A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting Edward Rice at his studio. He was discussing what to include in Selected Works 2005-2025, an exhibition of his work showing April 4 – May 15 at CANDL Fine Art in Augusta. CANDL owner and photographer Drake White was there as well. Many topics arose, from travel, history, and sense of place to the pointlessness and inanity of artist statements. (The art is the statement, right?)
It was a fitting conversation, especially given that CANDL is as much about the artists it features—most of whom live locally like Rice but have exhibited regionally, nationally, or internationally—as it is about bringing together people, and perspectives.
For those unfamiliar with the gallery, CANDL came to life organically about three years ago. White was looking for a place to exhibit his recent exploration of character studies of area artists. Having stumbled on a space in downtown Augusta, he decided to do a show in which he paired selected artist portraits with a representative piece of their work.
The energy and interest it generated evolved—CANDL was born.
Since then, CANDL has showcased a myriad of artists including Philip Morsberger, Jay Jacobs, Brian Rust, T. David Downs, Staci Swider, and Lillie Morris. The gallery also offers scheduled artist talks, group visits, and lively opening night parties.
CANDL is located at 1128 Broad Street in downtown Augusta, GA, and is open 11- 5, Monday through Friday, or by appointment at 762.622.8802. For more information, visit https://candl.art.
Kathy Olson is a writer living in Augusta GA who is not an art expert but admits to writing squirrelly artist statements when forced.