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5 π 4 π 1 Night - Artist Showcase 2026Fri, Oct 09Storyhill Church Lobby
Anne Harkness - Full Bio
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A native of NC, Anne Harkness is an alumnus of the Atlanta College of Art and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from The Maryland Institute, College of Art. Her work as an art director in NYC for 15 years has embodied her work with a graphic element that astute viewers can detect in her paintings. As a contemporary artist, Anne seeks to capture a distinct point of view, often finding some unexpected beauty in locations or views others might dismiss as ordinary. Appreciating what is local and slowing down to see, can lead to a painting which documents a time in history. It can also remind viewers of occasions during ordinary life and their memories. Working from her love of a strong design element, Harkness focuses on line and movement in her work. Each of her pieces reveal the many layers used to create each piece. Anne credits her emphasis on these particular components to her love of drawing and a desire to retain the looser marks that give a piece a more rustic, unfinished quality. The surprises that come from spending time in a painting are her treasures. These discoveries assure that she is always learning and seeking the βnew-freshβ for her work.
Elijah Kell
Elijah Kell is a glass artist, designer-craftsman, and visual storyteller based in Mooresville, North Carolina. A lifelong creator, Elijah discovered art as a refuge while navigating learning disabilities and the challenges of traditional academics. At age ten, he encountered glass for the first time and was immediately captivated by its possibilities. What began with a small mosaic grew into a passion that would ultimately become his creative language and lifeβs work. Elijah approaches each sculpture as an interactive story, using color, texture, form, and craftsmanship to transform ideas and emotions into tangible works of art. Whether realizing his own vision or interpreting a clientβs concept, he believes a piece is not fully complete until it finds a home and takes on new meaning through the perspective of its collector. It is in that exchange, where the artistβs story meets another personβs, that Elijah finds the deepest purpose in his work. An artist-entrepreneur from a young age, Elijah won his first professional juried award at 11 and was creating large-scale installations for Charlotte hotels by age 13. Solo gallery exhibitions followed, and at 15 he was invited to exhibit at the GreenHill Center for North Carolina Art. In 2023, he launched Kell Glass LLC and began pursuing his art full-time. His work is now represented by galleries in the Charlotte metropolitan area and Chapel Hill, with collectors and commissions extending across the Carolinas, the nation, and beyond. His continued studies have included work at the prestigious Penland School of Craft, as well as curatorial and installation experience with the Gorelick Galleries at Central Piedmont Community College. Beyond his studio practice, Elijah is committed to using art to serve others. His principal charity partner is Arts for Life, a nonprofit bringing creative experiences to pediatric patients across North Carolina. As a weekly volunteer at Levine Childrenβs Hospital in Charlotte, Elijah helps young patients experience courage, joy, and connection through art. He also donates proceeds from his Small Wonders series to Arts for Life and regularly contributes his artwork to charitable causes throughout Charlotte and beyond.
Esther Moorehead
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Esther Moorehead was born in Toronto, Canada. She has lived in Canada, Northern Ireland, and the USA. From a child she became immersed in many creative outlets, but her first love was always painting. After graduating with a bachelorβs degree in Art Education in South Carolina in 2005, she returned to Toronto to begin her career as a high school art educator. During that time she was married and had two children. She decided not to continue teaching, but instead began taking painting commissions and building a career as a full time studio artist. A month after the birth of her first child, Esther faced a cancer diagnosis that reshaped her perspective of life and purpose. She realized that every moment of life is a gift from God. Even in the darkest places, hope always accompanies life: hope to love and learn; to work together; to build and create; to forgive and change. Now cancer-free, Esther creates from a place of gratitude for the hope she found in Jesus Christ. When her family relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2018, she used the opportunity to develop new relationships with galleries and arts organizations, as well as build a large network of artists and creatives. In 2023, she began to paint murals that have now become a large part of her practice. She has painted walls in public and corporate spaces all over Charlotte and Lake Norman. Her canvas paintings are currently available primarily by her gallery partners: Candita Clayton Gallery, New Hampshire, Spoonbill Gallery, South Carolina, and Juelerye Artisan Gallery, North Carolina. Her paintings reside in private and corporate collections worldwide.
Aimee Perry
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For more than 20 years, Aimee Perry has built a creative life at the intersection of visual art, music, storytelling, and community. A painter, curator, writer, and creative producer, her work is rooted in a deep belief in the power of art to create connection, inspire hope, and reveal beauty in the ordinary. Previously serving as Creative Director and Curator of AVA Gallery in Davidson, North Carolina, Aimee developed exhibitions and artistic experiences centered on beauty, artistic value, and meaningful community connection. She is also co-owner of Tradewind Studios, a music production facility that has created original works for award-winning films and Academy Award-winning producers for more than twelve years. Her creative work has also included writing and illustrating two childrenβs books and launching ARC Interviews, a platform devoted to the stories and creative journeys of artists and other voices. Across her work, Aimee is drawn to the places where beauty and story intersect. Through painting, she explores light, atmosphere, emotion, and the quiet moments that invite us to pause and see the world differently.
Jay Zinn
I see art as a reflection of our lifeβs journey. By blending the weathered textures of rust with vibrant acrylics and patina finishes, I create pieces that honor how beauty can rise out of brokenness. Just as lifeβs highs and lows shape who we are, each work carries a tension between erosion and vibrance, strength and softness. My goal is for every piece to tell a storyβone that invites the viewer to find hope and meaning within its layers. Over the years, my work has been showcased in galleries such as the Shain Gallery and Dunhill Hotel Gallery in Charlotte, NC, as well as the AVA Gallery in my hometown of Davidson, NC. It has also been featured in North Carolina Arts, the Charlotte Observer (βMeet Your Neighborβ), and QC Exclusive Magazine. Select images are reproduced as metal giclΓ©e prints and have found their way into corporate offices, restaurants, healthcare spaces, and homes. Collectors often tell me that my art brings them joy and creates a deep emotional connection. For some, it serves as a reminder of resilience and renewal. For others, it offers a sense of grounding and peace. Knowing that my work can reach across cultures and continentsβfrom here in the U.S. to China and Indonesiaβreminds me that beauty has a universal language that speaks to the soul. Art continues to be one of the most meaningful ways I express what Iβve learned about life and faith. For me, each canvas is more than pigment on steel; it is a testament that out of weathering comes wisdom, and out of brokenness comes beauty.