top of page

Discover Unique Creations

loader,gif

Welcome to Alvin B Glen Fine Art, where emotions, ideas, and experiences converge to create captivating art pieces that resonate with the soul.

Art of  Alvin B. Glen

  • Growing up in the small town of Dorchester, South Carolina, during the era of Jim Crow laws, Alvin’s artistic journey faced many challenges. Despite the lack of visual arts classes in his public school, Alvin’s parents arranged for him to take correspondence art courses in middle school. These early experiences ignited his passion for music, which carried through to college.
​
  • In 1979, he proudly earned his Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from South Carolina State College, with a strong focus on education. This laid the foundation for his career as a dedicated art teacher beginning in the Orangeburg county schools five years, then he served for an impressive thirty eight years before retiring with a total of forty three years. Through his artwork, Alvin strives to capture the strength, dedication, and interconnectedness of the people who inspire him. Spirituality, compassion, and empathy flow through every pastel stroke, creating images that resonate with viewers. After a brief period living in Orangeburg, he returned to his hometown of Dorchester in 1985. Over the years, he has had the honor of showcasing his work at various galleries throughout South Carolina, as well as briefly in North Carolina and Georgia. Some notable galleries include The Dr. N. Lee Morris Gallery, Waterfront Gallery, I.P. Stanback Museum, Penn Center, and The Columbia Museum of Art. His recognitions include winning first place at the Charleston Artist Guild Exhibit, Featured Artist for The Moja Arts Festival and Best in Show award at the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit. Today, Alvin resides in his beloved Dorchester, South Carolina with his family, enjoying the serenity of retirement after dedicating my life to teaching visual art in the public school system.
​

Artist Statement

​
  • I explore emotions, ideas, and experiences and how or why they occur and reoccur. Recognizable images-sometimes subtle- allow the viewer to discover and interpret the work slowly. Mixed media, usually combining dyes, pastels, pencils, and collages, with pastels, as the dominant medium. I prefer working in series, by subject or theme, because I find it challenging to explore an idea with one artwork thoroughly. I enjoy combining the emotional with social and spiritual concepts. Images or portions of images are emphasized or diminished to encourage the viewer to explore and personally interpret the work. Colors are used as focal points to catch the eye and to engage the viewer. I'm a husband, father, public school art teacher, Sunday school teacher, and men's ministry leader. Informing or being informed gives birth to ideas, images, and compositions for my work. I participate in community art events and art guilds.
​
  • I enjoy when viewers get the message from my work. However, I get excited when the viewer is engaged enough to explore, analyze, and interpret my works in a personal way. The latter leads to discovering some idea or having an emotion which might be new or surprising.
  • Alvin B Glen

Mortar and Pestle: Rhythm Makers

Aug 1st - 23rd

Reception August 1st 5:30 pm - 8: pm

​

artist statement

This body of work offers a reimagined perspective on Lowcountry rural women and children. Celebrating their resilience, brilliance, and central role in sustaining agricultural life. As Black men increasingly gained access to factory and seaport jobs after the end of Jim Crow, women became the primary stewards of the farms. Their labor—often unseen—was vital, rhythmic, and powerful. This work honors both the chaos and coordination of their efforts, highlighting a workforce rooted in strength, creativity, and endurance.

Exhibition Title: Mortar and Pestle: Rhythm Makers

Mortar and Pestle: Rhythm Makers draws its name from the essential tools used to process Carolina Gold rice in the Lowcountry—labor first performed by enslaved Africans and later sustained by Gullah communities. These tools symbolize endurance, movement, and rhythm, capturing the dynamic energy of rural farm life and the constant motion of its workers.

 

Through a series of vibrant, figurative pastel works, this exhibition conveys the pulsing rhythms of the rice fields—the steady pace of labor, the songs sung while working, and the ever-changing Lowcountry landscape. Bold colors, layered textures, and expressive mark-making evoke both physical strength and communal harmony, translating movement into visual rhythm.

 

The paintings pay homage to my grandparents, who, I was told, grew a small patch of rice. From this history, I imagine scenes of my father, his sister, and their parents at work—reconstructing memory through gesture, color, and form. These imagined narratives serve as a bridge between personal history and collective cultural memory.

NIDUM Gallery
2154 Noisette Blvd Suite 140, , North Charleston, South Carolina 29405

​Nidum (pronounced “Need-um”) is a local art gallery and private tattoo studio that recently opened in the Storehouse 9 building in the Navy Yard near Park Circle. Founded in September 2024 by husband-and-wife duo (and North Charleston residents) Bradley and Betsy Butler, along with partner Dave Riley, the space is split into two — literally and figuratively. Walk in and veer right, there’s the art gallery, which specializes in work from area artists. Go left and you’ll find the body art salon.

Nidum offers an experience that feels separate from and different than either of its halves would suggest — its vibe matches neither that of a traditional gallery nor tattoo shop. And yet, it makes complete sense the moment you walk in the door. According to Betsy Butler, this is intentional and a natural reflection of the symbiosis between the two artistic realms.

bottom of page