The art scene is Asheville, North Carolina is world-class, and the city is well-known for its support of artists and creators of all kinds. Joining us today from the heart of the Southeast art world are Bob Ware and Louise Glickman, of Sand Hill Artists Collective (SHAC), a group that looks to support the art community on the far West side of Asheville.
In this episode, we hear about the history of the city, and what drew Bob and Louise to live there. Having both worked as artists, Bob and Louise understand what it is like to struggle to put yourself out there, and, as such, they hope to create supportive communities where everyone can share knowledge and experiences.
We talk about gentrification in their beloved city of Asheville, how it is relatively unaffected by climate change, and its deep relationship with storytelling. Bob and Louise also share the incredible work SHAC has managed to do in just over a year and how marrying the digital and art worlds spans boundaries and creates infinite connections. Tune in to hear it all!
“Bob and I are artists ourselves, and my husband is also an artist. And so, we are very familiar with what artists, particularly emerging artists face, and that is why we love Not Real Art, and what it does. It feels like we’re at home in this space. There are some very famous artists here, but for the most part, you would call this emerging or mid-level art.” — Louise Glickman [0:34:28.0]
“What was most compelling to me when I first moved here and continues to be more compelling the more I get into it is the artistry and integrity of the artists in the area. To stand in front of the Mona Lisa is one experience. To be holding a wooden bowl in your hand whose contours are just absolute perfection. You have a very human touch there, and you can feel a connection to the life of somebody who would spend the hours or the weeks it would take to make this thing you can hold in your hands, or the things that you can cover your child with when they’re sleeping, and they’re chilly. This whole work of craft art has really opened my eyes.” — Bob Ware [1:00:19.0]
Key Points From Our Asheville Episode:
- Where Louise and Bob are originally from and how they ended up in Asheville.
- The influence that Moog has had on the city.
- A brief history of Asheville and the role it has played in broader U.S history.
- So many of the Asheville population are not native to the city.
- The impetus for starting SHAC and what the collective hopes to achieve.
- Why the reluctance to create digital art experiences should be worked past.
- How Asheville is dealing with gentrification given that more people are moving there.
- Climate change in Asheville: how the city will fare compared to the rest of the country.
- Details about the gallery tour SHAC hosted and what it was about.
- The understanding that Bob and Louise bring, being artists themselves.
- Similar values that SHAC and Not Real Art share.
- Why Louise was drawn to Asheville, having grown up in New Orleans.
- The rich history of storytelling in the mountainous area of Asheville.
- The power of art in fostering connection and bridging divides.
- How the pandemic has affected different people’s creative outputs.
- What moving to Asheville did for Bob and Louise’s creative practice.
- Why asking photographers about the gear they use isn’t a compliment, according to Bob.
- Hear more about ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement.
- The parallels between Bob and Louise’s work; their love for simplicity.
- Final words from Louise and Bob and where you can get hold of them.
“Now, we’ve created all of this excitement. We've created these virtual gallery tours that we did over the Christmas holidays, now we have over 500 people nationally and in our region, all involved in our blog and our activities. That’s in one year.” — Louise Glickman [0:20:46.0]
“The other thing that is affecting the whole country is climate change, and Asheville has been predicted to be one of the least affected areas both in terms of the climate and the economic consequences.” — Bob Ware [0:29:28.0]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
- Sand Hill Artists Collective — https://sandhillartists.com/
- Louise Glickman — https://www.louiseglickman.com/
- Bob Ware — https://www.slowglasspictures.com/index
- Moog — https://www.moogmusic.com/
- Penland School of Craft — https://penland.org/
- Momentum Gallery — https://momentumgallery.com/
- Brent Skidmore — http://www.brentskidmore.com/
- Man One — http://www.manone.com/
- Man One on Twitter — https://twitter.com/ManOneArt
- Scott “Sourdough” Power — https://www.instagram.com/sourdoughpower/
- Not Real Art — https://notrealart.com/
- Not Real Art School — https://school.notrealart.com/
- Not Real Art on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/notrealartworld/
“Moving to Asheville gave me an opportunity to pick up a camera and do things for myself.” — Bob Ware [0:45:35.0]
“Here, walking through the landscape, every single day is different. The woods are not the same on Thursday as they were on Wednesday.” — Bob Ware [0:55:57.0]
“Now, our neighborhood is national.” — Louise Glickman [0:58:47.0]