Resilience, Medicine Heart Murals collaborative exhibit. Annie Kyla Bennett, Jack Henry and Dillon Endico, artists
What better way to celebrate the coming on of spring than to stroll through Asheville’s River Arts District on Second Saturday? Many galleries are open additional hours, with artists at work in their studios and eager to engage with visitors.
Still-life photographer Karen Maugans is among those exhibiting and discussing her work on March 12. “I provide visitors with the inspiration behind the selection and composition of the botanicals I use for my still-life photography, as well as the technical aspects of my in-studio, Rembrandt-style lighting and the rationale for the use of specific camera settings,” Maugans says. “I love to educate, and very much encourage questions and dialogue.” She will be at work in Riverview Station, Studio 104, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Artists demonstrating throughout the day include Philip DeAngelo, painting in his studio window at Wedge Studios (#115) from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Cindy Lou Chenard demonstrating her dimensional landscapes process at 362 Depot Street Studios from 1–4 p.m.; and Paige Houghton creating fiber art from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Trackside Studios.
Additional events on Second Saturday include Odyssey Co-op Gallery’s annual Seconds Sale from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; a panel discussion at Warehouse Studios by landscape painters Sue Dolamore, David Skinner and Terrilynn Dubreuil from 2–3:30 p.m.; a reception from 4–7 p.m. for Twenty Years Gone: Retrospective of TL Lange at Phil Mechanic Studios; and Tonalities, a group exhibition in the Atrium Gallery at Trackside Studios from 1–5 p.m.
Also happening this month, Art Garden AVL holds a closing reception on Saturday, March 26, from 4–7 p.m. for Medicine Heart Murals, an exhibit featuring large-scale, collaborative paintings created by Annie Kyla Bennett, Jack Henry and Dillon Endico. Artists will be on hand in The Canopy Gallery for the reception and refreshments will be served. Regular hours for The Canopy Gallery are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment.
“The inspiration behind the pieces is a desire to bring honor and love to the land,” says Bennett. “Highlighting concepts of land justice and environmental urgency, these paintings are meant to evoke both wonder and responsibility and kindle resilience for a path forward.”
The paintings average 5’ x 8’. The collaboration was born out of a friendship among the artists, and involved research, sketching and planning, as well as painting. They painted together in southwest Virginia in recognition of African and Cherokee influences and in Michigan to honor the Anishinaabe people. “I think we’re all really inspired by each other,” says Bennett, “each one’s way of thinking, feeling, painting, problem solving. It’s a joyful challenge to learn and grow, working together to make this art.”
For a complete schedule of events and times, a map and a studio guide to the district’s artists, visit RiverArtsDistrict.com. Studios have varying hours. Information may also be found at websites for studios and individual artists.
