LMC faculty show opens at Dickson Gallery in Linville
'Dogwood Tree on Mountain Farm' by Michael Joslin
Three Lees-McRae College art faculty members combine their
visions for the December show at the Dickson Gallery, located in Cannon Hospital in Linville.
New works by Michael Joslin, Melissa Ball-Martin and Jesse Knight open this week and will on
exhibit until the middle of January. The public is invited to meet the artists at an opening on
Sunday, Dec. 9, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the gallery. Refreshments will be served, as well as seasonal
and Baroque music from Ottava Rima, a recorder and harpsichord ensemble.
Michael Joslin moved
to the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina in 1983. Since then he has written and
illustrated with his photography five books that celebrate mountain life.
“Mountain Spring,”
his sixth book, is the first in a new series that takes the reader on an in-depth journey through
Appalachia’s seasons.
Joslin received his Ph.D. in English Literature in 1977 from the
University of South Carolina. He is a professor at Lees-McRae College where he joined the humanities
division in 1989 and teaches writing, photography and literature. Also, he is the director of the
Stephenson Center for Appalachia.
Joslin and wife Pam established the Appalachian Heritage
Week, celebrated each spring at Lees-McRae. Pam is a Lees-McRae alumna and works in the college’s
creative and fine arts division.
For 25 years, Michael has written for local newspapers and
regional and national magazines, and has presented his photography in numerous exhibitions
throughout Appalachia.
Melissa C. Ball-Martin has been an artist and educator for more than
15 years, currently as associate professor and program coordinator for the Communication Arts and
Design Department at Lees-McRae.
Ball-Martin earned her undergraduate degree from
Appalachian State University in art education. She has taught all levels of art and design, but has
been focused in higher education for the past 12 years. She has an M.F.A. from the University of
North Carolina Greensboro, where she taught design, digital design and art education, before moving
back to her roots in Avery County.
While her artistic training was in sculpture and fiber
arts, her work has evolved to include digital drawing and mixed media. She now lives in the High
Country with her husband, son, three dogs and a cat. Her interests include good coffee, working in
her sketchbook, and researching strange and interesting topics.
Gallery Times
Gallery Times is a weekly news feature of The Mountain Times, featuring short news items submitted by local galleries.
For more information or to make a submission, contact editor Frank Ruggiero at (frank@mountaintimes.com) or (828) 264-6397.
