WEAR, Opening August 20

Time travel is the stuff of science fiction. But not always. This summer, more than a dozen makers will present a curated selection of “futuristic and fantastical” adornments at FOCUS Gallery at Penland during WEAR. According to gallery coordinator Betsy DeWitt, the annual show is an “opportunity to showcase the work of emerging and established metalsmiths who are propelling the evolution of their field.” Special to this year, artists have produced work that “invites the viewer into a futuristic world, immersing them in creations that delight the eye with sumptuous subterfuge and the subversion of materials and expectations.” Featured makers include Joanna Manousis, an award-winning glass and mixed-media artist whose “True Facets” series suspends gemstones and printed illustrations in sheet glass. According to a gallery statement, “Each glass piece is meticulously hand-polished and elevated in fine silver basket settings, providing a sense of dimensionality and grandeur, along with a push and pull between the real and the illusory.” Manousis will be joined by artists including Xinia Guan, a Georgia-based maker whose pieces “gradually evolve through static creation and dynamic interaction with the external world.” WEAR will be on display through early fall.