In This Issue:
• New Podcast: Meet Kate Pett and THRIVE
• “A Walk in the Woods,” Seven artists now showing at Marquee
• Artist Features: Jo Miller, Wood Craftsman; Ellen Golden, Photography Reimagined
• Mark your calendars: Art a la Carte: “The Art of Collecting” on Friday, October 14 at Blue Spiral 1 or Zoom
• New Show Opening Sat., Nov. 5: IMPRESSED: Print, Paint, Dye, Repeat.
New Artsville Podcast Release: Sustainable Arts Tourism and THRIVE
Meet Kate Pett and THRIVE, a community planning project tackling sustainable tourism. Issues include how to help artists succeed in Asheville. Focus issues include:
- Affordable Housing
- Affordable Studio Space
- Transportation
- Engaging artists in building a community that serves their needs
Listen on https://www.artsvilleusa.com/kate-pett/ or any popular podcast platform.
As we shift into Fall, enjoy Artsville’s “Walk in the Woods.”
“A Walk in the Woods” is on display through October 30 at Marquee Asheville.
A Walk in the Woods is a group exhibition where five guest artists approach the glory of the Carolina woodlands with fresh takes on nature through their personal perspective. View work from Jim McDowell; ceramic face jugs, Jo Miller; basket illusion woodturning, Mary Farmer; encaustics, Bronwen McCormick; watercolors, and Ellen Golden; abstract photography. Head to www.artsvilleusa.com or http://www.sandhillartists.com for more information.
Artist Feature: Jo Miller Mimics Woven Basketry with Woodturning
“I let the wood speak to me, defining my direction by its grain, a crack that inspires a design or shape, or even the rough edge of the bark itself,” says Jo Miller, a talented Asheville-based woodturner.
It’s hard to believe after looking at her creations that Jo started her woodturning journey only six years ago in 2016, when she joined Carolina Mountain Woodturners. About a year after starting, she got a lathe, which allowed her to try new crafting techniques such as off-centered turning, embellishing, and carving on wood.
As she learned how to skillfully work with the wood, she was introduced to a new, intricate technique called basket illusion where a turned piece of wood is made to resemble woven basketry. She took a week-long course with Harvey Meyer of the American Association of Woodturners to learn the skill, and the rest is history. Jo’s practice now focuses on this technique, as the graph pattern satisfies her inner scientist—she’s retired, but had a long career in science and research—and plays to her artistic strengths. Jo’s detailed creations show a reverence for the material she works with, and an enthusiasm for precision. Her basket illusion woodturning is on display in “A Walk in the Woods” at Artsville Collective through October 30.
Jo Miller
jo@miller-webster.com
Artsville Feature: Ellen Golden’s Photography Reimagined
How do you feel with your toes squishing in the moss as you look up at the swaying trees? How do you feel as you watch sparkling water rippling and twirling in the breeze?
Photographer Ellen Golden captures the emotional layer of nature. She starts with a wide-angle photograph and uses Photoshop to dissect it pixel by pixel. Then, isolated pixels are manipulated to create a unique work of art. “Photoshop has changed the way I can create a print. Its mysteries are partly based on manipulating pixels, the tiny bits of emulation that hold the information when the photo is created,” she says of her creation process. “When I choose a photo to work on, it goes into Photoshop where those pixels release the creative basis for my new image. It’s that information that I use with other tools to create textures, levels of transparency, and new backgrounds.”
The essence of the original photograph often stays, as the colors are blurred to mimic the effect of smeared pastels or bleeding watercolors. The mood of the image, however, changes with every edit, as Ellen skillfully guides the way. Her favorite part of the intuitive creative process is the unknown, as she never knows what details are hidden within the larger image, or the exact process she’ll take to get to the finished piece of art.
Ellen shows her giclee prints on cold press archival paper without glass to maintain their vibrancy. She treats the surface to protect the colors but suggests that the prints be hung away from direct sun. Find them at Artsville Collective at Marquee Asheville as a part of “A Walk in the Woods,” on display through October 30.
Ellen Golden
info@ellengoldennyc.com
Art a la Carte: “The Art of Collecting” with Merrily Orsini and Rick Heath
Join a discussion with contemporary glass connoisseurs Merrily Orsini and Rick Heath on Friday, October 14.
Attend Artsville’s lunch-and-learn discussion on Zoom (12-1pm) or LIVE (11:30am Meet & Greet, 12-1pm Discussion) at Blue Spiral 1. This couple has spent years learning about glass through travel, research, volunteering, visiting and collecting. With a passion for contemporary glass, they will reveal their experiences and provide tips on how to collect and to gain a passion for showcasing your finds. Head to http://www.artsvilleusa.com or www.sandhillartists.com for more information and to get the Zoom link.
Announcement: Artsville’s New Show, IMPRESSED: Print, Paint, Dye, Repeat, opens on November 5th. Keep an eye out for more details.
NEW WEBSITE: ArtsvilleUSA.com will soon replace SandHillArtists.com.
