Through Nature’s Lens
Exhibit of paintings by Lanny Brewster
2010 Resident Artist of Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve
March 4-31, 2010
Tues-Fri 11 am - 5:30 pm, Sat 10 am - 4 pm, or by appointment
Opening reception First Friday, March 4, 2011, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Art Downtown
1413 Newcastle St., Downtown Brunswick, GA
912-262-0628, artdowntowngallery209.com
EXHIBIT PRESENTS SAPELO ISLAND’S NATURAL WONDERS
THROUGH THE ART OF RESIDENT ARTIST
In 2010, the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR) invited Brunswick, GA, artist Lanny Brewster to participate in the Reserve’s Through Nature’s Lens program, which affords artists the opportunity to visit the island and capture images in the media of their choosing. Through subsequent exhibits, the program offers the public a glimpse of this natural wonder on the Georgia Coast through the artist's eyes. Art Downtown is pleased to present Mr. Brewster’s work to the public in an exhibit on display in the gallery at 1413 Newcastle St., Downtown Brunswick, March 4-31, 2011. There will be an opening reception with the artist and SINERR representatives on First Friday, March 4, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m
The exhibit will include paintings done by Mr. Brewster from several visits to Sapelo, capturing the island’s natural beauty over the course of all the seasons of the year. Known primarily for his miniature landscapes in oil, Brewster used the residency to challenge himself by creating larger canvasses, in addition to the format in which he usually works. Several small pieces were created on site on Sapelo, while many larger canvases were begun on the island and completed in his studio using hundreds of photos he took all around the island. As the painting progressed, the artist noticed he was less concerned about painting the exact scenes he became familiar with in favor of capturing his impressions and feelings about what he saw there.
“My paintings are an attempt to show the complex beauty of this mysterious and haunting place,” says Brewster, a Georgia native whose earliest memories are often of the coastal region. “The raw and peaceful nature has given me a profound sense of pride in the uniquely unchanged wilderness here in my home state.”
Most visitors to Sapelo are only allowed access to certain parts of the island on scheduled tours, but as resident artist, Brewster was given a place to stay and transportation that allowed him to experience the area more extensively, closely (and carefully!) observing alligator and many species of birds in their natural habitats; enjoying the stars and the many nighttime sounds of this isolated, largely untouched place; coming upon a recently unearthed shipwreck on Cabretta Beach, following curving paths through murky, heavily overgrown areas.
“I’m so grateful to the Reserve and its Education Coordinator Brooke Valaster, as well as the friends and guardians of Sapelo Island, for the unique opportunity to see the island in its raw state and to push into the wilderness in an effort to learn more about its lively abundance,” Brewster says. “It’s been a great personal and artistic experience learning the rhythms of the island and discovering the stories I want to tell in my painting, as well as challenging myself to discover new ways of telling those stories in my medium.”
The Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR), located on the western perimeter of Sapelo Island, is dedicated to research, education, stewardship, and sound management of coastal resources in Georgia. Specifically, the organization focuses on the natural, cultural, and historical resources of Sapelo Island and the Duplin River estuary. More information on the Reserve can be found at www.sapelonerr.org.
The exhibit will also include educational information about SINERR and the national estuaries program. The opening reception on March 4 takes place during Downtown Brunswick’s popular First Friday, an evening when the public is invited to visit the shops, galleries, restaurants, and other venues in the historic district to enjoy music, food and beverage samplings, works of art, and other delights of the area. The exhibit is free and open to the public Tuesdays through Fridays, 11:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., or by appointment. For more information, please call 912-262-0628.