September Stories & News at Artsville Collective
Here is a rundown of upcoming events at Artsville, current & upcoming exhibtions, and an introduction to two featured artists; Jo Miller & Ellen Golden.
Key Points:
• New Podcast: Meet Kate Pett and THRIVE
• "A Walk in the Woods," Seven artists now showing at Marquee
• Artist Features: Jo Miller, Wood Craftsman; Ellen Golden, Photography Reimagined
• Mark your calendars: Art a la Carte: "The Art of Collecting" on Friday, October 14 at Blue Spiral 1 or Zoom
• New Show Opening Sat., Nov. 5: IMPRESSED: Print, Paint, Dye, Repeat.
New Artsville Podcast Release: Sustainable Arts Tourism and THRIVE
Meet Kate Pett and THRIVE, a community planning project tackling sustainable tourism. Issues include how to help artists succeed in Asheville. Focus issues include:
- Affordable Housing
- Affordable Studio Space
- Transportation
- Engaging artists in building a community that serves their needs
Listen on here or any popular podcast platform.
As we shift into Fall, enjoy Artsville's "Walk in the Woods."
“A Walk in the Woods” is on display through October 30 at Marquee Asheville. A Walk in the Woods is a group exhibition where five guest artists approach the glory of the Carolina woodlands with fresh takes on nature through their personal perspective. View work from Jim McDowell; ceramic face jugs, Jo Miller; basket illusion woodturning, Mary Farmer; encaustics, Bronwen McCormick; watercolors, and Ellen Golden; abstract photography. Head to our event calendar for more information.
Artist Feature: Jo Miller Mimics Woven Basketry with Woodturning
“I let the wood speak to me, defining my direction by its grain, a crack that inspires a design or shape, or even the rough edge of the bark itself,” says Jo Miller, a talented Asheville-based woodturner.
It’s hard to believe after looking at her creations that Jo started her woodturning journey only six years ago in 2016, when she joined Carolina Mountain Woodturners. About a year after starting, she got a lathe, which allowed her to try new crafting techniques such as off-centered turning, embellishing, and carving on wood.
As she learned how to skillfully work with the wood, she was introduced to a new, intricate technique called basket illusion where a turned piece of wood is made to resemble woven basketry. She took a week-long course with Harvey Meyer of the American Association of Woodturners to learn the skill, and the rest is history. Jo’s practice now focuses on this technique, as the graph pattern satisfies her inner scientist—she’s retired, but had a long career in science and research—and plays to her artistic strengths.
Jo’s detailed creations show a reverence for the material she works with, and an enthusiasm for precision. Her basket illusion woodturning is on display in “A Walk in the Woods” at Artsville Collective through October 30.
Jo Miller
jo@miller-webster.com
Artsville Feature: Ellen Golden’s Photography Reimagined
How do you feel with your toes squishing in the moss as you look up at the swaying trees? How do you feel as you watch sparkling water rippling and twirling in the breeze?
Photographer Ellen Golden captures the emotional layer of nature. She starts with a wide-angle photograph and uses Photoshop to dissect it pixel by pixel. Then, isolated pixels are manipulated to create a unique work of art. “Photoshop has changed the way I can create a print. Its mysteries are partly based on manipulating pixels, the tiny bits of emulation that hold the information when the photo is created,” she says of her creation process. “When I choose a photo to work on, it goes into Photoshop where those pixels release the creative basis for my new image. It’s that information that I use with other tools to create textures, levels of transparency, and new backgrounds.”
The essence of the original photograph often stays, as the colors are blurred to mimic the effect of smeared pastels or bleeding watercolors. The mood of the image, however, changes with every edit, as Ellen skillfully guides the way. Her favorite part of the intuitive creative process is the unknown, as she never knows what details are hidden within the larger image, or the exact process she’ll take to get to the finished piece of art.
Ellen shows her giclee prints on cold press archival paper without glass to maintain their vibrancy. She treats the surface to protect the colors but suggests that the prints be hung away from direct sun. Find them at Artsville Collective at Marquee Asheville as a part of “A Walk in the Woods,” on display through October 30.
Ellen Golden
info@ellengoldennyc.com
Features written by Jenna Eberhardt
Art a la Carte: "The Art of Collecting" with Merrily Orsini and Rick Heath
Join a discussion with contemporary glass connoisseurs Merrily Orsini and Rick Heath on Friday, October 14.
Attend Artsville’s lunch-and-learn discussion on Zoom (12-1pm) or LIVE (11:30am Meet & Greet, 12-1pm Discussion) at Blue Spiral 1. This couple has spent years learning about glass through travel, research, volunteering, visiting and collecting. With a passion for contemporary glass, they will reveal their experiences and provide tips on how to collect and to gain a passion for showcasing your finds. Head to our event calendar for more information and to get the Zoom link.
Announcement: Artsville's New Show, IMPRESSED: Print, Paint, Dye, Repeat, opens on November 5th. Keep an eye out for more details.