We are transitioning slowly to the Artsville name and website. For now, information is available on both sites. Help us grow by telling us what you think about the new site at ArtsvilleUSA.com.
Comments at https://sandhillartists.com/contact/
In This Issue:
Meet Jim McDowell: Face jugs from the “Black Potter”
• Artsville Weekend Sept. 9 + 10: Discussion group and Party
• Name Change: SHAC becomes ARTSVILLE
• New Exhibit:“A Walk in the Woods” with seven artists
Meet Jim McDowell: Three Ways to See, Listen and Learn about Face Jugs from this Renowned Potter
- See Jim’s Face Jugs at Artsville Collective at Marquee thru Oct. 30
- Listen to Jim tell his own story at the new Artsville USA podcast at https://artsville.captivate.fm/ or any popular podcast platform
- Use this Zoom link for Art a la Carte, a virtual discussion with Jim McDowell on Friday Sept. 9 from 11:45 am to 1:15
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84161940584?pwd=dDhiL3lrd2dMQUlpNEptSEE4NTRHQT09
Meeting ID: 841 6194 0584
Passcode: Artsville
Jim McDowell: Telling the Stories of His Black Ancestors, One Face Jug at a Time
“You can’t just do art for art’s sake. You have to have emotion. You have to have a story behind it. Otherwise, why are you doing it?” Jim McDowell tells Artsville Collective.
Jim, who creates under the name of “the Black Potter” is best known for his impactful face jugs, but he also creates functional pottery. In his Artsville podcast episode released on August 15, Jim reveals the captivating stories that guide his work with a full heart and the energy of a passionate creator.
Face jugs are historically linked to African American enslaved communities in the US. Most of the talented artists’ names are missing, and there is mystery around the purpose of the jugs because of the gaps in recorded history. Jim’s fourth great aunt was a slave potter in Jamaica and through passed-down stories he learned that the jugs were used to carry spirits, ward off evil, and mark graves, as the enslaved weren’t allowed tombstones.
Jim has his ancestors in his ear—and guiding his hands—and has made it his responsibility to tell their stories, keep the tradition alive, and share this piece of Black history that has been erased. Creating the jugs takes about a week—“plus 40 years,” he jokes with a hearty chuckle—and his process is emotionally charged. His ancestors “speak” to him in his dreams, inspiring him in his making and committing him to connecting past stories to today’s history-making events.
Every face jug has a purposeful inscription on the back in honor of an enslaved man named David Drake (“Dave”) from an Edgefield, South Carolina plantation who was able to write on his jugs and even sign his name. “The writing is so significant because it refers to what’s on the front of the jug. It refers to the whole gamut of the emotional content, and also the spiritual content.”
Jim McDowell
UP NEXT: Podcast Interview with Jim McDowell: The Black Potter
Jim tells stories through the voices of his slave ancestors and his ancestral history with his nationally-known face jugs. He has made a special collection at affordable prices for our ARTSVILLE Collective audience. Jim’s work is featured in our WALK IN THE WOODS exhibit, opening through Oct. 30 at Marquee.
READ MORE about Jim McDowell in the August Issue of The Laurel of Asheville:
https://thelaurelofasheville.com/arts/jim-mcdowell-tells-stories-of-his-black-ancestors-one-face-jug-at-a-time/
Artsville Discussion via Zoom and Party at Artsville Collective
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
You’re invited to join our artists, creative supporters and community friends at Artsville Collective at Marquee on Saturday, September 10 from 2 – 5 pm. This always fun event brings opportunities to speak with our exhibiting artists, see the works of seven talented creatives in our new fall show, “A Walk in the Woods”, and enjoy drinks and refreshments. At 3:30 pm, we will acknowledge the wonderful guest artists now showing at Artsville Collective.
Enjoy learning about their works: Bronwen McCormick, Mary Farmer, Jo Miller, Ellen Golden and Jim McDowell.
NEW WEBSITE: ArtsvilleUSA.com will soon replace SandHillArtists.com.
We are transitioning slowly to the Artsville name and website. For now, information is available on both sites. Help us grow by telling us what you think about the new site at ArtsvilleUSA.com.
Comments at https://sandhillartists.com/contact/
A Walk in the Woods.
“A Walk in the Woods” on Display Now at Artsville Collective
Five guest artists join Daryl Slaton and Louise Glickman to reveal the glory of our Carolina woodlands with a variety of mediums and from personal perspectives. Not at all what you would expect, their viewpoints reveal Appalachia through a fresh lens, inspired by fall and full of surprises for all leaf-peepers. See the works of:
Artsville Collective is inside Marquee at 36 Foundy Street
in Asheville’s River Arts District
SandHillArtists.com or ArtsvilleUSA.com
For more information contact lsglickman@gmail.com
News and More at Artsville and Sand Hill Artists Collective
Artsville NC Podcast: “How Asheville Became Artsville” Listen to all episodes in our series with Asheville area’s arts and crafts doers, movers and shakers. Hear them at https://sandhillartists.com/4226-2/
This Issue:
• New Exhibit: A Walk in the Woods at ARTSVILLE at Marquee
• New Podcast: Artist Kenn Kotara Looks at the World Differently
• Name Change: SHAC becomes ARTSVILLE
• Celebration: Acknowledging our artists, podcast and discussion group talents
new works at Artsville Collective
EW EXHIBIT at Artsville Collective at Marquee opens Saturday August 6
A WALK IN THE WOODS Features the Works of Guest Artists
Along with Changed Exhibitions from Daryl Slaton and Louise Glickman.
