The Weaverville Art Safari will take place on Saturday and Sunday, April 23 and 24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at participating artist studios. The self-guided, free event is one of the oldest studio tours in the Asheville area. A variety of media will be represented, including glass, jewelry and fine art, with 29 studio stops and 56 participating artists.
Totem Trio. Cathy Gerson, artist
Cathy Gerson will open her unique studio—which is inside a former t-shirt factory next to Mineral Creek—to visitors over the weekend. “I display a tremendous variety of ceramic work including a colorful pottery line, my spiritual totems and Tile Wall Murals—some of which are classic cars—plus other fun, fanciful ceramic creations,” she says. Gerson has participated in the Safari since she moved to NC in 2013. “It is a warm, wonderful experience,” she says. “I have so many repeat customers that they have become friends. Also, I love inviting people into my home and studio here in the Big Ivy and I also value the camaraderie of the other artists in the Safari.”
Sue Salvaterra Hintz, owner of Salvaterra Pottery, will also open her studio to the public. Visitors can order custom work that she will throw on the potter’s wheel while they watch and direct the process. “This is a fun experience for both us and our client,” Hintz says. “They get to be part of the creative process.” Hintz has been participating in the Safari for more than four years, and says the tour provides contrast to the typically solitary life of creating pottery. “Most days we are quietly making pieces without outside interaction,” she says. “It is a nice change of pace twice a year through the Safari to switch focus and spend the two days focusing on the interaction with those who are interested in our journey and the work we create.”
Visit WeavervilleArtSafari.com to learn more about participating artists and find a map for the tour.
