Evan Kafka: Trophies & Billboard Selfies
On Exhibit: March 5th - May 5th, 2024
Reception and Artist's Talk: 3/21 from 5-7pm in Blowers Gallery
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
Artist & Exhibit Info:
Photographer Evan Kafka (b. 1968) has over 25 years of commercial photography experience shooting advertising and numerous magazine covers and stories. Originally from Maryland, Evan Lived and worked in New York City most of his adult life. He moved to Asheville in 2014. Kafka has a BFA from Rochester Institute of Technology's College of Arts and Imaging Science.
Trophies
I create portraits of live animals, ingeniously captured so that they appear as taxidermy heads. Caught in a moment of suspended animation, they express their own unique sense of personality. I try to reveal their conscience by capturing expressions we can relate to from human experience. Using lighting, backdrops, and fabric, I isolate and freeze their frenetic movements, allowing the viewer to analyze what would otherwise be instantaneous.
Billboard Selfies
I was hired by Apple to use an iPhone to photograph babies for their latest global "Shot on iPhone" campaign. The ads hit the streets of major international cities on billboards and other outdoor advertising in early February of 2024. I traveled to New York, DC and LA to document the boards, which come down on March 10th. Using a self timer and a tripod, I created images of my self in the vicinity of the ads I created.
The River Arts District / UNC-Asheville Artist Alumni Show
On Display: February 9th-26th, 2024
Opening reception: Friday, February 9, 2024 4:00-6:00pm
Location: Blower’s Gallery in Ramsey Library
As part of Homecoming Weekend events, a special group of artists have come together to highlight their artistic abilities and celebrate the exceptional education and training experiences they received at UNC-Asheville. These 12 participating UNC-Asheville alumni artists contribute to the thriving arts scene of Asheville’s River Arts District. They have studios in the River Arts District and are members of the River Arts District Association. Each artist will present their own style and expression through various mediums, such as oil painting, pastels, sculpture, and pottery. An opening reception will take place on Friday, February 9th from 4-6pm.
Participating Artists: Karen Keil Brown, Katrina Anne Chenevert. Tess Darling, Katie Elle, Sahar Fakhoury, Meredith Gottschalk, Mary LaBianca, Fleta Monaghan, Brit J Oie, Jeremy Phillips , Susan Sinyai, and Cindy Walton.
The Bill and Alice Hart Collection
On Exhibit: January 2nd - February 2nd, 2024
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
The Bill and Alice Hart Collection, the crown jewel of UNC Asheville’s Special Collections, contains over 1200 books and over 25 linear feet of ephemera and related materials. This comprehensive collection was carefully curated by Bill and Alice Hart over 55 years and represents a broad spectrum of written material relating primarily to Western North Carolina. Many of the books and pamphlets are extremely rare and represent the Harts’ scholarship and pursuit of specific sources of information as their research delved deep into different aspects of Western North Carolina history and culture.
This exhibit highlights a handful of the rich and varied materials in the Bill and Alice Hart Collection. The exhibit also features Alice Hart’s watercolors, which are displayed with the Hart Collection in Special Collections, as well as Bill Hart’s scholarship and his love of hiking and the Great Smoky Mountains.
We are especially grateful to the Harts for their generous funding of the Bill and Alice Hart Internship, which provides internships for UNC Asheville students to work with Southern Appalachian materials in Special Collections. The first internship begins in January 2024.
We invite everyone to make an appointment with Special Collections and take a deeper dive into these marvelous resources. Please contact Special Collections to make an appointment to see the Hart Collection: speccoll@unca.edu This exhibit was prepared by Michael Dennis, Ashley Whittle, and Gene Hyde
Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual
On Exhibit: November 7th – December 8th, 2023
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
The Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual is the oldest Native American artists’ cooperative in the U.S. and was founded in 1946 in Cherokee, NC. The legendary artistry, design, and durability of Cherokee crafts are admired throughout the world, and Qualla has played a key role in keeping those traditions alive while encouraging experimentation and innovation. The current exhibit, created by Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center, showcases varied examples of both traditional and modern styles of Cherokee art, historical photos, and many informational panels of crafting traditions of the Cherokee to our Blowers Gallery space.
