taylorsville

The Hiddenite Center will host a Meet the Artist Reception in honor of Michele Cooke on Sunday, May 18th from 3:00pm until 4:30pm at the Lucas Mansion. Light refreshments will be served and the artist will be on hand to discuss her exhibited work. This event is free and public participation is welcomed.

Iredell County photographer Michele Cooke explores the majestic mysteries of the natural world in her debut exhibit, which opens at The Hiddenite Center�s Lucas Mansion Gallery this month. The exhibit features a wide range of bold images that are designed to capture a unique perspective of nature rarely seen with the unaided eye.

Cooke�s work will be on display in The Hiddenite Center�s Lucas Mansion Gallery, located at 316 Hiddenite Church Road in Alexander County, now through Saturday, May 31st. All Lucas Mansion Gallery exhibits are admission free and are open Monday through Friday from 10:00am until 4:30pm and on Saturday from 10:00am until 3:00pm.

Photography artist, Michele Cooke, is a native of New England�s Pioneer Valley who now calls Statesville, NC her home. Cooke�s passion for taking pictures began at a young age when she was influenced by nature photography in National Geographic magazine and by the work of iconic black and white photographer Ansel Adams. Her experience behind the lens grew while working at a photography lab in Western MA, where she gained experience with printing, color correcting, and dark room imagery.
Well known for her signature photographs of Iredell County landscapes, Cooke is excited to share her work with a wider audience during her Lucas Mansion Gallery exhibit.
�I am so pleased to have this opportunity to exhibit my work for the first time,� said Michele Cooke. �I enjoy capturing images that people rarely get to experience. Nature is breathtaking and I hope that this exhibit encourages people to slow down and experience the beauty of nature that surrounds us in every passing moment.�

Hiddenite Center Executive Director Pete Woods shared the organization�s enthusiasm for offering Cooke her first opportunity to exhibit work in a gallery setting.

�The Hiddenite Center is always looking for ways to encourage artist development and offer talented, emerging artists like Michele an opportunity to exhibit in the region, �said Woods. �This exhibit is filled with stunning revelations of the abundant and complex beauty of the natural world. Visitors will be delighted to discover a renewed appreciation for the landscapes in our area through this unique exhibit of photography.