David Wilson

Lead Artist & Project Management

Born in WV, David Wilson is one of the leading NC African American artists of the generation that emerged in the wake of Romare Bearden and John Biggers. Wilson studied under Biggers while gaining his BFA at Hampton University (Hampton, VA) in the early 1990s. There, he absorbed the astute attention to culture and metaphor associated with Biggers' painting and printmaking.

Subsequently, Wilson returned to his earlier imprint from Bearden by refining his own visual and conceptual vocabulary that emerged through his focus on the points of intersection between technology and design with Bearden's unique synthesis of Cubist structure and southern folk traditions. The results are truly unique collages that weave myth and metaphor into universal themes of family, religion, and culture that inspire introspection, education, and communication.

Wilson’s work has been exhibited in Atlanta, Charlotte, DC, Miami, and New York, as well as internationally in Germany and Spain. His work is included in notable private and celebrity collections.
In addition to his fine art accomplishments, Wilson creates architecturally scaled, public art that is cutting-edge and inspired by the people who live and work where the art will be placed. His most notable public work is the "Divergent Threads, Lucent Memories" glass mural facade for the Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture (Charlotte).

MEET THE ARTIST | Wilson Fine Art

Pamela Underwood

Supporting Artist & Engagement Workshop Lead/Website Manager

A Gaston County native, Pamela's diverse career in the fine arts and creative sector has spanned over 35years. Awards from juried gallery exhibits, along with formulation and implementation of original, unique public and community arts engagement, have led to many successful art endeavors by Pamela.

Recent awards include a 2025 NC Main Street Award of Merit for Pamela's partnership with the City of Bessemer City on her incorporation of African-themed art for public art display during the 2023 Juneteenth Festival.

2022 Keep America Beautiful National Award Winner, as part of the creative team that brought the Mosaic structure "Serenity" to Gastonias FUSE.

Pamela is a grant recipient for many projects, ranging from "Kaleidoscope of Popular Quilt Patterns - Many Threads, One Community," a community public art project for Belmont, to Gaston Community Foundation Simes event - "Explosion of Color," with Boys and Girls Club of Greater Gaston. Along with many other successful Community Art Engagements and Public Art Collaborations.

Serving on several committees with various organizations, Pamela promotes positive change, sharing her hands-on experience to uplift the fine arts community. She works diligently for funded art, enriching the culture of where we live, allowing space to communicate authenticity and personal expression via All Things Art.

Arts Education has been a valuable part of Pamela's artistic career, from teaching adults and children at Gaston School of the Arts, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Gaston, to 20 years as the art teacher at Bessemer City High School. Pamela was also awarded the 2019 BC High Teacher of the Year. Before Pamela's educational career, she was a graphic and textile designer. It was an exciting time to be a graphic designer during her younger artistic years, from growing with the Apple computer innovations to the basic T-shirt evolving into wearable art. Pamela was also a two-time winner of the "Fish Camp Jam" design contest, among other design recognitions.

"For me, art is the universal language, along with the certitude that conversation leads to connection, and through connection, a broader community emerges." - Pamela Underwood

University of North Carolina at Charlotte graduate,

Bachelor of Creative Arts Degree, May 1988.

NC Professional Educators Visual Arts License - Grades K-12

Website - pamelaunderwoodart.wixsite.com/pamelaunderwoodart

Tykevius McDowell

Tykevius McDowell is an active visual artist with over six years of dedicated creative practice, exploring the depth of human experience through abstract, expressionist, and figurative art that tells a story. His work blends emotion, movement, and narrative to invite reflection, spiritual connection, and personal interpretation—creating pieces that speak to both the heart and the imagination.

Beyond his artistic practice, McDowell serves as an active leader in ministry and a third-grade math teacher who has been employed by Gaston County for over ten years, devoted to instilling knowledge, confidence, and purpose into the youth. A Gaston County native who grew up in the Highland community, he remains deeply committed to uplifting the place that shaped him. This commitment is reflected in his involvement with community art projects designed to inspire, restore, and connect people through creativity.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and is continuing his academic journey toward earning his Master’s degree. His artwork is currently displayed in downtown Gastonia, and he is actively developing a new community art project set to launch in the spring. Through education, ministry, and art, McDowell aspires to be a voice that links past and present—honoring history while inspiring future generations.

Website Design

Lacey Beam Dellinger

Lacey is a mixed media artist based in Cherryville, North Carolina. Her work combines drawing and painting techniques to explore the complex relationships between culture, nature, and perception. Trained as a printmaker, she earned her BFA with a concentration in printmaking and a minor in art education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. For over 15 years, Dellinger has shared her passion for art as a public school educator while maintaining an active studio practice. Her experience with a wide range of materials informs her layered, research-driven approach to image-making. She currently lives with her husband and their young son, whose curiosity and energy influence her continued exploration of storytelling, myth, and animal life.

Website Design Project Manager

Alex Brooks

Community Engagement Manager for Gaston County Museum of Art & History

Alexander Brooks is the Community Engagement Manager at the Gaston County Museum of Art & History in Dallas, NC—where he specializes in connecting people, stories, and the occasional unexpected idea that somehow works brilliantly.

A professional working artist and costumer, Alex didn’t exactly take the traditional path into the museum field. He began his career in law enforcement and forensic toxicology (yes, really), before making a pivot over 20+ years ago into museums—proving that career plot twists can, in fact, pay off. Since then, he’s worked in nearly every corner of the field, developing a reputation for creating immersive, award-winning exhibits and programs that are as thoughtful as they are engaging.

His academic background is just as eclectic as his career, with studies at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Appalachian State University, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, followed by business training at the University of South Florida School of Business and a focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) in the Workplace through Cornell University. In short: equal parts creative, analytical, and people-centered.

Alex brings a unique blend of artistic vision, scientific thinking, and community focus to his work—along with a healthy skepticism of “the way things have always been done.” He believes the best museum experiences don’t just inform—they invite participation, spark curiosity, and occasionally surprise you.

He currently lives in Gastonia and can usually be found seeking out new street art and food spots with his 18-year-old son, Wren, or trying to convince his director that going kayaking in the middle of the day qualifies as work. (He maintains that it absolutely does.)

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