Art by Tara Belk at ArtWalk
In June, ArtWalk showcases the mixed-media art of Tara
Belk.
Belk was born and raised in Minnesota, where she also attended the University of
Minnesota.
At 14, she received her first oil lessons as a birthday gift from a family friend and
her mother, along with a tackle box full of art materials.
Later, Belk lived in Arizona,
where she married, studied at Arizona State University and was inspired by the breathtaking desert
skies. Eventually she moved to North Carolina and received her creative arts degree from the
University of North Carolina in Charlotte.
A visit to the Blue Ridge region inspired her to
relocate one more time, and the mountainous views have held her awe and have been an inspiration for
20 years now.
Throughout her artistic career, she has displayed her work in exhibitions,
private and public collections and galleries, and has won several awards. After working a variety of
jobs in the past, including making porcelain jewelry and designing for a rug company, she now
teaches drawing, painting, and pottery at her studio at Casa Que Pasa Antiques and Galleria in
Trade, Tenn., and at Appalachian State University's Craft Enrichment Program.
Belk uses a
variety of mediums and often combines them. Her work in clay includes ornaments, boxes, wall pockets
and relief sculpture plaques. She also has original drawings and paintings, prints and cards in a
variety of media, as well as beaded earrings. In her work, she seeks to convey the wonder,
appreciation and personality that can be felt when relating to nature and other living things in a
spiritual sense.
Tara Belk's work can be found in ArtWalk's lower level. With three and a
half floors and more than 300 local, regional and national artists, ArtWalk is located at 611 W.
King St. (across from Mast General Store) Boone, N.C. 28607. Hours are Monday through Saturday from
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. For more information, call (828) 264-9998, e-mail (artwalkboone@yahoo.com) or visit http://www.artwalkboone.com.
Gallery Times
Gallery Times is a weekly news feature of the Focus section of The Mountain Times, featuring short news items submitted by local galleries.
For more information, contact editor Frank Ruggiero at (frank@mountaintimes.com) or (828) 264-6397.
