The Martin County Arts Council hosted a gala reception at the Flatiron Building last Thursday evening, Aug. 8 marking the opening of a solo exhibit by artist Dion Burroughs.
The Martin County native began drawing and painting at age of fifteen. Through his high school years he attended the summer program at the Martin Luther King Center in Williamston, learning much from high school teachers Carolyn Ashley, Cyndi Herman and Kathy McKee.
Burroughs’ highlight of the show are his ‘Colorful Parrot,’ ‘The African Musician’ and his ‘Blue Owl.’
Burroughs has experimented in a variety of media including pen and ink, appliqued felt and paint since his early beginnings. The artist has displayed his work in over 30 solo exhibitions and many juried and invitational art exhibits in neighboring counties, earning first place awards for some of his artworks.
The First South Bank’s Permanent collection is home to Burroughs’ quilt, ‘The Scary Scarecrow,’ and several of his works have been selected for the N.C. Community College Art Exhibit.
His works also appear at the Williamston Primary School in Williamston, Pitt Community College in Greenville and at the Cashie Medical Center in Windsor.
"My art is a journey of self-discovery and self-expression. It is the process by which I choose to explore many different styles of art, even experimenting at creating those styles of art,” said Burroughs. “My favorite styles and subjects are: Religious Art, Black Art, Fine Art and Traditional or Folk Art. I am intrigued by my ancestral roots of freedom and what has been internally deemed worthy of remembering,” said Burroughs.
“It’s truly possible to re-visit my ancestral roots in African American past when the information stored has been distilled by time, dreams, love, bravery and fear,” he continued. “My memories are a source of pain, healing, poverty and freedom. My memories are what I tap into when I'm creating my works of art.”
The mission of the Martin County Arts Council is to enrich the quality of life for the citizens of Martin County through education, cultivation and preservation of the arts.
The MCAC was established in 1981 by a group of citizens interested in cultivating the arts in Martin County. After meeting in libraries, rented buildings and anywhere the group could find to meet, the MCAC was gifted with the historic former Williamston Hardware in 2003 by Cooper Peel.
The three-story building has a unique flat iron shape that was ta own highlight when first under construction in 1917. It was partially renovated with grants from an array of organizations and local donors throughout the years, including The Golden Leaf Foundation, the Canon Foundation, Cooper Peel and many local citizen.
“The show is like reading the first chapter in my Art Book, that has no ending to my creativity,” says Burroughs.
The show will hang throughout the month of August. The Martin County Arts Council is located at 124 Washington Street in Williamston.
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