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| N.C. Prison Art Workshop Expanding Horizons |
| By New Bern Sun Journal |
| Published: 04/01/2003 |
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Once a week, Chris Moore forgets the drabness of his surroundings and escapes into a world of imagination and creativity. Since last fall, Moore and six of his fellow inmates have been getting together for a weekly art workshop at the Pamlico Correctional Facility. 'Ninety percent of the reason any of us do it is to get your mind off things. It's an escape from reality,' Moore said. 'I guess it's like gardening is for some people.' The workshop came about when retired industrial designer Ron Gutkowski contacted the prison with an offer to hold weekly sessions for interested prisoners. 'I got to thinking about what I could give back, and that led me to think about the mentors and instructors I had in school who had done me a lot of good and given me some direction,' said Gutkowski, who spent 20 years designing structural packaging. Since moving to Pamlico County with his wife about 10 years ago, Gutkowski has pursued art for pleasure, working primarily in ceramics and watercolor, but recently venturing off into fused glass. Working with prison programs director Rick Adamson, Gutkowski decided to dive in and see where the project led. So far, it's led to an exhibit of the group's work at Circle 10 Gallery in Oriental, and a couple of other shows are in the works. Some of the men were experienced artists when they joined the group. Others were complete novices. David Roberts' work has been exhibited at the Kinston Arts Council, Bradley 'Geno' Morgan's in N.C. Department of Prisons shows in Raleigh and Chris Combs' at the Harvey Mansion. 'I was 55 years old when I started painting,' Morgan said. ' I picked it up as a hobby. I'm self-taught. I had never been around a professional artist before the workshop.' That exposure expanded his artistic horizons. 'He was already pretty well developed on techniques,' Gutkowski said, 'but he hadn't really painted boats before until I brought in a picture of some trawlers in Oriental harbor.' Now, Morgan has several harbor scenes, painted in bold, impressionistic colors. 'We start out with some demonstrations comparing acrylics and other types of watercolors,' Gutkowski said. 'I show them some of the differences and how you use the different mediums, then it's up to them what they want to do. Chris Moore draws portraits from photographs. 'I normally paint, but now I'm doing pencil drawings,' Moore said. James Clenney, who only recently learned to draw, favors pastels. 'It's hard, but I like the outcome,' Clenney said. 'I didn't have talent. I learned it here. These guys are really good at it, and they've been real helpful.' Roberts, an accomplished portraitist, helped Clenney complete the details in a piece he'd been working on for a while, and both men signed the portrait. Inexperience sometimes leads to serendipity. Jerry Carr, for example, used watercolor on canvas. 'I didn't know you weren't supposed to. It's what was here, so that's what I used,' said Carr, shaking his head and laughing. The result of his effort, rendered in strong primary colors, is a black cowboy crossing the plains on a galloping horse. Inspiration comes from a variety of sources. 'Last month was Black History Month, and I was reading a novel with a black character,' said Carr, who modeled his composition after a picture in a book. 'See that lily right outside the window? I painted it when it was almost as high as the window,' said Morgan, who often paints wildlife and landscapes. He also looks at a lot of magazines, sometimes using an element from a photo as a model to paint from. The weekly art workshop is more than just a welcome break in the routine of prison life. 'It raises morale when they see their work displayed in the prison, but they're also learning a skill they can use when they get out,' said Adamson. 'It definitely teaches them some responsibility. In order to stay in the program, they have to stay infraction-free.' Combs, who gets out in November, hopes to turn a lifelong interest in drawing and painting into a career. 'I've been drawing ever since I was little,' Combs said. 'I want to pursue an education and get a certificate so I can do something with art when I get out.' 'We knew we had talent out here from what we'd seen, but we're really, really impressed with some of the work they're producing. It's remarkable to watch them work,' said Adamson. With a waiting list of at least 20 inmates who want to take the workshop, Adamson plans to start a regular rotation. 'This is our first group. They're building a path for others to follow,' he said. 'When this rotation ends, I imagine these guys will all sign up for the waiting list right away.' |
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