ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — River Arts District art gallery Pink Dog Creative will feature the work of nine artists displaced by Hurricane Helene in a new art exhibit.
The show is called “#RADstrong” and will run from July 18–Aug. 17 at the Pink Dog Gallery, 348 Depot St.
The opening reception for the exhibit will be held from 4 to 6 p.m., Saturday, July 19 at the gallery.
The artists, displaced from the RAD by flooding and other storm-related damages, will receive 100% of the proceeds from work sold with no commission for the gallery.
Check out samples of the artists’ work:
Pink Dog provided short bios for the artists, who work in a variety of modes and mediums, in a press release:
Annie Kyla Bennett is a painter and mixed media artist whose work is influenced by surrealism, visionary and fantastic realism, as well as botany and ethics. Their current focus in the studio is on remediation, developing a body of artwork exploring methods to help heal and rebalance humanity’s relationship with the Earth. Annie grew up in rural Alaska, loves bees, and collects seeds, pigments, and tools. Their favorite authors include Daniel Quinn, Naomi Klein, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, and Michael Pollan.
Bridget Benton received her Masters of Science degree in Creativity and Change Leadership from the International Center for Studies in Creativity at the State University of New York. Benton is not only an artist but a creative expert. Bridget leads workshops, one on one classes and creative coaching to help people fully express their creative side. She is also the author of The Award-Winning “The Creative Conversation: ArtMaking as Playful Prayer”. Best known for her encaustic paintings that feature many layers of collage and wax, Benton’s works evoke elements of abstract patterns, while exploring story and inspiration for all.
Wesley Ethyn Bowers, known as “WEB,” is a largely self-taught contemporary and abstract interdisciplinary artist based in Western North Carolina. Their entrepreneurial spirit and limitless creativity drive their work, evident in both their two-dimensional contemporary artworks and form-blending jewelry. Originating from Salt Lake City and having lived throughout the continental United States, Wesley draws inspiration from a diverse range of influences and techniques. They love experimenting with vibrant colours, geometric shapes, patterns, and hidden imagery that invites viewers to explore and search within their artworks. Wesley showcases their artwork and jewelry in galleries and markets across Western North Carolina.
Gretchen Chadwick has been painting for almost 40 years. She has been a River Arts District artist for 9 years, since moving to Asheville from the Philadelphia area. Her studio was in Riverview Station prior to the flood. Gretchen’s work is eclectic, ranging from classical realism to abstraction, but she most enjoys finding a satisfying balance between the two. She primarily works in oils and mixed media. Her recent subject matter includes moody landscapes, semi-abstract grasses and trees.
Heather Clements has used art as a catalyst for mental and emotional growth ever since she was a young child. While growing up in the D.C. metro area of Northern Virginia, Heather Clements never wavered in her pursuit to be an artist. She graduated cum laude in 2007 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. Her recent work has focused on interactivity. Her new book, “Pull Me Apart” is full of pull tabs, spin wheels, and more, for people to manipulate and play. She has also expanded into creating interactive murals, where visitors can spin a giant wooden wheel, revealing different images behind cut-out areas of the design. Heather is embracing her inner-most weirdo, and creating the art that most wants to come screaming out of her. Paradoxically, when we create something truly for ourselves, it’s what others connect with most. Exploring that beautiful interconnectivity of us all motivates Heather’s continued creative pursuits.
Sarah Faulkner seeks to capture the important relationships we have with nature. These relationships offer a sense of peace, grounding and calm. Her medium includes acrylic and oil pastel. Sarah was represented at Marquee, in the River Arts District, at the time Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina.
Jack Henry is an Asheville-based artist focused on blending visionary styles such as fantastical realism, surrealism, impressionism & abstraction into evocative narratives that speak both to the modern experience of human struggle and to the beauty of existence on Earth and the glimmers of hope within. While mostly working in oil since 2018, Jack enjoys working in a variety of paint media including acrylics for live-painting and aerosol for muraling.
Fleta Monaghan, formerly based in the River Arts District, is a lifelong painter working in oils, acrylics. encaustic and mixed media. She is the founder, director and instructor of 310 ART school for the fine arts started in 2006. Her work reflects time, space, human relationships and personal experiences. Her studio and school is now relocated to Fairview, NC, just minutes from downtown Asheville, Black Mountain and South Asheville.
Stephen Santore strives to create imagery that is a convergence of what is outside of him, what is within him, and also what is potentially within all of us, existing as the collective knowledge that may be common and integral to all humankind.
For more, visit www.pinkdog-creative.com.