Arts Galleries

Woolworth Walk Presents Jewelry, Astrophotography

Night Sky Jewelry Collection. Nora McMullen, artist. Photo by Nicole McConville

For the month of July, Woolworth Walk will feature a joint exhibition of astrophotographs by Chris Garner and jewelry by Nora McMullen in the FW Gallery. While their media are quite different, McMullen and Garner share a similar inspiration.

“My jewelry is inspired by connection to the natural world, with a particular fascination with the night sky,” says McMullen. “This is what makes the pairing with Chris Garner’s photography so perfect.” For this show, McMullen will be showing brand new pieces from her current jewelry collection, which translates views of the night sky into wearable form using silver and glass enamel. ​​“This collection of jewelry is close to my heart,” she says. “The night sky has witnessed some of the most pivotal moments of my life. Late-night adventures, heartfelt conversations, quiet wishes and dreams.”

The Elephant Trunk Nebula. Chris Garner, artist

Garner came to his love of astrophotography later in his career when he was on the verge of burnout. A third-generation photographer, Garner spent 20 years running a multi-employee studio built around portraiture before bringing a camera on vacation for the first time in 2015. Seeking inspiration, he photographed the Milky Way on a moonless early morning in South Carolina. Ever since, he has been immersed in deep space astrophotography. “The light that I capture to create these images is thousands—and often even millions—of years old,” Garner says. “Like most art, my deep space astrophotography creations are a labor of love. The process to create these images is a constant challenge of patience and personal growth. As each piece takes quite a bit of time to create, I worked for several years just to have a catalog large enough to display at a gallery. It is quite an honor to have my work featured in Woolworth Walk.”

For more information, call 828.254.9234 or visit WoolworthWalk.com.

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