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Craft Week
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Craft Week CraFTING Careers
American Craft Week and the AAAC showcase emerging artists
by Steph Guinan stephguinan@gmail.com The idea of craft often evokes images of age-old practices, skills honed over decades and handed down through generations, and mediums — iron forging, for example, or quilt making — that have changed little over time. But even in Western North Carolina, where craft (from ceramics and weaving to woodworking and chair caning) is as much a part of the regional heritage as, say, old-time music and ballad singing, there’s room for new ideas and up-and-coming artists. That’s the idea behind the latest iteration of American Craft Week. The annual, nationwide celebration runs from Saturday, Oct. 1, to Sunday, Oct. 16. THIRTy UNDER 30 For American Craft Week, organizers are highlighting emerging artists in Rising Stars, an online exhibition featuring 30 craftspeople younger than 30. That group was selected from hundreds of competition entries. Among them, five of the artists chosen for the exhibit live and work in WNC. They include Canton-based metalsmith Becky Burnette, knife maker Trent Robinson of Weaverville and, from Asheville, furniture maker Lindsay Giants Black and jewelers Anna Johnson and Alice Scott. Sherry Masters, a co-chair of Craft Week who also lives in the area, says, “Young people aren’t into only just their technology, with devices plugged in all the time, but are seeking opportunities to create and work with their hands.” This year marks the first for the organization to spot-
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IT TAKES A VILLAGE: For Anna Johnson — one of American Craft Week’s rising stars — a strong artistic community plays an important role at this stage of her career. “I have been able to see firsthand how much work goes into making this a career,” she says. Photo courtesy of Johnson
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new exhibitions manager. Her first meeting on the job was about the show, which runs through Wednesday, Nov. 23. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 7. The nominating team for this show included local craft art professionals from Haywood Community College, Local Cloth and the North Carolina Glass Center. The group of artists selected by the team is woodworkers Valerie Berlage and Ben Grant, sculptor Nina Kawar, textile artist Jessica Self and glass artist Hayden Wilson, all of whom are based in Asheville or nearby towns. While the AAAC’s showcase, like that of American Craft Week, pivots on emerging artists, the arts council did not limit its field to artists younger than 30. “We looked for someone who had all the technical skills of a traditional weaver and used it in contemporary ways,” says Judi Jetson, the board chairman of Local Cloth, who has been involved
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light emerging artists. Masters says, “It’s important to see these new faces and hear their stories, and to encourage them and help them succeed.” Masters was one of six judges for the national competition. She says the selection process focused on choosing artists from a variety of mediums who have a range of work, good craftsmanship, community engagement with exhibitions and shows, and an online presence where viewers can find more of their work. “Everyone I know in the craft industry wants to encourage new artists,” says Masters. “This is an inclusive industry.” For its companion exhibition, Best of WNC: Emerging Craft Artist Showcase, the Asheville Area Arts Council began with the five local artists who were named Rising Stars. Then, to further develop the concept, “We collaborated with local established craft professionals in the community, and they nominated five other emerging craft artists,” says Mamie Fain, the arts council’s
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with American Craft week for the past six years. “I think ‘emerging’ means an artist who is relatively new on the scene, and it doesn’t matter what age that happens.” EMERGING ARTISTS Grant, who will be showing several of his sculptural wood forms in the exhibition, says his work was “created by using chain saws, angle grinders, and other woodcarving tools, [but] these pieces express a sense of delicacy that would seem unlikely given the tools that were used to make them.” Grant wields his machinery to create an intricate, organic ribbing by repeatedly cutting away at the wood. The end results range in size from 6 to 14 inches. “I started woodworking after several years of construction jobs,” says Grant. “[I’ve] always enjoyed working with my hands.” His sculptural forms all include interior hollows, whether as ves-
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DOWN TO THE BONE: “Personal ecosystems” is one of the phrases Anna Johnson uses to describe her work. The inclusion of bones and cast-metal replicas of natural forms give her jewelry a direct connection to nature. Photo courtesy of the Asheville Area Arts Council
YOUR own Today
GLASS
Classes Demonstrations Gallery
NCglasscenter.org 828-505-3552 River Arts District 4
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Mention ad to be entered to win a piece of blown glass.
