There’s a wonderful article in ArtNet—“Back to School: 10 Famous Art Professors We Wish We Had as Teachers in College”—that speaks of the ability of some professors to take the banal and turn it such a way that captivates and challenges their students. In some respects, professors can change an artist’s life. Such is the case with Eileen Dorsey and Charles Basham.

“Chuck was such an important influence on my career,” Dorsey reflects. “I had several professors that I had studied under. I had gone halfway through the first semester of my sophomore year at Kent State and didn’t feel like my work was any good and felt generally discouraged. I wasn’t doing well in school and considered dropping out.”

Then Basham said something to her that changed her life. He said, “You have a really good eye for things.” And that was what Dorsey needed to hear. Like a fog had been lifted, her grades catapulted. “I got a lot more serious about my studies and my work,” she states. Dorsey received her BFA from Kent State University in 2006 and has since gone on to become an award-winning artist that exhibits regionally and nationally; her work is in private and public collections.

Now, some thirteen years later, the artist and her professor—now her peer—have a two-person exhibition, Recent Landscapes, opening at the Massillon Museum on March 2 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm in the Studio M Gallery.

There is a clear influence in palette and style, but Dorsey and Basham have technique that is unique to each artist. Dorsey’s impasto taches balance wonderfully with the tight color field brushstrokes that dominate Basham’s paintings. Both use personal reference and reflection in their work, which also augments the singular signature of each painter. We look forward to examining this show in depth.

Recent Landscapes will be on view from March 2 through April 20. The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East, Massillon. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9:30am to 5:00pm and Sunday from 2:00pm to 5:00pm.

 

EILEEN DORSEY & CHARLES BASHAM: RECENT LANDSCAPES | MARCH 2–APRIL 20

Massillon Museum
121 Lincoln Way East
Massillon, Ohio 44646
Massillonmuseum.org
330.883.4061