Jones House galleries feature Hallier
family, Watauga preschoolers
By Frank Ruggiero
For the month of April, the Watauga Arts Council’s
galleries in the Jones House Community Center are featuring, perhaps,
one of their most family-friendly exhibitions.
The Hallier family is presenting the artwork from four generations
in the Mazie Jones Gallery, while the Children’s Council
of Watauga County is displaying the artwork from one of the area’s
newest generations – preschoolers.
Known throughout the country for his detailed sculpture work,
Richard Hallier is known in the High Country for his life-sized,
lifelike sculptures seen in such locales as the Appalachian State
University campus – the Yosef statue on Rivers Street and
dancing children at the Belk Library – and the Crossnore
School.
His work can be found at the N.C. School of the Arts in Winston-Salem
and on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas.
“Internationally known and collected artist Richard Hallier
has become one of the most prolific sculptors of our time,”
a Watauga Arts Council spokesperson said. “…He has completed
seven figures a year on average for the past decade. He has also
made numerous smaller scale versions of his more popular pieces
available in bronze and cast marble.”
Now retired, Hallier is devoting more time toward sailing than
sculpting, though his family is happy to share gallery space with
his livelihood.
His wife, Annette, is presenting abstract paintings and photographs,
while his daughter, Suzie Hallier Huskins, is featuring oil and
beeswax abstracts and collage. Huskins’ grandmother, LaVerne,
is displaying realistic oil paintings and watercolors, while her
daughters, Cy Blue, 8, and Olivia, 11, are showcasing a collection
of illustrated children’s books and other media.
“Together, as a family, we’ll be covering pretty much
everything – photography, sculpture, realistic painting,
some prints, illustrated children’s books,” Huskins
said. “As four generations, we’ll probably not ever
do this again.”
Though the Hallier family currently lives in Watauga and Avery
counties, with Huskins working as a teacher in Banner Elk, she
admitted it’s difficult to get everyone together.
“We’re a very close-knit family, with a tremendous love
for one another, and we want to show our art to the world,”
Annette said.
“This is what we do,” Huskins said.
And this is what they’ve always done. Having grown up in
a family of artists, Huskins said, “I didn’t have a
choice about being an artist, and I still don’t. I keep trying
to quit.”
Open Door Gallery
The program is called “Raising a Reader,”
but it’s also raising a generation of young artists.
In the Jones House’s Open Door Gallery, the Children’s
Council of Watauga County is presenting art from area preschoolers
as part of its Raising a Reader program.
Tracey Tardiff, family and community coordinator, said the program
sees children take home a backpack full of children’s books
to read with their family and then trade back.
For Mountain Pathways School, “each of the children picked
their favorite book from … that week and painted a watercolor
reflecting how they feel,” Tradiff said.
Artwork from students at Western TLC Headstart was inspired
by Eric Carle’s popular children’s book, “The
Mixed-Up Chameleon,” with the children mimicking Carle’s
distinctive artistic style.
The book tells the story of a chameleon who cannot seem to catch
a fly and, discouraged, wishes he had the abilities of other
animals to do so, before realizing that his own unique nature
is the best fit for the job.
“The children are three to four years old, and it’s
a kind of time for experimentation about what you can do, but
at the end of the day coming to the discovery that you can just
be yourself,” Tardiff said.
Students at Merryland Academy worked on a similar concept, only
their book was “Mouse Paint” by Ellen Stoll Walsh.
The 3-year-old artists were able to paint with their feet, while
the 4-year-old class used “In the Small Small Pond”
by Denise Fleming as their source of inspiration, crafting creatures
from Play-Doh and pipe cleaners.
“All the classes used one of the Raising a Reader books
for the project, and one of the very unique things about the
program is they focus not only on literary skills, but they
also have a major component of working with their families and
enjoying the shared book experience,” Tardiff said.
Reading books with family members, she said, stimulates social
and emotional development, while also creating fond memories
for the future.
Children’s Council executive director Doris Mattrow said
that last year, the organization served 100 children and families
in Watauga County and 50 in Ashe County, and Raising a Reader
is just one of the programs that could be facing cancellation
due to budget constraints. To continue funding its mission,
the Children’s Council will accept donations during the
exhibition.
Reception and First Friday Art Crawl
A reception for both exhibits will be held Friday,
April 3, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., held in conjunction with downtown
Boone’s First Friday Art Crawl. Free food and beverage
will be served.
The Watauga Arts Council is but one participating member in
the Art Crawl. Residents and visitors alike are encouraged to
visit downtown Boone’s multitude of art galleries.
The Hallier and Children’s Council exhibits will be on
display through Friday, April 24, from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays
through Fridays. The arts council galleries are also open Thursdays
from 7:30 to 11 p.m. during the acoustic jams at the Jones House.
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