Franklin Galleries

‘First Day of Class’ by North Carolina artist Russell Smith is the first piece to capture the most revered of all Carolina traditions. Campus legend asserts that a drink from the Old Well on the first day of classes will ensure a student straight A’s for the semester.

A stunning depiction of this annual right of passage, Smith’s use of composition, color and light dazzle the canvas. The warm light of a late summer morning sun peers just over Old East, and pours through the pillars onto the ‘baptized’ student. Set beneath the Carolina Blue sky against the majestic backdrop of the South Building, this 1950’s depiction will be prized by any UNC Alumnus.

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On a perfect May morning, an electric feeling envelops Chapel Hill. The much anticipated day has finally arrived. Years of anticipation would be condensed into moments. Lifelong dreams would soon be fulfilled. As the moment nears, the excitement heightens. And then suddenly, without provocation, the blue mass erupts into a thunderous roar of celebration which reverberates through an entire town. A mass of mortarboards are launched into the awaiting sky.

“Celebration” by North Carolina artist Russell Smith captures the excitement and jubilation of this awesome moment in this second edition of Franklin Galleries Traditions Collection®. The hats fly against the backdrop of an ‘angelic’ sky while the graduates celebrate their remarkable accomplishment in the shadow of the Bell Tower. Smith’s brilliant use of light, color and contrast create a visually stunning piece that you will be proud to display in your home or office.

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Carolina legend has it that if you kiss your date beneath the legendary Davie Poplar, then you will marry the one you kiss. Franklin Galleries third of the Traditions Collection, ‘Legend of Davie Poplar’ by North Carolina artist Russell Smith is the first picture to capture the sacred tradition of the ‘kiss’ while capturing the splendor of North Campus.

Smith depicts a glorious fall day with the sun illuminating Old East – the first building built on campus – as students pass on the walkways behind the historic tree. Set in front of a backdrop of the South Building and the Old Well, this work is visually stunning and truly captures the essence of a fall Carolina day.

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