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  • by Jordan Ahlers

    JOANNA MANOUSIS continuously pushes the boundaries of traditional sculpture. Her work with glass, which often imitates other materials and recognizable objects, delves into themes of materialism, memory, domesticity, and vanity, inviting introspection and reflection. Her dedication to the medium has earned her a place among the most esteemed artists in the field. Manousis holds an MFA in sculpture from Alfred University, NY, and is currently pursuing a PhD at The National Glass Centre through the University of Sunderland, UK, researching innovative uses of three-dimensional cast glass mirrors.
     
    Momentum Gallery is pleased to have placed works for Manousis in the permanent collections of the Huntsville Museum of Art, Alabama, and the Ringling Museum of Art, Florida.
  • Summer Exhibitions at Momentum Gallery

    June 27 – August 24, 2024
    by Jordan Ahlers
    Momentum Gallery, in downtown Asheville, proudly presents four new exhibitions, opening with a reception on Thursday, June 27th from 5-8 pm. Artists Dale Chihuly, Joanna Manousis, and Seth Clark each have solo shows opening alongside a group show featuring trees depicted in art, entitled Enchanted Canopy.
     
  • Three New Exhibitions Opening Thursday, May 9th, 5-8pm

    Heather Hietala, Samantha Keely Smith, and Brian Sostrom
    by Jordan Ahlers
    THREE NEW EXHIBITIONS OPENING ON MAY 9TH

    Momentum Gallery in downtown Asheville proudly presents three new solo exhibitions, debuting with a reception on Thursday, May 9th, from 5-8 pm. The exhibitions feature visionary works by artists Heather Hietala, Samantha Keely Smith, and Brian Sostrom. Celebrate spring in the Land of the Sky with fine art that transports viewers to ethereal atmospheres and vast, airy, meditative spaces. Join us for refreshments among friends and artists. Guests can meet artists, gain insights into their creative processes, and experience the magic behind each work.
     
  • Joanna Manousis featured in Neues-Glas Magazine

    Upcoming Solo Exhibition in Sunderland, UK
    by Jacob Cage
    Joanna Manousis featured in Neues-Glas Magazine
  • Opening Reception for 3 New Exhibitions

    Thursday, February 29th, 5-8pm
    by Jordan Ahlers
     
    Momentum Gallery proudly presents three new exhibitions, opening with a reception on leap day, Thursday, February 29th from 5-8 pm. Artists Meg Lagodzki and Tommy Simpson each have solo shows opening. A group show, Works on Paper, features artworks from artists: Chakaia Booker, Mariella Bisson, Ellen Heck, Jill Hotchkiss, Harvey K. Littleton, Therman Statom, Chuck Webster, and more. Leap into our gallery and join us for refreshments among friends and artists. Guests can meet several of the artists, gain insights into their creative processes, and experience the magic behind each piece.
     
    Meg Lagodzki, Paw Paw Patch (October), Hand painted collage with acrylic on panel, 40 x 60 inches.
     
    Meg Lagodzki immerses herself in the forests surrounding her home, often painting or sketching outdoors, capturing the landscape’s essence through her distinctive paintings and layered acrylic collages. Lagodzki captures native flora and plays with the ever-shifting seasonal light. One standout piece features a beech tree’s pale, marcescent leaves, its trunk adorned by shield lichen, creating a mesmerizing glow against an ice-blue winter sky. In a summer scene, she portrays a lush grove of paw-paw saplings with layers of bright green and deep shadows, all gracefully dancing in dappled sunlight.
     

    With a particular focus on caves, ravines, and abandoned limestone quarries, Lagodzki vividly portrays the delicate balance between human disruption of the land and nature's reclamation. She believes these reclaimed landscapes still resonate with great power in the human imagination, serving as a testament to the resilience of nature and the cyclical dance of disruption, ruin, and renewal.

     

    Tommy Simpson, Untitled Abstract, Gouche on paper, 10 x 12 inches.

     

    Tommy Simpson, an Asheville-based artist, is internationally renowned. A self-proclaimed "imaginist," Simpson transcends conventional boundaries of craftsmanship, fine art, and whimsy. This solo exhibit is a tribute to his prolific sixty-five-year career, encapsulating his creative evolution and mastery across diverse mediums such as woodworking, painting, printmaking, clay, rug design, and prose.

     

    Simpson’s solo show includes folky, figurative sculptures, whimsical wooden furniture, clocks, vibrant abstract paintings on carved panels, ceramics, woven rugs, and sculpture. Words enhance Simpson’s furniture and poetic works – his showcase will be uniquely bound together by written expressions.

     

    Simpson’s influence extends beyond gallery walls, with seven published books to his credit and the unique honor of being featured on two US postage stamps. A significant publication with over 200 photos, curated by Oscar P. Fitzgerald – author, historian, and authority on American furniture – is currently in the works, offering an in-depth exploration of Simpson's impactful contribution to the world of art.

     

    Simpson’s works find a permanent place in prestigious museum collections, including the American Craft Museum in New York, the NY Museum of Art and Design, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, the Boston MFA, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Connecticut’s Wadsworth Atheneum and New Britain Museum of American Art. His works are in the public collections of Playboy, Inc., Boston Public Library, Brown University Library, Harvard Fine Arts Library, and more.

     

    Jill Hotchkiss, Quince, Gold leaf on Arches archival cotton paper, 30 x 22 inches.

     

    Works on Paper is a group exhibition featuring original prints and unique works by represented artists and special guests. Pattern and color play prominently in the collection, which includes figurative and botanical subjects, as well as non-objective and geometrical abstractions, and abstracted landscapes by Mariella Bisson, Chakaia Booker, Ellen Heck, Jill Hotchkiss, Harvey K. Littleton, Therman Statom, Chuck Webster, and more.

     

    Therman Statom, Buddha (Forest Stories), Vitreograph AP, 30 x 24 inches.

     

    Works on Paper marks Momentum’s second team-up with master printer Phil Sanders, who has a studio in downtown Asheville. Sanders worked with several artists in the show, helping to create some of the featured works. At some point during the exhibition’s run, Sanders will speak at the gallery about his experiences as a collaborative printmaker.

     

    These three exhibitions continue at Momentum Gallery’s 52 Broadway location in Downtown Asheville through Saturday, May 4th.

  • by Jacob Cage
    New Arrivals at Momentum Gallery
  • by Jordan Ahlers

    Momentum Gallery is proud to share one of our artist's most recent achievements! Amber Cowan recently opened her solo exhibition Alchemy of Adornment at the Museum of American Glass in Millville, NJ. The show centers around the rise, fall, and reclamation of American Glass through a contemporary and innovative lens. Already receiving praise for the impressive body of work, the exhibition prompted a featured article in Hyperallergic exploring the depths of her practice. If the expressions of Amber Cowan resonate with you, we are always happy to assist in finding the next perfect addition to your collection.

  • Wendy Maruyama at Momentum Gallery

    Wednesday, Nov 8th, 12-2pm
    by Jordan Ahlers

     

    WENDY MARUYAMA

    Meet and Greet: Tuesday, November 8 th, 2023 from 12-2pm.

    Join us in welcoming Wendy Maruyama to Asheville, an innovator and driving force in woodworking, installation art, and studio furniture. Wendy was one of the first ever women to receive an MFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology - but that would only be one of many groundbreaking achievements to come. Exploring themes that stem from her Japanese heritage alongside feminism, social justice, and animal rights, her work has received international acclaim. Beyond countless solo and group exhibitions, her work can be found in some of the world's most prestigious galleries and museums - including Victoria and Albert Museum in London, UK, Renwick/Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC, and of course Momentum Gallery in Asheville, North Carolina.


    We look forward to introducing you to Wendy Maruyama on Wednesday, November 8th, from 12-2pm. Click here for a link to the Facebook event to Meet the Artist.

     

  • Winter Exhibitions at Momentum

    November 16, 2023 – February 3, 2024
    by Jordan Ahlers
  • ZOOM PROGRAM

    Uncommon Threads: Textile Invitational

    CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK TO ZOOM WITH US!

    TEXTILE ARTIST PANEL DISCUSSION
    Wednesday, July 19, 8:00 PM Eastern Time 

    Join Zoom Meeting
    Meeting ID: 810 1575 6548
    Passcode: 792336
     
    Join all six contemporary fiber artists (Andrea Donnelly, Crystal Gregory, Sam Jaffe, Jess Jones, Kristy Kún, and Susie Taylor) featured in our current exhibition, Uncommon Threads for a special online panel discussion. We will hear from Jordan Ahlers, Exhibition Curator, and the artists will each talk about the work in the show and their creative processes. There will be opportunity to ask them questions as well. Anyone interested is encouraged to join us.  All are welcome. 
     
     
    Save the Date: Check back for details on another Zoom presentation by glass sculptor Christina Bothwell on August 25. We'll share complete links for this program soon. 
  • Vote Momentum Gallery Best of WNC

    Mountain Xpress poll – now through April 30th
    by Jordan Ahlers

     

    It's that time of year again to show your love for Momentum Gallery! An online poll offers opportunities to vote for Momentum as the "Best of WNC" in various categories including Best Art Gallery, Best Wedding Venue, Best Place to Bring Out-of-Town Guests (or any number of other things you may feel appropriate). The ballot is live now and open through April 30th. It can be accessed through the following link – https://mountainx.com/bestofwnc/

     

    You can log on and vote for a single category or choose to weigh in on any number of local businesses and services. Thank you for taking a moment to vote. We appreciate the recognition that comes from this survey and are grateful for your support!

  • Spring Exhibitions at Momentum

    April 27 – June 24, 2023
    by Jordan Ahlers
    On Thursday, April 27th, Momentum Gallery, in downtown Asheville, opens four exhibitions of new work by an impressive group of artists working in a variety of media. These exhibits continue daily at the gallery through Saturday, June 24th. 
     
    JOHN L. CLEAVELAND, JR., CALM and RUSH, OIL ON PANEL, 24 X 48 INCHES.
    Following successful exhibitions at the Morris Museum and the Huntsville Museum of Art, John L. Cleaveland, Jr. presents a collection of recent oils at Momentum Gallery. For thirty years, the notable contemporary realist has meticulously rendered the southern landscape in remarkable detail. The current collection features woodland panoramas, rocky cliffs, reflective rivers, and dreamy marshes, places Cleaveland personally selected for their historical context, geographic perspective, and emotive impact. 
     
    LISA CLAGUELEDA AND THE SWANS, CLAY, METAL, ENCAUSTIC, 28-1/4 X 35 X 11 INCHES.
    Renowned figurative ceramist Lisa Clague presents new sculptural work in a range of scale, from oversized heads to diminutive busts. Clague’s chimeric forms are often an amalgamation of human and animal imagery. Women with classical features, adorned in elaborate headdresses, become conduits to the subconscious, referencing mythology and spirituality without sacrificing whimsy. 
     
    RON ISAACS, SETTING OUT, ACRYLIC ON BIRCH PLYWOOD CONSTRUCTION, 66-3/4 X 35 x 4-1/4 INCHES.
    Trompe l’oeil constructions convey poetic relationships between everyday objects. Ron Isaacs’ realistic depictions of clothing, branches, architectural elements, tools, and envelopes–all incredibly replicated in paint and plywood–celebrate transformation and symbolic connection. The artist will be speaking about his work at the opening reception on April 27th, beginning at 6:00 pm. 
     
    BILL HALL, CRAZY QUILT, ETCHING, AQUATINT, DRYPOINT, WHITE GROUND & COLLAGRAPH COLLAGE, 14 X 16 INCHES.
    Recent works on paper by master printer Bill Hall combine printmaking, painting, and collage elements to render graphic, abstract compositions with spacial dynamics. Surface patterning and color relationships provide further visual interest while torn paper edges and organic shapes soften the geometry. Following a nearly thirty year career as a master printer with Pace Editions, Hall is now free to focus on his own work full time. 
     
    Four exhibitions open with a reception downtown at 52 Broadway on Thursday, April 27 from 5-8 pm. All of the featured artists plan to be in attendance. This event is free and open to the public.
  •  
    Jordan Ahlers is a longtime Asheville art insider, curator, and craft advocate. He ran one of the region's largest craft galleries for 18 years prior to opening Momentum Gallery in 2017.  Ahlers' commitment to material-based work continues through Momentum Gallery, a state of the art, luxurious two-floor space in downtown Asheville. Momentum provides access to stunning, museum-quality works in glass, metal, clay, textile, and wood, along with paintings, original prints, and unique studio furniture pieces. 
     
    Jordan Ahlers was invited to be one of three judges for the 2023 Smithsonian Craft Show, which takes place at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC on May 3-7, 2023. Ahlers has the distinction of joining Mary Savig, Lloyd Herman Curator of Craft, the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and scholar Dr. Oscar P. Fitzgerald, craft author, historian, and consultant on American furniture from colonial times to the present. Ahlers comments, "I am humbled for the honor to participate as a judge for the country's most prestigious craft show where top artists from around the country exhibit their best work. I look forward to seeing this year's work and connecting with artists, friends, and my fellow judges."
     
    This year the Smithsonian Craft Show celebrates the American spirit in craft and design. See and buy hand-crafted work from leading contemporary artists, including an outstanding selection of Native American and indigenous work. Also on display: pieces from this year’s Smithsonian Visionary Award and Delphi Award winners (including Momentum Gallery's own Amber Cowan).
     
  • Amy Gross work featured at Asheville Art Museum

    Too Much Is Just Right: The Legacy of Pattern and Decoration
    by Jordan Ahlers
    Amy Gross' fiber and mixed media work Flora Ruba will be included in Too Much Is Just Right: The Legacy of Pattern and Decoration at the Asheville Art Museum from February 2–May 29, 2023.  
     
    Amy Gross, Flora Ruba, Mixed media including beads, velvet, thread, yarn, paper, glass, polymer clay, wire, 22 x 18 x 8 inches.
    Too Much Is Just Right: The Legacy of Pattern and Decoration features more than 70 artworks in an array of media from both the original time frame of the Pattern and Decoration movement, as well as contemporary artworks created between 1985 and the present. The artworks in this exhibition demonstrate the vibrant and varied approaches to pattern and decoration in art. Sections will explore the history of pattern and decoration’s use in American art during and after the now formally recognized movement was established. Artworks from the 21st century elucidate contemporary perspectives on the employment of pattern to inform visual vocabularies and investigations of diverse themes in the present day. 
     
