Avery Arts in June

With summer upon us and temperatures rising, the cool Appalachian Mountains become all the more appealing.

For the month of June, the Avery Arts Council presents new exhibitions at both the Dickson Gallery (inside Cannon Hospital) and the Linville Gallery on Ruffin Street.

This is the first time the arts council has exhibited the Beech Mountain Art Guild (BMAG), whose group show will be on display until the end of June.

This guild is a loose confederation of Beech Mountain artists who share an interest in the creative and graphic arts. The BMAG was created in 2003 to organize an art show and sale. The group has had seven shows and plans to continue this tradition.

These are juried shows that take place during the summer at the Beech Mountain Club. BMAG members come from a variety of backgrounds. Within the 39 members are former teachers, attorneys, physicians, accountants, nurses, business people, law enforcement officers, military personnel and professional artists.

The Avery Arts Council's Linville Gallery on Ruffin Street is displaying Skip Sickler's photographs in an exhibition aptly named "Skip's Shots." Sickler's colorful nature photographs pay homage to his reverence for the natural world.

His fascination was cultivated when was a park ranger for five years in the National Park Service.

Later, as an Outward Bound instructor, he took adventures to some of the wildest areas of the United States, Canada and Mexico. He continues his exploration now through photography, particularly of the southern Appalachian region.

Through his photos, Sickler attempts to evoke within the viewer an emotional connection with the natural world. It is his hope that photography can help protect the natural areas of the world he cherishes.

Skip's Shots will be on display until the end of June. To view his work, visit the Avery Arts Council's Linville Gallery, located behind the Old Hampton Store on Ruffin Street. Gallery hours have increased, now open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

All the artwork in both shows is offered for sale. The Linville Gallery shop also offers the work of more than 20 local artists.