Sunset River Gallery to present annual Small Works show; reception June 5

Sunset River Gallery, the eclectic art hub in Calabash, NC, will present its Small Works show with an opening reception on Friday, June 5 from 5 – 7 p.m. The annual event, which features both two- and three-dimensional works will run through Sunday, July 19 (leading into the gallery’s three-day Summer Art Market July 17 – 19).

Gallery director Samantah Spalti said, “We love putting together this show of smaller pieces (nothing larger than 12” x 16”). The idea is to offer visitors fine art that’s easy to take home with them. Locals love it because it seems people are always looking for that special little piece! And our artists work in virtually all media, so you never know what you’ll find at this show.”

Thirty-six artists will be participating, including Janet Sessoms, Allison Fanelli, Diane White, Roseann Bellinger, Tracy Young, Kari Feuer, Betsy Parker, Beryl Kirkpatrick, Vicki Neilon, Kathleen Spicer, Simone Esquibol, Becky Steele, Clay Johnson, Carol Stabile,  Ron Parent, Mona Bendin, Samantha Spalti, Gail Black, Don McCrary Judi Moore, Janet Boschker, Rachel Sunnell, Brenda Riggins, Therese Bisceglia, Linda Hester, Barbara Karkut, Linda Karaskevicus, Nancy Guiry, Kim Kirk, Dean Nelson, Michael Cahill, Sue Nern, Ginny Lassiter, Mary Donahoe, and Tonda Jeffcoat.

About Sunset River Gallery

Located in coastal Brunswick County, NC, Sunset River Gallery caters to both area visitors and a growing local community of full-time residents seeking fine art for their homes and businesses. Featuring works by over 100 fine regional artists including Chantal Tomiello, Janet Sessoms, and Clay Johnson, among others, the gallery is well known in the area for its selection of oil paintings; watermedia; pastels; photography; hand-blown, stained, and fused glass; pottery and clay sculpture; turned and carved wood; unique home décor items; and artisan jewelry.

There are two onsite kilns and six wheels used by the gallery’s pottery students. The gallery also offers ongoing oil/acrylic and watercolor classes as well as workshops by regionally and nationally known instructors.

In 2022, Sunset River Gallery acquired Cordier Auctions, a premier auction house, which regularly holds estate and consignment auctions of fine and decorative art; coins, sterling, and fine jewelry; real estate; antiques, firearms and militaria, and more. Information about appraisal to auction can be obtained by emailing appraisal@sunsetrivergallery.com.

Sunset River Gallery is located at 10283 Beach Drive SW (NC179) in Calabash, NC. Telephone: 910.575.5999. Website: https://sunsetrivergallery.com . Regular gallery hours are Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Shown in header: Vicki Neilon Marsh Magnificence; Linda Karaskevicus, Bird Island Stream; Ron Parent, Lakeside Reflections.

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Gallery presents text-forward art show April 11- May 16; reception April 11

Sunset River Gallery in Calabash, NC will present a show featuring text-forward works from Saturday, April 11 through Saturday, May 16. Gallery director Samantha Spalti said, “All pieces in this show are text-based. Every artist has incorporated some kind of text into their artwork. It might be poetry, phrases, quotes, political text, a personal message, or something else. We think you’ll be surprised at the scope of the work.” There will be an opening reception on Saturday, April 11 from 2 – 4 p.m. The public is invited and there is no charge.

The show includes both wall art and 3D pieces from over 25 gallery artists including Vicki Neilon, Kathleen Spicer, Allison Fanelli, Roseann Bellinger, Susan Barnard, Kari Feuer, Rachel Jones, Diane White, Samantha Spalti, Debanjana Bhattacharjee, Roberta Rotunda, Judi Moore, Joy Parks Coats, Janet Boschker, Tracy Young, Ellen “Dean” Nelson, Carol Stabile, Jamie Futera, Mary Welch Austin, Simone Esquibel, Barbara Karkut, Michael Cahill, Marybeth Bradbury, Becky Steels, Rachel Sunnell, Chantal Tomiello, and Therese Bisceglia.

