DOWNTOWN MORGANTON, NC

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINASTUDIO GLASS EXHIBITION An Annual Celebration of Art Glass

MORGANTON’S THIRD ANNUAL

June 2 - July 11, 2014 • Opening Reception Saturday, June 14, 2014

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ABOUT BURKE ARTS COUNCILThe Burke Arts Council coordinates arts activities in the community, serves as an information and resource for the arts and promotes local artists and arts organizations. Their Jailhouse Gallery hosts ongoing artist exhibitions throughout the year. www.burkearts.org

ABOUT KALA GALLERYKala, winner of the 2011 NICHE Awards for top new retail gallery, is proud to have originated Morganton’s WNC Glass Exhibition in 2012. Kala offers the fine art and craft of over 150 professional artists from across the

country, with a focus on work from North Carolina. Kala has built a reputation as a gallery providing high quality and affordable contemporary craft, as well as offering a superb private venue for public exhibitions. www.kalagallery.com

ABOUT HAMILTON WILLIAMS GALLERY Hamilton Williams Gallery is a gallery of fine craft specializing in

the work of regional artisans with an emphasis on ceramics. We partner with artists to offer handmade treasures grounded in the cultural heritage of western North Carolina and the Appalachian region. www.hamiltonwilliams.com

ABOUT JOHN PAYNE PHOTOGRAPHYJohn S. Payne has been an avid collector of art glass for the past 2 decades. With over 100 pieces in his

personal collection the decision to invite John to be a part of the WNC Glass Exhibition was a no-brainer. John’s collection will be open for viewing for the duration of the event. John’s studio is close to the other venues and can easily be accessed by foot. www.johnspayne.com

ABOUT DOWNTOWN MORGANTONRecently voted the greatest Main Street in North Carolina by the Chapter of American Planning Association and featured in the March 2013 issue of Southern Living Magazine, downtown Morganton is in the foothills of western North Carolina with easy access from Charlotte, Greensboro or Asheville. Morganton is located at Exit 105 on Interstate 40. US Highways 18 and 181, as well US 64 and US 70 intersect the city. www.downtownmorganton.com

VERONICA & DAVID BENNETT

Our work explores the interplay between our contemporary glass designs and found objects

-- ancient and modern; between our unconscious connections awakened in memories and

our conscious attraction to color, line, and movement; between the emotionally discarded and

forgotten and the reawakening of the potential of seeing like children again.

www.bennettglassartonline.comFeatured at

MICHAEL TRIMPOL & MONIQUE LaJEUNESSEI like to create beauty from chaos. I have always been drawn to glass and its potential.

Many processes can be used in the creation of glass. The blowing process is the one most

suited to both my nature and my vision. I have a strong preference for objects of a personal

scale and potential utility; the vessel especially with a lid or stopper has always been of the

most interest. Color and pattern are also of great interest, from the simple

purity of a single color to the most complex mixtures in complex patterning.

I am proud of what I have made but see what I do as most importantly as a

process of exploration and creation.

LORETTA EBY & JEFF JACKSONLoretta Eby received her BFA in Glass, with minors in Printmaking and Drawing, from the

Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH in 1981. She has continued her education at the

Penland School of Crafts, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and the Pilchuck School of

Glass. Her emphasis since college has been on hot glass, working in and managing several

studios before opening her own studio in 1985.

Jeff Jackson has been involved with glass for 26 years and is entirely self-taught. Loretta and

Jeff joined forces in 1984 and this collaboration resulted in a new presentation of glass and

metal sculptures, which are highly prized in many personal and corporate collections. This

award-winning team continues to produce innovative glass designs and sculpture.

They find inspiration in the oddest of places. “My idea of a good time is finding a new junk

yard or farm equipment salvage lot. It’s way more fun than mall shopping.”, says Loretta. In

places such as those, they find ‘art parts’, shapes, textures and even discarded tools that

are assembled into striking combinations with their glass. In Jeff’s view, “The hardness of

the steel in contrast to the apparent softness of the glass can offer interesting new ways of

seeing common objects.” Featured at

ROBERT GARDNERInitially apprenticing to a jeweler as a teen, then studying filmmaking at the Art Institute of

San Francisco (BFA Film 85’), he then worked for several years as a film production assistant.

A change in focus brought Robert to the mountains of North Carolina, in the area that

surrounds the Penland School of Crafts, where he again began another apprenticeship, this

time with several glass artists. The material of glass with all of its transformative qualities

propelled Robert on to pursue a masters degree from the University of Illinois (MFA Sculpture/

MA Art Education 94’), and this led full circle to a working position at the Penland School,

where he taught and then managed the glass studio facility.

