WILSON, N.C. — March 14, 2025 — Barton Art Galleries will open Alia El-Bermani’s exhibition, “Of Bone & Soil,” on March 31. A public reception will be held Thursday, April 3, from 5 to 7 p.m., with a gallery talk beginning at 6 p.m. The exhibition will be on display through April 30 in the Case Art Building on Barton’s campus. Admission to the exhibition and reception is free, and the community is invited to attend.
El-Bermani will serve as Barton College’s spring artist-in-residence from March 31 through April 12, working with art students throughout her residency. As part of her engagement, she will host a Coffee Chat on April 9 at 4 p.m., offering a casual gallery talk. This event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be provided.
Additionally, El-Bermani will lead two community workshops titled “Portrait Drawing – Subtractive Charcoal” on Saturdays, April 5 and April 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. These workshops will provide participants with an opportunity to explore her artistic techniques and vision.
The workshop is free for Barton College Friends of Visual Arts members. The cost is $35 per person for nonmembers. Participants must bring their own supplies. For more information or to register, contact Maureen O’Neill, director of exhibitions and educational programming at Barton Art Galleries, at moneill@barton.edu or 252-399-6476.
About the Artist
Alia El-Bermani is an artist, teacher and independent curator. Raised in a small town south of Boston, Massachusetts, she developed a deep appreciation for the natural world, which continues to inform her artistic practice. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Laguna College of Art and Design in Laguna Beach, California, in 2000. A figurative painter, El-Bermani has had several solo exhibitions and has participated in numerous group exhibitions across the United States.
Her work has been showcased in institutions such as the Palm Springs Desert Museum in California, Customs House Museum in Tennessee, Anchorage Museum of History and Art in Alaska, West Valley Art Museum in Arizona, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art in Toronto, and the Greenville Museum of Art in North Carolina. In 2015, her painting “Paper Wishes” was acquired by the Museu Europeu d’Art Modern in Barcelona, Spain, for its permanent collection.
Beyond her studio practice, El-Bermani is an experienced instructor who has taught at the college and workshop levels. She has been a guest lecturer at institutions including East Carolina University, Meredith College, Laguna College of Art and Design, and Texas A&M University. She is a member of the Portrait Society of America and co-founder of the blog “Women Painting Women.” Her work has been featured in publications including “American Art Collector,” “iArtistas,” “ArtSee,” “Art Week,” “The Independent,” “LA Weekly,” and the “Savvy Painter Podcast.” She currently works out of her studio in Raleigh, N.C.
For more information about “Of Bone & Soil” and related events, visit Barton Art Galleries or contact Maureen O’Neill at the details provided above.
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