Artists have attributed inspiration for the works to personal events and beliefs, song lyrics and meanings, and strong political opinions. Samantha Spalti has used Gil Scott-Heron’s iconic poem/anthem “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” as her main visual. Also using song lyrics is Rachel Sunnell’s acrylic titled “Let It Be.” Michael Cahill chose a personal family memory for his mixed media piece. Allison Finelli’s acrylic painting of a wall plastered with the text “Pray for Peace” speaks to a national hope.

There will be an opening reception on Saturday, April 11 from 2 – 4 p.m. at which many of the artists are expected. The public is invited and there is no charge.

About Sunset River Gallery

Located in coastal Brunswick County, NC, Sunset River Gallery caters to both area visitors and a growing local community of full-time residents seeking fine art for their homes and businesses. Featuring works by over 100 fine regional artists including Chantal Tomiello, Janet Sessoms, and Clay Johnson, among others, the gallery is well known in the area for its selection of oil paintings; watermedia; pastels; photography; hand-blown, stained, and fused glass; pottery and clay sculpture; turned and carved wood; unique home décor items; and artisan jewelry.

There are two onsite kilns and six wheels used by the gallery’s pottery students. The gallery also offers ongoing oil/acrylic and watercolor classes as well as workshops by regionally and nationally known instructors.

In 2022, Sunset River Gallery acquired Cordier Auctions, a premier auction house, which regularly holds estate and consignment auctions of fine and decorative art; coins, sterling, and fine jewelry; real estate; antiques, firearms and militaria, and more. Information about appraisal to auction can be obtained by emailing appraisal@sunsetrivergallery.com.

Sunset River Gallery is located at 10283 Beach Drive SW (NC179) in Calabash, NC. Telephone: 910.575.5999. Website: https://sunsetrivergallery.com . Regular gallery hours are Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

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Sunset River Gallery in Calabash, NC is featuring works by Roseann Bellinger through April 11. Bellinger’s love of rich vibrant colors defines her signature style. Working primarily in acrylic, her coastal marshscapes and still life compositions depict a vivid path of light and vibrant abstracts. Citing influences that include Asher Brown Durand, Claude Money and Robert Motherwell, the award-winning artist says, “It is the challenge of conveying emotion to the view that constantly drives me. Weaving bold color and texture through my paintings helps achieve that goal.”

Bellinger is a member of Brunswick Arts Council and Oak Island Artist Guild in North Carolina. She participates annually in the Burroughs and Chapin Art Museum Collectors’ Event in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Gallery director Samantha Spalti said, “Roseann has quite a following who are sure to love this Artist Spotlight display of brand new work!”

About Sunset River Gallery

Located in coastal Brunswick County, NC, Sunset River Gallery caters to both area visitors and a growing local community of full-time residents seeking fine art for their homes and businesses. Featuring works by over 100 fine regional artists including Chantal Tomiello, Janet Sessoms, and Clay Johnson, among others, the gallery is well known in the area for its selection of oil paintings; watermedia; pastels; photography; hand-blown, stained, and fused glass; pottery and clay sculpture; turned and carved wood; unique home décor items; and artisan jewelry.

There are two onsite kilns and six wheels used by the gallery’s pottery students. The gallery also offers ongoing oil/acrylic and watercolor classes as well as workshops by regionally and nationally known instructors.

In 2022, Sunset River Gallery acquired Cordier Auctions, a premier auction house, which regularly holds estate and consignment auctions of fine and decorative art; coins, sterling, and fine jewelry; real estate; antiques, firearms and militaria, and more. Information about appraisal to auction can be obtained by emailing appraisal@sunsetrivergallery.com.

