December Issue 1999
Work Of 33 New Members Show at Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC
Members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, during their first year of membership, are welcomed into the organization with a large exhibition, presenting some of their finest works. The exhibit will be displayed in the Folk Art Center's Main Gallery, located on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just outside of Asheville, NC, through Jan. 9, 2000. The New Members' Exhibition features the work of 33 members, juried in Mar.'99, representing six states of the Guild's region.
The exhibition features work in all craft media, including wood, fiber, paper, jewelry, metalsmithing, glass, clay, and mixed media. Artists chosen in ceramics this year offer a taste of the boundless range of methods studied and mastered in ceramic art today. The porcelain dinnerware of Richard Hensley offers delicate forms hand-painted with bright images which take flight against a pure, white porcelain background. On the other end of the spectrum, M.L. Bagwell's porcelain vessels hardly resemble the same material. Her burnished pieces are smoke-fired until the surfaces are onyx-black, shining like a beetle, decorated with subtle carvings that speak of ancient cultures.
Woodworkers who joined the Guild this year will show sculptural lathe-turned vessels, functional wood furniture and fascinating wood carvings. Allan Hollar and Cliff Ammons offer examples of their skills in turning exquisite forms on a lathe, exposing the beauty of each wood's grain patterns. Brian Boggs and Bobby Michelson present their handsome, functional wood furniture designs. Boggs concentrates on traditional American chair forms, built for comfort and durability, and treasured for their simple elegance.
Michelson's contemporary furniture leaps to get our attention; the tricky curves that animate his pieces produce an attitude that sways and leans in dramatic posture. Wood carver Gary Mascaro will show his intricately carved bird sculptures, carvings which include every detail of his subjects and painted to accurately mimic life.
Seven fiber artists joined the Guild this year, ranging from Rickie Wesbrooks' work in fine tapestry weavings to Allison Dennis, whose sophisticated, hand-woven apparel is stylishly created with professional men and women in mind. The contemporary textiles of fiber artist Sondra Dorn are scattered with square patches with frayed edges and the random stitching of a well-loved family quilt. Her use of muted dyes and incomplete patterns remind us of handmade textiles that have been oft used and mended, and buried in the storage of our cultural history; we may instantly feel we've known and loved her work our whole lives. The scarves of Deborah Wheeler and the woven rugs of Tinka Fedorka are examples of skilled weaving that offers timeless beauty and function; their classic designs and fine craftsmanship make them perennial treasures for our homes and wardrobes.
The glasswork of new members John Nickerson and Fiona Clark and Vincent DeLisle show innovative use of color and design; the hand-colored etchings of Emily Tuttle and Marsha Heatwole are brilliant displays of the range and dimension that can be attained through the etching process. Collage artist Sandy Frock uses bits of paper, wire and found objects to create stirring, abstract, frameable artwork.
This exhibition offers the opportunity to view new innovations in the craft movement and examples of some of the finest hand craftsmanship in the southeast.
The new members are:
Wood: Sharon Locke, Director of Appalachian Fireside Gallery (Berea, KY); Allan Hollar (Newland, NC); Cliff Ammons (Greeneville, TN); Bobby Michelson (Birmingham, AL); Gary Mascaro (Norris, TN) and Brian Boggs (Berea, KY).
Jewelry: Howard Thompson (Tullahoma, TN) and Joanna Gollberg (Asheville, NC).
Fiber: Deborah Wheeler (Bakersville, NC); Tinka Fedorka (Winchester, VA); Sondra Dorn (Penland, NC); Julia McCrory Weatherford (Black Mountain, NC); Karen Hoffman (Newland, NC); Allison Dennis (Asheville, NC) and Rickie Wesbrooks (Asheville, NC).
Mixed Media: Sandy Prock (Greenville, SC).
Metal: Andy Brittain (Horse Shoe, NC) and William Rogers (Christianburg, VA).
Paper: Emily Tuttle (Hendersonville, TN) and Marsha Heatwole (Lexington, VA).
Glass: John Nickerson (Waynesville, NC) and Fiona Clark & Vincent DeLisle (Burnsville, NC).
Clay: Bill Capshaw (Oak Ridge, TN); Becky Gray (Burnsville, NC); Henry Goodman (Arden, NC); Teresa Gail Cole (Berea, KY); Larry Allen (Birmingham, AL); Mark Peters (Bakersville, NC); Richard Hensley (Floyd, VA) M. L. Bagwell (Brevard, NC); June Crowe (Knoxville, TN); Mark Tomczak (Nebo, NC); and David Crane (Blacksburg, VA).
For further information check our NC Institutional
Gallery listings or call the center at 828/298-7928.
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