August is a busy month for the Art League of Henderson County, which presents the second iteration of its beloved A LOTTO Art event and celebrates the opening of its new Glass Studio in the Art Place Gallery.
Everyone goes home with a piece of art during A LOTTO Art. Attendees purchase a $100 ticket and numbers are drawn at random, allowing ticket holders to choose from the art pieces that have been donated by members of the Art League of Henderson County.
The pieces would normally sell for a minimum of $250, with many items valued at a much higher price.
Artist Cheri Novak will be donating a large, abstract watercolor for this year’s event, and she has participated in the past as both an art donor and a ticket holder. “The LOTTO is so unique,” she says. “Last year I had my heart set on winning a special piece of art. It was something at the time I could not have easily afforded—$100 was a bargain. The night came and as each ticket was drawn I was on pins and needles until my ticket was drawn and my chosen piece was still available! Later my donated piece was selected and the couple who chose it felt very excited to have it as well. It’s an opportunity to get great art at such an affordable rate.”
There will be a preview event that starts on Saturday, August 3, with an opening reception from 2–4 p.m. The works will be on display until the drawing event, which begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 15.
The first classes were held in the Glass Studio in July, and there is a two-day class scheduled for Wednesday, August 21, and Thursday, August 22, from 1–4 p.m. each day. Glass artist Stephen Hernandez will guide just two students through the art of fused glass in an intimate, hands-on workshop for beginners. “Fusing glass is a lot of fun,” says Hernandez, who is co-founder of Glasmosaik Studios in Brevard. “It’s always a surprise to open the kiln in the mornings and see what happened overnight. The Glass Studio at the Art Place will be safe. It hasn’t existed before, so we can make it look and feel like we want! We are loosely building a program where everyone feels seen and courageous enough to do something they have never done before.”
Art Place Gallery is located at 2021 Asheville Highway, Hendersonville. Tickets for A LOTTO Art, as well as images of the works that can be won, are available on-line at ArtLeagueHVL.org or in-person at Art Place Gallery, 2021 Asheville Highway, Hendersonville. Tickets for Hernandez’s glass workshop are $175 for Art League members, $190 for non-members, and can also be purchased on the website.
