Mint Hill Arts is proud to present work by “Adult Students of Mint Hill Arts . . . and the Teachers that Inspire Them.”

Currently on display in Mint Hill Town Hall, the exhibit displays work in various mediums created by adult students with a wide range of artistic experience.  Additionally, the exhibit showcases the work of Sharron Burns, Kim DiBiasio, Steve Lindenman, Mary Phelps and Jan Schopen, the five teachers who taught and inspired these students.

The Adult Student Show is new for Mint Hill Arts, which is better known for their classes for children and teens.  In fact, one of their most popular and well-attended shows – the 12th Annual Student Art Show – is coming up in March.  However, Mint Hill Arts isn’t just for kids. Their selection of classes open to adults this spring includes Acrylic Painting, Digital Photography Fundamentals, Adobe Lightroom Classic I, Colored Pencil Basics, More Colored Pencils, Basic Drawing, Intermediate Watercolor Painting, Reverse Glass Painting, Mini Mixed Media, and Beginning/Intermediate Oil Painting.  According to Communications Director Carol Clayton, the Adult Student Show is an effort to let the community know about Mint Hill Arts’ adult offerings and encourage participation and enrollment.

On the first floor of Town Hall, visitors are treated to the work of Steve Lindenman, a Matthews-based freelance event and commercial photographer who teaches digital photography and editing fundamentals at Mint Hill Arts.  Lindenman’s own displayed work plays on light and motion, presenting the silhouette of a roller coaster at its height against a darkening sky in “The Intimidator” and a bustling European streetscape in “Gdansk.” Lindeman’s students captured diverse subjects ranging from Carlos Pelay’s exploration of architectural details in “Felicity St. UMC, New Orleans” and “Double Door Inn” to captivating images of the natural world like Pam Batra’s “Nature” and “Bhrigu Lake.”

Also on the first floor, visitors will find colored pencil drawings by students Laura Forester, Pat Kempisty, Connie Pratt, Debbie Oliver, Deb Schell, and Colored Pencil Basics Instructor Jan Schopen.  Schopen began working with colored pencils in 2015, depicting subjects that capture her interest in intense color and precise detail, like the “Red Bird” and “Sunrise Lily” displayed in Town Hall. One can clearly see her influence in her students’ vibrant, detailed drawings that focus on the natural world, like   Deb Schell’s “Wisdom,” a detailed close up of an owl’s face, Laura Forester’s “Seedtime Fascinator,” an extreme close up of a bird’s breast, and Pat Kempisty’s “Purple Pansies,” a vibrant depiction of the eponymous flowers.

Upstairs, visitors can see the acrylic work of instructor Kim DiBiasio and her students Emma Reyes, Mae Rostock, Debi Hale, Rachael Watkins and Marcia Roses.  DiBiasio’s own work is diverse, ranging from the realistic “Autumn Woods” acrylic on paper to the abstract “Colors of Water” made with fluid acrylic on canvas.  Likewise, DiBiasio’s students’ work ranges from Reyes’ abstract “But I’m Not the Face You’re in Love With” to Mae Rostock’s vivid “Little Bird” and Debi Hale’s hyper-realistic “Avocado.”

“I am very proud to have 5 students showing their artwork in this exhibit,” says DiBiasio, who also acts as Education Director at Mint Hill Arts and serves on the Executive Board. “It is among my goals to continue the great work of Mint Hill Arts, to expand our class offerings and provide an exceptional education program to students of all ages.”

Also upstairs are watercolor paintings by Intermediate Watercolor Painting Instructor Sharron Burns and her student Debbie Oliver.  It’s easy to see Burns’ fascination with both still life and the ways that crystal and glass diffuse light and shadow through her own work “Plenty of Pears” as well as Oliver’s “Crystal Fruit Bowl.”

Lastly, spanning the two floors are works by Beginning and Intermediate Oil Instructor Mary Phelps and her student, Ruth Hand.  A love of Plein Air painting, or the act of painting outdoors, leads Phelps to render the beauty of nature in her paintings like “Autumn Gold.” Her influence can be seen in Hand’s oil painting “Quiet Path,” depicting a path leading to a lake surrounded by mountains and trees.

The Town Hall Exhibit will run through mid-April. It is open to the public weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The gallery, which is located on both the first and ground floors, is accessed from the front of the building.  If, after seeing the show, you want to take a course from one of these artists, go to www.minthillarts.org or come by the gallery at 11205 Lawyers Road in Mint Hill to see what courses and samplers are being offered and to register.