Herring-Kivette Gallery in Yancey County Public Library is pleased to present an exhibit of work by John L. Doyle (1939-2010), an internationally-known artist who made his home in Yancey County for 30 years and became a moving spirit in historical and cultural activities in the community.
The exhibit, includes numerous prints and paintings on loan from local collectors and friends of the artist, can be viewed during regular library hours through Aug. 8.
Doyle’s work can be found in dozens of museums, universities, galleries, and private collections around the world, including the Library of Congress, Smithsonian, Art Institute of Chicago, National Gallery of Art, and Mint Museum.
Doyle, a Chicago native, earned his BA degree from the Art Institute of Chicago and his Master’s from Northern Illinois University. His studies in anthropology and ethnology inspired the drawings which became the foundation of “The Great Human Race” series that interpreted those who contributed to the continuation of human civilization: The Builders, Merchants and Traders, The Medicine Men, and The Counselors.
“The Great Human Race,” conceived by Doyle and printed as lithographs from Doyle’s drawings by pioneering printmaker Roland Poska. The production of the entire project was a more than 30-year collaboration between the two artists. The work is visionary, eccentric and gorgeous.
Included in this exhibit in Burnsville are 10 stone lithograph prints from The Counselors, on loan from Dennis and Marilyn Howell.
Another spectacular part of the exhibit is an 8.5 ft. x 5.5 ft. painting and four concept drawings commissioned by Cass and Andy Faller for their residence. This work is on loan from current owners of the artwork, Josh and Elizabeth Cools.
Wherever something new was happening in Burnsville and Yancey County, John Doyle was in the middle of it. He loved the mountains, people, history, spirit, and traditions of his adopted home. As he often said, “I never want to leave my zip code.”
Even more remarkable was his vision of how this mountain legacy and way of life could be celebrated and preserved to live and grow as the foundation of a vibrant economy and community life, now and in the future. He could see traditional crafts and modern arts thriving side-by-side, drawing visitors, creating jobs, and drawing people together to appreciate the old and explore the new.
The tributes by county and town officials at his memorial service in 2010 emphasized the tireless energy and resourcefulness that he poured into each of the many projects and organizations he volunteered with during his years in Yancey County. He was generous with his talents and his work can be seen in the county courthouse, Chamber of Commerce, a Toe River Arts mural on the building that houses Plott Hound Books, and many other contributions too numerous to mention.
In addition to volunteering hundreds of hours creating art for the county, town, and businesses, he volunteered thousands of hours working on major projects, including overseeing the renovation of the Mountain Heritage Center and the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center with his friend Andy Faller. John’s special talents can be seen in each of these facilities. He was preparing to oversee the renovation of the former Yancey Library building for Toe River Arts when he was diagnosed with cancer and passed away a few months later.
The Herring-Kivette Gallery and Archives is funded by the Ruth and Everett Kivette Trust held by the Community Foundation of WNC.
Herring-Kivette Gallery in Yancey County Public Library is pleased to present an exhibit of work by John L. Doyle (1939-2010), an internationally-known artist who made his home in Yancey County for 30 years and became a moving spirit in historical and cultural activities in the community.
The exhibit, includes numerous prints and paintings on loan from local collectors and friends of the artist, can be viewed during regular library hours through Aug. 8.
Doyle’s work can be found in dozens of museums, universities, galleries, and private collections around the world, including the Library of Congress, Smithsonian, Art Institute of Chicago, National Gallery of Art, and Mint Museum.
Doyle, a Chicago native, earned his BA degree from the Art Institute of Chicago and his Master’s from Northern Illinois University. His studies in anthropology and ethnology inspired the drawings which became the foundation of “The Great Human Race” series that interpreted those who contributed to the continuation of human civilization: The Builders, Merchants and Traders, The Medicine Men, and The Counselors.
“The Great Human Race,” conceived by Doyle and printed as lithographs from Doyle’s drawings by pioneering printmaker Roland Poska. The production of the entire project was a more than 30-year collaboration between the two artists. The work is visionary, eccentric and gorgeous.
Included in this exhibit in Burnsville are 10 stone lithograph prints from The Counselors, on loan from Dennis and Marilyn Howell.
Another spectacular part of the exhibit is an 8.5 ft. x 5.5 ft. painting and four concept drawings commissioned by Cass and Andy Faller for their residence. This work is on loan from current owners of the artwork, Josh and Elizabeth Cools.
Wherever something new was happening in Burnsville and Yancey County, John Doyle was in the middle of it. He loved the mountains, people, history, spirit, and traditions of his adopted home. As he often said, “I never want to leave my zip code.”
Even more remarkable was his vision of how this mountain legacy and way of life could be celebrated and preserved to live and grow as the foundation of a vibrant economy and community life, now and in the future. He could see traditional crafts and modern arts thriving side-by-side, drawing visitors, creating jobs, and drawing people together to appreciate the old and explore the new.
The tributes by county and town officials at his memorial service in 2010 emphasized the tireless energy and resourcefulness that he poured into each of the many projects and organizations he volunteered with during his years in Yancey County. He was generous with his talents and his work can be seen in the county courthouse, Chamber of Commerce, a Toe River Arts mural on the building that houses Plott Hound Books, and many other contributions too numerous to mention.
In addition to volunteering hundreds of hours creating art for the county, town, and businesses, he volunteered thousands of hours working on major projects, including overseeing the renovation of the Mountain Heritage Center and the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center with his friend Andy Faller. John’s special talents can be seen in each of these facilities. He was preparing to oversee the renovation of the former Yancey Library building for Toe River Arts when he was diagnosed with cancer and passed away a few months later.
The Herring-Kivette Gallery and Archives is funded by the Ruth and Everett Kivette Trust held by the Community Foundation of WNC.
This 8.5 ft. x 5.5 ft. painting and four concept drawings by John Doyle can be seen in the current exhibit at Herring-Kivette Gallery in the Yancey County Public Library. The exhibit also includes 10 stone lithograph prints from Doyle’s The Great Human Race series.
Bear and Fish is one of a number of works in the exhibit created by John Doyle during the 30 years he lived in Yancey County.
