It’s a Trial By Fire — and That’s After the Kiln Does Its Work
byRaku pottery is an ancient Japanese art form that requires a meticulous process. But the final step is pure chance, and for Steven Forbes-deSoule,…
MEDIUM
Grain Guru Caught Her Calling in the Rye
byDr. Evil, the megalomaniacal mastermind of the Austin Powers movie franchise, once expressed a fervent wish to possess sharks with “frickin’ laser beams” on…
Twirling Molten Glass in Public Wasn’t Asheville Enough, So They Added Beer to the Action
byThose ripples and waves in antique window panes were likely formed by human breath. That’s because glassblowers of old were relied upon to create…
He Answered the Demands of a Whole Different Animal
byWorking from The Lift Studios, a converted biscuit factory in the River Arts District, Daniel McClendon paints wild canvases of wild animals. From alligators…
Crafter is a Menace to Society, and the World is Better for It
byFrankie Myers is always in motion. She’s reused thousands of pounds of discarded inner tubes, and has also managed to double-purpose her business’s quirky…
Their Love Story is the Glaze on a Successful Ceramics Empire
byRob Mangum first got clay under his fingernails in the 1970s while helping his parents with their business, Mangum Pottery of Turkey Knob, in…
He Gave His Love an Apple Tree, She Carved It Into Spoon
byHe won her heart with an apple tree. “People bring me wood all the time,” says Becky Beyer of Barnardsville. “That’s how my boyfriend…
Book Artist Wants to Re-Plot How Viewers Consume Content
byGrowing up in the 1950s, Kristy Higby witnessed Brown v. Board of Education overturn Plessy v. Ferguson. She saw Jim Crow incite race riots…
He’s a Spice Guru Who’s Not Above Shaming Your Coriander
byMeherwan Irani sounds genuinely pained when asked to choose his favorite spice. “Good God, that’s like asking what my favorite protein is — I…
Urban-Landscape Painter Depicts the Real Moods of the “Happiest City in America”
byWith their muted outlines and radiant colors, the paintings of Cheryl Keefer look like they belong in a lushly illustrated storybook, not a bone-dry…