The MC Erny Gallery at WHQR

Coming soon:
"CONTRAST" Paintings, Drawings, and Prints by E. Francisca Dekker & Benjamin Billingsley

Opening Fourth Friday Reception: April 26, 6PM - 9PM

Two different people, two different cultures, two different styles - a perfect contrast!

Guests are invited to meet the artists and WHQR staff while enjoying great food and wine. Our opening night will feature a fantastic performance by local pianist Julia Walker Jewell and live illustration by E. Francisca Dekker. A portion of the proceeds from any sale of art benefits WHQR.

About the artists:

E. Francisca Dekker is a Dutch-American contemporary artist based out of Wilmington, NC. She graduated with a masters degree in social work in Amsterdam. After being a counselor for many years, she moved to the United States and taught herself to paint. Her style of painting is expressive – sometimes whimsical – with fluid movements and contrasting lines. Her colors are always symbolic, vibrant and bold – meant to deepen the sense of motion in body, heart and soul. Her choice of colors are also inspired by her travels in Europe, the Caribbean and North Carolina. Every painted line is a brush-stroke of breath. She is not bound to one technique and continues to experiment and evolve. Francisca’s artwork is included in many private collections worldwide. More information can be found at RedTulipGallery.com

Benjamin Billingsley is a painter and printmaker living in Wilmington, North Carolina. He holds an MFA from UNCGreensboro (1995), where he studied under Walter Barker, William Collins and John Maggio. He has exhibited work in the Southeastern United States as well as in Estonia, Russia and in a woodcut print exhibition in Kyoto, Japan (2011). Ben participated in the Big Print Block Party in Carolina Beach in 2010 and 2012, printing 4’x8’ woodblocks with a steamroller. In 2012, Ben’s “City of Crows” was awarded First Place in the Living Totems exhibition at 2TENhaustudio gallery in Ivanhoe, NC. Ben has provided artwork for the covers of three books of poetry – Hide Behind Me by Jason Mott (Main Street Rag, 2011) and Days of Dark Miracles (Seven Kitchens Press, 2011) and Waxwings (Lethe Press, 2012) by Daniel Nathan Terry. Ben is the third generation artist and art instructor in his family. He has taught studio art and art history at Cape Fear Community College full-time since 2001. In 2006 Benjamin Billingsley received the Marilyn Goodman Anderson Endowed Award for Excellence in Teaching. Ben is also a frequent guest lecturer for the Cameron Art Museum’s docent program, the Wilmington Art Association and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNCW. This summer, Ben will create an outdoor print installation at the Pedvale Open Air Art Museum in Sabile, Latvia. An overview of Ben’s work may be viewed at BenjaminBillingsley.com

About the Gallery:

MC Erny was a devoted friend of WHQR from its earliest days. An accomplished actress and great party host, she was always generous with her time, financial support, and affection for the staff. She worked as a supervisor during many fundraisers and was a weekly presence at the front desk. MC was kind, gracious, elegant, witty and fun to be with. Our gallery space has been named in her honor.

The MC Erny Gallery is located in WHQR's studio in The Warwick Building at 254 N. Front Street, downtown Wilmington. Call WHQR at (910) 343-1640 for more information.

Final Reception: May 24

Show closes: June 7

Regular gallery viewing hours are Monday-Friday, 10AM - 4PM.