Deborah Cidboy
Director's Gallery - December
Deborah Cidboy is a local artist who combines traditional portraiture with steam punk and fantasy elements to create unique portraits. Cidboy had little formal training and considered art more of a hobby for most of her life. When she retired in 2013 she realized her desire to create full time. Under the tutelage of several fine art teachers she began exhibiting her work in galleries. In 2019 she moved to New Bern where she continues to create her unique portraiture. Her expressive birds and animals give a sense of story and humor to her paintings and her details draw the eye, beckoning the viewer to enter the worlds she creates.
Jeff Sherman
Director's Gallery
Jeff Sherman is a local photographer who learned his craft from his father, a professional photographer. He enjoys capturing moments of intimacy with his photographs and then manipulating the images digitally on his computer. This allows Sherman to enhance details and create the mood he wishes to convey. Using his own printer to render his images, Sherman hopes the images convey the same mood and feeling he witnessed while capturing the photograph. Sherman previously owned a photography studio where he specialized in weddings, bar mitzvahs, portraits and commercial art. He also previously owned a printing lab for professional photographers called Sherman Color Labs.
The Watercolor Society of North Carolina
Main Gallery - October 1st - November 15th
As a part of the Watercolor Society of North Carolina’s Annual Conference, CAC&G will host the Annual Juried Exhibition in the Main Gallery at the Bank of the Arts. This exhibition will feature 80 paintings from members of the WSNC from across the state chosen by juror Don Andrews. Andrews is a nationally known watercolor artist and workshop instructor. He is an active member and past board president of the American Watercolor Society.
Mum 's the Word
New Bern’s annual Mumfest brings thousands of people to the downtown area for fun, shopping, and entertainment. As part of the festival, Craven Arts Council will host Mum’s the Word, an art exhibition and contest to select artwork for the next year’s Mumfest. The winner of the Adult category will receive $200 and their piece will be featured on tee shirts, bags, banners, and other promotional items for the 2022 celebration. This year there will also be a youth category for anyone under the age of 18. Artwork does not have to be only chrysanthemums, but must feature chrysanthemums in some way. Artists are asked to register their pieces online at www.cravenarts.org and drop off the work to Bank of the Arts October 1st and 2nd. Entries cannot exceed 36” in any direction and may not feature any text or numbers. For more information go to www.cravenarts.org.
The Coastal Photo Club
Main Gallery - September
This exhibit will feature work by the Coastal Photo Club’s nearly one hundred members, with images taken from eastern North Carolina and around the world. Each artist has been invited to submit up to two images for exhibition. The exhibit showcases the variety of styles and materials available to the modern photographer, including framed photos, canvas prints, and metal laminate pieces from different artists. Differences in production are also highlighted, from classic darkroom techniques to advanced digital photo manipulation.
The Coastal Photo Club was established in 1991 as New Bern Camera Club by Elizabeth Dunn. The group participates and organizes exhibitions for its members at local galleries and spaces, including the New Bern Public Library and the Bank of the Arts. The club also organizes photography oriented field trips and workshops for the membership.
The Coastal Photo Club was established in 1991 as New Bern Camera Club by Elizabeth Dunn. The group participates and organizes exhibitions for its members at local galleries and spaces, including the New Bern Public Library and the Bank of the Arts. The club also organizes photography oriented field trips and workshops for the membership.
Bernice Abraham
Director's Gallery - October
Abraham is a local mixed-media artist who paints many different subject matters including landscapes of various parts of New Bern. She studied at the Parson’s School of Design in New York City, as well as at East Carolina University where she received her Bachelor’s of Science. Later she received her Masters in Education from the University of Hawaii. In Hawaii Abraham also worked at the Honolulu Museum of Art. She uses many different mediums such as oil, watercolor, ink and mixed-media and believes that restricting her medium to one negatively affects her artistic process.
