Boone, NC – The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts will host an evening of ARTtalks, a juried photography competition, hands-on artmaking, and community engagement during Fizzy First Friday on Friday, February 6 from 4-8pm. The event features the opening of new exhibitions, artist conversations, refreshments and desserts, and music by a DJ, all in celebration of the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition (AMPC).
Schedule of Events:
4-8pm: Fizzy First Friday Celebration, all galleries open
4-5pm: ARTTalk with Artist John Shorb (Dieu Donné, NYC)
5-6:30pm: AMPC ARTtalk and Awards Reception
5-7:30pm: Drop-In Artmaking in Moskowitz Gallery
7-8pm: DJ Set with Ty Murray/DJ Soularia
All events are FREE and open to the public. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and desserts provided with a cash bar.
Exhibitions and Activities Overview:
23rd Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition and Exhibition
This year’s theme, “I Know Why the Mockingbird Sings,” was chosen by juror Ty Murray, artivist and Director of Art & Communications at The Bottom, a nonprofit cultural organization in Knoxville, TN.
Murray describes the inspiration behind the theme: “Joy is at the heart of my creative practice. My gears were turning for a theme that could convey the freedom that joy embodies—like the feeling of an uncaged bird taking flight. A title with a twist on Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings came shortly after. In Appalachia, where memories move through mountains and stories echo through hollers, joy can be an act of devotion or defiance. This year’s theme invites photographers to tune into the moments that heal, harmonize, uplift, and unburden.”
Works from 27 finalists will be on display in the Bickers Gallery through May 2. People’s Choice voting will take place in-person in the gallery, and the winner will be announced virtually on March 23.
Sculpting with Paper: Hand Papermaking at Dieu Donné
This exhibition highlights innovative sculptural works—all crafted by paper—created by artists from around the world. Featuring selections from the renowned Dieu Donné (NYC) residency program, the exhibition showcases the incredible versatility of paper as a medium. Together, these works celebrate experimentation, materiality, and the global community of contemporary papermaking.
The Turchin Center is pleased to present 40 of the artists Dieu Donné has collaborated with over the years.Sculpting with Paper: Hand Papermaking at Dieu Donné highlights the versatility of paper as a malleable medium; many of the works in the exhibition are sculptural or presented in relief showing the tensile strength of paper which is based on the arrangement and properties of the fiber in different kinds of papers. Many thanks to John Shorb and the staff at Dieu Donné for their enthusiastic support of bringing this exemplary artwork to the mountains of Western North Carolina.
For more information, please contact:
Elizabeth Auer
Executive Director, Arts Engagement and Cultural Resources
Turchin Center for the Visual Arts
828.262.2939
About the Turchin Center
The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts in Boone, NC welcomes visitors to experience the arts through contemplation, engaging discussion, dynamic tours, festive exhibition celebrations, enlightening art talks, and creative art workshops. Admission is always FREE. Named for Appalachian State University benefactors Robert and Lillian Turchin, the Center hosts changing exhibitions in six galleries featuring local, regional, national and international artists.
The Turchin Center is located at 423 West King St., in Boone. Regular hours are 10am-6pmTuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, and 12-8pm on Friday. The Center is closed Sunday and Monday, and observes all university holidays. For general inquiries, to be added to the mailing or e-news list, to obtain donor program details or to schedule a tour, call 828-262-3017, e-mail turchincenter@appstate.edu or visit TCVA.org. The Turchin Center can also be followed on Facebook and Instagram @TurchinCenter.
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