Make
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Brevard’s 4th Friday Gallery Walks
Oct. 28, Nov. 25, *Dec. 16 TC Arts Council Gallery Walks 5–8 pm 828.884.2787 Oskar Blues Trolley *Dec. Gallery Walk held on 3rd www.artsofbrevard.org Friday due to the Holidays 6–8 pm Art Galleries Art Works The Haen Gallery Hollingsworth Gallery Number 7 Arts Gallery Red Wolf Gallery TC Arts Council Gallery Trade-Arama Folk Art The Gallery at 44 Local Color
Gravy Starfangled Press Gallery Walk Supporters D.D. Bullwinkel’s Main Street Ltd. Theophilus Broad Street Wines Marco Trattoria The Phoenix
185 King Street The Square Root Jaime’s Creole Brasserie Market at 36 Wine Down Rocky’s Grill & Soda Shop Magpie Meat & Three Underground Salvage Co. Steve Owen & Associates
tHANKS FOR YOUR VOTE BEST OF WNC- PHOTOGRAPHER (TIED FOR FIRST PLACE) Frank Zipperer Photography
“The Music Shooter”
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HANDS ON: Ben Grant studied at Haywood Community College’s woodworking program, transitioning from the construction field to his work as a craftsman. “[I’ve] always enjoyed working with my hands,” he says. Photo courtesy of Grant sellike shapes reminiscent of a seed pod or nest, or a cocoon that was carved with a chain saw from a solid block of cherry. In addition to his sculptural series, Grant also makes functional work, including a series of multiaxis wood-turned vessels. In these forms, a symmetrical
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vase that has been worked on the lathe is altered into asymmetry. By shifting the vessel’s axis, the purposeful off-centered turning ribs the piece with a few diagonal slices. A recent graduate of Haywood Community College’s woodworking program, Grant notes that both
the instruction and the freedom to explore were key components of his education. Continuing to build technical skills helps him on his path as an emerging craftsman. “The knowledge I have gained while attending school has been extremely beneficial,” he says, “and I feel that I have learned much more under skilled instructors than I ever could by teaching myself.” For Johnson — one of American Craft Week’s rising stars — a strong artistic community plays important role at this stage of her career. Whether it’s in Asheville, where she currently calls home, or in Spruce Pine, where she lived after studying at Appalachian State University, she says that being around working artists has been hugely informative: “I have been able to see firsthand how much work goes into making this a career.”
Johnson adds that, within that group, she’s found “such an unbelievable outlet of support and people giving me feedback.” “Personal ecosystems” is one of the phrases Johnson uses to describe her work. The inclusion of bones and cast-metal replicas of natural forms give her jewelry a direct connection to nature. “I’ve always been drawn to collecting different objects,” she says. Her jewelry work, she explains, is a way of bringing them all together. While it may seem unorthodox to use a coyote vertebra in a necklace, the use of bone in jewelry dates back thousands of years. The addition of a modern aesthetic to this ancient material choice allows the pieces to span elements that span from pearls to the ribbed underbelly of a mushroom cap that has
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INNER SANCTUM: The sculptural forms of woodworker Ben Grant all include interior hollows, whether as vessellike shapes reminiscent of a seed pod or nest, or a cocoon that was carved with a chain saw from a solid block of cherry. Photo courtesy of the Asheville Area Arts Council
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34th Annual Asheville Quilt Show “Quilts: Colorful, Creative, & Cozy” Sept. 30th, October 1-2, 2016 9 - 5 Fri & Sat, 10 - 4:30 Sun Admission $7- Free Parking, Handicap Accessible
WNC Ag Center Davis Event Center (I-26, exit 40, Airport Rd, Gate 5, Across from AVL Airport)
Over 400 Quilts: Demonstrations, Silent Auction, Gift Shop, Vendors. Asheville Quilt Guild www.ashevillequiltguild.org
www.modafabrics.com
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TO THE POINT: “When I was young, my dad gave me a little red pocket knife to carry camping. I liked it,” says knife maker Trent Robinson in his bio. The craftsman was mentored by blacksmith William Burker, and learned to shape and manipulate materials from his own father. Photo courtesy of the Asheville Area Arts Council been reproduced in metal.Using only bones and plants that she has found or been given, she places them alongside gemstones, speaking to two different kinds of preciousness. “I know that in our society there can be a taboo with bones, death, etc.,” she says, “but I hope that my incorporation of these elements soften that and represent a balance in how these elements are a part of the natural process.”
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Along with Johnson’s jewelry and Grant’s wood turnings, the exhibition includes glassworks by second-generation glassblower Wilson, Robinson’s Damascus steel chef’s knives with the patterned blades that are signature to the technique, and Self’s felted wool sculptures based on the figure, as well as many other surprises and original takes on craft from these up-and-coming makers.