Five guest artists plus founding artists Daryl Slaton and Louise Glickman approach the glory of our Carolina woodlands with fresh takes on nature through their personal perspectives. Not at all what you would expect, their viewpoints reveal Appalachia through a fresh lens, inspired by fall and full of surprises for all locals and leaf-peepers. Within each piece, there is a story to encourage a visit to Artsville’s gallery at Marquee, podcast and blogs. For more, go to subscribe at https://sandhillartists.com
NEW PODCAST at Artsvilleusa.com and sandhillartists.com
KENN KOTARA: An Asheville Artist That Looks at the World Differently
Kenn Kotara, a contemporary mixed-media abstract artist based in Asheville, North Carolina has been propelled to national fame by his lifelong fascination with architecture, philosophy, literature and communication. Kenn masterfully expresses himself on canvas, paper, and Mylar using a vast variety of mediums and photography. His site-specific installations evoke a powerful emotional response from those who view them. Of great interest is his work based on braille and teaching art to visually impaired children.
UP NEXT: Podcast Interview with Jim McDowell: The Black Potter
Jim tells stories through the voices of his slave ancestors and his ancestral history with his nationally-known face jugs. He has made a special collection at affordable prices for our ARTSVILLE Collective audience. Jim’s work is featured in our WALK IN THE WOODS exhibit, opening Saturday, Aug, 6- Oct. 30 at Marquee.
READ MORE about Jim McDowell in the August Issue of The Laurel of Asheville:
https://thelaurelofasheville.com/arts/jim-mcdowell-tells-stories-of-his-black-ancestors-one-face-jug-at-a-time/
NEW WEBSITE: ArtsvilleUSA.com will soon replace SandHillArtists.com.
We are transitioning slowly to the Artsville name and website. For now, information is available on both sites. Help us grow by telling us what you think about the new site at ArtsvilleUSA.com.
Comments at https://sandhillartists.com/contact/
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
CELEBRATE at ARTSVILLE Collective at our Open House on Sept. 10
With each new show, Artsville Collective has a party to show work and appreciation for the talented artists and community leaders who have made us a special place to show, talk and learn about art and artists in Asheville and beyond. Join is for this always-fun event.
This issue:
• In Living Color Exhibit- thru July 31
• Featured Artist Spotlight: Betsy Meyer, textiles extraordinaire
• July 15- New podcast with Kenn Kotara
“In Living Color: At Home With Paint, Paper and Thread” is at Artsville at Marquee Through July
It’s time to add a little color to your life and your home! Choose your favorite color explorations 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 and mixed media and fiber art from Louise Glickman remain on display.
Featured Artists Spotlight: Fiber Artist Betsy Meyer
Unconventional tapestries carefully woven with repurposed fabrics are Asheville-based artist Betsy Meyer’s specialty. Betsy deconstructs and dyes discarded fabric and garments, and combines them with hand-spun yarn. The materials used in her artwork had a colorful past before finding a permanent home, and a future, in her vibrant creations, now showing at Artsville Collective at Marquee in the River Arts District until July 31. Betsy’s story tells of her adventure with textiles. Written by Jenna Eberhardt.
[SHAC]: Tell us about your inspiration for the work in “In Living Color: At Home with Paint, Paper, and Thread.”
[Betsy Meyer]: I am inspired by the colors and textures of the fiber I use in creating my abstract tapestry weavings and believe we benefit from having colors we respond to as an integral part of our lives. “In Living Color” is my North Star. I just love being surrounded by the colors I find in nature and use them as the basis for my work.
[SHAC]: Where do you envision your artwork finding a home?
[BM]: I believe the personal connections people make when they view my work speak to their inner spirit and they have just the right place for their choice; perhaps a special spot in their home or office. These original tapestries are also interesting when they are installed as collections in corporate spaces, elder living compounds and even hospitals.
[SHAC]: How has your artwork changed through the years?
[BM]: At first it was torture; too many opportunities to make grievous mistakes. I decided weaving was NOT for me. This changed in an instant when I stumbled upon a new weaving studio that opened near me and I learned about the Japanese philosophy of weaving! There are no mistakes, only happy accidents!
As a beginner, I wove traditional, horizontal pieces with color and texture creating a story but that was way too boring and I developed my own quirky techniques. Ever curious, I experiment with all kinds of ingredients that lead me down many paths…all of them fun!
[SHAC]: What is a piece of advice that you would give other emerging artists?
[BM]: My advice to emerging artists is to follow their hearts and let their art take them on the journey. That is one tricky feat to accomplish!
