The new Red House and Gallery

 The Red House lost it's home last winter, as a new landlord didn't renew the lease. BUT things got much better for them.

The Swannanoa Valley Fine Arts League (SVFAL) is the oldest art association in the area. It was nicknamed the Red House because they were located in a renovated old house painted red on the exterior.  Here's my post about the former "Red House."

But now they have an excellent location in the center of Black Mountain, on Cherry Street.

I'm posting both photos because the first shows the corner where Cherry St. and State St. meet, and this second of the new façade shows a little (well big) arrow pointing to another entrance on the far right.

This leads upstairs to artists' studios where they also sell their work. And classroom space as well.

For now I am not thrilled with their signage...just a sandwich-board on the sidewalk. 

It is a well appointed gallery space, though a bit crowded compared to some others. The SWFAL has a theme for their exhibits, which is posted at the entrance.

I am on their mailing list still, from when I was a member and volunteered to sit in the gallery in the Red House. So I'll include these two current postings they are offering:

Let Loose Tuesdays

 

Every Tuesday from 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM at the The Red House Gallery & Studios

Bring your favorite - or wannabe favorite - or not so favorite - or not new to you - medium & project, and create while you share space with other creative types. All mediums and projects welcome! Open to members and non-members!

 Fee: $5 per session, to cover classroom rent.

 See you there!! Coordinators: Ruth Duckworth (ruthjduckworth@gmail.com)

& Tina Kannapel (tinasstudio@yahoo.com)

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Open Studio

 

The Red House open studio is an ongoing event, offering members and other interested artists opportunities each week to draw and paint the live model.  

The model fee is $15.00

For more information, contact Fran Greenberg at greenbergfrances@yahoo.com

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I noticed these two programs are ongoing and open to artists who aren't members of SVFAL. 

Today's quote:

So act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world.

 -Immanuel Kant, philosopher ( 1724-1804)

Bugs and moths, oh my!

 A new exhibit is just opened at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts. We went to the reception/opening last Friday. It included children's art, as well as a presentation on moth diversity by Lenny Lampel, a Natural Resources Supervisor with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation’s Division of Nature Preserves and Natural Resources in Charlotte, NC.

A beautifully crafted moth is climbing the windows of the director of BMCA. 

It was made by Teresa Cote'

The ceramic artist, Libba Tracy was the organizing force behind this exhibit about bugs.

I greatly enjoyed the wonderful refreshments. The cheese tray was decorated with little bugs made of food stuffs. Other pieces were offered, and a "return the bugs bowl" was available in case you decided to eat the part that wasn't bug.

Half the fun of being at these openings is meeting other Black Mountain and Asheville residents that we've known from other places.

I enjoyed seeing these two huge arrangements of real flowers. This one was on the food table. The other was centered in the room.

On this wall we could see the art done by school students. Very well done - topic being bugs!

On to the gallery! I was thrilled by this wonderful ceramic bust.

Ann Lutz just started being a fiber artist, and refuted the term artist. But I noticed her piece had sold!

An actual moth was pinned in this tray, with other natural artifacts.

I must admit to only taking a few photos of this exhibit. These struck my fancy. I'm sure some of the other paintings, drawings and mixed media creations would be as lovely to others.

We had really a wonderful evening to enjoy the balcony area and chat with  friends.

I'm very glad I attended the presentation also. There I learned that of all the Lepidoptera species, the taxonomy of only butterflies and skippers is just one of about two dozen, while all the rest are moths. 

Today's quote:

 "My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate." Thornton Wilder, American playwright and novelist (1897 - 1975)

Hera's games - pre-Olympic games

 

.... it's in honour of Hera, though Her name is not mentioned.

