First Friday to feature two artists' work at arts council
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on July 7, 2017 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
A series of pieces in studio artist Maximillian Mozingo's "Palmarius" exhibit, debuting at the Arts Council of Wayne County Friday evening. Mozingo said his art is intended to inspire and challenge viewers.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
A piece of art from Maximillian Mozingo's "Palmarius" exhibit. The exhibit will debut at the Arts Council of Wayne County Friday evening.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Pieces from studio artist Maximillian Mozingo's "Palmarius" exhibit. The exhibit is Mozingo's first large-scale work since moving to Goldsboro.
Two local artists will debut new exhibits at the Arts Council of Wayne County this evening, as the facility holds its monthly First Friday event.
On the bottom floor, studio artist Maximillian Mozingo will present "Palmarius," a series of pieces he said are designed to challenge, engage and inspire viewers.
"It's dealing with working within yourself," he said. "No matter what the outside world throws at you, you can look within yourself for that peace, and love."
The word "Palmarius" is Latin for "of the palm" and can also be translated to "deserving the prize" or "masterpiece." The exhibit is Mozingo's first major work in Goldsboro, having previously done larger works along the East Coast.
He said that "Palmarius" represents an ongoing evolution of his artistic style, and it has been encouraging to see the Goldsboro art community evolve along with him.
Mozingo described the exhibit as "challenging the concept of what art is," and a "living opus."
On the second floor, Patty Westfield will present "Discovery," an exhibit spanning multiple mediums which she said is meant to convey her journey as an artist. Having only begun making art three years ago after recovering from a lengthy illness, Ms. Westfield said the diversity of mediums in her works comes from her exploring and finding her way in the art world.
"People will see a little bit of everything, I've been exploring a lot of mediums," she said. "This really represents what I've done in the last three years since I started."
Ms. Westfield said that she is excited to have her first-ever show, but the fact that it is even happening is still surprising to her.
"It's overwhelming, to be honest. I never would have imagined I'd be having my first show," she said. "Our arts council here is just wonderful, there's so much support for new artists like me."
Ms. Westfield's pieces cover a broad range of topics, from commentary on women's involvement in the workplace to depictions of personal moments from her life. One of her favorites is a drawing of her son sitting on a World War II turret at Normandy.
"He was sitting up there, and I just happened to look up and there he was," she said. "He had this look on his face like 'OK, mom's going to take a picture, I guess I'll let her,' and I just really liked that."
The arts council, at 102 N. John St., will host First Friday from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. There is no cost to enter, and the event is family friendly.