Friday night’s Art Crawl in Statesville - and the Savannah Sipping Society at the Sharpe House

Kristie Darling with her quilt squaresPhoto by Kim McKinney

It was a beautiful Friday night in downtown Statesville, with more than 75 artists out and about town exhibiting all different kinds of art. From quilts to woodworking to painting to pottery to glass to photography to writing to music - the town was certainly alive with activity.

If you have never been to an Art Crawl in Statesville, you have missed out. It’s a great opportunity to see downtown Statesville, run into old friends, make new friends, and talk to artists about their crafts, Many are for sale, so not only is it a good opportunity to find a new piece of art for your home, or a gift, but to make relationships for when you are ready to purchase in the future. The city is rich with artists who often remain hidden.

Nic GilliamPhoto by Kim McKinney

Area merchants host area artists and also the community. Many offer refreshments, so you can stay a bit and peruse the art and find out more about their businesses.

Billy Buck, for example, was hosting a wealth of entertainment at the WAME studio in the clock tower building. They stayed on the air, showcasing a band with seats to sit and enjoy the show, and yet they also displayed the colorful quilt squares of Kristie Darling and the acrylics and painted rocks of Onyx Faustus.

Darling uses original designs for the material of her quilts. Some featured shots she had taken in car washes and printed on material in vibrant colors.

Onyx FaustusPhoto by Kim McKinney

Faustus said the inspiration for her work is her journey in life. Besides painting the scenes around her, she also paints pet portraits.

John Gatton’s woodwork is both gorgeous and functional. His pieces will probably be heirlooms for his buyers.

John GattonPhoto by Kim McKinney

Nic Gilliam makes 3-D oils that would be a conversation piece in any room.

Linzi Manning’s mixed media pieces uses recycled materials to make interesting art. Linzi became an artist because her older brother is an artist. She said she does mixed media because limiting herself to one medium would boor her. Instead she uses anything that catches her attention to become part of her creations.

Michael Joe MoorePhoto by Kim McKinney

GG’s features local artists all of the time, so her shop is always popping at the seams during art crawl. Two local authors, Bill Pope and Tom Gill, were there to talk about their books, Michael Moore was there with his watercolors, and Belinda Thomas and Cindy Shaw with their oils.

Don Underwood - Oakwood BreadPhoto by Kim McKinney

Don Underwood was also at GG’s representing his new business Oakwood Bread. He got the idea from his daughter and she got him going with a gift of starter. His breads all have a sourdough base, but come in different forms and flavors.

The new CrEate Pottery studio was open to show the talent of Ginnifer Scott and Landon Cornett. They’ll be offering pottery classes and workshops again from this new location.

Also the downtown Iredell Museums was exhibiting Albert Corey’s work, and celebrating their re-opening.

Linzi ManningPhoto by Kim McKinney

The crowds for the Art Crawl a seemed a bit lighter than usual for this popular event, but still there was plenty of activity everywhere you looked. More artists were featured outside than in past Art Crawls, but this somewhat added to the festive atmosphere.

We admittedly did not make it around to every artist (it’s a difficult task), because we had to head out to another event in downtown.

Dinner on the lawn at the Historic Sharpe HousePhoto by Kim McKinney

The Historic Sharpe House’s event The Savannah Sipping Society, presented by the Sharpe House Historic Players, was also going on that night. A very Southern buffet dinner of shrimp ‘n grits and Rice Krispie chicken was served with all the sides. Banana pudding or peach cobbler finished it off.

Terry Wall, Director, The Savannah Sipping SocietyPhoto by Kim McKinney

Terry Wall directed the play, starring Tammy White Kennedy, Lori Lawrence, Tanya Fowler, and Anna Campbell. The Jones Hope Wooten Southern comedy deals with four women at crossroads in their lives and humorously depicts how a chance encounter changed all of their lives.

Fridays in downtown Statesville are usually bustling, but this was another exceptional celebration of the talent exploding in this area.

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