Learn more about the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual here from their website.
Postcards from the Land of Sky: Images from the LeCompte Collection
On Exhibit: October 1st, 2023 – November 14th, 2023
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
This exhibit is a collection of the L. C. LeCompte Postcard Collection held in Ramsey Library’s Special Collections (Upper Level). It contains postcards depicting scenes from the Southeastern US. Most were published by the Asheville Postcard Company. Lamar Campbell LeCompte reputedly started in the wholesale postcard business in 1913, with a business initially located on Patton Avenue. However, the 1914 to 1917 Asheville City Directories show LeCompte as a salesman for Smith’s Drug Store, and the first entry for the Asheville Postcard Company is not until 1921 when J L Widman was a business partner.
In 1930, LeCompte moved the business to 31 Carolina Lane in Asheville, and soon the Asheville Postcard Company became the largest distributor of postcards south of Washington, DC. LeCompte soon started to publish his own postcards, traveling around taking photographs of buildings and scenes that he thought would be of interest, and using a publisher to print the cards. LeCompte died in 1977, and the business was inherited by Ruth Thurmond (who donated the majority of the postcards in this collection to UNC Asheville) and Allen Hall, who had both worked with LeCompte for many years. They sold the business in 1978, when the inventory of Asheville Postcard Company was estimated to be several million cards.
Interested in learning more about Ramsey Library Special Collections’ Postcard Collections? Please visit this page:
https://libjournals.unca.edu/librarynews/exhibits/land-of-sky-postcard-exhibit-now-in-blowers/
Externalities
By Artist Nick Raynolds
On Exhibit: August 1, 2023 - September 29, 2023
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
Reception: Thursday, September 14th at 1pm in Blowers Gallery
Nick Raynolds presents his recent triptych, “Externalities”. Each piece including “The Garden After the Rain”, “Confounding Fathers” and “Drawing Down the Moon” are abstract narratives which serve to elaborate on Raynolds’ idea of “introspective realism”. Also on display will be a number of works from the artist’s 2020 MFA thesis exhibition “emotional plague” which was closed early due the pandemic lockdown. This is the first time these pieces will be shown outside the ETSU venue.
Perspectives Preserved in Plastic
By Artist Ava Bock
On Exhibit: March 20 - May 11, 2023
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
Artist Statement: Perspectives Preserved in Plastic is a record of my various attempts to observe, catalog, and connect with my intangible inner self. As I relive and react to the depth of my lived yet unresolved experiences, being unable to physically see what was going on inside my logical, emotional, and spiritual self provided a problem I felt driven to solve.
Since my mind associates color with emotional responses and texture with physical ones, I started to replicate those moments literally. By working from my strongest and most intense experiences, the pieces created at the beginning of my journey are the most erratic looking with the most saturated colors and sharpest edges.
Beyond color and texture, I use differing levels of opacity to communicate my openness and the level of comfort I have with the topic I'm working through. In this way, I am able to open myself up to a deeper, quieter, and more nuanced place within myself. By layering opaque materials and clear ones, I found the ability to share myself without discomfort.
As time went on, this combination of observed light, color, texture, and transparency began to combine in a way that followed my own natural biorhythm. Meditative patterns started to emerge and intertwine as I began to settle into a more harmonious place of self-knowing.
The entire breadth of this intimate observation is showcased through the uniquely human material of synthetic and bio-synthetic plastics. From my initial exposure to photography, through to the Light and Space movement that inspires my more sculptural and current pieces, my connection and understanding of the versatility of plastic made it the natural choice for this analysis. Salud y Vida (Health + Life)
Double Take
By Artist Jeremy Phillips
On Exhibit: January 22 - February 24, 2023
Reception: Valentine's Day (2.14.23) from 4 - 6pm
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
Jeremy Phillips' Artist Statement: Why make paintings anymore? For me they are something solid in a digital world, images that linger long after the media circus has flown by, perpetual presences that invite you to slow down rather than flit off to the next piece of eye candy. A painting should be something you can live with and that keeps talking back.
