Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05

Downtown Boone Development Association Art Crawl This Friday

Story by Sam Calhoun

With temperatures already reaching 80 degrees this week across the High Country, it’s inevitable that this Friday’s Downtown Boone Development Association Art Crawl will be the most comfortable of the year so far. So stop worrying about the next cold snap and put that energy into a leisurely stroll down King Street. Staring at 5:00 p.m. this Friday, downtown Boone shops, restaurants and art galleries will be alive with new art, friendly neighbors and free refreshments. Don’t miss this High Country tradition—it’s all free!

ArtWalk

611 West King Street

The Spring Collection of Wenta Pottery celebrates fresh flowers, plants and herbs in one-of-a-kind containers and will open at ArtWalk this Friday, with a reception from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The artist behind the exhibit is potter Tena Wenta who lives in Boone with her husband Bob. Wenta operates Wenta Pottery out of her home studio where she created her spring stoneware collection. She will display violet pots, herb trio plates, ivy wedding vases, hand-built and wheel-thrown plant pots on feet, basket-style pots, wall plant holders, hand-built and altered plant bowls and a variety of vases and pouring pitchers. Wenta will also display her water fountains, birdhouses, birdfeeders and birdbaths. Several pieces include potted plants and would make a good Mother’s Day gift. For more information, call 828-264-9998 or click to www.artwalkboone.com.

Jones House Community Center

604 West King Street

The Jones House Community Center is featuring the work of Emma Vought in the main gallery and the works of Two Rivers Community School students in the upstairs gallery. Vought’s charcoal drawings deal mainly with the human figure with a focus on portraiture. Works in the upstairs gallery represent the artwork of a number of children at the High Country charter school. A reception is planned from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. For more information, call 828-264-1789.

nTH Gallery and Studios

683 West King Street

From 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., the nTH Gallery and Studios will present Breathing, an exhibit featuring the oil paintings of Harlan Toole. Breathing is a series of large-scale oil paintings based on intense memories and emotions from Toole’s experiences of life on the Gulf Coast. The underwater images are from an imaginary environment where the subject can breathe underwater. Each painting progressively darkens as the figure sinks away from reality and into tranquility. The exhibit will be held in conjunction with the ASU BFA Senior Studio exhibition. Hors d’oeuvres will be provided at the reception. For more information, call 828-719-9493.

Purveyors of Art & Design

499 West King Street

Purveyors of Art & Design is featuring new giclée reproductions by Catherine Altice and Renee Askew. An artist’s reception for Altice will be held during the Art Crawl where she will unveil October Octave and Night Song. Altice owns and operates the Tin Roof Gallery & Studio in West Jefferson and is the recipient of the Best of the Blue Ridge Award, an Art in the Park honorable mention and a Western NC Arts Council Grant Project Award. Askew is an art teacher who holds a BA in painting and a minor in photography. Purveyors is also offering discounts on many items in the store during Art Crawl. For more information, call 828-262-0209.

The Cave

Basement of Appalachian Antique Mall, King Street, Across from Mast General Store

The Cave will present a Trunk Show Extravaganza featuring the latest works from designer Joanna Mildenberger. The show will also feature works from local artists Dan Keeler Kaple, Travis Carter, Gwilda Coxon, Jamie Goodman, Kate Grendler, Melissa Stutts and Liz Roberts. Hors d’oeuvres and entertainment will begin at 7:00 p.m. The Cave is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Turchin Center for the Visual Arts

423 West King Street

Fifty of the 145 pieces of art submitted for the Watauga Education Foundation’s Shooting Stars 2007—an annual visual and performing arts showcase featuring all ages of Watauga County youth—will be on display in the Turchin Center’s Catwalk Gallery. The exhibited works show a range of materials and techniques from students of all ages. A reception for the artists will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on May 4 and the exhibit will remain on display until June 2. For more information, call 828-262-3017.