Asheville
North Carolina
Asheville Art Museum E News -June 2023
Arts and Entertainment
July 4, 2023
From: Asheville Art Museum
Explore the techniques of pressure printing, additive & subtractive, and monotype vs monoprints. Learn more straightforward, direct, and inky ways to create prints by hand or with a press. Color layering, ghost images, and pressure printing, all allow for a more painterly approach to printmaking and are a great way to explore imagery in new, transformative ways. Great for beginners and seasoned artists alike. The workshop includes a tour of the SECU Collection Hall to discuss creative concepts and be inspired by the works on view.
New Exhibition On View—Western North Carolina Glass: Selections from the Collection
Judith S. Moore Gallery • Level 3
Western North Carolina is important in the history of American glass art. Several artists of the Studio Glass Movement came to the region, including its founder Harvey K. Littleton. Begun in 1962 in Wisconsin, it was a student of Littleton’s that first came to the area in 1965 and set up a glass studio at the Penland School of Craft in Penland, North Carolina. By 1967, Mark Peiser was the first glass artist resident at the school and taught many notable artists, like Jak Brewer in 1968 and Richard Ritter who came to study in 1971. By 1977, Littleton retired from teaching and moved to nearby Spruce Pine, North Carolina and set up a glass studio at his home.
Since that time, glass artists like Ken Carder, Rick and Valerie Beck, Shane Fero, and Yaffa Sikorsky and Jeff Todd—to name only a few—have flocked to the area to reside, collaborate, and teach, making it a significant place for experimentation and education in glass. The next generation of artists like Hayden Wilson and Alex Bernstein continue to create here. The Museum is dedicated to collecting American studio glass and within that umbrella, explores the work of Artists connected to Western North Carolina. Exhibitions, including Intersections of American Art, explore glass art in the context of American Art of the 20th and 21st centuries. A variety of techniques and a willingness to push boundaries of the medium can be seen in this selection of works from the Museum’s Collection.
Saturday Morning Yoga on the Rooftop: Creative Flow with West Asheville Yoga
Saturdays • July 1, July 8, July 15, July 22 • 9:30–10:30am
$15 for Members; $25 for nonmembers; 10 percent discount for all four sessions
Join us at the Museum’s Rooftop Terrace for a unique Creative Flow experience in collaboration with West Asheville Yoga, combing art and mindful movement. All-levels are welcome. Please bring your own mat. Loose-fitting clothing is recommended. In the event of inclement weather, class will be held inside at the Museum’s Atrium.
Dates & Themes:
July 1: Fluidity • Inspired by the mesmerizing Karen LaMonte glass sculpture, this session will guide you to move like water, embodying grace and fluidity in your practice. Led by Krista Hagman.
July 8: Synergy • Explore the synergy of mind, body, and breath, drawing inspiration from the exhibition on Buckminster Fuller. Discover the harmonious connection within yourself. Led by Kim Drye.
July 15: Abstract Expressionism • Dive into intuitive movement and expressive shapes, mirroring the essence of abstract expressionism in your yoga practice. Connect with your inner artist and explore the power of spontaneous expression. Led by Kim Drye.
July 22: Still Life • Find balance between dynamic action and serene stillness as we explore the concept of still life. Experience a flow that incorporates held pauses, allowing you to delve into the depths of tranquility within movement. Led by Kim Drye.
New Opportunities Available—Become a Volunteer Educator!
Looking for a fun and fulfilling way to make a difference in your community? Providing group tour experiences as a volunteer educator is a rewarding and wonderful way to share your love of art with students, children, and adults. Volunteer educators give tours to Museum visitors, primarily for school-aged and student groups but also for groups of all ages and varied interests.
Our learning & engagement staff provides ongoing volunteer educator trainings, which include exclusive previews of new exhibitions and behind-the-scenes discussions with Museum curators, artists, scholars, and other special guests. Volunteer educators also have the opportunity to visit local artists’ studios and cultural attractions.
Volunteer educators are an essential component of the Museum’s education programs and provide an invaluable service in advancing the Museum’s role as a vibrant community center. Many of our volunteer educators have expressed that volunteering at the Museum is one of their most gratifying experiences.
Discover the Art of Book Binding During Our Weekend Adult Studio
Saturday. August 5 & Sunday, August 6 • 1–4pm
$110 for two days; Museum Members receive 10% discount; Two equity seats offered at $25 to BIPOC participants
Are you curious about how paper is made? Wondering what you would do with a stack of handmade paper after you create the sheets? Join us during this two day workshop and learn how to make paper and make your own book. The workshop includes a tour of the exhibition Pulp Potential to discuss creative concepts and be inspired by the works on view. Participants will take home handmade paper and books, a reference hand-out, and the skills to continue on with the craft.
About the Instructor
Alyssa Sacora (she/her) is a crafts person exploring paper making, book arts, basketry, and natural dyes with locally available plants. She encourages reciprocal relationships between people and plants through teaching hands-on workshops at her studio, The Patchwork Underground, in Fairview, North Carolina. Guided by tradition and curiosity, Alyssa is finding ways to create a sustainable art practice that takes care of the soil, minimizes resource use, and inspires others to do the same in their own way.
Work of the Week
Blue Ridge Mountain Bottle by John Nygren
On view in Judith S. Moore Gallery • Level 3
John Nygren earned his Master of Fine Arts in pottery at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, in 1968 and that same year took a life-changing three-week glassblowing course at Penland School of Craft, where Mark Peiser was the newly appointed and first Resident Craftsman in Glass. ?
A year later, in 1969, he moved to Walnut Cove, North Carolina and shifted his art practice to glass completely, building New Branch Glass Studio. His artwork has always reflected his love of nature and focuses on themes of landscapes and animals.
Nygren's Blue Ridge Mountain Bottle is featured in our newest exhibition—Western North Carolina Glass: Selections from the Collection, on view in Judith S. Moore Gallery, level 3.