First Friday Art Crawl Friday
Area artist Jeff Martin is showcasing his artwork at Gladiola Girls this Friday for the Downtown Boone Art Crawl.
Boone is in bloom, as the First Friday Art Crawl returns for
spring. Hosted every first Friday of the month (this time on April 6), First Friday sees area
galleries and businesses open their doors in celebration of art, community and a combination of the
two, oftentimes served alongside refreshments and live music.
Appalachian State University’s
Turchin Center for the Visual Arts (423 W. King St.) invites art crawlers to join in its Spring
Exhibition Celebration with a public reception from 7 to 9 p.m. The reception features live music by
The Lucky Strikes, a cash bar and a chance to meet the artists.
The center’s three new
exhibitions include “STUFF: Where does it come from and where does it go?” by Bryant Holsenbeck, an
installation made of all recyclable materials, in partnership with ASU’s Catherine J. Smith
Gallery; the N.C. Arts Council Fellowship Award Exhibition; and “Reflections on Costa Rica:
Students and Faculty Creatively Respond to an International Travel Experience,” featuring works
from their trip and guest Costa Rican artist Priscilla Romero Cubero.
Boone Saloon (489 W.
King St.) welcomes back Woody Pines and their unique blend of country, blues ragtime and what they
call “viper jazz.” The show starts after 10 p.m., and there’s a $5 cover. Only those 21 and older
will be admitted.
At Gladiola Girls (549 W. King St.), artist Jeff Martin will be showing
new works under his working moniker, Jefski Samo. The works will be a series of antique window
paintings that revolve around the inherent stylistic beauty of a woman’s dress. According to
Martin, a self-taught media artist pursuing a ceramics and printmaking degree at ASU, the
paintings are compositionally vibrant in color and rich with the textures of paint and sgraffito.
The canvases are old farmhouse windows that he has collected from the High Country area.
The Watauga Arts Council and Jones House Community Center (604 W. King St.) will host open
exhibits and a reception from 6:30 to 8 p.m. with refreshments.
The Jones House’s Mazie
Jones Gallery is presently hosting the second annual Juried Exhibition, the winners of which will
be announced Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. by Prof. Warren Dennis of Appalachian State University,
who juried the show. The show consists of 27 pieces of artwork from local and adjoining counties,
including pieces from Kim Abernethy, Craig Franz, Sarah Gilley, Marsha Holmes, Ed Kline, Mark
Nystrom, Alex Poorman and more.
The Open Door Gallery features works of Art Mart
Academy students for the month of April. The show consists of works chosen by the students,
spanning the last few years of their accomplishments.
The Serendipity Gallery continues to
display paintings and drawings provided by the Project on Aging participants, and organizer Marsha
Holmes has been busy refreshing the artwork in preparation for spring.
ArtWalk (611 W. King
St.) will feature the work of Charlotte crafters Kick Ass Woodworks. Among the many items this
family operation creates are rough-hewn candle-holders in many types of hardwood, photo frames of
distinctive wormy holly and comfortable benches with a signature ergonomic design for sitting
comfort.
According to ArtWalk, Kick Ass Woodworks specializes in designs that blend rustic
simplicity with natural elegance. The craftsmen use reclaimed barnwood and vintage horseshoes for
their coat racks, although many of their items incorporate repurposed woods and fallen trees that
were “just too beautiful not to turn into art.” Their items are heat-treated and sealed to ensure
durability.
The Nth˚ Gallery & Studios (683 W. King St.) will offer a veritable “Grab
Bag” of a show, featuring work from ASU art instructor Joe Bigley. The show consists of both 3-D
and 2-D art, reflecting on socio-political issues. The centerpiece is a large-scale sculpture
installation, spanning the two exhibitions spaces at the Nth. Bigley said the work serves to
highlight a range of social issues, while encouraging viewers to leave advocacy at the door and
simply think. He added that the works are both spontaneous reactions to current social concerns,
while others have been in the planning stages for some time. The Grab Bag reception runs from 7:30
to 10 p.m. Bigley’s last project, “Traversing a Foreign Border Domestically,” was also ambitious.
The artist mapped a course in the continental U.S. that followed the border and contour of
Afghanistan to bicycle the entire length of the Afghan border – 3,435.5 miles to be exact – while
recording thoughts on the war from those he encountered.
From 6 to 9 p.m., Lucky Penny (693
W. King St.) hosts the Appalachian Rollergirls as special guests, who’ll be selling merchandise
and tickets for their April 28 home bout.
The Art of Oil (819 W. King St.) will join in
the Art Crawl fun from 5 to 9 p.m., hosting wine, olive oil and vinegar tastings. As always,
sculptures and paintings by Davis Whitfield and jewelry by Laura Fly and Bella Vita Jewelry will
be on display.
Expressions (221 W. Howard St.) will host an exhibit from 6 to 9 p.m.,
featuring works from painter Erin McClung. According to the artist, “The viewer can expect pieces
that primarily pay tribute to the art of comic books and the lessons they imply. The painter
wishes to bring forth a new appreciation of an unspoiled love of villains, heroes and the blurry
line that often exists between them.”
Refreshments will be available, and while beer and
wine is allowed, it will not be provided.
Join Our Art Crawl Roundup
If your business participates in Downtown Boone First Fridays, send your goings-on to (frank@mountaintimes.com) for a spot in next month’s roundup.
