Reception to open Steve Temple exhibit is Dec. 16 at GSCC Meadows Gallery

The Meadows Gallery at Gadsden State Community College will host a meet-the-artist reception for Steve Temple on Monday, Dec.16 from 6 to 8 p.m.
His exhibition, Pieces of a Journey, will feature a selection of large scale paintings from the artist’s collection that showcase his talent both as a portrait artist and story teller.  It is the first of two exhibitions of Temple’s work in Gadsden. 
The artist will have a full retrospective of his work in January at the Gadsden Museum of Art.  The exhibition at the Meadows Gallery will run through January 15, admission is free and the reception is open to the public.
Temple has lived a life filled with the pursuit of artistic excellence and that pursuit has taken him many places in his long and illustrious career. 
Most people in Gadsden know him as the former director of the Gadsden Museum of Art, who oversaw the critical transition of the museum moving to downtown Gadsden from the Elliot Community Center, but Temple has also had a successful career as a fine art painter and portrait artist.
He is best known for his portraits that convey a sense of place by the artist giving equal attention to every detail of the landscape or surrounding environment of his subjects. 
He is recognized as one of the top portrait painters in the country and his work is in many private and public collections including: the Memphis College of Art, Southwestern University, and The University of Texas.
He began his artistic journey in Gadsden, where as a child he was encouraged by his parents to create art.  His talents quickly grew and he knew early on that he would become a professional artist. 
In high school, he was the vice president of the Art Club at Gadsden High School and was a representative to the Alabama State Council on the Arts.  He went on to study art at the Memphis College of Art, where he received a scholarship and was a member of the honor society, graduating with a BFA in painting. 
Temple received his MFA in painting from the University of Tennessee, and studied at the Ringling School of Art, and the Cape Cod School of Art, before pursuing Ph.D. studies in Art History at the University of Texas.
Though painting has always been his first passion, he has dedicated his life to art education and promoting the careers of Alabama artists. He was the director of the Gadsden Museum of Art from 1993-2013, and in that time developed many outstanding programs including the popular Gadsden Plein Air Festival, and the Alabama’s Finest Series. 
In addition, he has taught art history at the University of Alabama, as well as written and directed a TV series promoting artists in South Carolina.
The Meadows Gallery is located in Meadows Library on the Wallace Drive Campus of Gadsden State Community College. 
It is a collaborative project between the Art Department and Meadows Library. For more information or to schedule a group visit, contact gallery director Mario Gallardo at mgallardo@gadsdenstate.edu.