Two shows to go see in Asheville

The artwork of Nathanael Roney is currently on display at Harvest Records in West Asheville.

Ted Harper has drawings at Bobo Gallery on Lexington Ave. And a dazzling mural in the alley.

Read more about the work of these two artists in this article I wrote for the Mountain XPress

Melissa Terrezza at PUMP Gallery

Native American motifs are juxtaposed with industrial images on Melissa Terrezza's ceramic tiles currently on display at PUMP Gallery in the Phil Mechanic Building. Terrezza hand builds her ceramic wall pieces and ornaments them with image transfers as well as her own designs in hand.
An interactive sculpture involving fortune cookies the artist has made out of clay sits in the middle of the gallery. Viewers are invited to smash them open with a large hammer.
According to Terrezza, "Ideas are exchanged within each piece referencing the need for a shift in perspective relating to nature in an industrialized, governed society."

The show will hang through the first week of January.
PUMP is located at 109 Roberts Street.

Somewhere Along the Line

In this video by Rod Murphy of 6;14 Films, Asheville artist Paul Olszewski recounts the long and checkered history of a large mural he painted in the mid 1990's and has since carted all over the United States. Weighing between 2,000 and 3,000 pounds, the painting was finally exhibited for the first time in the River Arts District this past November via crane (!!!)

For all you non-Ashevillians who write to me wondering what is like to be an artist in Asheville -- this is a video for you to watch.

I recommend visiting this YouTube link to see a bigger and better version of the video.

Kreh Mellick's sublime simplicity

Local artist Kreh Mellick currently has her drawings on display at Tod's Tasties on Montford Avenue near downtown Asheville. Her haunted folklore is rendered in sinewy forms interacting with pattern and confident details -- such as in the beard of "The Sea Captain" and the hair of "The Sea Captain's wife."

What fascinates me about Mellick's work is all of the the empty space surrounding each form --while it contributes to the visual lightness of the work, it also provides an emotional weight. In a sense the empty space becomes it's own character -- every bit as important as the ones she has rendered.

Visit Melick's blog to see more work: krehstorrs.blogspot.com

More storefronts for artists please!

Artist Paul Hayes has created a paper mobile, "Giant Ghosts" in an empty storefront at 989 Market St. in San Francisco.

Photo: Lance Iversen / The Chronicle

I really like the idea of artists using vacant storefronts as a space for public art installations. This has been happening in many cities. Two examples of this are: San Francisco and Toronto. It seems like such an ideal response to the recession -- providing a forum for artists, and benefitting property owners by attracting people to the site and deterring crime. For a more in-depth look at this phenomenon read this NyTimes article by Diane Cardwell

In Asheville, unfortunately, I haven't seen any of this though I have seen some empty store fronts and I have seen some creative window displays for retail shops. One of the most notable is the holiday window display at The Honey Pot by Tara Jensen who regularly creates mixed media installations. Check it out next time you're on Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville.

Holiday head used on a mannequin for The Honey Pot display by Tara Jensen