TIME FOR A VISIT TO PIERCE COLLEGE IN LAKEWOOD >>>

The press release said, "Internationally acclaimed painter Chris Terry will be the featured artist at the Pierce College Fort Steilacoom Fine Arts Gallery."

My first reaction when I read that was, "Yeah, right. Probably some super slick commercial shmuck like Bev Doolittle or Thomas Kinkade."

Then I looked Terry up on the Internet and was surprised to discover he's a damn fine painter.

Serious contemporary still life painting is something of an oxymoron. With the exception of George Morandi and some pop-style still life painters like Janet Fish nobody does that anymore. So I was pleasantly surprised to see Terry's paintings. His still life paintings are serious, somber, and beautifully composed with soft colors and lighting that set a wonderful mood. He is a worthy successor to Morandi, and he carries on a revered tradition without being old fashioned.
 
Terry has taught painting and drawing at Utah State University for more than 20 years and has won numerous awards, including the Utah Visual Artist Fellowship and a Western States Art Federation/National Endowment for the Arts fellowship. He has twice received a Fulbright Fellowship for Teaching and Research in Germany and was named a visiting artist in 2000 at the American Academy in Rome.
  
The Fine Arts Gallery is located at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom, 9401 Farwest Drive SW, Lakewood. It's an often overlooked gallery but well worth visiting, especially during the run of this show. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to noon Friday. The show continues through Dec. 10.