Man From the Circus. Christopher Charles Curtis, artist
For the month of March, Woolworth Walk presents Night Screamers: March of the Dolls, a joint show of drawings by Chris Curtis and dolls by Whitney Fairhurst-Curtis. The exhibition opens on Friday, March 1, with a reception from 4–6 p.m. at the gallery. “We were inspired by old screamers, or circus marches, and the most famous one: Entrance of the Gladiators,” says Curtis. “It’s our own take on the circus theme.”
Scott. Whitney Fairhurst-Curtis, artist
Both Curtis and Fairhurst-Curtis have BFAs from Academy of Art University in San Francisco. They work both individually and collaboratively on their art. “Our process usually involves talking about what kind of weird stuff we want to make and we just go from there,” says Fairhurst-Curtis. “Chris has been inspired by the circus and carnivals for years, and I’ve been wanting to expand my dolls in a different direction for a while. I’ve been having a ton of fun making my clowns and experimenting with felt and embroidery, so it’s been interesting incorporating them together.”
Fairhurst-Curtis’ dolls add a 3-dimensional, colorful element to Curtis’ black-and-white drawings, and their work is tied together by a certain unsettling quality—creepy, yet playful. “I can build and sculpt with felt or fabric, while Chris renders with graphite,” says Fairhurst-Curtis. “This show in particular makes me think of The Wizard of Oz film, how part of it is in black and white, and the other is in color. And two wildly different settings. It’s still one story, just different perspectives and phases.”
Woolworth Walk is located at 25 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 828.254.9234 or visit WoolworthWalk.com.
