Recycled Art Show - June 4, 2010

Artist Concha Wilkinson will demonstrate her eco-friendly work made from recycled bottles and glass vases on Friday June 4, 5-8pm at the Mountain Made art gallery located in the Grove Arcade Public Market at 1 Page Avenue.

Artist Concha Wilkinson lives in a world full of color and artistic possibilities even in the weirdest of places. She browses local thrift stores, consignment shops and yard sales with an artisan’s eye towards reclaiming other people’s thrown away “junk” and “trash”.

Once something catches her attention, she lovingly primes and paints her found treasure, using a rainbow of hues in water-based acrylics. Wilkinson says, “I’ve always been an artist, always creating in my mind, if not with paint.”

Concha Wilkinson's Work

What is Recycled Art?

Recycled Art can be defined as any art or craft that is fashioned from thrown away, salvaged, or scavenged items or materials. Artists like Wilkinson can used these found “environmentally-friendly” materials and repurposes them into functional art pieces such as floor mats, placemats and decorator pieces in mixed media.

Wilkinson will demonstrate her eco-friendly work made from recycled bottles and glass vases on Friday June 4, 5-8pm at the Mountain Made art gallery located in the Grove Arcade Public Market at 1 Page Avenue.

Whether you’re a dedicated follower of the fine arts, a weekend art walker, or a card-carrying member of your local environmental club, this recycled art exhibit hosted by Mountain Made will prove to be fascinating.

No one is certain where the meaning a “wingding” first originated.  But here in the Appalachian mountains, it has come to mean a lively and fun-packed party, filled with good music, good eats and good times  with people we like.

And after the freezing cold temperatures and record snowfalls, we all have experienced this past winter, there is no better way we can think of than welcoming in warmer weather with an old fashioned wing-ding!

Join us at the Mountain Made store for live music from renowned  Southern Appalachian music expert and banjo player Wayne Erbsen along with Barbara Swell, bestselling pioneer cookbook author and historic food folklorist…who also happens to be Mr. Erbsen’s spouse.

The Wingding is on Friday, April 2, 2010 and is from 5 to 8 PM at the Mountain Made store in Downtown Asheville, NC.

Come join us and partake of some great entertainment, wonderful food and beverages and escape your cabin fever for good!

Barbara Swell - Historic American Cooking Expert

In 1995, goaded on by her spouse, Appalachian musician & writer, Wayne Erbsen, reluctantly released her first cookbook on pioneer recipes.

Entitled “Log Cabin Cooking”, it went on to become a bestseller on the “Native Ground Books & Music” catalog which is produced by Wayne.

Barbara went on to write seven other historic cookbooks like “Take Two & Butter ‘Em While They’re Hot!”, “Children at the Hearth”,”Secrets of the Great Old-Timey Cooks”, “Ma’s in the Kitchen”, “Old-Time Farmhouse Cooking”, “The Lost Art of Pie Making” and “The 1st American Cookie Lady”.

Many of Barbara’s titles are available in the Mountain Made book section. These cookbooks not only detail authentic, pioneer and early 20th century  recipes  but they also feature  lots of American folklore as cooking techniques and tips.

Barbara will be available for book signings and conversations during Mountain Made’s 1st Annual Old Fashioned Wing-Ding in April.

Come join Barbara and us for sharing  fun recipes, food and live mountain style music.

In 1973, Wayne moved from his home on the West Coast to North Carolina. His goal was to dig deep into the roots of Southern Appalachian music by learning from the masters.

Realizing that the true Southern Appalachian music was on the verge of becoming extinct, Wayne was determined to ensure that this music was preserved and passed on to future generations.

After studying under the watchful eyes of such gifted musicians as Charlie Monroe,  Tommy Jarrell and many others, he began teaching banjo classes to interested students of all ages.

Wayne wrote up his music lessons and self-published under the title, “A Manual on How to Play the 5-String Banjo For the Compete Ignoramus!”  This first book sold out in a matter of weeks.

