Drawn to Detail: Metalsmiths of North Carolina
April 24 - September 19, 2021 | Atwell Gallery
Guest Curated by Adam Whitney
Image Credit: Adam Whitney (Penland, NC). Keepsake Container. Copper, 3.125 x 1.5 inches. Image courtesy of the artist.
Drawn to Detail: Metalsmiths of North Carolina explores a wide range of metal art and design, from jewelry to functional housewares and sculpture, both static and kinetic. The metals used to create these pieces are as diverse as the works themselves and include precious gold and silver, ductile pewter and copper, as well as steel and aluminum. Artists implement distinct working properties and techniques depending on the types of metals that are used, and the works selected for this exhibition exemplify a variety of designs through a multitude of construction methods. These metal works portray an array of color through different metals and patinas, along with paint, enamel, and stone settings. The diversity of work exhibited strains the nomenclature “Metalsmith” to encompass all of the participating artists. Specific titles--Designer, Fabricator, Enamelist, Jeweler, Blacksmith, Bladesmith, Pewtersmith, Silversmith, and Goldsmith--provide better insight into the individual Metalsmiths themselves and illustrate the diversity of work being created in this field by artists living and working in North Carolina.
The exhibition is guest curated by exhibiting artist and Metalsmith, Adam Whitney. Whitney is from Vermont and currently lives in Penland, NC, where he is a Resident Artist at Penland School of Craft. He has lived and worked throughout the United States and abroad, obtaining experience from a range of projects and teaching. Whitney received his BFA in Crafts and Materials Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he concentrated in Metalsmithing. He has worked as a bench jeweler at Dransfield Jewelers, Metals Studio Coordinator at Penland School of Craft, taught Jewelry Design at Raffles College in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and now runs his own studio, AW Metalsmith.
