Dawn Dalto

"The need to work and create with my hands has been a life long driving force. As a child I learned needlework form my grandmothers. This skill later led to working with needlewoven beadwork. When introduced to clay in 2006, I merged the problem solving and attention to detail of these mediums into my work with clay. 

My ceramic work is primarily decorative rather than functional. Forms are mathematically configured with attention to their structure and use, both as individual objects and part of a larger grouping. I consider how the theme of each object will interact to form a family grouping with another.

My current work focuses on personal shrines. It is a visual exploration of my experience in living in different places and transporting my "stuff", both physical and mental, from one to the next. What do we hold dear? Why do we keep it? And who is responsible for the baggage? These are the questions that I think of as each new piece emerges."

Image credit: ceramics by Dawn Dalto; photo by Laurie Johnson

Currently based out of Asheville, NC, Vaughan Anderson has been blowing glass full-time for over 12 years. He has drawn inspiration from all things land, sea and sky. Couple this with his love for celestial infinity and you find the building blocks for the form and structure that define his work today.

Vaughan's medium is borosilicate glass commonly known as Pyrex glass or hard class. This torch fired material is very resistant to scratching, scuffing, or breaking; it therefore lends itself well to durable and usable art. 

His intricate and unique designs are the result of years of experience and creative forethought. In his current works, his love and inspirations are brought to the front in his series showcasing the elements. Seamlessly transitioning from deep within the ocean to the far reaches of the universe, he "wants to provoke thought, provide inspiration, and a doorway into the imagination of the viewer," thus allowing them their own experience with each piece that he creates. Vaughan has shown his art at numerous music events, art shows and bead shows throughout the years. 

For more information about Vaughan Anderson and his works, visit www.glassworksonline.com

"Although I have painted throughout my life, I realized I was an artist about five years ago when I began making a concerted effort to spend time in the studio and I noticed that when I wasn't painting on a regular basis, I was very cranky. I've found that when I spend regular time in the studio, all parts of my life work much better.

My work is about colors and their relationships. I have long been drawn to contrasting colors and patterns and my work allows me to experiment with different color combinations. Years ago I had a teacher who was a strict colorist. She had us mix colors for color wheels until we perfected them. It was then that I grew in my appreciation for complimentary colors and as a result I am very conscious about the choices I make regarding color in my paintings. I dare anyone to find a painting of mine where I haven't included the compliment of any color in the painting. I think of myself as a color match-maker, making sure that no spot of color is left alone without its compliment. My palette consists mostly of cadmiums and cobalts. Things that excite me about my paintings are the hidden patches of canvas or scraps of old jeans that are primed on to all of my wood panels; the lead pencil lines which offer proof of the process; new color combinations; and unexpected object placement.

After moving to Asheville six years ago, I was inspired to paint on wood by the local folk artists. Borrowing from their simple methods of painting, using whatever material they had around them, I found a very fun and meaningful to paint. After a few years of painting on reclaimed wood, selling at outdoor markets and building a following at festivals and fairs, my work can now be found at many galleries in the Southeast.

I'm deeply touched by the contrast in the world - the beauty and joy as well as the suffering and sadness. Painting is my response to life and in my work I seek peace and resolution in the midst of the contrast. For me, the pursuit of beauty is a luxury and a necessity and I'm so grateful to be an active participant in it."

-Moni Hill

*Special note from the Shop* Come see Moni's work at the Museum Shop and also at Gallery Minerva and her exhibit titled "Journeys" hanging at the Asheville Community Theater for the whole month of March.

Museum Shop News-

2010 has been pretty exciting for the Museum Shop so far! We've had some interesting new Artists of the Month such as Joyce Cole and Julie Scott and we have many more to introduce! We have art supplies for your budding artist, just in time for Summer Art Camp. A wide variety of local and fine art makes it easy to find the perfect gift! New pottery from Dawn Dalto, all natural skin care products by Sonja Voss and one of a kind, recycled ‘Piece Work' wallets are among the cool new things we've added. Cards for every occasion, posters of past exhibitions and our always growing book collection will have something for everyone. Always witty and sure to bring on a laugh is our new Unemployed Philosophers Guild, "Quotable Notables" Artist Cards with sticker quotes! New neck ties featuring famous works from Dali, Van Gogh and Leonardo da Vinci will defiantly make the wearer feel like a piece of art themselves!  As always, Asheville Art Museum Members receive 10% off and volunteers receive 20% off. Come see us at the Museum Shop were we're always ready to help you pick out the perfect gift for anyone on you list, including yourself!

