Nancy Smeltzer, “Big Yellow Flower,” part of ArtScape 2019
Three years in, the ArtScape Hendersonville project, founded as a joint initiative of the Art League of Henderson County, the Arts Council of Henderson County, and Downtown Hendersonville, Inc., is waving strong. Thirty-nine artworks, selected by a two-person jury out of more than 170 submissions, are displayed on banners and hung down Main Street, 7th Avenue, and select side streets.
According to committee chair Deborah Lynn Johnson, “[There’s] buzz in the community about all the beautiful art. Children have been encouraged to join in the appreciation of the art banners with a scavenger hunt especially designed for them.”
Last year, one child learned what a mural was. Another tied the style of an artwork to a famous artist she had learned about in a class lesson.
And sheer variety of medium is the word on the street this spring. “Fiber, wood, watercolor, oil, acrylic, clay, photography, yarn, encaustic, ink, photo on metal and mixed media — it’s a good diverse mix of art,” says Johnson. “As artists respond to our times, they reflect their inner vision to the outside world, and they create a chronicle of our public experience.”
— By M.J. MacAodh
The opening reception for ArtScape happens Friday, April 5, 5-7:30pm, in two locations: Art MoB Studios (124 4th Ave. East, Hendersonville) and Woodlands Gallery (419 North Main St., Hendersonville), with live music, appetizers, and drinks at both locations. For more information, see artscapehvl.org.