Following that position, Robert moved to Asheville where he has maintained a glass-making

studio in the River Arts District since 1997. Over the course of the last sixteen years, Robert

has exhibited in galleries throughout the country, shown at international events such as SOFA

Chicago & New York, Art Miami and the Miami Bridge Art Fair. The main focus of Robert’s work

is sculptural where he combines his knowledge of glass and metal crafts to marry materials

in a play of form and light.

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MICHAEL HATCH“I have always been fascinated by the process of transforming molten glass into a variety forms,

after twenty five years I still feel excited every morning when I enter the studio to begin work.”

Though he has studied with a number of influential artists Michael Hatch is primarily self

taught through years of experimentation and refinement. His work combines the freewheeling

attitude of the early American glass movement with refined Italian techniques. He was first

introduced to hot glass in the mid eighties by Kent Ipsen at Virginia Commonwealth University

where he received a degree in Sociology and Anthropology. He went on to study Venetian glass

techniques at Pilchuck, Penland and Corning with such noted artists as Pino Signoretto and

William Guddenrath.

In 1999 he founded Crucible Glassworks in Asheville, NC. He has exhibited extensively in

museums and galleries and has created commissions including baptismal fonts, custom

lighting and awards. Michael Hatch currently lives in the mountains of North Carolina with

his wife and two daughters and is an artist in residence at the Energy Xchange, the first

studio in the world to be fueled by methane produced from a retired landfill.

www.crucibleglassworks.com

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RONNIE HUGHESI work by myself, employing traditional flameworking techniques to create my sculptures.

There are no molds, specialized tools, glue, or paints used. After completion, each piece is

annealed at 1040 degrees Fahrenheit in a kiln, then cooled gradually back to room

temperature. This process removes all thermal stress from the piece, making the glass as

strong as it was originally. All pieces are then examined under a polariscope which ensures

that the sculpture has been properly annealed before presenting it to the public. If necessary,

my glass can be flame repaired if broken, which means my sculptures will retain their value

afterwards. This is impossible with soft glass.

Although I am currently using colored glass to highlight the blossoms of my flowers, clear

glass has always been integral to my sculptures. I believe that the purity of clear glass lends

a mystical feel to the flowers, emphasizing the delicacy and fragility of our natural world. The

colored blossoms provide a vibrant focal point while the clear glass challenges the observer

to look more closely and to use his/her imagination to complete my vision.

www.hughesglass.net Featured at

VIRGIL JONESIn the late 1980’s Virgil was challenged by a friend to make a glass bead. Not one to turn

down a challenge, Virgil took a piece of stained glass and small propane torch and went for

it. Within four months he left his career job and started selling glass beads. The jewelry beads

quickly grew in size and complexity. Blessed with a short attention span and lots of ambition,

Virgil delved into the hot glass world in all its forms. In the winter of 1995, Virgil moved to

the thriving hot glass community in the mountains of western North Carolina. The “Bigger is

Better” bug hit and a large, production blowing studio was built. Then, in 2003 life became

simpler and the studio became a one person (Virgil) specialty shop! Virgil’s art glass is a

contemporary combination of unique old style skills with modern hand-blown furnace work.

www.virgilsartglass.com

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ALICIA KELEMEN/K4 GLASSARTHighly influenced by her Architectural background, her designs tend towards geometrical

forms, texture and pure lines. Her collection extends to architectural and commission

installations, working in small and large scale formats. Architect by training, she incorporate

her skills to integrate decorative art for the wall, murals and home décor vases and dishware

for residential furnishings and religious Art for Synagogues.

For coloring, laminated crystal glass is used in conjunction with compatible enamels and

oxidizing substances, as well as, melting colored glass. Textured complements her art pieces,

where she incorporates materials like travertine tumbled stone, slate, copper layers and wire,

gold leaf, dichroic glass and fused glass elements. All these materials are assembled using

the mosaic technique, layering, laminating and sandblasting backgrounds to create a

floating effect.

The work of Alicia is represented worldwide in fine art and museum collections. You can

find her glass and mixed-media designs in public and private collections. The White House,

Denmark Glass Museum permanent collection, The Juan Pablo II Cathedral in Venezuela,

the King of Spain, the King of Jordan, Arnold Shwarzenegger, Whoopi Goldberg and Gerald

Cafesjian all own K4 Glassart pieces.

www.k4glassart.com

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JAN KRANSBERGERCreating sculptures in glass is not an intellectual exercise for me. I simply do what I like,

finding cast glass to be the perfect medium through which to express myself.

When I began, I chose to explore the power of the female form. Slight shifts within a figure

determine great differences in a mood or expression. I pare down shapes and exaggerate

isolated elements, begging an emotional connection, reaction from the viewer.

