They generally toil behind closed doors, safely out of view, in tucked away studios near and far. But 23 local artists have been coaxed into the spotlight for one special get-together on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Reversing the idea of an “open studio tour,” the gallery will gather everyone together in one convenient spot for a lively informal event that will include numerous demonstrations and some hands-on participation. Most will be bringing along additional work for display and sale.
If you’ve ever wondered about the talented artists behind the fine art that graces our gallery walls and pedestals – the painters, the sculptors, the jewelers, weavers and clay shapers – now is your chance to meet the makers, ask questions and discover who they are and how they do what they do so well.
Participating artists include Jim Carson, Chad Alice Hagen, Carol Beth Icard, Marcy Jackson, Erin Keane, Mary Carol Koester, Lori Loftus, Diane Magie, Paula Poad, Bobbie Polizzi, Julius Pratt, Barbara Remensnyder, Barry Rhodes, Clare Sahling, Keith Spencer, Christine Stanley, Kate Thayer, Holland Van Gores, David Voorhees, Jane Voorhees, Anita Walling, Kathleen Weir-West and Cynthia Wilson.
Ancestors and Other Strangers
Ancestors and Other Strangers
The work of Bobbie Polizzi and Christopher Charles Curtis
A collaborative show with CANVAS ArtSpace
November 9 -26
Artists' reception: November 9, 5-7pm
Artists' Talk: November 19, 4pm
The title of the exhibition refers to Polizzi and Curtis’ shared interest in old, found photographs and the mystery of the unknown sitters who inhabit them. “Ancestors and Other Strangers” attempts to explore this context from different vantage points. The show will also feature one piece that Polizzi and Curtis have created together. "I feel fortunate to have met Bobbie - we both share an affinity for old photos, doll parts, and strange objects,” says Curtis. Polizzi concurs. “I’m so excited to show with Chris. His work whispers, haunts, and speaks to the message of my art, which is to create stories for those whose stories have been lost,” she says.
Film viewing of "An Art that Nature Makes" on October 30, 4:30pm
The Gallery at Flat Rock is excited to present the screening of the film “An Art That Nature Makes” on Oct. 30 at Flat Rock Cinema. This documentary film, directed by Molly Bernstein, details the processes behind celebrated photographer Rosamond Purcell’s work, which highlights the unexpected beauty in the discarded and decayed. The screening is concurrent with an exhibition of Purcell’s photographs, which will be on display in the gallery from Oct. 18-31.
The film begins and ends with scenes of her 20-year relationship with Owls Head, an unruly 13-acre junkyard in Maine, and her friendship with its proprietor, William Buckminster. In the retrieval of carefully selected objects from the junkyard — and in the photographing of those objects back in her studio — we see the essence of her obsessions and her engagement with collecting and classification. In-between we are treated to the highlights of an extraordinary career comprising portraiture, large-format Polaroid’s, collage, a re-creation of the wonder cabinet of the 17th-century Danish natural philosopher Ole Worm, and stunning collaborations with biologist/writer Stephen Jay Gould and magician Ricky Jay.
In An Art That Nature Makes, the timeless themes of disintegration and metamorphosis find new and unexpected expression.
After the movie, you are all welcome to visit the gallery to see a display of Purcell's work and copies of her books which include
out of print copies of “Owls Head,” “Illuminations: A Bestiary,” “Bookworm," and “Dice: Deception, Fate & Rotten Luck."
Tickets to see the film are $10 and are available for purchase in advance at the gallery or online. To learn more, please call the gallery at 828-698-7000.
"Trial by Fire" - An exhibit celebrating National Clay Week
This special show focuses on artists’ personal reactions to challenges—either literal or symbolic—and how that challenge has shaped them and their artwork. “Trial by Fire” will feature one piece each from over a dozen local and regional artists working in clay. A brief statement from each artist will accompany the individual artworks in the exhibit.
As participating artist Kate Donovan-Roach states: “Paralyzed from (the) loss (of my father), I was fortunate to have a studio practice to turn to. For the first time, through my profound sense of loss and grief, I was able to give myself complete freedom to create what ever it was I wanted to create...”
