In the late 1990s, Knoxville artist Mike C. Berry met a fellow artist named Wolf Kahn, an abstract expressionist known for his vibrant use of color.

"He's a phenomenal colorist," Berry says. "He actually took the pallet and brush out of my hand and said ‘Where are your yellows? You don't have enough yellows.'"

Prior to meeting Kahn, Berry had primarily done charcoal portraits.

And, until he moved to Knoxville, he kept the colorful style that developed from meeting Kahn in his back pocket.         

"We are all afraid of risks," he explains. "I didn't feel like I could put it out there."

At the time, Berry was living in Augusta, Georgia, where he had sold a few "experimental" color prints for which he had gotten positive feedback. By the time he had made his mark on Augusta, his wife, Leah, received a promotion that landed the couple in Knoxville.

So, in October 1999, the couple moved to East Tennessee and Berry spent his first couple of years working as a freelance artist.               

Then, in September 2004, Berry was offered the chance to be the manager of the University of Tennessee's Downtown Gallery on South Gay St., where he has been since opening day. It was at the gallery that Berry discovered his true passion for color and for Knoxville.

"After I received the job, I fell in love with the city," he says. "I was always interested in the history of things."

Working at the gallery entrenched Berry into Knoxville's arts scene and a fixture in the downtown community, an influence which can be seen in his popular and colorful renditions of the city.

"All of my influences solidified," he says. "I found my style by applying my color palate to the urban scenes of downtown Knoxville."

Berry makes the buildings of downtown Knoxville come alive and the area's growth can be chartered by Berry's paintings, something the artist says he didn't intend but is excited to be a part of.

"I am very blessed and lucky," says Berry. "I wasn't looking for a trend. I just wanted to do the very best I could do and express myself."

 Today, Berry is the undisputed "artist laureate" of downtown Knoxville and is a regular in the arts scene at events like Artsclamation, Covenant Health's annual fundraiser and the Dogwood Arts Festival, an open exhibition voted on by the public. Berry won the top award at the festival in 2007 for his limited edition print of a spring themed Knoxville cityscape.

Berry's notoriety has also allowed him to do charitable work with his art.

For this year's 21st Annual Zoofari Fund Raiser at the Knoxville Zoo, Berry donated the painting that is seen on the cover of this month's Everything West.

Nancy Berger, who is Donor Relations Manager for the zoo, was in charge of collecting the 13 items that were for sale on auction at the event, which included a range of items from a party with University of Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl to a one-year lease on a Mercedes Smart Car.

Berger knew Berry's work and thought his vibrant style would be a perfect fit for a painting to be sold at the event's popular live auction.

"There's quite a buzz around Mike," she said.

After a tour of the zoo, Berry decided to paint the carousel in the zoo's Clayton Family Kids Cover, which was launched in 2005. Called the Fuzzy-go-Round, the carousel is a popular and symbolic attraction at the zoo.

So, one night, Berger and Berry went to the carousel and waited for the sun to go down. When it did, Berger had the light of the carousel turned on for Berry to draw his inspiration for the painting.

"It was like a movie set," Berry explains. "They totally gave me free reign. They let me do my homework."

The end result was an 18x24 pastel of the carousel that sold for $2,000.

The winning bidder? Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam.

The auction brought in over $50,000 altogether, a number that Berger says is a testament to volunteers like Berry.         

"It takes a volunteer community for us to do everything we do at the zoo," she says.

The painting represents Berry's continued exploration of the city as he branches out from downtown into other parts of the community to look for his next piece.

Lucky Knoxville.

---

Comments

Add New Search

bridgett covington - merry-go-round painting     | | 2008-07-01 14:34:39 i seen the painting of the merry-go-round and would love to have one or even just a print. it really makes me feel good inside just to look at it. it really is a beatiful panting bridgett covington Reply 0   0

Write comment
Name:
Email:	do not notifynotify
Website:
Title:
	Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.12

Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved.