Galleries Visual Arts

SUSTAIN + ABILITY WCU Fine Art Museum

Spiral. George Peterson, artist.

The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center is launching a new round of public programming in conjunction with the exhibition SUSTAIN + ABILITY, which is on view through December 7. The exhibition, which draws from the collections of the WCU Fine Art Museum and the Asheville Art Museum, features dynamic sculptures from artists Lonnie Holley, Hoss Haley, Bryant Holsenbeck and George Peterson. “These works appeal to our eco-conscious community by demonstrating how discarded materials can be transformed into meaningful works of art that encourage refl ection on our society’s waste cycle,” says Carolyn Grosch, curator of collections and exhibitions at WCU Fine Art Museum.

Peterson’s sculpture, Spiral, is made from more than 200 recycled skateboards gathered from the Asheville area. “The riders of those boards and the self expression of skateboarding defi ne much of the aesthetic of Spiral,” says Peterson. “The raw, jagged outer edge of the piece is from broken and fractured boards. The raw material for Spiral is much more than just recycled wood. It contains the industry, culture and history of skateboarding, and also the quirks of each individual skater.”

Peterson will host an artist talk on Thursday, September 6, at 5 p.m. in Bardo Arts Center Room 223. The WCU Office of Sustainability and Energy Management will present additional events in November, including a screening of the documentary STRAWS by Linda Booker and a free tour of the American Recycling of WNC facility in Candler.

The WCU Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center is located at 199 Centennial Drive in Cullowhee. Museum hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursdays until 7 p.m. For more information about programming, call 828.227.ARTS or visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

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