by Ben Tarcson | Mar 23, 2023 | News
Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) is excited to announce the opening of their Main Gallery exhibition, Past/Present. The exhibition features the artwork of acclaimed artists Lee Malerich & Dwain Skinner. This exhibition opens on Friday, April 7th, 2023 from 6-9 PM. There will be opening remarks for the exhibition made by GCCA’s CEO, Jess Burgess at 6:30 PM. Admission is free and open to the public.
On Tuesday, May 9th, join Past/Present exhibiting artist, Lee Malerich, in GCCA’s Main Gallery at 6 PM for our ARTalk event discussing her artwork. Past/Present will be on display in the Main Gallery until Wednesday, May 24th, 2023.
In Past/Present, artists Lee Malerich and Dwain Skinner use patterns and myriads of cultural imagery to explore how personal history’s impact us. Through lived experiences, journeys are chronicled and work confronts the past to reconcile the present. Lee Malerich repurposes old furniture, toys, or tools into large wooden sculptures that suggest ways of having lived. Malerich’s history in textiles provide insight into her use of patterning to unify the complex compositions in each sculpture. Beginning in 2019, after years away from art-making, Dwain Skinner created over 100 pieces in what would be his last year of life. This proliferation of mixed media, collage, and found objects largely embodies a deconstruction of nostalgia surrounding ideals of Americana.
Lee Malerich
Lee Malerich is a sculpture and textile artist from South Carolina. Malerich received her BFA in 1979 & MA in 1981 in Studio Art-Textiles from Northern Illinois University. She is a retired teacher and has taught at Coker College, Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College, & Columbia College. Malerich is the recipient of many major grants and fellowships including the South Carolina Arts Commission Fellowship in Crafts and the National Endowment of the Arts Regional Fellowship. Her work can be found in the South Carolina Arts Commission State Art Collection as well as in the collections of the City of Charleston and the SC State Museum, among many others. Being originally trained in textiles, Malerich has over the past decade transitioned to sculpture and woodworking. “I started patterning using colored pencils on the surfaces of the sculptures and then I began to play with value in the same way I did in my textiles. I construct reclaimed wood in layers, shadowing the actual construction of my [history in] textiles.”
Dwain Skinner
Dwain Skinner was born in Greer, SC in 1969. He attended the Fine Arts Center, as well as the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities. He received his B.S. in graphic design from Winthrop University. After completing his degree, Dwain worked as an illustrator and graphic designer until the beginning of 2019, when he and his wife, Meredith, left the corporate world to pursue their mutual dream of opening an art gallery and working as full time artists. As a full-time artist, Dwain constantly explored and refined his personal style. He developed an impassioned interest in mixed media, and would often journey to flea markets and rummage sales to collect small objects for his unique collages. He prepared well over 100 pieces for the opening of Woodbine Studio & Gallery in November 2019. That same year, his illustrations were published in a children’s book, he won the cover of Greenville’s Visitors Guide, and participated in Open Studios for the first time. His experiences provided the impetus for Dwain to continue to move forward as an artist. Tragically, Dwain passed away on November 20, 2019, just ten days after showing his work for the first time.
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. GCCA’s galleries are open Tuesdays-Fridays from 9am – 5pm & Saturdays from 11am-3pm. For more information, visit www.artcentergreenville.org, call 864-735-3948, or check out GCCA on Facebook (Greenville Center for Creative Arts) & Instagram (@artcentergvl).
by Ben Tarcson | Feb 1, 2023 | News
February 1, 2023: GCCA announced the opening of the spring Community Gallery exhibition, Works by Elizabeth Kinney, on First Friday, March 3, 2023, from 6 – 9 PM. Join us for the evening with welcoming remarks from our CEO, Jess Burgess, at 6:30 PM and the opportunity to meet Elizabeth and discuss her exhibition.
Elizabeth Kinney’s solo exhibition showcases large-scale paintings and charcoal drawings. Elizabeth, a muralist, captures strange, beautiful, and comforting moments through the use of intense colors and finds inspiration from the community around her. She has been working in mixed media since 1994, with a focus on portraits, murals, and paintings. She currently has work on display at Hotel Domestique, and Restaurant 17. You might see some of her murals around Greenville and Travelers Rest if you ever bike the trail, wander the neighborhoods, or listen to Music in the Park.
