Greenville, SC – The Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) is pleased to announce six new members elected to its board of directors.
Diana Farfan, Ceramic Sculpture Artist
Sam Jenkins, Project Manager, Cely Construction
Lindsay Odom, Project Manager, SYNNEX Corporation
Vee Popat, Director, The Fine Arts Center
Nathan Reynolds, Service Project Manager, Watson Electric
Bradley Wingate, Director of Visual and Performing Arts, Greenville County Schools
“It is rewarding and encouraging that our organization has attracted such a diverse and talented slate of new directors to help us expand our mission and achieve our goals,” says Kim Fabian, GCCA’s Executive Director. “While 2020 had its challenges, it also allowed us to pause and reflect on GCCA’s imprint and potential in the Greenville community. Our 2021 board will be poised to create a new strategic plan that will help to ensure long-term sustainability and foster meaningful economic and outreach impact through the education, advancement, and promotion of the visual arts.”
GCCA also named four former directors as members of its Founder’s Circle: artists Randy Armstrong and Carrie Burns Brown, and business leaders Bryant Brown of GMKA and J. Earle Furman Jr. of NAI Earle Furman. This distinction recognizes these GCCA leaders and founders for their vision and commitment to the organization.
About GCCA
Founded by a dedicated group of local artists and philanthropists, Greenville Center for Creative Arts opened in May 2015 as a community hub for the visual arts. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, its mission is to enrich the cultural fabric of the community through visual arts promotion, education, and inspiration. GCCA provides arts education to more than 900 people each year, as well as showcases local artists, and nurtures appreciation and enjoyment in the arts. It houses artists’ studios, an emerging artists’ fellowship, exhibitions, free community programs, and classes for all ages. For more information, visit www.artcentergreenville.org, call 864-735-3948, or check out GCCA on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Greenville, SC – On First Friday, May 7, the Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) at 101 Abney St. will celebrate its sixth year of serving its community with quality art classes, exhibitions, and opportunities to promote the visual arts and artists in the Upstate. The day will also mark the organization’s plan to expand into 7,000 square feet of vacant space in its Linda Quinn Furman Building.
“We are beyond grateful for the outstanding support this community has shown to our mission, which provided us the resources to weather the pandemic and strengthen our ability to be an enduring organization,” says Kim Fabian, GCCA’s Executive Director. “This exciting expansion will add 10 artist studios, a jewelry-making classroom, printmaking classroom, multi-use conference and education space, as well as relocate our main entrance for easier access and greater visibility. It is our hope that these enhancements will help even more community members explore their creativity at GCCA.”
The community is invited to come out and celebrate at this free First Friday event, open to the public from 1-9 p.m. Guests will enjoy:
The opening of a Community Gallery exhibition featuring artwork from high school students at the Fine Arts Center
The debut of a new “Instagram-able” mural in GCCA’s Gray Loft
Live art demos in conjunction with the launch of GCCA’s summer art class schedule
Walk-ins are welcome from 1-5 p.m. From 5-9 p.m. reservations are recommended to ensure your spot by visiting www.artcentergreenville.org/firstfridaysatgcca. Limited walk-ins are available within capacity limits for social distancing. All visitors should kindly wear a mask.
A highlight of the evening’s festivities is the opening of Seven Places, a new Community Gallery exhibition that showcases the work of seven students from Greenville’s Fine Arts Center as they explore the definition of place. From things like place in society to place in evolution, these advanced young artists have banded together to provide a perspective on how high school students view not only themselves, but the world around them. Sam Barnhart, Grae Beckham, Brianna Bruce, Alex Coffey, Thomas Hicks, Dylan Swain and Katherine Wiedemann are the young artists who will be displaying their individuality through their places in life. After First Friday, the exhibition will be open to visitors Wednesday to Fridays from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. through June 23.
