Into the Woods. Judy Simmons, artist
Through September 30, Woolworth Walk will display the work of Judy Simmons and Doc Welty in the FW Gallery.
Judy Simmons is an award-winning quilter who has taught and lectured about her craft all over the US as well as in the Caribbean, Canada and Japan. “I have been in love with fabric and sewing my entire life,” she says. Simmons started making doll clothes when she was six years old and has a degree in Home Economics. “It has been a long and wonderful journey with a mix of ups and downs and always something new on the horizon,” she says.
Water Cooler. Doc Welty, artist
In the FW Gallery, she will be displaying large-scale wall quilts. “My art centers around my love of nature, combined with many different surface design and machine embroidery techniques,” she says. “I tend to work in more grayed colors; I like subtle. For this show, however, I chose some of my more colorful works that would be eye-catching when walking through the door of Woolworth Walk.”
Welty, who has been making pottery for more than 30 years, is the potter and proprietor of The Pottery in Leicester. He discovered ceramics while studying graphic arts at Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis and began working in functional pottery in 1978. He moved to North Carolina in 2003.
For this show, Welty selected pieces that represent the variety of form and highlight the unique slip decoration employed in his work. “My pieces of functional stoneware are influenced by the work and craftsmanship of Carolina potters of the past that have created a long and impressive tradition of hand crafted pottery,” he says. “With each piece I make, I carry on that Carolina craft tradition, one piece at a time.”
The public is invited to meet the artists at a First Friday opening reception on Friday, September 6, from 4–6 p.m. “Doc Welty is a very talented potter with a rustic style,” says Simmons. “The two of us have very different styles that integrate Appalachian culture and nature.”
Woolworth Walk is located at 25 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 828.254.9234 or visit WoolworthWalk.com.
