West Pelzer to debut GRAND Gallery at council meeting April 2

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West Pelzer Town Council will meet Tuesday, April 2 at 6 p.m.
The “GRAND Gallery” will have its debut at the meeting with featured artist Glen Miller, Upstate Artist and Instructor at Furman University. A reception will follow the council meeting at approximately 6:45pm.   Miller’s art will be available for viewing during the council meeting and by appointment during regular business hours through May 24th.
Miller is an award-winning painter who has trained hundreds of artists in the Upstate.  He studied art at East Tennessee State University and did his graduate work at the University of South Florida and the University of Tennessee.  Since 1979, Glen has fostered Upstate culture by teaching art at all levels.  For many years he taught at Woodmont, Newberry, and Travelers Rest high schools.  In recent years, the artist has focused on teaching at the university level, presently serving at Furman University.  Glen’s paintings deftly blend masterful realism with magical storytelling.
According to the artist, he constructs fictions from invented figures and natural elements encountered on hikes, throughout his life in Southern Appalachia, and from his own back yard.  He says, “Nature is always a significant element in my work and exists as both fact and metaphor.”  Glen has had twenty-one solo gallery exhibitions, many group and juried exhibitions, and has been represented by Hampton III Gallery since 2003.
“West Pelzer is proud to share Glen Miller’s inspiring paintings with visitors to The GRAND Gallery,” said Mayor Blake Sanders.
The “GRAND Gallery” will celebrate artists who have made substantial contributions to Upstate culture and will support emerging young artists by sharing their work with the public. The gallery takes advantage of West Pelzer’s position between Greenville and Anderson and seeks to celebrate artists from both communities while encouraging crosspollination. The series of invitational exhibitions was conceived of by founding director and local artist, Andy Gambrell, and is supported by Mayor Blake Sanders.
The 2019 – 2020 schedule of exhibitions includes: • Glen Miller, Upstate Artist and Instructor at Furman University: April 2nd – May 24th 2019 • Anderson University, Exemplary Fine Art Students: June 4th – July 26th 2019 • David Gerhard, Chair of Visual Arts, South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities: August 6th – September 20th 2019 • Andy Gambrell, Upstate Artist: October 1st – December 20th 2019 • Peter Kaniaris, Upstate Artist and Professor at Anderson University: January – February 2020