Glass Art & Photography at the FW Gallery

The Tree In Autumn. David Simchock, artist

By Emma Castleberry

The FW Gallery at Woolworth Walk will be hosting a two-artist show for the month of December, featuring the photography of David Simchock and the glass art of Tanya Franklin. The public is invited to meet both artists at the exhibit reception on Friday, December 1, from 5–7 p.m.

Simchock has been a full-time professional photographer for 15 years and his art has been represented at Woolworth Walk for four years. After a long career in engineering and corporate management, Simchock was inspired to revisit his photography hobby while traveling. “Initially, I concentrated on travel photography, but my interests and skill set have expanded over the years, ranging from landscape and nature photography to live music to commercial and portrait work.” Simchock has exhibited his images in publications across the world and in galleries throughout the northeast and Appalachia. He also shares his passion for photography as a public speaker and workshop instructor. Simchock is self-taught in the art of photography, which he says allows him to develop his inspiration organically. “My greatest inspiration is the wonderful world around me: people, places, things and music,” he says. “What more do I need?”

Joy. Tanya Franklin, artist

Franklin also finds inspiration in the natural world for her glass art, albeit from a different angle. “My designs are faith-based since I find the One who created and inspires me to be undeniable,” says Franklin, who has been represented by Woolworth Walk since 2016. “I’m influenced by creation and patterns in nature.” Franklin discovered glass art after taking a workshop in Wisconsin 15 years ago. “I was drawn to the properties in the glass that seemed fluid, even though it was a physically hard material,” she says. “There are colors, transparencies, opaqueness and striations in the glass that have stories to tell, no matter what design I create. The possibilities are endless.”

Franklin has taken the lead in curating the joint show. “I’m sure that our work will be very complementary,” says Simchock. “I have quite a diverse body of material, so I will follow with what I believe matches her selections.” Franklin says she found commonality between her work and Simchock’s, primarily in color and pattern. “I’m hoping each person can have a heartfelt reaction to the subject matter, the colors and the format of the presentation,” Franklin says. “I would like to see wonder and joy, hope and peace on every face and in every heart.”

F.W. Gallery at Woolworth Walk is located at 25 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 828.254.9234 or visit woolworthwalk.com.

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