About GCCA
Greenville Center for Creative Arts is a non-profit organization that aims to enrich the cultural fabric of the community through visual arts promotion, education, and inspiration. For more information, visit www.artcentergreenville.org, call 864-735-3948, or check out GCCA on Facebook (Greenville Center for Creative Arts) & Instagram (@artcentergvl).
Even though he is only a teenager, Thomas Hicks’s path has already been full of twists and turns. As an elementary school student, he aspired to be a banker–that is until he entered middle school and discovered a passion for the arts.
His first love was singing, but stage fright prevented him from being accepted into Greenville County Schools’ prestigious Fine Arts Center as a freshman. So he pivoted again and found his niche. “I started taking pictures on my phone, setting up scenes, and experimenting with light and composition,” he explains. “This inspired me to pursue the visual arts.”
When he applied to the Fine Arts Center as a sophomore, he was accepted. Thomas’s medium is still-life photography, and while he shoots primarily in digital, he also works with Polaroid and medium-format cameras. He enjoys finding beautiful places and setting up things around them, like fruit or other objects, to create unique compositions.
Thomas will be one of seven Fine Arts Center full-day students whose work will be featured in GCCA’s Community Gallery from May 7 through June 23. The exhibition will explore the definition of place. From themes like place in society to place in evolution, these advanced young artists will showcase how high school students view not only themselves, but the world around them. They will also take part in shadowing GCCA’s Gallery Manager, Ben Tarcson, to learn how to design a show.
Thomas’s work will be a collection of collages that include found materials and family images processed in cyanotype that he hopes will evoke a sense of nostalgia. “I want people to think about their own childhood memories and make new ones by putting themselves in the shoes of the people in the images,” he shares. “I have not been to many galleries before, so I am excited about this opportunity for me and my peers to see the potential of our work. It will be a great experience for our future careers to install these pieces and learn about that process.”
As to where his path will take him, Thomas says, “College is the goal, and I’d also like to get an arts internship. Longer-term, I see myself living somewhere pretty in the countryside practicing as a working artist, making prints of my work, and collaborating with other artists to create something special.”
Growing up in Juarez, in the border between Mexico and the United States, artist Tania Rodriguez Ortega (known as Tania Ro) learned to survive amidst chaos and the constant threat of violence by emulating the strength of the women in her family and the feminist artists and writers who motivated her to find success. Tania learned to work hard in the face of danger by following the mantra, “Do not live borrowed dreams”. As a young woman, she cultivated an interest in feminism and women’s rights with the influence of writers like Virginia Woolf and Elena Poniatowska.
In Juarez, she studied business administration and pursued an independent education in art history, drawing, and painting. “Saturnino Herrán and Remedios Varo are painters who inspire and motivate me to paint from observation,” she explains. “I consider observation the most important part of my artistic process.”
Indeed, the ability to appreciate her surroundings and find the beauty in intimate moments gave Tania the desire to form a new path as an artist when, eight years ago, she, her husband, and their small child moved from Mexico to Greenville. What Tania at first thought was the end of the professional life in manufacturing she knew in Juarez, became an opportunity to grow and pursue new talents in a new place.
She started taking classes at GCCA with instructor Diarmuid Kelly and soon found that painting became a way to share her worldview and promote change. Last week, Tania moved into Studio F at GCCA where she hopes to “create work that promotes the voice of women artists and is part of the continuous changes in Greenville and in the world.” Although it is difficult to start over in a new place, for Tania, a sense of community is vital and it is the desire to find a supportive community that brought her to GCCA.
Greenville, SC – The Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Kara Bale as Operations Manager. Kara is a non-profit administrative professional with more than 15 years of experience in operational support and organizational communications. During her career, she has worked with a variety of organizations, always with the goal of supporting mission-driven enterprises that benefit people, the community, and the planet.
