Beautiful Mystery, Opening August 23

Much of art making is about relinquishing control to the creative powers that be. Sue Grier knows this firsthand. A potter living near Asheville, Grier fires her wheel-thrown forms in a Japanese-style anagama kiln. This traditional wood-fired pottery oven can burn for three days, sometimes six. According to Grier, the prolonged firing allows flames and ash from the burning wood to interact with the ceramic pieces inside, changing the colors and textures of the glazes in unpredictable ways. “A potter gives up a certain amount of control to the flame and the kiln in this process,” Grier explains. But for your patience and willingness to loosen the reins, the anagama kiln offers “fire-kissed surfaces” and “whimsical movement,” says Grier. “The end results are unique and one-of-a-kind.” This August, Grier will present a series of wood-fired vessels during Beautiful Mystery, a group show at the Folk Art Center’s Focus Gallery. Other featured makers include Robin Ford, a Tennessee batik painter; Ilene Kay, a Clyde jewelry artist; Brian Melton, a Tennessee wood sculptor; and Joe Frank McKee, a Dillsboro potter who makes functional and decorative forms. The exhibition runs through mid November.