Rockmart Art Gallery holds gala for Shane McDonald
Foreign landscapes, intimate portraits, figurative paintings – the Rockmart Cultural Arts Center was recently home to dozens of the people and places artist Shane McDonald has immortalized on canvases throughout his career.
A fine art instructor and award-winning artist, McDonald’s work has become part of the permanent collections of entities such as the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, Kennesaw State University, and the Zuckerman Museum of Art. He’s also a Georgia resident who finds time to showcase his work in small towns like Rockmart.
Locals were free to visit his solo exhibit, “Of This World, and Out,” from January 9 through February 27, but a special reception on Feb. 22 offered opportunities to both meet with and discuss the work with McDonald himself.
He, primarily using oil on canvas, is capable of producing life-like renderings of those both real and fictional, and he describes himself as combining classic drawing and painting techniques with an embrace of contemporary art trends.
While some of the artist’s works are faithful re-creations of landmarks and scenery that he’s encountered, others are more abstract, contemplative pieces that are open to interpretation. McDonald mentioned that, if the guests were to take away at least one thing from the exhibit, he hoped those present would recognize how many different ways art can be appreciated.
“I was just noticing how some people were talking about, in the big landscape, the things they were seeing in the trees,” McDonald said gesturing toward his Early Morning Drive piece. “That’s something I’m noticing as an artist — I’m always astounded how people working on the same subject will notice how different that same subject looks (to each other.)”
McDonald also discussed the thematic ideas behind works such as Man/Machine: Daydreamer and the stories behind works like Jazz, but those interested in viewing and interpreting the works for themselves can still do so by visiting the artist’s website at shanemcdonaldstudios. com. His various portraits, landscapes, and figurative paintings are free to look at, and there are details about commissions and classes available, too.
The reception had a strong turnout, and McDonald thanked the crowd and the facility for hosting him and his work before mingling with guests and taking pictures. It’s too late to see the works in person at the Rockmart Cultural Arts Center, but art-lovers can contact the McDonald studio at 770-218-0676 for questions about purchasing or seeing pieces.
More information about the RCAC and the events they host can be found by visiting their Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/rcac.ga.