May. The month whose name is only three letters. One easy-on-the-tongue syllable, suggesting possibility, permission, hope. In this month or in any other, may we not take for granted the essential place the arts have in our lives. May we recognize artists, consider what they create and support the galleries, venues and publishers that give them a voice and a home. In these times, standing up for the arts, finding our own creative outlets and making sure new generations embrace imagination, originality and artistry are crucial.
Gina Malone, Editor
Cindy Rehm, whose lovely artwork graces the cover, has made a career of both creating art and sharing the practice of creativity with others, including children. Waynesville’s annual QuickDraw event raises much needed funds for school arts programs in a fun way. And don’t miss Somewhere Between at Mars Landing Galleries this month. Lillian Tews, the solo exhibition’s artist, invites her children to create alongside her.
Our Feature Artist, Rosa Friedrichs, finds hope and inspiration in the tiniest, most exquisite details in nature and she transfers that joy to the ceramic works she creates. “We all need beauty and art to give us energy to resist the bad and fight for the good,” she says.
The small and the beautiful in nature are also the inspiration Rosalie Haizlett needed to create Tiny Worlds, in which observations of the natural world give rise to essays about life in general as well as her relationship to nature.
Everything’s abloom as we head into summer, and there’s a bustling of activity in areas that have been put back together after the storm. Planned celebrations include RAD Renaissance in the River Arts District and, in Madison County, Marshall Magic Days.
Among life’s greatest joys, surely, are our pets. This is our annual issue to celebrate, throughout the pages, animals and how they enrich our daily lives.
May this month bring you art, music, drama, literature, playtime with your pets and loved ones and, as always, the enchantment there is to behold and experience every day in Mother Nature.
Gina Malone can be reached at gina@thelaurelofasheville.com
