Monoprints. Kristalyn Bunyan, artist
By Natasha Anderson
The annual Madison County Arts Council (MCAC) Holiday Sale, a favorite shopping event in downtown Marshall, takes place through Saturday, December 23, at 90 South Main Street in The Arts Center. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A retrospective tribute exhibit featuring the work of artist Nancy Darrell will be on view throughout the sale in the Center’s mezzanine level gallery.
“As well as a phenomenally talented artist, Nancy was also very well-educated, continued to be a lifelong learner and kept abreast of current events, creating a powerhouse of skills and knowledge,” says Darrell’s longtime friend and Madison County resident Catherine Hubbard.
Sky Petals Blue. Susan McChesney, artist
Proceeds from the Holiday Sale will benefit both local artists and the MCAC. Ceramics, jewelry, fiber arts, painting, metal, woodwork, body products and photography are among the media represented in the show.
Pressed flower artist Susan McChesney will offer landscapes evoking WNC mountain scenes using petals like strokes of paint. In addition to original works, shoppers can purchase prints, notecards and puzzles of McChesney’s images.
“I spent a lifetime drawing and painting scenes of nature until spinal problems left me with a shaky hand and I began pressing and collaging flowers,” she says. “I use all the same principles when creating the art: value, perspective, composition and design, with the vibrancy and detail of the flowers enhancing the work.”
Fiber and mixed media artist and alpaca farmer Kristalyn Bunyan will offer handspun alpaca art yarn skeins, hand-knitted scarves, raw alpaca roving for felting or crafting and framed and unframed monoprints featuring nature-inspired concepts. Her current print work is based on exploration and play of found natural materials. As a small-scale USDA hemp grower, Bunyan will also have CBD coconut oil salves and smokable hemp flowers for sale.
Potter Katie Graham will show her small-batch handmade Raku ceramics, which she describes as ceramic landscape paintings. The pieces are embellished with impressions of ferns, leaves, shells and coral and often also incorporate chunks of mica and glass.
“My work is always evolving as I find new raw materials to experiment with,” says Graham. “My shapes are also evolving. I used to make more traditional square and rectangle pieces, but recently I’ve been creating more circles and ovals and I’m currently experimenting with much more abstract shapes.”
In addition to the Holiday Sale, shoppers can enjoy the town of Marshall’s annual Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 9, at 11 a.m. and the Downtown Marshall Association’s annual art crawl Jingle Mingle on Thursday, December 21, from 5–8 p.m.
Learn more at MadisonCountyArts.com or call 828.649.1301.