Soon Wayne followed it up with other bestsellers such as the “Bluegrass Banjo From Scratch”, then “The Complete & Painless Guide to the Guitar for Young Beginners”, and finally “The Backpocket Old-Time Songbook” and  “The Backpocket Bluegrass Songbook”,.

Many of Wayne’s wonderful books and Appalachian music CDs are available for  right here in the Mountain Made store .

Wayne will be here for our 1st Old Fashioned Wing-Ding in April. He is going to provide us with some live music from his favorite banjo pieces, as well be available to sign autographs on his CDs and books.

Remember to come by and visit us!

Considered by many to be the best tour in Asheville.  Using Gray Line’s Nostalgic Red trolleys there is no better way to see and visit the major sightseeing spots in the downtown and historic Asheville area.

Just pick up a ticket at Mountain Made and hop on board for a fully narrated trip. These 1.5 to 1.75 hour tours highlight the history, unique homes and hot-spots in our “city of surprises.”

There is no rushing on a Gray Line Tour. You can enjoy the tour at your own pace.  You are free to  stay  on-board the trolley for a complete tour  or you can hop-off at any their 9 trolley stops to shop, dine and explore at your leisure , then re-board the next trolley to continue your tour!

Now, what can be better than that? Don’t forget trolley tickets are on sale from Monday – Saturday, 10:00 am until 6:00 pm &  Sunday from 12:00 noon until 5:00 pm.

For charters or special events click here.

www.1000markets.com/users/gayleray

“Many of the paintings I am doing come from visions I see in meditation -the sun behind the veils, the eye of God watching over all, and other imagery and patterns.

I also have enjoyed painting trees and how they interact with each other. I see them holding each other, touching, reaching, and caressing the sky. My paintings of them lean to the abstract and explore color, texture, and composition amongst other things.”

http://kate-stockman.blogspot.com

Kate is a multi-media 3-D artist living in Western North Carolina. Ever since she started playing in her grandmother’s button box as a child, she has delighted in color, shape, and texture.  She grew up surrounded by her grandmother’s and mother’s needlework and handcrafts, and many of these pieces are in her home today.

Spring is just around the corner and after this winter we are all ready for warmer weather, blue skies,    and time in the garden.  Mountain Made has some new pieces in our pottery and metal work categories that will add that very special touch and will inspire you in your plans while we are waiting for the arrival of “spring”.

Maud Boleman of Black Mountain Studios (www.blackmountainstudios.com) is introducing a bird house, bird feeder, and a  planter in her vineware pottery style that  are just beautiful.  She is also adding that cute little lady bug to several of  her other pieces.

A Vineware Mug - Maud-Boleman

The planter that she has designed has the lady bug, a dragonfly, and a little snail amongst the vines and leaves. Maud’s new work  will be available towards the end of March.

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Mike Cowan of Moonshiner Metal Works (www.moonshinermetalworks.net ) as always has a great selection of metal yard art — bird baths, feeder posts, bird houses, and fun, decorative garden stakes.  His garden stakes are full of fun and whimsey featuring hummingbirds, dragonflies along with flowers and dragonflies created from spoons and forks!  He even  does a cat  that is climbing the wall that can hold a plant or “bird feeder” from its tail.

Fun Garden Critters - Mike Cowan

Last year he  added ants and spiders to  his offering and both are great fun.  The ants are made using a recycled car part and both his ant and spider are more welcomed than the real thing.  Mike also has a new addition this year.  A garden stake and  wall hanging for the garden wall.  A throw back to the 60′s piece sign with the words “let it grow”.

Come by the Mountain Made store and get an early start on inspiration for accessorizing your  garden.

www.moonshinermetalworks.net

Mike fell in love with anything mechanical as a small boy. He worked as a tool builder for glass artists and then followed his love of cars into NASCAR racing where he worked as a welder and fabricator for many years.

Now he has turned his metalworking skills toward artistic welding and blacksmithing, designing and building everything from architectural iron work to whimsical garden art.

"Spoon & Fork Flowers" - Mike Cowan

Mike is a member of ABANA and works at his studio in the mountains just outside of Asheville, North Carolina .