Bakersville, NC

Ceramics by Carpenter and Turrou, plus Jewelry Exhibit at The Crimson Laurel Gallery

On November 6th, Crimson Laurel Gallery in Bakersville, North Carolina presents three new exhibitions featuring two of the finest ceramic artists in the country and and a group exhibition of fine art jewelry from around the country. The featured exhibition is "Salt of the Earth... Ceramics by Kyle Carpenter" and the showcase exhibition is "Decompression... Ceramics by Tzadi Turrou". Additionally, their online exhibition is "A Significant Gift...A Group Exhibition of Fine Art Jewelry."

Kyle’s most recent work involves highly decorated surfaces with hand painted imagery on classic utilitarian pottery forms. For this exhibition, Kyle will include some new porcelain forms, unseen by the general public before now. Kyle’s body of work is always changing, though subtle, as he continues to challenge himself within the medium of ceramic arts. Kyle’s surface illustrations focus on a botanical theme, including specific and abstract grasses. He uses this imagery in a very deliberate manner, always relating it to the design of the pot itself. The balance of a well-formed pot and nice hand painted illustration is what Kyle searches for in his work. Kyle has been a studio potter for the past nine years. “Making pots daily offers an understanding of the development of my work and a never-ending quest for new ideas.”

 

 

  Tzadi Turrou designs and crafts colorful tiles from small decorative tiles to larger architectural pieces. She has developed her formula for a black wax resist line of tiles crucial to her “cuerda seca” technique. The glazed "cuerda seca" technique involves silk screening and wax-resist lines on the already-fired clay. Tzadi became interested in the arts while attending the American College in Paris. When she returned to the United States, she entered an intense study of ceramics in Massachusetts. She later moved to Colorado to continue her studies and then moved on to Arizona where she was involved in organizing demonstrations of raku and wheel-throwing clay to the public. This is where she became interested in tiles and discovered the “cuerda seca” technique.

 

Because they know how much their customers enjoy buying and building collections of high quality studio crafts for themselves CLG wants to make it easy to share that experience during the holidays. With this in mind, Crimson Laurel Gallery has invited Deb Karash to curate an exhibition of studio jewelry. She has chosen some of her favorite jewelers from across the country to exhibit for the first time at Crimson Laurel Gallery. One can look forward to seeing jewelry that is elegant, avant garde, playful, and charming. There will everything from river rocks to diamonds. Each unique gift will arrive beautifully wrapped and will include an artist statement and gift card. Crimson Laurel Gallery will ship each gift to its fortunate recipient in time for Christmas when ordered by December 15. The Significant Gift, a new tradition at Crimson Laurel Gallery.

These exhibitions will open on November 6 and remain through the end of the year. Join CLG for an artist's reception on November 6 at 6pm. Each exhibition will be available online on November 6. For more information call 828-688-3599 or online at www.crimsonlaurelgallery.com.

Jann Welch Exhibit at Anita's Art Gallery

Anita Connelly of Anita’s Art Gallery is proud to announce the upcoming Special Exhibit of the beautiful watercolors and pottery of Jann V. Welch of Bakersville, NC which will open on September 25, 2010 and continue through October 30, 2010.

Jann currently resides in Bakersville, NC.  Having  lived on the east coast from Maine to Florida and in between her watercolors and mixed media reflect varied subject matter from each region and are refreshing and vibrant with constant play between form, color and light.

Jann is also an accomplished ceramist and instructor.  The clay medium provides yet another surface for her passion for the exploration of design elements and surface effects.

The public is cordially invited to attend and meet the artist on September 25th at 6 p.m. at Anita’s Art Gallery, 14 N. Mitchell Ave., Bakersville,NC  Refreshments will be catered by Bakersville Bed and Breakfast.  For further information, you may reach Anita at 688-1717.

 

"Bakersville the Way it Was"

Anita Connelly of Anita’s Atelier will be displaying her series of watercolors depicting life in the Town of Bakersville in the 1920s and 1930s at the Historic Mitchell County Courthouse throughout the month of September, 2010.

