The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro

The Community Foundation unveils exhibit of artwork from local collector

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro is hosting a special exhibit showcasing significant pieces of art from the collection of Greensboro resident Parker Washburn.
The Washburn collection stands out because of the personal ties Ms. Washburn has with many of the artists represented. The pieces on display vary in medium from African wood carvings to computer-generated prints, and the artists represented range from the internationally renowned, such as James Rosenquist and Ansel Adams, to accomplished artists from Greensboro such as Frank Holder and Juan Logan.
 
Ms. Washburn is a well-known businesswoman in Greensboro. She is the owner of Leon’s Beauty School and eight salons.
 
Now open to the public, the pieces currently on view at The Community Foundation were chosen to showcase Ms. Washburn’s wide-ranging collection of painting, sculpture, found objects and works on paper. Ms. Washburn grew up surrounded by the art and objects her mother collected. Later, she began adding to her mother’s collection with her own acquisitions.
 
Indeed, for Ms. Washburn, her personal connection with the artist or the work of art is what inspires her. For example, in the exhibit visitors will see a work by Ms. Washburn’s son-in-law, A.J. Bocchino. Entitled New York Times Headlines (1990-2005), the large print was made by spending thousands of hours pouring over old headlines and replicating them in their exact dimensions. The headlines are color-coded by subject matter as specific as “O.K. City Bombing” and as broad as “Poverty.” Bocchino’s piece juxtaposes serious subject matter with bright, bold hues, an affinity for color that is found throughout the collection. On the opposite wall are two playful pieces, Shaman in Red by North Carolina artist Juan Logan and a whimsical piece by Donald Baechler. Using bright red, white, black, and blue, these two pieces play off each other and invite the viewer to contemplate the human form in two stylistically divergent treatments.
 
 
Works are exhibited in The Community Foundation’s Carter Family Gallery and main reception area. The Foundation is located at 330 S. Greene St., and exhibitions are free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
 
The exhibit runs through Nov. 30.
 
This exhibit is the latest example of The Community Foundation’s commitment to building community relationships through the arts. This effort includes the ongoing exhibitions Community Collects and Community Documents.
 
Community Collects showcases selected works from private collections in the Greater Greensboro area. Past loans have included works by such significant and widely diverse artists as contemporary photographer Cindy Sherman, French impressionist Paul Gauguin and collagist Romare Bearden. Community Documents exhibitions display images – usually photographic – to tell a story from within our complex, rich and interrelated community. Past participants have chosen to represent a day in the life of Kosovo refugee family, a BIG Sister/Little Sister relationship and the experiences of the residents of Joseph’s House for homeless boys.
 
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