We’ve got over thirty folks at East Fork making pots, writing copy, posting hot content, mixing glazes, bubble wrapping, and crunching numbers. Honestly, we really lucked out with our work family being so cool. Every one gets along and is super good at their job. Not only that, a lot of EF employees are also multi-talented artists and makers. When they clock-out, they hit the studios, creating everything from paintings to ceramic sculptures to poetry. These off-duty artists make up such a bulk of our team, we thought it apropros to throw a big art show and show off some of these special pieces!
Opening Day of East Fork Off-Duty will take place on Sunday, December 16th from 3-5 pm at the shop (82 N. Lexington Ave.) and will feature works by the following team members/artists:
Max Adams (Glaze Lead): Graphite drawings (as seen above)
“I've been working in animation the past few years, compositing short looped sequences from hand-drawn frames. I'm using HB through 6B graphite pencils. Because they're so cheap. Also cus graphite is so lush. I'm pulling from Francisco Goya, Juan Sánchez Cotán, Eadweard Muybridge, etc.”
IG: @maxladams
Annie Bourgeois (Sales Associate): Quilts
“I got super inspired last year to become a quilter! It's one of those tales told over and over where I didn't like most every quilt or bedding option, so decided to make my own. :) It was important to me to use a lot of negative space with white/off white organic cotton (because I love a white bed) and then bits of velvet quilted in. I’ve noticed velvet can tend to make people nervous because of it's traditionally delicate nature, so I spent quite a bit of time researching and selecting commercial grade velvets that won't crush, and can be washed. They will be available in 3 velvet colors and 3 sizes: Crib, Throw & Queen (and Queen with a duvet option). I'm eager to offer King size quilts, I just may need to get a bigger machine to pull it off!”
IG: @annieeeeeeee
Olivia Shealy [Harmony Crow Studio] (Form Generalist): Ties, bow ties, and suspenders
“Everything I make is one of a kind, handcrafted and made by using recycled and salvaged materials. These days we live in a culture that seems to strongly value the idea of "Brand New". We often discard of our old belongings without really wondering where it all piles up in the end. My intention is to challenge this model by taking the old and the worn and creating something out of it that is useful, beautiful and has integrity.”
IG: @harmonycrowstudio
Jessie Rienerth (Mold Shop Manager): Ceramics
“My work tends to mimic and celebrate some common skin- texture (scar tissue, lumps, bumps, tattoo) and aims to be seen as a decoration of the vessel instead of an unwanted mark. The hope is to embrace the allure of the texture and rid ourselves of the burden to smooth out all of the very important visual layers.”
IG: @rheinoceramics
McKenzie Toma (Editorialist & Social Media): Poetry, beadings, chair
“I work in many different mediums. I am interested in naivety, quickness, femininity, spirituality, and humor via form, gesture and material.”
IG: @mcktoma
Sarah Walters (Sales Associate): Hats
"I'm a designer + seamstress living in Asheville, NC. I offer alteration services and special finds that are either new, or used and reworked. I found early inspiration in my grandmother, Ruth Walters - a seamstress and tailor by trade. My middle name is Ruth after her, and since she was my original light into this kind of work, I use my initials SRW as my brand name."
IG: @sarahruthwalters
Nicole Lissenden (Graphic Designer): Prints, notecards
"I make prints on my 1918 Chandler and Price and 1972 Heidelberg Windmill. There are many restrictions in working with this machinery - colors must be laid down one at a time, there are size restrictions and no concrete or reliable way to work with gradients or large areas of solid. I've found a love in being restricted in these ways and in trying to find workarounds. I have plates made of my illustrations and I love to play with the places where the plates overlap - in these places 2 colors can become 4 colors and transparent ink can become opaque. Most of my work focuses on natural imagery."
IG: @mink_letterpress
Also participating are:
Cade Hollomon-Cook (Production Manager): Paintings, drawings
IG: @hollomoncook
Mike Ball (Fulfillment Assistant): Ceramics
IG: @mike_ball_potter
Kyle Crowder (Glaze Technician): Embroidery
IG: @millennialsusingpayphones
Sarah Flickinger (Forming Generalist): Cashmere scarves
Julia True (Jigger Operations): Cross-stichings
See you there!