New Work at Odyssey, Opening June 5

Trish Salmon recalls that in high school, her art class was taught by the football coach, who also served as the driver’s education teacher and assistant principal. “He would prop up a picture of a bird dog and leave,” Salmon remembers. Her worldview changed when she left her rural hometown and moved to Atlanta at age 19; there, she witnessed pottery demos in a trendy part of the city. “I was gobsmacked,” she says. “I didn’t want to leave.” After that experience, Salmon began taking clay classes between shifts at Rich’s Department Store. In 1990, she followed this love of making to Penland School of Craft and later to Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts program. Today, she creates hand-built figurative sculptures that evoke pathos and whimsy in equal measure. These expressive pieces are a great addition to Odyssey Gallery of Ceramic Arts, the River Arts District’s anchoring clay venue that represents around 25 makers in 5,000 square feet. Salmon will be presenting new works come June.