When Anita relocated to Bakersville in 2000, she was befriended by Mary Lee Barron who was kind enough to loan the artist her extensive photo collection of downtown Bakersville in bygone days.

Subsequently, over a period of several years, Anita completed nine watercolor paintings using Mary Lee’s photographs, as well as some reproductions offered her by George Morgan.  She then made prints of each of her paintings and made them available to the public through Anita’s Gallery in downtown Bakersville, NC.

The exhibit will contain the four remaining original watercolors plus signed prints of the five paintings which have been previously sold.  The prints will be available, framed or unframed, at Anita’s Gallery directly across the street from the Historic Courthouse.

New Exhibits at Crimson Laurel Gallery

On September 4th, Crimson Laurel Gallery in Bakersville, North Carolina presents three new exhibitions featuring three of the finest ceramic artists in the country and and one of the most unique painters in western North Carolina.  Our featured exhibition is "Collecting, Creating, Connecting...Ceramics by Liz Zlot Summerfield and paintings by Sarah Faulkner" and our showcase exhibition is "Leaning into the Light...New Creamic Sculpture by Melisa Cadell". Additionally, our online exhibition is "New Work by Hayne Bayless".  

For Liz Summerfield recontextualizing utilitarian objects is a common thread woven throughout her work. Her interest lies in what an object once was and what it can become; this curiosity fuels her to create her work. She references functional, everyday objects and intends to formalize them by focusing on their form, surface, and presence in space. Her recent body of work continues to reference functional objects and address theories of collection. Currently, the most important influence in her life is her daughter, Roby.  She finds that the objects that surround her, and in turn influence her work, belong to her. They are playful items: toys, games, and balls.  They are stacked, grouped, and contained throughout her home. She has acquired a new collection and inspiration, and thus a new body of work has emerged. 

Sarah Faulkner seeks to capture, in her work, the important relationships humans have with trees, flowers, animals and all things in the natural world.  These relationships offer a sense of peace, grounding and calm which is so essential to the quality of one’s life.  Growth is reflected consistently throughout her work.  She experiments with different materials in order to capture the mysterious and atmospheric qualities found in nature.  Most recently, she has been working with wax to add depth to her paintings.  This translucent and misty material blends and softens the undercoat colors to give the work an element of light.  In addition to wax, Sarah also uses a combination of materials to build up the surface of the paintings.  This gives the work a three dimensional quality.  The work represented in the upcoming exhibit will be the first collage series in the artist’s career.  The work will reflect the simplicity and repetition found in the patterns of nature.  

Melisa Cadell is interested in the figure and the spiritual being that is represented by it.  She wishes to record the triumph of the human existence as she has observed it in the strong people who have entered her life.  Clay allows her the opportunity to form figures who sing of their past, and who are witnesses of their history.  She trying to communicate the past of individuals who have had to endure hardship, persecution, and poor health.  People have always amazed her because of their ability to face life with determination when so little hope seems apparent.  Their stories have touched her soul in a way that words fall short in describing. It is her hope that this is communicated in her work.  Her works represent people who were changed because of their life experiences and it is reflected in a beauty and strength that has nothing to do with what our society typically deems beautiful.  Their beauty is one of dignity, courage and of inner strength.  Melisa's exhibit will feature a very broad range of new works.

For Hayne Bayless the unintended result, often misread as a mistake and so dismissed, is one of the most fertile sources of new ideas. "The trick is not to fool with clay's inherent desire to be expressive.  Pay attention to the clay, not only for the sake of each piece, but because the clay will offer - or impose - its own suggestions of new forms and ways to work."  His pots are not so much about harmony, although that does happen, but more about tension. He loves what spawns in the friction between what he wants the material to do and what it would rather do.  Hayne's exhibit will feature a great selection of new works.