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).
by Greg | Jan 1, 2023 | News
Greenville, SC – Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) is excited to announce the opening of their Main Gallery exhibition, It’s all around us. The exhibition features the artwork of acclaimed artists Heather Brand, Alan Shuptrine, & Dawn Stetzel. The exhibition opens with a First Friday reception from 6:00 – 9:00 pm on Friday, February 3rd, 2023. There will be opening remarks from GCCA Chief Executive Officer, Jess Burgess, at 6:30 PM. This exhibition continues until Wednesday, March 29th, 2023.
It’s all around us is a group exhibition featuring artists Heather Brand, Alan Shuptrine, and Dawn Stetzel with works examining natural & synthetic elements of our surroundings. Through photography, sculptures, and paintings, the artists explore the delicate manner in how man-made materials and structures can affect our relationship with the natural world. Objects, structures, and places which are not found naturally but are created and synonymous with humanity’s connection with nature question the desire of an ideal natural world versus balancing ways to respond to and maintain our environment.
Heather Brand
Heather Brand is a visual artist living and working in Meadville Pennsylvania. She has an MFA in Visual Studies from the University of Buffalo and is an Assistant Professor of Art at Allegheny College. Her work depicts scenes of humans’ mediated relationship with nature via deceptions of built environments concerning the collection, cultivation, and recreation of the natural world. Brand’s work has been shown internationally in London UK, Rome, Italy, Sao Luis, Portugal, and Madrid, Spain. Nationally her work has recently been exhibited at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art in Altoona, Pennsylvania, the Midwest Center Center for Photography in Wichita, Kansas, and the Community Arts Center of Oneonta in Oneonta, New York.
Alan Shuptrine
A painter known for his realistic watercolors, oils, gold leafing, and handmade frames, Alan Shuptrine’s works can be found in the permanent collections of several American museums and hundreds of corporate and private collections nationwide. A multi-faceted artist, Shuptrine is a leading practitioner in the centuries-old art of handcrafting and water gilding, fine art frames and mirrors, wood carving, and sgraffito etching. Born the son of recognized painter, Hubert Shuptrine (1936-2006), Alan also has continued the legacy of watercolor realism that both Andrew Wyeth and his father Hubert established and has cemented himself as a nationally renowned watercolor artist.
Dawn Stetzel
Dawn Stetzel is an artist from the United States currently living on the Long Beach Peninsula on the southern coast of Washington on the unceded land of the Chinook and Lower Chinook. Her performative sculptures interact with environments in the margins, where humans and nature rub together leaving a sometimes-messy residue. An intensely strong work ethic was formed through growing up in Iowa and this physicality and fortitude shows up in her sculptural works. She is innovative in her field of sculpture and has contributed through her work over the past twenty years. In 2000 she was awarded her first solo exhibition and a Durham Arts Council Emerging Artist Grant in North Carolina. She has a Master of Fine Arts from the College of Visual and Performing Arts at The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. She has exhibited widely in the United States through multiple solo exhibitions, public art commissions and group exhibitions including Grounds for Sculpture, Disjecta and the Portland Biennial. Her work is included in permanent public collections at The City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and the Shiwan Ceramic Museum in the Guangdong Province of China. Her work is printed in multiple publications, she has shown internationally and has lectured in the United States, China and Brazil.
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. GCCA’s galleries are open Tuesdays-Fridays from 9 AM – 5 PM & Saturdays from 11 AM – 3 PM. For more information, visit www.artcentergreenville.org, call 864-735-3948, or check out GCCA on Facebook (Greenville Center for Creative Arts) & Instagram (@artcentergvl).
by Greg | Dec 1, 2022 | News
Greenville, SC – Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) is excited to announce the opening of a new Community Gallery exhibition, No Detail Too Small, featuring KC Christmas & Jordan Winiski. The exhibition opens on Friday, January 6th, 2023 from 6 – 9 pm. No Detail Too Small will continue on display through Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023.
In No Detail Too Small, Jordan Winiski and KC Christmas explore the intricacies of life. Jordan Winiski transforms overlooked flora into intricate ceramic dioramas to magnify the dichotomy between what is valued or destroyed. KC Christmas’s flora collages serve as a reminder to pause and reflect. By capturing florals in their bloom, the progress of time is paused in order to observe a moment before it is gone.
KC Christmas
KC Christmas is a contemporary painter and collage artist living and working in South Carolina. Known for her unique interpretations of florals, she takes inspiration from the Old Masters of art history and combines them with current, relevant topics. Her work ranges from themes of deep, personal struggles to local scenes to work infused with a bit of snarky humor. Many of KC’s works have been exhibited across the United States and around the world, including Egypt and Scotland. She has won multiple awards with her works and earned a residency with the South Carolina State Parks in 2022. Currently, she works from her home studio as both an artist and illustrator.
