Piedmont Arts will host an opening reception in honor of its new exhibits from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Friday, March 28 at the museum. The exhibits “Threads, Folds & Rabbit Holes,” “Untethered: An Exploration of Emotion” and “Peaceful Creation: Nature’s Brilliance on Land and Water” will be on display.
The reception will feature live music by Spencer Koger, light refreshments and a gallery talk starting at 6:15 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. An RSVP is required by Wednesday, March 26 to 276.632.3221 or at PiedmontArts.org.
“Threads, Folds & Rabbit Holes” crosses the boundaries of the arts, sciences and humanities. It features paintings from the series “Holidays Unfolding” and “Through the Veil” by Kristy Deetz.
The works in the “Holidays Unfolding” series investigate the historic use of decorative drapery and the artistic category of still life. The paintings examine the contradictory feelings that accompany loss or nostalgia and become meditations on life’s transience. The series’ surreal imagery also comments on pressing issues in contemporary politics, culture and mores associated with American holidays. Deetz explores new possibilities between a complex interface of painting, textiles and digital technology, while producing a product that maintains the richness of slow work by hand.
The works in the “Through the Veil” series begin with a rendering from a closely observed fabric with wrinkles and folds. They recapitulate the compositional structure of works by artists from the past and present. The fabric in these paintings acts as a limen or threshold that places the viewer into multiple, often conflicting, layers of space and meaning.
Deetz is professor emerita at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Her extensive exhibition record includes national and international venues. She has served as Erasmus Visiting Lecturer at the University of Kassel in Germany and as an artist in residence at Burren College of Art in Ireland. Along with writer and scholar Edward Risden, whose pen name is Edward Louis, she has published the books “The Singular Adventures of Rabbit and Kitty Boy” and “Holidays Unfolding: The Continuing Adventures of Rabbit and Kitty Boy.”
“Untethered: An Exploration of Emotion” features carved wood sculptures by Pieter Bain. With a keen eye for detail he transforms raw wood into captivating forms. Each piece is a dialogue between the artist and the natural world and an exploration of the wood’s inherent character and the vision it inspires. Bain describes his process as both meditative and transformative. He seeks to honor the tree’s journey by breathing new life into its form.
Bain is the creative force behind Wild Tribe Woodworks in Floyd, Va. His piece titled “The Way She Moves” won Best in Show in Lynwood Artists’ and Piedmont Arts’ annual open-entry art show “Expressions” in 2023.
“Peaceful Creation: Nature’s Brilliance on Land and Water” featuring work by Lee Farley will be on display in the Lynwood Artists Gallery. Farley’s work is produced by removing pigment from scratchboard using razor-sharp instruments. He then overlays acrylics and inks applied with airbrush to create surreal effects. His work focuses on relaxing, serene imagery that offers an escape from everyday life.
These exhibits will be on display March 29-May 10. Exhibit admission is always free.
The exhibits and reception are sponsored by Olivia and Pres Garrett, Janet Lewis, Beverly and George Lyle, Lynwood Artists, Anne and Eric Smith and Sovah Health.
For more information on exhibits and events, visit PiedmontArts.org.
