JC White with Pandemic Panorama (Photo courtesy of OCTC.)
OWENSBORO, Ky. — As a student, JC White was a familiar sight around campus and he remains active in the OCTC Art Club, and takes additional art courses. As a graduate, his art continues to speak to others. He was recently selected to participate in Gov. Andy Beshear and First Lady Britainy Beshear’s Team Kentucky Gallery, which is in the main hall of the state Capitol in Frankfort.
Selected artworks are displayed for one six-month rotation in the Kentucky Capitol and on a Team Kentucky Digital Art Gallery with each artist’s contact information. After the six-month rotation, the artworks will be returned to the artist. The first rotation will be from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2021.
As part of the ART 290: Survival Skills for the Artist course, taught by OCTC Art Faculty member Dave Wilson, students earn additional points by submitting a class project to be considered for art exhibitions, outside a 60-mile radius of Owensboro. White submitted Pandemic Panorama for consideration to the Team Kentucky Gallery exhibition.
“Not only does this build student confidence with their creativity, but it also validates their art educational efforts with the art world. JC is a tremendous artist and advocate for art education. But most importantly, he is a true mentor for students at OCTC” added Wilson.
When asked to reflect on this opportunity White said, “I have learned many things in my art curriculum that has helped me to be a better artist, but two classes are directly responsible for this recognition. My piece, Pandemic Panorama, was an assignment in my color theory class in analogous painting, and I applied to the Governor’s exhibit to satisfy an objective in my artist survival class”.
As an artist, White is passionate about land, sky and water. The Pandemic Panorama piece focuses on all of these and combines them with an urge to escape. The work is portrayed by utilizing an analogous band of color between blue and yellow. White has been creating art for over sixty years.
The Team Kentucky Gallery installation will be open through Dec. 31, 2021. For more information about OCTC’s art program, contact davidw.wilson@kctcs.edu.