HEARTFELT: Fiber artist Jessica Self constructs anatomical forms from wool and mixed media. She also sells her sculptures, embroidery and felted dolls through an Etsy shop. Photo courtesy of the Asheville Area Arts Council
The
Emerging
Craft
Artist
Showcase will be on view during the concurrent grand opening celebration for the Refinery Creator Space on Thursday, Sept. 29. A reception runs from 5 to 8 p.m. and will include plein air painting, live music, poetry, performances and open studios of resident artists. X
WHAT Best of WNC: Emerging Craft Artist Showcase WHERE AAAC’s Refinery Creator Space 207 Coxe Ave. avl.mx/2zj WHEN On display through Wednesday, Nov. 23. Opening reception on Friday, Oct. 7, 5-8 p.m.
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Craft Week W hy not go native while you’re in Western North Carolina and shop really
local — for things made locally by WNC artisans and crafters? Find a truly unique wedding ring, coffee mug or rocking chair. Learn how to knit; watch a potter. Buy something directly from its maker. Instead of a factory-made item, consider a keepsake your kids and grandkids will fight over for generations. Arts, crafts and WNC have been natural partners for generations — from the 1890s cottage-industry movement to the massive construction projects of the Vanderbilt and Grove empires to the more recent crafts revivals in the 1960s, the ’90s and the 2000s. Through it all, the reputation of WNC-made crafts has spread worldwide, thanks to the vibrant skills and talents of the people — both natives and transplants — who dedicate themselves to a life of making things. Consider rounding out your WNC experience with an educational vacation at one of the area’s craft schools, where you can slow down and focus on doing something with your hands. Or if you are just passing through, check out one of the region’s many studio tours, demonstrations, fairs and workshops available to anyone who wants to step away from the mass-produced and step up to the one-of-a-kind. To get started, check out this year’s winning crafters and artisans (below and on the next page) as voted by Mountain Xpress readers in our Best of WNC Crafters and Artisans poll. And to find out more, check out the Downtown Asheville Art District, the River Arts District, the Southern Highlands Craft Guild, the Asheville Area Arts Council and a plethora of other arts organizations across WNC. — Susan Hutchinson X
archItectural InstallatIOns artIsan
Transylvania Ceramic Arts Presents Pottery Programs at TC Arts Council ******************************** Coffee & Clay Basics of Hand-Building & Wheel Throwing Wednesdays Oct. 12–Nov. 16 9:30am–12:30pm $240+clay = 6 classes *************** Mud Madness Pottery for Pre-schoolers Tuesdays October 4, 11, 18, 25 12:30pm–2:30pm $100 per child = 4 classes *************** Free Wheeling ~ Open Studio Time ~ Tuesdays & Thursdays Private classes available: birthday parties, family reunions, girls night out... TC Arts Council ~349 S. Caldwell St. ~Brevard 828.884.2787 www.tcarts.org 10
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(Railings, Mosaic Tile Installations, Stained Glass, Etc.‚ Outdoor Installations Attached To A Building) GreG MaGrUDer (Magruder Glass) 298-6590 • magruderglass.com
cOntaIner artIsan (Baskets, Jars, Boxes, Etc.) Matt toMMey (sculptural art baskets) r
191 Lyman St., Suite 160, Asheville • 404-538-5173 • matttommey.com
FurnIture artIsan (Tables, Chairs, Shelving, Mirrors, Etc.) brian boGGs (brian boggs chairmakers) r h 239 Amboy Road, Asheville • brianboggschairmakers.com
graPhIc desIgner kerry bober (kerry bober Graphic Design) 230-8804 • kerrybober.com
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hOusewares artIsan
(Blankets, Rugs, Door Pulls, Switch Plates, Etc.) kathrin weber (blazing shuttles) 734-0685 • blazingshuttles.com