"... The pre-'Olympic' games of Greece were Hera’s games, held at Her Heraion/temple. The winners were 'heras' – gaining the status of being like Her. In the earliest of times Hera was not the bickering, jealous wife of the Olympian pantheon – She was Sovereign, the native/indigenous Queen. Hera, in the most ancient of stories was commonly identified with Gaia. Marija Gimbutas tells that Hera was called the ‘origin of all things,’ by a Greek writer of the sixth century B.C.E.; that 'Her name is cognate with Hora, season,' and that Hera created and restored life. In recent research Marguerite Rigoglioso develops the theme of Hera’s parthenogenetic capabilities and points to strong indications of a priestesshood (parthenoi) devoted to divine birth at Hera’s sanctuary at Olympia: that the famed Olympic torch is 'the burning flame of Hera Parthenos and her holy parthenoi that is carried around the world and guides the games until their safe conclusion.'..."

A Poiesis of the Creative Cosmos: Celebrating Her within PaGaian Sacred Ceremony, Glenys Livingstone Ph.D., (p.214-215 where there are all the references)

Ifetayo's poems by Annelinde Metzner

  Isn't April Poetry Month? (reposted to my "art blog")

My dear friend, Annelinde Metzner shared her poems from "Feminism and Religion's" blog publication, Ifetayo's poems.

She introduces them thus:

For a number of years, I’ve been staying at the St. Helena’s Island, South Carolina home of Ifetayo White, Reiki Master, teacher of doulas, and healer in many modalities. I am always deeply healed by Ifetayo’s presence, and by the island itself.  This island near Beaufort is the home of the Gullah people, who have kept their land since Reconstruction according to a legal system called “Heir’s Property.”

The spirits are strong here, and I’ve tried to capture some of the essence of the island and of Ifetayo, in these poems.  In the first, I describe Ifetayo’s wonderful healing room.  The second features the Grandmother Tree, one of the live oaks covered with Spanish moss, so prevalent in the Low Country.  The third features the Resurrection Fern, which appears brown and almost dead on the limbs of the oaks, but springs into vivid greenness after a rain.

"The Healer's Home" begins: (see more through the link above)

In the front room, the living room,

of course!  A majestic altar.

Quan Yin, Mother Mary, Yemaya,

animals of the earth and sea,

winged ones, stone people,

arrayed around the biggest rose quartz

you’ve ever seen.

Love radiates throughout the house.

But in the back room, the healing room…

Windows open to live oaks,

“old greybeard” moss swaying in the breeze,

vermillion camellias, pink azaleas…

all this surrounds the souls who come here

to Ifetayo’s table 

to be healed and made whole.

*

Ifetayo White, Reiki Master and healer

The Grandmother tree

Come, Persephone

  Come, Persephone,

With your paint-pots and brushes:

Stipple the fields with flowers,

Dot the branches with bright blossoms,

Streak the Spring sky with pale pastels.

You are the one who paints the eyes on the pansies,

And the lines on the lilies so the bees can find their food,

And the blushes on the rosebuds.

Without you,

The bearded iris would have no smile

And the black-eyed susan would be blind.

Come, Persephone:

The world has rested too long

Under Winter's snowy cloak.

Come bring your brushes and bright colors

And dress us in the shades of Spring again.

We invoke you, gracious maiden of freedom and beauty:

Join us now.

~ Elizabeth Barrette, Invocation to Persephone

High Diving Giraffes

 A I has been around a while, y'all!

Remember this fun video from 10 years ago!

Well, perhaps it was just animation - but really!

Dancing

 

You may have noticed a gap in my posting here anything having to do with art...which is the purpose of Alchemy of Clay, aka this unique blog. I've not been feeling like producing/creating. Indeed I've focused on getting this old body to keep on keeping on.

So for Sepia Saturday this week, I went through some old photos of dancing!

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Yes, I missed my chance for brides and grooms. So here's my favorite if I'd published one. My son, Marty and his new bride, Barbara (several years ago)

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Then I turned to art (because my photograph folders had no dancers)

How about a Klimp kiss?

Painting by Cheryl Braganza

Painting by Aleah Chapin

Degas loved ballet dancers

"She moves the stars." Angela mia Delavega

Today's second quote:

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Sharing with Sepia Saturday this week.