain large abstract paintings and found plastic objects. Her installations are constructed to draw attention to the endemic environmental issues.

Kashkooli received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Queens University of Charlotte with a concentration in painting, printmaking, and film photography. As an artist, she has worked with many different mediums and disciplines such as film and digital photography, painting, drawing, and installation. Kashkooli currently works and lives in Charlotte and teaches as a professor of the records at Winthrop University. Learn more about Foozhan Kashkooli at foozhan.weebly.com.

Art by and photos courtesy of Foozhan Kashkooli

48

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

Art by Michele Hoffman. Photos courtesy of @toytantrumart

MICHELE HOFFMAN Michele Hoffman is a Charlotte artist and the creator of the Toy Tantrum Art Movement, a one of a kind art movement infusing toys with visual art, performing art, and photography.

Toy Tantrum visual art explores the duality of American consumerism, social issues, alternative sexuality, and environmental matters. Recycled and repurposed old iconic toys and items are given new life especially toys that involve deep emotional responses from the viewer. This unique art form keeps items made of non-recyclable plastics out of the landfill. America is responsible for 40% of the toys purchased in the world. “With community donations of toys and other plastic items, my art becomes a tangible spontaneous masterpiece created by the community through my creative process. The toys that once held old energy will be given new shape and form with the collective energy of the community.” ArtPop Street Gallery promoted artist. Learn more about Michele at toytantrumart.weebly.com and @toytantrumart.

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

49

ANN RUDD Expressive, contemplative, and contemporary, Ann Rudd’s art has a mood of quiet reflection, peacefulness, and contentment. In a world that's surging with activity, effort, and angst, her paintings can be reminders of the quiet times that are available to all of us. Semi-abstract combinations including oil, acrylic, charcoal, oil pastel, and graphite pencil, Ann is interested in paintings that combine the appearance of 3-dimensional depth and 2-dimensional flat surface. The design possibilities seem endless.

Working in grays, neutrals, and soft palette colors, her artistic influences are from Berthe Morisot, Alberto Giacometti, and Alex Powers. Ann loves a good contest and has won numerous awards at the local and regional levels in Charlotte, NC over the last decade. She was juried into two national shows in 2016, received a Merit Award from the National Art Muse Contest in 2018, an Art Muse Contest Emerging Artist Finalist award in February 2019, and has been listed in the Bold Brush Favorite 15% several times.

She continues to exhibit in a variety of venues and competitions.

Since retiring from a 30-year career in psychology, Ann has pursued painting on a daily basis, creating many small works that explore subjects and processes. She is currently interested in oil painting, figures, and faces, with architectural elements in the background. Learn more at annruddonline.com.

Paintings by Ann Rudd. Photos courtesy of annruddonline.con

50

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

Art by and photos courtesy of Laurie Smithwick

LAURIE SMITHWICK Laurie Smithwick is a Charlotte-based artist and designer. She works primarily in printmaking and watercolors, with an emphasis on abstract forms and color harmonies. “I spent a lifetime as a graphic designer, disciplined by rules: grids, letterforms, hierarchies, and construction. But after 20 years, I needed a shift. And that’s when I discovered monotype printmaking — an art form that forced me to embrace unpredictability and abandon perfectionism. Now I explore the tension between order and disorder; rules and intuition.

I am obsessed with the equilibrium created by opposing forces. My current series uses light, tone, and texture to create secrets. Just as windows in a house provide passersby the opportunity to glimpse a sliver of space without revealing the whole, these multilayered monotypes tease the viewer with fragments of a deeper narrative.

The interlocking panes reveal only the essential elements.” ArtPop Street Gallery promoted artist. Learn more at lauriesmithwick.com and @lauriesmithwick.

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

51

Paintings by Artist Holt Harris. Photo of Holt by Jamie Lucido Photography.

HOLT HARRIS Holt Harris is an artist and teacher living in Gastonia, NC. She holds a degree in Art Education K-12 from Sacred Heart College in Belmont, NC and a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in painting from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. Holt taught Public High School art for 13 years and has been teaching at Gaston Day School since 2007. Holt received the Excellence in Teaching Award from Gaston Day in 2011 and the Scholastic Regional Art Educator of the Year Award in 2019. She is presently teaching Art Honor and Upper School Art Classes at Gaston Day School. She also teaches oil painting to students and adults in an afternoon program at Gaston Day School.

