This Issue:
• In Living Color Exhibit- thru July 31
• Up Next: On view at Artsville in August-October
• New Podcast- Robert Nicholas, Marquee Impresario
• Up Next: Artist Kenn Kotara, Art Meant for Touching
• Featured Artist Spotlight: Michelle D. Wise, Collage Artist
Only One Month More: “In Living Color: At Home with Paint, Paper and Thread” through Sunday, July 31
Summer’s finally here! Time to add a little color to your life, and walls. Choose your favorite ways to express yourself with abstract paintings from Karen Stastny, woven thread with found treasures from Betsy Meyer and transformative collage from Michelle D. Wise. Retro Pop Art with augmented reality animation from Daryl Slaton andmixed media and fiber art from Louise Glickman remain on display.
Up Next at Artsville: In August, our exhibits will change out to run in August – September – October, just in time for leaf-peeping season. Announcing our upcoming artists for “A Walk in the Woods” at Artsville Collective at Marquee.
Jim McDowell: The Black Potter: Face Jugs
Mary Farmer: Encaustic Paintings
Bronwen McCormack: Landscape Watercolors
Ellen Golden: Photography Manipulated by Light
Jo Miller: Woodturning, Basket Illusion
Daryl Slaton: Featuring Jakodi, an Animated Woodland Spirit
Louise Glickman: Quilted Landscapes with dried plants
Marquee, a dream come true. Photo by Colby Rabon via Asheville Made
New Podcast- Robert Nicholas, Marquee Impresario
At the heart of Asheville’s River Arts District (RAD) is Marquee, the brainchild of artist and entrepreneur Robert Nicholas. Housing offerings from over a hundred vendors, this thoughtfully restored warehouse allows visitors to roam throughout discovering galleries and exhibit spaces to wander into, creating wonderment at every turn.
Robert Nicholas is impresario, presiding over this flourishing showplace, a theatrical display of seasoned antiques, carefully curated art and hand-crafted works. Learn more by listening to his interview with Scott Power and Louise Glickman of Artsville NC podcast.
The ArtsvilleNC podcast series includes artists and creative leaders talking about how Asheville became Artsville. Listen on all major podcast channels and https://artsville.captivate.fm/ which include show notes. The podcast is also at https://sandhillartists.com/4226-2/
Up Next on our Podcast: Meet Kenn Kotara, Artist and Activist. So inspired by Kenn’s interview with our Artsville NC’s podcast host Scott Power and his art using Braille, Artsville Collective has invited Kenn to be a guest curator next spring with work from artists challenged by disabilities. A perpetual curiosity with space, form and communication led Kotara to incorporate Braille into his work and to teach art to the visually impaired.
His Braille work is bas-relief; a language integral to its tactile impact on the eye and hand.
FEATURED ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Michelle D. Wise, Collage
Michelle D. Wise is an Asheville-based multidisciplinary artist that creates one-of-a-kind mixed media pieces. Michelle is particularly enamored with contrast and transforms materials such as handwritten letters, worn maps, and accounting ledgers into art by painting over them — a juxtaposition of the old and the new.
Michelle’s studio artwork draws on her impressive, 30-year career as a designer, illustrator, and art director for newspapers. “I wanted to take the history of graphic arts and move it forward into fine art,” she tells Asheville Made. Now, her artwork is the perfect blend of the two practices.
In Sand Hill Artists Collective + Artsville Collective’s interview with Michelle, she shares some insight into her creative process and how the Asheville arts community inspires her every day. Michelle’s work is on view until July 24, 2022 at Artsville Collective in Marquee Asheville as a part of the “In Living Color: At Home with Paint, Paper, and Thread” exhibition.
[SHAC]: Tell us about your inspiration for the work in “In Living Color: At Home with Paint, Paper, and Thread.”
[Michelle D. Wise]: The inspiration for my work comes from the major influences in my life: the many years I spent as a graphic designer and the love of typography, maps, dressmaker’s patterns, old letters, ledgers, color and working in layers.
[SHAC]: How do you feel when you sell a piece of artwork?
[MDW]: Selling a piece of work is validation for me. It’s always been about a person taking the time to see the value in my work. It’s not about the price tag or bottom line.
[SHAC]: Where do you envision your artwork finding a home?
[MDW]: My pieces are generally small so I envision them in nooks, peaceful settings and places where the viewer can reflect on whatever they see or experience in the image.
[SHAC]: How has your artwork changed through the years?
[MDW]: My work is ever changing. In art school, I was producing hyper-realistic paintings. Later, in my professional work, it revolved around graphic information and product design. Now, I focus on my inner feelings, experiences and experimentation through mixed media. I love that form of creating. The outcome is guided by my curiosity of materials and is sometimes unknown territory. It’s often a surprise and I like that.
[SHAC]: Is creating a joyful process for you? Do you find it challenging?
[MDW]: Creating is the most joyful part of my life. It’s also the time when I am most engaged with my thoughts and feelings. I may experience a gamut of emotions — from feeling intuitively aligned with a composition to understanding a new process that works for me. And of course, there is always a tad of trepidation and fear. When everything works out — JOY!
[SHAC]: What is a piece of advice that you would give other emerging artists?
[MDW]: Never give up! Artists receive a range of feedback. Some are positive and validating. Others give no comment at all. Feedback is critical to artistic growth but it’s important to not take things personally even when you are emotionally attached to your piece. Art is subjective and can be interpreted differently by each viewer. Your intention becomes irrelevant at that point. Get used to hearing a wide range of opinions.
[SHAC]: What is your favorite part of being in the “In Living Color” show?
[MDW]: For me, it’s about showing with other artists who have a diverse background in their art education as well as their unique process, perspectives and techniques. We all learn from on another!
[SHAC]: How does Asheville influence your work?
[MDW]: Good grief! Asheville has been so good for my soul. My neighborhood of Kenilworth has a vibrant artistic community with a Fall studio show that I participate in. The overarching support of Asheville art-lovers keeps me going, thinking, creating and so appreciative of living here.
[SHAC]: What makes the Asheville arts community unique?
[MDW]: Asheville opens doors for well-established and emerging artists. There is a wide range of unique and creative “flavors” here. The community values everything from high-end glass works to outdoor wall murals and everything in between. Art and artists will find a home here.
Sand Hill Artists Collective 