When I think of painting in the internet age, the physical qualities of the work become central – the surface texture, the way the light plays off the paint, the accidents of application, the revelations of underlayers, the juxtaposition of thickness and color, the material of the support, even the underlying stretchers.
Content, beyond the play of form, is a relished addition. The interiors of rooms or apartment blocks, the visual games of optical illusions and impossible shapes, binary code, stacks; these are prompts for contemplation. Painting is also about a conversation with other art. Building on the work of artists like Sol Lewitt, Jasper Johns, Sigmar Polke, and older modernists like Edouard Vuillard, and Pierre Bonnard, I want to add my own voice to the questions modern art raises (like “What is a painting?”, “What is beautiful?” and “What kinds of things can be a subject for a painting?”, and “How can I used older images to make something new?”), and try to offer some of my own solutions.
I hope the results feed the eye as well as the mind, with a luscious use of oil paint, commercial fabrics, strong bright colors, and sharp lines. Sometimes deceptively simple and sometimes intriguingly complex, these visual puzzles intend to keep your eyes peeled.
Threadbangers: The Ephemera of Virality
On Exhibit: November 15th, 2022-January 15th, 2023
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
Artists' Talk: TBD
Come see the threads behind the YouTube phenomenon the Threadbangers, including a selection of their crafty DIY concoctions, gold and silver YouTube plaques from across their channels, fanart, letters, and gifts from adoring fans, and event memorabilia. Learn more and see some recommended videos from our dedicated page for the exhibit here: library.unca.edu/events/threadbanger
Diapason
Exhibit Curator: Jonathan Fisher
On Exhibit: September 19 - October 31st, 2022
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
Works from the Studio Foundations faculty at Kennesaw State University's School of Art & Design near Atlanta, GA. Diapason is a diverse exhibition of studio practice representing two and three-dimensional works, video art, and graphic design. As diapason is a burst of sound, this cross-section of artists represents the vibrant and divergent disciplines of our community at KSU.
Bio Brutalism
Artist: Nick Raynolds
On Exhibit: August 5 - September 16, 2022
Artist's Talk: September 13 at 4pm in Blowers Gallery
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
Bio Brutalism is the latest collection of drawings and paintings by local Asheville artist Nick Raynolds. The works will be on display at the Blowers Gallery in the D. Hiden Ramsey Library at UNCA from August 5 - September 16, 2022. Working primarily in graphite on paper and oil on canvas, the show will feature a number of mid-sized drawings and a selection of paintings.
In his continuing series of absurdist metaphysical fantasies, these recent imaginative landscapes explore abstract constructions suggesting an integration of architecture, machines and biological forms. Raynolds seeks to navigate the tension between a literalism and a metaphoric abstraction, while raising questions about Art & architecture, science fiction, psychological states and esoteric cosmologies.
Born and raised in British Columbia, Canada, Raynolds studied art in Vancouver, Halifax, NS and in Düsseldorf, Germany. He studied classical drawing and painting in New York City where he lived for 10 years before moving to Asheville. He has exhibited his work nationally and abroad and currently teaches drawing at UNCA and Warren Wilson College. His work began to shift from a strictly observational to a more inventive and introspective practice about 6 or 7 years ago. You can see more of the artist’s work on Instagram @raynonmars and @n.raynolds
International Photo Exhibit
Summer 2022
Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
Featuring thought-provoking photos taken by students, faculty and staff while traveling abroad, this curated show is our Summer 2022 exhibition in Blowers Gallery.
'Wood, Salt, Soda: The Inaugural Firing"
Artists: Megan Wolfe and John Cummings
On Exhibit: April 1 - April 26, 2022
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
This exhibit highlights the work from the inaugural firing of the new kilns (Anagama, Wood Salt, and Gas Soda Kiln) at Owen Hall. The exhibition was curated by Ceramic Professors Megan Wolfe and John Cummings. It includes pieces made by both students and faculty, and also showcases work made by Master Kiln builders Donovan Palmquest and Juda Birkeland, and guest artists Will Waggle and Dian Maige. Students exhibiting art in this exhibit: Liam Greer, Cat Owens, Aaron Sumner, Abby Meyer, Sam Joyner, Linda Custer, Owen Baloga, Brook Toffel, Kira Silva, Emerson Garling, Amy Williams, Hannah Sawyer, Oli Dimond, Jessie Trampas, Jane Tyler, Jacquelyn Sublett, Jazmin Blanco, Wallis Flanagan, Samantha Lee, Angel Xelhua, Savannah Stewart, Stella Nettles, Vivian Kaye, Michaela Francis, Cole Anson, and Sydney Morrison.