2022 Bank of the Arts National Juried Exhibition
Main Gallery - July and August
This biennial exhibition is Craven Arts Council’s signature exhibition featuring over 100 artworks out of 440 entries. The Bank of the Arts National Juried Exhibition showcases a wide variety of artworks within five categories: Contemporary Craft, Indoor Sculpture, 2D, Photography and Outdoor Sculpture. This year, the Craven Arts Council is offering $5,000 in awards, including the $1,500 CAC&G Permanent Collection Purchase Award. The exhibition’s juror is Maya Brooks, the Mellon Foundation Assistant Curator at the North Carolina Museum of Art.
Joyce Stratton
Director's Gallery - August
Local artist Joyce Stratton has been a professional artist for twenty-five years, traveling to do shows up and down the East Coast. Over the years she has received many awards and has work in many private collections. Her artwork is abstract mixed media on panel, consisting of acrylic paint, ink, charcoal, oil pastel and collage elements. This exhibition, entitled Ireland - Stone and Weather will feature similar work inspired by the gray stormy landscape of the coast of Ireland in a restored pre-famine village called Cill Rialaig where Stratton participated in multiple artist residencies.
Lee tripi
Director's Gallery - July
Lee Tripi is a self-taught painter and designer originally from Akron Ohio. He started painting when he was about 8 or 9 years old with a beginner watercolor kit. Much of his aesthetic is Asian inspired, so simplicity and texture play a large role is his works. As a result, contemporary abstracts and conceptual portraits are the themes that interest him the most. He often uses a combination of water mixable oils and acrylic for the under-painting relying on the thick oil paints to help build up texture.
Juneteenth
Main Gallery - June
Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19th every year and commemorates the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in the state of Texas after the Civil War. In honor of this historic celebration of freedom in the South, local African American artists will present works about the holiday, African American History, their experiences as African Americans, and what freedom means to them. Artists included in the Juneteenth exhibition include Toni Graves, Jacinda Aytch, Kevin Cruz and Diamond Campbell. Works in the exhibition feature a wide variety of mediums and range in style from afro-futurism to portraiture.
Christine Provard
Director's Gallery - June
Christine became interested in pursuing watercolor under Barney Cole and participated in many workshops. In addition to watercolor, she enjoys exploring her creativity by using driftwood and various other beach materials such as shells, beach glass, times and wire. In 2018 Christine moved to New Bern with her husband, Rick, as they were both drawn to the coast of Easter North Carolina. She enjoys painting seascapes and coastal wildlife. Christine is a member of Community Artists Gallery and Studios, Twin Rivers Artist Association and the coastal Plein Air Group.
ROY G BIV
Main Gallery - May
ROY G BIV is an exhibition by Craven Arts Council & Gallery showcasing the use of color. Each artist received a 12”x12” cradled board and drew a color from hat. Each work utilized hues, shades, tints and tones of that color as the primary palate for the work. Each panel in the Main Gallery at Bank of the Arts was filled with works featuring that color, creating a rainbow that moved across the gallery. Colors selected for the exhibition will were be red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet (purple), white, and black.
The Warrior and the Artist
Director's Gallery - May
The Warrior and The Artist exhibit is a judged military veteran art event dedicated to healing the scars of war and celebration of freedom. Exhibit sponsors: Jacksonville VA Center, VFW Post 2514 and Auxiliary. Craven County is the residence of over 17,000 veterans, the exhibit offers a means for local and regional area veterans to voice their combat related experiences to heal scars of combat and celebrate freedom though art. The genesis of the exhibit is an on-going combat veterans readjustment counseling program administered by the Jacksonville VA Center. Counseling is conducted on Tuesdays in partnership with VFW Dixon-Conderman Post 2514, New Bern, NC. Readjustment counseling is a wide range of services provided to combat veterans in the effort to make a satisfactory transition from combat deployments to peacetime duty or civilian life.
