‘Rocking’ exhibit in North Carolina features chair collection

The Grovewood Gallery in Asheville, N.C., is featuring a collection of rocking chairs through Aug. 28. The pieces, made primarily in North Carolina, range from traditional to contemporary.

“We chose to do this exhibit because the rocking chair is such an iconic piece of furniture,” exhibit curator and gallery manager Russell Gale says. “Whether they are used to take in a sunset from a porch or to rock a child to sleep, they hold such a special place in the hearts and minds of many people. The participating woodworkers, most of whom are regular Grovewood artists, were chosen because I thought each one would bring a unique and fresh perspective to the form.”

Participating artists include Fatie Atkinson, Curtis Buchanan, Alan Daigre, Brian Fireman, Joe Godfrey, Andy McFate, Libby Schrum, Leslie Webb, Seth Weizenecker, and Mark Whitley.

Seth Rolland solo show

Woodworking artist Seth Rolland is featured at the Bellevue Arts Museum in Bellevue, Wash.

The exhibition, “Balance and tension: The furniture of Seth Rolland,” opened in May and runs through Aug. 14. It features 25 pieces by Rolland, winner of the museum’s John and Joyce Price Award of Excellence in 2014.

Rolland has been making custom furniture for 25 years, first in Taos, N.M., and now in Port Townsend, Wash. Inspired by forms in nature, his functional furniture is sculptural, emphasizing structure, form and motion, according to the museum.

“It’s been an incredible opportunity to focus this long on one body of work for this show. I usually make a piece or two at a time for clients. This show has large pieces, small pieces and sculptural pieces and it was a good chunk of my year,” Rolland says.

“Nature is a huge inspiration for my work and a lot of focuses on expanded pieces where I do kerf cuts which the curator (Stefano Catalini) wanted to focus on. It was interesting working with the curator. I was making the pieces, but he selected what went together in coherent method.”

Contacts

Grovewood Gallery, 111 Grovewood Road, Asheville, NC 28804. Tel: 828-253-7651. www.grovewood.com

Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way N.E., Bellevue, WA 988004. Tel:425-519-0770. www.bellevuearts.org

This article originally appeared in the July 2016 issue.