Franklin Square Gallery
130 E West Street, Southport, NC 28461
910-457-5450
Hours - 10am - 5pm - Tuesday - Saturday
Featured Artists for May
Mary K. Donahoe and PJ Wachtler
Gallery Display 5/27 - 6/20
Franklin Square Gallery highlights the work of two talented Featured Artists this coming May:
Painter Mary K. Donahoe and Sculptor PJ Wachtler.
Both artists look forward to meeting and discussing their work with the public at the Gallery’s First Friday event on
May 3, 2024 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
It promises to be a wonderful evening where visitors are invited to enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres and wine as they meet the artists, discover their artwork, and view the other paintings and ceramic work on display throughout the Gallery.
Hailing from Maryland’s Montgomery County, 2D Featured Artist, Mary K. Donahoe, now lives and works in Ocean Isle Beach. She paints in a variety of media, including oil, acrylic and watercolor. An architect by profession, Mary K. creates large-scale, abstract paintings that she envisions as the centerpieces of the spaces they will inhabit. Influenced by Abstract Expressionist painters like Willem de Kooning and Mary Nomecos, Mary K.’s abstract work exhibits an exquisite use of color, composition, movement, depth and emotion. But Mary K. also paints representational landscape pieces, often en plein air, inspired by local marsh and water views and the quiet classicism of
representational masters like Andrew Wyeth. Having been trained as an architect, Mary K., says she initially avoided being an artist “because it seemed not to be intellectually rigorous.” She has realized, however, that painting is “a different aspect of rigor, as if after years of running you now had to swim. Or fly! You learn by experience. Painting brings me closest to joy.” It is that joy that she looks forward to sharing with the viewer.
PJ Wachtler, the Gallery’s 3D Featured Artist, is a sculptor and painter who grew up in Santa Monica, California, surrounded by the natural beauty of the mountains and the sea. He began his creative journey at the age of 10, inspired by a summer school teacher who influenced him profoundly. At 16, he was accepting commissions for silver and turquoise jewelry. After college and a 23-year career as an Air Force pilot, PJ returned to the world of art-making, creating thought-provoking sculpture in a variety of media, including clay, metal, wood, and glass. PJ's art is inspired by environmental and cultural themes and their impacts on our daily lives. His work is intended to prompt viewers to reflect on our world. As he explains, “I still love the natural world and how it works to achieve harmony and balance at every scale. When creating my work, I relate to the challenges faced by the planet and all its ecosystems and cultures. I believe art can impact our emotions and can move us to better understand, value, and respect our environment and each other.” PJ looks forward to discussing these themes with visitors to the Gallery at its May 3rd First Friday event.