Garry Pound’s ‘Happy Are the Painters’ exhibit to open ArtBeat 2017

“Happy are the painters for they shall not be lonely. Light in color, peace in hope, will keep them company to the end, or almost to the end, of the day.”

This quote by Winston Churchill inspired the title of Garry Pound’s upcoming exhibit that opens Wednesday at the W.C. Bradley Co. Museum.

“I just love the quote,” Pound said. “It kind of epitomizes what art and painters are all about.”

Pound, who grew up in Columbus, is passionate about the arts here. He’s offering his exhibit in collaboration with ArtBeat 2017 where “Happy Are the Painters” will serve as the festival’s opening event.

In his artist statement for the exhibit, Pound discusses his inspiration for the work and why he’s chosen to include art by both of his parents in the exhibition as well.

“My brothers and I grew up in an artistic household. Mother painted and dad did something called architecture. As we got older, we began to appreciate the significance of our family’s ‘artisticness.’ Our parents raised us in a home full of beautiful things in atmosphere of tolerance, encouragement, praise and affection. ... The mantra that rang through our lives was, ‘This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.’ From my parents I learned that art comes from savoring the small stuff. Keep your heart and eyes open — let nothing worthwhile escape your notice or be taken for granted.”

Pound specializes in portraits, but the work of his parents in this exhibit will mainly be landscapes. When asked how he decided which pieces of his parents’ to include in the show, Pound laughed.

“I’ve put in all of the pieces I didn’t get when my parents died,” he said. “All of the pieces I wanted that my siblings got to first, I’ve stolen back. So I get to put them in the show and enjoy them myself for a while. I don’t think they’ll forget I have them! I love having their paintings in this exhibition. I hope that when you see the show, you’ll see all of the different connections between us.”

The connections between their art run deeper than shared themes. Pound and his parents painted every Saturday together for years and taught a figure drawing class at Columbus State University.

“We did a show there of all of our nudes once,” Pound said laughing, “We called it ‘Pounds of Flesh.’”

While humorous about their shared experiences, Pound was obviously passionate about his parents, their work and what they taught him along the way.

“From my parents, I learned that art comes from savoring the small stuff,” he said. “Keep your heart and eyes open — let nothing worthwhile escape your notice or be taken for granted. In putting some of both of their work in the show, it’s been nice to spend time making connections and reliving some old memories.”

Although Pound’s work is connected to his family, it certainly stands on its own. His vigor for his work is evident when he speaks of his career as an artist.

“The secret to being an artist is that you do it every day,” he said. “Nothing takes the place of persistence and determination. Talent and even genius won’t make an artist of that person who won’t work. Of course, making a living is nothing. The big thing is making a point. A difference. Nobody cares how I pay my bills except my wife.”

Pound had more to say about what fuels his work, and what’s kept him painting since 1980.

“The job of an artist is to show us something we needed to see in a way we hadn’t thought of before,” he said. “It is none the less a job. So the artist presses on mining his experience for what is distinct and incredible. He does it because he loves doing it, and he must do it doggedly. Thoreau put it best when he said, ‘Pursue, keep up with, circle round and round as a dog circles his master’s chair. Do what you love. Know you own bone; gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw it still.’ I have discovered that you can study the masters, you can learn techniques, and you can develop a style. All that artful work comes to nothing, however, if you do not have an appetite for life.”

This story was originally published March 25, 2017 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Garry Pound’s ‘Happy Are the Painters’ exhibit to open ArtBeat 2017."