    Artworks drawn from the Asheville Art Museum’s Collection join select major loans and feature Pattern and Decoration artists Valerie Jaudon, Joyce Kozloff, Robert Kushner, and Miriam Schapiro, as well as Anni Albers, Elizabeth Alexander, Sanford Biggers, Tawny Chatmon, Margaret Curtis, Mary Engel, Cathy Fussell, Shan Goshorn, Samantha Hennekke, John Himmelfarb, Anne Lemanski, Rashaad Newsome, Peter Olson, Don Reitz, Sarah Sense, Billie Ruth Sudduth, Mickalene Thomas, Shoku Teruyama, Anna Valdez, Kehinde Wiley, and more.  
     
    This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and guest curated by Marilyn Laufer & Tom Butler. On behalf of the gallery and Amy Grosswe're grateful to Marilyn and Tom for thinking of us and choosing this fantastic piece for the show!
  • John Cleaveland - Current and Upcoming Solo Exhibitions

    Huntsville Museum of Art - NOW through April 2
    by Jordan Ahlers
     
    John Cleaveland is a critically-acclaimed contemporary realist painter whose depictions of the landscape have inspired and amazed viewers for over three decades.  Cleaveland selects his sites carefully.  Some are iconic in nature, symbolic of an area, or have borne witness to great events or conflicts. Others provide a challenge to the Georgia-based artist with regard to perspective or light.  All share the same gritty intensity and detail that imbue Cleaveland's work with a gravity which draws the viewer in. And, they are immersive. Many of Cleaveland's paintings are quite large scale allowing for the viewer to feel like they could walk right into them. 
     
     
    The current exhibition at the Huntsville Museum of Art (AL) features imagery from  Alabama and beyond. Encounters continues in the Museum's Grisham Gallery through April 2, 2023. Following the close of the show in Huntsville, several of these paintings and others will be exhibited and sold through Momentum Gallery in Asheville, NC.  John Cleaveland's exhibition of recent work opens at Momentum on Thursday, April 27 and continues through Saturday, June 24.  
  • by Jordan Ahlers
    Momentum Gallery is proud that several original works by Artist Partners were chosen to be included in US Embassies abroad.  A suite of four mixed media paintings by Michael Barringer were recently acquired for the Embassy in Hyderabad, India.  
    Bloom Mandala, Nos. I-IV are contemporary abstract paintings which reference mandalas - geometric configurations of symbols employed in various spiritual traditions for focusing attention, used in meditation and as a spiritual guidance tool.
     
    Additionally, textile and ceramic works by Crystal Gregory and Heather Hietala, respectively, were selected for the Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh.  
     
    Crystal Gregory's Changing Places features a pair of concrete panels conjoined by one of the artist's textiles handwoven in rich jeweltones. Gregory explores preconceived notions of strength with her works that feature woven threads and fabric embedded within and draping from cast concrete.  
     
    Heather Hietala's Trilogy II is a personal favorite of the artist, held back for special exhibitions, and features a set of three wood-fired ceramic boat forms paired with four paddles.  
     
    Art in Embassies (AIE), a U.S. Department of State program, creates vital cross-cultural dialogue and fosters mutual understanding through the visual arts and dynamic artist exchanges. AIE develops and presents approximately 60 exhibitions per year and has installed over 70 permanent art collections in more than 200 of the Department's diplomatic facilities in 189 countries. To accomplish the mission, AIE engages over 20,000 international participants, including artists, museums, galleries, universities, and private collectors.
  • "Selene" by Joanna Manousis – Museum Acquisition

    Ringling Museum in Sarasota, FL
    by Jordan Ahlers
    "Selene" by Joanna Manousis – Museum Acquisition
    We are thrilled to announce the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida has acquired Joanna Manousis’ stunning work Selene for their permanent collection!  Momentum Gallery is proud of Joanna and this most recent museum placement. 

    The artist writes about the work – "Selene is comprised of 42 glass segments that take on the formation of an oculus window, commonly found in churches of the gothic architectural style. Rather than infiltrating light into a sacred space, Selene refracts light to its viewer. The glass segments act as apertures for the residual details of wheat and seed-like formations that lie within. Here, both the wheel and the wheat pay homage to the ever-flowing cycle of life and death. Opal glass, reminiscent of its water-stone has been used to embody Selene, the Greek goddess of the moon whose gravitational pull connects us to the tides."

     

    Selene represents the culmination of several months of studio-practice research. Artist Joanna Manousis conducted a series of 20 tests using an opaline glass that changes its color saturation based on the length of time it is held at a developing temperature in the kiln. The castings were held from 15 minutes to 200 hours at this advancing stage, creating a varied spectrum of hues. The segments that comprise Selene were cast in 5 separate kiln firings, each differing in its developing hold duration in order to present distinct opacity shifts in the finished sculpture. Selene is definitely a one-of-a-kind piece, made from glass that is no longer available.

     

    Joanna Manousis is currently in Sunderland, England pursuing a PhD in glass.  

  • by Jordan Ahlers
    Momentum Gallery welcomes renowned NC sculptor Hoss Haley for a reception and artist talk, Sunday, October 30th from 2:00 - 4:00pm.  This event is in conjunction with his current solo exhibition at the gallery, Topography, continuing through December 31st.  Haley will be in the gallery to discuss the work in the show, his creative process, and other current projects.  Refreshments will be provided.  This event is free and open to the public. 
     
     
    Topography features three of the artist's large-scale, original sculptures in weathering steel, several smaller tabletop sculptures in solid, forged steel, and a collection of bold, monochromatic paintings on steel panels that relate thematically to the 3D works.   
     
     
    A comprehensive, full-color catalogue is available from the gallery for $10 with images of each piece in the exhibition and a transcribed conversation between Haley and long-time friend and fellow maker Susie Ganch.  Please contact the gallery if you would like a copy mailed to you.
  • by Jordan Ahlers
     
    We are excited to announce that Momentum Gallery artist partner Amber Cowan was recently selected to receive the honor of a Delphi Award from the Smithsonian Institution!
     
    The Smithsonian Women’s Committee Delphi Award, initiated in 2021, is presented annually to one or more American artists who demonstrate distinction, creativity, and exceptional artistry in their work, and who are predicted by experts in the field to someday join that pantheon of artists who have reached the pinnacle of sculptural arts and design. Delphi recipients are mid-career artists who do not yet have the career longevity to be in many permanent museum collections although their work is exceptional. Past recipients include Steven Young Lee and Roberto Lugo.
     
    The Delphi Award will be presented to Amber Cowan in Washington, DC at a ceremony during the upcoming Smithsonian Craft Show in May 2023.  Amber Cowan was featured this week in a New York Times article you can read here.  
  • Fall Exhibitions at Momentum

    September 8 – November 12, 2022
    by Jordan Ahlers

    Bryce Lafferty, Pond with Starlings, Watercolor and gouache on paper, 15 x 12 inches.

     

    David Shingler, Cherokee, North Carolina, Oil on wood, 30 x 40 inches.

     

    Enchanting mixed media works present an introspective look at the natural world in a collection of work by four of Momentum Gallery's innovative Artist Partners. Solo and two-person presentations focus on recent works by Hillary Waters Fayle, incised and embroidered foliage;  Ivy Jacobsen, oil and mixed media paintings; Bryce Lafferty, drawing/watercolor; and David Shingler, oil paintings.  The exhibitions open with a reception at the gallery on Thursday, September 8, 5-8 pm.  For more information on these exhibitions, click here.

     

     Hillary Waters Fayle, Revealed I, Incised leaf, 12 x 9-3/4 inches.

     

     Ivy Jacobsen, Interspecies, Oil, acrylic, collage, resin on panel, 24 x 24 inches.

      

     

    Hoss Haley's Topography continues to receive high praise, wowing gallery visitors daily. The solo exhibition includes large-scale outdoor sculpture in corten steel, forged solid steel maquettes, and paintings on steel panels.  A full-color catalogue is available through the gallery.  Haley's exhibition continues through the end of 2022. 

     

    We look forward to sharing our space and artists' work with you.  Stay tuned for announcements of additional programming we'll be doing in conjunction with these exhibitions.  In the meantime, check out the following dates already scheduled.

     

    UPCOMING EVENTS – SAVE THE DATE:

    Opening Reception for Fall Exhibitions – Thursday, September 8th from 5-8 pm.  Bryce Lafferty and David Shingler will be in attendance.  Beer/wine and refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public.  

     

    Hoss Haley Gallery Talk – To Be Announced, mid-late October 2022

     

  • Hoss Haley: Solo Exhibition

    Topography August 4 - December 31, 2022
    by Jordan Ahlers



    Join us for an exhibition reception and artist talk on Sunday, October 30th from 2-4pm and meet one of our region's most celebrated artists. Hoss Haley’s monumental sculptures in steel, bronze, and concrete identify him as an accomplished artist with a strong point of view. His minimalist explorations of form take inspiration from geological features and architecture. Many of his works require a fair amount of engineering, and he often develops custom tools and processes to realize his ideas. Haley’s iconic work examines concepts of permanence, gravity, implied movement, and more recently, transparency. Haley is also a talented draftsman making paintings on steel panels. Over the past three decades, Haley has achieved a great reputation through the placement of several significant public works, including corporate and museum acquisitions in NC, TN, VA, and beyond.  A catalogue is available for this exhibition. 



  • Andy Farkas: Two New Moku Hanga Prints

    Solo Exhibition Featuring Two New Moku-Hanga Prints, along with works from the past decade
    by Jordan Ahlers

     

    Andy Farkas, Shared Dream, Moku hanga, 11 x 14-3/4 inches.

     

    Meet Andy Farkas on Sunday, August 14 at Momentum Gallery from 2-4pm.  A collection of the artist's beloved wood engravings and moku hanga prints occupies our Feature Gallery this summer.  Farkas' prints feature personified animals and original sayings in letterpress text.  The solo exhibition has several editioned works from the past decade along with the debut of two beautiful, narrative Japanese watercolor woodcuts, Shared Dream and Right Now.  All of Farkas' original prints are available framed or unframed.

     

     

    Andy Farkas, Right Now, Moku Hanga, 12 x 8-1/2 inches

  • Summer Exhibitions at Momentum

    June 30 – August 27, 2022
    by Jordan Ahlers

    A collection of narrative and nature-inspired works are presented along with masterful turned wood vessels and blown glass installations.  Two of the featured artists – Mariella Bisson and Samantha Keely Smith – create oil paintings that reference the landscape.  Bisson's are far more literal representations of place including woodland areas and waterfalls of North Carolina and New York.  Smith's are farther toward abstraction.  While some elements in Smith's work feel atmospheric or topographical, Smith's sweeping oils are more concerned with creating an emotional space than trying to present any particular place.   

     

     

    Bisson's highly textural paintings begin with a collage layer imbuing them with a sculptural quality.  Geometric planes of rock, falling water, and trees colalese in strong, graphic compositions.  A new book entitled Paper and Paint explores Bisson's use of paper in her work and accompanies the exhibition.  Bisson's most recent work is presented around the gallery's first floor along with turned wood orbs and vessels from David Ellsworth. 

     

     

    David Ellsworth is one of the world’s premier wood turners. Over the past fifty years, he has achieved international recognition for his elegant hollow-formed vessels and sculptures. Ellsworth’s work is included in the permanent collections of forty-five museums. His understanding of material and process, a refined sensibility of form and balance, and an innovative spirit have defined his career and helped advance wood art worldwide. The Smithsonian recently honored David Ellsworth with the Visionary Award. Momentum celebrates Ellsworth this summer with a collection of his work from several series spanning a long and illustrious career.  There is a catalogue available for this exhibition.

     

     

    Samantha Keely Smith's paintings are featured at the back of the gallery's first floor with blown glass by husband and wife artists, Thor & Jennifer Bueno.  The Buenos make dramatic wall arrangements with multiple elements that look like metallic river stones. Their latest work is inspired by wildflowers and plants including Dogwood, Hydrangea, and Jack-in-the-Pulpit. The exhibition also features a wall-mounted branch with three stacked cairns of blown glass stones.  

     

     

    Rounding out this new collection for the summer are wood engravings and moku hanga prints by Andy Farkas. Farkas' beloved images feature personified animals and original sayings in letterpress text.  Farkas' solo exhibition has a collection of several editioned works from the past decade along with the debut of two beautiful,  narrative Japanese watercolor woodcuts, Shared Dream and Right Now.  All of Farkas' original prints are available framed or unframed.

     

     

    July is the final month to see Seth Clark's solo exhibition in its entirety.  Clark's contemporary, mixed media works explore themes of architectural decay. Clark comments, "My work focuses on deteriorating architecture. These structures, designed to be huge forces of permanence, are continually being challenged, destroyed and forgotten. I see an inherent honesty in the face of my subject. Among all of the clutter—the shards of wood and layers of rubble—there remains a gentle resolve. As I work, I study these structures incessantly. The buildings, often on the brink of ruin, have something very energized and present trying to escape from their fragmented reality.”

     

    We look forward to sharing our space and artists' work with you.  Stay tuned for announcements of additional programming we'll be doing in conjunction with these exhibitions.  In the meantime, check out the following dates already scheduled.

     

    UPCOMING EVENTS – SAVE THE DATE:

    Opening Reception for Summer Exhibitions – Thursday, July 7th from 5-8 pm.  Bisson, Ellsworth, Bueno and Farkas will be in attendance.  Beer/wine and refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public.  

     

    Artist Reception for Mariella Bisson – Sunday, July 10th from Noon-2 pm. Coffee and refreshments will be served.

     

    Opening Reception for Hoss Haley, Topography – Thursday, August 11th, 5-8 pm. The artist will be in attendance.  Beer/wine and refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public.  

