Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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Gallery 208 Showcases the Works of Methodist University Graduates by STEPHANIE CRIDER Even in the best of times it can be a struggle to keep the arts alive and to foster an appreciation for the talent and vision of artists. Budgets being what they are, the government is making some hard choices about what it can and cannot support and unfortunately, there are some artistic programs on the chopping block. That means that it is up to individuals and businesses in the community to lend their support when and where they can. As a community paper, Up & Coming Weekly is proud to do our part to support two graduating Methodist University art students as they leave the relative safety of academia and head out into the world to make their fortunes in the art world. On Thursday, June 16, join Up & Coming Weekly at our corporate offi ce at 208 Rowan St. as we present the works of Justin Gray and Camilo Gomez. Pam McEvoy director of university relations, met Gray and Gomez when she was coordinating their senior show at Methodist University’s William F. Bethune Center for Visual Arts. “I got to know them while they were having their show in our new gallery. We had their senior shows in the gallery and that was pretty cool. I think it is also unusual to have two males as our senior art majors,” said McEvoy. “One is a former football player. That was kind of unique, too. He is a prolifi c painter. Camilo, he is from Columbia. He is very, very talented. We are always pushing globalization here at Methodist University and he was one of our international students.” McEvoy noted that neither artist is planning to go into teaching, but both young men intend to put their degrees to good use. In fact, Gomez is already out in Los Angeles looking to start his artistic career in earnest. A Charlotte, N.C., native, Gray’s work is mainly self-expressionist with abstract qualities. “I have skills in all Family Violence by Camilo Gomez. the art fi elds — painting, sculpting, drawing and printmaking,” said Gray. “Painting is what come naturally to me and it is what I love to do. I love to do landscapes. Sometimes I look at pictures and it gives me an idea of what I want to do. Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso were my two most infl uential artists that inspire me to do my work.” Indeed, Grays work seems to follow the words of Van Gogh “Do not quench your inspiration and your imagination; do not become the slave of your model.” The show will Obama by Justin Gray. feature landscapes, sculptures, portraits and abstract paintings by Gray. “Most of my work is self expressionist in style,” said Gray. “I have two portraits that include the president. One is of Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr. and Harriett Tubman. That title is “Social Fighters.” That represents the three people who fought for their lives and for black history. I also have a portrait of Obama when he was inaugurated into offi ce.” Gray also thinks that people will appreciate the differences in the styles and mediums that they will fi nd at Gallery 208 through out this exhibit. “Our art represents our lives,” said Gray. “Especially Camilo’s life. His concentration was in printmaking. I would tell people to come expecting to see great pieces. They’ll be impressed. I am very escited about this show. It is a great opportunity for us both.” McEvoy would agree. “With Up & Coming Weekly so deeply involved in the arts and so supportive of the art community it is a win for you and a win for us to have our student’s art exposed in the community (at Gallery 208).” An opening reception will be held from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at 208 Rowan St. The event is free and the public is encouraged to attend. Call 484-6200 for more information. STEPHANIE CRIDER, Associate Editor. COMMENTS? editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. Brings Home Awards From AFPA by JANICE BURTON Up & Coming Weekly’s staff brought home four awards during the national Association of Free Community Papers Awards Contest during the annual conference in St. Petersburg, Fla., May 5-7. “This is a really great honor for the Up & Coming Weekly family,” said Publisher Bill Bowman. “These annual awards have entries from hundreds of papers from all across the country. We put our product up against papers that are three and four times larger than we are with huge staffs, and we still left with awards. I think that says a lot about the quality of our product and our commitment to our community.” The publication took a fi rst place award in Best Original Writing for an article by Dave Wilson, one of its contributing writers. The article that won Wilson honors centered on closure of Dock’s last year. The article, “Docks: A Capitol Offense” was a two-part article that contained“What We Say in 2010” and “What We Said in 2005,” which was re-run of Wilson’s article written in 2005. The 2005 article predicted the failure of the facility and the fi nancial problems that would be encountered by the city if it invested in the venture. Wilson’s words in 2005 rang true in 2010. 6 UCW JUNE 8-14, 2011 Bowman garnered third place honors in the Best Original Writing Opinion for an article titled “City’s Crime Spree: What you Don’t Know Can Hurt You.” Bowman is a frequent winner in the opinion category. Designer Alicia Miller took a fi rst place award for Best Banner Masthead for her design for the opening of the FireAntz Hockey season. The cover incorporated a hockey puck fl ying out of the “O” in Up & Coming Weekly. “Alicia is an extremely talented graphic artist,” said Janice Burton, the associate publisher of the publication. “Her covers are always striking and always tell the story. We are fortunate to have her on staff, and are thrilled that she garnered this honor — one of many she has won since she has been with us.” The final award was a second place honor in the Best Agency Ad. The ad, which announced the opening of Panera Bread, scored a hit with local readers as well. “I think it’s great that a national chain is garnering recognition for something that it did announcing their arrival in our community,” said Bowman. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Up & Coming Weekly