Area 61 Gallery is opening a new featured artist show: “Old Images / New Formats” by local artist Joe Helseth during First Friday this Friday from 6-8 pm.
During the isolation of the pandemic, Joe began drawing his morning coffee cup, “a cup a day”, to keep him in a creative structure. Over time the coffee cups became more abstracted and he added other elements such as dinnerware, fish, flowers, birds and fruit.
“My creative process is always evolving," Joe explains. "I’m currently fascinated by Kintsugi, the Japanese process of repairing broken pottery with gold thus making a special object more precious in it broken and repaired state. For this featured artist show, I’ve combined images of Greek antiquities, which I’ve used extensively in the past, with the cups and Kintsugi images, creating continuity from the past to the present.”
Joe grew up in Miami, Florida and earned multiple advanced degrees in Fine Arts, Humanities and Arts Administration. He taught art for thirty years at five different colleges and universities and says he thoroughly enjoyed every class that he taught. His last ten years of higher education career experience was spent in Administration and as the Special Assistant to the President at Chattanooga State Community College.
Drop by the gallery to meet Joe and other local gallery artists during this week’s First Friday Open House event from 6-8 pm. Original works from “Old Images / New Formats” will be available for viewing and purchase through November 2nd at Area 61 Gallery - 721 Broad Street (left of the historic Tivoli Theatre). Gallery hours are Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday 12-6 pm or by appointment - (423) 648-9367.