     

  • by Jordan Ahlers
    A collection of oil paintings by contemporary realist John L. Cleaveland, Jr. are currently on exhibit at the Morris Museum of Art in Augusta, GA.  The View From Here features some of the Georgia artist's most ambitious paintings to date.  One such work, The Nature of Remembrance, measures 60 x 120 inches. It is an exquisite scene of a creekbed under a forest canopy with sunlight filtering through a symphony of foliage. As he does in many works, Cleaveland utilizes perspective to his advantage and demonstrates his prowess as a painter.  This painting captures a lot of the things Cleaveland does very well, including recreating the powerful experience of coming across a place in naure that causes you pause.  I hope people will have the opportunity to experience it in person in Augusta, GA (or perhaps later at Momentum Gallery in Asheville).  



    The Morris Museum states, "Highlighting the work of three consummately skilled contemporary artists, this exhibition addresses the distinctly different ways that each of them views the subject of landscape. They have this in common with landscape painters of the past: underlying their work are themes related as much to self-discovery and self-exploration as they are to the examination of topography." The View From Here pairs new work from Cleaveland with that of two other landscape painters Julyan Davis and Philip Juras.  The exhibition continues at the Morris Museum through September 11, 2022 and is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalog.
     
  • Tommy Simpson Exhibition – Related Programming

    Artist Talk, Film Screening, and Furniture Society Zoom
    by Jordan Ahlers

    Sunday, May 29, 2:00-4:00 pm – Artist Talk and Gallery Reception

    Meet the artist, hear stories from his nearly 60 year career, and learn insights to specific works featured in the current exhibition at Momentum Gallery. Refeshments will be served – FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

     

    Momentum Gallery

    52 Broadway

    Downtown Asheville, NC 28801

    ___________________________________________________________________________

    Friday, June 3, 6:00-8:00 pm – Film Screening of Tommy Simpson Living in a World I Created, a new short film by Robb Helmkamp and Erik Wolken (from the Why Make? Series) – FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

     

    UNCA Steam Studios

    821 Riverside Drive

    Asheville, NC 28801

    ___________________________________________________________________________

                                                                                       

    Thursday, June 9, 5:00-5:30 pm – Via Zoom – Exhibtion Tour with Object Study in conjunction with Furniture Society Annual Conference – FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

     

    Via Zoom, for more information please visit:

    https://furnsoc.org/fs22/sessions/object-study-momentum-gallery

    https://furnsoc.org/fs22/speakers/tommy-simpson

     

     

  • Celebrating Garry Knox Bennett (1934-2022)

    Zoom Tribute from The Furniture Society
    by Jordan Ahlers

     

    Sadly, Garry Knox Bennett passed away unexpectedly on January 28, 2022.  The Furni­ture Society and the Center for Art in Wood invite you to partic­i­pate in a cele­bra­tion of Garry — the man, the maker, the legend.

     

    We thought the best way to pay tribute to him and his larger-than-life-sized legacy is by coming together and sharing thoughts and memo­ries, not only of his ground­break­ing work and prolific career, but also his inim­itable char­ac­ter, wit, and spirit. The evening will be hosted by Monica Hampton, Exec­u­tive Direc­tor of the Furni­ture Society, and Glenn Adamson, noted curator, histo­rian, and writer. 

     

    Join us Thurs­day, April 28 from 6:30 – 8pm EST as we pay tribute to Garry — his life, his work, and to raise a toast in his honor.

     

    Register for Zoom here.

    (This program will be recorded and available for viewing later)

  • As the fire flickers and crackles in the family room and orange leaves flutter by the window, we sit in gratitude recalling memories of the past year. All of us experienced transformation in 2021 and Momentum certainly felt a big shift. We moved our downtown Asheville art gallery to 52 Broadway Street and saw tremendous growth in so many ways.
     
    Reminding ourselves that this is only possible with our wonderful community of artists, friends, and supporters, we reflect on the tremendous appreciation we have for each of you. Our stable of artists grew and they have created amazing works for us to share with visitors, both tourists and locals. The support of our collectors helps our family, our artists, and our community thrive. Momentum has created a reputation for excellence in the contemporary art world in a very short time – and that is THANKS TO YOU! You have attended artist talks, brought your friends to visit, liked us on Facebook, followed us on Instagram, and your purchases have supported our roster of artists and our family-owned business. Thank you for this opportunity. We are grateful for you on Thanksgiving and every day of the year.
     
    Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season!
     
    With gratitude,
    Jordan & Shifra Ahlers (and family)
     
  • by Jordan Ahlers
    Heather Hietala in Carolina Home and Garden Magazine
    Heather Hietala in Carolina Home and Garden Magazine
  • Two Murals Painted By Samantha Bates At Momentum Gallery

    Newest Public Art Installation at Downtown Asheville's Premier Fine Art Gallery
    by Jordan Ahlers

    Momentum Gallery's Latest Public Art Offering: A Pair of Murals by Visiting Artist, Samantha Bates

     

    Please join us on Thursday, November 11th to view River Deep and Wade at the back entrance of the 3-story building located at 52 Broadway.  Stop by Momentum Gallery between 4:00-6:00pm to meet the artist and join us for a champagne/hot cider toast to celebrate the completion of both murals at 5:30pm.

     

    Two dynamic new artworks by Samantha Bates, for the public and passersby to appreciate, will be completed this week on the rear brick wall of 52 Broadway, home to both Momentum Gallery and Elevation Lofts Hotel.  Additionally, new paintings and textile works have been introduced to Samantha Bates' solo exhibition on the second floor of Momentum Gallery. Bates' work inspires contemplation and conversation, and we are honored to have her on hand to discuss her process. 

     

    Bates' contemporary landscapes are inspired by her time in wilderness areas. Through meticulous mark making and patterning, thousands of dashes and dots emerge into imagery of forests and water. The artist comments, "I make work that speaks to the personal relationship of images, the recognition of the familiar in an intangible and reaching sort of way. My work evokes a feeling, an uncovering. I want the work to be thought about, to invite revisiting and to hold an affinity for the viewer. The work is about glimpses, impressions that build to an awakening at the edges of recollection….it is about coming home in a small way." 

    The two murals total around 1200 square-feet, and depict iconic Western North Carolina wilderness scenes. In River Deep, the 2nd floor mural that measures 17 x 17 feet, a scene from Pisgah National Forest of a river surrounded by rocks and woods is rendered as a contemporary composition of patterned areas. The lower mural covers the entire 75 foot wide span of the building's 1st floor and features a pattern of energetic, undulating stripes in varying shades of blue and gray. This piece, Wade, is an abstract representation of the currents and movement of the Land of Sky's wind, water, and topography.

     

     

    Samantha Bates is one of Momentum Gallery's inaugural artists. Represented by the gallery since it opened in 2017, Bates work has been featured in two solo exhibitions at Momentum as well as Context Art Fair in Miami during Art Basel.  Samantha hails from Washington State and has been in residence in Asheville for the past month painting the murals. 

     

     

     

    Additional outdoor artwork will be added by Momentum Gallery over the coming weeks. The building's south side will soon welcome a stunning cyanotype painting by Casey Roberts. The gallery plans to install lighting for all the exterior artwork (by Hoss Haley, Samantha Bates, and Casey Roberts) so the works can be seen and enjoyed after the sun goes down.

  • The Mysteries of Glass - Alli Hoag and Joanna Manousis

    Article by Kay West in East Coast Lux Lifestyle Magazine
  • Save the Date -- Thursday, July 15, 5-8 pm
    Reception for Summer Exhibitions

    We are thrilled to open the following summer shows in our new space located at 52 Broadway Street! 

     

     

    The gallery is honored to provide our clientele access to exceptional graphic works by some of the contemporary art worlds' most exciting artists. Picture That flows between abstraction and representation with works by renowned artists Chakaia BookerWill CottonRaymond PettibonSara SandersChuck Webster, and more.  Master printer and Prints and Their Makers author Phil Sanders curated the collection.  Sanders comments, "The positive potential of this world is only limited by our ability to imagine it anew. This exhibition of prints and monotypes demonstrates the power of an artist's vision to influence our world with the images they conjure."

     

    Will Cotton, Deferred Promise, 15-color lithograph on

    Hahnemuhle Copperplate, 37-1/2 × 28 inches, Ed. 25

    (2015)

     

    Momentum welcomes back Paul Sattler for his second solo show with the gallery. Sattler's recent oil paintings and drawings are a tour de force. With cinematic vision, Sattler presents obscure narratives in complex, multi-character compositions. The artist also occasionally reimagines historic paintings as looser and more abstracted arrangements.

     

    Paul Sattler, Backyard Remedy (by Fire), Oil on canvas on board, 48 x 52 inches (2021) 

     

    Three artists --Jessica Calderwood, Jennifer Halvorson and Casey Roberts-- create thoughtful and introspective work with an atmosphere of domesticity. Dreamy cyanotype paintings on paper relate to evocative cast glass and clever mixed media sculptures, depicting still life, figurative, and animal subjects.

     

     

    Casey Roberts, Cat on rug with bonsai, Cyanotype painting on paper with enamel,

    42 x 52 inches.

     

    Jessica Calderwood, Stacked, Aluminum, powder coating,

    cast bronze, brass, blown glass, ceramic decals, porcelain,

    milk paint, 15 x 6 x 6 inches.

     

    Jennifer Halvorson, group of Thirst Cups. Cast glass, cast

    bronze, @2-1/4 x 4-1/4 x 4 inches, each.

     

    The beauty in nature is realized in Ivy Jacobsen's botanical paintings that unfold in great stylized detail, conveying a sense of space through a signature layering technique. The artist comments, "For the last 10 years I've been focused on creating the illusion of depth within my landscapes. It is my hope that the viewer is invited 'into' the picture to explore and keep discovering new things within the layers."

     

    Ivy Jacobsen, Hybrid, No. 6 Red Blooms, Oil, acrylic & collage on canvas, 24 x 48 inches (2021)

     

    Brian Sostrom's landscape paintings feature sweeping skies and intimate woodland moments. The dramatic works appear illuminated from within. Sostrom notes, "Currently I paint with translucent acrylics on a specially developed substrate. I am combining techniques with unusual materials."

     

    Brian Sostrom, Evening Rose,  Acrylic on panel, 24 x 30 inches.

     

    Momentum Gallery is extending Samantha Bates' solo exhibition through October.  An immersive collection of Bates' paintings, textiles, and works on paper is reimagined on the gallery's second floor. While some works have been removed, the gallery expects to receive additional works in October when Bates visits Asheville to paint a mural (at the back of 52 Broadway). 

     

    Samantha Bates, Follow the River, Acrylic, gouache, colored pencil and artist pen on primed canvas, mounted to dibond, 51-1/2 x 84-1/2 inches.

     

     

    Save the Date -- Thursday, July 15, 5-8 pm
    opening reception for these exhibitions
  • MOMENTUM GALLERY WELCOMES PAUL sattler
    AT 52 BROADWAY, SAturDAY, JULY 17 FROM 4-6 PM.

     

     

    Momentum Gallery welcomes contemporary figurative painter Paul Sattler on Saturday, July 17th starting at 4:00 pm.  In conjunction with his current solo exhibition at the gallery, the artist will be on hand to discuss his creative practice and the stories behind the works included in the collection. Paul Sattler's exhibition continues on the gallery's first floor through September 7th.

     

     

    Paul Sattler’s recent oil paintings and drawings are a tour de force.  Multiple subjects are captured in moments taken from obscure narratives and imaginative dramas.  Drawing upon color theory and surrealism for inspiration, mythology and historical references also inspire Paul Sattler's paintings and drawings. In the robust world Sattler creates, animals and people interact, dance, and perform circus tricks across urban street scenes and backyard backdrops. 

     

     

    The artist draws viewers in to his spectacular compositions of colorful characters and curious situations.  Sattler also occasionally reimagines historic paintings as looser and more abstract compositions.

     

     

    "The functions of my animals are many – beasts of burden, victims of ridicule, fantastical visions, mythical beings, and stand-ins for human emotions, predicaments, and phobias. While striving to avoid the moralizing lessons of traditional fables, many of the narratives are personalized imagery inspired by a variety of literary sources including Grimm Brothers tales, E. T. A. Hoffmann and the vast legacy of children's literature.  But primary roots of inspiration reveal themselves when I am not looking for them – such as when I feel a charge coming from the presence of an animal in works of adult literature such as Hermann Hesse, Nelson Algren, James Joyce, Balzac, Poe, among others."

     

     

    Momentum Gallery is 15,000 square feet and has incorporated various safety features for the health and well-being of our staff, artists, and patrons, including a fully touchless experience (our doors are automatic, just wave them open!) and we have UV light "air scrubbers" in our new HVAC system. 

  • Three Artists Visit - Saturday, August 7th, 4-6pm

    Jessica Calderwood, Jennifer Halvorson, Casey Roberts

     

    Jennifer Halvorson, Thirst ICast glass and cast bronze, 2-1/4 x 5 x 3-1/2 inches

     

    Jessica Calderwood, Jennifer Halvorson, and Casey Roberts are featured in a three person exhibition in our North Gallery. These artists create clever and emotive work that tells a story of domestic life.  Cyanotype paintings relate to cast glass and mixed media sculpture, depicting still lifes, figurative subjects, and animals engaged in lighthearted and occasionally mysterious situations. All of these artists have a thoughtful approach to the work they create, often imbued with warmth and subtle messages.      

    Please join us as we welcome these artists to Momentum Gallery, located at 52 Broadway in Downtown Asheville, on Saturday, August 7th, from 4-6pm.          

     

     

    Jessica Calderwood, Public and PrivateCopper, electroplated enamel, porcelain, milk paint and steel, 7 x 13 x 4 inches

     

     

                                                                   

    Casey Roberts, Cat on a Rug with a Ball, Cyanotype Painting on Paper, 60 x 60 inches

  • Conversations with Phil Sanders, Master Printer

    Sunday, July 25th & Thursday, August 19th

    Chakaia Booker, UNTITLED, 2013Chine collé monoprint with woodcut and hand painted elements, 33-3/4 x 28 inches

     

    Phil Sanders, Master Printer, Author of Prints and Their Makers, and the curator of Momentum Gallery's Picture That summer printmaking exhibition will be in attendance for two special in-gallery events. Picture That features artists Chakaia BookerWill CottonTimothy CummingsJoseph HartTom LieberRaymond Pettibon, Gustavo RiveraSara Sanders, and Chuck Webster.