“We are delighted that GCCA will benefit from Kara’s non-profit and operational experience, as well as her commitment to making an impact in the community,” says Kim Fabian, Executive Director of the Greenville Center for Creative Arts. “In this critical time for our growth, her skills will help us take our facility and outreach to the next level so all members of our community feel welcome and have a great experience when they engage with GCCA.”
A native of Columbia, SC, Kara recently moved to Greenville after a long stay in Charleston, where she was Administrative and Communications Manager for the Avian Conservation Center, or Center for Birds of Prey. During her time at Birds of Prey, she helped the organization grow extensively by expanding communications and fundraising events, while also improving internal processes and increasing operational efficiencies. Kara excels at stewardship and has demonstrated acumen in logistics and coordination, an important set of skills that will support GCCA’s continued growth.
Kara holds a B.A. in English from the University of South Carolina and received her M.B.A. from the University of Denver. A long-time proponent of the creative arts, when not in the outdoors with her two adopted pups, Loca and Zee, Kara enjoys painting, writing, and listening to music.
About GCCA
Founded by a dedicated group of local artists and philanthropists, Greenville Center for Creative Arts opened in May 2015 as a community hub for the visual arts. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, its mission is to enrich the cultural fabric of the community through visual arts promotion, education, and inspiration. GCCA provides art education to more than 900 people each year, showcases local artists, and nurtures appreciation and enjoyment in the visual arts. Located in the historic Brandon Mill in the Village of West Greenville, GCCA houses 15 artists’ studios, an emerging artists’ fellowship, free exhibitions and community programs, and classes for all ages. For more information, visit www.artcentergreenville.org, call 864-735-3948, or check out GCCA on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
A self-described “hobbyist painter” since her early 20s, Yvonne Julian signed up to take a watercolor class several years ago after hearing about GCCA from friends Jim Gorman and Carrie Burns Brown, and she hasn’t stopped since. In 2019, she joined the GCCA Board of Directors and is now Vice President, as well as an avid painter who is continually honing her craft. “The quality of GCCA’s product and the passion, commitment, and competence of the founders made me want to get involved,” she says.
As a girl growing up in Chicago, Yvonne dreamed of becoming a scientist, not an artist. “The first toy I ordered from the comic book store was a rocket ship you glued together, and I was always growing bean plants in the window of our high-rise apartment.“ she says. Yet she always admired her brother, who she calls “the family artist.”
Yvonne earned a college degree in chemistry and a Master’s in Business Administration before launching her career at Dow Chemical Co. in California, where she worked in manufacturing for many years before retiring and eventually moving to Greenville, SC. Her educational background has led to a keen interest in exploring the connections between art, science, and mathematics.
Yvonne is currently creating a watercolor piece she calls Prisoner of Time. “The painting addresses two ideas I find interesting—chronometry and inevitability, and also the appeal of a personal space for intellectual pursuits,” she explains. “The title conveys the passage of time as a resource we cannot get back or hold on to, and the image depicts a man chained to an hourglass.”
Yvonne believes art is a vital platform to share and express a variety of perspectives. When asked about her thoughts on the role of the arts in promoting racial equity and amplifying Black voices, she explains, “I think that the arts have had and can continue to have a huge impact in emphasizing the critical role that Americans who descended from slaves played in building the foundation of our country—whose contributions are symbolic of the American story and our country’s ideals.“ She explains, “GCCA should make people aware of a broader spectrum of Black American artists like James Van Der Zee, Edmonia Lewis, and Dox Thrash—to offer perspectives that they may not see in today’s mainstream Black art arena. As a community art center, it’s important to show artwork that depicts common experiences shared by people, particularly in certain regions. I shared some black and white photographs of people in Appalachia with my mother and she was shocked because due to segregation and being raised poor in the South, she had only experienced seeing poor Blacks and whites with means. She had never seen whites in a similar economic situation as the way she was raised.”
Greenville, SC – The Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) has named Melissa Huff as its Development Director. As the newest member of the GCCA team, Melissa brings over 17 years of experience providing strategic direction and generating funds to support and sustain high-impact nonprofit organizations.
