For Heidi Mayfield Drost, pursuing art was a matter of practicality. “As a child, I couldn’t do math or science very well. I couldn’t swim, either, or pass any exams to be the first female astronaut in space,” the Virginia-born creative laughs. “Becoming an artist seemed the most logical choice because I was actually good at it.” And so, Drost decided to spend her time splattering canvases with color, soon pursuing a degree at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. In the decades since, she’s kept at it, producing abstract encaustic wax and acrylic pieces that express “the way we feel inside as opposed to how people see us and how culture wants us to be.” She’ll present a curated selection of these moody works as part of Emerging Light, Expanding Creative Energy. Hosted in the Art League of Henderson County’s new gallery space on Asheville Highway, the exhibition will also feature self-taught painter Kelley Smith. “The natural world has always inspired my artwork with all of its beauty and splendor,” says Smith, who will show pieces illustrating “natural beauty within the cosmic realm of emerging light.”
Opening Reception: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2-4pm / Through September 29
Art Place Gallery / 2021 Asheville Hwy., Hendersonville / artleaguehvl.org