Jeweler
chris van Dyke (van Dyke Jewelry and fine craft) d
29 Biltmore Ave., Asheville • 281-4044 • vandykejewelry.com
lIghtIng artIsan (Table Lamps, Pendant Lighting, Chandeliers, Etc.) leah baker (luminosa lighting) n a 31 N. Main St., Weaverville • 231-3543 • luminosalighting.com
mIXed medIa/ FOund ObJect artIst
Jenny bowen
fotojennic.com • facebook.com/FotoJennicArt • @ fotojennic
John richarDs
682-6567 • yummymudpuddle.com
mural PaInter
ian wilkinson
ianthepainter.com • facebook.com/ian.wilkinson.3133
OutdOOr InstallatIOn artIsan (Stonework, Outdoor Seating, Etc., Artwork Not Attached To A Building) Peter Pfister (Peter rocks) h 775-0095 • peterrocks.com
PaInter/IllustratOr tebbe Davis 337-3196 • tebbeart.com
PhOtOgraPher frank ZiPPerer (the Musicshooter, frank Zipperer Photography) IShootLiveMusic.com • facebook.com/ frankzippererphoto/
Jessica Merithew (Jessica Merithew Photography) jessicamerithew.com • facebook.com/ JessicaMerithewPhotography/
PrIntmaker anDy heroD andyherod.com • facebook.com/ Andy-Herods-Art-170236943020484/
sculPtOr
stefan “steebo” bonitZ (steebo sculptures) x 712-4013 • steebo.com
tableware artIsan (Mugs/Dinnerware, Flatware, Serving Containers, Etc.) akira satake (akira satake ceramics) r
Cotton Mill Studios, 122 Riverside Drive, Asheville • 275-7612 • akirasatake.com
DoUG Dacey (Dacey Porcelains) daceyporcelains.com • 863-4466
Melissa weiss (Melissa weiss Pottery)
melissaweisspottery.com
tOOlmaker
(Including Knives) Danny robinson (robinson handmade and “ex-files” knives)
exfilesknives.com • avl.mx/2v2
wearables artIsan
(Other Than Jewelry; Clothing, Hats, Etc.) JUDe stUecker 215-3388 • judestuecker.com
MATT TOMMEy: Best Container Artisan. Photo by Able Allen SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION mountainx.com
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Maker’s Mark Craft Week events around WNC
paint your own pottery • mosaics glass fusing • pottery wheels canvas painting • the best place for kids to make art 277-0042 1378 Hendersonville Rd Suite D - Asheville, NC Across the street from Carolina Day School
www.clayingaround.com
FANTASTIC FAUNA: The exhibition Wild Hares and Other Phantasmagoria, featuring the whimsical work of sculptor Josh Coté, opens on Saturday, Oct. 1, at Grovewood Gallery as part of American Craft Week. Photo courtesy of the Grovewood Gallery
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by alli marShall
website for the multicity event that
amarshall@mountainx.com
runs from Saturday, Oct. 1, through
American Craft Week is a nationwide celebration. “American craft enriches our homes, wardrobes, offices and public spaces,” says the
called American Craft weeks). “It
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Sunday, Oct. 16 (it really should be contributes to our nation’s economy, our balance of trade and the fabric of our national history.”
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There are few places where this is more true than in Western North Carolina. Here, craft forms are not only revered as part of our heritage but continue to be preserved, taught and forwarded by both longtime artisans and new makers working in wood, metal, fiber, clay and other mediums.
PLAy ON CLAy: “De mi isla salvaje (From my wild island),” 2016, by Cristina Cordova, appears as part of the exhibit Contemporary Clay at the Bardo Arts Center. Image courtesy of the Bardo Arts Center WNC is so rooted in craft that the region boasts its own events page on the American Craft Week website, where dozens of studios, galleries, exhibitions, festivals and demonstrations are listed. The site also includes the informative video, “Crafting the Blue Ridge Arts Scene,” which covers the longevity of many local organizations such as Penland School of Crafts, John C. Campbell Folk School and the Southern Highlands Craft Guild.