Private Domain: Redux
Artist: Virginia Derryberry
On Exhibit: March 4, 2022 - March 31, 2022
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
Artist's statement: Large scale figure narrative paintings in the Private Domain series blend elements from mythology and alchemy, the forerunner of modern science. The intent is to suggest multiple interpretations rather than a straightforward illustration of a specific narrative, a fitting choice in that alchemy by its very nature is about the process of transformation. At first glance, it seems that a real space is being defined, but in fact, the images are constructed from multiple viewpoints and lighting systems. Passages of volumetric rendering set next to more abstract, painterly areas, result in the creation of a virtual, shifting world where nothing is quite what it seems.
Over the past few years, these paintings have become more complex and have begun to incorporate multiple canvases as well as fabric, embroidery and found objects as a way to expand the idea of traditional narrative. Suggesting Renaissance altarpiece panels, these images imply a conversation between factual and illusionistic and pull the viewer in to ask questions about what is being revealed and what is being concealed.
TEMPUS: A Span of Duality
Artist: Shawn Winebrenner
On Exhibit: February 1st - March 3rd, 2022.
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
Artist's Statement: This body of work is an autobiographical revisiting of time - visual representations of the constant evolution and reflection of my life journey and how the process of aging has played a significant part. Who and what I continue to become as an individual creates a deep need to better comprehend the symbiotic but curious relationship between the soul and the physical body.
Collective Works of Harry Malesovas and Samuel Joyner
On Exhibit: January 4th - 31st, 2022
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
This exhibition features both functional and sculptural ceramic work. The artists aim to highlight the versatility of clay as an artistic medium by contrasting the ornate/functional pieces of Samuel Joyner’s with the monstrous clay sculptures created by Harry Malesovas.
Fall 2021 BA Student Senior Group Exhibition
On Exhibit: December 1st - 10, 2021
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
Reception: December 3rd 5-7pm in Blowers Gallery
Students will present a portion of their senior portfolio in Blower’s Gallery in Ramsey Library. This show is the last step for students to earn their Bachelor’s of Arts in Art. Students’ studio art concentrations include Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. Artists presenting work at this exhibition include Jackson Benton, Wyatt Bryant, Olivia Peters, Hattie Padgett, and Penn Hartsell.
Evanescent by Leigh Svenson
On Exhibit: October 1st to November 30th, 2021
Location: Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
EVANESCENT: ev.a.nes.cent (adjective) Soon passing out of sight, memory or existence; the quality of being fleeting. From driftwood cathedrals being taken by the sea - to mercurial dune grass etchings and ebb tide carvings, these fleeting images I have captured during vacations at the Golden Isles of Georgia.
For the past five years, specifically St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island, I lugged along my big Bronica GS-1 medium format (6X7) film camera for treks to the beach. Usually I would get entranced with potential images and start to photograph while my wife looked for shells down the beach. Capturing the passage of time, both ephemeral and enduring, has long been of interest to me. It is my hope that you will study these photographs and those qualities will be revealed to you. -Leigh Svenson, Weaverville, NC
Women of Distinction: If you can see it, you can be it!
By artist Joseph Pearson
On Exhibit: August 9th to September 30th
Reception: August 17th 12-3pm in Blowers Gallery
Artist Statement: I created this body of work to honor the women in my family, women whose love, nurture and support made me who I am. These were women who worked hard at home and in the community. This desire was precipitated with the celebration of my last living aunt’s 96th birthday. (July 18,1922 - March 24, 2021). It led me to consider doing something to honor her and the women of her generation, including my mama and her older sister. Through this body of work I wanted to present a few of the many professional women from the local community as examples for younger women and girls as they strive to reach their goals and potential. It’s a way of giving back something of the nurture and encouragement I received from the women in my life.
