Artist's World Travels Captured in Photos, Paintings Now on Display at USCA

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AIKEN, SC (03/12/2018) The Etherredge Center Galleries on the University of South Carolina Aiken campus currently feature the original works of one of the institution's talented visual and performing arts faculty members.

The Etherredge Center's Lower Gallery showcases Al Beyer's watermedia works. These fluid media works are gouache, meaning opaque watercolor, and are mainly from his summer sabbaticals during the last decade.

"They were fun and a nice change of pace from my paintings in oil and acrylic," Beyer said.

His photos are featured in the Etherredge Center's Upper Gallery. The photos were captured during several of Beyer's summer sabbaticals overseas, specifically to Senegal, Cambodia, China and India.

"The trips were mainly for painting, but I always had odd times when I couldn't paint, as in the evenings," Beyer said. "I would go for walks normally down a street near my hotel and try to get to know the area.

"I liked the long shadows, and I often shot facing the sun so that the subjects would be backlit."

The exhibit is unique for several reasons. It is the first time the artist has shown a number of his gouaches together at USC Aiken and only the second time he's ever shown a large number of photos anywhere.

Additionally, Beyer plans to retire at the end of this academic year, so this is certainly a special opportunity to view his work.

His exhibits in the Etherredge Center are free and open to the public; they close March 23.