Arrowmont Faculty at the Folk Art Center

I was very pleased to be invited to participate in an exhibit as part of a representational group of Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts faculty. Makers from a variety of media who have taught workshops at the venerable craft school have work on display until May 21 at the Folk Art Center in Asheville, North Carolina. This is also the home of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Its an educational and retail center set amidst one of the most scenic drives in the southeast so I feel quite privileged to be included. Although I will not be able to see the installation in person, Kelly Hider, of the Arrowmont Gallery and this show's mastermind, was kind enough to send images. There was even a nice write-up in the Mountain Press.

Participating Artists:

Erin Anfinson, Christina Boy, Béatrice Coron, Heather Mae Erickson, Kenyon Hanson, Ana Lisa Hedstrom, Bryant Holsenbeck, Mi Sook Hur, Kristin LeVier, Ana Lopez, Harvey Meyer, Angela Piehl, Liz Zlot Summerfield, Jen Swearington, Kimberly Winkle.

Maker Moxie

I am very pleased to report that I have had a piece accepted into the Maker Moxie Exhibition which celebrates the impact of the craft school experience. My time as a resident and student at Arrowmont School of Art and Craft was formative and indispensable to the professional life I now enjoy. I was proud to submit a piece for the consideration of the three jurors and even more pleased to find that it was selected for both the catalog and physical exhibition at Peters Valley School of Craft. Images of the exhibition and pieces for sale are here.

The piece I submitted is called "Model Universe" and it is based on a technique I explored in a liquid enamel workshop with Elizabeth Turrell while a resident at Arrowmont. It was then executed at Banff in Canada during a one week residency. The forms are stitched together copper foil and derived from alchemical symbols for the sun and planets in our solar system, rotated on their vertical axis to create a volume. The study of alchemy and practice of enameling just make sense together for me.

More information about the event is here.

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 26 from 5-7pm.

On view March 26 - May 15, 2016 in the Sally D. Francisco Gallery, Peters Valley School of Craft, Layton NJ

Advance/Retreat

As the summer drew to a close I was fortunate to spend a week at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts at a retreat of generally mid-career metalsmiths and jewelers. It was a unique opportunity to participate in a community of makers away from daily responsibilities. It was a chance to reflect on process, concept and direction or just revel in the bliss of uninterrupted work time. It was like being in graduate school again, but with a greater appreciation for the gift of time.

The artists of the 2015 Advance/Retreat were Haley Bates, Jeff Bowie, Motoko Furuhashi, Jill Gower, Yevgeniya Kaganovich, Anya Kivarkis, Ana Lopez, Natalie Macellaio, Becky McDonah, Jennie Milner, Mary Pearse, Phil Renato, Lauren Selden, Stephanie Voegle and Cappy Wolf.

Works created during the retreat will be featured in an exhibition during the University of Milwaukee “Zoom” symposium May 25-29, 2016.