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April Issue 2010
Transylvania
Community Arts Council in Brevard, NC, Features Works by Christine
Kosiba, Karen Swing, and George Peterson
The Transylvania Community Arts Council in Brevard, NC, is proud to present the exhibit, New Works, featuring works by Christine Kosiba, Karen Swing, and George Peterson. The exhibit will run from April 30 through May 21, 2010. This special art exhibit is being sponsored by Michel and Bill Robertson.
The three artists featured in this exhibit all have ties to Brevard and are all friends. Mediums include: clay, wood, sculpture, fiber, pastels, and paintings.
Christine Kosiba offered the following about her work, "I began sculpting as a little girl, finding clay alongside creeks then squeezing and shaping it into creations I would later dry on my windowsill. That childhood fascination never left me. I have always had a strong affinity for animals so it was natural that they became an integral part of my work. I derive my inspiration from the natural world and my work often incorporates symbolism related to nature's lessons and spirit; the connectedness we all share. I am fortunate to be able to draw from all this natural energy surrounding us. The reflective wisdom of bear, the clever antics of raven, the grace of deer, the perseverance and balance of oak, and steady flowing water - all elements of this area that nourish my creative spirit."
Kosiba has lead and taught numerous ceramics workshops and classes over the last twelve years. She has facilitated community projects involving ceramic arts in Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina. She is also one of the featured artists in Brevard's outdoor sculpture project - with bronze sculptures of ravens, a fox, chipmunks and a turkey all permanently installed in the town. Her work has been seen in galleries and shows across the country including the Number 7 Fine Arts & Crafts Cooperative in Brevard. She currently lives in Blacksburg, VA, with her husband Mark and daughter Ana. Her parents still live in Brevard.
Karen Swing offers the following about her work. "I have loved fibers since I was introduced to macramé when I was 12 years old. Since then I have used weaving, crocheting, knitting, hand embroidery, trapunto, quilting, machine quilting and embroidery, surface design, piecing, and appliqué in my work. Texture and color remain the focus of my work. Thread, as an artist's medium, provides both color and texture. Layering threads with varying lengths and directions of stitches produces expressive textures. By blending and contrasting threads, colors are intensified and almost take on a life of their own. As shown in my current body of work, I am pushing the unique sculptural aspects of fibers to also take on the painterly qualities of watercolors and pastels."
Swing was a member of Number 7 Fine Arts and Crafts Cooperative in Brevard and worked at the TC Arts Council as the Gallery Director for several years before moving with her husband Randy to Tallahassee FL. Each year she teaches classes at the John C. Campbell Folk School. Her mother still lives in Brevard.
George Peterson offered the following about his work, "For me, the adventure and challenge of sculpting lies in focusing on the natural tension and drama I find in the wood, and in contrasting and complementing that drama with my expressive mark as an artist. I channel a lot of destructive energy into my art. The pieces are formed from whole logs using chainsaws, hammers, chisels, fire axes,...anything. I aim to create layers of machined and natural surfaces. The raw sculptures are then placed in a kiln so the wood can stabilize. Often, during the drying process, the tension in the wood will cause a piece to warp and crack giving the forms an element of spontaneity that I could never contrive. After the wood is dry, I then refine each piece through careful and deliberate study. I paint, polish, trim, sew, join and repeat if necessary, until the work is resolved."
Peterson has exhibited all over the country, has won many awards and has been featured in numerous magazines including American Craft Magazine and New York Times Magazine. Public collections of his work include: Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Boston Fine Arts Museum, Wustum Museum, and Woodturning Center. He lives just outside of Brevard in Lake Toxaway, NC, with his family.
For further information
check our NC Institutional Gallery listings, call the Council
at 828/884-2787 or visit (www.tcarts.org).
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