By Michelle Hines, University Relations
Contact: (336) 334-5371
Posted 1-25-08
'A New Flame' by Eric McRay.
GREENSBORO, NC – Warm and cool colors, fiery reds and watery blues, reflect the passionate and pensive aspects of jazz music in “Jazz: The Classical Music of America.”
The exhibit, by Raleigh artist Eric McRay, is on display through Feb. 29 in the Multicultural Resource Center. A reception for McRay begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, in the resource center on the bottom floor of Elliott University Center.
McRay says his goal with his Jazz series is to capture the sense of nostalgia and energy of jazz. “I’m always working to translate the invisible into the visible. You can’t see music. I use color, dynamic brush stroke and gestures of human form to communicate on a subconscious level a sense of motion and sound."
Jeffrey Coleman, assistant director for multicultural affairs at UNCG, believes McRay does just that.
“We were looking for an exhibit on African-American heritage,” Coleman says. “To me, jazz is historical and a prominent part of that heritage. Yet it reaches across cultural divides. It has become a music all people tend to appreciate.”
Jazz, although its roots lay in Africa, has melded into Latin music, gospel music and other musical genres, Coleman says. And, like McRay’s depictions of jazz musicians, jazz is a fluid, improvisational form that can be both soothing and celebratory.
“It fits different moods,” Coleman says.
McRay, who paints in several different styles, describes himself as “multilingual in the visual sense.” His studio is located in Artspace, a non-profit visual arts center in Raleigh.
The exhibit and the reception are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jeffrey Coleman at (336) 334-5090.