     

    On Sunday, July 25th at 11am, Momentum Gallery will host a light brunch with Phil as he discusses the work and the artists featured in the exhibition.

     

    Additionally, on Thursday, August 19th at 5pm, please join us in welcoming Phil and learn about his various printmaking processes and experience helping renowned artists from across the world achieve their vision. 

     

    All are welcome! These events are free and open to the public. We look forward to seeing you!

     

    Sara Sanders, CHAIR IV, Lithograph , 10 x 8 inches

     

     

    Will Cotton, DOMINOLithograph, 37-1/2 x 28 inches, Edition of 25

  • John Littleton and Kate Vogel announce the completion of a new sculpture, Celebrating Muskegon, their latest large-scale project.  Situated in a round-about by the shore of Lake Michigan, the assembly of colored glass and stainless-steel soars twenty-two feet into the air above Pere Marquette Park.  The work is the latest realization of Muskegon’s community initiative for outdoor art installations.

     

     

    Seven stainless steel structureseach formed by two intersecting ringshouse blue and green glass.  The colors symbolize the natural attributes of the city, green for land and plants, blue for water and sky.  Rods tether the rings to each other and a concrete slab.  The glass is textured with arced lines and lights up within from dusk to dawn.  Up close the patterns trace the trails left by particles passing through space.

     

    From a distance, the rings create an impression of the solar system.  As the viewer moves around the sculpture, the shifting configuration highlights elements of the landscape.  Each ring offers a frame that changes throughout the day, culminating in an illuminated nighttime observatory.

     

     

    John describes, "We wished to convey a sense of collaboration between the rings themselves, the environment, and the viewer.  The rings hold the energy of many individuals.  Supported and elevated by a strong structure they join together to create a greater whole.”

     

    This sculpture expanded the scale of their work. Kate Vogel explains, “To see the project evolve from a model on the design table to the finished sculpture has been an amazing journey for us.  We hope the local community and visitors to this beautiful place will experience a bit of the joy we have today in seeing the piece completed." 

     

     

    John Littleton and Kate Vogel have ties to Michigan through their galleries, education, and family vacations.  They were thrilled with the site proposed by the project manager, and her support throughout the process.  Local volunteers and the artists’on Erik, a SpaceX engineer, participated in the five-day installation of the sculpture.

     

    Celebrating Muskegon was made possible by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation through their Public Spaces Community Places crowdgranting program, MuskegonCity Public Art Initiative of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, Howmet Aerospace Foundation, and the generous support of donors.  This sculpture marks the completion of the third installation in a series of ten for the community. 

     

    Please follow these links to visit the sculpture virtually:

    New Sculpture at Muskegon’s Pere Marquette Park - mlive.com

    Celebrating Muskegon Artwork Comes to Pere-Marquette Beach, WZZM 13

     

  • Amy Gross Debuts Sculptural Stereoscopes

    Work featured in Create! Magazine

    Amy Gross' extraordinary fiber and mixed media sculptures are getting some nice exposure in the current issue of Create! Magazine. 

     

    Create! Magazine #25, Special Edition Women's Issue 2021

     

    Gross also just debuted work she’s been making during the pandemic – a collection of stereoscopic photographs with beautiful, hand-constructed viewers! This project was facilitated with an Artist Innovation Fellowship through the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County.

     

     

    “My stereoscopic photographs allow my artwork to do things that they cannot do in real life, that they could only do in my imagination. My sculptures are conglomerations of my encounters with living things, filtered through my experiences and recreated as invented plants and animals and fungi. I want them to seem alive but clearly not be, presented in clean white spaces like artifacts.

     

     

    I have simultaneously wanted to create backstories for each, to imagine them in equally invented habitats, environments made up of bits and pieces of disparate elements. Through digitally altered photographs, a suburban park turns into a wilderness; a Frisbee golf course trail becomes the deep woods. Because I’ve been sensitized by a once-in-a-century pandemic, they now suggest the mutability of life, of symbiosis and the inevitability of transmission.

     

     

    "The fellowship has made it possible for me to finally have the time and resources to make real an idea I have been wanting to work on for years, and the ability to work with others to make it possible. It lets the project become a priority at last.”

     

    Look for Amy Gross’ out-of-this-world stereoscopes to be available through Momentum Gallery soon.  Please contact us if you’d like to be notified when the works are available for purchase. 

  • Recent Articles on Momentum Gallery

    Voyage ATL & Asheville Made

     

    The gallery enjoyed some coverage recently in Voyage ATL and Asheville Made.  If you didn’t see them, you can read the articles by clicking the links below.

     

    Voyage ATL

    Asheville Made

  •  

    Hoss Haley's latest sculptural installation, a monumental steel work from his Erratic series is on display at Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC through December 11, 2021.  Measuring around 10 feet in diameter, Erratic: Rest has real presence!  The sculpture towers over visitors to the space it occupies.  We particularly enjoy the way its rounded form meets the floor implying a sense of movement and referencing the way glacial erratics travel from the place they originate.

     

     

    From Turchin's website:

    Sharing space with Hoss Haley’s monumental work transports the viewer to a place where a clear separation between human creation and organic influence is undefined, yet beautifully intertwined. Color and texture are suggested but are ultimately ruled by nature. The marrying of raw nature and human intervention is what makes Haley’s work so captivating, allowing the opportunity to forget traditional rules, and marvel at a creation beyond our understanding.

     

     

    Artist Statement:

    er·rat·ic

    1. Geology – a rock or boulder that differs from the surrounding rock and is believed to have been brought from a distance by glacial action. from Latin errāticus, from errāre, to wander

     

    "The surface of the earth, though seemingly immobile and locked in place, is in a perpetual state of movement – forever shifting and responding to weathering elements and conditions. Rain causes erosion, softening and shaping once jagged mountains to gentle rolling hills. Volcanoes violently erupt, bringing magma from deep within the earth’s surface to form new terra. And on occasion, due to dramatic transformations in a particular region, a mass of bedrock, sometimes as large as a house, will break free from its parenting bedrock. The erratic, now independent of its former position and often carried by eroding glacier ice, begins its own journey through the vastness of time. 

     

    "Erratics have been known to travel great distances, sometimes hundreds of miles. When observing the aged and scarred surface of the boulder–– a story-in-the-making that began perhaps thousands of years ago––  the texture can reveal a history, a record of the boulder’s experience. Though the mineral character of the erratic is oftentimes different than its surrounding landscape, the elements and time have cooperated to foster a harmonious existence."

  • John Cleaveland – Gallery Visit – Friday, July 9, 2021

    Gallery Visit and Recent Acquisitions
    MOMENTum gallery welcomes JOHN L. CLEAVELAND, JR. 
    at 52 Broadway, Friday, July 9 from 5-7 pm.

     

    Contemporary realist John Cleaveland will be on hand to talk about his artistic practice and the places that have inspired his dramatic oil paintings over the past three decades. The gallery has a selection of recent works on display and available for purchase. Stop by and find out what's on the horizon for this notable southern artist. 

     

     

    John L. Cleaveland, Jr. has been working on two commissioned pieces of Georgia native plants to be part of the permanent collection of the State Botanical Garden. The pair of large-scale oil paintings are now installed at the Porcelain and Decorative Arts Museum at the Center for Art and Nature. Cleaveland's two large-scale oil paintings, Delicate Balance and Resilience and Flow, Anthony Shoals, Broad River, GA, each measure 49 x 97 inches.  The landscape paintings focus on the habitats of two critically endangered wildflower species included on the State Heritage List - the Shoals Spider Lily and the Smooth Coneflower. The artist comments, "I hope to capture a piece of the viewer's heart and to create a longing or connection that wasn't there before. Because not only are these places beautiful and peaceful, they are also vital pieces of the environment."

     

     

    The Asheville Art Museum recently acquired a significant oil by John Cleaveland for their permanent collection. An iconic southern scene - the painting features a railroad track in perspective, and like many of Cleaveland's incredible paintings, it looks as if you could walk right into it.  

     

    Cleaveland has exhibitions scheduled with the Morris Museum, Augusta, GA (2022) and the Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL (2023).  We will be sharing more information as time goes on and you may aways check on the museums' websites for specific details.  

     

  • Christian Burchard at Asheville Art Museum

    Old World/New Soil: Foreign Born American Artists from the Collection
    Christian Burchard, Another Literary Dynasty, No. 14, 18 x 18 x 26 inches, Bleached and scorched Madrone Burl. 

     

    Wood sculptor and Momentum Gallery artist partner Christian Burchard has work included in the current exhibition "Old World/New Soil: Foreign Born American Artists from the Collection."  This exhibition continues at Asheville Art Museum through August 2, 2021.  

     

     

    Originally from Germany and now living in Oregon, Christian Burchard enjoys taking risks with his art and works with green, unpredictable wood to create forms that warp and twist as they dry. Burchard’s material of choice is Pacific Madrone, which undergoes dramatic changes as it cures. This process makes his final form unique from other wood sculptures and nearly impossible to replicate.  

     

     

    Stop in the Asheville Art Museum this month to see Christian's work in the exhibition or visit Momentum Gallery anytime. The gallery features a nice collection by the accomplished wood sculptor from various series including his Scrolls, Stacks, Books, wall mounted "pages," and Baskets.  If you can't make it by the gallery, you can see Christian's available work online at this link.  

  • An Evening with Lisa Clague – Artist Talk

    Friday, June 4th, 5:30-7:00pm RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
    by Jordan Ahlers

    Momentum Gallery welcomes contemporary figurative sculptor Lisa Clague on Friday, June 4th at 5:30 pm.  In conjunction with her current solo exhibition at the gallery, Lisa will be on hand to discuss her artistic practice and the story behind the works included in the collection.  In the interest of public safety, this event is open to a limited number of guests.  Please RSVP by phone or email. 

     

    Lisa Clague’s fanciful and creative figurative ceramics convey emotion and intensity. Guardian angels, monkey-headed dieties, and crowned queens are some of the icons prominently featured in the collection made during the pandemic this past year.  Clague is a highly-accomplished ceramicist and a two-time award recipient of the Virginia Groot Foundation Grant. She has taught workshops at prestigious universities and arts organizations all over the country. Her dream-inspired sculptures with classically modeled visages can be found in many private collections and in the permanent collections of several museums nationally.  Momentum Gallery is pleased to pair Lisa Clague's well-known sculptures with a number of the artist's drawings and paintings on resin-coated wood panels. Clague's intricate drawings depict imagery and figures in a stylized and whimsical manner true to the artist's aesthetic.

  • Samantha Keely Smith & Casey Roberts Visit Asheville

    Back-to-back Artist Visits, Friday May 14th, 5-7:30pm
    by Jordan Ahlers

    As part of Momentum Gallery's grand opening celebrations at 52 Broadway in Downtown Asheville, please join us in welcoming two exciting painters for a casual reception at the gallery on Friday, May 14th from 5:00 - 7:30 pm. 

     

     

    Samantha Keely Smith is in Asheville for the first time! This visit is in conjunction with her current solo exhibition that opened Momentum Gallery's new space at 52 Broadway. The show features an exciting collection of over twenty dynamic oil paintings in a variety of sizes and color palettes. Come meet her on Friday, May 14th 5:30-7:30pm. 

     

     

     

    Casey Roberts delivers a collection of his recent cyanotype paintings and will be on hand to talk about his work and creative process.  We are delighted to welcome  him from Friday, May 14th from 5-6pm.

     

    We hope to see you! In the interest of public safety, this event is open to a limited number of guests.  Please RSVP by phone 828-505-8550 or email.  Masks required. 

  • Momentum Artists Honored

    Amber Cowan, David Ellsworth, and Wendy Maruyama
    by Jordan Ahlers

    It is a privilege to work with some of the finest makers in the country and share their work with our community.  Three of our Artist Partners are receiving some major recognition currently. 

     

    AMBER COWAN, 2021 US Artists Fellowship Amber Cowan is named one of “Sixty Bold Artists Shaping Today.” She is receiving the 2021 USA Fellowship by United States Artists. Amber won in the craft category and is the only glass artist to receive the $50,000 unrestricted award that recognizes artists for their contributions to the field.   

     

    DAVID ELLSWORTH, 2021 Visionary Award Recipient The Smithsonian Visionary Award, established in 2014, is presented annually to artists who are deemed by curators in the field to have risen to the pinnacle in the world of sculptural arts and design, who have works in major museums, and who have demonstrated distinction, creativity, artistry, and of course, vision in his or her respective medium.  This year, David Ellsworth and Michael Hurwitz join the small but prestigious list of past recipients: Patti Warashina, Joyce J. Scott, Faith Ringgold, Dale Chihuly, Toots Zynsky, Wendell Castle, and Albert Paley.

     

    WENDY MARUYAMA2021 Masters of the Medium (wood) The prestigious Masters of the Medium Award is presented by the James Renwick Alliance biennially to honor the most significant artists in American Craft.  Each awardee is recognized for their excellence in craftsmanship, influence in the medium and overall contributions to the field. This coveted honor is celebrated at the JRA Spring Craft Weekend at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery – our nation’s showcase of contemporary American craft.

     

    We are so proud of all our artists and feel gratified when they receive the recognition they deserve!

  • An Evening with Ron Isaacs

    Friday, April 30, 5-7 pm RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

    Momentum Gallery proudly opens its new space presenting a solo exhibition of masterful trompe l'oeil works by Ron Isaacs.  Visitors are regularly amazed to learn everything in Isaacs' work is made from painted plywood.  Clothing and nature are favorite subjects Isaacs returns to and many of his works address that relationship between man and nature.  Ron Isaacs' exhibition continues through May 31st.