The tactile qualities of cast glass appeal to me. The particular way light comes through the

material is more interesting to me than the traditional beauty of the material and its glossy

smooth surfaces. To me, the soft, velvety appearance of my work enhances the subtleties of

mood I strive for. I also find incorporating sterling silver and copper into the glass produces

wonderfully unpredictable, sometimes mysterious color, never occurring exactly the same

way twice.

Hopefully my work reflects the complexities of human nature - moments of joy, contemplation,

reminiscence, introspection, solace. Emotions experienced and observed yet often not voiced.

Once having done that, it is left for the viewer to create their own dialogue, to weave their

own story.

www.jankglass.com Featured at

SAM STARKI first saw molten glass as a boy, and the idea of making it consumed me. For the next thirty

years, I immersed myself in the techniques necessary to work with such an old and complex

material. I have recently developed a new approach for the creation of colors in my work. By

blending primary colors in over lapping layers of clear glass, I am using color as a painter,

creating unique hues and tones. This has become a major focus in my new work. Something

magical happens when the glass traps the light between the layers. The pieces become

luminescent almost to the point of looking wet. Light, color, transparency and opacity have

always intrigued me. Pursuing color theory and the physics of light has inspired my new

pieces that work in harmony with color. As the light passes completely through a piece of

glass it encounters only two optical boundaries, the first on entering, and the second on

leaving. The light then shines into the human eye, whose cones send messages to the brain,

perceiving color. In the piece light bounces continuously between the layers, reflecting the

energy of the colors, whose dimensions and directionality delineate areas in their own way.

When a variety of different colors harmonize, the unity process balances images, and the

colors’ visual synergy determines the final form of the piece. This combination of movement,

light, and color creates a dramatic form, captured by the glass. This is my art.

www.starkartglass.com Featured at

SCOTT SUMMERFIELDScott’s career in glass began at Penland School of Crafts in 1997. He continued his education

at the Appalachian Center for Crafts in Smithville, Tennessee. He later apprenticed for three

years in St. Paul, Minnesota and continued to hone his skills in the glass shop. He is the sole

owner and operator of Summerfield Glass which opened in 2004.

Scott creates a combination of functional and decorative objects including blown fruit,

lighting, tableware, and holiday accessories. His hope is to enhance and personalize one’s

space through his unique and beautiful objects.

Scott also creates a body of one of a kind glass sculptures. He writes in his artist statement,

“I visualize and sketch my sculptures as individual parts, later to be transformed into formal

objects. Working with glass in this manner is not a traditional approach to the medium.

It allows me to create the slick lines and polished look that I strive for. A delicate balance

of beauty and tension are what makes this work unique and curious. I have worked in this

format instinctively since the beginning of my glass experience. In my first class I was

cutting up vases and bowls and creating nontraditional objects. It just felt right.”

Scott is a current member of the Southern Highland Crafts Guild and the Toe River Arts

Council. He sells his work nationwide through exhibitions and galleries.

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YAFFA TODD & JEFF TODDOur three-dimensional flower forms, (floral sculptures), are a direct reflection of our concern

with the quality of the glass and our enjoyment of the actual blowing process. They

demonstrate our interest in creating pleasing, well-balanced forms, which retain the

feeling of flow that is inherent in hot glass, and impart a feeling of life. To achieve an

artistic harmony and overcome the enormous technical difficulty of executing these pieces,

we must work as one, in perfect harmony.

“I make pieces that I myself would like to live with. My background as a painter led me

to relate to clay forms as three-dimensional canvases; when I began blowing glass, the

dimensions of motion and flow were added. After some experience, I have found that working

in crystal glass allows me to use reflections and two sides of the piece visually interacting, as

well as the pure optical qualities of the medium. To achieve these added dimensions, it has

become of utmost importance that the basic glass be immaculate and this control has only

been reached with years of batch tests and equipment refinement. I use lamp worked imagery

in some of my work. Nature is my inspiration. I use nature as an impulse, blending my

feelings and fantasies I add and delete as I deem necessary to achieve a piece that will

evoke a feeling of wonder and intrigue.” – Yaffa Todd

Yaffa was the second woman to teach glass at Penland School. This was during the summer

of 1978. Since then, both she and Jeff have taught together many times.

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TADAHSI TORIIBorn in Osaka, Japan, Tadashi moved to the United States and began studying business at

Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus. After taking a class in the school’s glass

blowing studio, his life changed when he realized he had found his true calling in art. Tadashi

graduated with his BFA in glassblowing/sculpture in 1997.

Beyond working for seasoned glass blowers, continuously improving his skills, Tadashi

furthered his skills in 2008 by participating in Travis Tyler’s “Boro Advanced Pattern”

workshop as well as the Emilio Santini’s “Goblet workshop”. In 2009 he participated in the

Lauren Stump’s “Advanced Soft Glass Sculpture” workshop. In 2010 Tadashi was juried into

the “Vetro Sensazionale: Italian Masters Session” workshop, taught by Italian maestro Pino

Signoretto offered through the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center in Millville, New Jersey.

