Local Artists Featured at Upcoming Arts Council April Exhibition

Submitted by Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/Douglas County

Douglasville, Georgia – The Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/Douglas County presents recent works by Tom Butler and Mike Nalley during the month of April.

Exhibiting more than 50 works by the two artists, the exhibition opens on Thursday, April 3rd, and will be on view through April 25th at the Cultural Arts Council. Hosted by the Douglas County Chamber Singers, the exhibit reception will be on Thursday, April 3rd from 6 until 8 p.m., at the Cultural Arts Council. Dulcimer player and music teacher at the Cultural Arts Council, Tom Stavran will perform alongside guest guitarist Ellen Downing.

On Sunday, April 27th, from 3 until 5 p.m., a special gallery talk and exhibition tour will be offered. Gallery admission, tour and reception are free and open to the general public.

Mike Nalley is a native Georgian, born in the city of Carrollton. In 1980, he received an Associate of Arts degree in Photography from the Art Institute of Atlanta. He opened his first studio in Marietta, GA in 1981, concentrating mainly on commercial work until 1984.

In 2005, he dove back into the world of photography; since then, he’s exhibited his work across the state of Georgia and surrounding states and has received a number of awards – including the first place award at 2012’s National Open Visual Arts Show (NOVAS). Mike’s necessity to see, hear, feel and create has driven him to explore the nature of people and abandoned locations – masterfully using light to paint a portrait full of wonder, character and intrigue.

Regarding this body of work Mike writes, “I tell stories of times past and people who have not spent time in the norm. I search them out in all places, at all times. There will always be another.”

Tom Butler, a resident of Douglasville since 1976, is currently finishing his Bachelors of Fine Arts degree - with a concentration in painting - from the University of West Georgia. Tom is a recipient of the 2nd place award in 2012’s National Open Visual Arts Show (NOVAS) by the Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/ Douglas County, and 1st place winner in the 2-D category of the Annual Juried Student Exhibition at the University of West Georgia.

In regards to his work he writes, “I am exploring the broken experiences and subsequent triumphs that made me who I am.”

Using a combination of symbolism, color, and expressive lines, Tom creates hauntingly-beautiful paintings and photographs that explore the multifaceted nature of humanity and the struggles we all share.

The Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/ Douglas County, located at 8652 Campbellton Street in historic downtown Douglasville, Georgia, is open Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For directions and more information, visit www.artsdouglas.org or contact the Cultural Arts Council at 770.949.2787.