Vasanto, artist
Opening Saturday, August 1, Raw + Refined at Flow Gallery showcases the work of 17 artists working in a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, ceramics, fiber and mixed media. The exhibition, inviting visitors to explore the intersection of spontaneity and craftsmanship in the creative process, runs through September 12. Participating artists are Amanda Bagnato, Ruby Bock, Helen Brown, Darci DeWulf, Deb Guess, Nina Kawar, Jaana Mattson, Cyndie Mayer, Susan McChesney, Connie Molland, Ann Oakes, Marty Poirier, Barry Rhodes, Alyssa Sacora, Sara Simboli, Connie Toops and Vasanto.
Fiber artist Vasanto joined the gallery shortly after its opening more than 15 years ago. A piece that she will be exhibiting is a combination of two different types of felting. “The background is wet felted silk collage while the sheep (in the image) has been needlefelted using unprocessed (raw) locks from a sheep—raw and refined,” she says. She moved to Marshall in 2010 after creating with a range of fibers and processes in Berkeley, CA and Gainesville, FL. She teaches classes in Marshall and at Local Cloth and John C. Campbell Folk School.
Helen Brown, artist
Shows like Raw + Refined, she believes, offer benefits to both artists and visitors to the gallery. “Public exhibitions give artists an opportunity to stretch and think and do something different than usual,” she says. “It gives the public an opportunity to see different interpretations of the same theme in different media.”
Helen Brown is brand-new to Flow Gallery, having begun displaying her pottery in June. “My work is hand built, decorated and fired in my home studio,” she says. “My focus is on colorful, functional pieces inspired by nature.”
A Maine native, Brown worked as an executive for a large financial services company and lived in several states before retiring and settling in Western North Carolina for its climate and creative community. “I hope this show brings more visitors to Marshall where they can witness the incredible resurrection of this Helene-battered community,” she says, adding that support of the artists and businesses helps the area and its residents continue to recover.
Flow Gallery, founded by eight women artists in 2010, now represents the work of about 70 local and regional artists. The gallery’s owners embrace the concept of the Slow Craft Movement with the aim of introducing the public to handmade art and objects and the artists who create them.
Flow Gallery is located at 14 South Main Street, Marshall. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn more at FlowMarshall.com.
