Park Circle Gallery to Exhibit Works by Christopher Lane & Tanya Craig

Big Fish at the Pony Show by Christopher Lane

Press Release

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that concurrent solo exhibitions of paintings by Columbia-based artist Christopher Lane and fused glass works by local artist Tanya Craig will be on display at Park Circle Gallery from July 6-31, 2021. A free reception will be held at the gallery on Friday, July 9, from 5 pm – 7 pm. The public is invited to attend.

United We Stand – Paintings by Christopher Lane

In his exhibit, United We Stand, Christopher Lane presents a collection of expressive, contemporary paintings that emphasize a unity amongst us, regardless of party, ethnicity, race, religion, and gender. Finding it impossible not to notice the division present in our country today, Lane originally titled this body of work Divided We Fall, however, he chose to take a more optimistic approach. “My work observes the pitfalls of allowing division to thrive and grow amongst a people,” Lane says.  “I shine a light on these things so that we as human beings can choose not to participate in this sowing of division.” This collection speaks to an ideal of inclusivity of all people, whether separated by geography, skin color, religious beliefs, or political affiliation, yet sharing the same basic human needs and desires.  The paintings featured in United We Stand speak to a resistance of divisive rhetoric and a pursuit of equality and basic human rights.  “My work seeks a peaceful cohabitation of man that can be reached only through a resistance of division,” Lane explains. “My greatest desire is that my paintings reflect the one truth, we are all the same.  We are all one.  And United We Stand.”

Born in Minnesota, Christopher Lane spent his formative years inspired by regional artists Thomas Hart Benton, Andy Warhol, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Roy Lichtenstein. His early teenage years were spent in Cairo, Egypt, where his work was influenced by the great architecture, sculpture, symbolism, hieroglyphs, and the expressive colors used in their paintings. During this time Christopher discovered he had dyslexia and furthered his education at the GOW School in South Wales, New York. It was here that Christopher received encouragement and guidance from Fine Arts teacher Bill Parsons. Upon leaving the GOW School, he spent a year living in Paris, France, which fueled his creative instincts further. He returned to the States and pursued an art degree at Eastern New Mexico University. Christopher has now made his home in South Carolina where he continues to use fantastic imagery to turn his life experiences into visual stories that primarily focus on people and their relationships with one another. Christopher is a storyteller. His work is so intricately detailed that it provides the viewer an opportunity to discover something new each time they view his work, which has been shown in galleries across the United States and as far abroad as New South Wales, Australia.  Learn more about the artist at LaneArtWorks.com.

All the Colors Between Black and White – Fused Glass by Tanya Craig

In her exhibit, All the Colors Between Black and White, local artist Tanya Church-Craig presents a collection of fused glass works, ranging from functional pieces, such as bowls and platters, to abstract decorative works. Her pieces are characterized by bright, mesmerizing colors, geometric shapes, and dichroic designs. Abstract painters provide the most inspiration for her pieces. She loves the layering of paint and tries to emulate that with fused glass through multiple firings.

Tanya Church-Craig came into working in fused glass through stained glass. Not happy with the scraps left over after creating stained glass work, she began melting the scraps in a small kiln she had on hand for glass bead annealing. She found the fusing of glass to be much more fun and has been creating fused glass art for 13 years. Tanya formerly owned and operated Gallery Azul in Folly Beach, SC. She is currently President of the North Charleston Artist Guild and creates in her home studio in North Charleston, SC.

 The Park Circle Gallery is located at 4820 Jenkins Avenue in North Charleston, in what was formerly known as the Olde Village Community Building. Admission is free and free street parking is available on Jenkins Avenue in front of the gallery, as well as on the adjacent streets and in parking lots close by. The gallery is open 10:00am-6:00pm Tuesday-Friday, and Noon-4:00pm on Saturday. For more information about PCG, call 843-637-3565 or email culturalarts@northcharleston.org. For information on other Cultural Arts programs and artist opportunities, visit the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website at www.northcharleston.org.

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