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About 

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

Education

2010

FACETS, Clemson University

1989

South Carolina State College

1986

Winthrop College

1981

Furman University

1979

South Carolina State College

Studio Art for Educators , Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA

Advanced Printmaking, Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA

Advanced Ceramics, Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA

Study of the Artistically Gifted, Greenville, South Carolina

Bachelor of Science Arts Education, Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA

Call 

1 846-462-2195

Email 

aglen@homesc.com

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Alvin B Glen Fine Art

aglen@homesc.com

Dorchester, SC 29437

​1 843-462-2195

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Mortar and Pestle: Rhythm Makers

Aug 1st - 23rd

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

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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.

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