Last year, artist Alissa Mellis-Gruba was set to debut Foraging the Landscape at the Spotlight Gallery in the River Arts District. Then came Hurricane Helene. The 1,000-year storm swept through the district, shuttering studios and delaying shows — including Mellis-Gruba’s. Now, nearly a year later, she returns with new work and a deeper connection to the land that inspired it. “I’ve continued this body of work, with inspiration pulled from our rich environment,” says the multidisciplinary artist, who moved to Asheville from Michigan a decade ago. Known for her atmospheric depictions of local landscapes, Mellis-Gruba works across media, but monotypes — a type of one-of-a-kind print made by pressing an oil painting from a smooth surface to paper — have become a primary focus. The final image, she says, tightropes the line between a traditional oil painting and a “stamp of a moment.” Expect abstractions of the French Broad, impressionistic renderings of Hickory Nut Gorge, and more.
Foraging the Landscape: August 1-31; Artist Reception: Saturday, August 9, 4-6pm
Spotlight Gallery at Wedge Studios / 129 Roberts St., River Arts District / wedgestudioartists.com