>>> THEY SAY BIG THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES, AND WHEN IT
COMES TO BIG ART CULTURE IN THE SMALL TOWN OF NORTH WILKESBORO,
THAT SMALL PACKAGE IS THE WILKES ART GALLERY.
HEATHER BURGISS RECENTLY TOURED THE GALLERY AND SPOKE
TO RENOWNED ARTIST WARD NICHOLS ABOUT HIS LONG HISTORY
WITH THE GALLERY.
>> FOR OVER 50 YEARS, THE WILKES ART GALLERY IN MANY WAYS HAS
BROUGHT BIG CULTURE TO THE SMALL TOWN OF NORTH WILKESBORO.
>> I THINK THE WILKES ART GALLERY IS A PLACE FOR ARTISTS
AND FOR VISITORS TO COME AND BE ABLE TO VIEW ART AND EXPERIENCE
ART AND TO BE INSPIRED.
>> YOU'RE LOOKING AT A COMMUNITY ART EVOLUTION, A GALLERY THAT IN
1962 STARTED OUT IN THE LIVING ROOM OF ART PATRON ANNIE WINKLER
TO EVENTUALLY, IN 2004, MOVE INTO THE FULLY RENOVATED,
10,000-SQUARE-FOOT OLD POST OFFICE BUILDING IN THE HEART
OF DOWNTOWN NORTH WILKESBORO.
>> IT TOOK MANY YEARS TO COME TO FRUITION, BUT WE'RE VERY,
VERY PROUD OF IT.
AND THE QUALITY OF WORK JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER.
INTEREST IN OUR GALLERY HAS BROADENED CONSIDERABLY
OVER THE YEARS.
PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN COME, AND THEY ALSO ENTER WORK IN OUR
COMPETITIONS, AND THIS IS A COMPETITION THAT YOU'RE SEEING
ON THE WALLS RIGHT NOW.
AND IT BRINGS A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE INTO THE GALLERY THAT
WOULD NOT ORDINARILY COME.
>> ALONG WITH PLENTY OF EXHIBITION SPACE, THE GALLERY
BOASTS A STATE-OF-THE-ART EDUCATION CENTER WITH CERAMICS
AND PAINTING AND DRAWING STUDIOS AS WELL AS CLASSROOMS AND A
GALLERY GIFT SHOP.
>> THERE'S ALWAYS EXHIBITS GOING ON.
IT'S FREE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND, UM, THERE ALWAYS WILL BE A SHOW ON IN EXHIBITING.
THERE'S SOMETIMES CLASSROOMS GOING DOWNSTAIRS FOR THE PEOPLE
TO JOIN IN ON A WORKSHOP IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO.
BUT THERE'S ALWAYS ACTIVITY HERE.
>> ARTISTS FROM ALL OVER EXHIBIT THEIR WORK AT THE
WILKES GALLERY.
BUT IT'S THE REALISM OF RENOWNED ARTIST WARD NICHOLS THAT
RESONATES AND CAPTIVATES VISITORS, FROM THE SURREAL CHARM
TO THE ULTRA-REALITY OF THE BACK ROADS OF NORTH CAROLINA.
>> I JUST WENT CRAZY PAINTING BARNS AND THE RURAL SCENE AND
THE ANIMALS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.
AND I REALIZED AFTER A WHILE, WELL, I'M DOCUMENTING THESE,
THAT THEY'RE DISAPPEARING SO FAST THAT PHOTOGRAPHY AND
PAINTING IS ALL THAT'S GOING TO BE LEFT OF A BARN BEFORE LONG.
I LOOKED AROUND.
THERE WAS THIS DOG LAYING THERE, A HOUND DOG, AND I GOT THE
INSPIRATION TO DO THE PAINTING AT THAT POINT.
I THOUGHT THAT WOULD MAKE A GREAT PAINTING.
THIS DOG HAS THIS WHOLE BARN FOR ITSELF, YOU KNOW.
THAT'S REALLY LUXURY LIVING FOR A DOG NOW.
>> AND I CAN SEE HIM.
HE'S -- >> I WANTED HIM SO YOU WOULD
HAVE TO HAVE TROUBLE FINDING HIM.
>> OKAY, YEAH.
>> BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE HIM AT ALL.
HE WAS A SURPRISE.
SO I PAINTED HIM IN THE DARK AND IN THE SHADOWS.
AND HOPEFULLY SOMEBODY WILL LOOK AT THIS PAINTING AND BE STARTLED
BY SUDDENLY SEEING A DOG.
THERE'S A DOG IN THAT PAINTING.
>> FOR WARD NICHOLS, OVER THE YEARS, THE WILKES ART GALLERY
HAS BEEN A PASSIONATE PARTNER IN HIS LOVE OF ART AND PROMOTING
THE CRAFT HE DOES SO WELL.
>> THIS GALLERY IS A SEED FOR AN ART MOVEMENT IN WILKES COUNTY
AND WILL BLOSSOM TO EVEN FURTHER THINGS.