Betsy’s Website: https://betsymeyerart.com/
Instagram: @betsy.meyer
July 15- New podcast with Kenn Kotara
Kenn Kotara talks about his mixed media art, focusing on his Braille collection, and conversely teaching the visually impaired to make art. Including origami! Learning braille to hammer dots as a communication device led this artist to a better understanding of sight as these cells become compositional patterns. His positive story encourages all of us to see more clearly and create with courage.
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.
This issue:
• CELEBRATE Party- June 4
• In Living Color Exhibit- thru July 31
• New Podcast- Viola Spells, jewelry
• Q+Art spotlights Karen Stastny, painter
CELEBRATE with our guest artists, podcast interviewees, presenters, and our expanding community of loyal friends. Artsville Collective and Podcast founders Louise Glickman, Daryl Slaton and Scott Power of Crewest/LA invite you to their annual summer party celebrating our creative community in 2022. Enjoy meeting our artists now on exhibit: Karen Stastny, Betsy Meyer, Michelle D. Wise and the artists and creative leaders who have made our podcasts and discussion groups successful in 2022. Rhona Polonsky, Jill Lawrence, Micah Mackensie, Robert Nicholas, Viola Spells, Andrea Kulish, Kate Averett Anderson, Michael Manes, Sarah Wells Rolland, Stephanie Moore, Jordan Ahlers, Mia Hall, Robin Dreyer, Tom Anders, Sherry Masters and Steven Frowine. Saturday, June 4 from 2-5 pm at Artsville Collective at Marquee. 36 Foundy Street in the River Arts District.
On Exhibit: Friday, April 29- July 24: “In Living Color: At Home with Paint, Paper and Thread.”
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 and mixed media and fiber art from Louise Glickman remain on display.
Listen In:
New Podcast: We welcome jewelry artist Viola Spells, as the newest art personality to enliven our Artsville NC podcasts discussing how to embrace your artistic dreams as a second career. An Asheville native, Viola was first a librarian but searched her inner soul to to translate her root creativity as a third generation crocheter to contemporary line using wire. She weaves the stories of women, home and community into her podcast and jewelry.
Up Next: Marquee impresario Robert Nicholas talks about this new bold art space in the RAD.
Listen to all Artsville podcasts to learn how Asheville became Artsville. In partnership with Crewest/LA, we celebrate contemporary arts and crafts from Asheville and Beyond.
Available at sandhillartists.com and https://artsville.captivate.fm and most major podcast channels.
https://sandhillartists.com/4226-2/
https://artsville.captivate.fm
palette and canvas.
Q+Art spotlights abstract painter Karen Stastny
Karen Stastny is an Asheville and New Orleans-based abstract painter that that wants you to feel something when you look at her artwork. Karen’s paintings are chock-full of sweeping plains of color and energetic lines. Created as a conversation between color, composition, mark-making and shape, her work is both personal and investigative.
Karen spends the spring and summer months finding inspiration in mountainous Asheville, and then, for the rest of the year, soaks in bustling, coastal New Orleans. Perhaps you can see the energy of the Crescent City in Karen’s lively mark-making and Asheville’s diverse natural environment in the color palette and composition.
“I love the process of painting. It is a dialogue,” Karen says of her creation process. In the beginning, I am never sure where the painting will end up. I might have my ideas, but at some point, the painting starts to assert itself. Then the conversation really gets interesting.” Karen is an excellent listener, as she allows the painting to dictate where it wants to go. Sometimes a lack of planning can lead to an amazing outcome, at least when it comes to painting.
In Q+Art, our new story feature, we interview Karen as she shares her advice for emerging artists and how her artwork has changed through the years. Karen’s work is on view until July 31, 2022 at Artsville Collective in Marquee in the RAD as part of the exhibition“In Living Color: At Home with Paint, Paper, and Thread.”
[SHAC] Tell us about your inspiration for the work in “In Living Color: At Home with Paint, Paper, and Thread.”
[Karen Stastny]: Recently, in my paintings, I have tried to focus on my two loves, color and line. I respond to the emotive quality of color and to the spontaneous, lyrical quality of line, mark making. I love to draw and I never feel like my paintings are alive until line can come dance through the work…and color! I can just lose myself in color.
So trying to marry my exploration of line and color to evoke an emotional response was really my inspiration for this exhibit.
[SHAC] How do you feel when you sell a piece of artwork?
[KS]: I feel great! It validates that someone liked it, and I have managed to make a connection with that client. It also means I have money to buy more paint!
I should say that I have also had paintings that have never found a home, and that’s ok too. It’s part of the process of creating, and putting work out there, and as an artist I have to recognize and understand that.
[SHAC] How has your artwork changed through the years?
[KS]: I started off doing realistic watercolor. My work has always had a gestural element to it, even when realistic. I preferred doing paintings of people, rather than landscapes. I also ran a figure studio for about 12 years. I love drawing the figure. At some point I began to be bored with just visually representing a subject and started paying attention to what really inspired me. I started trying to work abstractly by using my figure drawings as a basis and coloring outside the lines! It was fun, and I was interested! That was the beginning of a very long journey.