I am Joseph Anthony Pearson. I am a resident artist at Pink Dog Studios in the River Arts District. I paint people as figures and portraits (as well as murals and pet portraits).I received the B.S. degree in Art education from Jackson State University and the Master of Education degree from William Carey College. I trained professionally for five years at the Art Students League of New York. A percentage of any donations and sales will be donated to local non-profit organizations.
Visit Joseph Pearson's website for more information: www.josephart.net/
International Photo Contest Exhibit
On Exhibit: March 29th to August 2nd, 2021 in Ramsey Library's Blowers Gallery View 2020-21 Winners Online and View 2019-20 Winners Online
Exhibit Creators: UNC Asheville Study Abroad. Artists on Exhibit: Nora Segurola, Ray Strong, Katie Tanner, Amanda Morse, Luiz Dantas, Veronika Mojik, James Kwak, Aly Pagano, Gloria Kirk, Jonathan Morris, Zax Milkereit, Logan Guarglia, and Carter Kennedy.
Each year the Study Abroad office hosts an International Photo Contest where students, faculty and staff can submit photographs they have taken while abroad. The photographs in this year’s International Photo Exhibit offer glimpses into communities around the globe and represent the winners from the 2020 and 2021 photo contests. Sharing their overseas experiences with the larger UNC Asheville community helps bring the world to Asheville and aids our understanding of their international experiences. These images are placed on permanent display across campus at the conclusion of the show. Further details on Study Abroad's annual international photo contest can be found here. Please note that due to Covid-19, this year's exhibit will not have a reception nor individual presentations from our winners.
Urban Renewal in Asheville
On Exhibit: Spring Semester, 2021 in Ramsey Library's Blowers Gallery View Exhibition Online in Accessible Format
Exhibit Creators: Ramsey Library's Special Collections, UNCA Professor Patrick Bahls, and students in Professor Bahls' UNCA course, "Urban Renewal in Asheville and Elsewhere" taught in Fall 2019.
This exhibit explores the local history, intents, and impacts of the Urban Renewal movement beginning with the U.S. federal Housing Act of 1949. It contextually presents individual cases of community change in the Asheville area through text, maps, and photographs, including with the controversial 1937 Residential Security, aka 'Red-lined,' map of Asheville's neighborhoods (see left-hand image). The entire exhibit is available online in screen reader accessible format here. Illustrative excerpt from this exhibit: [...] The impacts of urban renewal were not equitably felt by all citizens. Low-income neighborhoods, particularly those with high proportions of residents of color, were more often targeted for renewal. This is unsurprising, given longstanding racial inequities in the availability of funds for home purchase and improvement. (Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law describes these inequities in great detail.) For instance, the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC), founded in 1933, offered ways for homeowners facing default on their existing mortgages to buy into new mortgages with manageable repayment plans. To assess investment risk, the HOLC enlisted local agencies’ aid in surveying neighborhoods, color-coding neighborhoods according to the results of those surveys, with red indicating the riskiest areas for investment. Many neighborhoods that were “red-lined” were home to high percentages of Black residents, and few “green” neighborhoods were home to any persons of color. - text courtesy of Patrick Bahls
Fall 2020 BA Student Senior Group Exhibition
On Exhibit: November 13th - 20th, 2020 in Ramsey Library's Blowers Gallery
Students will present a portion of their senior portfolio in Blower’s Gallery in Ramsey Library. This show is the last step for students to earn their Bachelor’s of Arts in Art. Students’ studio art concentrations include Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. This year features the work of students Geddi Monroe, Indica Willis, Amahdi Stewart, and Cassidy Shaw.
