Blown glass. Kathryn Adams, artist
Through May 20, the Southern Highland Craft Guild presents Art of Detailing in the Focus Gallery at the Folk Art Center. The exhibit will feature wool and silk by Judy Ott, pottery by Michael and Ruth Rutkowsky, sculptural brooms by Peter Werner, glass-blown vessels by Kathryn Adams and foil-stamped vessels by Kelsey Schissel.
Silk scarf. Judy Ott, artist
The Rutkowskys are partners in both craft and life. “Our work is created separately, yet our work ‘lives well together,’” says Ruth. “For this show, Art of Detailing, we are showcasing our functional pottery as decorative wall art.” This includes platters and tray forms by Michael, featuring designs both above and below the glazes. “This technique celebrates the beautiful stoneware clay body itself, the foundations of our craft that is so beautiful when fired in a reduction gas kiln environment,” says Ruth.
Ruth’s platters and plates, detailed with hand-etched and slip-trailed designs, will also be featured in the exhibition. “Using sky and water themes, Ruth’s pottery invites the viewer to contemplate the symbolism of ‘working well together’ and following a spiritual calling,” says Michael.
Judy Ott creates highly detailed scarves by felting shapes on layers of silk with merino in between. “I have hand-dyed most of the silk bases that are in the scarves and shawls, which requires attention to create the colors and the process of dyeing itself,” she says. “Weaving is inherently detailed, threading 200 needles and working to keep selvages straight, changing colors every inch, requires total concentration.”
March also marks the return of seasonal craft demonstrations at the Folk Art Center, which happen daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through December. The Guild will celebrate National Quilting Day with demonstrations by Connie Brown in the Folk Art Center lobby on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, March 14–16. Fabric artist and quilter Jude Stuecker will join Brown in the demonstrations on Saturday.
Also mark your calendar for Glass, Metal, and Clay Day at the Folk Art Center on Saturday, April 6.
Southern Highland Craft Guild is a nonprofit, educational organization established in 1930 to cultivate the crafts and makers of the Southern Highlands for the purpose of shared resources, education, marketing and conservation. 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.
