Influence and Inspiration: The Art of Jill Hooper, Ben Long, and Frank Mason

Event Details

Spanning multiple generations, Influence and Inspiration celebrates three artists devoted to classical training and united by friendships. Frank Mason (American, 1921-2009) was an influential teacher at the Art Students League in New York City for over fifty years and a passionate supporter of the arts. In the 1960s, Mason taught Ben Long (b. 1945), a promising young artist from North Carolina. Long has since distinguished himself on the international stage as a realist and a prolific fresco painter. Charleston-based artist Jill Hooper (American, b. 1970) studied under Ben Long, who remains an important mentor to this day. Like Long and Mason, Hooper is a realist painter who has earned international acclaim for her powerful portraits, landscapes, and still-life paintings. Together, these artists demonstrate a commitment to the techniques of the Old Masters while offering their unique artistic perspectives on contemporary life. Influence and Inspiration includes paintings and drawings by each artist. The works demonstrate the rigorous training and preparation behind each finished painting and offer a glimpse into the artist's working process. Subjects range from portraits and genre scenes to large-scale religious paintings.