“Crafting Contemporary Art: Studio Craft in Appalachia” is on display at ETSU’s Slocumb Galleries through Friday, Oct. 8. This exhibition features contemporary artists working on craft-based media who are affiliated with three important and prominent craft schools in the region – Penland (N.C.) School of Crafts, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg and the Appalachian Center for Craft, a satellite campus of Tennessee Tech University located near Smithville.

It is presented in collaboration with the ETSU Department of Art and Design, Graduate Fine Arts Association (GFAA), Student Government Association, and Women’s Studies Program.

“‘Crafting Contemporary Art’ highlights the innovative character of these artists’ works that bring to the fore the elements of craft-based art production and technique within the contemporary art aesthetic,” according to Karlota Contreras-Koterbay, director of Slocumb Galleries. “It also serves as a celebration of the various studio craft schools and residency programs in the Appalachian region that distinctly nurtured these diverse artistic practices. It is intended to enhance the understanding of the arts heritage in Appalachia (that is) advanced by these arts and crafts schools in the region.”

Fibers, ceramics and jewelry/metalsmithing works by the following artists are included in the exhibit: Linda Darty, Catharine Ellis, Norm Schulman, Jerilyn Virden and Lisa Klakulak from the Penland School of Crafts; Victoria Altepeter, Thaddeus Erdahl, Bill Griffith, Sarah Perkins and Christine Zoller from the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts; and Anastasia Azure, Jeanne Whitfield Brady, Sung-Yeoul Lee, Vince Ptelka and Melody Tiemann from the Appalachian Center for Craft.

An exhibit reception on Thursday, Oct. 7, at 6 p.m. in Slocumb Galleries will be followed at 7 p.m. by a panel discussion in the Ball Hall auditorium, Room 127.

Panelists Azure, Perkins and Tiemann will talk about their own work in the context of craft studio art residency and answer questions from the audience.

The panel discussion will be facilitated by GFAA President Megan Levacy.

Azure developed the Dimensional WeaveT technique, which combines ancient cloth-making processes with metalwork.

Her “eye-catching and mind-bending” hand-woven method creates seamless pieces inspired by the Mandala’s representation of the universe.

After a three-year residency at the Appalachian Center for Craft, Azure now lives in Rhode Island, where she is completing her master of fine arts degree at the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work may be viewed at www.anastasiaazure.com.

Perkins, a metal artist from Missouri, has taught workshops at both Arrowmont and Penland, and her enamel works have been featured in numerous publications and exhibited all over the United States and Canada, as well as in Europe, India and Korea.

Her work is represented by galleries in Massachusetts, Arizona and London, and may be viewed at http://mobilia-gallery.com/artists/sperkins.

Tiemann is a ceramics artist who uses clay to communicate fantastic imaginary worlds that explore human nature.

She recently finished her residency at the Appalachian Center for Craft. Examples of her work are shown at www.melodytiemann.com.

In addition, a series of four art demonstrations and workshops will be conducted by participating artists for students in the art and design department throughout the duration of the exhibit.

The exhibit and other activities are free and open to the public. Regular gallery hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. For more information or special assistance for those with disabilities, contact Contreras-Koterbay at 423-483-3179 or contrera@etsu.edu.

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