The Toe River Arts Council (TRAC) Burnsville Gallery announces the exhibition of work in painting and clay by Anita Connelly and Joy Tanner to run from November 18 to December 31. Although the show does not represent collaboration between the artists, Joy Tanner points to their comparable attention to detail, their similar palette of natural earth tones, and their mutual inspiration by nature. Two-dimensional art by Connelly will hang on the walls while 3-D clay pieces by Tanner adorn the rest of the space in this show which is open from Mondays through Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the gallery located at 102 West Main St. in downtown Burnsville. The public is invited to attend a free reception at the gallery on Friday, November 18, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

For some twenty years now Anita Connelly has been painting landscapes and the local flora and fauna of the United States, Europe, Africa, and Central America. A member of numerous wildlife conservation and protection societies, her forte has been realistic depictions of wildlife. Recently she has moved to work in acrylics and taken an interest in 1930s-‘40s Bakersville architecture as a subject, painting from old black and white photographs of the town. Influenced in her work by Jane Wooster Scott, the famed California artist, and by Charles Wysocki, she maintains a gallery of her own, Anita’s Atelier in downtown Bakersville. Her work in a folk-art vein will be joined by her studies of flowers and birds. Other work may be viewed at her website at: www.anitasatelier.com.

Joy Tanner is currently pursuing a three-year Artist Residency at the Energy XChange, the clay and glass studio complex located at, and fueled by, a former landfill near Penland. Joy also runs her own clay studio near Penland and specializes in wood and soda fired pottery. Her work is wheel-thrown and altered using porcelain and stoneware clays. This year has seen her bring a new exploration of detail in her work. She explains that “There are new carving patterns inspired by nature, new forms, and new subtle details. These components are carefully considered in order to enhance each form; the success for me lies all in the details.” For the TRAC exhibit she promises a variety of functional and decorative wood and soda fired pottery that was thrown on the wheel and altered by carving and impressing patterns into the clay. Among these forms will be teapots, jars, bowls, vases, cups, plates, and baskets. Samples of Joy’s work may be seen at her website at www.joytannerpottery.com.

For more information about the Anita Connelly and Joy Tanner TRAC exhibition please call (828) 682-7215.

The Burnsville TRAC Gallery is located at 102 West Main Street and is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm. The Toe River Arts Council is supported in part by a Grasssroots Art Grant, through the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency.

View Current Spruce Pine Gallery Exhibit >