Gallery artists participating in “Trial by Fire” include: Meghan Bernard, Lucy Clark, Jennifer Halli, Gary Huntoon, Christine Kosiba, Dian Magie, Barry Rhodes, Akira Satake, David Voorhees, and Toby Wolter. Guest artists include: Alice Ballard, Travis Berning, Darin Gehrke, Lonnie & Margie Johnson, Nina Kawar, Eric Knoche, Kate Donovan Roach, and Sarah Wells Rolland.
Artist Talk with Lucy Clark: Sacred Ground
Clay Artist Lucy Clark Reflects on Her Ghost Ranch Workshop Experience
In January of this year, clay artist Lucy Clark traveled to north-central New Mexico to study with renowned Native American potter Clarence Cruz at Ghost Ranch, the educational retreat center at the site of Georgia O’Keeffe’s home and studio north of Santa Fe.
Her workshop expenses were funded in part by the newly inaugurated Betty Taylor Award for Emerging Artists, co-sponsored by the Arts Council of Henderson County and the county’s Community Foundation. Ms. Clark is the award’s first recipient.
On Friday, July 21, from 5:00 to 6:30 pm, she will talk about her three-week workshop experience which included gathering and processing her own clay from the surrounding hills and firing her work using centuries-old techniques.
Ms. Clark will be introduced by McCray Benson of the Community Foundation of Henderson County. Patty Smyers, of the Arts Council of Henderson County, will describe the Betty Taylor award, its application requirements and upcoming deadline.
Sacred Ground: Bringing New Mexico Home
“Sacred Ground: Bringing New Mexico Home” July 14 - August 6, 2017
Clay artist Lucy Clark, winner of the Betty Taylor Award for Emerging Artists, traveled to north-central New Mexico for a three-week workshop at Ghost Ranch where she studied the centuries-old techniques of traditional pueblo pottery. The resulting body of work will be exhibited with an opening reception on Friday, July 14, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.
Read Lucy's artist statement here.
Art in Bloom | Art with an expiration date
When we think of great art, we think of that which stands the test of time. But not all creative efforts strive for permanence. In this exhibit, we celebrate the ephemeral beauty of floral interpretations of juried works of art. This is art with an expiration date!
Artists' Talk for "Temporal Witness: Tracing Nature's Path"
Approximately 30 gallery patrons were in attendance on May 6 for a talk by two of the three artists represented in “Temporal Witness: Tracing Nature’s Path." Ceramic artist Alice Ballard and paper artist Christina Laurel, both from Greenville, SC, had met once before, only briefly, but the mutual appreciation of the artists for each other’s work was immediately evident as they spoke not only of their own efforts, but what they had come to admire in each other’s work. Each artist addressed, in turn, three pre-arranged questions about their artistic process, sources of inspiration, and the way in which the show title was expressed in the work. The casual format of the afternoon talk, sparked by the abundant energy flowing between the two artists, greatly enhanced the engagement of the audience with the artists and their work, while providing insight into the reality of the artistic process.
Both artists have a full schedule ahead, and plan to see more of their work at these locations.
Alice Ballard:
The Burroughs Chapin Museum Anniversary show, summer show starts in June, 2017
The Bascom Solo show, Sept. 1 - Dec. 2, 2017
Lee Gallery, Clemson "9 Women Fellows of the Upstate," Oct. 2- Nov. 1, 2017
Riverworks Gallery "The “F” Word, Feminine Art," opens Nov. 1, 2017
Riverworks Gallery "A Walk Remembered," solo show during Artisphere 2018
Christina Laurel:
Greenville County Museum of Art "Sketching in the Galleries," June 25, 1-2pm. Free and open to the public.
Limestone College "Emergent: a lily pad installation" August 15-October 20, 2017
The College at Brockport SUNY "Alumni Exhibit," September 5 - October 13, 2017
Arts Center of Clemson, "Japanese Papers & Techniques" workshop, Saturdays, October 21 & December 2, 2017 10am-2pm:
