The Shape & the Spirit. Ellen Langford, artist
American Folk Art & Framing (AFA) will hold a reception in the gallery for its October show, Homescapes & the Story of the Backyard on Friday, October 7, from 5–7 p.m. The exhibition goes live on the website on Tuesday, October 4, and opens in the gallery on Thursday, October 6, running through October 21. The virtual and gallery openings both begin at 11 a.m.
Three Woodpeckers. Kent Ambler, artist
Artists Kent Ambler, Shawn Ireland, Jack Klippel, Ellen Langford and Liz Sullivan have created artwork with the comforts of home in mind. “As the season turns towards autumn and the leaves start to change, we all begin the process of settling in for the cooler months and embracing the comforts of home,” says Julia L. Mills, AFA’s new owner. “These early months of fall hold the last sessions of porch-sitting until the spring comes, and the work included in this show echoes the powerful emotions connected with home and the beautiful solace provided by the yard.”
Woodworker Jack Klippel retired from work as a rheumatologist, medical researcher, editor and nonprofit executive and now creates wooden folk art from his East Asheville home surrounded by dense forest. “The pieces created for Homescapes are very personal to our daily lives,” he says, “the songbirds that wake us up each morning, the crows that gather at the top of our drive nightly before heading out to cause mayhem and, if we’re lucky, the distant hooting of an owl in the quiet night.”
Ellen Langford’s work is narrative in nature, often focusing on the relationship between the land and its inhabitants. “Ellen captures the small yet mighty moments of connection that happen every day,” Mills says, “a bounding dog and its human companion, a child playing in the rain, a figure looking out over a rich landscape. Tucked somewhere within each painting, you can usually find that which binds all these moments together: the homestead.”
American Folk Art & Framing is located at 64 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For more information, visit AmeriFolk.com or call 828.281.2134.
