"Private Domain: Paintings by Virginia Derryberry" at Giertz Gallery
Large-scale figurative paintings at Giertz Gallery through March 28
Large-scale figurative paintings by Asheville, N.C., artist Virginia Derryberry will be on display at Giertz Gallery at Parkland College starting Feb. 27.
"Private Domain: Paintings by Virginia Derryberry" will run through Tuesday, March 28. A reception will be held Thursday, March 2, from 5:30 to 7: 30 p.m., with a gallery talk by Derryberry at 6:15 p.m. and music by Ms. M and the Jokers. An additional artist lecture will be held Thursday, March 2, at 1 p.m. in Room D244.
Derryberry's large-scale figurative paintings are rich, theatrical, and symbolic. Stemming from her love of Italian Renaissance altarpieces and blending elements from mythology and alchemy, Derryberry uses multiple panels and viewpoints to create virtual, shifting worlds. Sometimes incorporating fabric, embroidery, and found objects, she explores historical notions of women's work and decorative arts to expand the idea of her narratives. Introducing these facets of traditional crafts, mythology, alchemy, and Renaissance painting into a contemporary dialogue, her work prompts questions about the nature of sexuality, age, and gender roles.
Derryberry is a professor of art emeritus at the University of North Carolina Asheville. During her academic career, she served as the department chair and director of the Undergraduate Research Program. She holds an MFA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, an MA from Peabody College, Nashville, Tenn., and a BA from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Derryberry has conducted numerous workshops at Arrowmont School of Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tenn., and Penland School in Bakersville, N.C., and taught master classes in figure painting at the New York Academy of Art, and at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay.
The artist's numerous awards, fellowships and grants include the Grand Prize Award at the 2017 Pinnacle National Juried Exhibition and the 2017 Distinguished Teaching of Art Award from the College Art Association. Her work is in the collections of the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Asheville Art Museum, Asheville, N.C.; Morris Museum of Art, Augusta, Ga.; Tennessee State Museum, Nashville; and corporate and private collections.
As with all Giertz Gallery programs, the exhibit, reception and lectures are free and open to the public.
Gallery Hours are Monday–Wednesday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Thursday, Noon–7 p.m.; and Saturday, Noon–2 p.m.. The gallery will be closed for Parkland's spring holiday, Friday, March 17.
To find the gallery, we suggest using the M6 parking lot on the north corner of the campus. Enter through Door X7, turn left, and follow the ramps uphill to the highest point of the first floor, where the gallery is located. The gallery windows overlook the outdoor pond area.
All events in the accessible gallery are free and open to the public. Parkland College is a section 504/ADA-compliant institution. For accommodation, call 217/353-2338 or email accessibilityservices@parkland.edu.
Image: Road Trip, oil on canvas (five panels), 48 x 102 inches, 2022