hidell brooks is very excited for the opening of solo exhibitions for selena beaudry and sarah helser at the greenhill center for nc arts in greensboro, nc. the greenhill is committed tp promoting the visual arts in nc and being the preeminent contemporary visual arts center celebrating nc's art and culture. both selena and sarah have strong ties to the area and their work is inspired by the landscape of our great state.
greenhill and hidell brooks gallery are pleased to present new work by selena beaudry and sarah helser. the work is on view at greenHill in the InFocus gallery from february 2 – april 5, 2018. join us for an opening reception on friday, february 2nd from 6-9 pm. this show is free to view and open to the public. all artworks are available for purchase.
for 20 years, katharine hidell thomas and rebecca brooks have filled their gallery with beautiful, thought-provoking contemporary artwork. hidell brooks gallery promotes the work of several regional, north carolina artists, and also encourages a strong community of art collectors. that’s why greenhill jumped at the chance to collaborate with hidell brooks gallery on this exhibition. greenhill’s mission is to support the arts of nc, so it was a natural next step to invite an influential nc gallery to help curate the space.
selena beaudry will show pieces from three bodies of work: PILES™, collages (cutout), and paintings. beaudry begins many of her pieces by cutting up drawings and rearranging them into new compositions. “cutting up my work led to a rediscovery of my visual language. it brought up questions in my studio practice. what is a mark and what can i do with it? how can i push these marks in new and different directions?” beaudry talks about her work with synesthetic language: her collages scream, babble, and screech. “the collages (cutout) are more lyrical. they string together and flutter and dance across the page. some are tougher, zigging and zagging across the page bumping and bouncing into one another. the paintings begin by tracing parts of the collages (cutout), allowing me to indulge in my love of paint. they combine the dance with the babbles and the screams.”
selena beaudry lives and works in london. she received her mfa from the tyler school of art, philadelphia, pa, in 2001. since then, she has shown her work nationally in places such as schulman projects, baltimore, md; leclerc contemporary, norwalk, ct; and north carolina museum of art, raleigh, nc. she has also completed a residency at the vermont studio center in johnston, vt. she’s been involved in the arts of north carolina for many years, and has guest curated exhibitions at both the mint museum, charlotte, nc; and hart witzen, charlotte, nc.
selena beaudry's studio in london
InFocus Gallery is an art space designed to bring together art collectors with artists that produce exceptionally collectible works, rotating solo and themed group exhibitions four times a year. InFocus gallery aims to fulfill greenhill’s mission to support north carolina artists by encouraging a thriving local nc art market. we invite individuals and corporations, whether first-time art buyers or seasoned collectors, to work with the greenhill team to find the perfect piece for your space, taste, and budget – and get to know the artists in your own back yard!
sarah helser’s work is meant to express the beauty of the world around her, weaving together both realistic and abstract forms. “each time i create a painting it is in the hope to reshape the familiar into something numinous and magical,” she explains. helser paints weightless scenes of butterflies, chandeliers, and bones – glittering with gold leaf and drenched in ethereal, foggy light. “even the most ordinary subject can be made extraordinary if we reshape it through the whimsy of imagination. using a variety of mediums, these pieces are formed and reformed until they come into their own organic completion.”
helser was born in high point, nc. she spent her formative years on a farm where she enjoyed the beauty and solitude of nature. her childhood and young adulthood has a major influence on her creativity as an artist. sarah studied fine arts at the university of north carolina greensboro, where she refined her interests by focusing on the figure and the use of alternative mediums.
sarah helser working in her studio in charlotte
all works are available through greenhill. please call the gallery if you have any questions regarding the solo exhibitions for selena beaudry and sarah helser.