WS Chronicle

(pictured above:  A close-up view of Darius Quarles’ “Beach Hat Passion.”)

Delta Arts Center, 2611 New Walkertown Rd., will hold an opening reception and artist talk with Durham painter Darius Quarles on Thursday, July 10 at 6 p.m. The reception will be preceded by Delta Art Center’s Annual Meeting at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend both events.

His exhibition, “Unleashed!,” opened at the center on Tuesday, June 24 and will be on view through Saturday, Aug. 30. All of his works are available for sale.

Quarles

Quarles is well known artist in the Triangle and has a unique contemporary style full of vivid color, pop icons and dreamscapes. He was born and raised in Louisa, Va. and dreamed of becoming an artist since he was a little boy.

At the age of five, he would go outside and find himself studying the lines between the trees and clouds. Once he would come back inside, he would transform those visions into small sketches on paper. After high school, Quarles joined the U.S. Navy, but in his free time, he would still sketch and draw. After his service, he studied color theory at the American College of the Arts, and after holding various jobs, he decided to pursue his dream of becoming an artist.

He is a full-time working artist and part of an artists’ collective called Pleiades Gallery, which features his work, as well as the works of nine other artists around the Triangle. His work has also been represented in New York galleries and is collected nationwide.

Delta Arts Center is open Tuesday – Friday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.. Tours of the exhibition can be arranged by calling the Center at 336-722-2625.