Centennial Art Center

Nashville, TN --- Centennial Art Center’s 2017 spring exhibit, A Walk in the Woods, celebrates the natural world with graceful handcrafted wood-turned vessels and sculptures by Barry Werner and Michael Holowach, intricately sculpted furniture by Douglas Lawrence and haunting landscape paintings by Lisa Taylor. The exhibit opens with an artists' opening reception on Friday, April 7, 2017 from 5-7 p.m.

For Michael Holowach, woodturning is a relatively new interest which he began after moving to Mt Juliet, Tennessee in 2009. Michael had retired after 31 years as a Property Master in the Motion Picture Industry (where he worked on a variety of things from major motion pictures to weekly series and commercials). Missing the creativity and driving forces that were part of his job, Michael searched for a new means of artistic expression. For him, woodturning filled that void. Now Michael creates unique wood-turned sculptures that explore negative space, juxtaposing it with positive forms to create new and interesting interpretations. After starting with bowls and other basic items, Michael found himself pushing the limits of his artistic ability creating new expressive and complex forms.

New Nashville resident, Douglas Lawrence, also draws inspiration from the natural world striving to capture the beauty of the outdoors for indoor enjoyment. Doug grew up in the country outside the small town of Berryville, VA. He studied and received a B.S. in Environmental Sciences and a minor in Architectural Design from the University of Virginia.  After graduating from college in 2011, Doug spent three and a half years in Paraguay serving as an Environmental and Agroforestry Specialist with the Peace Corps.  It was during his time in Paraguay that he fell in love with woodworking. He was struck by how people’s lives were much more in intertwined with the natural world and came away with a greater appreciation of the beauty of nature. He spent his free time creating small pieces and sharing his talent through teaching carving techniques to local community members. Doug returned to the United States in 2016, settling in Nashville where he began woodworking as a profession. With a focus on artistic design and expert craftsmanship, Doug creates unique pieces of artistically sculpted furniture. His goal is to produce furniture that will not only be admired from a distance, but also examined up close and appreciated daily.