"Basquiat’s work was deeply thoughtful—the products of his ravenous observations of the world around him. “I don’t think about art while I work,” he told writer Isabelle Graw in 1986. “I try to think about life. As an aspiring artist I found his fearlessness and authenticity inspiring.”

Alexxa Gotthardt wrote this piece on Basquiat for Artsy that came across our facebook feed. Enjoy the complete article here. Happy creating!

Hi Folks! As you know artists are a big part of our Modern Asheville community and we are all too happy to support them and what they bring to our Asheville area community. Eric Knoche, also, happens to be a neighbor to John and myself and suffered a big loss being housed in the old French Broad school which burned just down the street from us. In support we all are passing along his request for assistance. Thanks for any consideration. Cheers!

Greeting friends, colleagues and patrons,

Unfortunately I am writing today with some bad news:  On Feb 5, the building where I had my studio burned to the ground due to arson.  I lost all of my tools and equipment, all of my finished inventory, 15 years of sketchbooks and four months of finished but unfired work.I am hesitant to ask for help, but have been encouraged to do so by my friends and colleagues.  So, if you would like to help me out, here are a few ways to do so.

1. Please consider contributing to the GoFundMe that my fiancé, Kristin, has helped me set up. We are hoping to raise $20,000. I will use this money to finish the small studio I started building on my land last year and also for living expenses as I begin from scratch to build a new body of work. If you would like to contribute to the GoFundMe Campaign, a link is here. I am grateful for contributions in any amount.

2. My gallery in Asheville, Blue Spiral 1, has generously offered to temporarily alter the terms of our agreement in my favor.  For the next two months Blue Spiral 1 is donating half of their share of the sales of my work back to me.  So if any of the work they have in their inventory appeals to you, purchasing it in the next two months is exceptionally beneficial to me.  You can see the work I have there here.  I am most grateful for all of the support I have received for my work over the years.

3. I could also really use some physical help. If you live in western North Carolina and would like to donate a day or half day of your time I would really appreciate it. Here is a list of things I need help with: Hanging drywall, eaves, painting and trim for the little studio I have been working on on my land; splitting wood for the kiln; other kiln prep; clay making; carpentry (rebuilding some of the tables and racks that were lost.  If you have a little extra time and would like to come help me, please reach out.4. Please consider sharing with anyone you think might be interested.

(You can find some news articles if you google '"french broad school fire."  They do get some details wrong but the overview is correct).I've written a bit about the event on my website.

Thanks so much for your continued support.  I really appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Eric

Artist Roger Capron | You know how it goes—you are scrolling the internet and one image pops up and suddenly you are off into a new visual world. That is exactly how it worked when I saw the above image and got lost in the rhythm, colors and geometry of this tile piece. Roger Capron had been a prolific French artist born in Vincennes, France on September 4, 1922. Interested in drawing, he studied Applied Arts in Paris from 1939 to 1943 and worked as an art teacher in 1945. He died on November 8, 2006 leaving behind a considerable body of work that is recognized worldwide. I know you'll want to see more so go HERE. Cheers!

Asheville has been represented in DWELL a few times of late. Today, in this look at design across the states, Akira's hand-crafted bowls were featured.

But don't just stop there — take the full tour as a good overview and reminder of what good design brings to our lives.

Cheers!

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Current Exhibition at the Asheville Art Museum I was invited to join my friends David, David and Susan tonight to view the current exhibit at the Asheville Art Museum. Artist Esteban Vicente, along with many things, briefly taught at Black Mountain College in the summer of 1953. Please make sure you take the time to explore his abstract expressionist work and support the museum. It is one of my favorite exhibits I have seen here. His work will be on display for four months until January 12th. For further information click here. Enjoy!Troy

Bettis Main

Pen Gallery Comp

I just happened to be vacationing in Rehoboth Beach, DE this week and was aware that three of my favorite Modern Asheville artists were doing a group exhibition nearby. Mark Bettis, Vickey Pinney and Karen Weihs are the Asheville artists that make up the "Bending Form and Color" exhibition at the Peninsula Gallery in Lewes, DE. I stopped by for a look. Here are a couple images from there.If you are in the area you should stop by. Despite the Asheville-like rain today, it is absolutely the perfect time of year for a visit to this area. To view or purchase art from this exhibition click here.

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Barbara the Stack

"In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order" Carl Jung I stopped in to visit Barbara Fisher yesterday morning in her studio. We haven't had the chance properly connect since I landed from all my travels. It is always great to chat with her, share her space and absorb her passion. I can't think of anyone more practiced and dedicated within her neighborhood of artists. And there is the fact that I simply love her art. Though I have had the privilege of witnessing the evolution of Barbara's work for over six years now, I'm going to bow out of discussing it in detail here. Andrew Wengrow recently wrote a wonderful piece on Barbara that spells it all out in an article titled A Different Orbit. He both captures the spirit and evolution of her work and notes her current solo show going on at the Hickory Museum of Art. As witnessed by the overflow of art outside her studio door, Barbara is in the midst of preparing for a big show in Atlanta at the Mason Murer gallery in May and June. If you would like to see more of her work please visit Barbara's website. Better yet, stop by her studio at 170 Lyman St for a visit and be inspired!

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Tonight At The Cotton Mill Studios I'm looking forward to this opening with a couple of my favorite Asheville artists. Be sure to stop by this Friday, March 15th from 5:30 to 8:30 at the Cotton Mill Studios.

Gallery 17

I had to take a moment to applaud some of my artist friends who were part of a new gallery opening just across the border in Greenville, SC last night. Where have I been? Cheers to Alicia Chatham, Barbara Fisher and Stephen Lange! Sorry I missed your opening, but all my best in spreading your wings. I'll visit soon.For more on the new Gallery 17 click here.

Leslie Portrait

Leslie Platters Comp

Today, the last day of July, I took a drive up the French Broad River to Marshall, NC. There stands an old high school full of art studios in a beautiful quaint town with an industrial river location. It was one of those days where that was perpetually threatened by a late summer storm creating shimmering trees. Beautiful.I was visiting one of my favorite young new artists - Leslie Hinton. My aim was to pick up two platters I had purchased from her. By the time I left I purchased four more pieces leaving with six. Ouch! Fun! Art is my weakness having worked with artists all over the country and have had my own art gallery before.Leslie was great. A fellow Cancer exploring the depths of her love and darkness all in one. As you know we wear everything on our sleeves so she portrays it all on the surface of her art. Her art is both sophisticated and naive. It is both city and mountain. It is asian and american. It is young and it is old. Obviously, I was weak for it. I have already hung them around my pad and look forward to helping her find new outlets for her craft. Truly, she is one to watch!