STARworks Director, Nancy Gottovi, Wins Leadership in Business Sustainability Award

STARworks executive director Nancy Gottovi received a Leadership in Business Sustainability Award from the North Carolina Business Council (NCBC) on Nov. 12, 2019, for her work with STARworks in Star, NC.

“NCBC was pleased to recognize Dr. Nancy Gottovi as one the 2019 business leaders who are ‘Transforming How We Do Business for Good,’” said NCBC executive director Vicki Lee Parker. “Dr. Gottovi has distinguished herself as a state business leader by forging a path for arts-based economic development and has proven how to revitalize rural communities through creativity. NCBC is excited to join other organizations across the country in recognizing Nancy for her visionary leadership and passion for the community.”

STARworks executive director Nancy Gottovi speaking after winning a Leadership in Business Sustainability Award from the North Carolina Business Council. Photo taken by Linda Nguyen.

Gottovi became the executive director of Central Park NC (STARworks) in February 2004. The STARworks building was gifted to the organization in 2005. Gottovi, who holds a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, has overseen the renovations and expansion of STARworks since the beginning.

What started as a former hosiery mill in much need of repair has flourished under the leadership of Gottovi into a center for arts that houses glassblowing and clay studios, a clay manufacturing and ceramic supply business, galleries, and a café and taproom. STARworks welcomes the public to several events throughout the year, including festivals, artist talks, glassblowing demonstrations, live music, classes and field trips. Dozens of resident artists, visiting artists and interns in both glass and ceramics spend time at STARworks each year.

“I feel deeply honored to receive this award from the NCBC,” said Gottovi. “STARworks is fast becoming a destination for our local communities and for the larger national and international community of artists and creative thinkers. We hope to be an example for how the arts and creativity can be used to boost the economies of other former mill towns.”

STARworks is a creative community advancing excellence in artistic and educational experiences. A high priority is placed on educational programs that include classes, field trips and special independent studies for K-12 students.

STARworks is located at 100 Russell Drive in Star, just off I-73/74 in northern Montgomery County.

For more information, call 910/428-9001, or visit (www.StarworksNC.org).

STARworks Gallery in STAR, NC, Offers Ornament Sale – Dec. 1, 2018

The STARworks Gallery in Star, NC, will be decorated for the holiday season with more than 2,500 colorful hand-crafted glass and ceramic ornaments Dec. 1, 2018, from 10am to 4pm. Ornaments are handcrafted by STARworks artists, interns and resident artists, and come in all sizes, shapes and colors.

STARworks Clay Studio artists have created ceramic crystalline ornaments in new shapes this year. In addition to the familiar ball ornaments, STARworks glassblowers have brought back the popular star ornaments, candy canes and icicles for this holiday season.

The glass and ceramic artists at STARworks have also created ornaments and holiday items for the STARworks Signature Series. Glassblowers and clay artists create Signature Series items in their own time after work. These items are unique to each artist and in limited supply.

There are no advanced or reserved sales. Ornaments left after the sale will be available in the School House Gallery at STARworks, Monday through Saturday, from 9am to 5pm, while supplies last. A limited selection of ornaments will be available online at (www.STARworksNC.org) after the sale. Prices start at $10. Payment options include cash, check or credit cards.

STARworks recommends people arrive at the ornament sale as close to 10am as possible to ensure a good selection. Doors will open at 9am for those who like to arrive early, but the sale will not begin until 10am. The STARworks Café & Taproom will open at 8am with coffee drinks, smoothies, pastries and more.

STARworks is a project of Central Park NC, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the economy of the region by focusing on the sustainable use of our natural and cultural resources. Proceeds from the ornament sale help fund STARworks programs, including the high school glassblowing and ceramics programs.

STARworks is located at 100 Russell Drive in Star, just off I-73/74 in northern Montgomery County.

For more information, call 910/428-9001, or visit (www.StarworksNC.org).

STARworks in Star, NC, Presents a Hot Glass, Cold Beer Event on Sept. 14, 2017

Hot Glass Cold Beer (HGCB) returns to STARworks in Star, NC, on Sept. 14, 2017, from 5:30 to 7:30pm with guest artist Amanda Patenaude.

Patenaude will lead the glassblowing demonstration. She and the STARworks Glass team will work together to create a glass raccoon.