Ascension: Stonewall to Orlando
Artist: Brent Skidmore
On Exhibit: November 9th - TBD 2021
In Ramsey Library's First Floor Grand Staircase Landing
Artist's description: Description: In 2016, after the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando , FL, I was processing great grief that related to my friends who have been continually challenged, threaten and even harmed because they are gay. Many of these friends have been huge pillars of my support and love that I call on often. One of these men I would credit with saving my life. As I write this, I am still overcome with sadness. I often move through these grief spaces by making art and during this summer I took the time to celebrate this community of people by making what I hope would be a celebration of ALL of their lives. I built this piece as a protective prayer for them all.
The Family Store: A History of Jewish Businesses in Downtown Asheville, 1880-1990
On Exhibit: August 10 - November 27, 2020 in Ramsey Library's Blowers Gallery
Created by Jan Schochet and Sharon Fahrer, this exhibit "showcases a time when all downtowns were destinations of purpose, providing the items necessary for daily life, from groceries to clothing to restaurants." Previously the exhibit was located at sites around downtown Asheville, North Carolina where these former Jewish businesses used to thrive. Most of the documents, interviews and images used to create this exhibit are held in the Special Collections of D. H. Ramsey Library and were part of existing collections, or were donated as part of the research efforts of Schocket and Fahrer while creating The Family Store exhibit. Description from Special Collections' Web Exhibit, which is still available with all shown panels viewable online.
Scribes: Work in Image and Text from the Goodyear Arts Collective
On Exhibit: March 1st - 31st, 2020 in Ramsey Library's Blowers Gallery
Reception: TBA
Exhibit Description: Image and text are the basic building blocks of meaning in visual language. Artists combine and contrast pictures and words to explore a wide array of possible meanings, to expand and expound on the way we “read” a work of art. The five artists in this exhibition, Amy Bagwell, Renee Cloud, D’Angelo Dia, Liliya Zalevskaya, and Jason Watson all play with image and text in their drawings, prints, designs, and installations. As active members of the Goodyear Arts Collective in Charlotte, NC, this show illustrates the many threads of their ongoing creative conversation. -Artist Jason Watson
MISSING: Stories of Urban Renewal in Asheville's Historic East End and Valley Street Neighborhoods
On Exhibit: February 1st - 27th, 2020 in Ramsey Library's Blowers Gallery
"“Urban renewal” as a technical term dates back to the US Congress’s Housing Act of 1954, which granted the federal government authority to claim “blighted” properties from private owners and redevelop the land those properties occupied in the name of civic progress. Though many urban renewal projects were undertaken with the best of intentions, on the whole they resulted in the dislocation of millions from their homes and businesses, most powerfully affecting communities of color. MISSING, crafted by UNC Asheville students enrolled in Patrick Bahls’s first-year seminar on urban renewal, examines the impact of urban renewal on specific locations in the East End and Valley Street neighborhoods of Asheville, neighborhoods among several local predominantly African American neighborhoods impacted by urban renewal during the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s." -Professor Patrick Bahls
A Progressive Escape by Greg Vineyard
On Exhibit: January 2nd - 31st, 2020 in Ramsey Library's Blowers Gallery
"My conceptual illustrations are often inspired by current events, daily life observation, societal behaviors, psychology, and nature. "A Progressive Escape" is a visual interpretation of one lifespan, energetically displaying the duality of simplicity and chaos, and ultimately an arrival at some form of peace. While I don't personally view death itself as an "escape," I do think that if we're lucky, each stage of a life can provide some relief from whatever came before. As has often been said, life is about the experiences along the way, which I do think are cumulative." -Artist Greg Vineyard
BA Student Senior Group Exhibition
On Exhibit: December 4th - 15th, 2019 in Ramsey Library's Blowers Gallery
Students will present a portion of their senior portfolio in Blower’s Gallery in Ramsey Library. This show is the last step for students to earn their Bachelor’s of Arts in Art. Students’ studio art concentrations include Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture.
Black Resistance in Western North Carolina Exhibit
Exhibit Open: October 24th - November 30th, 2019
Location: Blowers Gallery
Come see the history of African Americans in Western North Carolina through poster-sized photos from Ramsey Library's own Special Collections & University Archives. These photographs and others are available to be viewed online from this Special Collections Webpage.
