Beard’s travels have taken him to most of the continents on extended journeys through the remote wilderness, allowing him to bring back inspiration to his New Orleans studio, where his work encourages interaction between artist and audience. Vanity Fair singled Alex out as, “an accomplished artist, an adventurer and an accidental entrepreneur.”
River Oaks could not be more pleased to have such all-round talent visit, not only for an exhibit, but for two classes that will be open to the public. The first class takes place on December 5th from 10:30am to 4:00pm. It introduces participants to Beard’s unique style and technique, which he refers to as abstract naturalism. The core component of the class will teach students how to manipulate the viewers’ gaze via visual mathematics and composition design. Registration is $40.00 per person.
Doors for the Porch Sale open at 9:00am, and relaxed shopping and refreshments will be available until 3:00pm. The Sale takes place in the historic Bolton Home as well as in the Annex Building, both located at 1330 Second Street in Downtown Alexandria.
Rhonda Reap Curiel will also be featured in her exhibit entitled “Through the Looking Glass,” Reap-Curiel, a River Oaks mixed media resident artist, will showcase her work in the Galerie des Amis. “Part of being an artist is being able to truly see your surroundings and expect the beauty and the ugliness that lies before you and see past the first impression, to seek beyond the first layer and into something that stirs your soul.”
Also featured simultaneously with Beard and Curiel is the annual exhibit featuring students from John Eskew Training Center. Since 2010, the John Eskew Project, under the instruction of River Oaks resident artist Carole Steele, has provided over two hundred sessions of visual art lessons to developmentally disabled clients between the ages 17 and 35. The exhibit gives visitors a unique insight into the talents and perspectives of the developmentally disabled.