[SHAC] Is creating a joyful process for you? Do you find it challenging?
[KS]: You have to trust the process. You have to be willing to take risks. You have to be willing to experiment and play. You have to be willing to fail. You have to be willing to pick yourself up and go at it again. You have to be attentive to what the painting is telling you. Is it joyful? Sometimes. Is it challenging? Yes, and I am so grateful and blessed to be doing this.
[SHAC] What is a piece of advice that you would give other emerging artists?
[KS]: Be generous with and support your fellow artists. Take classes, take workshops, absorb as much as you can. Go to galleries, museums, read books, keep learning. Be present, pay attention to what moves you, inspires you. Trust the process. Trust yourself.
[SHAC] What is your favorite part of being in the “In Living Color” show?
[KS]: I am very happy to have an exhibit up in Asheville. I also really wanted to support the work being done by this new organization, Sand Hill Artists Collective and Artsville. I am very impressed by and appreciative of all the outreach and hard work.
[SHAC] How does Asheville influence your work?
[KS]: We usually spend Spring and Summer here [in Asheville] then back to New Orleans for the rest of the year. The Asheville landscape has an impact on me. It is different in texture, scale and color, and I love it. [Two new works are included here.] They are both acrylic/ mixed media on 16’x15″ panel. I could not get the beauty of the Asheville rhododendrons out of my head. They are spectacular! So their general shape , texture and glorious color became the subject of these two pieces. I think it’s just the beginning of some interesting explorations.
Upcoming Events at Artsville Collective at Marquee
New Exhibit: Friday, April 29- July 24: “In Living Color: At Home with Paint, Paper and Thread”- Abstracts light up your life at home or office with small and large works in a mix of mediums. Pure to blended colors mingle freely with wabi-sabi textural designs in a range of perspectives from three uniquely different artists. Showing the abstract paintings of Karen Stastny, textiles from Betsy Meyer and mixed media from Michelle Wise. Retro Pop contemporary with animation from Daryl Slaton and Louise Glickman’s mixed media and fiber art continue.
May 20: Happy 200th Birthday, Frederick Olmsted!
at Art a la Carte
A special look at Olmstead from the “Inside Out” as you discover his “Genius of Place.” Steve Frowine horticulturist, author, guide and raconteur, will inspire you with possibilities to bring a little Olmstead into your own landscape. Olmsted’s deep-seated beliefs and noteworthy actions formed the foundation of his work as America’s first landscape architect encompassing 81 years as a writer, adventurer, farmer, businessman and finally to the founding of the new field of landscape design. His contributions like Central Park, Biltmore Estate, Niagara Falls and more bring insight to the beauty and art of landscape architecture. Meet + Greet at 11:30 am; presentation from noon-1 pm at Artsville Collective at Marquee. 36 Foundy in the RAD.
Listen In:
The Artsville NC podcast series celebrates contemporary American Arts & Crafts from Asheville and beyond. New episodes are posted regularly. Just released: The newest interview is with Rhona Polonsky who brings her worldwide influences to her functional ceramics. Also, Daryl Slaton discusses his art with entertainment using augmented reality for the home. These lively pieces have found a special niche for Retro Pop lovers and have been a particular hit with VRBO owners!!!
The Artsville NC podcast has it all: painting, pottery, weaving, woodworking, welding, glass blowing, and more. Just like Asheville, NC, Artsville is a friendly listening space where folks can discover world class artists, makers and creative leaders. Listen on any podcast platform or click a link below.
https://sandhillartists.com/4226-2/
https://artsville.captivate.fm
Party with SHAC, June 4: CELEBRATE with our
Guest Artists and Presenters:
Applaud the talents that make Artsville tick. View works and meet Guest Artists: Betsy Meyer, fiber artist, Karen Stastny, abstract painter and Michelle Wise, mixed media along with Artsville founders; Daryl Slaton retro pop art & animation and Louise Glickman, mixed media. More kudos to Art a la Carte presenters Andrea Kulish, Ukrainian folk-crafted eggs and Steven Frowine, horticulturist, author and raconteur on Saturday, June 4 from 2-5 pm at Artsville Collective at Marquee. 36 Foundy Street in the River Arts District.
Art a la Carte
Upcoming Events at Artsville Collective at Marquee
Art a la Carte: Friday, April 22: “Ukraine Through the Eyes and Pysanky Eggs of Andrea Kulish.” Meet this artist and marketing guru for the RAD who will brings stories of her Ukrainian heritage to life through her crafted Pysanky eggs. Design symbols reveal meaning with this tradition dating back to Pagan times. Andrea will also demo and sell pysanky eggs with proceeds to benefit Ukraine’s hospitals. Read More: https://sandhillartists.com and https://sandhillartists.com/andrea-kulish-design/. Meet + Greet at 11:30; presentation from noon-1 pm at Artsville Collective at Marquee. 36 Foundy in the RAD.
