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Opening for Spoons to Stir the Soul: The World of Norm Sartorius
May 6, 2022 @ 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Free
Opening for Spoons to Stir the Soul: The World of Norm Sartorius | Fri. May 6, 2022 | 5:00 – 8:00 pm EDT | In-person Event
The Center for Art in Wood invites you to celebrate the opening of its new exhibition, Spoons to Stir the Soul: The World of Norm Sartorius on the evening of Friday, May 6th.
Spoons to Stir the Soul is the first career retrospective exhibition celebrating the life and work of extraordinary wood carver Norm Sartorius. In a career spanning more than 40 years, he has literally carved a niche for himself, opening new doors for creative possibilities in the material of wood. He started his career making a wide range of functional wooden objects, but after a few years, he focused on the potential of the spoon as an object of art.
As Sartorius has often said, “People look at me rather oddly when I tell them I make non-functional wooden spoons—non-functional in that you wouldn’t use them in the kitchen, but functional in that they are objects of beauty. My spoons are sculptures; my sculptures are spoons. Not spoons to stir the soup but spoons to stir the soul.”
The exhibition will include many of Sartorius’s finest works, selected from some of the premier private and public collections in the United States. It will trace the dynamic evolution of the artist’s creative expressions, from his earliest efforts as a professional woodworker in the 1970s, to his commitment to the spoon as a fine-art category in the 1980s and ‘90s, and culminating with his current mature vision, aesthetic refinement, and woodworking mastery—all of which have produced a unique and deeply soul-stirring oeuvre of art-in-wood.
This event is free to the public. The Center for Art in Wood interprets, nurtures, and champions creative engagement and expansion of art, craft, and design in wood to enhance the public’s understanding and appreciation of it. A suggested donation of $5 per person enables us to provide programs and exhibitions throughout the year.
For questions, contact Katie Sorenson, Director of Outreach and Communications, at [email protected]