Center for Craft 25th anniversary logo in red
Center for Craft 25th anniversary logo in red

Liminal

Created by Ian Henderson and Shae Bishop, Liminal is a one-of-a-kind commission located on the exterior of the Center for Craft

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The full exterior installation consists of two parts: The first is the street-facing facade wall features the 3-D tile installation, Liminal. The second is on the adjacent south-face of the building that displays 2-D commemorative donor tiles from the 2017-2019 campaign, Building a Future for Craft.

And just like the city of Asheville itself, which lies somewhere in the unknowable present between its industrial past and its post-capitalist future, Liminal invites the viewer, even the casual passer-by, to enter that liminal state and feel the vastness of a world pulsing with change and uncertainty.

Drawing viewers into a space between noticing and understanding, the pattern will continually change throughout the day, revealing a variety of blue and green hues that perfectly contrast the building’s red and orange brick.

Liminal

Created by Ian Henderson and Shae Bishop, Liminal is a one-of-a-kind commission located on the exterior of the Center for Craft

Visit

Liminal invites the viewer, even the casual passer-by, to enter that liminal state and feel the vastness of a world pulsing with change and uncertainty.”

- Ian Henderson

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Created by Ian Henderson and Shae Bishop, Liminal is a one-of-a-kind commission located on the exterior of the Center for Craft. The installation explores the idea of the liminal, or state of being in transition, through the shifting pattern created by this large-scale tessellation of concrete tiles. 

Liminal changes throughout the day by revealing a variety of blue hues that contrast the building’s red and orange brick depending on the position of the sun. Come visit this installation at different times to experience the transformations.

And just like the city of Asheville itself, which lies somewhere in the unknowable present between its industrial past and its post-capitalist future, Liminal invites the viewer, even the casual passer-by, to enter that liminal state. 

Craft, too, is always in a liminal state. From the materials and tools artists use, to the context we view and understand their work. This installation greets and encourages visitors to come inside the Center for Craft, where they can explore the ever-changing nature of craft today. 

Liminal was commissioned by the Center for Craft as a result of the Broadway Cultural Gateway project, a neighborhood planning process begun in 2017 to transform the block surrounding our location at 67 Broadway Street into a cultural gateway and arts destination that welcomes residents and visitors into downtown Asheville.

The full exterior installation consists of two parts: The first is the street-facing facade wall features the 3-D tile installation, Liminal. The second is on the adjacent south-face of the building that displays 2-D commemorative donor tiles from the 2017-2019 campaign, Building a Future for Craft.

Liminal as found on the Center for Craft building.

Field Building

The artists

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Creation and Design Lead

Ian Henderson

Ian Henderson is a studio artist, teacher, and arts administrator currently the Director of Operations at Penland School of Craft. He led the design and creation of Liminal.

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Ian earned a degree in Contemporary U.S. History from Brown University, where he also studied sustainable building and design as well as art. In 2010 he moved to North Carolina where, as a recipient of a Core Fellowship at Penland School of Craft, he undertook an intensive, two-year study of materials and craft processes.

In 2013 Ian was awarded an Arts/Industry Residency at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Wisconsin. During this time he developed a process for translating the geometries and design language of historical, architectural ornament into high-relief tiles.

Headshot of an artist, Ian Henderson.
Headshot of an artist, Shae Bishop.

Production Manager

Shae Bishop

Shae Bishop is a studio artist from Louisville, KY who earned his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute.

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He recently completed the prestigious Summer Fellowship at the Archie Bray Foundation and from 2014 - 2017 was the Studio Assistant and Production Manager for Cristina Córdova.

Shae’s stunning ceramic work has been exhibited internationally and throughout the US and is informed by his deep knowledge of cultural and art history and of the natural world. Shae acted as Production Manager for Liminal.

Field Building

Steel corner detail and text plates for Liminal will be fabricated and installed by Asheville artist Andrew Hayes. You may find more info about Andrew here.

Steel corner detail and text plates for Liminal that were fabricated and installed by beloved Asheville artist Andrew Hayes.

Questions?

Please contact Stephanie Moore at giving@craftcreativitydesign.org with any questions, or donate now using the button below.

The Center for Craft’s mission is to provide a unique event and meeting space where both national and local groups can gather to communicate, innovate, and be inspired.

Name a Tile

Field Building

Credits

Liminal, 2019

Concrete (20' x 25')

Commissioned by the Center for Craft with support, in part, by UNC Asheville

  • Creation and Design by Ian Henderson
  • Production Management by Shae Bishop
  • Production Assistance by Stormie Burns
  • Metalwork by Andrew Hayes
  • Graphic Design by Eleanor Annand
  • Project Management by Mike Marcus and Erika Kofler
  • Installation Management by Vannoy Construction including substrate and tile installation by Steep Creek Stone Works, replacement of roofing coping by Baker Roofing, painting by Performance Building Solutions, and lighting by Haynes Electric.

Liminal