A-B Tech Fine Arts student Michelle Letts is one of many artists featured in A-B Tech’s Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition, which is now on display at Revolve Gallery (RAMP Studios) on Riverside Drive. The show’s opening reception is Friday evening at Revolve beginning at 5:30 p.m., and student awards will be presented at 6:00 p.m. There will be more than two dozen pieces of student work on display, including short films, prints, paintings, ceramic vases, and one cardboard xylophone!
Letts, 33, is graduating from A-B Tech this May with an Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degree. She took some time to chat with us recently about her work.
Where are you from?
Frederick, MD, but I’ve lived in the Asheville area for about 15 years.
Why did you choose A-B Tech to study art?
I actually chose A-B Tech for medical office management and medical coding, then social work. I took printmaking as an elective and fell in love. From then on, I’ve been committed to the Fine Arts pathway, and I’ve received so much support along the way.
What is your specialty as a Fine Arts student?
I love printmaking and ceramics — the crafts where you really get your hands dirty — but painting was a surprise joy for me.
What piece was chosen for this exhibit?
My cat rattles from Intro to Pottery made into the student art show. (They) show cranky cats with sweet patterns in different positions. My wonderful cat Sylvie was my muse.
What have you learned through your studies at A-B Tech?
Confidence has been my biggest takeaway from A-B Tech. In addition to finding myself as an artist, my writing and math skills have grown exponentially.
How have you grown as an artist while in the program?
I came to A-B Tech thinking that maybe I could doodle cute pictures for my friends, but that I certainly wasn’t an Artist. Now, I have a grasp on a range of media, and I’ve learned how to work themes that matter to me into my art.
What are your plans after graduation?
Ideally, I’ll work part-time while setting up my own printmaking studio.
Where do you find inspiration for your art?
A lot of my art comes from my own history of religious trauma, queerness, and mental illness. I find it cathartic to work through my past in a more physical way… One of the prints I made for that first printmaking class explores religious trauma. It’s called “The Curse,” where I reimagine the story of Eve being tempted in the Garden of Eden.
I was raised with the belief that the first woman was responsible for the fall of mankind and, in turn, passed her curse down to every woman after her. I rewrote this narrative… and centered it (in a more positive way) on my relationship with my wife, choosing to celebrate Eve’s agency. Instead of bearing the larger burden of sin, the piece asks: “What if I am good?”
- Details: Opening Reception on April 3, beginning at 5:30 p.m. with awards presented at 6:00 p.m. Student artwork will be exhibited at *Revolve Gallery (RAMP Studios) from March 30 - April 24. After this, it will be at A-B Tech’s Mission Health Conference Center from April 27 to May 1. There will also be a Closing Reception for this exhibit on campus on May 1 at 5:30 p.m. at A-B Tech’s Mission Health Conference Center. *Revolve Gallery (RAMP Studios), 821 Riverside Drive, Asheville, NC, 28801. The parking lot is located behind the North building. Enter via the drive between the North and South buildings.
