Believe. Frances Domingues, artist
The 18th annual Kenilworth Artists Studio Tour will take place on Saturday and Sunday, October 8 and 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. This free, self-guided tour will feature 29 artists in a variety of media including oil, watercolor, acrylic, gouache, encaustic, jewelry, pottery, ceramics, glass, fiber, woodcraft, mixed media, photography, paper and collage. Each artist will donate a portion of tour sales to Loving Food Resources, a pantry serving western North Carolina hospice and HIV/AIDS clients.
Aqua Avian. Shannon Lucas, artist
Diana Gillispie makes one-of-a-kind ceramics for the home by manipulating red earthenware clay with a combination of wheel-thrown and hand-built elements. She covers her final pieces in either a matte black or glossy white glaze. “My pottery is minimalist in sensibility, influenced by my appreciation for Asian ceramics, particularly Japanese,” she says. “In addition to making vessels, I also create a line of nature-themed relief tiles. Everyone who visits gets to see what a plaster mold looks like, how the tile press works, and follow the steps each piece requires from beginning to end. The tour is a peek into the back stories of all the artists and their work, sharing a positive experience we can all use these days.”
Mixed media artist Lisa Murphy uses a variety of tools and processes in her art: watercolor and acrylic painting, drawing and collage, sometimes with found objects. “I enjoy learning new techniques and combining them with my current work,” she says. “It keeps evolving.” Murphy has been participating in the tour since 2015, showing jointly with Marianne Soufas each year.
Soufas brings her pottery and art to the patio of Murphy’s house to complete their stop on the tour. “The neighborhood has such a rich history not only with Asheville but artistically,” says Murphy of Kenilworth. “It has been home to many artists, some who came over from Europe to work on the Biltmore Estate and loved the area and stayed. You can see it in the diverse architecture in the neighborhood. It makes touring today even more fun to discover these treasures as you go from studio to studio.”
This year’s tour brochure with a map of studio locations can be found at multiple locations around town including the Asheville Visitors Center and Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café. You can also download a brochure and learn more at KenilworthArtists.org/about.
