HIGH POINT — A local artist’s work has found a new home for the holidays.
Sechrest Art Gallery, on the campus of High Point University, is hosting “Home for the Holidays,” an exhibition of nostalgic paintings by Thomasville folk artist — and HPU alum — Dianne Saintsing Myers. The exhibit opened Dec. 1 and will remain on display through Dec. 20.
“I was really excited when they contacted me and said they’d like to show some of my paintings,” Myers said. “I feel honored to have this opportunity.”
While Myers’ paintings capture details of her own family’s history, those who have seen the exhibition find the paintings very relatable.
“The response to this show has been wonderful — we had over 250 guests at the open house we hosted to celebrate its opening,” said Emily Gerhold, director of Sechrest Art Gallery.
“I heard over and over again from folks that the paintings reminded them of their childhoods, and of growing up in the rural areas around High Point. Students have loved this work, too — they have had great fun noting the tiny details with which Dianne punctuates her work.”
The paintings feature scenes of rural life, largely from the artist’s family’s tobacco farm. There are images of picnics, holidays and community celebrations, all of which include certain details — a beloved dog, a prize-winning flower, a hand-stitched quilt, a dress in a favorite color — that are unique to Myers’ own family history.
Myers, who still lives on her family’s farm on Old Greensboro Road, began painting in a folk art style in 1970 after looking at old family photographs and feeling inspired to reinterpret them. After graduating from what was then High Point College in 1986, she spent many years doing design work for Gilbarco, a Greensboro company that manufactures gasoline pumps.
Gerhold said Myers’ work is appealing because it tells a story.
“I found her work charming and nostalgic, and was really excited at the prospect of showing it on campus, especially around the holiday season, when we have lots of visitors from the community,” Gerhold said. “It seemed very appropriate.”
