In 2010, Frank Gallery began serving Chapel Hill’s art community by providing a space for artists to display and sell their work. Local artists and the Town of Chapel Hill founded the nonprofit gallery in the hopes of encouraging art education and appreciation.
Since its opening, the gallery has built a community of over 50 participating local artists.
One such artist, Donna Stubbs, shared her experience with the Chapel Hill art community and Frank Gallery.
“During COVID, I lost my job as a commercial interior designer and I started making art and spending a lot of time in the studio and discovered that’s really all I want to do,” Stubbs said.
Stubbs began her work with the gallery roughly six months ago. “It’s a lot more fun than commercial interior design,” Stubbs said.
“I am constantly trying new things, working with new materials and deconstructing my work. These connections keep my artwork alive and allow me to express my creative vision,” Stubbs continued.
Before starting a new piece, Stubbs does not plan out her paintings in total, but rather starts with a general idea or subject she wants to address.
Stubbs explained one of her recent collections, mixed media paintings on canvas, as an exploration into the stereotypes of traditional gender portrayals. She mentioned how society typically pushes boys to pursue math and science-related careers, while girls do not receive the same amount of encouragement.
“I have a daughter who’s 12 and she’s right at the important age where she’s trying to decide what she’s doing in life,” Stubbs said. “I just don’t want her to give up on math and science.”
Stubbs’s work is usually abstract mixed media on canvas or wood panel. Her pieces consist of cut-up magazines, acrylic paint, and other materials she has. She layers and paints those pieces together on canvas, correcting as she goes. She described how some layers are shaved off, revealing lower layers, while other parts are covered up with paint and concealed, a process she refers to as “archaeological.”
“This evolution is central to balancing my art and how I know when the piece is completed,” said Stubbs.
Once the piece is completed, it is given to the gallery where it can be displayed and sold.
The Gallery will be holding its annual Off the Wall Fundraising Gala on October 9th, where Stubbs work will be on display for raffle. The event will take place on Zoom and tickets are on sale now. More information can be found on the gallery’s website.
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