Jordan Winiski
Jordan Winiski is a current ceramic artist and Post-Baccalaureate student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Jordan teaches at two art centers in Illinois and emphasizes environmental consciousness in her studio work and curriculum. In 2021, she graduated from Furman University, studying Studio Art and Sustainability Science. She received the Howerton Award for high standard of craftsmanship in Three-Dimensional Arts as well as the Excellence in Service Award from the Art Department. In addition, Jordan was the Earth and Environmental Sciences Scholar Award Recipient and completed a year-long senior thesis on the role of sustainability in art education. Jordan has completed residencies in Georgia and Massachusetts, was named a 2022 South Carolina Emerging Artist, and was a 2022 NCECA Multicultural fellow.
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).
by Greg | Dec 1, 2022 | News
Greenville, SC – Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) has named Alicia Mizuno as its next Operations Manager. As the newest member of the GCCA team, Alicia brings extensive experience in facilities and operational management to the organization.
Originally from the Dallas, Texas area, Alicia holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design from the University of North Texas. She was awarded the True Blue Award for Collaboration in 2019 by her previous employer, Allied Solutions, based in Plano, Texas.
“We are extremely excited to have Alicia join our team. Her operational experience and knowledge of facilities management for a large company, coupled with her passion for the arts, makes her a tremendous asset,” explains Jess Burgess, GCCA’s CEO. “GCCA works tirelessly to bring high-quality accessible arts experiences and education to the community of Greenville. Alicia’s expertise will help the organization streamline operations for the artists that call GCCA home and help us continue to make a lasting impact for Upstate South Carolina.”
Alicia comments: “I recently moved to South Carolina after living in Texas my whole life and everyone has been so nice and welcoming since I arrived. I’m very thankful to have been given this opportunity to work with such amazing artists in the Greenville area. I’m looking forward to continuing to grow with GCCA and our community!”
Please consider joining us for our First Friday Opening Reception on Friday, December 2, 2022, from 6-9 PM and greet Alicia to welcome her to our team.
by Greg | Nov 1, 2022 | News
Greenville, SC – Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) is excited to announce the opening of their Main Gallery exhibition, Strangely Familiar. The exhibition features the artwork of acclaimed artists Heather Deyling, Joseph Kameen, and Mark Brosseau. The exhibition continues on display until Wednesday, January 25th, 2023. GCCA’s galleries are open Tuesdays-Fridays from 9 AM – 5 PM & Saturdays from 11 AM – 3 PM. GCCA will be closed to the public from December 23rd, 2022 – January 2nd, 2023 for the holidays.
In Strangely Familiar, artists Joseph Kameen, Mark Brosseau and Heather Deyling confront relationships to the world around them. Familiar yet sometimes indiscernible objects and scenery call into question the connection we have with the world around us. Mark Brosseau and Joseph Kameen’s paintings find figures and objects coming to terms with their surroundings; while, Heather Deyling’s fiber and mixed media installation of amalgamated flora and fauna defy identification and question the ways in which they emerged.
Heather Deyling
Heather Deyling is the Professor of Foundation Studies at SCAD Atlanta. Deyling earned an MFA in painting from Tyler School of Art, Temple University and a BFA from Kent State University. Recent exhibitions include a solo show at the Peninsula Museum of Art in Burlingame, CA and group exhibitions at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, San Jose, CA, the Hudgens Center for Art and Learning, Duluth, GA and the Wiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, AL.
Joseph Kameen
Joseph Kameen is the Assistant Professor of Art at the University of South Carolina Aiken teaching painting and drawing. Kameen received his BFA in painting and sculpture from Boston University, and an MFA in painting from Indiana University Bloomington. Kameen has exhibited his artwork nationally and internationally at venues such as The Painting Center, Site: Brooklyn, and Torstraße 111.
Mark Brosseau
Mark Brosseau lives in Greer with his wife and two dogs. He received his BA from Dartmouth College and his MFA from the University of Pennsylvania. He has had fourteen solo exhibitions, has been in a number of group shows, has had his work reviewed by ArtForum, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and has been featured in Town magazine. He is the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship to Iceland (2001) and a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Fellowship (2019). He is the Art Teacher at Lakeview Middle School in Greenville.
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).
by Greg | Oct 31, 2022 | News
Greenville, SC – Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) has promoted Ben Tarcson to the position of Gallery Director. As one of the longest-serving staff members at GCCA, Tarcson has played an important role in the strategic development of GCCA’s exhibition program, facilitating the committee review process and serving as a liaison to exhibiting artists.
