Concurrent Exhibitions of Oil Paintings by Wesley Israel and Liza Valero (Opening Reception)

About this event

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that concurrent exhibitions of oil paintings by Wesley Israel (Charleston, SC) and Liza Valero (Charleston, SC) will be on display at Park Circle Gallery from November 4-28, 2026. The artists will host a free public reception at the gallery on Friday, November 6, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

A Painted Life – Oil Paintings by Wesley Israel

Charleston-based, self-taught oil painter Wesley Israel describes his art practice as a compulsion. He is clearly influenced by the Renaissance and strives for the depth and surface quality first brought forth in that time. In his exhibit, A Painted Life , Israel presents a collection of nearly 20 oil paintings. While his subjects can run the gamut of creation, the themes explored focus on our collective conscience in either memory, story, or experience. In the end, the desire for each work is to possess a timelessness that could also inspire for centuries to come. View the artist’s work on Instagram @feelsomething_wesky .

I Saw You in My Dream Last Night – Oil Paintings by Liza Valero

Liza Valero is a Charleston-based mixed-race artist whose work is shaped by the people in her life, her connection to nature, and music. Rooted in curiosity, humor, and emotional honesty, her work reflects a belief in the power of human bonds. In her exhibit, I Saw You in My Dream Last Night, Valero presents a collection of paintings that center around human experience, specifically surrounding loss, stillness, and the innately human choice of love and patience in the face of suffering. Through loose, gestural figurative studies and the colorful freedom of abstract expressionism, Valero investigates memory, presence, and the way her personal identity is built from both her own perception of the world and the people she shares her life with. Her paintings combine figural observation, imagined spaces, and intimate renderings of symbols dear to her. Her paintings also draw unseen energy forces out of the subjects through meticulous color choices and a focus on body language and posing. In every piece, she aims to create a sense of intimacy and uncanny familiarity through partially abstracted elements and evocative color palettes, capturing not just what is seen, but the emotional resonance beneath it. Learn more about the artist at lizavalero.com .

The Park Circle Gallery is located at 4820 Jenkins Avenue in North Charleston. Admission is free, and free street parking is available on Jenkins Avenue in front of the gallery, as well as on the adjacent streets and in parking lots close by. Gallery hours are 10:30 am-5:30 pm Wednesday-Friday, and Noon-4:00 pm on Saturday. The gallery will be closed on November 11 for Veterans Day and November 26 and 27 for the Thanksgiving holiday. For information on other Cultural Arts programs and artist opportunities, visit the Cultural Arts Department section of the City’s website at https://culturalarts.northcharleston.org .