These exhibitions will open on September 4th and remain through October 31st with an artist's reception on September 4th at 6pm.  Each exhibition will be available online on September 4th.  For more information call 828-688-3599 or online at www.crimsonlaurelgallery.com.

Crimson Laurel Gallery Nominated for NICHE Award

Bakersville's own Crimson Laurel Gallery has been nominated for a NICHE 2010 Top Retailer Award, a national honor recognizing retailers of American and Canadian fine craft.  The store has been nominated for honors in the Top Retailer category.

Award winners will be announced at a ceremony Monday morning, August 23, 2010, during the Buyers Market of American Craft at the Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD.

The NICHE Top Retailer Awards program annually recognizes 24 retailers and gallery owners as "Top Retailers" and names one "Retailer of the Year".  This year, additional awards will be presented in the following categories: Best Advertising/Direct Mail Campaign; Best Promotional Event; Best New Store (less than 5 years old); Best Visual Merchandising; and Best retailer Website.  The full list of nominees by category is now posted at www.TopRetailerAwards.com.

Criteria for nomination were based on NICHE magazine's Retailers' Guide to Best Practices which details the characteristics of craft retailers who are committed to fair business practices and to growing and strengthening the North American craft community.  Nominees come from fine craft artists throughout the United States and Canada.

About NICHE magazine
NICHE is published by the Rosen Group, a Baltimore-based arts marketing, publishing and advocacy firm.  The Rosen group also produces the Buyers Market of American Craft, the nation's largest wholesale trade show of handmade gift, home decor and fashion goods.

Doug Sudduth Exhibit at Anita's Atelier

Anita Connelly of Anita’s Atelier is please to announce the upcoming Special Exhibit of the stunning photography of Doug Sudduth of Bakersville, NC, to be held on August 28, 2010 at 6 pm at Anita’s Atelier, 14 N. Mitchell Ave, downtown Bakersville. Refreshments will be served.

Doug became interested in photography while in military service in South Korea where he documented experiences with Amerasian orphans. After returning to civilian life, Doug married his wife, Billie Ruth, and they went on to start a family with two sons, Mark and Chris.

Doug studied at Penland School and with the support and encouragement of distinguished photographer Gloria Schulman, established his first permanent darkroom in 1994. Though this is a brief resume, Doug feels that “it conveys the meaning throughout my life of interest in all that is around me, viewed through the lens of a camera and my enjoyment and pursuit of the infinite possibilities of photography.”

Germaine Galjour Exhibit at Anita's Art Gallery

Anita Connelly of Anita’s Art Gallery is proud to announce the  upcoming Special Exhibit of the fine art of Germaine Galjour of Bakersville, NC. 

Germaine is a self-taught artist of French-Cajun descent.  She was born in New York City while her father studied opera at Julliard.  She grew up visiting the most influential art museums of the world.   

She lived in Paris, Toulouse and Nice along the Cote d’Azur in France.  Germaine returned to New Orleans where her family’s roots are found.  She painted “on the fence” at Jackson Square and flourished there until Hurricane Katrina “tossed her all the way into the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.” 

Germaine has an extensive and versatile background in several art mediums and is a published journalist and short story author as well. 

The public is cordially invited to attend and meet the artist on July 31^st at 6 pm  at Anita’s Art Gallery, 14 N. Mitchell Ave, Bakersville, NC  Refreshments will be served.  For further information, you may reach Anita at 688-1717.

"Contiguous" Exhibit at Crimson Laurel Gallery

On July 1, Crimson Laurel Gallery in Bakersville, North Carolina presents three exhibitions featuring five of the finest ceramic artists in the country.  The featured exhibition is "Contiguous...Ceramic Sculptures by Cristina Cordova and Jerilyn Virden" with a showcase exhibition,  "What's in a line...Ceramics by David Eichelberger and Tom Spleth". The CLG online exhibition is "Ceramic Sweets and Small Works...Ceramics by Jason Bige Burnett."

