Rachel Hanson | July 2023

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Rachel Hanson has just announced her upcoming writing salon on July 29 at 4pm! Join us at 821 Haywood Road! Click here for more information.

In her literary fiction Rachel Hanson explores, from an ecofeminist perspective, the trends in American history to bridle our land and rivers. She ponders the confluence of the human and natural world, often setting her work in the American Southwest and rural Appalachia. Her protagonists reveal to the reader conflicting ideas on the environment—land and rivers, and also wildlife, specifically predatory animals—as they navigate their place in the natural environment, while also struggling to find authenticity in others and themselves, hoping to alter the disconnect they feel from the world. Her narrative nonfiction work tends to analyze the complications of existing in a violent world as much as it explores formal and experimental narrative techniques by examining the voids and chaos of her own fragmented recollections, made apparent in some pieces by the staccato rhythm and repetition of language, and in others through point of view changes, shifts in time, and the resistance of fleshed out exposition. What drives her to write in these specific veins is her hope that awareness might create change, and the desire to find beauty in the face of ugliness.

Join us for Rachel’s event:

Salon: The Stories We Want to Tell and How to Begin | July 29, 2023 at 4pm

Wyatt Pottorff | May / June 2023

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Wyatt James Jackson Pottorff grew up in the middle of nowhere, (aka Deming), New Mexico. Art has always been a constant source of passion and relief for Wyatt, who spent his early years doodling, painting, climbing on roofs and exploring derelict buildings and the desert with friends. He is a recent graduate of the University of New Mexico’s studio art program, and has exhibited in several galleries including the Shockboxx Gallery in LA and Site Santa Fe in Santa Fe, NM. Currently he lives and works in Asheville, North Carolina.

Andrew Weathers | April / May 2023

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Andrew Weathers (b.1988) is a composer and improviser originally from Chapel Hill, NC and currently based in Littlefield, TX. His work engages with notions of place, tradition, repetition, and spirit, splitting the difference between folk music and Land Art. Weathers studied composition at UNC-Greensboro and electronic music at Mills College in Oakland, CA.

Big Beautiful Crankie Project | Feb/Mar 2023

This troupe of artists worked on a storytelling projects that they wanted to share. They created a series of “crankies,” which are boxes that hold a scroll of drawings or paintings that move across the “screen” to help tell their story. During their residency, they created the story, painted the scrolls, wrote the songs, and designed the performance. It was a spectacular show!

Aparna Sud | Jan 23 – Feb 6, 2023

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PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY

“I practice art as a sacred exploration into self, a path to go beyond the superficiality of today’s world. I try to remain in the space of freedom and questioning while making room for answers to form on the canvas. My hope is that my art inspires others to peel back layers of who they are, look within, into the most vulnerable parts of themselves, and bring that to the surface in acceptance.

Many of my abstract paintings are categorized by fluid brush strokes, subtle movement, and a softer palette. I find my inspiration in spirituality, nature, and music. I incorporate the use of mixed media and acrylics, approaching each blank canvas with a sense of curiosity and humility.”

Sarah McCoy and Shywulf | January 9-19, 2023

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Sarah McCoy is an Asheville, NC-based musician, composer, and producer. Pulling from her classical piano background, her love of R&B, and her fondness of orchestral and film scores, Sarah showcases an eclectic blur of genre lines in her composing. Whether it’s releasing instrumentals under her lo-fi project, Ambling, scoring theater productions, accompanying community choirs, or being a touring musician, Sarah enjoys exploring and being involved in the varying ways music connects people and encourages community. When she isn’t on the road, touring and playing keys for The Collection, she attends to her piano studio and spends time writing on her own. Sarah will using her time at the residency to collaborate and write with long time friend and producer, Shywulf (Darren Miles).

Swannatopia | December 2022

founded in 2019, Swannatopia is both a physical studio and an interdisciplinary collaboration. Members make use of light, sound, water, glass, porcelain, terra cotta, live plants, projections, reflections, textiles, movement, video, screenprinting, performance, etc to create experiential habitats and far out happenings as well as facilitate the free exchange of knowledge, experience, tools and materials.
In December 2020, they transformed their storefront studio in Historic Downtown Swannanoa,
NC into the “Swannatopia Department Store,”where visitors could shop for housewares,
chandeliers and fashions, peruse the “bolo buffet,” and get a greenhouse haircut in the
“Beauty Salon Of The Mind.”
In June 2021 they again opened their doors for “Marigold Daze,” a week-long marigold and
dolphin-themed happening which introduced the world to “Bannerland” and a new and life
changing multimedia attraction: “The Swannatopia Dolphin Experience”. Visitors were
treated to a “Rave” as well as live musical performances by Field Patterns and Avey Tare and
projection art by Abby Portner and sherbet floats at sunset.

