First Friday reception honors Cook, Berry in Dalton, Ga.

The Creative Arts Guild will present its First Friday Gallery Opening and Artists’ Reception on Friday, July 7, from 5: 30 to 7: 30 p. m. at the guild, 520 W. Waugh St. in Dalton, Ga.

In addition to the work of featured artists Russell Cook and Hollie Berry, guests can enjoy the Caribbean- flavored music of AmeriCalypso Band in Spigel Pavilion beginning at 7: 30 p. m.

“The Creative Arts Guild is thrilled to continue our strong summer lineup of artists from throughout the region with this month’s gallery opening,” says Savannah Thomas, gallery director.

“Russell Cook and Hollie Berry are experimenting with art in new and challenging ways, and we feel that this month’s opening will be an exciting one for all audiences.”

Cook’s “Disarrangement of Form” and Berry’s “Playing with Fire” will be displayed in the Main Gallery and Gallery 111, respectively. The ongoing exhibit by Chattanooga-based illustrator Nicole Song of her environmentally focused series, “Over The River and Through the Woods,” will continue to be shown in Jonas Performance Hall.

Cook is a multidisciplinary artist from North Georgia, who combines his broad-ranging skills as a painter, carpenter, writer, musician and sculptor. His work includes drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, kinetic art, musical composition and performance, art criticism and collaborations in film and theater.

Berry was painting in oils by the age of 9, and earned a degree in studio art from the University of Texas at Austin before moving to Chattanooga. Her current work uses a technique she calls “fire painting,” which she will demonstrate during the reception.

For more information: 706279-3129.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS Russell Cook