WILSON, N.C. — Barton College will welcome professor emeritus and artist-in-residence J. Chris Wilson for an illustrated presentation on his series ”From Murphy to Manteo—An Artist’s Scenic Journey,” on Thursday, April 24, in the Barton Art Galleries in Case Art Building on campus. The presentation will begin at 4 p.m. followed by a reception for guests beginning at 5 p.m. There is no charge for the event, and the community is invited to attend.
Wilson’s landscape paintings from the series are the first paintings chosen to be exhibited in the House Chamber of the North Carolina Legislative Building in Raleigh. Wilson’s presentation will include his sharing the story of how the series began and how it has developed. The audience is sure to appreciate Wilson’s anecdotes of interesting events he encountered along the way. When completed the North Carolina landscape series will include 100 large-scale paintings depicting the scenic beauty across the state.
Wilson currently has nearly 35 paintings from the series on exhibition in four significant state buildings in the Capital District in Raleigh, including the Museum of History, the State Library of North Carolina, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the House Chamber, at least on view through December 2014.
Wilson’s work was the subject of a feature article in the March 2013 issue of “Our State” magazine. And, his historic Wilmington home and art were featured in the August issue of “Salt Magazine.” The artist was featured on UNC-TV’s “Our State” program that aired in January, and he will be featured in an upcoming documentary focusing on “The U. S. Eastcoast” produced by Vidicom Media of Hamburg, Germany, and co-produced with ARTE and SWR Fernsehen to be aired as a five part series on French-German cultural channel ARTE in early summer. The series is about people and shores from Florida to Maine.
In the recent past, Wilson was featured on WRAL’s “Tarheel Traveler,” and “WTVD’s Heart of Carolina Perspectives.” Some of these features will be shown during the presentation. His work has been exhibited 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.
For additional information about the upcoming presentation, please contact Bonnie LoSchiavo in the Art Department at 252-399-6477 or email artgalleries@barton.edu.
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