Morganton's 'Art in the Hall' showcases WNC sculptors

This month, City Hall plays host to three sculptors from Lenoir’s WNC Sculpture Center. Both the upper and lower lobbies feature the creative renderings of Joseph Bigley, Amanda Szot, and Emma Finnen, “in-house” artists under a work exchange agreement with the center. The artists help with the needs of the organization in exchange for workspace and equipment access.

Each creator has his or her unique style, and the collection as a whole adds an interesting visual dynamic to the City Hall lobby.

Szot specializes in mixed media works of cast iron, wood, and found objects, while Finnen experiments with combinations of cast iron, fiber works, and beading. Bigley, the founder and executive director of WNC Sculpture, includes cast iron, metal fabrication, cast bronze and aluminum, and most recently, stonework into his practice.

The center includes a working studio, and a free public sculpture park open from dawn until dusk, seven days a week with almost 100 works on display.

At 4612 Patterson School Drive in Lenoir, the WNC Sculpture Center features a metal foundry where artists melt and cast iron, bronze and aluminum, and participate in woodworking, blacksmithing, and other media such as stoneworking and mixed materials.

The studio is open to local artists who may be interested in becoming an “in-house” sculptor. Contact wncsculpture@gmail.com to inquire about the program.

Those interested in learning more about WNCSC or supporting the center can visit www.wncsculpture.org for more information.

“This year we are celebrating our fifth-year anniversary,” Bigley said. “We have established ourselves as a regional destination for artists and visitors alike.

“With added community support, we can build upon this humble start to help promote the beauty and richness of Western North Carolina, to continue our advocacy of the appreciation of sculpture, and to offer unique hands-on creative experiences for our participants,” he added.

Art in the Hall will be on display during normal business hours at Morganton’s City Hall, 305 E. Union St., #A100. The current exhibit will continue until the end of November.