Artist Talks - Saturday, August 12, 2023 by Six Members of Charlotte Art Collective - Part of the First Look! Guest Exhibition

FREE and open to the public! (Free Parking)

Several Artist Talks are scheduled, August 5 and August 12, as part of the Guest Artist Exhibition, ‘First Look’ — a show of new works by the Member Artists of Charlotte Art Collective. See other listings for other times and dates!

Artist Talks will be presented in the Main Gallery at ClearWater Arts in Concord. Use the Main Entrance, off Crowell Drive NW (223 Crowell Dr NW)

Saturday, August 12, 2023:

Kelly Carlson-Reddig - architectural jewelry - 11:00 a.m.:

Kelly Carlson-Reddig is an architect who teaches at UNCC who also makes jewelry.  Kelly’s jewelry is inspired by architecture and is made with architecturally inspired materials like steel, aluminum, copper and concrete.

Kathy Collins - oil paintings- 11:30 a.m.:

Kathy Collins loves to paint both in her studio as well as outside “en plein air”.  She enjoys taking a few art supplies outside to capture the beauty in front of her whether it be a clump of summer blooms in a garden or a view across a lake in the North Carolina mountains.  

Valerie Hawkins - pottery - 12:00 Noon:

Valerie Hawkins is a long-time potter who uses fresh botanicals to imprint her pottery work.  She has also recently taken up silver smithing and makes work that is inspired by the mid-century modernist movement.  She recycles scrap silver and sometimes incorporates salvaged sterling parts into her work.

Julie Phillips - fiber arts - 12:30p.m.:

Julie Phillips is a fiber artist working primarily in felted wool.  She winds and felts multicolored wool strands into gorgeous wall pieces and sculptural 3d felted creatures.  She also does fabric painting employing the natural colorants in plants and leaves.

Janet Borchardt - glass casting - 1:00p.m.:

Janet works with glass casting, by packing glass powders & frits into molds she makes from leaves she picks and shapes sculpted out of clay.

Rae Stark - pottery - 1:30 p.m.:

Rae Stark is a studio potter working in porcelain clay.  She decorates her work with sgraffito, sprigs, incised lines and texture.  She employs motif’s from the natural word like birds, flowers and insects among others.

Please be prepared to find the Main Entrance and to use any of our parking lots across Crowell Drive NW from our campus; other classes and events may be going on in the Greenway Gallery or other spaces at ClearWater. A site map /Campus Area Plan can be found on our Website ‘Our Space’ page by clicking the black button at top of that page.

Artist Talks - Saturday, August 5, 2023 by four Members of Charlotte Art Collective - Part of the First Look! Guest Exhibition

FREE and open to the public! (Free Parking)

Several Artist Talks are scheduled, August 5 and August 12, as part of the Guest Artist Exhibition, ‘First Look’ — a show of new works by the Member Artists of Charlotte Art Collective. See other listings for other times and dates!

Artist Talks will be presented in the Main Gallery at ClearWater Arts in Concord. Use the Main Entrance, off Crowell Drive NW (223 Crowell Dr NW)

Saturday, August 5, 2023:

Robert Beam - stained & fused glass - 12:00 Noon:

Robert Beam is a glass artist working with stained and fused glass.  He takes inspiration from nature and architecture and is in collections up and down the east coast.

Michael Marx - PMC Jewelry - 12:30p.m.:

Michael Marx is a nationally known metal clay artist  and instructor.  He makes beautifully crafted metal clay jewelry with an edgy and whimsical point of view. 

Janie Jones - glass & alcohol ink - 1:00p.m.:

Janie Jones is a long-time master glass bead maker and instructor.  She makes gorgeous glass beads for jewelry and whimsical objects she employs in plant stakes and Christmas ornaments, among other things.

Hilde Deprez - wood & macrame - 1:30 p.m.:

Hilde Deprez is a master illustrator.  You will see in the gallery her painted wood, illustrations and cards.  She has also taken up macramé and is making gorgeous textural wall hangings.

