Alexandra by A. Roberts (L) & Gnomandala XX by C. Gombert (R)

Works by Alexandra Roberts and Carl Gombert on exhibit in North Charleston

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that mixed media works by the City’s current Artist-in-Residence, Alexandra Roberts, as well as works of ink on paper by Tennessee artist, Carl Gombert, will be on exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery from January 2-31, 2015. Roberts will host a free public reception at the gallery from 5:00-7:00pm on Thursday, January 8.

Experimentum Crucis– Mixed media works by Alexandra Roberts
In Experimentum Crucis, Alexandra Roberts presents a collection of works that serve as an exploration of media culminating in a symphony of color and texture. Many of the pieces are inspired by personal experiences, observations in society, and her work as a community artist.  Being an artist is an ever evolving process and recently Alexandra has been creating art on wood, as well as working with various textiles.   

Born in Virginia, Alexandra Roberts moved to South Carolina as a young child.  Visual art has always been a major part of her life; participating in various art clubs and advanced art programs throughout her early education.  As a high school junior, she was accepted into the prestigious Governors School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville, SC.  Alexandra graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) with a BFA in Fine Arts in 2006 and immediately went on to pursue the career she is most passionate about, community arts, by obtaining an MA in Community Arts in 2007.  Through MICA’s Community Arts Partnership (CAP) program she had the opportunity to teach art and promote community involvement to young people in the Better Waverly Community located in Baltimore, MD. Currently, Alexandra is a freelance artist and art instructor with the Casey Community Center in Goose Creek, a teaching artist with the City of North Charleston’s After School Arts Enrichment Program, and offers residencies to North Charleston schools and community groups as the City’s 2014/15 Artist-in-Residence.  

Radiant Geometries – Works of ink on paper by Carl Gombert
Maryville, Tennessee, artist, Dr. Carol Gombert, offers a unique display of hand drawn and hand stamped ink artworks on paper in his exhibition Radiant Geometries. The featured drawings rely on a radial structure to explore complexity and pattern formed by the application of simple rules. A number of the rubber stamp monotypes used to create his patterns take the form of mandalas, while others are derived from traditional quilt designs. The works attempt to balance opposites, relying equally on dark and light and on positive and negative shapes. “In this little world I have created, there is symmetry, balance, and order,” says Gombert, “but neither rhyme nor reason.” To learn more, visit carlgombert.com.

Dr. Carl Gombert was born in Brimfield, Ohio in 1959.  He began taking painting lessons at the age of fourteen with money he earned delivering newspapers and went on to earn his B.F.A. in Drawing from the University of Akron, his M.F.A. in Painting from Kent State University, and his Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts at Texas Tech University. Gombert has taught painting, drawing, and art history at Maryville College in Tennessee since 1993, and has exhibited in more than 200 solo and group exhibitions throughout the country.

The North Charleston City Gallery is situated in the common areas of the Charleston Area Convention Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Parking and admission are free during regular Convention Center operating hours, 9:00am – 5:00pm daily.  The gallery is staffed on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday only.   Inquiries regarding the artists or purchase information may be directed to the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5854. For information on additional exhibits, programs, and events, visit the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website at www.northcharleston.org