Cristina Cordova's provocative new sculptures are haunting yet beckon those who come upon them to look closely and try to understand their suffering and longings.  Through the primary vehicle of the figure, she is in constant search for a presence.  These new works will include materials never before seen in Cristina's sculptures. 

Jerilyn Virden looks to primitive objects that have a contemporary relevance.  She pares down forms and exaggerates isolated elements, thus accentuating their sense of generosity and strength. Jerilyn will also be introducing new surfaces and forms for this exhibition.

David Eichelberger is captivated by the dialogue in his work between simplicity and complexity.  He uses clean, graceful lines to capture qualities he finds in the organic world. This will be David's first exhibit of post-graduate work. 

Tom Spleth's slip cast porcelain cups are made complete with tiny script capturing select and provocative messages. Tom will also be showing his vase forms that are recognized for the simplicity of their truly unique forms. Combined, these two artists demonstrate the importance of the "line" in ceramic design.


New works by Jason Bidge Burnett, aka Cakeboy, involve print processes and visual narratives that are simultaneously personal and universal. Jason's new forms both investigate multiple surface techniques and explore imagery that is influenced by the glitz and glam of carnivals, pop culture, and commercial design.

These exhibitions will open on July 1st and remain through August 31st.  Artists reception is at 6 pm on July 16th..  Each exhibition will be available online on July 1st.  For more information call 828-688-3599 or online at www.crimsonlaurelgallery.com.

Charlotte Holland Exhibit at Anita's Atelier

Anita Connelly of Anita’s Atelier announces an upcoming Special Exhibit of watercolors by Charlotte Holland of Bakersville, NC. 

Charlotte received a B.A. degree in Fine Art and Education at University of South Florida, followed by masters level classes at the Ringling School of Art in Sarasota.  She taught art in the public school systems in Florida and Pennsylvania and for many years worked as a commercial artist in Orlando, Florida. 

In 2005, Charlotte and her husband Jim retired to Bakersville where they are enjoying their grandchildren and where she has been able to pursue her dream of painting in watercolor.  She is a member of the Blue Ridge Art Guild and feels that it is “good for the soul to live among such beautiful vistas where the ever-changing beauty of the days and seasons offers endless inspiration for the artist.” 

The public is cordially invited to attend and meet the artist on June 26, 2010 at 6 p.m. at Anita’s Atelier, 14 N. Mitchell Ave., Bakersville. NC.  Refreshments will be served.  For further information, you may reach Anita at 688-1717.

Rhododendron Festival: June 18 & 19

 

For the 64th consecutive year, the community of Bakersville, NC will celebrate the blooming of the Catawba Rhododendron atop Roan Mountain.  This year’s NC Rhododendron Festival features all the signature events that have made it one of the premier summer destinations in the NC mountains.

The celebration begins Friday the 18th of June with the Jr and Sr scholarship pageant, beginning at 7 pm at Bowman Middle School Auditorium, followed by street dancing on N. Mitchell Ave.  The Wiseman’s band will be providing great bluegrass music.

Saturday will feature tours of the mountain and gardens, a 10k run at Gouge School (7:30 registration), arts, crafts and food on the Creek Walk (you can fish in Cane Creek if you wish ), Rhododendron Cruiser’s car show at Bowman Middle athletic field, tours of local art attractions, Dellinger’s Mill open to the public, the Ducky Derby at 3pm, and the finals of the scholarship pageant 7pm at Bowman Middle Auditorium followed by more street dancing from 8pm until….  Participants in the car show will “cruise in” to Helen’s Drive-In late Sat afternoon and remain there thru the early evening.

One important note about the mountain: the US Forest Service is doing extensive renovation to the parking and restroom facilities at the Cloudland site and has kept the mountain top closed to the public.  The top and gardens will be open to the public from Monday, June 7th, through Monday, Jul 5th. The bloom on the mountain is on track to coincide with the Festival and promises to be the wonderful pink extravaganza we’ve long celebrated.

For more information about the Rhododendron Festival, please visit our website.