Such institutions, as well as a number of revivals over the decades, have cemented the place of craft — in its many forms — in the area. Join in the celebration: Plan a long weekend of studio-hopping, a self-guided exhibition tour or a visit to a craft fair (or three). Events and locations are based in Asheville unless otherwise noted. Find more info at americancraftweek.com
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RAKU FOR yOU: Judi Harwood takes wheel-thrown drums, to which she’ll later add goatskin heads, from the kiln during Raku Day. Photo courtesy of The Village Potters GALLERIES AND STUDIOS
Welcome to the New Online Clubland •M OR E I n f o r m ati on • BE T TER N av i g a ti on • FA S T ER L o a d
Local news, events and entertainment for Western North Carolina 14
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• Local Cloth Studio — During American Craft Week, Local Cloth holds workshops on paper making, natural dyes, spindle making and more. See website for schedule, costs and to register. 207 Coxe Ave. localcloth.org • Grovewood Gallery — The exhibition Wild Hares and Other Phantasmagoria, featuring the whimsical work of Bakersvillebased sculptor Josh Coté, opens on Saturday, Oct. 1, with a reception from 3 to 6 p.m. The Grovewood Gallery also hosts Meet Your Maker: Open Studios + Craft Demonstrations, a chance to tour artists’ workspaces on the property, on Saturday, Oct. 8, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 111 Grovewood Road. grovewood.com • Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University — The exhibit Contemporary Clay: A Survey of Contemporary American Ceramics opens with a reception on Thursday, Oct. 6. It will be on view through Monday, Dec. 12. The center hosts a symposium on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 6 and 7. 1 University Drive, Cullowhee. bardoartscenter. wcu.edu
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• Sculptural Art Baskets by Matt Tommey — As part of American Craft Week, Tommey offers daily sculptural basketry demonstrations in his studio, located in the River Arts District at 191 Lyman St., No. 160. He’ll also share his work at the Grovewood Gallery. matttommey.com • The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design — The center’s Benchspace Gallery & Workshop showcases The Future of Fixing, “an exhibition, maker library and workshop program focusing on attitudes of repair,” according to a press release. It remains on exhibit through Saturday, Jan. 7. 67 Broadway. craftcreativitydesign.org • Tyson Graham — The stoneware artist from Little Mountain Pottery holds his annual open house festival on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event includes guest artists and mountain music. 6148 Peniel Road, Tryon. tysongrahampottery.com • Flow — The exhibit Heavy Metal shows at the cooperative gallery through Monday, Oct. 31. An opening reception takes place on Friday, Oct. 7. 14 Main St., Marshall. flowmarshall.com
DARE TO REPAIR: The Future of Fixing exhibition at the Center for Craft, Creativity & Design, features “16 internationally based design studios and artists whose work addresses the concept of repair,” according to a press release. Photo by Steve Mann • Brian Boggs Chairmakers — The River Arts District business, founded by Boggs and his wife, Melanie, combines traditional woodworking with modern production. Guided tours are offered Monday through Friday, at 2 p.m. 239 Amboy Road. brianboggschairmakers.com • Silver River Center for Chair Caning — The nation’s only chaircaning school and museum offers a number of events during American Craft Week: Laced caning classes run every Monday, Oct. 3 to 24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (call 7074553 to sign up); the center will demonstrate the Shaker tape weaving process on a dozen ladder-back chairs, in collaboration with Brian Boggs Chairmakers; Silver River co-owner Brandy Clements will demonstrate laced caning at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce on Friday, Oct. 14, from 9:30
a.m. to 2 p.m. 9 Riverside Drive. silverriverchairs.com FESTIVALS AND EVENTS • John C. Campbell Folk School Fall Festival — More than 240 craft exhibitors show their wares while demonstrations reveal the intricasies of traditional and contemporary craft forms. The two-day gathering (now in its 42nd year) takes place on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 1 and 2. It includes pony rides, pet adoptions and dance performance. There will also be bluegrass, gospel, folk and Celtic music. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, $5 adults/$3 children ages 12 to 17/free for children younger than 12. 1 Folk School Road, Brasstown. folkschool.org • Blue Ridge Fiber Show — The international, biennial celebration
of fiber arts showcases entries in the weaving, spinning and felting competition (this year’s show is titled Nature’s Colors) and can be seen at The North Carolina Arboretum from Saturday, Oct. 1, through Sunday, Jan. 1. 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way. wncfhg.org • Asheville Art in the Park — Held on three consecutive Saturdays in October, the fair is a chance for nationally known artists to exhibit in Pack Square Park, and 10 percent of the proceeds from the event will be donated to a local nonprofit art organization. Browse glass, ceramics, woodwork, jewelry and metalwork on Oct. 1, 8 and 15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. ashevilleartinthepark.com • The Village Potters — Join Raku Day at The Village Potters on Saturday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.. Participants can glaze a small pot
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and watch it be fired in a raku kiln. The $20 per-pot charge benefits the scholarship fund for The Village Potters Teaching Center and Independent Study and Mentoring Program. 191 Lyman Street, No. 180. thevillagepotters.com • Art on Main — The annual fine art and fine craft street festival (now in its 57th year) takes over Main Street in downtown Hendersonville on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 1 and 2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. acofhc.org • Spruce Pine Potters Market — A diverse array of works in clay, from 30 potters, can be found at the annual invitational show and sale in the historic Cross Street Building in Spruce Pine. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8 and 9, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is free, and lunch is available. sprucepinepottersmarket.com X
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