To shop through our online store, visit us here! 

“I moved to England at an early age and grew up surrounded by the history, beauty and art of the U.K. After working in many media I fell in love with jewelry making and a jeweler! We had our own business in Camden Lock in London prior to moving back to the U.S.

I have been making jewelry for over 20 years. The natural beauty, color and healing properties of stones inspire me. My jewelry is silver with precious and semi precious stones.

I hope you enjoy my one of a kind jewelry with the beauty and positive energy of these stones.”

--Julie Scott

Joyce Cole is January's Museum Shop Artist of the Month

Cole says:

"Being born in New York City allowed me to be part of the 1960's art world. I was known for my paintings of large scale geometric shapes and grids. Over these forms, I employed a spray technique which created soft impressionistic overlays. At that time there were no other artists using my spray method with hard edge geometric grid forms. My paintings are shown in various galleries and Museums.

Presently I am continuing to use hard edge geometric shapes which are influenced by the Bauhaus and the Suprematists. In particular of interest to me are the artists Kandinsky and El Lissitsky.

To quote the art critic Peter Frank:

"Joyce Cole has always been, first and foremost, a Colorist. Irrespective of her mode of choice at any moment, no matter how severely abstract, gaily figurative or intricately between. Cole still employs a palette which glows like a pre-storm sunset - warm and iridescent - or like a blue streetlight at night - deep and tenebrous. Joyce Cole must have taste buds and hair follicles receptive to color to paint like this."

The Asheville Art Museum is proud to spotlight the Docents at the Museum! Docents volunteer their time to create inspiring and creative experiences for groups of all ages who come through the Museum. They give tours that help visitors learn about art, collecting, and the Asheville Art Museum. The Docents are continually learning more about art through trips to artist studios, art landmarks, and other artistic outings.

The Asheville Art Museum docents are one of the essential faces and voices of the Musuem in the community and the Museum thanks each of them for their inspiring energy, their strong dedication, and their rigourous passion for art, the Museum and Asheville.

To learn more about becoming a Docent, click here!

Image credit: Asheville Art Museum Docents 2009

"While growing up one of three daughters to an accidental German emigre' and a gregarious Queens engineer, I was encouraged to absorb the culture, art and human expression of wherever we lived: various parts of America and Puerto Rico, and during our regular visits across the pond. Shortly after receiving a BFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design, I ran off to the mountains of Western North Carolina to seek my adventure and find a place to hang my hat. I have found it here in Madison County where I work and live with my partner and a menagerie of dogs, cats and wildlife." 

-Leslie Goodrich

 Come by the shop to check out Leslie's whimsical and inspiring artwork!

Exploring the Permanent Collection with a Work of the Week

Douglas Ellington, Untitled Landscape with Wall.

1937, Watercolor Painting, 26” x 19.75”, Gift of Sallie Ellington Middleton. 2006.04.06.22

A few weeks ago, we featured one of Ellington’s architectural pieces. This week shows his skill in a different medium: painting.

A native of North Carolina, Douglas Ellington is well-known for his architectural pieces, including several colorful buildings in Asheville, such as the City Building. However, the artist also frequently worked with watercolor paintings. This example from 1937 is an American Impressionism influenced landscape painting with intricate details, especially in the foreground. Ellington always sought to include such detail in all his works, which carried over to his architectural commissions as well.

Untitled Landscape with Wall is currently on display in our exhibition Looking Back: Celebrating 60 Years of Collecting at the Asheville Art Museum, an installation of works drawn from our permanent collection. It highlights some of the Museum's holdings in Southeastern and Western North Carolina artists, while also celebrating the generosity of collectors and community supporters who have helped to develop the collection over the past 60 years.

This piece was given to the Museum by Ellington’s niece, Sallie Ellington Middleton, whom the artist and architect greatly influenced. Come take a look at Ellington’s piece and then stop by our exhibition of nature-inspired watercolors by his niece in, Sallie Middleton: A Life in the Forest, to experience and appreciate the impressive detail of each artist.

For more information about this artist, visit our Permanent Collection online.

After moving to Asheville in 2006, Jim Caskowski attended The Southern HIghlands Folk Art Guild Show at the Civic Center. It was there he found himself spellbound in front of a woodturning demonstration and found the outlet for "the artist inside looking for a medium."

