The Koger Center for the Arts is honored to present a new exhibit of work by Philip Mullen in the Gallery at the Koger Center. The exhibit, Philip Mullen: A Few of His Favorite Things, is a collection of paintings, sketches, and prints from various points in Mullen’s career. The exhibit will be on display from April 28 through June 30, 2025.
According to Mullen, “This is an exhibit of works that have never or rarely been shown. Many of the works are borrowed from private collections.” Some works have not been shown because the artist chose not to sell them previously. The works on paper were not exhibited in his commercial gallery exhibitions because the galleries preferred to sell the more expensive works on canvas.
Two Rains was last exhibited in 1975 at the Whitney Museum in New York. Petaluma was such a good example of making the air and light stronger than the objects that the artist wanted it as a reference for future works. Bhutan and Bhutan #2 are a rarity because the artist only had access to two sheets of handmade paper from Bhutan.
While the earliest work in the show was done in 1969 and the most recent in 2025, reflecting when the artist has lived in South Carolina, it is not really a retrospective because the period of time represented in the permanent collection at the Koger Center is only lightly covered.
In lieu of an opening reception, Mullen and the Koger Center for the Arts are offering guided gallery tours on May 13, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. and May 18, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. To sign up for one of these tours, call the Koger Center Box Office at (803) 251-2222. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m."