In April 2022, they reunited with collaborators Daniel Abide, Byron Browne, Kaylee Dunn,
Christopher O’Leary, and Carley Dergins for the “Road Signs” installation at the Black
Mountain College Museum + Arts Center {Re}HAPPENING 2022.
Road Signs was an interactive experiment that explores the ways in which they search for
messages and meaning in the romantic notion of a road trip. Using imagery and sounds, from
symbolism to the non-sequitur, and transforming space through art, light, video, and
movement, they emulated the poetry in roadside culture and left the participants in a state of
wanderlust.
In May 2022, after a long incubation period, the “Swannatopia Experimental Art Club” was
finally hatched. My Terra Squirma invited members to build their own living sculpture out of
terra cotta and live and fake plants. The 8-week-long session culminated in a group
exhibition, with a “Plantwave” device on site to translate the plant biorhythms and
relationships into a sonic form, sherbet floats at sunset and live music. The current
installment of the club is stained glass and chandelier themed.

Brett Naucke | November 2022

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Brett William Naucke (b. 1985) is an American experimental composer and visual artist from Chicago, IL currently based in Asheville, NC. His work has been consistently focused on marrying an ever-evolving practice of synthesis to visual and conceptual narratives for both recording and live performance. In addition to releasing music on a wide variety of acclaimed international labels, Naucke has provided the original scores for several films, sound design for interactive gaming, and presented many works for multichannel audio and video installations.

His new work. “Room Without Time” was a living installation for multichannel audio and visual elements built over the month of November 2022 at The Residency at 82. Public viewings were held on November 30th, December 1st, and 2nd, to much acclaim.

Links:

www.bnaucke.com

https://brettnaucke.bandcamp.com/

IG @brettnaucke

Katt Naz | October 2022

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Katerine Nazareth Viloria Monagas better known as Katt Naz was born in 1989 in Caracas, Venezuela and raised in Miami Beach since she was two. She’s now become an emerging Visual Artist using her work to express emotion, self reflection, pride, intuition, mysticism, mother nature and climate change awareness. When creating anything, Katt likes to push boundaries while keeping a minimal yet elevated essence and incorporating up-cycled materials at every chance she gets. In 2018 her work was exhibited at the AFAS Center for the Arts building in Winston-Salem, NC and at the Pancakes & Booze group show in Little Haiti, Miami. Currently she’s part of a photography exhibit called “This Skin I’m In” which was shown at Revolve Gallery in Asheville, NC July-August 2022 and currently traveling to two other cities in the south during October 2022. This group show was curated to support and amplify the voices of the LGBTQIA+ artist community. Before making Asheville, NC her new home base in 2022, Katt spent 4 years immersing herself in Miami’s local art community and assisted various mural and installation artist’s in productions all over Wynwood and other parts of Miami. While gaining experience hands on in the field, she realized how powerful public art can be for the community and city. She’s now starting her new journey creating her own public experiences starting with her first installation called “Haus Of Hues”, an installation that is a collaboration with nature made to celebrate all colors of the spectrum. This installation was a part of the city of Asheville and Buncombe county’s new project “Art In The Heart” during the month of September 2022 in Pack Square Park. Her ultimate life goal is to one day own land where she can build a home for her family and an artist residency surrounded by nature that artists can go to relax, learn sustainable gardening and use up-cycled materials in creative ways.

Sarah Louise, Mini-Residency with Make Noise Music | September 26-29, 2022

From September 19-21, Make Noise’s fourth resident, Sarah Louise, will be making glorious sounds using a dual-Strega and dual-Shared System patch!

Our friends at Make Noise Music are hosting a series of mini-residencies this month. They are inviting a few favorite local artists to play with their gear, especially the brand new analog stereo oscillator, XPO. 

Check out Sarah Louise’s full performance on Make Noise’s youtube channel!

Check out the full video of all of Make Noise’s residents, workshops, and parties!

Videos were recorded and edited by Pete Speer, interviews were recorded, shot, and edited by Walker Farrell; the recap was written and edited by Walker Farrell and also includes footage by Peter Speer and Lewis Dahm.