Mica Gallery Presents August Featured Artists

Mica Gallery - the members owned cooperative fine craft gallery in downtown Bakersville, NC - presents a monthly special “Featured Artist Spotlight” exhibiting the work of its member artists.

For the month of August, Mica members Vicki Essig and David Ross will be featured in the gallery.

Essig’s exhibit, “Memento Mori,” will show how some of her work is a collaboration between silkworms and herself as the artist. “The silkworm process is fascinating and educational,” she notes. “Some of my diaphanous fabric is created entirely by approximately three hundred silkworms -- with the help of choreographed interventions by myself.

“The process of designing and planning a piece such as this begins when the silkworms (caterpillars) hatch from their eggs and begin to eat. After four weeks and pounds of mulberry leaves the worms are ready to spin. The silkworms try in earnest to find a corner to attach their silk web, so the process of building a protective cocoon can begin.

“It is not in the silkworm’s nature to create fabric or even spin their silk on flat surfaces. The worms need continual reminding to work on the flat surface and not to wander; at this stage, the worms are placed on a platform that is cut to the size of the finished art piece. “Three days later they enter their resting state, without a cocoon. I careful collect and protect them, allowing for their transformation into adult silk moths. Two weeks later, they are ready to mate and lay eggs. The eggs are gathered and kept cold.

“The following May, when the mulberry trees begin to leaf out the eggs will be ready for the process to begin again.”

Ross will exhibit a collection entitled, “Africa Dreaming.” Ross explains, “The Pandemic gave me time to read and reflect on the series of historical novels by Wilbur Smith -  set during African Colonization, which inspired me to create a series of pottery with African imagery.”

Mica is located at 37 Mitchell Ave, Bakersville. Mica is open daily, Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 12–5 p.m. For more information call 828.688.6422 or visit micagallerync.com. Follow the gallery on Facebook at Mica Gallery NC, or on Instagram at micagallerync.