WILSON, N.C. — North Carolina landscape artist J. Chris Wilson’s “From Murphy to Manteo—An Artist’s Scenic Journey” will be featured on UNC-TV’s “Our State” program airing Thursday, Jan. 2, at 8 p.m. The feature, titled “Scenes from 64,” will showcase the artist as well as scenes and locations of some of his paintings from the emerging 100-painting collection to be completed in 2014.
Wilson, an artist-in-residence and professor emeritus at Barton College, will be shown working on location and in his Wilmington studio where much of the interview was filmed. Thirty of Wilson’s paintings from the “Murphy to Manteo” series are currently on view in the House Chamber of the North Carolina Legislative Building and the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh. The paintings will remain on view at least through the end of 2014.
“J. Chris Wilson was not commissioned to paint the ‘Murphy to Manteo’ series,” shared Morgan Potts, Barton College alumnus and director of the UNC-TV feature on Wilson and his work. “He was propelled from within to undertake this statewide project. The motivation, time, and discipline of an artist are attributes that I find intriguing and admirable. He had already devoted years to this project by the time we caught up with him, so we were given an amazing collection to share with our viewers. And, the fact that we [both] are a part of the Barton College family made working on the ‘Our State—Scenes from 64’ segment that much more meaningful.”
Wilson’s “From Murphy to Manteo—An Artist’s Scenic Journey” is a collection of scenic landscapes along the U.S. Highway 64 corridor, a 563-mile journey from the mountains to the sea. His detailed oil-on-canvas paintings often portray more than a camera lens or eye can see, some measuring nearly 16 feet in width. On his journeys across the state, Wilson captured multiple compositions of large landscapes—waterfalls, cotton fields, country roads, mountains, and coastlines. And, when the project is completed, the 100 total paintings will serve as a comprehensive portrait of North Carolina’s scenic landscape, from the mountains to the ocean.
The “Scenes from 64” feature can also be seen on www.unctv.org/content/ourstate following the January 2nd airing.
Wilson’s work also was the subject of a feature article in the March issue of “Our State” magazine. Wilson’s historic home and art was featured in the August issue of “Salt Magazine,” and one work appeared in the October issue of “Traditional Home” magazine. The artist will be featured in a documentary focusing on the East Coast of the United States produced for German and French television this season. In the recent past, Wilson was featured on WRAL’s “Tarheel Traveler,” and WTVD’s “Heart of Carolina Perspectives.” His work has been shown in galleries and museums throughout the Southeast, and his art is also represented in numerous public and private collections in the United States, especially in the Southeast, and in England, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.
Wilson has been involved in symposia, community presentations, and publications on art, decorative arts, and historic preservation, and he has engaged in extensive community service throughout his professional career, currently serving on the boards of Preservation North Carolina and the Blount Bridgers House/Hobson Pittman Memorial Foundation.
Originally from Waycross and St. Simons Island, Ga., Wilson earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Georgia, where he also completed post-graduate work, with Lamar Dodd as his major professor. Wilson served on the faculty of Barton College from 1974-2012, earning professor emeritus recognition following retirement. Now, he continues at Barton as the College’s first artist-in-residence.
Wilson makes his home in Wilmington with his wife, Kathleen, and has two adult children: a son, Matthew, and a daughter, Singleton.
For additional information or to view Wilson’s work, please visit www.jchriswilson.com.
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