Concurrent Solo Exhibitions of Paintings by Jeremy Croft (North Charleston) and Sculptures by James Johnson (Mt. Pleasant)

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The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department announced that concurrent solo exhibitions of paintings by Jeremy Croft (North Charleston) and sculptures by James Johnson (Mt. Pleasant) will be on display at Park Circle Gallery from January 3-27, 2024. A free reception hosted by the artists will be held at the gallery on Friday, January 5th, from 5 pm to 7 pm. The public is invited to attend. 

Cold Feet – Paintings by Jeremy Croft

In Cold Feet, local artist Jeremy Croft presents a collection of oil and acrylic paintings that address how we deal with our internal nature in the external, exploring the degree to which we can ingratiate our impulses and instincts with a shared world. Croft’s representational paintings are often based on personal photographs or memories. “I avoid escapism in my work,” Croft says. “I think isolating an assumed ‘meaningless’ real-life moment, and turning that into a painting, can incarnate a significance that is not always accessible to us. This is my way of addressing how prolific our existence actually is, even though that fact can be often overlooked.”

Jeremy Croft is a self-taught artist born and raised in Williston, SC. For many years his artistic abilities were applied to trade-oriented work, like carpentry and metal fabrication. He later spent several years executing detailed data analysis, which required extreme levels of deep concentration for several hours at a time. Combing these skill sets, Croft is able to create meticulously crafted and detailed paintings. Recent solo exhibitions include Domestic Captivity at Stems and Skins in North Charleston, SC (2022) and Lazy Boy at Hed Hi Studios in Charleston, SC (2023). Jeremy currently works from his home studio in North Charleston, SC. Learn more about the artist at www.jeremycroft.net.

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Just for Today – Sculptures by James Johnson

In Just for Today, Mount Pleasant-based artist James Johnson presents a series of 3-D printed sculptures that focus on the concept of mindful awareness diluting selfishness; juxtaposing the ordinary with the unexpected. Working in natural and digital clay, he finds the meditative and tactile processes of his practice are as central as the final piece. “The work complements healing and calming,” Johnson explains. “It is my wish that others may recognize in themselves the energy represented by the work to facilitate healing or promote rest from the din of the day.”

Growing up in southern Wisconsin, James Johnson was exposed and influenced early on by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and Georgia O’Keefe. He began his career in design with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Administration from the University of Wisconsin and a Master's in Building Science and Management from Clemson University. Following college and a three-year internship, he became an architect. The search for more creative freedom later led him to sculpture, which he finds more spontaneous and unmediated than architecture. James is a member of the National Sculpture Society, Tri-State Sculptor Association, and the Low Country Sculptures Guild. His sculptures have been displayed in numerous group exhibitions throughout the Lowcountry and are in private collections throughout the US, Asia, and Europe. His bronze and resin sculpture, Deject, won Best in Show at the 2021 Piccolo Spoleto Art Exhibition. View the artist’s work on Instagram @JimsSculpture.

The Park Circle Gallery is located at 4820 Jenkins Avenue in North Charleston. Admission is free and free street parking is available on Jenkins Avenue in front of the gallery, as well as on the adjacent streets and in parking lots close by. Gallery hours are 11:00am-6:00pm Wednesday-Friday, and Noon-4:00pm on Saturday. For more information about PCG, call 843-637-3565 or email culturalarts@northcharleston.org. For information on other Cultural Arts programs and artist opportunities, visit the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website at www.northcharleston.org.