Spartanburg Day School

Artists Liz Stubbs and Penny Treese are offering the Griffin community a sneak peek of their collaborative work in the first art exhibit of the 2020-21 school year. A full showing of the pair’s “Unknowing” exhibit has been rescheduled for next fall due to COVID-19, but Stubbs – a 1986 Day School alum – and Treese generously agreed to put together a “capsule collection” to hang in the Mildred Harrison Dent Fine Arts Gallery from Sept. 1 through Oct. 23.

The “Unknowing” capsule collection is comprised of 13 works – 12 created by Stubbs and Treese and one to be a co-creation with the SDS community. On the 40x96” canvas, students K-12 will be invited to “clarify your dream; declare your daring; and ink your intention” in the way they feel most compelled.

“In this culture of distancing, we are partnering with SDS students and the larger community via virtual video exchanges throughout the year to share the stories and themes infusing the series,” they said. “From those exchanges, we are excited to see how the full series organically transforms as we collectively explore and amplify its meaning, layers and resonance with YOU.”

Stubbs, a photographer and portrait artist, and encaustic artist Treese are a collaborative duo. Pieces in the “Unknowing” exhibit are photographed by Stubbs and expanded upon with pigments and heat by Treese. Both have award-winning works curated in internationally juried exhibitions, galleries and private collections. 

Stubbs celebrates inner light. “My joy is to celebrate the art of us, what lights us up,” she said. “When we see ourselves through that lens, we bloom, transforming how we show up in life.”

Treese’s work studies self-love, authenticity, and acceptance of imperfection. “My work reflects that deeply personal struggle and transforms our relationship with our soul,” she said. “I use water, wine, and organic elements to energize our rawness and radiance.”

Following the exhibit, the community canvas will be donated to the school’s Nancy Corbin Permanent Art Collection. The other 12 works are for sale with 10 percent of all sales benefiting the Elaine Freeman Arts Scholarship.

Due to COVID-19 health and safety restrictions, the exhibit is not open to the public. However, please enjoy an interview with the artists, linked below, and a slideshow of the works currently on display.

INTERVIEW WITH ARTISTS LIZ STUBBS AND PENNY TREESE