SANABRIA, BARKSDALE AND HILL-JUNKINS FEATURED AT GUILD FIRST FRIDAY

January's First Friday gallery receptions were pushed to the second Friday due to New Year's Eve; then, pushed to the third Friday due to inclement weather. So this months First Friday will actually be on the third Friday and will feature three talented artists - one returning, one native Daltonion and one newcomer. Returning painter Corey Barksdale will share the main gallery with newcomer Denise Stewart-Sanabria. Gallery 111 will feature native Daltonian Aharon Hill Junksins. First "third" Friday is scheduled, barring holiday interruptions and inclement weather, for this coming Friday, January 15 at 5:30 p.m.

Denise Sanabria, from Knoxville, creates an inviting environment with her characters posed throughout the gallery viewing, perhaps discussing or critiquing, the paintings of Corey Barksdale. Chicago Tribune art critic Lori Waxman says it best. She states, " If drawing traditionally provides an intimate medium through which to sketch, record, and transmit both the loosest and most precise of figurative detail, Denise Stewart-Sanabria's practice turns that tradition on its penciled head. Life-size and larger-than-life-size, her charcoal on birch plywood drawings dwarf the viewer, existing as uncanny representations of average folks in real time."

Painter and Atlantan, Corey Barksdale's figurative paintings grace the walls of the main gallery and appear unfazed by Sanabria's stationary viewers as they quietly evaluate and assess. Many Daltonions, and Barksdale collecters, will enjoy the current works as they represent the artist continued exploration of music and movement. Vibrant and boldly colored dancers and musicians share the space yet appear disconnected from Sanabria's figures. Guild Executive Director, Terry Tomasello says. "The juxtaposition of the three dimensional work of Sanabria and the two dimensional work of Barsdale invite the viewer in for further exploration. I find myself frequently caught off guard by the life-size viewers and drawn into the gallery time and time again."

AHARON HILL JUNKINS PHOTOS IN GALLERY 111

Aharon Hill Junkins, originally from Dalton, will be showcasing her photographs in Gallery 111 for the month of January. Junkins photographs are more about creating scenes, attention to detail, and adding artistic interest. In her words, "My guess is that both my creative interest and legal background contribute to my style." Junkins credits her 'meticulous attention to detail' from her time as an attorney that carried over as she transitioned to an artist. Her works include figurative, portraiture, and landscapes each with a unique perspective. Tomasello states, "Aharon's prhotographs definitely captures subject matter in a way that is both compelling and layered in meaning as well as technically beautiful."

First Friday is scheduled for this Friday, January 15, at 5:30 p.m. at the Creative Arts Guild's Main Gallery and Gallery 111. The Guild is located at 520 West Waugh Street in Dalton. First Fridays are free and open to the public. For additional information please call 706-278-0168 or visit the Guild's website at www.creativeartsguild.org.