Holt’s drawings and paintings have been on display in The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Schiele Museum of Gastonia, PKW Gallery at Gaston Day, Rausch Gallery in Dallas, NC and the NCAEA Conference in Raleigh and has exhibited work in numerous juried shows receiving Best in Show, Merit Awards and Honorable Mentions. Most recently, she received the National Teacher Medal from the Alliance for Art and Writing Competition and Regional Master Teacher award from Scholastic Art and Writing. She is a member of the ArtPopCLT class of 2020. Her painting is on billboards, newsstands in Uptown CLT, and digital charging stations at the CLT airport. She is a member of the Gaston County Art Guild, National Art Honors Association, and NCAEA. ArtPop Street Gallery promoted artist. Learn more at holtaharris.wixsite.com/artist.

52

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

JANINE MEDLIN Initially inspired to paint by her desire to tell the story of her family, Janine began painting scenes of places they had been, then expanded from there. She is fascinated by the beauty and complexity of single elements of nature, particularly those found in the mountains. Janine found her voice in a technique called sgraffito, carving the image into a thick layer of oil paint thickened with cold wax.

Her favorite painting surface is re-claimed walnut from a local furniture artisan, but works on artist wood panel or canvas as size and intention dictate. With palette knife, brush, and carving tool she adds detail and texture by adding and scraping away paint as interest moves around the canvas. “The juxtaposition of lights and shadows or grays and rich colors along with varying texture are where I see a story emerge.” She constantly stretches boundaries as she studies under Andy Braitman, where she has been for the past seven years. Her paintings hang in the homes of numerous art collectors across the country, from the east coast to Sonoma Valley in Northern California. Janine participates in several local charities and shows. She has consistently been a finalist in the juried Art With Heart show, winning second place in 2012. Janine is learning to see into the mystery of beauty and wildness that comes through creation, and reflect an aspect of it on canvas. She invites the viewer into the common experience of the subject and offers her interpretation of what lays beyond what is seen. Her texture and layers combine with color harmony and contrast to lead the eye around the painting to discover new areas of interest with each viewing. What she hopes to convey is that something that awakens in our soul when we stand in awe in the midst of a stand of Aspens, or the vastness and serenity of a wide-open stretch of land. “What we see in nature is just the beginning; it is what comes through the trees or the land that makes our hearts come alive.”

Learn more at janinemedlinfineart.com and @janinemedlinfineart .

aM T M T H E M I L L M AG A Z I N E

Paintings by Artist Janine Medlin. Photos courtesy of janinemedlinfineart.com.

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

53

DINE IN CARRY OUT DELIVERY

LUNCH BRUNCH DINNER

INSIDE

GOLDEN GREEN HOTEL 3024 E Independence Blvd Charlotte NC 28205 980-219-4339 LovingHutCharlotte.com

STEELE CREEK ANIMAL HOSPITAL "INNOVATIVE

THERAPY,

&

ENHANCED

HEALING,

DRAMATIC

IMPROVEMENTS"

Dr. Patricia Young with Stryker

9729 S .

TRYON ST R E ET | CHA R LOT T E , NC 2 8273 7 0 4 . 5 8 8 . 4 4 0 0 | K E E P I N G P E T S H E A L T H Y . C O M

CHARACTER

∙

BACKYARD

∙

TEXTURE

∙

PROVISIONS

Provisions

inspiring small town flavors + shopping

56

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

your garden center

Park Road Shopping Center | blackhawkhardware.com | 704.525.2682

58

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

gget your

Art on WHERE TO MAKE ART AND GET YOUR CREATIVE FIX Te x t b y M i a . P e r k i n s

W Photo by Anna Kolosyuk.

e asked around town for the top spots for creative, artful playtime for adults and kids, individually or in groups, and our list is well-rounded. If you need to plan a creative party or just need to express your artsy self, check out these local businesses that offer painting, pottery, and so much more.

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

59

Photos courtesy of arworkshop.com.

AR Workshop Their workshops are for everyone, all skill levels. Come by yourself, with a group of friends, or book a private event for larger groups. Most adult projects range from $40-$70 and children’s projects range from $40-$45. Contact AR Workshop for specific pricing. View the Workshop Schedule online and find a date where your project is offered. Don’t see a class that works with your schedule? Contact your local workshop for availability. Choose from their many project designs. During your workshop, customize your project with your choice of paint colors and non-toxic stains. AR Workshop provides all of the materials, tools, and instruction. Complete your registration and you will receive an email confirmation. If you have friends attending, just indicate your seating preference at checkout. Food and beverages are welcome at most AR Workshop locations. Contact AR Workshop for more details.

