Portrait of the Artist as a Restless Survivor
Amar Stewart knew Asheville was an art-centric town, but when he relocated from Brooklyn in 2019, he quickly learned a couple of things. “I…
The Persistence of Memory, Pyromaniac-Style
Nabil El Jaouhari says growing up in the mountains outside of Beirut, Lebanon, he was the child who stayed inside to doodle. In the…
Digging the Roots of an Ancient (and Up-and-Coming) Tradition
It wasn’t easy for Ramona Lossie to decide which of the hundreds of baskets she’s woven in her lifetime to include in the Center…
On Utility and Elevation
“Sometimes unexpected things happen, and I have to work around it. You might come into some cracks or a hole and it’s, ‘Oh, didn’t…
Nearly Out of Buttons But Still Full of Ideas
“My hands are always doing something,” says Barbara Bryan — sewer, knitter, weaver, spinner, and quilter, just to name a few of the craft…
The United State of Ceramics
Lynne Hobaica was studying art history at Syracuse University and needed an elective. Rickie Barnett was taking painting and drawing classes at California State…
Yearning After the Microlocal Moment
The first time Rebecca King Hawkinson walked into a field with her landscape box to paint en plein air was unforgettable — and not…
The Importance of Doodling in Determining Destiny
Rhona Polonsky’s route to membership in the Kenilworth Artists Association and representation at Mars Landing Galleries was circuitous, international, imbued with curiosity and self-discovery,…
Married to the Present, Figuring in the Past
No matter the circumstances of her life, Sahar Fakhoury has always made time to make art. Growing up in Kuwait, her role on her…
Making the Ultimate Remix Can Take Fifty Years
Valerie Hoh spent her year of isolation “exploding with creativity.” The result is three wildly inventive new collections — and, happily, two progressive new…