Portraits by Rich Nelson Featured in the Holy Cross Art Gallery

The Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross is proud to feature local artist Richard Christian Nelson in its Art Gallery. The gallery, at 150 Melrose Avenue in Tryon, is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and during services.

Rich has lived in Tryon since 2004. He and Kim moved here to focus on his portraiture career and raise their three children. In the last eighteen years he has completed hundreds of oil and charcoal portraits and won awards from the Portrait Society of America and the Oil Painters of America.

In 2015 Rich and his friend Gary Cooley started the Wednesday Night Head Study group at Tryon Painters and Sculptors. Usually they paint someone from the area and most of the work in this exhibition comes from those three hour sessions.

The group took a break during the pandemic but restarted this spring. They are always happy to find new people to join them as artists and sitters.

The show will be on display from June 14 until August 1. Rich will be in the gallery to greet people at noon after the service on Sunday, June 19.