Jim joined the North Carolina Woodturners' Association, bought a small lathe, attended lessons and began the journey that has brought him to the Asheville Art Museum. During this time, Jim has produced beautiful craft pieces at his studio in his Fairview home.

Come by the Museum Shop and see Jim's stunning woodwork for yourself!

This summer the Asheville Art Museum had another fantastic group of Summer Interns! They helped out in departments such as Development, Curatorial, Communications, Visitor Services and even with Non-Profit Law. This year the interns had a chance to help the Museum celebrate its 60th Anniversary at the Celebrate 60! Party at The Orange Peel. They helped us throw a fabulous party and everyone had a great time. The Museum would like to thank the interns for all of their hard work, enthusiasm and dedication. Thank you!

Summer Interns 2009 (from left): Eva Bland, Corinne Longman, Rachel Leaptrot, Matt Blalock, Emily Weidie, Jon Spoon, Nancy Sokolove (Adult Programs Manager) and Alex Fisher.

Joen Goodman has always loved working with color, texture and design. She has a degree in textiles from Carnegie Mellon University. Joen worked for five years as a buyer for a home furnishing store owned by a Bauhaus weaver and then for five years as a costume designer. She had a business in London for 17 years selling antique textiles, American quilts and all forms of needlework supplies.

She started working with beads about six years ago and very shortly thereafter started selling her work in the Museum Shop. Joen loves working with beads and creating her own designs. She finds it is simply an extension of the work she has done most of her life with fabric, paint and collage. Joen is not concerned with the worth or value of the bead, only with the color, size, texture and interaction with the other beads in the piece.

"It is all about the visual effect of the finished article," says Joen.

Canadian born, David Wilson has been an independent glass artist since 1986. David has a varied glass education in the South Toe region, working for neighborhood artists and washing pots at Penland as a scholarship student. In 1993, a teaching assistantship in Penland's first neon workshop with Jacob Fishman fired in him a passion for experimental neon. Since then he has participated in every neon class at Penland, forging a hybrid of rare glass plasma and hot glass sculpture. Along the way, David developed a line of fluorescent glasses for artists under the name Glo-Glass. He shows his work locally, nationally and internationally. His studio is located in Celo, North Carolina where he lives with his family.

To view or purchase your own glass art by David and his wife, Loretta Forde, stop by the Museum Shop before these popular one-of-a-kind pieces go flying off the shelf!

Jessica Hetzel is a senior at Asheville High School and plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall. She has been interning with the Education Department this winter and spring to see behind the scenes of an art museum. She worked on a variety of projects including the installation of two new shows, the Scholastic Art Awards and the Fundred Dollar Bill Project. She has also spent a great deal of time working on research for an exhibition on next year's calendar. When Jessica is not at school or the Museum, you might find her on the soccer field.

The Museum sincerely thanks Jessica for her dedication and hard work.

NYC Art Seen

Join Asheville Art Museum Executive Director Pam Myers for an intimate and in-depth excursion into the New York art scene. Pam will accompany four guests on a five-day trip to the City, viewing private collections, enjoying exclusive visits to museums, studios, galleries and more. This trip will include such highlights as a private tour and lunch at the Rubin Museum and the Morgan Library, a photography focused gallery walk, brunch at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s trustees dining room, tour of the new Brooklyn Museum of Art with architects Polshek Partnership, studio visits, shopping at Dieu Donné, cocktails in two private homes with stunning collections, an guided visit to the Guggenheim Museum and more. Includes tours, cocktails, some meals and accommodations for four nights at the newly completed Standard Hotel, a Polshek Partnership designed boutique hotel in the meatpacking district. To be scheduled in Summer/Fall 2009 or Spring 2010 with sufficient advance notice.

Value: Approximately $3,000

Contributors:
Polshek Partnership Architects
Ward Mintz and Floyd Lattin
Marianne Manley
Rubin Museum
Morgan Library
Guggenheim Museum

Image credit:
Brooklyn Museum. Photo by Adam Husted.

Pampered Luxury

Indulge yourself from head to toe with this collection! Ready for a new look? Begin with a salon visit, and then a stunning new outfit, shoes to match and jewels to make it sparkle. Now you’re ready for a night on the town – how about a champagne tasting for six? Or a night out at the theatre? Relax from all the shopping and nightlife with a Spa Rejuvenation package from The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa, including overnight accommodations for two, all day access to the spa facilities with 80-minute spa treatments and lunch at the Spa Café. 

