Kelly O’Briant, artist
The Penland Gallery and Visitors Center at Penland School of Crafts continues its series of two-person exhibits with Conversation/What Remains, on display through Sunday, November 19. The show features the work of textile artist Rachel Meginnes and ceramics artist Kelly O’Briant. “The artists are selected with the idea that their work will look good together and create some sense of interaction in the show,” says Robin Dreyer, communications manager at Penland School of Crafts. “In some cases the two bodies of work may create a distinct contrast, in others there may be common themes explored in different materials.”
O’Briant’s contributions to Conversations/ What Remains include her piece All the Good Things, in which dozens of gold-lustered porcelain bowls containing porcelain seed forms sit on porcelain objects that resemble tiny concrete blocks. O’Briant says that the seeds represent her migratory life and the generosity of the people she has encountered along the way.
Rachel Meginnes, artist
Meginnes’ pieces in Conversations/What Remains all began as vintage quilts. She works on these surfaces with a variety of materials and techniques, including paint, gold leaf, image transfers, stitching and sanding. “My current work wrestles with feelings of loss through my use of materials and handwork,” she says. “I hope that the audience will be able to experience this loss visually and viscerally and that they will be able to appreciate the beauty that results from destruction and decay.”
Penland School of Crafts is located at 67 Doras Trail in Bakersville. The Penland Gallery and Visitors Center is the first building on your right as you enter the Penland campus. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 12–5 p.m. For more information call 828.765.6211 or visit penland.org/gallery.