117 Middleton Dr., Charlotte, NC 28207 charlotte@arworkshop.com (855) DIY-WOOD

60

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

Olive’s Mud Puddle From kids to adults, Olive's Mud Puddle offers all kinds of classes to get those creative juices flowing. They offer kids classes, summer camps for kids, adult classes for individuals and small groups as well as adult classes for large groups and parties. They also offer studio space to more experienced potters and artists. How about a way to mix up date night or get creative with a girls’ night out? Olive’s DIY Adult Art Classes are a great way to have some fun and create something special to take home and love for years. Participants will begin with slabs of clay and eventually turn them into finished, glazed pieces. Often taught by the owner and artist-in-residence, Debbie Whitsett, each adult art class features a different hand-made project (like coffee mugs or chip & dip bowls) for participants to make from start to finish. Contact Olive’s for more details.

229 Main St., Fort Mill, SC 29715 info@olivesmudpuddle.com (803) 552-9255

Photos courtesy of olivesmudpuddle.com.

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

61

Photos courtesy of cajuncanvas.com.

Cajun Canvas Cajun Canvas is a mobile paint party provider located in Charlotte, NC. With over a decade of experience, Cajun Canvas can bring the fun to you. They offer private event paint parties at your location (home, church, hotel, or office) for birthdays, team building, church groups, etc. They also offer ‘open to the public’ events at your business/venue. You provide the location, tables, and chairs.

They will do the rest providing attendees with a positive, artful experience.

Charlotte, NC info@cajuncanvas.com (704) 504-5224

62

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

Photos courtesy of wineanddesign.com.

Wine & Design Charlotte Wine & Design is the perfect place to unwind and have fun. They offer a range of affordable private and public paint and sip parties for all ages, groups, and talents.

From girls nights out to birthday parties, work events to date nights, Wine & Design has you covered. Wine & Design is a fun way to create memories and masterpieces.

Bring your friends or significant other and enjoy a glass of wine during one of their two-hour classes. They provide the glasses, canvases, and paintbrushes as a local artist guides you through the evening, stroke-by-stroke. If you’re looking for something special for a baby shower, bachelorette party, birthday party, business team building, girls night out, or group painting classes, this is a great place to get your Art on. They also offer Wine & Design D.I.Y. and Wine & Design On Wheels. They host nightly paint & sip classes and are a BYOB studio--bring a favorite bottle of wine or beer along with any appetizer, snack, or dessert. They set up everything for you (aprons, sketched canvas, paint & brushes (and provide cups & corkscrews). To ensure your space, register and pay online.

1419 East Blvd., Suite J, Charlotte, NC 28203 charlotte@wineanddesign.com (704) 951-5916

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

63

City Art Room City Art Room offers a Public Sip & Paint for $25 - $35 with winebar and karaoke available. You can choose canvas, pottery, glassware, or wood. You pick your item and you get to pick your picture or design (unlike other studios). You can freestyle it or let their professional artists draw your picture and guide you. No experience necessary. Online ticket purchase is required. City Art Room also offers Private Paint Parties perfect for birthdays, team building, proposals, showers, family reunions, kids parties, and more. Host your party in studio or at your location of choice for just $35 per person. Other interesting options offered at City Art Room are body painting, caricatures, live painting services, custom wall murals, and realistic portrait paintings on canvas.

9009-9 JM Keynes Drive, Charlotte, NC 28262 fun@cityartroom.com (980) 500-9149

Photos courtesy of cityartroom.com.

64

THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM•EDITION 11 NO. 1•ART LIFE

The Tipsy Paintbrush The Tipsy Paintbrush is a BYOB Art Studio that offers Stepby-Step art classes, DIY Nights, Private Parties, Bachelorette Parties, Kids Classes, and Camps, plus much more to come.

They have a wide variety of ways to paint, sip, and have fun. Located in Matthews, NC, they provide a friendly environment for art hobbyists and pros alike to let their creativity flow while having fun with friends. Bring your favorite wine or beer, and they’ll provide the art supplies and wine glasses. Open 24 hours for private parties. See website calendar for available classes.

116B. W. John St., Matthews, NC 28105 contact@thetipsypaintbrush.com (980) 229-5500

aM

Photos courtesy of thetipsypaintbrush.com.

T M T H E M I L L M AG A Z I N E

ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM

65

Dr. Paul Burt, OD and Dr. Melissa Wood, OD

2460 INDIA HOOK RD, SUITE 206, ROCK HILL, SC 29732 | 803-985-2020 | PALMETTO-EYE.COM

Let's work together to protect, foster, and strengthen the local independent businesses that make our community unique.

Think, buy, and source LOCAL. MADEINTHEMILL.COM

Holt Harris

Michele Hoffman

Jacob Pfeifer

. ..

Laurie Smithwick

â„¢

ArtPopStreetGallery.com