Burnsville artist debuts 75 interdisciplinary works
Burnsville artist Melissa L. Flattery has never been one to stay in a single lane. A former Air Force lieutenant colonel-turned-interdisciplinary artist, she works across more than a dozen mediums, from paper to polymer. Her new exhibition, Wistfulness & Whimsy, opening October 25 at Toe River Arts’ Owen Gallery in Spruce Pine, captures that boundless curiosity. The show features more than 75 pieces, including selections from her “Cairn” series — colorfield abstractions evoking balanced stones and the shimmer of water — and her new “Portals” series, which channels a sense of astronomical wonder inspired by her father’s work as an astronomer. Alongside papier-mâché lanterns and carved emu and ostrich eggs, the collection invites viewers to wonder. “I would argue that my overall style and focus come from this exact joy of embracing diversity,” says Flattery. “It’s the freedom I have been seeking my entire life.”
Wistfulness & Whimsy: October 25-December 13; Reception: Friday, November 14, 5:30-7:30pm
Toe River Arts / 269 Oak Ave., Spruce Pine / toeriverarts.org