Julie Harwood, artist
Through May 24, visitors to the Folk Art Center’s Focus Gallery can see Beautiful Mystery, an exhibition of works by five Guild members in a variety of media including ceramics, block printing, leather-tooling and weaving. Members featured are Judi Harwood, Colin Richmond, Cori Saraceni, Lyn Lyndall and Lauren Faulkenberry. “The Guild does a great job of grouping artists who work in different media, so you see wildly different applications of a given theme,” says Faulkenberry, who works in paper. “You might see it in glass, in weaving, or in printmaking. I think it’s always inspiring to see how a group of people interpret a theme and approach it from different perspectives.”
Harwood’s work plays into the theme of mysteries because she uses an alternative firing method for her pottery. “These types of firings use a fuming process to decorate the surface of the piece, and no glaze is used as in traditional, functional pottery,” she says. “I have very little control over this amazing process. The use of various colors of mica add an iridescence and depth to the mystery. The outcome of each piece is unique and fascinating and has often been referred to by my collectors as beautiful and mysterious.”
Lyndall’s love of dragons and mythical beasts comes through in her leather work. “I tend to be inspired by and live in a world of fantasy and mystery,” she says. “We all need wild, beautiful mystery and magic in our lives.”
On April 2, the Guild will host its seventh annual Glass and Metal Day, one of five educational events held at the Folk Art Center throughout the year. More than a dozen Guild members will showcase their skills and techniques in glass and metal from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Demonstrations will include blacksmithing, piercing and annealing metals, knife making, bezeling, repoussé, soldering stained glass and forging. New Guild member Jason Probstein will be demonstrating the art of blowing glass. “I like to use the torch and the glass as an avenue to show my passion for craft,” he says. “I use a torch to first heat the glass, then I shape the glass by blowing and pushing my hands together. I enjoy letting someone who has never seen glassblowing live watch me and leave with the understanding of exactly how I make my glass.”
The Folk Art Center is located at Milepost 382 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, just north of the Highway 70 entrance in east Asheville. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Learn more at SouthernHighlandGuild.org.
