Dali Exhibit at Piedmont Arts

Join Piedmont Arts for an opening reception in honor of the museum's new exhibits, Friday, March 29, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the museum. The exhibits will be on display from March 30 to May 11. Exhibits are always free and open to the public.

Salvador Dali: ‘Les Chants de Moldoror’ was organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Featuring 44 etchings that the Spanish Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí created in Paris in 1934, as well as a portrait of the artist by Carl Van Vechten from the same year, this exhibition presents the unique proof set for the complete series of etchings that make up the first edition of ‘Les Chants de Maldoror’ – the infamous 1869 prose poem by Isidore Ducasse. This exhibit coincides with the 100th anniversary of the launch of the Surrealist movement in 1924 and was curated by Dr. Michael R. Taylor, Chief Curator and Deputy Director for Art and Education at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and Dr. Elliot King, Associate Professor of Art History at Washington and Lee University. Both Dr. Taylor and Dr. King will be in attendance at the opening reception for a gallery talk.

‘Citizens and Soldiers: The Mostly World War II Paintings,’ by Ken Smith will be on display in the Pannill Gallery. These paintings were created for the Advanced Squad Leader board game, originally reproduced on game boxes, magazines and folders. The exhibit contains 15 paintings spanning the era of 1939 (Kollaa Holds) to 1950 (Frozen). Smith is an associate professor of graphic design at Radford University. He is a current or former member of the Society of Illustrators, the Society of Publication Designers, the AIGA, the Salmagundi Club and the Coast Guard Art Program, where he has won the prestigious George Grey Award of Artistic Excellence on three separate occasions. His paintings and illustrations are featured at the East Tennessee Historical Society, the McClung Museum in Knoxville, Tennessee, and at Fort Loudoun State Historic Area museum in Vonore, Tennessee.

The Lynwood Artists Gallery features work by Meritha Alderman, a multi-media artist known for her signature "paintings" created using dryer lint. Alderman has a BFA in studio art and an MA in art education. She is originally from Roanoke, Virginia, and now lives in Martinsville where she is an art teacher at Laurel Park Middle School.

The Lynwood Artists Gallery is curated by Lynwood Artists, an organization for practicing artists in the Martinsville-Henry County area. Its members share a desire to stimulate understanding and enjoyment of fine art and the artistic process, while providing area artists with opportunities to exhibit and further develop their talents.

The opening reception and exhibits are sponsored by Margie & Paul Eason, Rhonda Edwards, Olivia & Pres Garrett, Tracie Heavner & Jim Frith, Drs. Shana & Japhet LeGrant, Jackie Thornton, and Lynwood Artists

The opening reception is free and open to the public. Complimentary wine and light refreshments will be served. RSVP required by March 25 and can be made by calling the museum or online at PiedmontArts.org.