Art a la Carte: Friday, May 20: “Olmstead Inside Out: Discovering the Genius of Place” with Steve Frowine, horticulturist, author, Road Scholar guide and raconteur. Steve will reveal Olmstead’s deep beliefs and noteworthy actions that formed the foundation of his work as America’s first landscape architect. His contributions like Central Park, Biltmore Estate, Niagara Falls and more bring insight to the beauty and art of landscape architecture. Meet + Greet at 11:30; presentation from noon-1 pm at Artsville Collective at Marquee. 36 Foundy in the RAD.
STORIES
About Andrea Kulish
Presenting at Artsville Collective on April 22
“Ukraine Through the Eyes and Pysanky Eggs of Andrea Kulish.”
Local artist Andrea Kulish will introduce Artsville Collective guests to the magic of pysanky eggs on April 22 at Marquee. Symbolic graphics written onto the eggshell provide messages of love, life, and family. This Easter season, they will remind us of our good fortune as we help others in great turmoil.
These Ukrainian Easter eggs are decorated in densely saturated colors and designs using a wax-resist, batik dying method. “All of the symbols on the eggs bring intentions for health, abundance, happiness, and other good wishes,” says artist Andrea Kulish and the creative process provides for an almost magical reveal upon completion. The pysanky egg tradition has pagan roots, with the egg originally symbolizing the natural rebirth as the earth transitioned from winter to spring. Pysanky later evolved into Easter eggs. The eggs tell “stories,” using a graphic language and colors like blue for good health, orange for endurance, pink for success and more. Learn more at www.pysanky.info.
Andrea showed talent early at the age of five, spending afternoons in her mother’s shop (her mother was also an artist) in upstate New York learning how to make pysanky eggs. She now honors the traditional designs, but also incorporates modern graphics, especially for holidays like Christmas or for commissioned eggs for special occasions. At her Studio A at Pink Dog in the River Arts District, Andrea shares the pysanky egg creation process with others through workshops, keeping the tradition alive and honoring her late mother.
Andrea’s time has been occupied fundraising for Ukraine, and she has sold out of her embellished eggs with few hours to make more. But, her friends and students have donated beautifully decorated eggs for Andrea’s “Community Pysanky,” making more available for Easter and Mother’s Day gifting. All proceeds go direct to the UNWLA Humanitarian Aid Fund, in addition to sales from her “Stand With Ukraine” stickers and handmade craft items from Ukraine that were donated to her shop. Funds continue to pour in at Musicians for the Greater Good (www.tinyurl.com/MGG2021) where Andrea organized a two-hour concert to build more support. Still available for your listening pleasure, all donations will be directed to Ukrainian civilians who have been displaced or injured, as well as to four military hospitals (Kyiv, Dnipro, Lviv and Zhytomyr) caring for injured soldiers.
Andrea’s Website: https://www.ashevillestudioa.com/
Andrea’s Instagram: @avlstudioa
Showing at Artsville Collective through Easter
Jill Lawrence, Abstract Landscapes
“I am most alive when I am creating, and I have learned to give myself the gift of time and commitment to my art. Like life, my art is layered and ever changing, expressing through color, texture, and a sense of depth” – Jill Lawrence
Jill Lawrence is a painter through and through, but she wasn’t always. She started as a ceramicist and teacher. Her ceramics changed from functional to decorative, and then grew larger in size. Creating physical stress on her small frame, Jill turned her creative talents to painting.
Jill found oil and cold wax (or oil and cold wax found Jill) through a workshop at Western Carolina University. Inspiration struck. “Oil and cold wax felt the most natural to me. It has similar qualities to clay — the creaminess, varied dimensional aspects, movement, and flexibility. I enjoy moving the paint around on the canvas as I used to enjoy moving the clay through my fingers,” says Jill in an article for Asheville Made . Jill skillfully layers the oil and cold wax, building it up and scraping it away.
Inspiration also comes in the form of Jill’s four-legged friends—her Golden Retrievers. Hiking with her dogs is where she gets her best ideas, as there’s always something to be inspired by out in nature.
It’s evident in Jill’s paintings that she is intentional with color, texture, and depth. Come see for yourself as her work is on view at ARTSVILLE Collective through April 24, 2022.
News and More at Artsville and Sand Hill Artists Collective
Exhibit at Artsville Collective through Easter: “Reading Between the Lines” includes paintings from Jill Lawrence and Micah Mackenzie, pottery from Rhona Polonsky, mixed media from Louise Glickman and pop art and animation from Daryl Slaton. Read More: https://sandhillartists.com/featured-artists-2/
Artsville NC Podcast: “How Asheville Became Artsville” Listen to all six episodes in our first series with Asheville area’s arts and crafts doers, movers and shakers. Hear all six at https://sandhillartists.com/4226-2/
Artist Daryl Slaton: New podcast available on Daryl’s retro pop cartoons with animated augmented reality. Listen at https://notrealart.com/daryl-slaton/. See them on display at Artsville Collective.