STARworks Glass guest artist Amanda Patenaude attaches an ear to the glass raccoon she made for the February 2016 Hot Glass Cold Beer. She will create another raccoon with the assistance of the STARworks Glass team at this Hot Glass Cold Beer.

The River Wild food truck, based out of Lake Tillery, will be on site with offerings of fish tacos, burgers, fries and more.

HGCB, held on the second Thursday of every month, features beer from Four Saints Brewing Company, based in Asheboro and wine from Stony Mountain Vineyards, based in Albemarle.

All ages are invited to watch the free glassblowing demonstration. Visitors, ages 21 and older who purchase a hand-crafted STARworks drinking glass will receive a ticket for a complimentary beer or wine during the demonstration. Beer and wine may also be purchased directly at the bar.

Patenaude is a multi-media artist based out of Brooklyn, NY, where she works as a glass production manager and devotes time to her personal art practice. She uses glass and its properties to investigate issues of waste and reuse, new forms of community building and our evolving roles in the environment. Patenaude received a BFA from Illinois State University where she worked in both the glass and ceramic departments.

STARworks is a Central Park NC project. Central Park NC is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the economy of the region by focusing on the sustainable use of our natural and cultural resources.

STARworks is located at 100 Russell Drive in Star, just off I-73/74 in northern Montgomery County. For more information, call 910/428-9001, or visit (www.StarworksNC.org).

STARworks in Star, NC, Offers Lectures – Aug. 9, 2017

STARworks Clay Studio resident artists Yang Chen and Levi Mahan, and STARworks Glass interns Josh Fredock and Grace Phillips will present slides and discuss their work during artist talks at STARworks in Star, NC, Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017, at 5:30pm. The presentations are free and open to the public. Beer from Four Saints Brewing Company will be available for purchase.

Work by Yang Chen

Yang Chen is a ceramic sculptor and installation artist from Bejing, China. She received her BFA at Tsinghua University in 2014 and her MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work has been exhibited in China and the United States, including the “2014 NANTONG International Contemporary Biennial”.

Levi Mahan grew up at Wild Rose Pottery in Seagrove, NC. He studied with Syd Carpenter and Doug Herren at Swarthmore College before he began working with his father full time at From the Ground Up Pottery. Most recently, he was the kiln manager at Art Alliance ceramic studio in Greensboro, NC.

Josh Fredock combines glass and metal to create his art. Most of his work is made from salvaged materials. He has a welding degree from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. Most recently, Fredock was a fabricator at Rock Cottage Glassworks in Merriam, KS.

Work by Grace Phillips

Grace Phillips is from Chicago, IL. She earned a double major in Art Education and Glassblowing from Illinois State University. She spent a year teaching art at the elementary level, but longed to be back in the studio and left education to pursue her artistic career. Currently, she is developing a body of work that explores different aspects of the mind.

For more information, visit (www.STARworksNC.org).

STARworks in Star, NC, Offers Lectures by Resident Artists – Mar. 15, 2017

STARworks Clay Studio resident artist Deighton Abrams, and STARworks Glass interns Brianna Gluszak and Andrew Thompson will present slides and discuss their work, Wednesday, Mar. 15, 2017, beginning at 5:30pm at STARworks, located at 100 Russell Drive in Star, NC.

The presentations are free and open to the public. Beer from Four Saints Brewing Company will be available for purchase.

Work created by STARworks Clay Studio resident artist Deighton Abrams

Deighton Abrams is originally from Alaska and has an MFA with a concentration in ceramics from Clemson University. He has been awarded numerous grants, including the Clemson Art Department Scholarship for study in Jingdezhen, China and the Professional Enrichment Grant for artist research in Iceland. Abrams utilizes ceramic forms, both figural and geologic, to create complex narratives about the human psyche and its impact on the surrounding landscape.

Work created by STARworks Glass intern Brianna Gluszak

Brianna Gluszak is from Calgary, Canada and holds a BFA with distinction in Glass from the Alberta College of Art and Design. She has studied at Pilchuck Glass School in Washington, Corning Museum in New York and Northlands Creative Glass in Lybster, Scotland. Her work is focused on re-imagining the imagery that one sees in passing through glass.

Work created by STARworks Glass intern Andrew Thompson

Andrew Thompson grew up in Birmingham, AL. He was inspired to study glass by his father, Joseph Thompson, who built a hot shop in their back yard when Thompson was young. He studied glass at Tennessee Tech University under Professor Curtiss Brock and recently had a solo exhibition, Uncertain Consciousness, at the Appalachian Center for Craft. His work focuses on the optic qualities glass can produce and combines these properties with two dimensional, mixed media compositions.