Sunset River Gallery is located at 10283 Beach Drive SW (NC179) in Calabash, NC. Telephone: 910.575.5999. Website: https://sunsetrivergallery.com . Regular gallery hours are Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunset River Gallery in Calabash, NC announces the opening of its first 2026 exhibition, Distinctive Aesthetics: Exploring Four Artistic Narratives, on Saturday, Feb. 7, with an opening reception from 2 – 4 p.m. The public is invited and there is no charge. Distinctive Aesthetics features work by Kathleen Spicer, Kathleen V. Stuart, Therese Bisceglia, and Michelle McKDavis. These are four friends, four artists, and four wildly different approaches to their art – the common thread being that they each upend the concept of mixed media, using tools and materials to build layered pieces in a very unexpected fashion. The multi-layered approach of each take painting and sculpture beyond traditional boundaries. This Distinctive Aesthetics show, which runs through March 28 reflects the out-of-the-box thinking of all four.

According to Conway, SC artist Kathleen Spicer, who works with oil paint and cut wood, she is inspired by nature and the colors in her surroundings, “Many of my forms have botanical references. The shapes sing and dance and even the shadows are alive with energy.” Her pieces defy category as it meshes sculpture and painting into a new genus of free-formed relief painting.

Kathleen V. Stuart, who is a resident of Ocean Isle Beach, NC, works with fiber and encaustic (a hot wax medium). She says, “Fiber is very tactile. I try to create a natural world by molding and shaping fibers into frees, flowers, and rocks, encouraging the viewer to come closer and touch. Using encaustic wax applied to books brings a new sculptural dimension to my work that further invites touch.” Stuart is known for her large format wall pieces as well as freestanding fiber sculptures.

North Myrtle Beach, SC artist Therese Bisceglia paints in oil, often incorporating mixed media to her pieces. She explains, “My paintings shift between recognizable and abstract imagery, depending on what feels right in the moment. I treat my work like a scrapbook, adding bits of wood, paper, fabric, and found objects I’ve collected over the years. By sanding back through these layers, I reveal traces of what’s underneath.

Also living in Conway, SC, Michelle McKDavis paints in oil, adding embroidery for a result both figurative and abstractive. She states, “I create oil paintings that explore the layered intersections of identity, mythology, and history – often through the recurring presence of water. My compositions carry a sense of storytelling – explicit or suggested.” Her work allows past and present to coexist in fluid, shifting forms, creating visual spaces that reflect the complexity of personal transformation.

Samantha Spalti, gallery director for Sunset River Gallery, said, “As a fellow artist, I’m so excited to have this show as our opener for the new year. All four of these women push the envelope both creatively and practically. They take their chosen materials to new heights, all while keeping the work engaging and approachable. I hope everyone will come to see Distinctive  Aesthetics for themselves. It’s going to be memorable.”

About Sunset River Gallery

Located in coastal Brunswick County, NC, Sunset River Gallery caters to both area visitors and a growing local community of full-time residents seeking fine art for their homes and businesses. Featuring works by over 100 fine regional artists including Chantal Tomiello, Janet Sessoms, and Clay Johnson, among others, the gallery is well known in the area for its selection of oil paintings; watermedia; pastels; photography; hand-blown, stained, and fused glass; pottery and clay sculpture; turned and carved wood; unique home décor items; and artisan jewelry.

There are two onsite kilns and six wheels used by the gallery’s pottery students. The gallery also offers ongoing oil/acrylic and watercolor classes as well as workshops by regionally and nationally known instructors.

In 2022, Sunset River Gallery acquired Cordier Auctions, a premier auction house, which regularly holds estate and consignment auctions of fine and decorative art; coins, sterling, and fine jewelry; real estate; antiques, firearms and militaria, and more. Information about appraisal to auction can be obtained by emailing appraisal@sunsetrivergallery.com.

Sunset River Gallery is located at 10283 Beach Drive SW (NC179) in Calabash, NC. Telephone: 910.575.5999. Website: https://sunsetrivergallery.com . Regular gallery hours are Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

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