Artistics interpretations of the meaning of “green” are featured in “Color Me Green,” an exhibition opening Friday, August 6 at the Charlotte Art League Gallery, 1517 Camden Road. Artists were given free rein to interpret the question “What does ‘Green’ mean to you?” in very personal ways, with results ranging from literal, limited-palette compositions to provocative emotional statements about current environmental news featuring such unconventional media as dead bugs and coffee grounds.

The deliberately vague theme was selected precisely because it contains so many possible meanings and connotations and presents an opportunity to breathe life into extremely diverse visions. That diversity is part of the attraction of shows at the Art League, where the work of newly emerging artists can often be found on display next to that of highly collected professionals. While the thematic thread is ever-present, the show sparkles with those “Aha!” moments of discovery where one piece after another contains the sort of surprises that aren’t always found in more uniform presentations.

For Charlotte painter Jerry McQuay, the Gulf oil spill became the focus of his work in preparation for this show. In addition to being a devastating social commentary, the technique he used to produce his imagery was practically a simulation-on-canvas of the environmental disaster. “I painted my ‘Turmoil’ series in an entirely different way than I have ever before painted,” McQuay explained. “I wanted a serene marshland, then drenched the composition in oil poured from top to bottom…as I worked in my backyard, I realized adding dirt and coffee grinds would add a “sludge” effect. As evening approached, the backlights began to attract a few beetles that landed in the wet pour and remained there for effect.”

The show opens during the South End Gallery Crawl on Friday, August 6 at 6:00 PM, and runs through August 27th.

Directions to Charlotte Art League Gallery