Most recently, Melissa served as the Grant Writer for Miracle Hill Ministries and as an independent grant-writing consultant for a variety of local nonprofits including GCCA. Her previous leadership roles include Development Director of Hispanic Alliance, Director of iMAGINE Upstate STEAM Festival, and Director of the BOOST Out-of-School Time initiative for United Way of Greenville County.
“We are thrilled to have Melissa join our team. Her fundraising experience, coupled with her interest in the arts, makes her a tremendous asset,” explains Kim Fabian, GCCA’s Executive Director. “GCCA fills an important gap in our community, providing quality and comprehensive visual arts education and promotion. Melissa’s expertise will help us expand our impact and develop a funding model that ensures GCCA can educate and inspire our community for years to come.”
A Greenville native, Melissa moved back to her hometown in 2014. She holds a BA in psychology from Samford University and earned her MA in social sciences from the University of Chicago. As a result of working with arts organizations in Birmingham and Chicago, Melissa has become a passionate proponent for the arts, particularly for expanding access and opportunities for underserved communities.
About GCCA
Founded by a dedicated group of local artists and philanthropists, Greenville Center for Creative Arts opened in May 2015 as a community hub for the visual arts. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, its mission is to enrich the cultural fabric of the community through visual arts promotion, education, and inspiration. GCCA provides arts education to more than 900 people each year, as well as showcases local artists, and nurtures appreciation and enjoyment in the arts. It houses artists’ studios, an emerging artists’ fellowship, exhibitions, free community programs, and classes for all ages. For more information, visit www.artcentergreenville.org, call 864-735-3948, or check out GCCA on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Greenville, SC – On Friday, November 6, Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) will be recognized as the first Stigma-Free Zone in South Carolina by Walt’s Waltz, an Upstate-based non-profit organization that serves as a megaphone and compass for mental health support, education, and change. This event is a part of the First Fridays gallery crawl.
“Walt’s Waltz is working to liberate people who wrestle with anxiety and depression from stigma—whether societal, cultural, religious, or personal—that could lead to alienation and suicide,” explains Walt’s Waltz founder Susan Crooks, whose own son, Walt, died by suicide in 2019. “The elimination of stigma will enable community members to ask for help when needed so recovery can begin, hope can be inspired, and tragedies can be avoided.”
The Stigma-Free Zone designation from Walt’s Waltz acknowledges GCCA for taking steps to eliminate the stigma associated with mental health conditions. The art center will serve as a safe and welcoming place that allows community members to get the mental health resources they need without judgment. This is vital considering that one in four adults experiences a mental health condition within their lifetime, and many do not seek help because they fear shame or judgment from those around them.
“This is a cause that is close to our hearts because we know many creative individuals whose lives have been impacted by mental health challenges,” says Kim Fabian, GCCA’s executive director. “Through this designation, GCCA will have the opportunity to offer effective ways to reduce the stigma and encourage those who are affected to seek services and support. We hope this will raise awareness of local resources so no one within our community needs to feel hopeless or alone.”
As part of the First Friday activities, GCCA Brandon Fellow alumnus Nicks Burns will exhibit an 8’x8’ portrait of Walt Crooks. Attendees will also have the opportunity to contribute to a large community art project. Participants will add handwritten words of hope, empowerment, and compassion, as well as an adjective that describes the feeling a person might experience when faced with mental health stigma. These words will be burned into a large piece of wood as a permanent reminder that speaking out reduces shame. This artwork will then be used and displayed in the state’s future Stigma-Free Zones.