     

    The artist visits Momentum Gallery Friday, April 30th.  Join us in welcoming Ron for a casual reception at the gallery from 5-7 p.m.  If you are interested in attending, please call the gallery at 828-505-8550 to make a reservation. Masks must be worn at all times during this event. We will have limited capacity due to COVID protocols.

     

    Momentum Gallery is 15,000 square feet and has incorporated various safety features for the health and well-being of our staff, artists, and patrons, including a fully touchless experience (our doors are automatic, just wave them open!) and we have UV light "air scrubbers" in our new HVAC system. 

     

     Ron Isaacs, Glitch, acrylic on birch plywood construction, 27-3/4 x 42 x 4-1/2 inches. 

     

    Human/Nature, a nicely produced 140-page book on Ron Isaacs' work, accompanies the exhibition and is available through Momentum Gallery for $30.  The book features an array of impressive works created over the past decade, a current artist statement, and a sequence of process images showing the construction of one of his pieces the show, Polka Oaks.  

     

    For additional reading, please enjoy this nicely written interview and article on Ron Isaacs from a recent issue of Chevy Chaser magazine.  The article begins on page 7. 

    Ron Isaacs interview 

     

     

     

  • An Afternoon with Crystal Gregory

    Saturday, April 24th, 3-5pm RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

     

    Momentum Gallery is honored to present Crystal Gregory at our first in-person event in our new location, 52 Broadway Street, in downtown Asheville on Saturday, April 24th, from 3-5 p.m. Gregory's textile and concrete work is featured in a solo exhibition on the gallery's first floor through May 31st.

     

    Please call the gallery at 828-505-8550 to make a reservation. Masks must be worn at all times during this event. We will have limited capacity due to COVID protocols.

     

    Momentum Gallery is 15,000 square feet and has incorporated various safety features for the health and well-being of our staff, artists, and patrons, including a fully touchless experience (our doors are automatic, just wave them open!) and we have UV light "air scrubbers" in our new HVAC system. 

     

    For those who are unable to attend, check out this interview we did with the artist –Interview with Crystal Gregory

     

  • Exterior Artwork at 52 Broadway

    Hoss Haley, Samantha Bates, Casey Roberts
    by Jordan Ahlers

    Momentum Gallery displays some incredible work within its space.  The move to 52 Broadway allows us the opportunity to share artwork on the exterior of the building as well.  Recently, Hoss Haley installed a 9 x 10 foot Stainless Ripple on the front of the building along Broadway. Jordan Ahlers comments, "We wanted an iconic sculptural piece on the exterior of our building to offer passersby a taste of what lies within."

     

     

    Haley's perforated stainless-steel Ripple explores ideas of movement, fluidity, and transparency – a remarkable achievement for a piece made of steel. Ahlers continues, "I love the simplicity and symbolism of the ripple. (A Ripple) speaks to movement and effect; it is timeless and remains one of Hoss' most recognizable forms." A Ripple from Haley's White Series is in the permanent collection of The Mint Museum in Charlotte. "I like how its concentric rings offer a focal point to our façade (in addition to our spectacular front windows). I've been blown away by the transparent effect Hoss achieved by making this piece from perforated stainless steel – it adds another dimension to the piece being able to see through it to the brick!  I hope viewers enjoy discovering interesting architecture, sculpture, and murals as part of the rich and unique experience that is downtown Asheville." 

     

     

    Hoss Haley is a renowned sculptor from Western North Carolina. His large-scale sculptures were acquired recently by Charlotte's Mint Museum and Raleigh's North Carolina Museum of Art. He is also the artist behind a pair of major works in downtown Asheville: the Pack Place fountain, made of bronze and stone, and the stainless steel pergola in front of City Hall, both of which draw inspiration from the landscape surrounding Asheville.

     

     

    Casey Roberts, 2021

     

    Additional outdoor artworks will be added by Momentum Gallery over the coming weeks. The building's south side will soon be graced by a stunning new cyanotype painting by Casey Roberts, and another side will feature nearly 1200 square feet of murals by one of the gallery's stellar emerging artists, Samantha Bates, later this spring. Bates has a solo exhibition of her paintings and textile works on display for the new gallery's opening.

     

     

     

     

  • by Jordan Ahlers

    Momentum Gallery is proud to announce a partnership with Chihuly Studio.  The move to our new space on Broadway marks the debut of a substantial collection which features glass sculptures and hand-embellished serigraph prints from the studio of the renowned Seattle artist.  "We are thrilled to collaborate with Chihuly and provide access to this outstanding work in a region historically significant to the field of studio glass," says Jordan Ahlers, Momentum Gallery's Owner and Director.

     

    In 2018, a collection of Dale Chihuly's glass was assembled at the majestic residence and gardens at Biltmore Estate in Asheville drawing tens of thousands of visitors to see works by the Washington-state based artist. This is not the only connection Chihuly has to the mountains of western NC. The artist previously visited the area at the invitation of one of his mentors, Harvey Littleton (1922-2013). In the late 80s and again in 1994, Littleton and Chihuly worked together on a series of original vitreograph prints (a process invented by Littleton which involves etching on glass plates). Momentum illustrates this connection, exhibiting original vitreographs from Dale Chihuly along with work by the late Harvey Littleton.

     

    As part of our collection, Momentum Gallery is pleased to offer three dramatic works released earlier this month! The 2021 Chihuly Studio Editions - Viola Plum Macchia, Rosetta Persian, and Seagrass Seaform - are exuberant works that exemplify Chihuly's passion for color and form.

     

    Viola Plum Macchia, 2021 Chihuly Studio Edition

     

    Two defining characteristics of Dale Chihuly's Macchia series are the contrasting interior and exterior colors and the "spots" created by colored-glass frit, or "jimmies." To achieve these qualities, the interior color of the sculpture is applied to the molten clear-glass bubble. The bubble is then rolled over chunks of white glass, which keep the interior and exterior colors separate and provide a clean, white canvas on which to apply more color in the form of mineralized, organic pigments such as glass powder, dust, and frit. These colors then stretch and striate under the ministrations of breath, heat, and gravity to become vessels pulsing with energy and free-form abandon.

     

    Chihuly's passion for color is born out of his mother Viola's extensive gardens and glorious sunsets over Puget Sound. The 2021 Viola Plum Macchia is a landscape of abundant colors with exterior spots and striations of purple, red, blue, and yellow yielding to an interior of deep plum. A low-profile form encourages views of the center, where the exterior colors converge in a kaleidoscopic manner. A steely blue lip wrap complements both the interior and exterior palettes.

     

    "For Chihuly is no formalist; he needs to imply movement and growth. His technical innovations and refinements serve only to provide more options-relating to what he can make glass do and what associations he can suggest to natural phenomenon." -Linda Norden, Dale Chihuly: Glass, 1982

     

    Dale Chihuly's Persian series, which began as an exploration of new forms, serves as a contemporary expression of timeless beauty and a demonstration of wild asymmetry that borders on defiance. Whether presented on pedestals or in large wall or ceiling installations, Persians elicit wonder in their beholders and notions of exotic ancient civilizations.

     

    Rosetta Persian, 2021 Chihuly Studio Edition

     

    Opening in waves of voluptuous rose red, the 2021 Rosetta Persian Studio Edition reveals the molten glass's responsiveness to gravitational pull and gestural manipulation in the blowing process. A thin red body wrap spiraling around the fan-shaped element adds to the dimensional agility of the composition, while the smaller interior element invites introspection. An earthy green lip wrap grounds and defines the tensile scalloped edges of the sculpture.

     

    Dale Chihuly began assembling elements from within a series while developing his Baskets in the 1970s. By nesting smaller elements within larger vessels, Chihuly creates compositions that encourage viewers to look through the walls of the outer form to discover a microcosm of color and transparency. Seaforms, which evolved out of Chihuly's Basket series, continue this exploration of transparency and environment.

     

    "The various glass vessels nestling within each other create a satisfying sense of intimacy and enclosure-they are protective but not defensive; the translucency of glass invites one to look in without feeling that one is invading a private territory." -Robert Hobbs, Dale Chihuly: Objects de Verre, 1986

     

     

    Seagrass Seaform, 2021 Chihuly Studio Edition

     

    The first Seaform Studio Edition composed of three individual elements, Chihuly Workshop's 2021 Seagrass Seaform is a remarkable representation of Chihuly's penchant for assembling distinct forms into one unified vision. The largest element presents a transparent center that directs attention to the brilliant blue "ribs" and kelp green edges, while a smaller form in opaque chartreuse rests within. Echoing the palette of blue and green, a curlicued element winds its way from within the composition to bring balance to the juxtaposed qualities of transparency and opacity. A dramatic red lip wrap on all three elements contributes a vibrant contrast.

     

    Please contact Momentum Gallery with any questions on this work and be sure to visit our website to find images and information on all the Chihuly work currently on display at the gallery.  Feel free to inquire on any Chihuly works you may be interested in, whether or not they are currently at Momentum Gallery.

  • by Jordan Ahlers

     

    Following a two-year construction period, we are thrilled to be opening our two-floor, 15,000-square-foot gallery in a 100-year-old building in downtown Asheville's Broadway Arts District, located at 52 Broadway Street. We are NOW OPEN SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK!

     

    The space on Broadway opens with stunning solo exhibitions by five artist partners. Art enthusiasts will discover brand new collections debuting by several gallery artists including Samantha Bates (painting and textile), Lisa Clague (ceramics), Crystal Gregory (textile arts), Ron Isaacs (trompe l'oeil wood), and Samantha Keely Smith (oil paintings). Momentum announces a new partnership with Chihuly Studios and is honored to present a special collection of Chihuly Studio Editions. New works from a number of other popular gallery artists will be on display, including Mariella Bisson, John Cleaveland, Amber Cowan, Wendy Maruyama, Casey Roberts, Andy Farkas, Joanna Manousis, Alli Hoag, David Ellsworth, Thor and Jennifer Bueno, Ron Layport, Gil Bruvel, Dana Brown, Michael Barringer, and many more. Additionally, a showcase of studio glass artists will be featured, including Western North Carolina's John Littleton and Kate Vogel. 

     

    Momentum presents a sophisticated collection of museum-quality paintings, original prints, sculpture, and unique furniture pieces with an emphasis on material-based work, especially studio glass. 


    The new gallery is spacious, making it easy for simultaneous social distancing and art appreciating. Momentum offers a contactless experience; we have implemented a variety of safety-minded features such as touchless front entry, faucets, and hand dryers, as well as a brand-new HVAC system with integrated UV light "air scrubbers." We will also provide masks and hand sanitizer for the safety and comfort of all guests. The two-floor space is ADA compliant and easily accessible for everyone. For those who cannot visit at this time, we will incorporate a detailed virtual tour on our website in the near future, along with dedicated viewing rooms and artist interviews. Additionally, a limited number of off-hours private tours will be available to those who do not feel comfortable visiting during public gallery hours. To make an appointment, call (828) 505-8550.

  • Momentum Installs Our First Public Artwork

    Hoss Haley's Stainless Steel Ripple adorns the front of 52 Broadway
    by Jordan Ahlers

     

    Momentum Gallery is thrilled to announce we have installed our first piece of public art in Downtown Asheville! Stainless Steel Ripple by Hoss Haley, a 90-sq.-ft. sculpture that now graces the entryway of our new 52 Broadway location in downtown Asheville, is the first of many works we hope to share with the community. It is Momentum Gallery's belief that public art has the ability to humanize architecture and enliven public spaces.
     
     
    This iconic piece by one of our region's most celebrated makers explores ideas of movement and transparency, a major feat considering its material is not glass, but steel. Two of Haley's large-scale sculptures in corten steel are among recent acquisitions by Charlotte's Mint Museum and Raleigh's North Carolina Museum of Art. Hoss Haley is the artist behind other major works in downtown Asheville - the Pack Place (bronze and stone) fountain and (stainless steel) pergola in front of City Hall, two works that draw inspiration from the landscape surrounding Asheville. A solo exhibition of Haley's latest work is currently planned for Momentum Gallery's summer season.
     
    As we settle into our forever home at 52 Broadway, we couldn't be more grateful for the artists we represent and the value they bring to this community. Momentum Gallery is now open by appointment only. The new gallery space will open to the public on March 15th. Please call the gallery at (828) 505-8550 to schedule your appointment. We are looking forward to sharing our new space with you!
     

     

     

  • Crafting America @ Crystal Bridges

    February 6 - May 31, 2021
    by Jordan Ahlers

    Works by two Momentum Gallery artists, Hoss Haley (metal) and Andy Paiko (glass), are featured in a current exhibition at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR. Shifra Ahlers comments, "We were thrilled to host Jen Padgett and tour her through Momentum Gallery in May 2019, introducing her to artists and works from our extraordinary collection. And we are so pleased to see our artists' work featured in this exhibition!"

     

    July 2021 – UPDATE:

    Crafting America is currently on view at the Jule Collins Smith Museum, Auburn, AL through September 12, 2021.

     

     

    Hoss Haley, Architectural Coil Maquette

     

    (From Crystal Bridges' website) Crafting America celebrates the skill and individuality of craft within the broad context of American art. From jewelry to furniture to sculptures and more, this exhibition is dazzling and full of surprises.

     

    Featuring over 100 works in ceramics, fiber, wood, metal, glass, and more unexpected materials, Crafting America presents a diverse and inclusive story of American craft from the 1940s to today, highlighting the work of artists such as Ruth Asawa, Beatrice Wood, Shan Goshorn, Nick Cave, and more. Craft has long been a realm accessible to the broadest range of individuals, providing an opportunity to explore personal creativity, innovation, and technical skill. This exhibition foregrounds varied backgrounds and perspectives in craft, from the vital contributions of Indigenous artists to the new skills and points of view brought by immigrants to the United States.

     

    Developed by Jen Padgett, associate curator at Crystal Bridges, and Glenn Adamson, guest curator and scholar of craft, design history, and contemporary art, Crafting America asserts craft's integral role in expanding the story of American art and is accompanied by a major multi-author illustrated publication published by Crystal Bridges and the University of Arkansas Press.

