Seasonal Tree Platters series: Winter. Amanda Taylor, artist
Lewis Hyde’s The Gift, a classic work of nonfiction, explores creativity and the tradition of gift giving across cultures and time, raising questions about the meaning of gifts in communities driven by commodity and consumerism. In this season of giving, it is worth asking: Do we recognize an artist’s creation as a gift, and might offering artwork for sale also be a form of gift giving?
A recent visitor to Mica Gallery was looking for a way to thank a friend for time spent together. She devoted quite a bit of time to contemplation of the person’s home and lifestyle as well as their relationship before selecting something that would reflect what she wanted to express. A grandmother brought her grandson, who had just graduated from Appalachian State University, to the gallery to pick out something to commemorate the achievement. A traveler from Illinois, celebrating her 50th birthday, sought a place in the country that needed support and selected Western North Carolina because of Helene’s storm damage. Her husband bought her a work of art as a way of supporting artists and remembering their visit.
Mica Gallery’s artists understand the gift of themselves that they present through their work as well as the transactional nature of selling pieces. On Friday, December 12, from 4–6 p.m., the gallery holds its annual Holiday Open House. Gallery artists will be present to talk about their works.
Mica’s artists recently spent time considering memorable gifts they have received and the kinds of gifts they like to give. “We’re all busy these days, and even more so during the holidays,” says potter Nick Joerling. “Whatever the gift, it’s nice if there’s some sense that the gift giver paused, that the gift carries (even if momentarily) the attention given to the recipient, that ‘time’ becomes part of the gift.”
Woodworker Jacque Allen seeks meaningful connections in gift giving. “I usually make a piece for someone that is useful or decorative, depending on who they are,” she says. “For family, I like to give experiences of travel or ways of creating memories together.” Allen is also generous with gifts in support of causes, like the bench she made for the Penland School of Craft Benefit Auction.
Amanda Taylor of Oatka Glass Studio thinks of giving in terms of time spent together and handmade gifts. “I have always spent holiday time with family and close friends,” she says. “We cherish catching up on each other’s lives, sharing memories and traditions, and enjoying homemade treats and meals together in festively decorated homes.” She likes to create gifts by hand, whether crafts or food items. “I believe this makes the gifts more personal and meaningful, as they truly come from the heart,” she says.
Teresa Pietsch, a ceramic artist, doesn’t consider herself an organized gift giver. “I give randomly when it feels right,” she says. Her best gift ever was a living and breathing one. “My dog Waldo was given to me, and he became my best friend,” she says. “He looks at me with so much love. We bonded in an indescribable way. I will be forever grateful for that gift.”
Jeweler Lucinda Brogden tailors her gifts for specific people in a small circle of friends and family. “I look at the gift-giving process not as an obligation but as something I can think about creatively,” she says. “And it is really special when someone gives you something thoughtful, something that connects you to that person you love and care about.”
The thought behind giving is important to artist Tom Spleth. “Giving a gift involves a risk,” he says. “It takes effort. You must know the person, and you hope the person is receptive to the gesture and, through the giving, will more deeply understand the person making the gift.”
Mica is an artist-run gallery of fine art and contemporary craft located at 37 North Mitchell Avenue, in Bakersville. Through December, the gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Learn more at MicaGalleryNC.com.
