Tyndall Galleries - Chapel Hill, NC

Steve's Thoughts

I have loved this gallery for a long time. While it is in University Mall, where three art galleries can be found, Tyndall Galleries does not come across as a commercial gallery. Rather, it registers more like a museum of fine art. Everything is carefully designed to set each artwork for maximum impact.

Not that Tyndall Galleries isn't lovely in its own right. The walls are white, the floor is a lovely pale hardwood, the lighting is wonderful, and the labels are very quiet beside each piece. Artworks each have plenty of breathing room, and this means each is noticed. Featured artists have their names on the wall above their section, in a neutral toned, non-serif font, resulting in a display that could be photographed as a museum quality art poster. Jane Tyndall spoke with us about one display, in particular, and we could tell that while the artists want perfection within their paintings, Jane's goal is perfection within the gallery space. The result is worth the effort. Every time I enter this gallery I feel the wholeness and unity of it, even as I walk about and visit the separate galleries featuring each artist.

The display I mentioned above was for Jacob Cooley (whose paintings we will review in a separate post). A free-standing wall that divides the space into front and back galleries, without sacrificing the unity of the overall space, was hung with one long horizontal landscape, and then ten small square landscapes, five above, and five below. The spacing between the paintings, the spacing within the shape of the wall, and the placement of the artist's name (below, which was unusual and effective) all worked well as a composition in their own right, and held my attention longer for each piece as a result. While other artists had more work and more wall, I somehow felt that Jacob Cooley was the star attraction as a result of this special hanging.

The other two featured artists had key positions and beautiful displays, as well. We hope to review all three in separate posts.

Jane Tyndall radiates warm energy, always in motion, and if you meet her there she may strike you as the brightest point in the gallery. Staff always warmly welcome patrons, and then leave them to quietly engage the artwork. She has created a unique, beautifully scaled space, and the ever changing art in her gallery is always worth a visit.

Kaisa's Thoughts

Tyndall Galleries has an open interior, with white walls and a hardwood floor, and the artwork arranged so artistically that you feel like you’re in a museum. Each of the three featured artists have a wall to themselves, arranged to showcase the artists at their best.

Because the interior is so uncluttered, your attention is drawn to the artwork, which is easy to contemplate, since there are no distractions.

Artists featured during our review (7/28/07):

Rachel Campbell
Jacob Cooley
Gayle Stott Lowry

I love to come into Tyndall Galleries to see any new Jane Filer paintings. More on Jane Filer in a separate post, as well - I can't decide if the gallery or the artist is luckiest in that ongoing relationship.

Tyndall Galleries
University Mall
201 S. Estes Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Tel: 919.942.2290

For more information, directions, hours of operation, please see the Tyndall Galleries website.

Art and Soul - Mebane, NC

Steve's Thoughts

For our first gallery we went to Mebane, to Art and Soul Studios. Every time we go to Mebane there seems to be more on Clay Street. (Composite image of the North side of Clay St is from Lance McCord's Flickr photostream. Art and Soul is on the left, large white sign above door, to the left of the silver pickup truck.)

The gallery is beautiful, intimate, and arranged so you could easily imagine the artwork in a home. It is small enough to invite lingering over pieces, and most reward you if you take your time and look closer. The colors and lighting make it an uplifting place in any season, but I imagine it's particularly good for the soul on a winter day. Everything is lovely and pleasant, from the owners to the clearly marked prices and information on artists and pieces.

Cindy Champion, one of the owners, was charming, friendly, and full of information about the artists and the artwork. No sales pressure - Cindy knows that falling in love with an artwork can take time, maybe several visits. While we were there, in fact, a customer came in laughing and saying that she was back again; she just had to have that piece and she was ready to buy it today. Her purchase, and ours, were carefully packaged for their journeys home.

The gallery features artists as well as showing work by a group of regulars, and pieces purchased from local potters, jewelers and glass blowers. The image to the left is the postcard for the current show.



Kaisa's Thoughts

Upon entering, I noticed that the lighting was done nicely, and with some unusual lights, too, not just your average white gallery lights. The interior was cozy and welcoming, and drew you further into the space. The artwork was displayed attractively, with individual artist work spread all around the gallery, not all clumped up together. The walls were a warm shade of yellow, which set off the artwork favorably.

The pottery displays were particularly interesting, with adjacent pieces setting each other off. One thing I particularly liked was the red bowl with the two green earrings hanging on the edge, which set off the red in the bowl and the green in the earrings marvelously.
It was a restful, peaceful, place, and I'd love to go back again.

Of note right now (some of these will get separate posts):

T E Davis - hand crafted furniture from aged red cedar and other materials
Susan Hope - fused glass panels and jewelry
Caroline Kelly (was Kellogg) - watercolor florals in luminous pinks and yellows
Andria Linn - acrylic paintings - abstracted florals
Jude Lobe - acrylic paintings - landscapes, florals
Sudie Rakusin - whimsical pen and watercolor illustrations and tiny multi-media pieces
Miriam Sagasti - acrylic paintings - colors and images from Central and South America
Steve Schafer - brilliantly colored raku pottery and soft, muted abstracts
David Sovero - acrylic absractions - a series inspired by a pottery opening at Art and Soul
Pringle Teetor - blown glass

Art and Soul Studios
122 W Clay Street, Mebane, NC - 919-563-2300 - www.artandsoulmebane.com