Stories of the Snowbird Day School
On Exhibit: October 1st to 30th, 2019
Reception: October 17th, 2019 from 6 to 8pm
Where: Ramsey Library's Blowers Gallery
The Stories of the Snowbird Day School project consists of 474 digitized photos and 35 oral histories, mainly in the Cherokee language. Additionally more than 1500 recovered documents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) highlight life in and around the School for students, teachers, staff and the Tuti Yi community. These are their stories.
Ramsey Library Staff Exhibit
Artists: Ramsey Library Staff
On Exhibit: July 15th to August 13th, 2019
Where: The Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library
Come see the creative works of Ramsey Library's own staff: now until August 13th. Exhibit includes poetry, paintings, and photography by our Public Services Coordinator, Librarian Brandy Bourne, E-Resources Librarian Susan Terry, Head of Special Collections & University Archives, Librarian Gene Hyde, Technical Services & Resource Management Librarian Barbara Svenson, and our Information Literacy Librarian Jon Morris. Thank you everyone for contributing! Many of these displayed works were professionally printed using the library's own CrAFT Studio, open to all UNCA students, staff, and faculty.
Next month, starting August 16th, we will be highlighting an exhibit of works by UNCA alumni!
BA Senior Group Exhibition
On Exhibit: May 3 - May 11, 2019 in Ramsey Library's Blowers Gallery and in Highsmith Union's Intercultural Galler
Reception: Friday, May 3 from 6 - 8 pm.
Fourteen students will present a portion of their senior portfolio in Blower’s Gallery in Ramsey Library and Highsmith Intercultural Gallery. This show is the last step for students to earn their Bachelor’s of Arts in Art. Students’ studio art concentrations include Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. The opening reception will be held on Friday, May 3rd from 6:00pm-8:00pm in both locations and the exhibits will be up May 3 – May 11, 2019.
Students included in the exhibition: Brianna Speight (painting), Deanna Brown (painting), Amanda Foor (painting), Ariel Shefsky (painting), Brent Boehmer (sculpture), Amanda Emery (drawing), David Hallyburton (drawing), Sydney Khan (drawing), Konrad Sanders (sculpture), Carly Gee (ceramics), Corabelle Brindle (ceramics), Natalie Rossetti (printmaking), Jonathan Freeze (printmaking), Karly Hartzman (photo)
Brown V. Board of Education
In Pursuit of Freedom and Equality: Kansas and the African American Public School Experience, 1855-1955
On Exhibit: April 4-24, 2019 Ramsey Library, Main Level
This exciting visual presentation uses images and text to share little known facts about the history of the Brown decision. Today few people realize that as early as 1849 African Americans fought the system of education in this country that mandated separate schools for their children based solely on race. In many instances these schools were substandard facilities with out-of-date textbooks and often no basic school supplies. What was not in question was the dedication of the African American teachers assigned to these schools.
This chronological look at the history of Brown leaves the viewer with a clear understanding that efforts still continue across the country to realize the dream of individuals and organizations that challenged a system that would deny them access to equal educational opportunity and their basic civil rights. This Exhibit was created and is circulated by the Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence, and Research.
Additionally part of this display are a collection of banners depicting the history of desegregation in Buncombe County. These posters can be seen on the walls surrounding the In Pursuit of Freedom Exhibition and will be available throughout the exhibition in Ramsey Library.
International Photo Contest 2018 Winners
Artist: Students, Faculty, Staff
On Exhibit: April 1-16, 2019
Ramsey Library Blowers Gallery is proud to host this exhibition of winning photos from the Study Abroad Office's International Photo Contest. A reception with the photographers will take place from noon-1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9, in the gallery. The exhibition and reception are free and open to everyone.
Photos were awarded in four different categories: cross-cultural, nature’s beauty, people, and reflections. The Chancellor’s Purchase Award photo, Llama en los Andes, was taken in Peru by UNC Asheville senior Virginia Taylor. The Chancellor’s Purchase Award Runners Up are My Kindergarten Students in China, by senior Amy Brown, and Fire in the Amazon, taken in Ecuador by senior Brenna Tull. Blowers Gallery is open during regular library hours.
