Perspectives II and Handweavers Guild of America Exhibits

November 16 – December 16 

The Perspective II Exhibits features the artwork of 5 local artists, Judy Avrett, Elizabeth Moretz-Britt, Lillie Morris, Betty Perry and Lucy Weigel.

Freelance studio artist Judy Avrett chooses water-based mediums in her paintings because of their soft, fluid qualities. Judy believes her artistic talent is from God, and she has been blessed with a love of art and a gift of expression. She is inspired by nature and her paintings are filled with vivid color and texture.

Elizabeth Moretz-Britt was born in Utah, raised in Augusta and now resides in North Augusta. Influenced by a line of artistic women, she attended Queens College in Charlotte and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Painting and Drawing from the University of Georgia. Elizabeth has studied in France, Italy and at the Scottsdale Artist School with Milt Kobayashi. Her work is influenced by the Impressionists and Fauvist painters of the 20th century, along with her personal environment and the people who surround her.

The study of art has been a lifelong pursuit for Lillie Morris. Born in Augusta, GA in 1954 Lillie was essentially self taught as a child and encouraged throughout her public school years by her family and teachers alike. Pursuing her art degree at Augusta College in the 1970’s her instructors included Freeman Schoolcraft, Nathan Bindler and Richard Frank. Other significant influences in her ongoing study have been Jim Lyle, Carrie Burns Brown and Bea Kuhlke.  Best known for her acrylic, collage and mixed media paintings, Lillie also occasionally works in cold wax and encaustic. She specializes in abstract art, both representational and non-representational. Her paintings, whether collage, acrylic or a mixture of mediums reveal a love of texture, color and experimentation. Richly layered and with her own vocabulary of gestural marks and linear elements, Lillie strives to convey the emotional impact of her source of inspiration…be it the landscape, music, poetry or deep personal experiences. Lillie enjoys creating visually stimulating images that leave the subject open to the viewer’s interpretation.
 

A native of Mississippi, Betty Brand Perry holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Ole Miss. After graduating, she began her career as an art educator in middle and high schools in Georgia and South Carolina.  Throughout her life, she has worked as a community volunteer in the Arts. She has served as an organizer of the Art in the Schools program to provide elementary school art education when local funding was cut. A past member of the board of Gertrude Herbert Art Institute, Betty has also worked on grant writing projects to benefit community arts organizations. During downtown Augusta revitalization, she was involved with helping to save Bell Auditorium for the community as an arts and entertainment venue.  Putting an art career on hold to resolve family emergencies and responsibilities is often a characteristic of many women artists. After caring for family in recent years, Betty has begun a personal renaissance in painting, resuming a lifelong dream. During this time, she has completed post-baccalaureate art courses at Augusta State University.

With a degree in Art from Auburn University as a start, Lucy Weigle has continued her pursuit of the love of painting and teaching as a career.  She has established herself as an artist and leader in Augusta and the state of Georgia where she has worked to keep art an important part of community life.  She has served on the Board of Trustees of the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, President and Signature member of the Georgia Watercolor Society, and Secretary and Signature Member of the Southern Watercolor Society.  She is also  Member of Excellence in the South Carolina Watercolor Society, the Atlanta Collage Society, Sacred Heart Cultural Center Guild, and Leadership Augusta.

In our upper gallery is the Handweavers Guild of America Exhibit.  HGA is an international membership association created to encourage excellence, inspire creativity, and preserve fiber arts traditions through education and community. Their mission is to educate, support and inspire the fiber art community. They invite weavers, spinners, dyers, basket makers, and all fiber art enthusiasts.