Sharing and helping others has always been a part of author, artist, and gallery owner Anne Neilson’s mission.
Anne Neilson was perhaps first most widely known for her ethereal oil paintings of Angels from her ‘Angels Series’ starting in 2003. Many of these paintings can be found in her first book, Angels in Our Midst, published in 2012. As a way to share her art with more people, the book follows Neilson as she creates each painting with background inspirations and personal stories tied to the paintings.
Then, to bring art to even more people, Anne founded her gallery, Anne Neilson Fine Art in Charlotte NC, in 2014. Today, the SouthPark space represents more than 50 artists internationally.
Just this past April, Neilson upped the ante once more with the release of her newest book, The Brushstrokes of Life. The memoir is devoted to Anne’s spiritual journey,
It’s been a big year, and to finish out the 2023 exhibitions, the ANFA team is launching a new show: “Meraki”, on display November 9th through January 12th. Gallery director Logan Sutton took the time to answer a few questions about “Meraki,” and talked us through a few exciting expectations for ANFA, like their 10 year anniversary, in 2024.
Tell us about your upcoming exhibit, “Meraki.”
First, it’s imperative to start with the meaning behind the word Meraki (pronounced may-ruh-key). Meraki is a Greek word meaning the essence of ourselves, pouring our whole selves, soul, creativity, and passion into what we do. At ANFA, our artists are so dedicated to their craft and our staff so passionate about our artists that the feeling of the word Meraki radiates through our light filled gallery space.
Who will be included in this exhibit? Are there multiple artists?
There are multiple artists to be exhibited during this exhibition, with 5 or 6 typically showcasing at a time, rotating out what has been collected with new arrivals. The exhibition will start out with main features of Trudi Norris, Lisa Noonis, Juniper Briggs, Caroline Boykin, Peggi Kroll-Roberts, and Michael Barringer. In a side exhibition room is another artist feature for local artist Veronica Davila’s nostalgic watercolor works.
How do these artists all represent the meaning of Meraki in their own way?
Within each painting, you can feel the story of each individual artist and the feelings they are trying to convey from their compositions. The uniqueness of each story and painting is what allows the idea of Meraki to come through the canvas.
What type of art can visitors expect to see?
Visitors can see a range of styles, textures, and color palettes in the exhibition. That’s the best part of this one! You can really get an understanding of how very different artists can still complement one another. Abstract, figurative, funky still lifes, etc ranging in soft palettes to vibrant. It’s a wonderful mix that will be powerful on the walls!
Is this your last exhibit of the year? If so, think back on all of the year’s exhibits. Which one are you most proud of or were grateful to be able to put on?
This will be our last exhibition for the year! Wow, how did we already get to the end of 2023? At the end of 2022 we moved into our new gallery space and what a wonderful decision it was.
Looking back, how do you pick your favorite exhibit? Each one presents such beauty in different ways and each one a unique success. I do have to say, we started the year off strong with an art historical inspired exhibit titled Chiaroscuro. The drama and impact that it had upon entry was pretty stunning. In addition to that, we had two major solo exhibitions during the year for Adele Yonchak and Marcy Gregg. Both were extremely successful with almost the entire exhibitions placed into public or private collections.
What can Charlotteans expect from ANFA in 2024?
Big things ahead for Anne Neilson Fine Art in Charlotte NC! Our exhibition schedule is set and you’ll see many of our prolific artists as well as introducing new artists to the Charlotte and Carolina market. It’s a secret for now, but you all should also stay tuned as we have major news about our market and reach expanding coming in 2024!
Where can people go to find more info about the event or the artist(s) website or IG?
You can view more about the event on our website under Exhibitions! Also follow us on IG at @anneneilsonfineart for all of our info, as well as artist’s personal IG!
We just learned ANFA has been selected as one of the Charlotte Business Journals 2023 Fast 50 awards winners! This is based on annual growth over a three year period. We are endlessly grateful for all our collectors and supporters. What I want to share with everyone is that ANFA is a place for everyone to feel welcome! This space is about community whether you are financially able to afford to collect yet or not. We want everyone to enjoy our space and our events. There are always various ways to support small businesses!
