Southside Gallery will host a live auction for an original work and personal studio tour by Photorealism painter Glennray Tutor at 6:30 p.m today.
The proceeds gained from the auctioning off the painting and studio tour will go toward the Oxford Film Festival. Melanie Addington, executive director of Oxford Film Festival, said this is the first time the festival has featured a live auction benefiting their non-profit event.
”We are very excited to celebrate local artists,” Addington said. “It’s art supporting art.”
The painting, titled “Two Rooms (Tickets),” has been a cherished item in Tutor’s private collection since 1982. It was painted using acrylic on paper and is valued by the artist at $12,000.
Glennray Tutor is an American Photorealist painter who was born in Kennett, Missouri, but now lives in Oxford. His art has been praised for its intense color quality and intricate details that leave viewers doubting whether they are looking at a painting at all, a characteristic typical of work created by Photorealist artists.
Tutor is an alumnus of the University of Mississippi, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degrees in art and English as well as his Master of Fine Arts degree in painting. Considered one of the first artists in the Photorealism movement, he painted his first Photorealist work during the 1980s.
Mason jars, rural scenery and toys are a few of the many focuses of Tutor’s artwork, which has been featured in cities such as Santa Fe, New Orleans, Washington, Los Angeles and New York.
Tutor’s paintings have also featured items of American nostalgia such as comics, glass marbles and fireworks. These items are meant to draw a sense of longing for family, childhood or simpler times from the viewer.
Tiara Mangum, a junior pharmaceutical sciences major, is a supporter of the film festival and has attended the event each year since she has been an Ole Miss student.
“I love the business that this festival draws in,” she said. “Tons of movie makers and film lovers come from all over the place just to see some of the footage that Mississippians have worked hard on. It’s a fun way for someone who is from out of state to learn more about the community and its people.”