     

    For more information, please visit https://crystalbridges.org/exhibitions/crafting-america/

     

     

  • Elevating the Arts in Asheville

    Luxe Lifestyle Magazine

    Thanks to Luxe Lifestyle Magazine for this article on the Momentum Gallery

     

     

    From the article:

    In 2017 Ahlers took the leap and opened his own gallery in downtown Asheville. Regarding his newest venture, Momentum Gallery, Ahlers comments,"I wanted to continue to raise the bar for the local art scene and provide a venue that introduces museum-quality work from around the country while simultaneously showcasing the best of this region. We are passionate about elevating the Asheville community as an Arts Destination, propelling our artists' careers, and promoting their work to national and international audiences." Momentum Gallery presents a highly-curated collection of some of the finest artwork being made in the country. Ahlers says impeccable craftsmanship plays a role in the works he selects, as the gallery celebrates material-based traditions rich in the area and reflects a contemporary aesthetic in harmony with natural surroundings. 

    Momentum Gallery currently features about forty artists' work, several of whom Ahlers has worked with for nearly twenty years.  "It's a privilege to have that kind of longevity with an artist, to witness larger arcs in their career or see a relationship between ideas they're working through now and something they may have explored a decade or more ago."  

    Ahlers cites the collection at Momentum is constantly evolving with incoming works, curated exhibitions which typically run for two months, visiting artists, and more.  The gallery offers considerable diversity, showing paintings, original prints, sculpture (both wall-mounted and freestanding), and unique studio furniture pieces. 

     

  • Hoss Haley

    Master of the Craft
    by Jordan Ahlers

    Hoss Haley, Glacier, Repurposed washing machine skins, 60 x 132 x 24 inches. 

     

    Read this article on Hoss Haley and learn more about him and his work!

     

    From the article:

    Haley compares the artists’ ideal process to children stacking blocks — as they’re building a tower, kids don’t question how high it’ll go: “That’s not on their mind; they’re just responding. And I think we learn our way out of that, and we learn that everything we do has to be with certain intention,” he says. “The goal is to kind of get back to that and say . . . ‘Now I need to get out of the way and let it do what it’s going to do.’ I think there’s a lot [to be said] about just getting out of your own way.”

     

  • Maltby Sykes (1911-1992) Artist Talk

    Saturday March 7th with Marilyn Laufer

     

    Maltby Sykes (1911 - 1992), Abstract DrawingPen & ink, 22 x 17 inches.

     

    In conjunction with our exhibition of Maltby Sykes' (1911-1992) work, Momentum Gallery is pleased to welcome Marilyn Laufer, Director Emerita of the Jule Collins Smith Museum at Auburn University, Saturday, March 7 at 2:00 pm, for an in-gallery reception and informative talk on Maltby Sykes' work at our 24 N Lexington Avenue location in downtown Asheville.

     

    This event is free and open to the public.

  • Upcoming Three-Person Exhibition Opens April 2, 2020

    Emergence with Vicki Grant, Ivy Jacobsen & Alysia Fischer

    Ivy Jacobsen, All in Time, Oil on wood panel, 48 x 72 inches.

     

    As spring unfolds and bare winter branches give way to budding blooms, Momentum Gallery presents Emergence, a collection of recent works by three artists that reveals the magic and mystery of the season. Artist, archeologist, and anthropologist Alysia Fischer incises intricate leaf patterns into rubber innertubes, upcycling them into draping wall pieces and freestanding stitched sculptures that reference seed pods and chrysalides.  Vicki Grant’s architectural compositions of textured and painted porcelain integrate with actual seed pods, mineral specimens, and live-edge sections of wood evoking the surface of stone and tree bark.  The exhibition features new works from Grant’s ongoing Botanical, Windows to the Earth and Quilted Whimsey Series along with elongated cylindrical Spirit Sticks and the debut of the NC artist’s latest 16 x 16 inch wall sculptures, Woodland Harmonies, that sandwich Grant’s textural clay between spalted maple boards. Ivy Jacobsen’s moody and atmospheric paintings of trees, wildflowers, and hanging gardens offer an unexpected look at flora and the drama and beauty of her botanical subjects. Rendering space through layers of veiled elements, Jacobsen’s paintings evoke a sense of calm and wonder.

     

    Emergence continues at the gallery’s 24 N Lexington Avenue location through May 2020. 

     

    Alysia Fischer, Daisy Chains, incised rubber.

     

    Vicki Grant, Woodland Harmonies - 20005, Spalted maple, porcelain and mixed media, 

    18 x 18 x 4 inches.

     

    Alysia Fischer, stiched rubber

     

    Ivy Jacobsen, Noon Drops, Oil and resin on wood panel, 20 x 20 inches.

     

    Vicki Grant, Windows to the Earth, Porcelain & mixed media on slate, 12 x 12 x 2 inches.

     

     

  • Maltby Sykes (1911-1992), Mid Century Modern Master Printmaker

    Exhibition Opening Thursday, Feb 13th, 5-8pm

     Maltby Sykes (1911-1992), Spruce and Moon, original lithograph, 18 x 22 inches.

     

    Momentum Gallery, located at 24 North Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville, hosts an opening reception for its first exhibition of the new year - Maltby Sykes (1911-1992) - Thursday, February 13, from 5-8pm. Light refreshments will be provided.  All are welcome. 

     

    This solo exhibition features a collection of original lithographs and mezzotints printed in the 1950s and 60s by southern modernist Maltby Sykes. Sykes (1911-1992) enjoyed a robust life of world travel and rich experiences learning with noteworthy artists. Having trained with John Sloan in New York, Diego Rivera in Mexico, and André Lhote and Fernand Léger in Paris, Sykes learned about painting and mastered numerous printmaking techniques. Revered by generations of students, Sykes openly shared the knowledge he gained from these masters and retired Professor Emeritus at Auburn University where he taught for many years. 

     

    Maltby Sykes (1911-1992), Sunset, Watercolor on paper, 17-1/2 x 23-1/2 inches. 


    In conjunction with this exhibition, Momentum Gallery is pleased to welcome Marilyn Laufer, Director Emerita of the Jule Collins Smith Museum at Auburn University, Saturday, March 7 at 2:00 pm, for an in-gallery reception and informative talk on Maltby Sykes' work at our 24 N Lexington Avenue location in downtown Asheville. This event is free and open to the public.


    Maltby Sykes' sophisticated, mid-century modern prints are often monochromatic with bold and graphic subjects inspired by his travels, mythology and religion, and world events during his lifetime. Momentum Gallery is pleased to present this collection acknowledging the importance of Sykes' contributions in the field of printmaking and his legacy. Sykes once stated that "artists are witnesses of their time." The power of these words cannot be overstated as Sykes presented works representing lunar expeditions, Asian, Cuban and American landscapes, and other pieces relating to the time period he lived. Sykes was the recipient of a NEA grant (1967) and his works are in the permanent collections of a number of museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA; the Smithsonian American Art Museum, DC; and Asheville Art Museum, NC.


    Twenty-five rarely seen original prints and paintings by Maltby Sykes are presented along with a select group of sculpture and studio furniture pieces by gallery artists. This exhibition continues at Momentum Gallery's 24 N Lexington Avenue location through Saturday, March 28th.

     

    Maltby Sykes (1911-1992), Fireworks, Lithograph, 11 x 13-1/2 inches.

  • John Littleton and Kate Vogel

    Their work debuts at Momentum February 13th, 5-8pm
    by Jordan Ahlers

    John Littleton and Kate Vogel 

     

    Momentum Gallery is pleased to welcome our newest artist partners - John Littleton and Kate Vogel.  Internationally known and highly regarded, the husband and wife team have worked collaborativey for the past forty years, designing and creating some of the most recognizable sculptures in contemporary art glass.  

     

     

    Germination, Cast glass, gold leaf, mica, and fiberglass, 17-1/4 x 7-1/8 x 6-1/2 inches.

     

    An initial collection of unique sculptures from a few of their most iconic series debuts at Momentum's location on Lexington Avenue during the Maltby Sykes opening reception, Thursday, February 13th, 5-8pm. Littleton and Vogel's dramatic ikebana-inspired works combine glass flowers, bronze, and patinaed steel, beautifully-detailed cast hands hold, examine, and offer precious objects, and the meditative and boat-like 'vessels for the soul' suggest the symbolic journey.  Recurring figurative imagery combines with lotus blossoms, faceted gemstones, and other clever pairings that tell a story of discovery, wonder, and reverence.  

     

     

    Vessel for the Soul, No. 2, Cast glass, steel, 10-1/4 x 33 x 9-3/4 inches.

     

    John Littleton and Kate Vogel met at the University of Wisconsin Madison, where they received their Bachelors degrees. Since 1979 they have lived in the mountains of North Carolina where they began their collaboration on blown and cast glass in the studio of John's father, Harvey Littleton. In 1980 they moved to Bakersville, NC where they maintain their home and studio.

     

    Ikebana Inspiration, Glass, steel, and bronze, 54 x 41 x 10 inches.

     

    John and Kate's work is in public and private collections in North America, Europe, and Asia. They have been spotlighted in magazines, newspapers, television, and are featured artists in the film "The Blue Ridge Parkway - America's Favorite Journey" showing at the Blue Ridge Parkway Destination Center.

     

    We are very proud to be working with John and Kate again and to welcome them into the Momentum family.  

  •  

    Momentum Gallery’s construction at 52 Broadway continues to unfold – we seem to have really turned a corner with the project!  Most of the structural work is complete, the sprinkler system and plumbing have been installed as the front awning begins to emerge.  Contractors have started framing, and the gallery is quickly beginning to take shape beyond the wide-open space it’s been the past few months. There are a lot of exciting things in store for our new space and a number of new artists we’re planning to bring in! Momentum Gallery will reopen on Broadway this summer – please stay tuned!

     

     

     

     

  • Wendy Maruyama

    This year, Wendy Maruyama was honored with a USA fellowship. It is an annual award of $50,000 to distinguished artists of varying disciplines. We are so happy to congratulate Wendy on this achievement and incredibly proud to represent her at Momentum Gallery! 

     

    Wendy Maruyama, Tule LakeWood, steel, ink, plant material, 48 x 20 x 15 inches.

     

    Wendy Maruyama is a furniture designer, installation artist, and professor emeritus of woodworking and furniture design at San Diego State University. After studying for two years at Boston University, Maruyama went on to complete her MFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She was one of the first women to graduate from the program. Although best known for her work in designing furniture pieces that verge on the conceptual, Wendy has worked for decades working with numerous mediums.  She frequently explores themes that stem from her Japanese heritage, as well as feminism and social practice.

     

     Wendy Maruyama, FracturedTarpaper, nails, oak (reclaimed from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello Estate) 12 x 85 x 14 inches.

     

    Maruyama has exhibited around the world and has work within many public and private collections, including at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, The Museum of Arts and Design in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Mint Museum of Art + Design, North Carolina. Maruyama was elected a Fellow of the American Craft Council in 2008.  She is the recipient of several prestigious awards including the 2010 California Civil Liberties Public Education Grant; the Japan/US Fellowship; several National Endowment for the Arts Grants for Visual Artists; and a Fulbright Research Grant to work in the United Kingdom.

  • Small Works | Big Impact 2019

    Opens Thursday, November 14
    by Jordan Ahlers

    Heather F. Wetzel

     

    This year’s curated exhibition of intimately-scaled works by gallery artists and special guests addresses themes of memory, the passage of time, mortality, and the natural world. Although small in scale, these works have real presence, conveying the sensibility and proficiency of their accomplished makers. Delicate wood feathers, atmospheric landscapes, narrative figurative work, haunting photography, and works addressing climate change come together to form a provocative collection. 

     

    Miriam Carpenter

     

    Small Works | Big Impact is an annual exhibition that affords our clientele the opportunity to discover and acquire exquisite original works by artists new to the gallery.  They are great options for intimate spaces and make unique holiday gifts* – even if you're just treating yourself!  *The gallery will allow purchased works to leave in time for the holidays and plans to introduce new works periodically through the exhibition, which continues into the new year.  Participating artists include: Samantha Bates, Jessica Calderwood, Miriam Carpenter, Rosa de Jong, Ivy Jacobsen, Mark Matthews, Greg Sand, Paul Sattler, David Shingler, Brian Sostrom, Heather F. Wetzel, and more!

     

    Rosa de Jong

    Small Works | Big Impact opens at our 24 N Lexington Avenue location Thursday, November 14th with a reception from 5-8pm.  All are welcome.  Free and open to the public. Additionally, We are thrilled to give back to our community with our first ever HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY! For every guest at the Opening Reception on November 14th, we will donate $1 to Make A Wish Foundation that creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illness! We will also give one lucky visitor an original work by one of the gallery's artists! Your presence is the best present! Help us give generously to Make A Wish and you might win a gift too! Check out our Facebook event for more info!

     

    Greg Sand

     

    Brian Sostrom

     

    Jessica Calderwood

     

    Ivy Jacobsen

  •  

    Our annually curated collection of intimately-scaled works perfect for holiday gifts, SMALL WORKS | BIG IMPACT, begins with an Opening Reception this Thursday, November 14th, from 5-8pm at our downtown Asheville art gallery, located at 24 N Lexington Avenue. During the reception, we will be hosting Momentum Gallery's first ever HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!  For every guest at the Opening Reception on November 14th, we will donate $1 to Make A Wish Foundation that creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illness! Help us give generously to Make A Wish and you might win a gift too! We are delighted to share that all attendees will be eligible to win a gift from Momentum Gallery!  One lucky visitor will be the recipient of an original piece of art by one of our thoughtful makers! We are excited to show you the newest work arriving to the gallery, and we look forward to giving someone a gift of original art! We hope you'll join us this Thursday – your presence is the best present! We are grateful for your support and this is just one way we are giving back! 

     

    For more information, please visit our Facebook event! We look forward to seeing you!

