Article as publihed in the GA Mountain Laurel Magazine 
April Issue, 2010 , Written by peggy McBride 
 

Earth Day is forty years old this year. Considering the age of humanity plus a few billion years of existence for this spinning globe--we have only been celebrating for a blink of an eye’s time! I can still recall the beginning of the celebrations for Earth Day. As editor of my high school paper (1970), I bumped football highlights for Earth Day news and my editorial spoke to the recycling efforts of a few renegades at school. Have we come a long way?  Not sure, but the message is still the same. Later in college, there was an Earth Day event that filled the auditorium. Everyone anticipated the arrival of the guest speaker on stage.  However, Margaret Mead made her entry through the front door and all heads turned as “mother nature” glided down the aisle cloaked in a theatrical robe carrying a tall staff. Her message that day rings as true today:

This Day transforms all national borders, yet preserves all geographic

 integrities, spans mountains and oceans and time belts. Earth Day

brings people all over the world into one resonating accord, is devoted

to the preservation of the harmony of nature and yet draws upon the

triumphs of technology, the measurement of time and instantaneous communication through space.

Would this national treasure be saddened or proud of us today? Prescient as she was, it would not evoke surprise to hear of our 21^st century’s challenge to ensure sustainability for generations to come. It would please her, I would imagine, to hear of a global coalition formed for 2010’s Earth Day Celebration called: A Billion Acts of Green.

Here, in our corner of the world, Globe Gallery is adding to that one billionth number.  Opening on April 16^th is an exhibit honoring six women whose art is inspired by their dance on Earth and who are making a difference. All of us grant time to preserving the harmony of nature.  These artists’ present a global perspective in their chosen mediums portraying unique relationships to nature from a wide range of influence and cultural backgrounds. Curated by Pat Calderone, her selection was based on the each artists’ source of inspiration and how they “touch the Earth” –the title for the exhibition.

Pat Calderone’s own artwork speaks to the ancient voices of these hills. Her skill of blending visionary imagery with native wildlife in beautiful compositions speaks volumes. Viewers are often captivated by the many layers of meaning present in Pat’s work and often returning to view the pieces again and again. Drawing with charcoal and painting large and small scale often on wood surfaces yields a natural quality that matches her subject matter. She opens the way for subtle imagery and message to emerge.

Malti Turbull says she knew when her hands first touched clay that her artwork and sculptural forms would thrive in this primal earthy element. Malti is Kenyan-born and her early life there remains a strong inspiration toward subject choices. The detailed sculptural forms tell stories of man and nature, of origin and spirit.

Fran Gatins’ passionate love of dance, travel and cultural traditions provide an intuitive basis for her recent creations of contemporary ceremonial staffs. These wall-mounted assemblages cross cultural boundaries and defy simple explanation. A blend of treasures collected from around the globe, natural and found objects and hidden writings make these colorful staffs intriguing. Fran’s artwork is a culmination of her lifelong passion to connect with the natural world through her writing, life-in-the-woods, dancing and fearless creativity.

Peggie Wilcox is a gatherer. Before she weaves one of her fine-detailed baskets, countless hours are spent in the field--collecting, splitting and drying materials spanning many months and many miles.  Iris stems, bullrush, maiden hair fern, birch bark, sweet grass…name only a few of the materials that find their way into her intricate vessels. A range of natural browns and spring greens may limit the spectrum, but the effect is both elegant and pleasing to the eye.  Peggie’s commitment to natural materials leads her to new discovery and personal challenge. Current trends add bulk to baskets with metal, plastics and found objects protruding and bending in angular fashion. In contrast, Peggie’s creations mimic the natural wonders of the earth—one can imagine a vessel in full camouflage if left in the woods. Like a bird in search of nesting goods, she flies around the country sharing her skills with basketry artists and weavers teaching her craft when not in the studio or field.

Peggy McBride (that’s me) in her other life beyond running a gallery and new art school….steals off to her studio for late-night creative sessions.  A recent focus involves textile depictions revealing how man affects the planet from an aerial perspective. Using photos taken from two-seater planes to satellite imagery, her exploration of this bird’s eye view has also led to a series of sculptural “bird books” which speak to the loss of major routes and stopovers for the migratory bird population.  Book arts is an ongoing passion Peggy shares with a weekly class offering new techniques for binding books. Though often abstract with tongue-in-cheek messages, her artwork presents a clear request for us to pay attention to our actions and gain new focus through a varied perspective.

Martha Goodman will be featured in a special trunk showing of her artwork in the step-up gallery during the exhibit. Martha enjoys escaping to her mountain studio and home where she finds solace and relaxation creating jewelry. There she is surrounded by an array of gemstones, beads and talisman treasures waiting to be “choreographed” into wearable art jewelry. When on the road, ballet is her medium. Martha splits her time traveling, choreographing and teaching around the country when not in the mountains of north Georgia. She has a knack for color combinations and unique layouts for her jewelry show pieces often incorporating special finds from international street markets. Come view the unique shadow box collages that house some of the wearables on-the-wall when not being worn.