Culver exhibit provides

    Students, faculty and onlookers crowded around Blackbridge Hall Thursday evening in celebration of John Culver’s artistic debut.
    “Traveling Through Time Trying to Find Paradise” is Culver’s first exhibit.  Culver, a self-taught artist, has spent the last 26 years creating his artwork and he finally felt that this was the right time in his life to show off his pieces.
    “I had a dream one night,” Culver said.  “I dreamt that I had to come here and show my work, and now here I am.”
    Anna Brown, a senior art major, curated the exhibit.  “Traveling Through Time Trying to Find Paradise” was Brown’s senior capstone project.
    “I had already been working with an artist for about seven months and got a phone call that changed everything,” Brown said.  “The artist was no longer able to exhibit their work and that’s when Culver came around.  He walked in at the right time and I was so blessed that he did.” 
    Students who attended the artist reception saw more than just artwork, the entire event was a show.
    The Touch, a religious singing group, performed before the artist talk and got the entire audience involved.
 Lindsey White, a freshman at GCSU, had never attended an art exhibit and was amazed with the entire event.
    “I enjoyed The Touch because they motivated the audience to get involved and sing along with them,” White said.  “They were excellent singers and I thought it was the perfect way to start off the night.”
    Jamie Waugh, a senior art history major, was impressed with Culver’s work.
    “Culver’s work is inspiring, here is this man who has spent the last 26 years creating these masterpieces and has not shown them to anyone,” Waugh said. “And now all his artwork is available to the public and it is incredible.  His work is breathtaking and truly remarkable.”
    Culver’s work is detailed and consists of many lines and patterns.  Circles, music notes, hearts and crosses are just a few of the shapes and symbols that are present in his pieces.
    “One line tells the other line where to go,” Culver said.  “I start in the middle of the board and I move my way out, that’s how my artwork comes together.  And as far as the colors go, I like to use bright colors that are a mixture from different cultures.”
    Kelly Boxler, a sophomore nursing major, also enjoyed Culver’s work.
    “For someone who is self-taught, his work is extremely detailed and elaborate,” Boxler said.  “It was hard for me to keep my eyes off his work because there are just so many different things to see and take in.  His work is mesmerizing.”
    Emily Ewalt, an art major at GCSU, found Culver’s work to be motivational.
    “Many people think it won’t ever happen because of all the hard work you have to put into your artwork to finally have an exhibit,” Ewalt said. “You could tell how happy he was while he was talking and that everything he had done was worth it for that one moment.”
    Culver spends up to nine hours of his day working on his art.  He wakes up well before the sun rises and spends time working on his pieces before he heads off to his job at IGA, where he works as a meat cutter.
    “At lunch I try to eat as fast as I can so that I have time to paint,” Culver said.  “I just love painting, and, if I could, I would do it all day.”
    Culver’s plan now is to become a full-time artist and he is hoping to be able to do more exhibits in the future.
    “John Culver is a dedicated artist,” Brown said.  “He was wonderful to work with and I am hoping that he finds success in the near future.”
    “Traveling Through Time Trying to Find Paradise” will be on display at Blackbridge Gallery through Oct. 27. 

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 6 2006. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry