November 19, 2019 - February 15, 2020
Gourd art is an ancient tradition in Africa and Asia as well as among the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Evolving from early hand carvings, to how featured artist Bonita Miner creates her masterpieces, utilizing electric wood burners and high-speed pen-shaped rotary tools that can be used to inscribe almost any design.
Miner obtains all of her guards from Southern California, as the walls are much thicker than Michigan gourds. The thicker walls allow for the masterful open designs you see in her pieces, as seen with The Mighty Oak.
For the specific design of each piece, Miner allows the gourd to take the lead. Playing with the shape and natural markings created by mold during the drying process, each piece is one of a kind. After a design is lightly sketched onto the gourd, the gourd can then be wood burned, carved, painted, or whatever Miner is inspired to do!