Appalachian Studies Association Exhibit
On Exhibit: March 1-31, 2019
Part of UNC Asheville and Mars Hill University’s co-hosted 42nd annual Appalachian Studies Association Conference held March 14-17, 2019 on the UNC Asheville campus, this exhibit features materials from various Western North Carolina Archives and Special Collections.
The exhibit was assembled by Gene Hyde, Head of Special Collections at UNC Asheville, and Karen Paar, Director of the Southern Appalachian Archives at Mars Hill University.
Participating collections include UNC Asheville, Mars Hill University, Western Carolina University, Appalachian State University, NC Room at Pack Library, Western Regional Archives, Blue Ridge Parkway Archives, Warren Wilson College, Penland School of Crafts, Biltmore Industries, Carl Sandburg House, and Swannanoa Valley Museum.
Perimeter
Artist: David Hopes
On Exhibit: February 1-28, 2019
Perimeter explores the possibilities of the heavily textured canvas. In a usually narrative and representational painter such as myself, these works also investigate the question of how little is enough to make a coherent statement. All works are oil and mixed mediums (usually sand) on canvas. -David Hopes
Ad Lucem: Masking and the Resilience of a Human Spirit
Artist: Shawn Winebrenner
On Exhibit: January 10–30, 2019
My photography process involves dissecting the fundamental aspects of the things that are a part of my overall being — as a human, as an artist, and as a same-gender loving man of color. It works as an extension of my personal journey, commentary on human interactions, and the varied commonalities that unite us. My creative process is moving me closer towards better understanding the juxtaposition of who I authentically am, as an individual, and the person the world thinks I am. This body of work explores masking, a human coping mechanism used to conform to collective social pressures which often locks individuals into a continuous engagement of behavioral modifications. In an attempt to please others, maintain relationships, and hold appearances genuine emotions are frequently substituted for artificial ones. This work visually interprets the practice of masking, shown through a series of photographic images, as it relates to my own personal experiences. My hope is to initiate dialogue among people about similar life occurrences and establish connections as they relate the images to their own practices of masking.
What We Saw
On Exhibit: November 1–16, 2018
Images made for the Resettlement and Farm Security Administrations in the 1930s documented dire environmental conditions in rural America caused by drought, erosion, and crop-killing pests such as grasshoppers, all exacerbated by the collapse of the stock market and economic depression. The result was widespread need and desperation in the American heartland. Photographs by Arthur Rothstein and others provided visual evidence of the extent of the crisis as well as justification for new federal programs to help alleviate the suffering.
We're excited to host our 3rd annual IN CHARACTER event on 10/31 from 1PM-3PM. The library celebrates the stories and characters that populate our collective imagination. Halloween allows us to both playfully encounter fear and to engage with the characters inhabiting our culture. This event celebrates both. The library invites students, faculty and staff to enter our contest and have photos taken or simply enjoy our treats and Halloween and Day of the Dead resources. This is always a favorite event, and a fun afternoon addition to students' Halloween festivities.
Wonderful costume contest prizes have been provided by Argo Tea, Biltmore Fitness, and Horse+Hero Art, Craft and Design.
The festivities continue on Nov 1 and 2, with a Dia de los Muertos display, to which all are welcome to contribute photos of those they would like to remember.
Special Collections recently added the Isaiah Rice Photograph Collection to our archives. Containing over 1,000 images taken by Isaiah Rice, the collection documents Asheville’s African American community from the 1950s through the 1970s. The collection was officially unveiled on October 23 at the second annual African Americans in Western North Carolina Conference at UNC Asheville.
Asheville native Isaiah Rice (1917-80), a World War II veteran, was active in community and civic affairs. He was a recreation supervisor at the Burton Street Community Center in his neighborhood, and served on the Asheville-Buncombe Community Relations Council. He was employed as a warehouseman and beverage salesman for 40 years. He often carried one of his many cameras, seizing countless opportunities to capture his family, neighbors, and community members on film. He photographed people at church, his neighbors and friends as they gathered for social events, folks attending parades and football games, as well as many scenes of people working and going about their business in downtown Asheville. His photos document a thriving African American community in urban Asheville during the mid 20th century.