Value: Approximately $3,000

Contributors:
J. Kimmel Jewelry
Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa
Jewels That Dance
The Jazzy Giraffe
Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar
Tops for Shoes
Bellagio
Constance Boutique
Lola Salon
Asheville Community Theatre

Feast for the Senses

Enjoy a package of culinary delights sure to entice!

Invite your friends to spend an afternoon with Chef Mark Rosenstein of The Marketplace Restaurant, at his home cooking and then enjoying a sumptuous meal complemented by paired wines from his private cellar (for six).

After enjoying a locavore’s shopping spree at the Asheville City Market with a number of gift certificates ($205 total) to fabulous local purveyors, serve your grassfed steaks, heirloom tomatoes and wood-fired rustic bread on a wonderful collection of serving pieces and tabletop works of art from eight area ceramists.

After enjoying a private, in-depth tour of the Biltmore Estate Winery, reflect on the art of wine-making while sipping a collection of fine wines including a rare 20 year old Burgundy from the Renardes Vineyard, a 1989 Gay Pere and Fils Cote de Beaune Aloxe-Corton Corton-Renardes Grand Cru. Only 175 cases produced that year. Take the night off from cooking, and enjoy dinner at one of Asheville’s great restaurants.

Value: $3,500

Contributors:
Mark Rosenstein – The Marketplace Restaurant
Bill and June Lenoci
Nick Joerling
Karen Newgard
Leah Leitson
Michael Kline
Courtney Murphy
Judith Duff
Tom Turner (image above: Porcelain Ewer)
Joy Tanner
Asheville City Market
Hickory Nut Gap Meats
Flying Cloud Farm
Wild Salmon Company
Green Jade Herbal
Farm & Sparrow
GAS Distributors
Mela Indian Restaurant
The Corner Kitchen
Bouchon
Bill Lynch -- Biltmore Estate Wine Company

Hot Glass

Add this stunning work of art by renowned glass artist Stephen Dee Edwards to your collection: Physallia, 2005, glass, hot worked, 11.75 x 12.15 x 10.25 inches (value: $4,000). Edwards states that his “work represents a 30 year fascination with nature and our relationship to it.” Edwards is Professor of Glass Art at Alfred University, Alfred, NY, and former president of the Glass Art Society Board of Directors. His work is in the collections of museums around the world included the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC; The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI; Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Sapporo, Japan; Glasmuseum Ebeltoft, Ebeltoft, Denmark; Asheville Art Museum; Oberglass Museum, Barnbach, Austria and many more.
Spend a day in Charlotte touring the region’s foremost private studio glass collection and a complimentary visit to The Mint Museum.

Value: $4,000+

Contributors:
Sonia and Isaac Luski
The Mint Museum

Art Exploration

Let your creativity run wild!

At the John C. Campbell Folk School, you will choose from over 840 classes in 50 different subject areas. The Folk School recently earned the title of one of the “100 Best Vacations to Enrich Your Life” from National Geographic.


Suzie Millions, author of The Complete Book of Retro Crafts, welcomes you and a group of friends to her studio for a fun and quirky “make & take” session. Perhaps you will spend an afternoon making Suzie’s “Reinbeer” — perfect for the holidays!

Explore the art of ceramics at Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts. Classes (once a week for nine weeks) are offered in pottery, sculpture (figurative and abstract), hand building, tile making, glazing and other surface embellishments, brush making and kiln building for beginning to advanced students.

The Asheville Woodworking School at Asheville Hardware beckons with an introduction to woodturning class. The novice wood turner will learn the basic knowledge needed to make a few simple turning projects. You will learn how to cut and select lumber for turning projects and will learn to make a mallet, ornament, and a bowl with guided instruction.

Natural dyeing, lace crochet, art quilts, felted vessels — if it is textile, Cloth Fiber Workshop has a class for it! Choose from the wide variety of weekend workshops and pick the one that is perfect for you.

Artist James Yaun will introduce you to the complex and delicately beautiful world of lampworked glass with a two-hour private session.
Now that you have gotten the urge to create, enjoy a brunch and campus tour of Penland School of Crafts so that you can explore new paths to take on your creative journey.

Value: $2,370

Contributors:
John C. Campbell Folk School
Suzie Millions
Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts
Asheville Hardware
Cloth Fiber Workshop
James Yaun – TC Glass Arts
Penland School of Crafts