PROJECT SPACE

“DISTILLED FROM STATIC” - Paintings, Watercolors & Collaged wall residers

by Valerie Zars

September 12, 2026 Opening 5-7p

Music/Audio created LIVE for the show’s opening by Bonner Kramer.
Ambient sound poetics making time appear to disappear.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Born and raised in the ‘Tobacco Valley’ of central Connecticut. Influenced by her family of 1st generation immigrants from Latvia and Sweden . All the cherished customs; echoes of dying languages, folk songs, handicrafts, memories cascading from ancient tastes or smells, wrought vividly into stories and tearful histories evolving into a creative sensibility.

Always with an eye on NYC and its cultural cacophony, art school was a way into that rarified world. Ensconced there by 1986 for graduate work, she also studied poetry & performed on the lower east side at the St Mark’s Poetry Project, Nyorican Poets Cafe and 92nd St Y. A growing list of mentors and friends propelled her into several diverse and distinguished careers in Publishing and Photojournalism.

She departed NYC in 2003 for the subtropics of South Florida and worked for the critically acclaimed artist Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A). After three decades of archiving ideas only via text in journals, the 'production' of physical art had been on sabbatical until her move to Asheville in 2023. It was there that she was free to unpack decades of older works, re-establish her art studio, and embark upon multiple new material explorations.

Excerpts from her recent multi-media collaboration wIth musician/composer/husband Bonner Kramer are also included in this show; 40 limited-edition watercolors as LP cover art for the Astres D’Or release of ‘ .and the crimson moon whispers goodbye’. A select few of these LPs with original art will be available for purchase ONLY at the opening on Sept 12th.

ABOUT THE WORK

“After decades of pursuing my ‘professional’ interests in publishing, photography, photojournalism, architecture and commercial design, I am now entrenched in my own studio working full-time on art which runs the gamut from painting, collage and assemblage to poetry & prose. I have always seen my work in terms of presentation as hanging on a wall - facing the viewer’s space, nestled against the rigid structure of a building. I see them as my surrogate windows, view interruptors, places to stare at or through, my wall residers.

I began working with certain materials early in life because they were available to me and fascinated me, even as a child. Having a father who was a chemist, mathematician and teacher, and a mother who taught English Lit, loved horticulture, the arts and culinary experiments.

More About the Work HERE

+++EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT+++

REVOLVE & Tracey Morgan Gallery are excited to announce our collaborative residency at the Community Space located at 821 Riverside Dr, #179, in Asheville, beginning in March, and through December 2026. From TMG’s press release:

“While our location will change, the spirit of TMG will remain. We will continue staging curated solo exhibitions by local, regional and national artists as well as thematic group shows and artist focused events. Since opening TMG in January of 2017, we have presented a robust program of over 70 solo and thematic group exhibitions in a range of media by emerging and established artists from all over the US.”

REVOLVE will continue to program the Project Space. We will also host and facilitate events and community needs in both spaces throughout the TMG residency.

Keep your eyes and ears open for updates on programming and collaborative events!

SUPPORT US HERE!

Revolve is a contemporary art space that functions as part gallery, part studio, part performance and gathering space. We host exhibitions, events, and happenings that push the boundaries between artist and audience. Our intention is focused on representing creative energies on a foundation of inclusion, accessibility and experimentation. We are volunteer-run by artists who believe in the power of community. We are committed to being a space that is sustainable for art while remaining accessible for all.

Our mission is to support the varied creative folks of Western North Carolina, as well as regions beyond, to represent many different communities and forms of expression. In doing so, we hope to build a community with connections to an intellectual landscape that reaches beyond our mountain borders.

Accessibility is important. Revolve is a place to grow together as a community of makers. We are happy to be able to provide time + space for your creative and communal experience, but we are committed to not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment including but not limited to: homophobia, racism, sexism, transphobia, ageism, xenophobia, ableism. Revolve strives to create a safer space for marginalized communities and voices, we keep ourselves safe.

ADA-friendly: We rent from RAMP Studios and are not permitted to make the necessary changes to our space to be completely ADA-compliant. There are no automatic doors for building or bathroom access, and one portion of our gallery is only accessible by a small flight of stairs. You can experience most of our space safely with more than 3 feet of clearance for passthroughs, exhibitions permitting. If you have additional concerns, please reach out for additional information.

JULY