April 2013

Upstairs Artspace in Tryon, NC, Offers New Exhibits & Annual Art Trek Tryon

The Upstairs Artspace in Tryon, NC, is presenting three exhibits on view through Apr. 30, 2013, including: Here, After, featuring works by Asheville artists Moni Hill, Alicia Armstrong, and Spencer Herr, on view in the Main Gallery; Southern Comfort, featuring works by photographer Ben Nixon, on view in the Small Works Gallery; and Older Than Dirt, featuring works by potters Jim Cullen, Jim Cornell, Gary Huntoon, David Zacharias, Doug Dacey, John Turner, and Claude Graves, on view in the Downstairs Gallery. The gallery will also present the Art Trek Tryon Exhibit, featuring works by artists participating in the tour, on view from Apr. 26 through May 25, 2013. A reception will be held on Apr. 26, from 5-8pm.

Here, After, was conceived in the wake of the tragic December killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT.

“These artists are all parents of young children, so they shared the gut reaction that millions of Americans felt when they heard about what happened in Newtown - from the fear to the sense that any of us could be faced with such sudden and heartbreaking loss,” says Margaret Curtis, chair of the Upstairs Exhibits Committee.

“The artists have responded in such different and thoughtful ways. Spencer Herr explores the myth of redemptive violence. Moni Hill contemplates the many twists and turns along life’s meandering path and the shape of absence or loss. Alicia Armstrong challenges western notions of dualism in works that acknowledge the coexistence of good and evil, and the possibility of renewal and rebirth after tragedy.”

In Southern Comfort, photographer Ben Nixon documents the Southern landscape in a haunting series of photographs.

In Older Than Dirt, potters Jim Cullen, Jim Cornell, Gary Huntoon, David Zacharias, Doug Dacey, John Turner, and Claude Graves update an age-old medium in an exhibit of ceramic work.

The Upstairs Artspace is preparing for Art Trek Tryon, an annual tour of artists’ studios in Polk County, NC, and Upstate SC, held this year on Apr. 27 & 28, 2013. The event begins with a preview party on Apr. 26, from 5-8pm.

The gallery will be featuring an exhibit of works by participating artists at the Upstairs, from Apr. 26 through May 25, 2013.

The tour takes place from 10am-5pm on Apr. 27 and from noon-5pm on Apr. 28.

This year, more than 30 of the area’s most prominent artists will open their studios to the public during Art Trek. The works on display include paintings, sculpture, photographs, turned wood, and works in other mediums.

Visitors will be able to pick up a map and brochure at the gallery ($5), and select studios to visit. The 2013 tour includes studios in Saluda, Tryon, Columbus, Green Creek, and other parts of Polk County, NC, as well as Landrum, SC, and the surrounding area. Much of the art is for sale. You may start your tour at Upstairs Artspace, or at any artist’s studio.

For further information check our NC Institutional Gallery listings, call Upstairs Artspace at 828/859-2828 or visit (www.upstairsartspace.org).

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