Happiness and joy are seen as synonymous states of being. But there are some subtle differences. While happiness can be intense and exhilarating, it’s often susceptible to outside influences — your manager’s mood, the money in your bank account, the traffic on your drive home. Comparatively, joy tends to be more enduring and transcendent. It’s a deep-seated feeling of inner gladness that defies circumstances. Chasing Joy, the latest show at American Folk Art and Framing, will explore these emotional nuances with a curated display. “A central theme at American Folk is joyful artwork,” owner Julia L. Mills shares in a press release. “The artists we represent create with joy in their hearts, and folks can sense that energy as soon as they walk through the door.” Participating makers include Jackson Hammack, a Blue Ridge-based painter who captures the spirit of mountain fauna in bold, colorful brushstrokes. “I especially concentrate on the eyes as they are portals of their life force and innocence,” Hammack writes in his artist’s statement. “The eyes invite the viewer to reconnect with the natural world that we originate from.” The exhibition will be on view through Wednesday, June 26.
Chasing Joy: June 5-26; Opening Reception: Friday, June, 5-8pm
American Folk Art and Framing / 64 Biltmore Ave., Asheville