© Christopher McCoy
Christopher McCoy, Resilient Times, 2021, non-glare acrylic on DiBond metallic print, 36 × 24 inches.
Asheville Art Museum acquired 25 new artworks at the end of 2021, all created throughout the 20th and 21st centuries in a range of media by both regionally and nationally recognized artists.
A highlight of the acquisitions is a grouping of works by artists featured in the exhibition A Living Language: Cherokee Syllabary and Contemporary Art, on view at the museum through March 14. This exhibition was co-organized with the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee, North Carolina.
The museum identified the 14 artworks by artists of the Cherokee Nation or Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians not yet represented in the collection, to augment not only the museum’s contemporary holdings but also the holdings of Cherokee artists working today.
Artists represented in this group include John Henry Gloyne, Christopher McCoy, Tara McCoy, Rhiannon Skye Tafoya, Jakeli Swimmer, and Alica Murphy Wildcatt of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and Jeff Edwards, Kenny Glass, and Jennie Wilson of the Cherokee Nation.
“Through a vibrant array of materials, colors, and perspectives, the Cherokee syllabary finds an evocative, contemporary form of expression at the hands of the artists in this exhibition,” said Assistant Curator Hilary Schroeder. “There is a power in words, both written and spoken. I often find that power to be amplified in a work of art, when those words are placed in the context of composition, symbolism, and an artist’s intent.”
Established by artists and incorporated in 1948, the Asheville Art Museum is committed to being a vital force in community and individual development and to providing lifelong opportunities for education and enrichment through the visual arts. The Museum’s mission is to engage, enlighten, and inspire individuals and enrich community through dynamic experiences in American art of the 20th and 21st centuries.