First Friday at GCCA will take place on Nov. 6 with expanded hours from 1:00-8:00 p.m. Admission is free, but all visitors must register in advance on EventBrite at this link for a one-hour time slot. For safety, masks are required and capacity is limited to ensure social distancing.The schedule of activities includes:
1:00-8:00 p.m.:Participation in Walt’s Waltz Art Installation Walt Crooks Portrait Exhibit Sign-ups for a free Mental Health First Aid Course Main Gallery Exhibition – Constellations 1st Floor Community Gallery Exhibition – Cecile Martin 2nd Floor Community Gallery Exhibition – Linda Quinn Furman Virtual Poetry Readings – Glenis Redmond 5:00-8:00 p.m.:Visit with GCCA Brandon Fellows & Studio Artists 5:30-7:30 p.m.:Musical Performance – Songwriter Lana Guy 6:30-6:45 p.m.:Remarks and Recognition of GCCA’s Stigma-Free Zone Designation
For more information, call GCCA at 864-735-3948.
About GCCA
Founded by a dedicated group of local artists and philanthropists, the Greenville Center for Creative Arts opened in May 2015 as a community hub for the visual arts. A non-profit organization, its mission is to enrich the cultural fabric of the community through visual arts promotion, education, and inspiration. GCCA provides arts education to more than 900 people each year, as well as showcases local artists, and nurtures appreciation and enjoyment in the arts. It houses artists’ studios, an emerging artists’ fellowship, exhibitions, free community programs, and classes for all ages. For more information, visit www.artcentergreenville.org, call 864-735-3948, or check out GCCA @artcentergvl on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Walt’s Waltz
Walt’s Waltz is an Upstate South Carolina-based non-profit organization with regional and national reach that aims to end the stigma associated with mental health conditions through educational training, promotion of mental health screenings, and the establishment of safe spaces for open communication in the workplace, educational institutions, military, and other social settings. To find out more, visit www.waltswaltz.com.
Greenville, SC – GCCA has completed a $1M fundraising campaign to sustain operations and expand its impact—all in the name of a beloved member of the Greenville arts community. GCCA’s historic Cloth Building at 101 Abney Street will now be named the Linda Quinn Furman Building in honor of one of its founders.
This outpouring of support honors Linda—a dynamic artist, philanthropist, and wife of real estate developer and GCCA board member Earle Furman—in a way that is close to her heart. Her family and friends surprised her with the announcement yesterday when they stopped by GCCA to view the newly installed signage.
“In fundraising campaigns, the most significant efforts are those aimed at naming opportunities for an institution’s major facilities. Naming the 30,000-square-foot Cloth Building to honor Linda is most appropriate, and the funds raised will add significantly to the continued financial health and mission of GCCA,” said H. F. “Gally” Gallivan, III, a retired financial advisor and member of GCCA’s Development Committee. He, along with his wife, Fielding, and family joined dozens of others in support of this effort. “Through her early vision for and continuing leadership in GCCA, the organization is poised to thrive, and it thrills us to have participated. This is a gift not only to a life-long friend but to our community. Just think what an art scene Greenville will be with continued access to professional training and a venue to showcase art at any level.”
The decision to launch the campaign came in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led the organization to re-evaluate priorities and craft a plan to expand into recently vacated space in the Linda Quinn Furman Building. The goal is to create a new “front door” for the art center, along with additional studios, classrooms, and multi-use space. Funding from the campaign will be used toward this expansion project, as well as to support operating costs and strengthen reserves.
To mark this occasion and view the new building signage, a “drive-through” motorcade celebration at GCCA is planned for Linda and campaign supporters in September.
“We are amazed and overwhelmed by the generosity of these donors, who have not only supported our survival during the most challenging of times, but also laid a solid foundation to expand our efforts in meaningful ways,” explained Kim Fabian, GCCA’s Executive Director. “This accomplishment is a fitting tribute to the inspiration Linda has provided to us all. At its core, GCCA is about creating opportunities—opportunities to help children and adults express and expand their creativity; opportunities to fuel the arts economy by providing affordable studio space and a venue for local artists to showcase their work; and opportunities to provide inclusive access to the arts that might otherwise be unavailable. Following Linda’s example of strength and perseverance, we are inspired to take these opportunities to the next level.”
