We so often focus on the shows within the theater that we forget to acknowledge the ones out in our gallery space; perhaps because being visual art, they are so quiet. This month, however, there is nothing quiet about the art that hangs in our lobby. Sally Sutton’s Garden Collection certainly calls out for notice.

Sally Sutton received her BFA in illustration from California State University-Long Beach a few years back.

Since then, she has been making a name for herself as an artist to watch all across the globe, from her time spent living and studying in Wales to Tokyo, where her watercolors of the Japanese landscape, cityscape and gardens led to many solo shows. Even though she is well established here in North Carolina, with representation in Carolina Creations in New Bern, City Art in Greenville, New Elements in Wilmington and Tyndall Galleries in Chapel Hill, and her collections are on display in Duke Medical Center and UNC-Chapel Hill Medical Center, Sutton has decided to push her skills and talents through work in the drawing and painting MFA program at East Carolina University.

While Sally’s background is far more fascinating than this brief account, it is her work itself that demands notice. Here at the Turnage, we are hosting her Garden Collection, a gorgeous assortment of oils and watercolors that range in size from quite large to quite small, though there is nothing small in their beauty. One piece in particular speaks to me: “Red Burst” is an oil-on-canvas piece showcasing the glory of azaleas in full bloom. The vivid image reminds me of my first years in North Carolina, which I spent in Wilmington. In mere moments, I am transported back to my initial sense of wonder at the overwhelming qualities of North Carolina verdure, of the dampness of the heat, the earthy perfumed quality of the air and the captivating depth of color found all around me in the lush and inescapable foliage. Had I $1,600, I would take it home today, and know myself to be lucky to have purchased so cheaply this window to past happiness.

“Red Burst” is just one of the 16 pieces hanging in our gallery space for a too short run this month. Her lush gardens from across North Carolina and Europe will draw you in from all sides with her cooling blue pools and skies, and her energizing variety of saturated colors. Sutton explains her motivation for this collection best in her own words:

“When I was very young, I had a recurring dream of a garden that had a vast green landscape dotted with roses.  My mother told me that she used to take me to a garden with roses in California when I was a baby and that was where I learned to walk. Gardens are a special place for me. My mother taught me the secrets of ‘seeing’ color in nature. When I paint gardens, I am honoring my mother.”

Don’t miss your opportunity to be inspired. Sutton’s show will only hang in the Turnage gallery space through early July. Her work is available for viewing Mondays through Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and one hour prior to show times.

Katherine Buchholz is the box-office manager for the Turnage Theater.