SHAC Connection: Events, news and stories arrive in your inbox generally once per month.
Current and past issues at https://sandhillartists.com/news/
WHAT’S UP at ARTSVILLE?
Art a la Carte: Friday, March 18: Artsville Collective at Marquee presents its first lunch time salon for artists, creatives, collectors and friends. Meet + Greet at 11:30; presentation and discussion from noon-1 pm. “The Women of Grovewood: Textiles Come to Asheville.” Tom Anders, historian and Sherry Masters, art consultant and tour guide, take you from fleece to fabric through the vision of Edith Vanderbilt, Charlotte Yale and Eleanor Vance, and the women of Biltmore Industries. Discussion on the past and future of textiles in WNC.
Learn more: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V08SQyHPaMI
Save the Date: Friday, April 22: Honoring National Women’s Month, Art a la Carte at Artsville Collective presents “Olmstead Inside Out: Discovering the Genius of Place” covering Biltmore and beyond with Steve Frowine, horticulturist, writer, raconteur.
For more information: lsglickman@gmail.com
New at Artsville Collective
Jill Lawrence, Abstract Landscapes
Using mostly oil paints mixed with cold wax, eyes are immediately drawn to the depth and texture created by fine technique in a two-dimensional field. Jill’s atmospheric paintings are inspired by initial intuition and past personal experiences. By working on rigid wooden board, using a method of layering the oil paint and wax with a dough scraper and roller, each painting is finished with bold color highlights applied with a palette knife. The results bring both the inspiration and energy of a walk in the mountains.
Meet Guest Artist: Rhona Polonsky
Hooked on Ceramics, Inspired by World Cultures
Story by Jenna Eberhardt
Rhona Polonsky was all set to start a painting practice until she came face to face with the blank white page. As she just could not put paint on paper, Teguh Ostenrik, her instructor from a life drawing class in Indonesia, gave her a block of clay and said “have at it”.
As Rhona started molding and sculpting, she was immediately hooked to this medium and its endless possibilities. Rhona began with sculpting clay, and then eventually moved to ceramics while living in South Africa. Thus, her exploration of ceramic vessels was born, yielding her whimsical, sgraffito etched vessels of today.
“I am excited to be a SHAC guest at the Marquee and it motivates to create,” says Rhona.
Rhona’s ceramics take on unique, asymmetrical forms and are etched using the sgraffito technique. Sgraffitto is a decorating pottery technique produced by applying layers of color to leather hard pottery and then scratching off parts to create contrasting images, patterns and texture revealing the clay color underneath. Her creations feature a color palette of terracotta, black and white, with pops of exhilarating lime green. Inherently playful and inviting, viewers regularly get up close in order to inspect the details.
CELEBRATION AT Artsville Collective
The enthusiasm of artists, friends and family brought warmth to Artsville Collective despite the icy weather on Sunday Feb, 27 at Marquee. We honored our Guest Artists and interviewees from our first series, “How Asheville Became Artsville.” Our Podcast Host and partner Scott Power reached out by video and Daryl’s new animated character Gallagher made a guest appearance. Thanks to WLOS who covered our CELEBRATION and aired the coverage both Sunday night, Feb. 27 and Monday Morning, Feb. 28. Special thanks to Jenna Eberhardt for these wonderful photos.
Guest Artists: Welcome to Jill Lawrence whose beautiful abstract landscapes are now on display at Artsville Collective in April and May. Rhona Polonsky’s ceramics and Micah Mackenzie’s abstracts also remain on exhibit through Easter.
Podcast Interviewees: Special appreciation to the following who have helped us tell the story, “How Asheville Became ARTSVILLE.” Mia Hall and Robin Dreyer on The Penland School, Kate Averett Anderson on Black Mountain College Museum and Arts Center, Tom Anders on Grovewood Village and the Vanderbilts, Michael Manes on Blue Spiral 1 and John Cram, Jordan Ahlers (Momentum Gallery) and Stephanie Moore (Center for Craft) about the Broadway arts corridor in downtown Asheville, and Sarah Wells Rolland, owner of The Village Potters Clay Center and the River Arts District. Co-produced by Sand Hill Artists Collective (SHAC) in partnership with Crewest/LA studio.
Artsville NC podcasts are always available on major podcast channels and ArtsvilleUSA.com
Up for discussion on Tuesday, March 8 at 10 am is planning for a possible Biltmore Lake Studio Stroll in 2023. The following will be meeting at the home of Judy Burnstein and also by Zoom. Please contact Louise Glickman if you wish to attend in person or by Zoom.
Meeting Attendees: Judy Burnstein, Karen Stasny, Jo Miller, Bronwen McCormack, Nina Veteto, Robyn Crawford, Katrina Chenevert, Marilynne Herbert, Louise Glickman
Please let me know:
- If you would like to join in this meeting. In person or by Zoom?
- Are you interested in showing your work at a space in your home, studio, garage, deck or garden for a Studio Tour in Biltmore Lake in 2023?
