5 artists united to ‘Heal Humanity’

Published 10:49 am Friday, June 18, 2021

Contributed image

Artwork in this image (left to right): Not Guns but Roses by Margaret C. Brown, Obsolescence I – Deus Ex Machina by Andrae Green, Angels Among Us by Nnamdi Okonkwo, Ogolo by Oliver Enwonwu, and Perilous Times I by Zerric Clinton.

 

 

5 artists united to ‘Heal Humanity’

The Steffen Thomas Museum of Art will host the exhibit, “Five Artists United to Heal Humanity,” a juried exhibition, beginning May 6 and continuing through July 10.

Healing Our Humanity: Finding Hope, Love and Unity,” will feature five guest artists with impressive backgrounds. Artists across the globe were invited to apply in February, but this group of five was chosen by the juror, September Gray – a fine art gallery owner from Atlanta. The works of selected artists Margaret C. Brown, Zerric Clinton, Oliver Enwonwu, Andrae Green, and Nnamdi Okonkwo.

Healing Our Humanity” compiles a broad range of perspectives that tell the dynamic story of the current social climate and a path forward. The museum sought out artists whose work inspires communication, healing, hope, love and unity, citing this 1965 quote from their namesake, Steffen Thomas: “The most important aspect of art is communication. I use universal themes and I try to communicate with all persons. Art is unique in that a translation is not necessary, and a genuine work of art can be more powerful than a dozen ambassadors. If we can exchange our ideas and our feelings through art, I think it will be a little more difficult for us to go shooting and dropping bombs on each other. Perhaps I am an idealist, but this is what I believe and this is the purpose of my work.”

Ironically, the political climate and social issues we face now are not so different than those occurring when Thomas gave this interview in 1965. The turbulence of the Vietnam War and the growing Civil Rights movement had the nation on edge. For over sixty years, Steffen Thomas produced works grounded in the ideal that all people belong to a single family of man, without regard to race, gender, identity or any other label. 

 

About the Artists

 

Margaret Brown, Sculptor/Painter from Covington, Ga.

Margaret Caldwell Brown is a painter and sculptor who draws inspiration from everyday life and the foundations of art itself: line, color, light, and form. She describes her work as “my impression of Impressionism” and says that her painting technique comes from the “Waffle House School” because it is “diced, scattered, smothered, and covered.” Brown studied art at the New York University College in New Paltz, New York in the 1970’s, and returned to painting after retirement. She went on to learn from instructors in the Washington Art Association in Washington Depot, Connecticut. While living in Key West, Florida, she took a course in welding from Community College in Key West and now applies those skills towards sculpture.

 

Zerric Clinton (McDonough, Ga.)

Dr. Zerric Clinton is an abstract artist whose work uses symbolism, color, and rhythm to communicate how social issues affect people. He has been an art educator in Georgia for over 25 years, and recently served as President of the Georgia Art Education Association. Clinton received his BFA in Art Education from Valdosta State University, an M.A. in Educational Leadership, Valdosta State University, and a PhD in Art Education from Florida State University. Over the course of his career as an artist, Clinton’s artwork has been exhibited in New York, Baltimore, Seattle, New Orleans, and several other major cities across the United States. 

 

Oliver Enwonwu, Painter from Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria

In his work, Oliver Enwonwu elevates Black culture to challenge racial injustice and systemic racism by celebrating the cultural, political and socio-economic achievements of Africans through an examination of African spirituality, Black identity and migration, contemporary African politics, Pan Africanism and the global Africa empowerment movement. He received his Master of Art History degree from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, and currently serves as President of the Society of Nigerian Artists. Enwonwu is based in Lagos, Nigeria but has exhibited work in Ireland, South Africa, United Kingdom, and Nigeria.

 

Andrae Green, Painter from Springfield, Mass.

Andrae Green is a painter whose work explores the nuances of the collective consciousness that has been shaped by time, mythology and memory. Green was born in Kingston, Jamaica where he attended the Edna Manley School for the Visual and Performing Arts, and later earned a full scholarship for his MFA in Painting at the New York Academy of Art. He is an international artist, who has exhibited in the United States, Jamaica, Canada, China, and France. He was artist in residence at Experience Jamaique in Geneva, Switzerland in 2019.

 

Nnamdi Okonkwo, Sculptor from Fayetteville, Ga.

Nnamdi Okonkwo is known for creating exaggerated figures, and describes his sculptures as “simplified and stylized to express better my thoughts” and “straight to the point and devoid of pretension.” Okonkwo was born in Eastern Nigeria and received his degree in painting there before coming to the U.S. to earn his BFA in Sculpture at Brigham Young University (BYU), Hawaii and later his MFA in Sculpture from BYU, Provo.

The Museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., located at 4200 Bethany Road in rural Buckhead, Ga. Increased safety measures are in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus. For groups of 10 or more, guests are asked to schedule their visit in advance to guarantee enough space for social distancing — call 706-342-7557 or email info@steffenthomas.org. 

For more information, go to www.steffenthomas.org.