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Come. Learn. Create. Collaborate Newsletter, May 6, 2012 I receive comments almost daily about the rich selection of workshops and extraordinary artists invited to teach during the Summer Visual ARTS Series, beginning June 17. This month I would like to focus on two artist/instructors whose artwork pushes out of the boundaries of their discipline, Jo Stealey and Ken Leslie: Jo Stealey on the Creative Process
 Jo Stealey is a fiber artist. But like many contemporary fiber artists, her work does not necessarily evoke traditional ideas of textile art. The breadth of materials and techniques she uses are unconventional, tactile and sculptural. I love looking at how her work nods respectfully at the rich traditions of textiles and fiber arts, while being infused with metaphor and innovation. This is an excerpt from a blog interview with Stealey in Innovations in Textiles 8: Please describe your creative process: how you create, when, where, with what materials…  "My creative process can begin with inspiration from just about anything, a conversation, a walk in the woods, a visit to a museum or a poem. The inspiration is worked out through thumbnail sketches and written notes in a journal. Often a gathering and processing of the materials is integral. Pulps for paper are made from plant materials such as flax, iris leaves, okra or cotton in a Hollander beater. Leaves are gathered and processed to become archival paper and armatures are made from river willow. My process is often inspired as well as tied directly to nature and the environment where I live." For complete interview click here. Jo Stealey’s workshop “Sculptural Books – Story as Metaphor” June 24—June 29 is for any level, beginner to advanced: Students will start with a favorite story or poem and apply creative problem solving techniques, transforming words into powerful visual metaphors. Learn basic techniques to construct your ideas from the inside out through book/box forms and how to integrate a variety of materials and objects into them.Ken Leslie on Books as Form
 Book Artist Ken Leslie surprises viewers with books that unfold into large circular wall pieces, their sculptural book “sleeves” (below right), exhibited along side. Occasionally a piece is viewed best from the inside out. You can see Ken (left) standing in the middle of his floor book, read best from the center. Leslie’s talks about how his work evolved into this form: “I began making artist’s books as a result of experimenting with non-rectangular painting shapes—especially circles. As the work took on a sequential narrative, I began folding the paintings into various book forms. I have since specialized in making limited edition and one-of-a-kind artist’s books, ranging in size from two inches to ten feet.” —Excerpt from Ken Leslie’s bio  Ken Leslie’s Workshop, “Artist’s Book Intensive” is for all levels with basic knowledge of drawing and painting materials. Ken will start off guiding students to make a beautiful, one-of-a-kind Coptic-bound sketchbook/journal, learning about bookbinding and paper choices for any drawing or painting medium or for writing.  A wide range artist’s papers and all the materials necessary to bind together your own blank book will be provided. Each page will be made or a different type of artist-quality paper. Leslie will then take students through an exploration of several book structures while enjoying Ken’s collection of hundreds of artist's books. Click here to read more.
View all of our workshops at cullowheemountainarts.org |
 North Carolina Arboretum – Asheville, North Carolina, lush with Spring BlossomsIf you aren’t familiar with the beautiful Arboretum in Asheville, take some time to visit their website, www.ncarboretum.org, and consider a trip. You won’t regret it! In addition to the green houses, gardens, hiking and bike trails and acres of preserved natural land, the arboretum hosts indoor and outdoor art exhibits.  REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! YOUTH WEEK: July 2—6 YOUTH ART CAMPS: Young artists will have a fun packed week of art making and be able to experience a full range of media: drawing, paint, collage, sculpture, printmaking. TEEN WORKSHOPS: This full week of art will allow teens to become immersed in various disciplines of art. A different medium will be explored each day: drawing, painting, book making, printmaking, and photography. Choose to attend the whole week or individual days. For details and to register visit: cullowheemountainarts.org/youth  Knoxville Daily Sun Praises CMA and introduces this summer's vibrant series of Workshops and Programs for Adult Learners and Youth to Eastern Tennessee!Click here to read the article. Plant a Seed of Financial Support…  CMA's Mission is: To support creativity, community, and collaboration through the education in the ARTS. Please join us by becoming a member of Cullowhee Mountain ARTS. Click here for details and incentives for seed sowers. |
The Green Energy Park of Dillsboro, North Carolina, (just down the road from Cullowhee), continues to hone its vision of using landfill gas as fuel. The benefits to the arts community are its glass and metals
 studio entirely fueled by this recycled gas. Now they have added an additional feature, a new ‘Art + Energy’ gallery, which just had its grand opening April 26. The newly appointed gallery is featuring blown glass, forge-hammered metals, and wood-fired kiln ceramics by artists, including Tadashi Torii, Aaron Shufelt, Judy McManus, Tracy Kirchman, Clayton Hufford, John Burtner, Brock Martin and Preston Tolbert. “Our new gallery is special and unique because all of the work displayed has been made using renewable energy. We pay great attention to what our artists produce and ask them to exhibit only the finest pieces,” said Nicole DuPont-Strub, gallery manager. —Smokey Mountain News, April 26, 2012
The Jackson County Green Energy Park
 is an award winning, community-scale landfill gas project located in Dillsboro.
The Green Energy Park is on the cutting edge of resource regeneration. They are capturing methane gas for the old town landfill, then using the gas as for fuel for glassblowing, welding and kilns as well as for the greenhouses – all on location. By burning landfill gas as fuel, the GEP “provides direct and immediate improvements to our environment and local air quality.” How cool is this!! www.jcgep.org |
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