  •  

    We just returned from SOFA Chicago and enjoyed an enthusiastic reception to our artists' work at the 2019 installment of the international art fair!  It was great visiting with our collectors from year's past and meeting so many new people. Highlights included giving a tour to the Smithsonian Women's Group, spending time with our artists and clients, placing work for several new artists, and sharing information about the incredible artwork and studio furniture we brought to Chicago!  We exhibited works by eighteen different artists. It was all incredibly well-received – each one garnered attention for their thoughtful creations.  Below are some images from the fair.  Enjoy!

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • by Jordan Ahlers

    Mariella Bisson, THE STREAM OF MEMORY, Oil & mixed media on linen, 38 x 60 inches.

     

    Upon seeing Mariella's highly textural landscapes, we just knew they would resonate with our collectors! The artist's process invloves painting watercolors en plein air and having those works become the origin of her collage-based oil paintings. What we didn't know, was that Mariella would love this region so much, that she would be inspired to visit waterfalls around western North Carolina time and again, capturing the colors and geometry of our beautiful area. Collectors have fallen in love with her aesthetic and we have placed works around the country and even beyond our borders. Congratulations to our dear friend for her immense success and selling out her recent solo show with us! We are honored to be her representation!

    Mariella Bisson, 5 TREES, 5 MOUNTAINS, Oil and mixed media on linen, 50 x 38 inches.

     

    New works have already been received here at our downtown Asheville art gallery and Mariella's book, Setting Shapes, is currently available for sale for $25. Highlighting recent works in addition to significant paintings created over the past decade, Setting Shapes examines the behind-the-scenes of each piece, providing insight into the inspiration and process.  With studio shots, drawings, and history lessons, the book allows you to experience the paintings to their fullest extent and appreciate the energy and contemplation behind them.

    Mariella Bisson, HIKERS BRIDGE, Oil and mixed media on linen, 38 x 60 inches.

  • by Jordan Ahlers

    We are proud to share that Momentum Gallery artist partner, Amy Gross, recently completed a series of nine wall mounted showdowbox works for the US Embassy in Papua New Guinea. Gross notes, "They're a merging of my vocabulary and the native plants, birds, plants, fungi, and sea life of Papua New Guinea. It's a fascinating place, and the subtropical nature there was such a strange combination of familiar and completely new to me, a symptom of my living in a place where much of the nature comes from somewhere else." The works are framed at 10 x 10 x 3 inches/each. Congratulations, Amy!

     

    Here are some images of some individual works and the overall collection.

     

  • Momentum Gallery at Hamilton Hill

    THIRD FRIDAY DURHAM - OPEN UNTIL 8pm
    by Jordan Ahlers

     

    Momentum Gallery at Hamilton Hill (MG@HH) is open late for THIRD FRIDAY DURHAM! On Friday, November 15th, visit MG@HH, located at 905 W Main St, Durham, North Carolina, until 8pm!

     

    Hamilton Hill Jewelry, located in Brightleaf Square, and Asheville-based Momentum Gallery, are parterning to provide the Durham and Triangle area new access to museum-quality artwork.  Hamilton Hill, a boutique-style jewelry store focusing on modernist designers, continues its mission of nearly twenty years while adding visual arts to its offerings. We opened MG@HH to much fanfare just two months ago and the partnership is already off to a great start! There's still time to catch our initial collection featuring nine prominent NC artists' work along with paintings by Momentum artist partners Michael Barringer, Casey Roberts, and Ron Isaacs! We're replacing works as they sell, and before Thanksgiving, MG@HH will have a special, small collection of small works in conjunction with the show in Asheville!  Both can be seen through the end of the year. Join our Facebook event!

     

     

     

     

  • Asheville Art Museum Ribbon Cutting

    Wednesday, November 13th, 1-1:30pm
    by Jordan Ahlers

     

    On Wednesday, November 13 from 1-1:30pm, all are invited to the Asheville Art Museum for the official Ribbon Cutting ceremony of the new facility! The museum will be open that day free of charge from 1-6pm. The new building is a celebration of our arts community, with high tech features and a warm atmosphere. Congratulations to Pam Myers, the staff and volunteers of the Asheville Art Museum, and our entire community! The museum's displays rotate through their collection, so you'll want to become a member and revisit often! Also, our friends Tony and Matthew of Food Experience provide sumptuous treats (and cocktails!) in the cafe! 

     

     

     

     

  • A New Leaf – contemporary foliage-theme exhibition

    September 12 – November 9, 2019

    Momentum Gallery, in downtown Asheville, hosts an opening reception for its fall group exhibition – 

    A New Leaf, Thursday, September 12, from 5-8pm.  

     

    Linda Ethier, A Thing So Small, pâte de verre, 16 x 16 x 5 inches.

     

    A New Leaf is a sophisticated collection of original works celebrating the charm and beauty of one of nature’s great wonders – foliage. From atmospheric photography to glass sculpture, trompe l’oeil relief paintings, and eye-popping infinity mirrors, exquisite works are cast or constructed from actual leaves while others imitate their natural counterparts.  Coinciding with leaf season in the mountains, this exhibition continues at 24 N Lexington Avenue through Saturday, November 9. 

     

    Ron Isaacs, Hide and Seek, acrylic on birch plywood construction, 23-1/2 x 24 x 3-1/4 inches.

     

    Demetra Theofanous collaborates with her partner Dean Bensen to compose arrangements of remarkably detailed, cast glass leaves into cascading, wall-mounted arrangements that appear as if they’re being blown by the wind.  Painted birch plywood constructions by Ron Isaacs cleverly replicate clothing and foliage, fooling the eye and prompting viewers to question the subject's reality. Artists Jo Stealey and Hillary Waters Fayle utilize actual foliage in their imaginative works. Fayle deftly arranges and embroiders leaves to make intricate mediations, while Stealey fashions tonal wall-hangings with bold geometric patterns reminiscent of layered tapestries.  

     

    Jeri Eisenberg, Seeking Shelter, No. 6, archival print on Kozo with encaustic, 36 x 45-1/2 inches.

     

    Other artists participating in A New Leaf include: Elizabeth Busey, printmaking; Jeri Eisenberg, photography; Linda Ethier, cast glass; Amy Gross, mixed media; Kit Paulson, lampworked glass; Sandy Rothberg, photography; Jim Sams, wood sculpture; and Tim Tate, mixed media.

     

     

  • SOFA 2019

    Momentum Gallery returns to Chicago in early November
    by Jordan Ahlers

    Gil Bruvel

     

    Momentum Gallery is pleased to announce we will once again be a participating exhibitor at SOFA 2019.  The Sculpture Objects Functional Art and Design (SOFA) Fair in Chicago is the premier gallery-presented art fair dedicated to three-dimensional art and design.  

     

    Garry Knox Bennett

     

    Once again, Momentum Gallery will present a diverse collection of work in a variety of media.  This year Momentum's booth will include studio furniture by acclaimed artists Garry Knox Bennett and John Dodd, monumental steel sculpture by Hoss Haley, contemporary painted wood by Gil Bruvel, trompe l'oeil dresses by Ron Isaacs, and exquisitely designed work by Thor & Jenifer Bueno (glass), Jeannine Marchand (ceramics), and Crystal Gregory (textile).  The gallery is also proud to include new sculptural  wood work by masters of the medium – Christian Burchard, Ron Layport. and David Ellsworth.  

     

    Ron Isaacs

     

    Critically acclaimed and continuously running since 1993, what distinguishes SOFA from other top art events is its focus on three-dimensional artworks that cross the boundaries of fine art, decorative art and design. SOFA is noted for its exceptional presentation, with an elite selection of international dealers presenting for sale one-of-a-kind masterworks in handsome, custom-designed gallery exhibits. SOFA is held annually in the fall at Chicago's major destination, Navy Pier, with an average of 80 dealers and 35,000 people attending. 

     

    Thor & Jennifer Bueno

     

    With a strong educational emphasis, SOFA CHICAGO includes an acclaimed lecture series and special exhibits exploring the artworks on view and surveying new trends in the art world. A VIP program includes exclusive events tailored to high-profile gallery clients and collector/museum groups. SOFA has evolved into a dynamic international marketplace and community – a confluence of perspectives where art, design and people intersect.

     

    For your complimentary digital VIP Tickets (70) use the link and enter code: VIPMOM
    For your complimentary digital General Admission Tickets (50) use the link and enter code: GAMOM

     

    Opening Night Preview
    Thursday, October | 31   5 - 9pm
    VIP Ticket Holders Only

    General Admission
    Friday, November 1 | 11am - 7pm (10 - 11am VIP hour) | All Ticket Holders
    Saturday, November 2 | 11am - 7pm (10 - 11am VIP hour) | All Ticket Holders
    Sunday, November 3 | 12 - 6pm | All Ticket Holders

     

    Location

    Festival Hall, Navy Pier
    600 East Grand Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60611

  • Artist profile: Crystal Gregory

    Contemporary Textile Artist

    MOMENTUM GALLERY INTERVIEWS CRYSTAL GREGORY

    (photo credits: Stephanie Land)

    Momentum Gallery inaugural artist, Crystal Gregory, is a fiber artist and sculptor dividing her time between Brooklyn, NY and Lexington, KY.  She received her BFA from the University of Oregon and her MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago via a full Merit Scholarship. Gregory's seemingly weightless sculptures often explore the feminine qualities of fiber juxtaposed with the masculine qualities of industrial materials like concrete and iron.  The artist recently completed a residency with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, where she explored the limits of fibers and the history of the widely celebrated material in a collection of new works.

     

    Josef and Anni Albers are known for their impressive work with the Bauhaus School, an early 20th-century Avant-Garde school in Germany focusing on innovative design and crafts, and Black Mountain College, a school outside Asheville that incubated a number of the most progressive and influential creatives in the mid-20th century.  Crystal Gregory is particularly inspired by renowned fiber artist, Anni Albers, known for blurring the lines between traditional craft and art. Anni was first a student of weaving at the Bauhaus and later invited onto the faculty, helping to propel the weaving department to world-class standards.

     

    With World War II approaching, the Bauhaus closed its doors in response to harsh regulations under Nazi regime.  Upon immigrating to the US, Josef and Anni Albers were invited to join the faculty of Black Mountain College where they ultimately encouraged students to experiment with materials and push the boundaries of craft.  Anni founded the weaving workshop at BMC, and while writing, teaching, and making art herself, she introduced a new type of curriculum, defined by John Dewey's exhortation to "learn by doing." 

     

    Crystal Gregory's residency in the summer of 2019 delved into the works of Anni Albers and a portion of her research was conducted here in Asheville at The Black Mountain College Museum + Art Center.  Having just completed this residency, Gregory is excited to share some thoughts on and the inspiration behind her latest series.

     

    MG: When did you first know you wanted to be an artist? 

     

    CG:  I have always been curious about and driven to make things, but it wasn't until I moved to New York City that I understood it as an identity, a career, and a lifestyle. New York City was a completely liberating and compelling place to spend my 20s. The people I met and love there are driven and passionate and excited to pursue their dreams. This energy ignited a confidence in me that I hope to pass forward. 

     

    MG: What first drew you to working with fiber and concrete? Is there a particular message you think these materials convey individually and together?

     

    CG: My work uses cloth construction as a fundamental center, a place to start from and move back to. With a background in weaving, I see myself as a builder. I draw a clear connection between the lines of thread laid perpendicularly through a warp and the construction of architectural spaces.

     

    In The Pliable Plane,​ Anni Albers considers architecture in relationship to woven textile. If the nature of architecture is the grounded, the fixed, the permanent, then textiles are its very antithesis. If, however, we think of the process of building and the process of weaving and compare the work involved, we will find similarities despite the difference in scale. Functionally, both divide space and create shelter. Both are created from individual parts which retain their identity - brick by brick or thread by thread. Textile, however, has the advantage of flexibility. It is a semi two-dimensional plane that has the ability to be folded, draped, moved, and changed to its surroundings. It is pliable. It is moveable. 

     

    In these works, I challenge myself not only formally and technically but as a thought exercise. Both materials are drenched in collective experience. We know and understand these materials because they surround us in our everyday. Maybe because of this familiarity they are charged with specific identities; hard/soft, strength/pliability, cold/warmth. Through our materials we come to understand these words; to wrap our experiences in them to use them in speech to express to one another. My work is to go deep into these understandings and try to tease out how they color our world, our relationships, and our attitudes.

     

    MG: Were there any challenges with finding a way to engineer fibers and concrete to coexist so seamlessly? 

     

    CG: Definitely. I have been working in this series (among others) for over five years now. In that time, I have learned a lot about both materials. Weaving is a forever process and although I have been weaving for almost fifteen years, I only obtain a drop in the well of her vast knowledge. She keeps teaching me every time I come to the loom. Concrete is an antithetical process to that of weaving. Where one is slow and meditative the other is fast and unforgiving. 

     

     

    MG: You've also explored glass as a material. Can you tell us about those experiences? 

     

    CG: I was so thrilled to have been invited to be an artist in residence at Corning Museum of Glass in March of 2018. There I worked with a team of glass blowers headed by Eric Meek to produce of series of glass textiles. I was interested in working in glass as a vehicle to think through the similarities between the properties of glass and those of textiles - structure, pliability, strength, translucency, vulnerability. Through this comparison important and interesting embedded understandings surfaced. 

     

    What has become interesting to me was thinking of these forms in the relationship to the ​hand​ of a fabric. The hand of a fabric refers to the feel of the fabric against your skin. There are many adjectives that can be used to describe the hand, or feel, of a fabric. Words like ​cool, slick, smooth, loose, stiff, heavy,​ and ​stretchy​ can all be used to tell someone about the hand of a fabric. In relation to glass these adjectives talk about not only the material process, but the relationship between the material and the body. 

     

    The result of this work were five pieces that resembled folded and stacked fabrics. The series undulated color and patterns mimicking those of woven fabrics but in a cool hard and breakable material. 

     

    MG: You received a full merit scholarship for the Art Institute of Chicago for your MFA, how did that program impact your work?


    CG:
    My grad school experience shaped my life as well as my art practice. I was able to work with incredible artists and now mentors like Anne Wilson, Christine Tarkowski, ​Diana Guerrero-Maciá as well as a truly wonderful group of peers. Those two years in Chicago challenged me in ways I could never have expected, and I believe are still teaching me. 

