Sunset River Marketplace art gallery in Calabash, NC, will present “An Artist’s Legacy,” a five-day exhibition honoring artists Ramona Batsford Bendin (oil), Betty Bee (watercolor, print making), Edward “Ed” S. Fitzgerald (oil) and Brenda “Bree” Goff (pastel), all of whom exhibited at the gallery and passed away recently. The show will run from Tuesday, Jan. 20 through Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015. A reception will be held Saturday, Jan. 24 from 2 – 5pm. The public is invited and there is no charge. Works on display will include pieces on loan from family and friends as well as some for sale through the gallery.
Ramona Bendin with her oil painting “Monhegan Boats”
Ramona Bendin, who died Oct. 6, 2013, was known throughout the area for her realistic oil paintings of coastal ocean scenes and marshscapes. She was a lifetime member of the American Artist Professional League and was elected to Hudson Valley Art Association. In the Carolinas, she was associated with Brunswick Arts Council, Waterway Art Association, Associated Artists of Southport and Wilmington Art Association. Throughout her 60-year career she earned many national and regional honors for her work.
Betty Bee
Betty Bee passed away Oct. 23, 2014. She was a member of the Backporch Painters, Burroughs and Chapin Art Museum, and Waccamaw Arts and Crafts Guild, and SC Watercolor Guild. A charter member of the Bible Fellowship Baptist Church in Little River, SC, she donated many of her pieces to the church. A number of them will be included in the Sunset River exhibition.
Ed Fitzgerald during his flying days
Ed Fitzgerald, who died Nov. 1, 2014, began painting at age 14. He joined the US Navy Air Service when he was 17 and served on three aircraft carriers. He would later teach both acrobatic flying and skydiving. As an artist, he was known for his glossy, small oils, which he painted in the style of the Old Masters.
Bree Goff with art instructor Sterling Edwards at Sunset River Marketplace workshop
Bree Goff passed away August 23, 2014. An active member in the Art Matters pastel group at Sunset River Marketplace, she and her husband retired to Calabash from Virginia. She is an award-winning artist known for her beautifully rendered landscapes and figural paintings.
Since opening in 2002, Sunset River Marketplace has become an active supporter of performing, literary and visual arts in the area. The 10,000 square-foot gallery features work by over 200 North and South Carolina artists. Its on-site pottery studio has two kilns and three wheels for use by students. Ongoing oil, pastel and watercolor classes are also provided, in addition to workshops by nationally known artists. The gallery’s Coffee With the Authors programs feature presentations by local and regional offers. A Paint & Party series provides a fun after-work experience for those with no previous art background. The gallery’s framing department offers full-service, on-site custom frame design.
Sunset River Marketplace is located at 10283 Beach Drive SW (Hwy 179), Calabash, NC. Regular hours are Monday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Winter hours, in effect from January through March, are Tuesday through Saturday, 10am – 5pm. For more information, visit the website (www.sunsetrivermarketplace.com) or “like” the gallery’s Facebook page, which is updated daily. Reach the gallery by telephone at 910/575-5999.
Carolina Arts News 