Please be prepared to find the Main Entrance and to use any of our parking lots across Crowell Drive NW from our campus; other classes and events may be going on in the Greenway Gallery or other spaces at ClearWater. A site map /Campus Area Plan can be found on our Website ‘Our Space’ page by clicking the black button at top of that page.

Meet Gayathiri, The Concord local, self-made art teacher and artist who brought us our first Student Art Exhibition, Thoorigai in our Greenway Gallery (lower level) this past Spring, 2022!

— FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC —

She will talk about starting to teach at home, offering art classes for local children as a way out of her own pain; then discovering the joy and ways in which it has enriched her life, as she and her husband raise their own child. Her organization, Art and Stash takes students throughout the year.

BE SURE TO COME TO THE GREENWAY GALLERY DOUBLE-DOORS at the END OF THE OPERATIONS BUILDING (Double-Doors facing Kerr Street). Free Parking in the lots along Crowell Drive NW; walk over!

(More below flier… Scroll down)

Gayathiri is a member of Namaste Artists Charlotte, a local affiliation of artists who hail from various parts of India, and who co-produce Indian Art Festivals in Charlotte, Matthews and Harrisburg a few times a year. Through Gayathiri, we and the City of Concord connected with Namaste Artists Group and were able to add their perspective and input to the City’s ongoing Master Plan process for a Public Art Master Plan.

We look forward to welcoming you and to hearing her share her experience, Monday 9/12, before saying goodbye to the lovely Thoorigai Student Exhibit, which has elicited many admiring comments from visitors since its installation in April. Our hats are off to Gayathiri and her budding artist students!

Feel free to call with any questions: 704-784-9535 or email: gays@concordnc.gov

We are hosting our first art show Opening since the pandemic hit! We are continuing our partnership with the North Carolina Athletic Trainers Association (NCATA) to bring you a great virtual Opening & Artist Talk experience for Brain Injury Awareness Month. [Note, we are also working on protocol that will allow us to admit in-person viewings soon, in the lower-level Greenway Gallery using a reservation system; stay tuned!] We are so excited about this and invite you to join us next Wednesday evening for WHAT LIES BENEATH: TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.

Opening Event Date: Wednesday, March 31
Time: 6:00 - 7:15 PM
Registration is required to receive the link to view this Art Show Opening. Register Here

Join photographer Martha Hoelzer of A Breath of Fresh Air Photography, for a virtual art opening of her exhibit, What Lies Beneath: Traumatic Brain Injury, Making the Invisible, Visible which is now physically on display in the ClearWater Arts Center's Greenway Gallery!

This exhibit explores the impact of brain injuries on the visual system. Martha will discuss her process, research and work with medical professionals on understanding & communicating the impact of a traumatic brain injury, or TBI (such as concussion) or acquired brain injury, or ABI (such as a tumor) on the visual system. She photographically examines the brain’s ability to interpret the environment from the patient’s perspective. Martha's unusual approach taken in the photos' special effects, is an effort that has already won her accolades for this exhibit. Martha will be the featured speaker, and then will engage Dr. Brett Miller, of Triangle Visions Optometry, to join her for a Q & A session to discuss questions that may arise about the visual impacts of a TBI and/or ABI.

This is a free event, but is limited to 300 guests (a wait list will appear after 300). Register here to secure your spot.

To hold you over until Wednesday, take a look at this short preview of the upcoming Art Show, What Lies Beneath: Traumatic Brain Injury.

More about Artist and Photographer, Martha Hoelzer . . .

Through the lens of a camera, award winning photographer, Martha Hoelzer conveys her view of the world using light and angles to capture the essence of a moment in time. A Breath of Fresh Air Photography encompasses how she views life – as a runner taking one breath at a time on the trails, hiking and enjoying amazing views and thankful for each breath she takes as she lovingly explore new places and cultures.

Learn even more about Martha and see her work at her website: https://marthahoelzer.photoshelter.com/index