     

     

    MG: You teach at the University of Kentucky; do you have a favorite lesson or piece of advice you give to your students? 

     

    CG: Every day and every person is different, which is part of what makes teaching interesting. I do love to teach weaving though. I find that people can lean on the structure and the rhythm of making a cloth to find a certain freedom. It takes time, concentration and focus and through that practice many unconscious ideas arise. The textile is often only the vehicle that allows you to tap into what is deeper. 

     

    MG: Is there a particular material you would like to work with more in the future? 

     

    CG: I have been thinking a lot about the knitting machine and looped structures. I love the metaphor it builds of making a plane out of a single line. The grace it captures through this shapeshift. It bends and folds back on itself making interlocking loops that work together to form a material with elasticity. 

     

    MG: What do you hope clients and viewers will take away from your work? 

     

    CG: I don't know if I have a good answer to this question. Making to me is very personal and I think looking is as well. We all come to our present moment through a history of experiences. And use those experiences to understand the moment. My work, I believe, lives in a realm of universal experiences because of the materials I choose. I guess I hope to draw attention to that by representing them to the viewer in an unfamiliar way, allowing for a re-recognition whatever that means to the individual. 

     

     

    MG: Can you tell us a little bit about your recent residency at the Joseph and Anni Albers Foundation? 

     

    CG: June and July (2019) were spent as artist in residence at the Albers Foundation. The Foundation maintains two residential studios for visiting artists who exemplify the seriousness of purpose that characterized both Anni and Josef Albers. Residencies are designed to provide time, space, and solitude, with the benefit of access to the Foundation's archives and library. Residencies are awarded by invitation and by application. 

     

    My time at this residency was entirely focused on thinking and making and for that was extremely productive. There I competed a new body of work of woven concrete constructions which will be exhibited across the country as well as in the Netherlands over the next 6 months. 

     

    I also had the time and space to develop a new project titled ​Pliable Plane​.  This project is a collaboration between a modernist dance group, the Moving Architects, and myself. The work is of a monumental scaffolding structure interwoven with a complex textile. The dancers will interact and change the shape and environment of the sculpture through movement. 

     

     

    MG: What originally inspired you about the work of Anni Albers? What did you learn at Black Mountain College and Arts Center?


    CG: Anni Albers was and continues to be a hugely influential artist not only because of her works, but because of her philosophies, the way she wrote and the ways she taught. From Bauhaus to Black Mountain College, Albers was an advocate for experimentation and invention not only in the field of art but also in education. 

     

    With a grant from the Great Meadows Foundation ​I traveled to Asheville, NC in March of this year. During my time there I was able to visit the exhibition, ​Politics at Black Mountain College​, which looked closely at "​the politics surrounding the college and its controversial faculty and students." This exhibition was inspiring and gave world context of how and why this revolutionary school developed at that point in history. The exhibition looked at global politics and how with WWII being fought in Europe, the school was able to create a place that held space for the cultivation of creativity and experimentation. The exhibition looked at race and gender politics within the context of the school as well as within the American South during the 1930's and 40's. 

     

    On the second day, I got to spend an afternoon visiting with the program director Alice ​Sebrell​. Alice is incredibly passionate about Black Mountain College and spent time showing me the textiles that came out of the weaving studio. This was a highlight of my trip. 

     

    What interested me the most in my visit was a notebook kept by one of Anni Albers students while at Black Mountain College. The notebook was a clear articulation of different woven interlacements, drafts and notes on content of the class. This was such a wonderful object to get to spend time with. It allowed me insight into how Albers' philosophies on weaving were presented within a course of study. I teach a course titled ​Woven Structure​ at the University of Kentucky, and I look forward to sharing this with my students. 

            

     

    MG: Is there a particular work of Anni's or moment in her career that speaks to you the most? 

     

    CG: That is a great question. This answer might change over the years, but for now it is no. I am inspired by the wholeness of her career. Her persistence, her process and her dedication as her focus undulated from weaving to writing to print and back again. I admire her insight and ability to go deeply into what she studied. 

     

    MG: Is there anything you would ask Anni if she were still alive? 

     

    CG: I believe it would be my job in that relationship to listen. I think that may be the most profound thing she taught, even if she never quantified it in those terms. She asked herself, her readers, her students to listen to the materials and respond to what they are saying. This is a forever challenge not to be overlooked.

     

    MG: What do you think a major takeaway from this project was and how do you think it will impact your future work?

     

    CG: My time at the Albers Foundation was incredibly grounding. My goal is to take with me that level of insight and the silence it takes to do the work and to do the listening back into my hectic day-to-day life. 

     

    MG: Thank you for your time, Crystal.

  • Momentum at Hamilton Hill – Satellite Gallery opens in Durham

    Third Friday in Durham, September 20th, 6-9pm
    by Jordan Ahlers

    ASHEVILLE GALLERY EXPANDS WITH “MOMENTUM AT HAMILTON HILL”

    SATELLITE GALLERY IN DURHAM – FIRST SHOW OPENS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th, 6-9PM

     

    Hamilton Hill Jewelry, located in Brightleaf Square, and Asheville-based Momentum Gallery, announce a partnership to provide the Durham and Triangle area new access to museum-quality artwork.  Hamilton Hill, a boutique-style jewelry store focusing on modernist designers, will continue with its mission of nearly twenty years while adding visual arts to its offerings. The partnership with Momentum Gallery commences with a reception during Third Friday Durham on September 20 when Hamilton Hill will debut original 2-D and 3-D works by several notable artists from North Carolina and beyond. Please join us from 6-9pm! All are welcome. 

     

    The initial Momentum at Hamilton Hill collection will consist of recent works in a variety of media by several premier North Carolina artists including Thor & Jennifer Bueno (blown glass); Hoss Haley (fabricated steel); Bill Hall (minimalist collage); Anne Lemanski (original prints); and Jeannine Marchand (abstract ceramic sculpture).  The inaugural collection will also feature works by artists Michael Barrringer (paintings); Ron Isaacs (trompe l’oeil constructions); Casey Roberts (cyanotype paintings); and Michael Enn Sirvet (powder-coated aluminum sculpture). Artwork will be refreshed quarterly and exhibitions showcasing individual or paired artists are planned.

     

    Hamilton Hill Jewelry offers one of the finest and most exclusive selections of designer jewelry found in the U.S.  With the addition of selling fine art curated by Momentum, owner Sarah Hill and founder Michael Hamilton are realizing a dream as both consider art their avocation and once considered pursuing curatorial roles and museum work.  It is their shared passion for art and design that has inspired their jewelry choices and influenced Hamilton Hill’s gallery-like decor and environment. Seeking design excellence, style variety, and a broad price range, Hamilton Hill curates the best in contemporary jewelry from the US, Europe, South America, and beyond.  Jewelry includes modernist platinum, high-karat gold made with ancient techniques, naturalistic sterling silver, sleek stainless steel, and even rubber and aluminum jewelry.  

     

    Hamilton Hill's mission is To Serve and Delight, making them the perfect partner for Momentum Gallery. We are delighted to welcome you and look forward to serving you at our new satellite location in Durham! 

     

  • by Jordan Ahlers

     

    This summer we installed a new Air Conditioning system at Momentum Gallery on Lexington Avenue! Some of you may recall we are located in a building that's about 100 years old – which has tremendous character, but can also present some challenges... Last year our air conditioning unit provided some respite from the heat – but not nearly enough! With our brand new system in place, we love hearing visitors say, "wow, it's so cool in here!" We agree! 

  • by Jordan Ahlers

    We are so proud of all our artists!  Read about the fantastic work of Momentum Gallery's artist partner Amy Gross in the lastest issue of luxe. interiors + design magazine (Palm Beach | Broward edition) and see some of Amy's most recent work at the gallery in our contemporary foliage-themed exhibition, A New Leaf, September 12 – November 9, 2019.  

     

    Amy Gross in her studio working on Flora Heredita. The work appears in our foliage-themed exhibition, A New Leaf  (September 12th, 2019 to November 9th, 2010)

     

    Momentum will also feature several of Amy's mixed media pieces at SOFA Chicago, October 31 – November 3, 2019.  Please contact the gallery for complimentary tickets to attend the international art fair, held annually at Navy Pier.  

     

     

  • Thanks to Asheville Made for featuring us in August's Gallery Watch! Check it out! 

  • by Jordan Ahlers

     

    We were thrilled to find Maltby Sykes' Fireworks highlighted as the Asheville Art Museum's Artwork of the Week! Check it out!  https://www.ashevilleart.org/work-of-the-week/work-of-the-week-fireworks/

     

  • by Jordan Ahlers
  • GIVE ME WOOD

    Opens June 27th 5-8pm
    by Jordan Ahlers

     

    Give Me Wood is a mind-blowing collection of contemporary painting, sculpture, and studio furniture unlike anything Asheville has seen. Central to the identity and creation of all the extraordinary two- and three-dimensional works in the exhibition is the common material of wood.  The exhibition celebrates the Asheville debut of several innovative artists.  Please join us for the Opening Reception of Give Me Wood on Thursday, June 27th, from 5-8pm at our downtown Asheville art gallery located at 24 N Lexington Avenue. Drinks and refreshments will be provided. All are welcome. This event is free and open to the public. 

     

     

     

    Give Me Wood includes three works from Wendy Maruyama’s recent EO9066 series. The series refers to Executive Order 9066, which authorized the internment of tens of thousands of American citizens of Japanese ancestry. It also led to the establishment of internment camps that housed 120,000 US citizens forced to remain there until the end of WWII. Sadly, some of these same internment camps are now being reinstated for migrant children.  

     

     

     

     

    The exhibition also introduces renowned furniture maker and American Craft Fellow, Garry Knox Bennett. It’s been said Bennett, “combines enormous talent for sculptural form with unique genius for finding beauty in unconventional objects.” Bennett’s innovative work exhibits meticulous craftsmanship and articulates the artist’s sense of humor and robust spirit.  

     

     

     

     

     

    Other notable works in Give Me Wood include Gil Bruvel’s dynamic sculptures of faces formed of painted sticks, Tom Eckert’s marvelous, veiled trompe l’oeil sculptures, Michael Alm’s constructions depicting woodland animal cross-sections, Sylvie Rosenthal’s wood skull and marbled stop watch, and exciting new works by Momentum Artist Partners Christian Burchard, David Ellsworth, and Ron Layport.  The exhibition continues through Labor Day at our Lexington Avenue location.

  • by Jordan Ahlers

     

    Mariella Bisson’s tranquil and dynamic oil-over-collage paintings feature built-up texture, suggesting the complex surface of stone and tree bark, lichen, and moss.  Mariella will be at Momentum Gallery for the opening of her show as we welcome a dozen never-before-shown paintings, all of which were inspired by local waterfalls and landscapes from the area, including scenes from Pisgah National Forest to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Let’s celebrate the region’s beauty with a refreshing take on contemporary landscape paintings!

     

    In addition to Bisson’s solo show, her brand-new book, Setting Shapes is available for sale for $25.

    Highlighting recent works in addition to significant paintings created over the past decade, Setting Shapes examines the behind-the-scenes of each piece, providing insight into the inspiration and process.  With studio shots, drawings, and history lessons, the book allows you to experience the paintings to their fullest extent and appreciate the energy and contemplation behind them.

     

  • Paul Sattler

    Introducing new fantastic and contemplative oil paintings

     

     

    A collection of recent narrative works by Paul Sattler occupies our Feature Gallery.  An accomplished oil painter, Paul Sattler was the recipient of the John R. Solomon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship. Dramatic narratives unfold in his charged and enigmatic oil paintings which reference historic and literary sources. Sattler comments, “A diverse population of animals are enmeshed in my works’ human-inhabited environments, theatrical locales, and domestic dramas.”

     

  • Samantha Keely Smith

    New oil paintings convey complex emotions through abstract landscapes

     

    Samantha Keely Smith creates inspired and stirring abstract paintings in oil. The Brooklyn-based artist sees her paintings “as an expression of our internal turbulence. They reflect the overwhelming reality of being constantly aware of what is happening in the wider world – Change is the only constant.”  Smith’s nebulous compositions are evocative of luminous cloudscapes and primordial oceans. Brilliant areas of stained pigment collide with waves of painterly brush strokes ultimately conjuring imagined environments with a timeless quality. “These paintings are about the essence of who we all are, as human beings… We all want love and connection.” Smith’s works give form to fluctuations between turbulence and calm present in everything from our emotions to the temporal world. Overall, Smith’s focus is on the underlying psychological impact of the dawning awareness of our shifting reality. 

     

  •  

    World renowned word turner and Momentum inaugural artist, David Ellsworth, is currently featured in Asheville Made.  Ellsworth has work in over 40 museum collections around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Ellsworth's aesthetic embraces nature's irregularities and might be compared to the Japanese principle, wabi-sabi, where anomalies that arise through the process of making add uniqueness and elegance to the work.  Commenting on his distinctive technique, David offers, “I know how it feels to do work through a process of feel rather than sight. That intimacy needs to be reflected in the final form.”

     

    While his work is regularly represented in the gallery, Ellsworth is one of the featured artists in our upcoming invitational wood show, Give Me Wood opening June 27, 5-8pm and continuing through Labor Day.  

     

    The full article can be found here

     

     

     

  • Congratulations Joanna Manousis!

    Veil will be a part of the permanent collection of the Huntsville Museum of Art

     

    We are thrilled to announce the placement of Joanna ManousisVeil in the permanent collection of Huntsville Museum of Art! British artist, Joanna Manousis, lives and works in the United States, creating sculptural objects and installations in glass and mixed media. 

     

    Manousis comments, “Taking on the formation of a 16th Century Dutch bridal veil, Veil is fabricated with thousands of individual round glass disks (murrini) – whites, creams and ivories – in an assortment of sizes. Assembledover a 3-month period, like stitching embroidery into fabric, the glass pieces are fused in 4 panels in a kiln and then laminated onto waterjet-cut sheet mirror. The veil covers its viewer with intricate adornment, just as its textile counterpart did hundreds of years ago.”

     

     

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