In his new role as Gallery Director, Tarcson will become the lead advisor to the Brandon Fellowship program, as well as continuing his exhibition management duties. Tarcson has coordinated and installed over 50 art exhibitions across the Main, Community, and Studio Artist Loft galleries during his five years with GCCA. Some notable exhibitions include The South Carolina State Art Collection’s Contemporary Conversations and Narratives Ending in Separation by Linda McCune, amongst many others.
Tarcson is a graduate of Allegheny College with a bachelor’s degree in studio art, a concentration in painting, and a minor in history. While at Allegheny College, he worked as a Gallery Assistant for the college’s Bowman-Penelac-Megahan art gallery, where he assisted exhibiting artists and the Director & Curator with exhibition installation and other art-related events.
CEO Jess Burgess comments, “Ben’s promotion is a direct result of his exemplary work and dedication throughout his time at GCCA, and we’re thrilled to support his continued growth as a leader for the organization.”
Join GCCA for its next exhibition opening on Friday, November 4, from 6-9 p.m., to see the newly installed Square Roots by Sarkis Chorbadjian in the GCCA Community Gallery.
by Greg | Oct 1, 2022 | News
Greenville, SC – Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) is excited to announce the opening of a new Community Gallery solo exhibition, Square Roots, featuring Sarkis Chorbadjian. The exhibition will open on Friday, November 4th from 6 – 9 pm. Square Roots will continue on display through Wednesday, December 21st, 2022.
In Square Roots, Sarkis Chorbadjian showcases square-formatted paintings that explore the application and removal of oil & cold wax layers. For Sarkis, scratching large, square painting surfaces to their roots reveals an emotional significance that is a product of the process in which he works. His abstract landscape paintings are personal responses to places he has visited or imagined. The viewer is invited to travel with the artist, to feel and sense the memories, and to discover new ones.
Sarkis Chorbadjian
Originally from the island of Cyprus, Sarkis has lived in Greenville South Carolina since 1978. Formerly of the decorative arts, interiors, and gilding world, Sarkis’ background in color and design informs his current abstract expressionist painting style. Experiences from travel and memories of the ancient world play a major role in his artwork. His abstract landscape paintings are personal responses to places he has visited or imagined. The viewer is invited to travel with the artist, to feel and sense the memories, and to discover new ones.
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).
by Greg | Sep 1, 2022 | News
Greenville, SC – Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) is excited to announce the opening of their Main Gallery exhibition, Narratives Ending In Separation. The exhibition features the work of acclaimed artist Linda McCune. The exhibition opens with a First Friday reception from 6:00 – 9:00 pm on Friday, October 7th 2022 and continues until November 23rd, 2022. The exhibition will also be open during the First Friday on November 4th.
In Narratives Ending in Separation, Linda McCune’s mixed media sculptures traverse emotional autobiographies that memorialize cherished family, childhood fears, and a young woman’s longing for children. These sculptures give the opportunity to remember and honor the importance of the everyday, of family. Her finely crafted structures are embedded with made and found objects to imbue her sculpture with an abstract spirituality and a ritual of symbolic details. She reminds us that all our past can be prophetic to our present.
Linda McCune
Linda Williams McCune’s home and continuing family ties to rural Tennessee greatly influence her multiple media sculptures and drawings constructed in her home studio in Greer, South Carolina. She has been featured in numerous exhibitions across the U.S. and internationally. Her work is in many collections including the South Carolina State Art Collection, Columbia Museum of Art, Hunter Museum of American Art, and the Asheville Museum of Art. Her work has been reviewed in a number of publications including, Atlanta Art Papers and the Artists and Critics Forum. McCune has won the SC State Artist Fellowship, the National NISOD Award, the Metropolitan Art Council’s Carl R. Blair Award for Commitment to Arts Education, Elon College’s Excellence in the Arts and Humanities Grant and the Metropolitan Arts Council Project Grant. She was honored by the SC Arts Commission’s 100 years 100 Artists ’Views from the Edge of the Century Project and as a founding board member of the Mountain Makin’s Festival in Morristown, TN, a Southeastern Tourism Society Top 20 and a New York Times Tennessee top festival. Linda McCune recently retired from Greenville Technical College’s Department of Visual Arts, as Academic Program Director and Lead Professor in art history, fine arts and art education. She enthusiastically maintains her studio practice and exhibition schedule.