Over the past 20 years Tadashi and his wife German artist Corina Pia primary country of

residence has been the United States. In 2011 they relocated to Western North Carolina. Here

Tadashi is creating his own unique collection of art and functional glass pieces inspired in

part by his heritage, nature and the human experience. In contrast to fast paced city living

the couple enjoys the delightful inspiration of mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and wide

open skies.

www.tadashitorii.com

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Downtown

DiningMORGANTON

Catawba Valley Brewing Co Locally brewed beer (open at 5pm Wednesday - Friday) - (828) 430-6883212 S. Green St.

Dessert First (breakfast/lunch) Cookies, pies, cakes - (828) 437-5744124 N. Sterling St.

Fonta Flora Locally brewed beer - (828) 413-1183317 N Green St

Geppeto’s Pizza & More (lunch/dinner) Scratch-made pizza, pasta, subs, salads - (828) 430-7300601 S. Green St.

The Grind Café (breakfast/lunch/dinner) Coffee, sandwiches, salads, hotdogs, full bar - (828) 430-4343136 W. Union St.

Jake’s Hamburgers (lunch/dinner) Burgers, hotdogs, milkshakes, salads - (828) 438-6936160 S. Sterling St.

Kin 2 Kin Japanese & Sushi (lunch/dinner) Hibachi, sushi, salads, soups - (828) 433-8883103 S. Green St.

King Street Café (Sunday brunch/dinner) Seafood, poultry, steak, pork, full bar & more - (828) 475-6188207 S. King St.

Limbertwig Café (lunch) Sandwiches, soups, salads, wraps - (828) 438-4634120 N. Sterling St.

Motown Deli Grill & Catering (breakfast/lunch/dinner) Deli sandwiches, fresh grilled subs - (828) 438-9889Morganton Trading Company, 305 East Union Street, 120B

My Local Bakery (breakfast/lunch) Cookies, pies, cakes - (828) 432-7343109 N. Sterling St.

Pat’s Snack Bar (breakfast/lunch) Diner-style sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs - (828) 437-5744124 N. Sterling St.

Root & Vine (lunch/dinner) Seasonal menu, locally sourced, full bar - (828) 433-1540139 W. Union St.

Wisteria Southern Gastropub (lunch/dinner) Steak, poultry, pork & full bar - (828) 475-6200108 E. Meeting St.

Yianni’s Family Restaurant (Saturday & Sunday brunch/lunch/dinner) Greek specialties, pasta, seafood, pizza, steak, salads, sandwiches & full bar - (828) 430-8700 112 W. Union St.

Downtown

ArtsMORGANTON

Peter Milne ExhibitionJuly 14 – August 8Artist Reception: Thursday, July 17, 5 – 7pm (Part of the Downtown Morganton Third Thursday Art Crawl)Location: The Burke Arts Council

Hamilton Williams: 20 Years in ClayJuly 18 – August 22Artist Reception: Thursday, July 17, 5 – 8pm (Part of the Downtown Morganton Third Thursday Art Crawl) Location: Hamilton Williams Gallery & Studio

Fiber/ Quilt/Fabric Exhibition“The Fabric of Our Lives” – An Invitational Exhibit August 11 – September 19Artist Reception: Friday, August 15, 5 – 7pmLocation: The Burke Arts Council

Southern Women PottersCelebrating the continuing contribution of women to southern pottery tradition.August 29 – October 3Artist Reception: Friday, August 29, 6 – 8pm Location: Hamilton Williams Gallery & Studio

The Third Annual Artists’ Studio TourAn opportunity to visit various artists’ studios throughout Burke CountySaturday, September 20 • 10am – 4pm

The Autumn Photography Exhibition - Our First Juried Photography ShowSeptember 22 – October 31Artist Reception: Friday, September 26, 5 – 7pmLocation: The Burke Arts Council

The Studio Pottery of Amy Sanders“Surface and Form”October 10 – November 14Artist Reception: Friday, October 10, 6 – 8pm Location: Hamilton Williams Gallery & Studio

First Frost – Annual Art Show and SaleNovember 10 – December 20Artist Reception: Friday, November 14, 5 – 7pmLocation: The Burke Arts Council

Handmade HolidaysNovember 21 – January 10Artist Reception: Friday, November 21, 6 – 8pmLocation: Hamilton Williams Gallery & Studio

Artist Receptions and Gallery Receptions are free and open to the public. You are cordially invited to participate in these community events showcasing the amazing!

Third Thursday Art CrawlsMultiple artists in a wide range of mediums will show and sell their works in various downtown businesses. May 15, June 19, July 17, and August 21. 5 until 8pm

www.burkearts.org