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In the heart of Historic Waynesville
98 N. Main Street, Waynesville NC 28786
(828) 456-1940
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10:00-5:30
Sunday 1:00-4:00
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Dancing with Nature
May 2022 Issue 3 Vol 12
News, Life, and the Art Culture in the Smoky Mountains
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Embracing the repurposed, revitalized, upcycled.
I love the old barns and houses around here that are part of the history of Haywood County. It breaks my heart to see them in ruin. They hold stories that will be forgotten and lost.
I am dealing with my FL barn that is 60+ years old which at its tender age of 57 was hit by Hurricane Michael. My challenge is to revitalize this, evidently crooked, barn to a state of usefulness, in an attempt to preserve its memory though I am not maintaining its original purpose of housing a stable full of horses. As a property known for its animal menagerie, as is strictly a part-time venture for me, I have made it clear that animals are not in the picture (at the most, replace the recently lost last remaining resident, a handsome peacock).
Hurricane Michael left in its wake other downed structures on the property that my son salvaged the wood, removed the nails, and stored, so we have quite the stockpile of boards. This wood is now being used to create a kitchen, full bath, and purposeful barn doors for a barn that will basically be used for an event space. In order to get to this point, 50 years of compacted horse poop had to be removed. This is now being used in a newly created perennial garden. How is that for repurposing?
In the hope of preserving the nostalgia of the barn, the tack room and one of the stalls remain in their original place. The one stall was Thunder’s. Playzure Arabians’ legendary stud-horse and my mother’s ride. One thing missing is the smell of the barn; I cannot put that back. But, hopefully, for those that hold the memories, there is still enough nostalgia left in a place we spent so many hours. With memories of early morning horseback rides, skittering ostriches, and bellowing camels, I took on this project with a dream of preserving childhood memories and making new ones for the next generations.
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As a nation of consumers, we are consumed with an overabundance of clutter that eventually ends up in the dumpsites which take hundreds of years to degrade. I admire artists that have the vision to transform what was potentially headed to a burial site into a work of art. Here is just a taste of some of the ingenuity:
Sandra Smathers creates earrings made from mini blinds. How does one come up with such an idea? Steve Smith melts wine bottle glass into pendants and works of art. Gayle Woody takes old books and makes them into journals. Melissa Burrell upcycles print materials into tedious collages of colorful images.
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June approaches …… known for the beloved, sometimes forgotten, Father’s Day that seemingly gets overseen. I speculate that kids are not in school, everyone is excited that summer break is here, so they do not make the beloved art creation obligingly orchestrated by the elementary school art teachers. So, Dads miss out on this craft project venture. In my eyes, male participation has, fortunately, changed in the last generation with their involvement in the care of their children. I want to give a shout-out to two amazing Dads currently in my life ……. Jim and Michael, the bearers of my grandchildren. These are two awesome Dads.....And to all of the fathers of all things great and small, may your day be special.
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Memorial Day is practically here! It’s officially summer! Block Party, Art After Dark, our (John and myself’s) 47th anniversary of being Keiths. We are busy! All a time to celebrate. Downtown is filled with excitement!! It gives cause to revitalize, repurpose, and upcycle to keep the celebration going for generations to come. |
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May You Walk in Beauty ~ Carrie
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SPOTLIGHT ARTIST:
Bill Wanezek
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I was born, raised, and lived in southwestern Wisconsin for most of my life until my wife
and I discovered Western North Carolina. We retired to Burnsville in 2007.
My woodworking career started as a youngster working with my dad who did a lot of projects around the house. He would let me "help" him and I learned a lot from him. I needed a creative outlet and since I had always enjoyed woodworking, I bought a lathe and started turning bowls, plates, and candlesticks.
I really enjoyed woodturning so I kept buying wood and making things. Pretty soon we and our relatives had run out of room but I didn't want to quit, so I bought a better lathe, made more, and we started going to art shows.
To me, the most gratifying part of woodworking is unlocking the natural beauty hidden inside raw lumber. I will often start out with a concept and change it as the beauty of the wood reveals itself. I currently have about 30 different kinds of domestic and exotic hardwoods from which I make a wide variety of functional and decorative pieces including plates, bowls, pen sets, letter openers, clocks & more. I use only clear finishes, so the color you see is the natural color of the wood.
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Stroll the galleries from 6-9 pm
every first Friday, May - December 2022
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Presenting folk artist Phyllis Vaughn for Art After Dark Friday evening, June 3rd, 6-9 pm.
Color and whimsy have always been the signature style of Hendersonville folk artist Phyllis Vaughn. By using what she considers her signature “primitive” style of painting, she explores the use of texture, pattern, and color making each piece a unique experiment of creativity. The end result is often a splash of happy interpretations from her imagination. Fun, imperfect and quirky!
Friday evening, as you stroll through the gallery’s 120+ primarily regional artists enjoy live piano music by Judy Phillips and delight in savory hors-d'oeuvres.
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**PLEASE NOTE THAT DATES AND EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO CHANGES IN COVID GUIDANCE. PLEASE CHECK WITH US BEFORE TRAVELING. WE WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED** |
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"Molly Gets Canned"
June 4th, 2 pm
Frog Level Brewing
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In honor of a beloved local canine celebrity, “Molly Gets Canned” will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.
A fundraiser for ACVO Vision for Animals Foundation, the event will celebrate Molly, a blind 10-year-old beagle walker mix who frequents the brewery.
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Shelton House
Blue Ridge Heritage Weekend
Arts & Crafts Festival
June 18-19th, 2022
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The two-day Arts & Crafts Fair will feature many artists and crafters, various food, drink, demonstrations, and several local bands featuring Appalachian Music.
We hope you will take this opportunity to get out of the house, set up a chair on the front lawn, listen to local music, enjoy our food vendors, shop the many artists and crafters who will be displaying and selling their art, and join us for this special once a year event!
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Margaret Roberts will be demonstrating Friday, July 1st 6-9 pm AND Saturday, July 2nd 11-3 pm!
Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information!
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Keep tabs on more upcoming regional events here
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98 N. Main Street
Waynesville, NC 28786
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