WNC Craft Organizations Modeling Green and Sustainable Practices
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| Powder Blue Series by Clayton Hufford. |
Staff Reports
Modeling “green” and sustainable approaches to craft while producing beautiful and meaningful works will be the focus of a moderated panel discussion at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 16, at UNC Asheville’s Owen Hall, 3rd floor conference center.
The event, sponsored by UNC Asheville’s Center for Craft, Creativity & Design (CCCD), highlights two WNC organizations—EnergyXchange of Burnsville, and Jackson County Green Energy Park of Dillsboro—that use methane gas captured from adjacent landfills, solar energy, and other sustainable practices to fuel the studios of potters, glassblowers and blacksmiths, as well as greenhouses.
The panel, moderated by Dee Eggers, associate professor of
environmental studies at UNC Asheville, includes Dan Asher, executive
director of EnergyXchange; Tim Muth, executive director of Jackson
County Green Energy Park; glass and metal artist Hayden Wilson, artist
in residence at Jackson County Green Energy Park; and potter William
Baker, artist in residence at EnergyXchange.
“Craft media are not all inherently ‘green,’” says CCCD Executive
Director Stephanie Moore. “So it is important to highlight these two
organizations that are pioneers of environmental sustainability and also
have business models that are pertinent to the 21st century.”
Both EnergyXchange (EE) and Jackson County Green Energy Park
(JCGEP) use methane gas from capped landfills along with other
alternative energy sources to fuel their artistic tools—ceramic kilns,
glass furnaces and blacksmithing workstations—and power working
greenhouses. These organizations serve as business incubators for the
artists in residence, working as partners with local businesses and
county governments to use these renewable resources to provide economic
development as well as business learning opportunities.
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| EnergyXchange, Burnsville, NC |
CCCD is bringing attention to these two unique and
forward-thinking organizations through this panel discussion and with
its current exhibit, “WNC Models of Sustainability in Craft Making,” on
view through April 22. Artists featured from JCGEP are: Clayton Hufford
(glass), Hayden Wilson (glass & metal), Julie Boisseau (mixed media)
and Laurey Masterton (glass). Artists in residence featured from EE
are: Lisa Gluckin (clay), Joy Tanner (clay), Michael Hatch (glass), and
William Baker (clay).
The mission of the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design is to
advance the understanding of craft by encouraging and supporting
research, scholarship and professional development. The Center is
located five miles west of Hendersonville at 1181 Broyles Road, adjacent
to the UNC Asheville Kellogg Center. Gallery hours are 12-5 p.m.
weekdays.
Visitors are invited to walk the Perry N. Rudnick one-mile nature
and public art trail following a visit to the exhibition in the Craft
Center galleries.
For more information visit www.craftcreativitydesign.org or call (828) 890-2050.
Jackson County Green Energy Park, Dillsboro, NC
