Small works exhibition opens at Mark Bettis Gallery
When David Sheldon left Brooklyn for Asheville in 2008, the outdoors quickly became central to both his daily life and artistic practice. Over the years, he returned again and again to two personal sanctuaries: a pocket of forest near his South Asheville home and the French Broad River’s winding banks, where sunset walks with his dog Bean often sparked a sense of reverence. “Sometimes I’m struck so deeply by the light and beauty that I have to stop and simply absorb it,” he says. Hurricane Helene reshaped those beloved places, toppling trees and scarring landscapes. But out of that loss emerged a series of small but powerful paintings — 8×8-inch studies of the French Broad River in its calmer, reflective moods, layered with both reverence and grief. That body of work will be featured in 828: Small Works. Big Heart. Local Soul., a group show opening October 11 at Mark Bettis Gallery in Asheville’s River Arts District. “Now knowing the sheer power this river is capable of, it’s humbling to see it in its present quiet state,” Sheldon reflects.
828: Small Works. Big Heart. Local Soul.: October 11-25; Opening Reception: Saturday, Oct. 11, 4-6pm
Mark Bettis Gallery / 123 Roberts St., River Arts District, Asheville / markbettisgallery.com