Stories
Shell Gallery in the Truluck Room Opens
On Sunday, January 20, 2019 at 12:00 PM, the Shell Gallery in the Truluck Room hosted its inaugural art show titled “Joy!”
Julia Sibley-Jones, who is the Endowment administrator, opened the event by reciting a poem by Mary Oliver entitled “The Cricket and the Rose.” There were approximately 50 visitors at this opening event. Most attendees were there to support the artists whose works were displayed, and others, like me, were probably also curious to see the transformation of the Truluck Room.
Some BSUMC members know the Truluck Room as a small dining room with dark blue carpeting and older pieces of furniture that have been donated over the years. The new room has beautiful hardwood flooring, the walls have been painted a pale gray, and there is track lighting hung just below the ceiling to spotlight the artwork.
The exhibit “Joy!” consisted of twenty-one artists, all of whom are members of BSUMC. There was a total of thirty-five pieces of artwork and the variety of mediums is impressive: oil painting, acrylic painting, water color, glass mosaic, fabric art, framed photography, photography printed on canvas, and two wood carvings. The age range of the artists was from eight years-old to ninety-one. Melvin Bell, who recently passed away, was the oldest artist to display his work.
The Gallery Committee- Joy Cutchin, Carey Lee Hudson, Patty Jennings, Tammy Phillips, Shirley Truluck and Joye Burkhardt -put countless hours into the planning and execution of this inaugural show.
The purpose of the Shell Gallery is To Glorify God by enriching our community of faith through dynamic visual arts.
Julia Sibley-Jones ended her presentation at the opening with another quote:
“The most regretful people…are those…who felt their own creative power restive and uprising and gave to it neither power nor time.” We are thankful for the many talented BSUMC members who have been given the gift of the arts and are willing to share this gift with us!
by Dianne Eikenbusch
