An Update

Hello, all! Between snow and ice, holidays and the like, we've had little time for blogging of late, especially as most of our hours are being spent getting art up on the walls. Please enjoy the slideshow below that features installation of our amazing, huge painting by Gregory Gillespie, which took six people to hang.

We'd also like to point you tonight to "A Year on the Hill," an exhibition over at the Lamar Dodd School of Art featuring photographs by Jim Fiscus and Chris Bilheimer, both of whom have close connections to GMOA. Jim has spoken here before, and Chris has been very busy donating his graphic design skills to the invitations and programs for Elegant Salute XII: Metamorphosis.

The opening reception is tonight (Friday, January 14) from 7 to 9 p.m. Here's a bit more about the show from the art school's release, and we promise more updates from us soon, including some of the installation of Beverly Pepper's sculpture "Asenscione"!

Just a reminder that "A Year on the Hill," an upcoming show featuring photography by Jim Fiscus and Chris Bilheimer, will be on display in Gallery 101 at the Lamar Dodd School of Art from January 14 until February 11. There will be an opening reception on Friday, January 14 from 7 to 9 p.m.

The exhibition includes ten single images and three triptychs, measuring from 3x4 to 8x8 feet. All photographs were taken with a view camera in multiple frames, which made possible the production of large size images. Some of the films used are no longer manufactured. Apart form their scale, the individual prints are distinguished by various overlay treatments, including encaustic. All the work on this project took place on The Hill in Athens, Georgia between November of 2009 and the fall of 2010. The images in this exhibition have never been shown before.

Jim Fiscus

Jim Fiscus is an award-winning advertising and editorial photographer whose clients include Levis, Guinness, HBO, Nike, Coca-Cola, Showtime, Anheuser-Busch, and ESPN. Fiscus, who was voted International Photographer of the Year for 2006, has had work featured on two communication arts covers and named #1 on Campaigns 2008 list of top photographers in the United Kingdom. His reputation for perfection is matched only by the respect with which he treats his subjects. Fiscus studied photography at East Texas State University and is based in New York City and Athens, Georgia. His work can be seen at fiscusphoto.com.

According to Magazine 13:“Fiscus has been pushing the boundaries of photography and digital imaging for more than 15 years. Famous for his highly stylized photographs, he seamlessly melds people, places and elements into provocative images for editorial and advertising purposes. A pioneer in digital imaging, his technique gives him latitude to create any environment his clients envision, no matter how impossible.

Fiscus’ career began with a campaign for Philip Morris and has grown to include many national and international high-profile clients. A native Texan, Jim currently lives in Athens, Ga. Fiscus was voted International Photographer of the Year for 2006 by the International Photography Awards. His work was featured on two covers of “Communication Arts,” and he was named #1 on “Campaigns” magazine’s 2008 list of top photographers in the United Kingdom.”

Chris Bilheimer

While attending U.G.A. in pursuit of a degree in drawing and painting in the late 80's, Bilheimer began exploring graphic design on a whim in an effort to help out his friends in local bands, seeing posters and album covers as an avenue to show his artwork. Several years after meeting Michael Stipe of R.E.M. through mutual friends, Chris began to assist Michael in the design work for R.E.M., abandoning his painting to work full time as a designer. In short time, Bilheimer began designing for many other major-lable music acts while continuing his work with R.E.M., going on to design for Green Day, Weezer, Nirvana and many others. His twenty year career has seen hundreds of C.D.s released with his work, generating sales of over 30 million copies worldwide. He has been nominated three times for Grammys for his packaging, and his art and music photography has been published extensively. Bilheimer has also branched out of the music industry to design for comedy and television. He currently resides in Athens, Ga, and will soon be relocating to Austin, Tx.