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The Cleveland County Arts Council is excited to feature an exhibit of the works of Roscoe Conn from July 11 - August 24, 2024. The opening reception will be held on Thursday, July 11 from 5pm-7pm.Collage has a deep tradition in black art; other forms of art often fail to capture the ‘ripped-out-and-sewn-back-together’ feeling of black identity in the United States. Conn draws from collected old National Geographic, Ebony, LIFE, and other magazines in order to create his art. Using these images from the 1940s onward produces a visual history of language and media that draws into question our own media habits today. Even when the subject matter is not people, this process of cutting to preserve remains.
Originally from the Bronx, in New York, Roscoe Conn has lived most of his life in the south. After serving in the military, he pursued fine arts at UNC Charlotte and has been teaching ever since. Teaching has influenced his art and his art has influenced his teaching, creating a reciprocal relationship between educating and learning for himself. Conn taught in North Carolina for over twenty years before retiring to teach in South Carolina at Broome High School.
Growing up in the northeast influenced much of his work; city streets and crowded transit stations make for good subject matter. For a while he focused on the trailer parks and pastoral scenes found in the south, but now his work tends to be more abstract. Conn has shown his work at the Blue Spiral in Asheville, the Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg, The Artists Collective in Spartanburg, and the Upstairs Gallery in Tryon among others over the years. He was accepted into Art Fields 2022 and 2023 and exhibited his work “Community” and “1010 Brownstone Cathedral.” Being able to exhibit his work while teaching has been the best of both worlds and he cannot imagine doing anything else. You can find other work by Roscoe Conn at Crazy Dog studio on Facebook, roscoeconnartist1 on Instagram, or just Google “Roscoe Conn artist.”
For more information, call 704-484-2787 today. The Arts Council is open M-F from 9-4 and Saturdays 10-2.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
111 S Washington St, Shelby, NC, United States, North Carolina 28150
