Amazing range of art is on display at Sumter Artists' Guild Show
When you walk into the Sumter County Gallery of Art's 2025 Artists' Guild Show, you are in for an extra treat. To the right is the graceful, bronze Elizabeth O'Neill Verner statue presented to the gallery as a 2025 Governor's Award for Organization recipient - a notable accolade for "its contributions to the Arts in South Carolina." As you look to the left in the Ackerman Gallery, you will immediately feel at home. "Unleashed," an oil painting of a dog on the beach at sunrise by Kerry Strathman, turns the room into a respite before a hot dog day at the beach. Beams from the rising sun stream down from the sky, beating its silhouette of yellow heat across the composition; blue water melts into orange and gold until it engulfs the lone dog in a framework of a coming heat that feels like our own overwhelming weather.
As in previous shows, this one highlights the amazing range of art, media (painting, ceramic, fiber and photography) and perspectives of Sumter Artists' Guild members. From angels to monsters, wall-sized to minuscule, the show is rife with creativity.
Sylvia Pickell's bed-sized quilt "Africa" contrasts with the small, delicately embroidered "Hydrangea Study I" by third-place winner Jane Hray. Constance Brennan's signature angels stand in contrast to second-place winner Earl Dixon's sculpture "Lilith, Mother of Monsters," an allusion to Lilith - "the demon of spies," a figure from Jewish folklore "who became associated with demons." Another fascinating contrast lies between Barbara Dunn Rowe's Best of Show ceramic entry "Knee Deep in Frogs" and honorable mention "Sir Squiggleton II," a fiber snake with ceramic eyes and quilted scales by Zoe Monnier. Monnier's snake unleashes its tongue, its ceramic eyes luring the viewer for a closer look. Monnier showcases multiple talents throughout their three entries in the Guild Show, working across mediums like ceramic, sculptural quilting and batik. While both works add a bit of whimsy, their media choices emphasize different artistic visions in the creative process. Rowe's bright green frogs with long, exaggerated legs leap with happy energy in a more compact composition but still tempt a second appraisal.
The variety of artistic visions is also clear in the intricately compiled sculpture "AI Tree" by Trisha King and the clean, geometric lines of Vicki Hagner's silver necklace "Whisper of Greece." Viewers can expect further surprises. First-place winner Rand Rowe's "Fly to the Stars" features a bamboo flute atop a weathered block of walnut, combining an array of textures from delicate to weighty. The attendees of the Guild Show's opening reception had the joy of hearing Rowe play his other poplar flute live - another statement to this Guild Show's interactivity and progressive use of mediums.
"The Golden Hour," an oil of two sailboats by (Annie) Lawayne Reebel, establishes intense serenity and harmony with touches of gold throughout the composition on the ships, on the masts, in the water and sky, and framed in gold. Reebel also won honorable mention for her small painting, "Fire in the Sky." Honorable mention "Not a Cushy Job" by Genevieve Rath relies on controlled imagery for its impact of a young welder (Rath's grandson) wearing protective gear, welding a large disc. "Lavender Marsh" by Kimberly Land explodes with vivid pink, blue and green hues and bold brushy strokes across the canvas to make its impact. "Breathwork" by Lydia Sera suspends time through her soft, round forms floating against a blue sky.
The Guild Show not only showcases talent in abstract art, but also showcases how abstraction can be combined with realistic imagery. This is artfully accomplished in "Vivid I" by Ernest Hampton depicting a young girl in front of vibrant geometric shapes that stir youthful emotion.
There are many pieces that will excite and challenge viewers. Enjoy the show - and take time to contemplate and respond to Vicki Hagner's entry "Death of Democracy" that incorporates an American flag. Hagner, now retired, served 23 years in the Air Force.
The Sumter County Gallery of Art is a great indoor activity to escape the heat! The show is up through Aug. 22, 2025. The gallery is at 200 Hasel St.