In-Town Presents Steel Sculpture Artist Julie Clark
The Steel Sculpture of Julie Clark is The Featured Exhibit
At In-Town Galery For March 2010
In-Town Gallery is pleased to present “Explorations in Steel” an exhibition featuring Asian-influenced sculptural wall hangings by member-artist Julie Clark. There will be a First Friday Opening from 5 to 8 p.m. on March 5, and the exhibit will be featured for the entire month of March. The gallery is open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday from 11 to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m.
Julie credits a creatively nurturing upbringing for her non-traditional career and artistic pursuits. Reared on a farm with three older brothers, she had the freedom to learn and explore the use of tools that many young girls are never exposed to. Equally at home in the studio with a mig welder or in the kitchen with a cast iron skillet, Julie developed a unique perspective for beauty and function that includes a refreshing sense of visual humor. One wouldn’t expect any less from a gal whose blacksmithing career started out with shoeing horses. Her garden blooms with the whimsy of sculptured flowers, metal roosters, and the delicate fluidity of steel tables, but it is this new work that shows the sophistication of design this lady of limitless talents is capable of.
In addition to a degree in Welding and Joining Technology from Northwestern Technical College (Rock Springs, Georgia) Ms. Clark has amassed a list of mentors that reads like the Who’s Who of Contemporary Metal Smiths. Julie now feels that it’s her turn share that knowledge. She says “I teach at the (John C. Campbell) folk school and out of my shop. When I am around someone who is new to metal working, it inspires me because seeing the joy in their learning makes me love what I do. There are tons of techniques, tons of methods, and lots of fun equipment to learn to use. I love heat. I love sparks, and I love sharing it with others who may be interested in getting started.”
There is no shortage of inspiration around Julie. Even her studio on Lookout Mountain is a work of art. The post and beam/timber frame structure was designed by friend and architect, Taylor Bowers, and built by Julie and her husband, Bruz. “We did all the work. It is a fabulous space. A metal working shop needs to be laid out in a way that makes working easy and movement fluid. My shop is perfectly laid out. One thing I work on, however, is not accumulating equipment that I don’t use. I cannot function in clutter, and a shop has a tendency to get filled to the brim. I am really skilled in keeping my shop organized and clean.”
For more information about Julie Clark and the work of other regional artists, call 423-267-9214 or visit the website: www.intowngallery.com. There you will find links to Julie’s and other member-artists’ web pages. In Town Gallery is one of the oldest cooperative galleries in the nation. Located at 26A Frazier Avenue, between the Market Street and Walnut Street bridges, adjacent to Coolidge Park., the gallery is open seven days a week.
