New Day. Gail Drozd, artist
Opening on Wednesday, February 1, Asheville Gallery of Art presents Smoky Mountain Impressions, an exhibition featuring work by four new gallery members: Gail Drozd, Patricia Hargrove, Natalie Ray and Christine Schlageter. A reception will take place on Friday, February 3, from 5–8 p.m. and the show runs through the end of the month. The artists agreed collectively on the exhibition’s theme, and each brings a unique perspective to the subject matter. “We live in an amazingly beautiful area with our incredible mountains that inspire beautiful art to bring the outdoors inside,” says Hargrove, who exhibits her abstract and landscape work at AGA. For Smoky Mountain Impressions, she created a piece representing the hikes she shares with her husband along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
Mountain Joy. Patricia Hargrove, artist
Schlageter, an acrylic artist, says the theme allows for broad interpretations for the new artists. “It can include landscapes, wildlife, people, outdoor activities, native plants, historic structures and so much more,” she says. “Through this exhibit I hope that viewers will appreciate what great treasure we have at our doorsteps in the Great Smoky Mountains.”
Drozd, a native of Michigan, moved to the Asheville area recently and has been moved by the vastness and beauty of her new home. “The morning and evening light in the Smoky Mountains is incredible,” she says. “It accentuates everything—the forms of mountains, depth of the valleys, shapes of the tree crowns and trunks. As a vibrant landscape artist, I think that capturing the glow of this beautiful environment and these times of day allows the viewer to hold on to the moment indefinitely.”
Natalie Ray moved to Asheville from San Francisco in 2014. For this show, she’s including paintings of her favorite landscapes in the area. “Hiking up in the mountains with my golden retriever truly made me fall in love with living in the mountains,” she says. “I am proud to be a part of this vibrant exhibition featuring my perspective wandering and adventuring in the mountains, and I hope each painting connects to the viewer with both nostalgia and desire to explore our trails even more.”
Asheville Gallery of Art is located at 82 Patton Avenue in Asheville, across from Pritchard Park. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. To learn more, call 828.251.5796, visit AshevilleGallery-of-Art.com or follow the gallery’s Facebook page.
