Yarn for a purpose!

Something new in Fiber Arts has recently started to appear all over the world, and Hickory Museum of Art will be one of the next locations. This is Yarn Bombing.

Our North Carolina area has a long history with the Fiber Arts, and shopHMA has many artists who knit, crochet, weave, and sew. Unfortunately, these crafts are often forgotten or overlooked elsewhere despite the many community connections that they represent. From quilting circles to knitting groups, Fiber Arts has a strong connection with socialization. Many of these groups also provide a great number of items for charities including military, children in need and families having a hard time.

Yarn Bombing was once a covert street art done in the dark of night to hide from authorities while decorating public spaces that would otherwise have been overlooked. This is done by artfully wrapping a public object in yarn. Often these are knit or crochet pieces made ahead of time and placed on the object on a set date. In recent years this activity has grown into a public chance for communities to come together and bring awareness for a specific cause or area.

On June 10^th, International Knit in Public Day the community, fiber artist and neighbors alike are invited to help HMA make a portion of the SALT Block into a piece of artwork.  In partnership with Resource Warehouse, individuals of all ages will be able to make our space colorful and as creative as our community itself is. This work will remain on display through June 19^th, before being removed and the “unclaimed" yarn and other reusable materials will be donated to organizations for those in need or sent to benefit others in community.

This is a chance to remind people that Art can bring people together.  It can be a positive force in a community, not only for the aesthetics but for connections, filling needs of others, and education. We hope that you will be able to join us or this event.  You can also see more about this event on our Facebook page HERE.

New: Artist Registry

It is part of the Museum’s mission to support local artists. One way we do this is to connect the community and the area’s many amazing artists through offering some of their work in our shopHMA. That way, you can not only enjoy seeing their work, you can also take pieces of local art home with you even as you too support the creative livelihood of those artists.

You will have noticed the results of our recent physical renovations of shopHMA. However, it is not just the looks of shopHMA that have been enhanced in our continuing support of local artists, because now we are launching an online Artist Registry for the artists whose works are available for purchase in our shop. Through this Artist Registry, we are pleased to be able to tell you a little bit more about some of the artists.

The artists were invited to share interesting bits about themselves and their art, and we are now sharing this information with you. To see the Registry, please CLICK HERE. We will be continuing to update the list regularly, so keep checking back! And then come to shopHMA and make your selections from among the irresistible pieces on offer.

Varian Swieter

Varian creates both functional and decorative ceramic art.  The creator of ‘Get A Grip Stoneware™’ a unique conversation starter for any beverage you choose, finger divots are scattered over the surface giving the user a grip on the tumbler or mug.  Stoneware clay and food safe glazes are used to insure the functional ware is food safe, dishwasher safe, and can be used in the oven or microwave.

Varian also constructs free standing sculptures along with sculptures that hang on a wall.  Terracotta clay is used for sculptures and pendants, which remains porous, so you can put essential oils directly on the clay using it as a passive diffuser.

Candy Pegram

Based out of Wilmington, NC, this North Carolina Native has placed her own stamp an Southern Folk Art with her use or re purposed wood and discarded paints when she brings to life her stylized "critters" household objects and characters. With her hold colors and line use the feel of Pop Art meets Southern Folk Art in a creative and fun way that is often softened by the use of layers and distressing of the surface. 

While her subject matter may vary it takes one back to ones youth in a way that is meant to make one smile. 

Denny Maloney

“Imaging making a sand painting with colored glass particles. That is what you are seeing in the copper enamel artwork of Denny Maloney. The colored glass is carefully placed on prepared copper surfaces and fired in a kiln until it melts onto the copper. [It can then be] used by itself for ornaments on trees and windows or applied to aluminum backing for garden art, just like the antique advertising signs, street markers, and house numbers of days gone by. However, these signs were enamel, which is glass fired on steel. Copper allows me to use skin tones impossible to get with steel. But like the steel signs, the sun and weather rarely affect [the work] and rain runs off the glass layer on the copper. I especially like to apply my copper enamel art to antique ceiling tins, old wooden clock cases, old enamel pot lids, old wood, and fired tin.”

Connections

Art comes from many places and has many purposes. For the Artists at Connections, this is very true. From bowls and plates, to holiday decorations such as angels and adorable reindeer, their special works of art have a charm and story for each person to see.

              

  “Connections promotes and provides opportunities for adults with mental illness in the Catawba Valley region to lead meaningful and productive lives of their choice in the community.”

Connections’ goal is shown in the amazing ceramic art created within their organization. The members use their skills and creativity to make one-of-a-kind pieces with unique flair. In a region that is strongly influenced by ceramic and folk traditions, Connections’ wonderful craftsmen and women have taken their surrounding influences and made something that is even more special.

  

Not only do the members make amazing pieces, they also have the opportunity to sell their artwork at “Shop HMA” as well as other locations. Their greatest opportunity, however, is their upcoming fundraiser. For the fundraiser, members produce artwork including bowls that will be sold and include a homemade chili lunch complete with all the fixings. This event will be held December 7th from 11-1:30 at Trinity Reformed United Church of Christ in Conover NC. Tickets are $15 and include both the meal and a piece of artwork.

For more information about Connections  and the upcoming fundraiser, contact 828-466-0030 or follow them on Facebook at:  cvbhconnections. 

Leslie Hamlin

         Each artist creates art for a personal and individual purpose. Some may use their art for expression or to make a statement about themselves or their culture and society. Others use their talent to create works simply for the enjoyment or pleasure of those who experience it. Still others create for themselves, to fill a hole, bring themselves joy, contentment, release; their art becomes an outlet and a place to be with oneself. While it is not uncommon for artists to create their works for multiple reasons, Leslie Hamlin creates her art chiefly to bring peace and calm into her life, to balance the otherwise hectic experience of living a farmer’s life near Vale, NC.

          A self-taught artist, Leslie creates works that vary from handcrafted jewelry and hand-bound books to her paintings on reclaimed wood, in addition to her felted works that are available in the HMA Galleria. The variety of her art is due to her tendency to work with whatever art form “happen[s] to strike [her] in the moment,” a reflection of her purpose in creating art- to bring peace and calm to her life, and to organically create as she sees fit.

            In her felted pieces in particular, the wool is locally sourced as frequently as is possible, while the “accessories” of the figurines are either salvaged or hand-crafted by Leslie herself. Additionally, her felt dolls are needle-felted and sculpted, giving each one a unique character and personality, which in turn serves to illustrate the singular creativity that stems from the creation of art for the sake of art.