STARworks is a project of Central Park NC, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the economy of the region by focusing on the sustainable use of our natural and cultural resources. STARworks is located at 100 Russell Drive in Star, just off I-73/74 in northern Montgomery County.

For more information, call 910/428-9001, e-mail to (contact@starworksnc.org) or visit (www.STARworksNC.org).

STARworks in Star, NC, Offers Talks by Kazuki Takizawa and Christina Bendo – Feb. 15, 2017

STARworks Glass resident artist Kazuki Takizawa and STARworks Clay Studio resident artist Christina Bendo will present slides and discuss their work during artist talks at STARworks, on Feb. 15, 2017, at 5:30pm. The presentations are free and open to the public. Beer from Four Saints Brewing Company will be available for purchase.

Work by Kazuki Takizawa

Kazuki Takizawa is a Japanese glass artist based in Los Angeles, CA. He graduated with high honors from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and has taught at various glass educational facilities, including Pilchuck Glass School and Public Glass. For the past decade, Takizawa has made work related to mental health and therapy. His most recent installation, “Breaking the Silence”, was installed at STARworks in 2015, when he was an intern at STARworks. The installation was created to increase awareness of suicide. Takizawa is the glass resident artist at STARworks until mid-April. Learn more about Takizawa and his work at (www.kazukitakizawa.com).

Works by Christina Bendo

Christina Bendo grew up in rural northern Virginia in a family of serious cooks and gardeners, giving her an appreciation for the production, preparation and consumption of food from an early age. She received her BA in Studio Art from the University of Mary Washington. She worked as a studio assistant to Trista Chapman in Fredericksburg, VA, and recently completed a residency at LibertyTown Arts Workshop. Bendo makes functional pots that add joy and meaning to the everyday ritual of consuming food and drink with others. Bendo will stay at STARworks until mid-March. Learn more about Bendo and her work at (www.facebook.com/christinabendopottery).

Star Drawing Club will meet immediately following artist talks. Guests are welcome to stay and join in the fun. Star Drawing Club is free and open to the public. A new still life will be set up for each meeting. Participants need to bring their own art supplies.

STARworks is a project of Central Park NC, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the economy of the region by focusing on the sustainable use of our natural and cultural resources. STARworks is located at 100 Russell Drive in Star, just off I-73/74 in northern Montgomery County.

For more information, visit (www.STARworksNC.org).

STARworks Hot Glass Cold Beer Takes Place in Star, NC – Feb. 9, 2017

STARworks resident artist Kazuki Takizawa will take the lead at Hot Glass Cold Beer (HGCB), Feb. 9, 2017, from 5:30 to 7:30pm. River Wild food truck, based out of Lake Tillery, will be on site with offerings of fish tacos, burgers, pimento cheese fries and more.

Work made by STARworks resident artist Kazuki Takizawa for his Minimalist series.
Takizawa first came to STARworks in 2015 as a glass intern. He has returned as a resident artist and will stay and create work at STARworks through mid-April. Takizawa is a Japanese glass artist based in Los Angeles, CA. He graduated with high honors from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and has taught at various glass educational facilities, including Pilchuck Glass School and Public Glass. For the past decade, Takizawa has been making work related to mental health and therapy. His most recent glass installation, Breaking the Silence was installed at STARworks in 2015. Photos and a video of the installation can be viewed at (www.KazukiTakizawa.com).

Takizawa and STARworks glassblowers will work together to create a piece for his Minimalist series. All ages are invited to watch the free demonstration. Visitors ages 21 and older who purchase a hand-crafted STARworks drinking glass will receive tickets for complimentary beer or wine during the demonstration.  Beer and wine may also be purchased directly at the bar.

HGCB, held on the second Thursday of each month, features beer from Four Saints Brewing Company, based in Asheboro, NC, and wine from Stony Mountain Vineyards, based in Albemarle, NC.

STARworks is a Central Park NC project. Central Park NC is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the economy of the region by focusing on the sustainable use of our natural and cultural resources.

STARworks is located at 100 Russell Drive in Star, just off I-73/74 in northern Montgomery County.

For more information, call 910/428-9001, or visit (www.StarworksNC.org).