The Twin Rivers Artist Association and Craven Community College
Main Gallery - April
The Twin Rivers Artists Association (TRAA) exists to promote and encourage the creation, education, and appreciation of fine art in the region. The membership meets monthly to learn and discuss techniques, provide feedback, make social connections, and distribute news on the arts in the area. Skill levels range from beginners to professional artists, in an environment that encourages cooperation and mentorship. Once a year the Craven Arts Council hosts an exhibition of the group’s membership, combined with students from the local Craven Community College, in order to encourage the creation and exhibition of local art. Works on display will include painting, photography, sculpture, pottery, and mixed media.
Military Kids Color Our Community
Director's Gallery - April
Craven Arts Council & Gallery is proud to present Military Kids Color Our Community in the Director’s Gallery for the month of April. This exhibition is sponsored by the NC Art’s Council’s Art in Education program featuring the work of children of military parents at Cherry Point. Through a grant from the NC Arts Council’s Arts in Education program, students at Havelock High School, in Havelock, NC, home to MCAS Cherry Point, were encouraged to explore how their personal experiences inform their perception of self and their environment and apply these perceptions to a self-portrait. Portraits from all students were combined into a large movable mural that will be displayed locally for the remainder of the school year. The grant funded time for artist Lee Hood, a US Army veteran and owner of Large Brush Strokes in New Bern, NC to teach specific skills to carry out the project in collaboration with Havelock High School art teacher Theresa Holtz. The month-long project promoted healing through art and encouraged resilience among students while building community between local and military populations.
Face to Face: Seeing Community
Main Gallery - March
Craven Arts Council & Gallery is proud to present Face to Face: Seeing Community in the Main Gallery at the Bank of the Arts. Face to Face: Seeing Community is a new exhibition featuring portraits done by Jill Eberle, Donna Slade, Julie Larrick, and Lee Hood of various members of the Craven County community. These four local award-winning artists are known for their portraiture, but also create various other works as well. In a statement on the exhibition, the artists say “Now more than ever, this exhibition demonstrates the power of people. The people who are the very core of what makes this community such an incredible place to call home. They are community members, partners, and providers demonstrating the power of the individual to make a difference. Our doctors, nurses, first responders, fire fighters come to mind but so do those who stock our grocery shelves, cook our food, deliver our mail, and keep our businesses open. This community is a resilient community because of each and every one of you.” This exhibition will also feature a display in the downtown sculpture park.
Homeschool and Private School Students
Director's Gallery - March
Craven Arts Council is proud to present work by private and homeschooled students in Craven County in the Director’s Gallery for the month of March. This exhibition will feature work created by students in art classes from various private, parochial and home schools across the county. Students from Epiphany Global School, St. Paul’s Catholic School, Annunciation Catholic School, and various homeschooled students across the county will be exhibiting their work in the Director’s Gallery. Art has been shown to have an integral beneficial effect on youth education in subjects from math and science to literary analysis. Bank of the Arts is pleased to reinforce these ideas by offering the students a chance to exhibit their works in a gallery setting.
James Stillwell
Director's Gallery - January
Jim Stillwell is a retired architect who has always had in interest in the arts and now in his retirement, has dedicated more time to his artistic pursuits. James Stillwell grew up in Illinois where he eventually received his degree in Architecture at the University of Illinois. While obtaining his degree he took several classes in art and design. He pursued a career in in Architecture and upon retirement, he continued to work in historical architecture including restoring a 200 year old Shenandoah house. Now living in New Bern, he has more time to focus on his artistic endeavors including sketching and painting.
Valentines Cards
Main Gallery - January
Director's Gallery - February
Priced at $3.50 each, these affordable Valentines gifts help fund arts education in Craven County, by donating all proceeds for the purchase of art supplies. The cards were created by the public school students during their arts class, and include a wide range of grades, skill levels, and techniques. This year’s sale was made possible by funding and support from Craven Arts Council and Twin Rivers Artists Association, a local artist guild. The mission of both organizations believes in the importance of arts education, for students of all levels.
