Arts Galleries

Joint Show of Jewelry, Mixed Media at Woolworth Walk

Faces of Courage. Sylvia McCollum, artist

Through May, Woolworth Walk will host a joint show in the FW Gallery highlighting jewelry crafted by Sylvia McCollum and mixed media works by Martha Johnson. Sylvia uses a variety of metals and elements in her jewelry, and her style is characterized by boldness and strength. As a two-time breast cancer survivor, she often uses circles in her designs to symbolize life, endless hope and courage. “My pieces are designed to complement the wearer’s strength and style while making a unique statement through use of space, color, shape and texture,” she says.

Sylvia says her work has been impacted by the progress of the pandemic. “Over the past few months as the world has begun to reopen and life returns to something resembling normal, I have found my creativity exploding much like the world around me,” she says.

Martha left a career in nursing in 2000 to pursue art full time. Her work is influenced by both the mountains and the sea, with a special focus on color and texture. Many of her pieces start with an abstract acrylic painting onto which she layers a collage of painted and patterned papers, fabric, dried plant materials, photographs, stamps and found objects. Like Sylvia, Martha’s newest work has been influenced by time spent at home during the pandemic. “I started experiencing the animals and plants here as part of my community,” she says. “The variety of birds that visit around my studio are showing up in my collages, as well as the beautiful mountain vistas and the neighborhood cows and roosters.”

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

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