Press release prepared & submitted by: Cindy Reed
Cindy Reed Associates
cindyreedassociates@gmail.com
Phone: 386-576-7262
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Seaside Art Gallery Participates in the 2nd Annual Gallery Row Roll & Stroll Event
Prominent National Artists Paint and Carve Original Art On-Site at the Gallery
Nags Head, NC - Seaside Art Gallery will participate in the 2nd annual Gallery Row Roll & Stroll
celebration on July 10, 2014 from 5pm to 8:30pm in the Gallery Row Art District located in the beach
community of Nags Head, NC. With last year’s successful debut, this much-anticipated signature
Gallery Row Art District event is geared for the entire family community as the art galleries,
restaurants, and businesses in Gallery Row join forces creating an exciting atmosphere of fascinating
art exhibits, food and fun. Seaside Art Gallery is featuring renowned artists Suzanne Morris and Jim
Carpenter as they paint and carve original art on-site at the gallery.
Melanie Smith, owner of Seaside Art Gallery says, “This is a wonderful event. It gives people a
chance in a really relaxed friendly atmosphere setting, to meet our artists and see different kinds of
original art that they may never have gotten a chance to see otherwise. I don’t want people to feel
like they have to know about art to come here. I’d rather that they come here to look around and
enjoy art whether it is for the first time or the hundredth time of being exposed to art. So to me it’s
an experience that everybody should have.”
The Gallery features renowned artists Suzanne Morris and Jim Carpenter during this special evening’s
activities. Visitors can meet and talk with the artists at the Gallery, and watch them at work too. Ms.
Morris will be demonstrating Plein Air style painting which is French for ‘open air’ referring to the
practice of an artist painting on site instead of in a studio. This practice started in the late 1800's.
Ms. Morris’ fascinating painting style with play of light and shadow transforms the ordinary into an
extraordinary scene with the use of vivid, descriptive color, and bold expressive brushwork. She is
predominantly self-taught, and has achieved studying with some of the best Plein Air painters in the
nation including James Kerr, Charles Sovek, Scott Christensen, and Kevin Macpherson. Ms. Morris’
art is influenced by the work of John Singer Sergent, Joaquin Sorolla, Emile Gruppe and the
California Impressionists.
Ms. Morris was recently featured in American Art Collector Magazine with editorial on her solo show,
“The Color of Light” in Raleigh NC. Her art is currently on display coast to coast. She belongs to and
Press release prepared & submitted by: Cindy Reed
Cindy Reed Associates
cindyreedassociates@gmail.com
Phone: 386-576-7262
has exhibited her work with many national painting groups including The American Society of Marine
Artists (signature member), Oil Painters of America, The American Impressionist Society, Womens
Artists of the West, Women Painters of the Southeast, The California Art Club, and the Laguna Plein
Air Painters Association. Ms. Morris’ work is held in corporate as well as private collections across
the country. Most notable of her corporate collectors are Duke University Raleigh hospital's
permanent collection, UCLA medical center at Irvine, Burt's Bees, and East Carolina Bank.
Jim Carpenter is known for his captivating artistic style of carving birds which is both extraordinary
and fascinating. He carves high detail birds with tupelo gum wood and paints them with oils or
acrylics, and more. Mr. Carpenter says, “I have been carving since 1988. I consider myself a "bird"
carver not a wood carver. The reason for this is that, although the birds are primarily wood, my work
involves a multitude of processes to create various other habitat items which are, in most cases, not
wood. I use various metals which are, in many cases, braised together, various epoxies to create
some habitat materials, and even plastics to create other habitat items.” He continues, “My
development process involves preliminary sketches, clay models, creating a pattern then the creation
process. The creation process of the bird involves rough cutting the wood, basic shaping, adding
detail, burning, texturing and painting. Creation of the habitat, as I have said, involves much more.
All of this is after extensive research into both bird and habitat.”
Mr. Carpenter is an award-winning bird carver. He has won numerous “Best of Show” awards at
contests across the country and has been juried into fine art shows along with other two and three
dimensional works. His award winning sculptures have been on display at the NC Museum of History
and the NC Governor’s mansion. Carpenter’s works are primarily sold in fine art and craft galleries.
Mr. Carpenter teaches bird-carving classes at the Sawtooth Center of Visual Arts in Winston-Salem,
NC and the John Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC as well as many demonstrations though out
the year. He is a board member of the Piedmont Craftsmen in NC.
The Gallery Row Roll & Stroll is a free event and participating art galleries, restaurants and
businesses in the Gallery Row Art District keep their doors open from 5pm to 8:30pm on July 10 for
a fabulous evening of family fun. Park the family car, and bike or walk to tour the offerings of this
one-of-a-kind Gallery Row Art District in the heart of Nags Head and steps away from the beach.
About Seaside Art Gallery: The gallery is family owned and operated, and is located in Nags Head,
NC, a coastal community surrounded by the natural beauty of the Outer Banks’ Cape Hatteras
National Seashore. It is the Outer Banks’ first art gallery and was established by the Smith family in
1961. Seaside Art Gallery is one of the largest privately owned galleries in the Southeast. It is known
for its expansive 12-roomfuls of original fine art spanning the 19th - 21st century masters, famed
Press release prepared & submitted by: Cindy Reed
Cindy Reed Associates
cindyreedassociates@gmail.com
Phone: 386-576-7262
animation studio art, current day artists from every locale, antiques, sculptures, estate jewelry, and
collector items. Seaside Art Gallery specializes in original works of art, not reproductions, and the
authenticity of the art is fully guaranteed.
Contact Information: Seaside Art Gallery contact is Melanie Smith, Owner at (252) 441-5418 or
(800) 828-2444 or email info@seasideart.com, or visit the website at www.seasideart.com
for
viewing times and hours of operation and more information. Seaside Art Gallery is located at 2716
Virginia Dare Trail, Milepost 11, in Nags Head, NC.
END
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Photo 1 with Caption:
Seaside Art Gallery is participating in the 2nd Annual Gallery Row Art District’s “Roll & Stroll” Event on
July 10, 2014, 5pm – 8:30pm in Nags Head, NC. During this family fun event, nationally acclaimed
artist Suzanne Morris will be at Seaside Art Gallery painting “Plein Air” style which is French for open
air. Her fascinating painting style with play of light and shadow transforms the ordinary into an
extraordinary scene. The photo of her painting above is entitled “Surf Mobile” by Suzanne Morris. Ms.
Morris’ art works are displayed coast to coast, and held in corporate and private collections.
Press release prepared & submitted by: Cindy Reed
Cindy Reed Associates
cindyreedassociates@gmail.com
Phone: 386-576-7262
Photo 2 with Caption
Seaside Art Gallery is participating in the 2nd Annual Gallery Row Art District’s “Roll & Stroll” Event on
July 10, 2014, 5pm – 8:30pm in Nags Head, NC. During this family fun event, nationally acclaimed
artist Jim Carpenter will be at Seaside Art Gallery carving high detail birds from tupelo gumwood and
painting them with oils or acrylics and more. His award winning bird carvings and sculptures have
been on display at the NC Museum of History and the NC Governor’s mansion. He teaches bird
carving classes and is a board member of the Piedmont Craftsmen in NC. The photo above is a
Mallard Duck bird carving by Jim Carpenter.