“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
– Thomas Merton
Welcome back!
There are a TON of new things coming up – this is meant to be a bit of a teaser, and not all-inclusive, but at least we’re posting them again!
Every month at the CCAC we host weekly gatherings:
Mondays we host a kids’ chess club from 3:30 to 5pm for ages 6 to 16
Thursdays we host an artist brown bag lunch from 11am to 3pm, perfect for working on a piece of your own or just coming to network with other creatives!
Each month we offer a new exhibit in the Center Gallery:
January 2025– Hope Sacher and the CCAC presents Bound Within, a powerful art exhibit inspired by stories of pain, resilience, and healing. Rooted in the therapeutic practices of Hope Sacher, the exhibit began in a Northern Georgia detention center and has grown to include diverse contributions, showcasing the courage to transform trauma into healing and creativity. Join us to experience the transformative power of art in fostering connection and compassion.
February 2025-Bobby Choe-Henderson presents Freebird, an exhibit of handmade paper work. As a gay Korean-American artist, he was introduced to papermaking during his studies at Western Carolina University, Bobby’s passion for the medium led him to refine his ability to weave traditional Eastern and Western papermaking techniques into innovative works that combine light, translucency, and layered storytelling, creating narratives and works that are informed by his unique experiences and perspectives.
We also host an ongoing project we call the Open Studios Project, where you can meet artists and purchase work directly from them in our front two rooms. Currently we have over 55 artists represented in 7 studios.
Contact David Vowell at director@cherokeeartscouncil.org with questions or comments, or follow the links above to join us!
Artist Spotlight
Bobby Choe-Henderson
Bobby Choe-Henderson, a gay Korean-American artist, brings his unique identity to the forefront of his work, using his craft to explore cultural, societal, and personal narratives. His understanding of identity – through a multifaceted lens of ethnicity, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and gender – deeply informs his art and provides a thoughtful perspective from which he transcribes life’s complexities. Introduced to papermaking during his studies at Western Carolina University, Bobby’s passion for the medium led him to earn an MFA in Book Arts from the University of Iowa Center for the Book. There, he was mentored by leaders in the field, refining his ability to weave traditional Eastern and Western papermaking techniques into innovative works that combine light, translucency, and layered storytelling.
A favorite piece, Hangang (2023), exemplifies Bobby’s talent for transforming personal history into art. Made from hundreds of layers of laminated hanji, the piece recounts the harrowing journey of his aunt and mother as they fled Seoul during a winter invasion, crossing the frozen Han River. This memory, now looped through his aunt’s struggles with Alzheimer’s dementia, became a tangible tribute to their resilience and a shared history for diasporic Koreans. Bobby’s ability to merge the intimate and the universal gives his work an emotional depth that resonates with diverse audiences.
In addition to exhibitions, Bobby engages with the local arts community through workshops and his role on the Cherokee County Arts Council board. His upcoming projects include solo shows in Blue Ridge, GA, and Murphy, NC, as well as a winter residency at Penland School of Craft. For Bobby, success is “that emotional release when you make something that shakes the spirit” – moments of joy or catharsis that validate months of meticulous creation. His art can be seen at galleries or directly via Instagram (@hendersonpaperandbook) and his website, www.hendersonpaperandbook.com.
the Cherokee County Arts Council is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible.