- Would you be willing to add a guest artist to exhibit at your home with you?
Please reply to lsglickman@gmail.com
Celebrate ARTSVILLE Event
WHAT’S UP at ARTSVILLE?
• Roundup for the month: CELEBRATE Artsville event, exhibit, podcasts, and news
• Stephanie Moore from the Center for Craft speaks up on grant opportunities
Sunday, Feb, 27 from 2-5 pm. CELEBRATE ARTSVILLE at Artsville Collective, gallery and gathering space, at Marquee. Meet guest artists Rhona Polonsky, grafitto ceramics and Micah Mackenzie, abstracts with co-founding artists Daryl Slaton, pop art with animation and Louise Glickman, mixed media. Also on hand will be creative community leadership including Artsville NC podcast interviewees and Scott Power of Crewest Studio/LA. 36 Foundy St. in the RAD.
Story by Stephanie Moore, Executive Director of the Center for Craft
I remember sitting in art history class in the early 90s watching the professor laboriously click through slides of marble torsos, cathedrals with stained glass windows, and an abundance of paintings from decades past. Yet something was missing – the entire history of contemporary craft and its importance as an art object. In addition to this academic training on the history of art, I was taking classes in jewelry. Who were the jewelers before me and what inspired them? If I had continued my passion as a jeweler, I would have had to press on without an understanding of how jewelry fits into a larger historical context. That absence led the Center for Craft to publish “Makers: A History of American Studio Craft,” in 2010. “Makers,” the first comprehensive survey of modern craft, follows the development of studio craft from its roots in nineteenth-century reform movements to the rich diversity of expression at the end of the twentieth century. How important is the research that tells these histories and archives the perspectives and ideas of our past and our future?
“To date, the Craft Research Fund has provided over $1,700,000 to support 223 projects in 39 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC.”
While the textbook was the first survey of studio craft, the heavy read is no longer the only or the last. For the past 17 years, the Center for Craft has annually funded academic researchers, independent scholars, curators, and graduate students through the Craft Research Fund grant program. These funds are distributed to organizations, museums, and scholars in support of exhibitions, catalogs, and research projects throughout the United States. This source of support is the only source of its kind and has amounted to over $1.5MM in support of writing and reclaiming the history of craft since it began. The histories that are captured expand our understanding of craft and claim importance to artists whose stories are at risk of being forgotten. Funds also support artists who are practicing research as a way to inform their practice. We have heard from our recipients that these awards have helped to legitimize the study of craft and document histories that acknowledge a fuller and truer story of American craft, reminding us that there is more to discover and learn.They allow us to reflect on craft’s significance – not just as a beautiful object, but also one that embraces a wide range of cultures, ambitions, and experiences. To apply: https://www.centerforcraft.org/grants-and-fellowships/craft-research-fund-project-grant
Art a la Carte: Artsville Collective at Marquee presents its first lunch time salon for artists, creatives, collectors and friends. Friday, March 18. Meet + Greet at 11:30; presentation from noon-1 pm. “The Women of Grovewood: Textiles Come to Asheville” Historian Tom Anders and arts consultant/tour guide Sherry Masters takes you from fleece to fabric through the vision of Edith Vanderbilt and the women of Biltmore’s textile industries, then and now. Limited seating. 26 Foundy St. in the RAD.
Ongoing: Artsville NC podcast series at ArtsvilleUSA.com and major podcast channels
“How Asheville Became ARTSVILLE.” The first Artsville podcast releases six energetic and informative interviews with Mia Hall and Robin Dreyer on The Penland School, Kate Averett Anderson on Black Mountain College Museum and Arts Center, Tom Anders on Grovewood Village and the Vanderbilts, Michael Manes on Blue Spiral 1 and John Cram, Jordan Ahlers (Momentum Gallery) and Stephanie Moore (Center for Craft) about the Broadway arts corridor in downtown Asheville, and Sarah Wells Rolland, owner of The Village Potters Clay Center and the River Arts District. Preview podcast at https://notrealart.com/louise-glickman/ Co-produced by Sand Hill Artists Collective (SHAC) in partnership with Crewest/LA studio.
Sand Hill Artists Collective (SHAC) and Artsville Collective and Podcast are in the news a lot lately. We give special thanks to the Asheville media for their support of our gallery, podcast, programs and events.
Biltmore Beacon- Front Page, Art News. www.biltmorebeacon.com
Mountainx- www.mountainx.com/arts/
Asheville Made- www.ashevillemade.com
ON EXHIBIT at Artsville Collective at Marquee through April 24: “Between the Lines” View Rhona Polonsky’s ceramics and Micah Mackenzie’s abstracts along with the works of founding artists Daryl Slaton, pop animation and Louise Glickman, mixed media. The styles of each artist differs greatly but connect through thoughtful storytelling, coming alive in a mix of mediums, paint, clay, textiles and animation. The viewer is encouraged to consider how they come together, to read “between the lines.” Artsville Collective is inside Marquee at 36 Foundy St.
Sand Hill Artists Collective 