Mica Gallery, in Bakersville, hosts Mimosas and Muffins on Sunday, August 27, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Originally designed as a time to visit with friends from afar who attend the Penland School of Craft annual benefit auction, the event has grown into an end-of-summer opportunity to reconnect with artists, collectors and other area visitors.
Ceramic cups. Susan Feagin, artist
“Everyone is welcome,” says Robbie Bell, Mica Gallery’s president. “We look forward to sharing the dynamic world of fine craft and contemporary art with all visitors eager to make new discoveries and meet new friends.”
Mica artists will have their work on display and be present to talk about the ideas and processes behind them. Visitors can see work by one of the gallery’s newest members, ceramic artist Susan Feagin of Penland. Feagin creates colorful glazed surfaces on porcelain or stoneware using a paper collage technique that draws imagery from journals, prints and her sketchbook. Because her process incorporates bits of letters and other personal materials, the works become particularly personal.
“My ceramics are vessels to use as they evoke memories and reflect intimacy and comfort,” says Feagin.
Valerie Berlage will show new furniture and other wooden objects. She is a woodworker trained at Haywood Community College who grew up helping her grandfather in his woodworking shop. She interprets a sense of home through color, pattern and texture.
Chicken Legs table. Valerie Berlage, artist.
“As a real home is built piece by piece, my work is created layer by layer out of wood and paint,” she says.
Other Mica artists work in mediums including metals, jewelry, printmaking, weaving, painting, wood, textiles, glass and ceramic. Though their creations come in different forms, the gallery’s members share inventiveness, commitment to skill and a belief in the shared experience that comes through a community of makers and those who live with the objects they acquire. Established in 2012, Mica aspires to contribute to the cultural, educational and economic development of the community.
Mica Gallery is located at 37 Mitchell Avenue in Bakersville and is open every day April 1 through December 31. Hours are Monday–Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 12–5 p.m. Follow the gallery at MicaGalleryNC.com, on Facebook at Mica Gallery NC or on Instagram at MicaGalleryNC.
