Bowl. John Geci, artist
Mica, a cooperative gallery of fine art and contemporary craft in Bakersville, will feature seven members and 25 guest artists during its upcoming season beginning Saturday, April 1, and running through December.
The guest artists bring works in iron, jewelry, sculptural books, painting, glass, clay, textiles and wood. Items on display include Kurt Anderson’s signature painted creatures, Andy Dohner’s steel cooking utensils and trivets, Bridget Fox’s ceramic creations and Kit Paulson’s intricate flameworked glass. Other new artists are Colleen Connolly, John Geci, Judson Guérard, Gary and Sandy Jobe, Sage Morgan, Joy Tanner, Amanda Taylor, Audrey Laine Sawyer, Jim Cooper, Melissa Engler and Graeme Priddle.
“Adding these guest artists to our roster is an important step in Mica’s growth,” says the gallery’s president Robbie Bell. “We wanted to expand the media represented and the artists in the region we are able to serve.”
Beastie Buddies. Lisa Joerling, artist
Works by returning artists include mixed media abstract paintings by Sondra Dorn that reference the landscape and natural objects. As a former textile artist and craftsperson, Dorn enjoys breaking the rules of traditional watercolor by combining it with acrylic pastes, mediums and paint.
“Watercolor and water-soluble mediums in general are still relatively new to me and I am excited by the possibilities they offer,” she says. “They are fascinating because of the ability to play with the push-pull of the controlled areas versus a looser, washy play with color/pigment floating in water.”
Ceramic artist Pam Brewer’s new work reflects her continued exploration of organic form and natural surfaces and her deepening connection with the natural world. Through her animal and seed forms she strives to convey the respect she feels for the pure intelligence that nature shares. Daniel Essig features a collection of small books with wooden covers, handmade paper and Ethiopian bindings.
Other returning artists include Valerie Berlage, Nathan Favors, Nita Forde, Simona Rosasco, JJ Brown, Carmen Grier, Stacey Lane, Katherine McCarty and Jenny Lou Sherburne.
For the new season, Mica’s website has been revamped and the gallery restaged. The website includes works by all members and invited guests as well as links to artists’ websites. Members’ work includes functional and sculptural pieces by Lisa Joerling, Teresa Pietsch, David
Ross, Gay Smith, and Robbie Bell; delicate book-related inventions by Vicki Essig that incorporate the mineral mica and intricately woven silk pieces; and explorations in monoprinting, lithography and woodcuts by Jean McLaughlin with new painterly monotypes of landscapes and cloudscapes and depictions of flowers native to places she has traveled.
“The gallery has been transformed,” says Joerling. “The new works spark great creative energy, and it will be such a boost to talk with visitors once again!”
Mica is located at 37 North Mitchell Avenue, Bakersville. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 12–5 p.m. For more information or to sign up for a monthly e-newsletter, visit MicaGalleryNC.com or call 828.688.6422. Follow the gallery on Facebook and Instagram.
