SPENCER — On Saturday, July 14, the Green Goat Gallery hosts its fifth annual “A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Folk Art Celebration,” featuring five Rowan County artists. The show represents a variety of media and styles; moreover, it celebrates the unfettered exuberance that is the essence of folk art.
Fresh from John Morehead’s fish factory are fabulous new tongue-in-cheek aquatic sculptures including “Oscar,” a fish with the body of a faux Academy Award; “Easy Rider…er… Swimmer,” a license-plated bad boy, and “Steam Punk Willie,” a sci-fi wonder reminiscent of the age of steam power. For those who find these, well, too fishy Morehead has created a one-of-a-kind tribute to Mother Earth, affectionately dubbed “Love Yo Mama.”
Lisa and Tim Kluttz, owners of St. Peter’s Farm in Salisbury, bring to the show their menagerie of bold and cheery portraits of cats, dogs, chickens, and mermaids, as well as those of such American icons as Elvis Presley and Albert Einstein. The couple began painting about 12 years ago after being inspired by the outsider art collection at the Myrtle Beach House of Blues.
Colorblind colorist Carol Dunkley has a barnyard full of new rooster paintings in addition to fauvist cows and pigs. For the more austere collectors, she has also rendered several still lifes and landscapes.
For the garden, Cory Owens of Mooresville, known primarily for his finely-wrought knives, has forged whimsical angel and dragonfly garden stakes as well as a limited number of recycled firepits.
And finally, the Green Goat is pleased to introduce up-and-coming artist Ashley Pierce, a graduate of East Carolina’s highly respected art program who has returned to Salisbury to teach at Catawba College. While not strictly folk art, Pierce’s fun and funky amoebic creations are sure to appeal to fans of the genre.
The Green Goat Gallery is located at 516 South Salisbury Avenue in Spencer. The opening reception of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is from 6-8 p.m. on Saturday. The exhibit runs through August. For more information call 704-639-0606.