The Race (detail). Anatolii Tarasiuk, artist
With summer winding down, River Arts District artists invite all to the District throughout the month, including on September 14 for the Second Saturday celebration of local art that includes conversations with artists, demonstrations, workshops and group exhibitions, some centered around the River Arts District Association’s monthly theme, The Vortex.
At ArtPlay, join artists and friends Liz Hosier and Robin Daugherty on Saturday, September 7, from 4:30–6:30 p.m. for an opening reception for their dual exhibition titled The Nature of Friends. The show continues through Monday, September 30.
Vortex. Robin Daugherty, artist
The two artists have known each other since 1981 when they both worked at UNC Asheville. “We had lots in common, but neither of us was making time for art,” Daugherty says. Although work would separate them for a time, they stayed in touch while taking art courses separately at their respective universities. “At this point we started talking art and the discussion has never stopped,” says Daugherty, who paints, weaves baskets from cotton rag paper and weaves canvas.
Hosier considers herself a painter primarily, working in oil and cold wax, encaustic and mixed media. “What we have in common,” she says of Daugherty and herself, “is our expressive use of color, regardless of materials, and the organic nature of our work. The title The Nature of Friends describes our friendship as well as our artwork. In a relationship, each person brings their personalities and talents to the table to create a unique blending of the two. Such is this exhibit. The artwork is unique to each of us, but together creates a very original and inspiring show that will challenge the viewer to consider each piece and the exhibit.”
At Pink Dog Studios on Second Saturday, Heather Divoky presents Fall into the Vortex: New Work from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Her work employs an interactive element that she hopes people will find engaging. “Currently, I’m working on a series of bugs—that are endangered/extinct—with moving wings,” she says. “The bugs use a pull string that dangles from the frame of the piece which a viewer can gently tug to get this effect. I am hoping that by participating in the piece, viewers will be enticed to be less grossed out by bugs, and also to find out more about them and why they are so important. I also want to give folks the ability to touch something—fine art—normally off-limits.”
Pink Dog Gallery presents Embrace the Journey, an exhibition by self-taught Ukrainian artist Anatolii Tarasiuk who, in 2022, relocated from Kiev to the US. Tarasiuk creates abstract expressionism using lots of color. He says that his “biggest inspiration is the vision of his art giving feelings of joy and hope to each viewer.” His work will be on display in the gallery through Sunday, September 22.
For a complete schedule of September events, a map and a studio guide to the district’s artists, visit RiverArtsDistrict.com. Studios have varying hours. Information may also be found at websites for studios and individual artists.
