Honoring the Earth Series, A Benefit Art Show and Sale, at Blue Spiral 1
A benefit art show and sale, Honoring the Earth Series, will be held at Blue Spiral 1 gallery in downtown Asheville, April 1 – May 11. The opening reception, featuring a multi-media presentation, will be held at 4:30 pm on Friday, April 4, at the Fine Arts Theatre on Biltmore Avenue next door to the gallery. The cost is $20 per person to benefit the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (CMLC) and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC). Reservations can be made by contacting CMLC at (828) 697-5777.
The project was designed to honor the memory of regionally recognized ceramic artist Clara "Kitty" Couch, and to raise money for land conservation in Western North Carolina. Couch was killed in an automobile accident in January 2004 while traveling overseas. Her four daughters inherited her final body of work entitled the Earth Series, large organic vessels inspired by natural forms.
After Couch’s death, her daughters worked with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy to put a post-mortem conservation easement on their mother’s beloved home in Burnsville, NC. “I have been dreaming for a few years about honoring my mother in this way, so it is truly a thrill to make it happen. Combining the show with protecting land in our precious mountains means so much to me,” said Couch’s daughter, environmental activist Katie Breckheimer.
Fifty friends and colleagues of the deceased artist have donated artwork for the show. “The response was overwhelming. My mother had a charismatic spirit that drew people into her good energy. Her friends didn’t hesitate to honor her in this way. Every art medium, from jewelry to photography, is represented in the show, and many of the artists are tying into the earth theme. The fact that the Blue Spiral 1 gallery is hosting the show during Earth Day month ties it all together,” Breckheimer said.
The opening reception for Honoring the Earth Series will include a life-of-the-artist presentation; a reading by Couch’s friend, teacher, and colleague Paulus Berensohn; and a short film by videographer and friend Jeff Goodman. Paulus Berensohn is author of Finding Your Way With Clay, a classic ceramic arts primer that inspired Couch’s career. Refreshments will be served.