|
 Orange Hill to host a memorial exhibition for self-taught artist and former city councilman, Archie Byron. The show will highlight the life's work of one of Georgia's most beloved folk artists who passed away on August 29, 2005. Atlanta- September 7, 2005 - Orange Hill Art will host, In Memoriam: The Life's Work of Archie Byron, October 1st - October 31st. The show will feature a full range of works created by legendary folk artist Archie Byron. The exhibition opens to the public with a reception on Thursday, October 6, 2005 from 7pm until 10pm. The exhibition will feature some of Byron's work never seen by the public, and pieces from private collections. Archie Byron was born in 1928, and was a boyhood friend of Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1961, he was recruited into the sheriff's department, and he later founded the first black-owned private investigator firm in the United States. In 1981, Byron was elected to the city council where he served until 1990. Archie Byron is known for his sawdust sculptures, which are freestanding and in relief. His first creations were carvings made from branches and roots. He was also chosen by Mayor Shirley Franklin to create life size figures on Piedmont Avenue in downtown Atlanta for the folk art park installation. Archie had a brain aneurysm in the mid-1990s, which left him with limited mobility, and he began painting instead of molding sawdust. Byron's sawdust forms are molded from a mix of sawdust, solvent and adhesive. They vary in subject matter from portraits of his family members, dogs, flowers, self-portraits and religious and political images. About Orange Hill Art Orange Hill Art is an Atlanta-based gallery specializing in folk and self-taught, outsider art from across the globe. The mission of Orange Hill is to create a portal between the "outside" and the mainstream in art and life. Orange Hill was awarded its first accolade for "Best Presentation" at the Slotin Folk Fest in 2004. The gallery is managed by director Brandi Iryshe and founder Robbi Raitt. For more information, please visit www.orangehillart.com or call 404.215.2100. |
|
| Copyright 2005 Orange Hill Art Inc. | Site Map | Home | Terms and Conditions |