To further support the art center and honor Linda Quinn Furman, the organization has established The Lindy Fund for the Future of GCCA. Contributions can be made at www.artcentergreenville.org/donate or by calling 864-735-3948.
Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) is one of seven community organizations that received funding yesterday as part of Greenville Women Giving’s annual grant program. GCCA received a project grant for $84,183 to improve security, visibility, accessibility, and the visitor experience at the Art Center.
This announcement comes on the heels of GCCA’s fifth birthday on May 1, 2020, during which the Art Center hosted a virtual celebration of this milestone with a live painting from a current member of the Brandon Fellowship program, the launch of Zoom art classes, and an online gallery featuring the work of its studio artists.
“On behalf of the board, staff, and members of Greenville Center for Creative Arts, I would like to express our joy and gratitude to Greenville Women Giving for their generous gift enabling us to make greatly needed improvements at the Art Center,” said Patricia Kilburg, board chair and founder of GCCA. “We are truly honored to be one of the grant recipients for 2020, knowing the goal is to fund projects that will create positive change in the community. As board chair and as a working artist, I know what a significant impact this gift will make for our programs and for providing a safe and positive experience for our artists, students, and visitors who love and appreciate art.”
Since opening its doors in 2015, GCCA has welcomed tens of thousands of artists and arts enthusiasts of all ages for exhibitions, classes, summer camps, and special events. It has also forged collaborations with nearby neighborhood organizations, such as the Center for Educational Equity and the Freetown Community Center, to remove economic barriers for underserved children and adults.
Located in the Historic Brandon Mill in West Greenville, GCCA recognized that its building required key facility upgrades to create a more safe, secure, and welcoming environment. Specifically, the Greenville Women Giving investment will be used to provide enhanced exterior lighting, a handicap-accessible entrance, exterior signage, and upgrades to gallery flooring and lighting.
“These improvements will ensure that GCCA is a place where residents and visitors alike can find common ground, cross boundaries, and overcome barriers as they participate in and enjoy the arts,” explained Kim Fabian, GCCA’s executive director. “This tremendous gift from Greenville Women Giving will go a long way in helping us forward our vision to build an engine for creativity and community building in Greenville—and beyond.”
The Greenville Center for Creative Arts will open its doors to the Upstate community for the first time on Friday, May 1 from 6-9 pm. The Center, located in the historic Brandon Mill in the Village of West Greenville, is offering adult art classes, 16 studio rentals, and exhibition space.
The opening event, First Friday, will showcase nearly 100 locally produced pieces of art by the Founders, Instructors and Studio Artists working at the Center. Asada and Cluck, Squeal and Friends and King of Pops food trucks will be on site serving dinner. There will be a walking trail to connect to the larger #MAY_ONE block party on Pendleton Street.
Adult art classes’ start on May 11, 2015 and will run 7 weeks in length. Classes include media painting, drawing, watercolor, clay, mixed media, and fiber arts. Class sign-ups are available online and in person at the Center from 9 am – 5 pm Monday – Friday.
There are 12 studio artists working on site and will have work available for purchase in their studio. Each artist will be onsite to meet and greet visitors to the Center.
The Center will participate in First Friday each month and will offer an “Art Experience” for children and adults for a nominal fee. Reservations are required for each event. Sign-ups will be online or at the Center’s reception desk.
The first exhibition will be available to the public until May 22nd and the next exhibit will open in early June.
In the summer of 2016, the Center plans to offer eight weeks of summer art camp for children.
Greenville Center for Creative Arts is a non-profit organization established in 2014 to provide a central place that will serve the needs of the Upstate of South Carolina in the visual arts. It’s stated mission is to collaborate with the community to provide classes, exhibit space, and a place to cultivate art appreciation and enjoyment for people of all ages, ethnic diversities and economic circumstances.
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