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).
by Greg | Aug 10, 2022 | News
Greenville, SC – Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) revealed the incoming class of the Brandon Fellowship at its Annual Showcase on August 5. The Fellowship is a 12-month program that aims to develop three emerging artists between the ages of 21 to 30 who represent the diversity of the Greenville visual arts community. Now in its eighth year, the program provides free studio space, a stipend for supplies, a supportive environment, mentorship, and art education, including professional development resources, to help these artists thrive in the next step of their education, career, or business.
“We’ve had such strong candidates apply for the Brandon Fellowship this year, representing the breadth of talents and perspectives of young Greenville artists,” says Kevin Kao, the chair of the Brandon Fellowship selection committee. “We’re so excited to present our new fellows and cannot wait to see the impact that they will have with GCCA as well as the greater Greenville community.”
Orlando Corona is a Greenville-based oil painter and printmaker, born in Mexico. His artwork is based on his Mexican culture and as a first-generation immigrant in the U.S. While only having 3 years of experience, he has been in several galleries since the age of 17 and has studied under several local artists. His favorite artists include Diego Rivera, a Mexican muralist; Posada, a printmaker; and Pablo Picasso. Orlando strives to create impactful art that can be shared with others. Art is his creative way of communicating his thoughts and speaking to the world.
A self-taught painter and mixed-media artist, Faith Hudgens grew up in Greenville and has worked professionally as a highly regarded tattoo artist since establishing her practice in 2017. Her paintings are vibrant, emotional, and layered with spirituality. She has participated in exhibitions at Greenville Technical College and the Commerce Club. Faith is an uplifter in her community and volunteers regularly with Miracle Hill Ministries hosting art classes for young girls in foster care. Faith has also hosted PRIDE events with Upstate Pride SC and donates art to organizations that support women and the LGBTQ+ community. Faith’s overarching goal is to cultivate positive change through her art and specifically, to use art as a platform to propel Greenville forward in unity, cultural diversity, and minority inclusion.
RaAmen (Rah-Mēn) Stallings Is an aspiring creative who is passionate about all forms of art. He is a graduate of both Greenville Senior High Academy and Greenville Technical College where he received an associate’s in Business Administration. Although he has worked professionally as a photographer since launching his business in 2020, RaAmen is now focused on developing his skills as a painter. He is committed to expanding his artistic practice and believes strongly in the power of art as a way to inspire and facilitate community and conversation.
This year’s Brandon Fellowship selection committee included chair Kevin Kao, sculptor and Assistant Professor of Art at Furman University; Danielle Fontaine, encaustic artist, and Brandon Fellowship Founder; Rhonda Rawlings, a GCCA board member and community director for Mill Village Ministries; Nick Burns, painter and mixed-media artist and alumnus of the Brandon Fellows class of 2020; Patricia DeLeon, painter and mixed-media artist; and Kara Bale, operations manager for GCCA who oversees the Fellowship program.
“I couldn’t be more excited about our new fellows,” says Kara Bale, who oversees the program at GCCA. “It was a very challenging selection process as we had so many talented and deserving applicants, but I feel the committee did an excellent job and selected three individuals who strongly reflect GCCA’s mission to enrich the cultural fabric of our community. Each has already used their art to grow community and further important conversations so it will be amazing to see what they accomplish within the supportive structure of the fellowship.”
Previous Brandon Fellows alumni have gone on to become full-time working artists, designers, participants in Artisphere and other festivals, graduate students, artists-in-residence, instructors, community muralists, published artists, grant recipients, and award winners.
An exhibition featuring the work of the 2021-22 Brandon Fellows, Kim Le, Sienna Patterson, and Terrell Washington is on display through Sept. 28 in GCCA’s Main Gallery. Kim Le’s work comes from the ugly, wounded, and abject parts of a young girl’s psyche, reappropriating the common language of cuteness that little girls use to cope with their pain to connect to the furious and wretched spirit of young girls and women everywhere who’ve been beaten down by the world around them. Through expressive imagery and journal entries, Sienna Patterson explores the concept of the fool’s journey through the lens of her personal experiences. Depiction the trials of self and the price that we pay to develop the ego to surpass the ego and to transcend the ego. Terrell Washington’s “Genesis: Omens and Decisions of Existence”, features Abrahamic beliefs and highlights the realness of prayer, our blessings and curses, human nature, while putting people of melanin at the center of it all. This exhibition can be viewed during GCCA’s open hours Tuesday-Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 PM and Saturday from 11 AM – 3 PM.
To learn more about the Brandon Fellowship, visit https://artcentergreenville.org/brandon-fellowship/.
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).
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