Tom Spleth & Michael Traister Exhibits at the Gregg Museum

The Gregg Museum, located in NC State’s student center, is a wonderful hidden treasure.  If you are visiting Raleigh or you live in the area, you may not have known about this small but wealthy art resource.  This Thursday NCSU’s Gregg Museum will open new shows of work by NC resident Tom Spleth and photographer Michael Traister. Traister’s show focuses on the pop-culture Sock Monkey theme (meme?). 

Below is the Museum’s Release on the two shows

Tom Spleth –A Retrospective

A retrospective of any artist’s work covers a lot of ground; Tom Spleth’s covers more than most. Spleth, known primarily as a ceramicist, has made (by his own estimation) approximately 20,000 functional pieces, and has also produced figurative and abstract sculpture, furniture, tiles and light boxes as well as paintings, prints and drawings.

Tom Spleth’s (b.1946) journey as an artist began in Tulsa, OK, in the 1960s. He was encouraged by his parents, who arranged for private painting lessons after high school. Later he attended Kansas City Art Institute where he was introduced to ceramics and studied under Ken Ferguson. After receiving his BFA in 1969, he pursued his study of ceramics further at Alfred University in New York and received an MFA in 1971. He returned to Alfred to teach foundation drawing and ceramics from 1978-84. From 1985-6 he became an artist-in-residence at the Art/Industry Program of the John Michael Kohler Art Center in Sheboygan, WI, after which he moved to Raleigh, NC. During this time he served as director of the City Gallery in Raleigh and of the exhibition gallery of the Wilson Arts Council in Wilson, NC.

In addition to the Gregg Museum, his work is in the permanent collections of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, the Louise Wells Cameron Museum and the Museum of the Rhode Island School of Design and has appeared in exhibitions and galleries coast to coast. Spleth lives and works in Little Switzerland, NC

Opening reception Thursday, October 25, 6-8 pm

Gallery Talk with Tom Spleth Thursday, November 1, 7pm

Gallery Talk with master printer Phil Sanders Wednesday November 14, 6pm

Michael Traister Sock Monkey Madness & The Red Heel Dream

Michael Traister’s photographs will transport you into the parallel universe of the Sock Monkey. From Cleetus Crusoe’s solitary desert isle (from which he does not want to be rescued, thank you) to appearances on the late-night talk show circuit, you will get a unique glimpse through button eyes into the lives of these elusive creatures and the rich handcrafted history that they represent. Many of these photographs were published last year in a book titled Sock Monkey Dreams, with words and design by Whitney Shroyer and Letitia Walker. Dioramas, artifacts from Shroyer and Walker’s Red Heel Monkey Shelter and historical items from The Nelson Knitting Company will complete the exhibition.

Thursday, December 6th, 7pm
The Missing Link: Evolution of the Sock Monkey with Dan Bartlett, Curator of Exhibits at Midway Village & Museum Center, Rockford, IL.
The Gregg Museum of Art & Design’s Hours:

Monday: closed
Tuesday: closed
Wednesday through Friday: 12-8pm ; 
Saturday and Sunday: 2-8pm;

These hours are subject to change during University closings and holidays.