Past Exhibitions, 2008 and Prior

Folk Art and Outsider Art from the Collection of Jonathan Williams

May 15 – June 17, 2004

Sculptures, all manner of carved canes, painted wooden animals and dolls, papier-mache and masks, with bodacious names like Devil’s Weenie Roast, Miss Fits, and Duck Woman of Orpliss were the focus of this delightful exhibition of regional folk art. Jonathan Williams, author and exhibition collector, sums it up by saying the South has two faces, one represented by a quote from Tom Waits, “The Devil’s just God when he’s drunk.” The other, summed up in an old Blue Ridge invitation, “Boys, take chairs. Stay all night.”

Interact / React

September 3 – 25, 2004

Diane McPhail, ever on the cutting edge of art happenings, created life size books. Other artists created works in reaction to her exhibited pieces. One thing inspired another… art creates art creates art, resulting in a delightful, often powerful interaction of artists and ideas.

Harvey Littleton Studio

June 25 – July 20, 2005

Harvey Littleton is the father of the studio glass movement. He and many other renowned glass artists were the focus of this beautiful presentation of two- and three-dimensional sculptural glass works and vitreographs.

Wood Works

July 30 – August 25, 2005

Wood is an ancient, vibrant, ever-changing medium, alive with movement and possibility. Artists from all over the Southeast contributed three-dimensional works to this exhibition.

Out of Africa

May 6 – 25, 2006

An exhibition of works from the collection of C.L. Moorehead, Jr.

The extensive collection of African Cameroon art procured by missionaries, Alma Henderson and her late husband, was purchased by C.L. Moorehead to bequeath to the University of Georgia. The Bascom was the first venue for its public exhibition.

The Art of Sound

July 1 – August 3, 2006

Beautifully turned rosewood and ebony, carved birch and maple with inlaid ivory, and other creations of exotic woods gave viewers a double delight… seeing and hearing music. Works of art, inspired by music were interspersed amongst displays of instruments. Recorded music to match the mood and tone complemented the exhibition for an innovative, interactive musical presentation.

Southeastern Invitational Craft Exhibition

June 16 – July 14, 2007

Guest curator, Mark Leach from the Mint Museum of Craft and Design has invited 12 of the most outstanding artists to participate in this exhibition celebrating the crafts of the Southeastern United States.

Way Down South, Southern Photography

July 21 – August 16, 2007

The Southern voice speaks through the photography collection of Arnell, Golden and Gregory and an outstanding photographer from the Highlands plateau.

The Art of Basketry

June 16 – July 14, 2007

Baskets as sculptural forms - A diverse gathering of America’s finest artists working in fiber, metal, leather, fishskin, and more – our first national exhibition.

Cover Art

Dec. 1-20, 2007

A review of fine painting, drawing, and photography from regional artists that have appeared on Laurel Magazine covers.

Art Leagues of the Region

Jan. 12-26, 2008

An exhibition featuring the Highlands Art League and the Art Association of Macon County.

Young Artists Program Exhibition

April 5-12, 2008

Young at art! This exhibition featured artworks by students in the Young Artists Programs at The Bascom.

Regional High School Exhibition

April 29-26, 2008

Exhibition featuring art works created by regional high school students.

Dovetail and Nail, Southern Furniture

May 10 – June 12, 2008
Furniture, the stuff of everyday life, becomes our treasured connection to the past, providing an insight into our southern culture. This exhibition included furniture from the southeastern United States and was a joint venture with Western Carolina University Gallery, Mountain Heritage Center and the Zachary-Tolbert House in Cashiers, NC.

Middle of Nowhere

June 21-July 12, 2008
Welcome to nowhere... and everywhere! Visual music, landscapes that do not exist in nature, and a variety of other artworks were included in this exhibition. All of these works sprung from the imagination through the expertise of artists who have mastered state-of-the-art drawing and painting tools. Ten years ago, these creations could not exist. Recent technology has made them possible. This exhibition was a sight and sound revolution.

Portraits and Figures

July 19 – August 14, 2008

Artists create portraits and figures for a variety of reasons, sometimes to capture a likeness, sometimes to evoke a response from the viewer about the human form, or sometimes to immortalize an historical figure. This exhibition of art works from multiple collections explored the artist’s approach to the portrait and figure.

Contemporary Folk Art

August 23 – September 18, 2008

For decades, contemporary folk art was defined as work created by rural or small town untrained individuals. In more recent years the field of contemporary folk art has expanded to include works produced in big cities and suburbs across the country. Folk art and its artists have been referred to as stimulating, naive, self-taught, primitive, amateur, visionary, intuitive and always creative. Contemporary folk artists, and their innovative use of materials, was the heart and soul of this exhibition.

2008 Juried Art Exhibition

October 11 – November 13, 2008
Artists from all over the southeastern United States compete through a juried process for representation in this highly acclaimed exhibition. Cash awards for the top winners add to the excitement and incentive to participate. The Bascom’s visitors have the opportunity to experience some of the finest art works produced in the region and beyond. We are proud to announce that Fay Gold, of Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, served as this year's juror.

Congratulations to the winners of "2008 Juried Art"

Best of Show: Jean Banas
First Place: Charles Caldemeyer
Second Place: Karen Fields
Third Place: Janet Whitehead
Fourth Place: Lee Sipe
Honorable Mention: Sandy Donn, Zada Jackson, Carol Rollick, Hilda Spain-Owen and Jack Stern

Click here to download the exhibition checklist>>

Winter Landscapes

November 29 - December 23, 2008

The quiet beauty of a mountain winter was showcased in this exhibition that featured off-season landscape paintings by artists Deborah Squier and John Mac Kah.

Mac Kah was The Bascom's first artist-in-residence in 2008. He braved the icy weather and winter winds to create the work he will be presenting in this exhibition. Mac Kah, who has a studio in Swannanoa, was born in St. Petersburg, Fla., and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ringling School of Art & Design. He is on the faculty of the Fine Arts League of the Carolinas and teaches all over the region. He has been a freelance artist and has had a private studio since 1984. He works primarily in oils and acrylics and is represented by John Collette Fine Art in Highlands, Linville Gallery in Banner Elk, 16 Patton Gallery in Asheville and Blackbird Frame & Art in Asheville (limited edition prints only). His painting can be described as 20th century naturalism.

Squier, who has a studio in Asheville, was born in Newton, Mass., and was a student of the late Donald Gordon Squier, landscape painter and family portraitist for General George S. Patton and family, and a student at the Boston Museum School, Massachusetts. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is represented by Summit One Gallery in Highlands, Blue Spiral 1 in Asheville, Pinkney Simons Gallery in Columbia, S.C., and Hanson Gallery in Knoxville, Tenn. Her work has appeared in solo and group exhibitions and is in private collections locally and elsewhere in the nation.