A Look Inside the Village Art Circle Gallery
Cary, NC — Last month, I visited the Cary Gallery of Artists, Cary’s oldest gallery. This week, I decided to check out the Village Art Circle Gallery, which is right next door.
Village Art Circle
The Village Art Circle, like the Cary Gallery of Artists, is nestled inside Ashworth Village in Downtown Cary. Together, the two artist cooperatives, which both contain works in a variety of mediums, styles and prices, make up a splendid downtown art scene.
Artists from Around the World
I had lunch with some Village Art Circle artists to learn more about the gallery.
The Village Art Circle is distinct in that, of the 20 members in the group, seven were born in foreign countries including Peru, Bulgaria, South Africa, India and Trinidad. Several of the artists are from New York City, and the result is a gallery filled with diverse works. You’ll find abstract art, traditional landscapes, silk paintings, pastel drawings, ceramic pieces, jewelry, paperworks and more in the gallery among spacious rooms that encourage viewers to stay awhile.
I took some photos of the artwork. This painting is as realistic as a photograph.
You can find many mediums and styles at the Village Art Circle.
JJ Jiang, the talented watercolorist and oil painter who opened the gallery two years ago, is from China. Jiang has lived and worked in Cary for 20 years now, and his work and training as an architect is made obvious through the tremendous detail you’ll see in his paintings.
Jiang told me that, at the Village Art Circle, he strives to provide a supportive network for the artists who work there all while engaging the community.
Life Drawing & Artist Round Tables
Sure enough, Jiang has made art education easy and accessible to the Cary community. Anyone, no matter their skill level, can stop by the Village Art Circle Gallery to participate in weekly life drawing classes and monthly artist round tables. Class dates and times include:
- Weekly Figure Study – Mondays, 12:30-3:30 pm, $12 per session
- Monthly Artist Round Table – 2nd Mondays, 7 – 5 pm, $5 per session
Jiang believes that the study of the human form is the basis of all art and encourages artists of all levels to try a class. At both the figure studies and the round tables, you’ll find a supportive, non-judgmental environment to explore your artistic abilities.
Visit the Gallery
Final Fridays (the last Fridays of every month) are a great time to stop by the Village Art Circle, as that’s when most of the exhibiting artists will be there along with live music and refreshments. You can also stop by the gallery during regular hours, though, to see the art for yourself.
Right now, a “three woman show” is on exhibit in the gallery until October 26, 2015. Black, White & Read All Over challenged artists Jillian Goldberg, Constance Pappalardo and Susan LaMantia to create an art display using only words and the colors of black, white and red.
Address: 200 S. Academy St, Cary
Hours: Wednesday – Saturday (11 am – 5 pm)
Find more events at the Village Art Circle online.
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Story and photos by Jessica Patrick.
