Ask Me Anything: Navigating Galleries and Exhibition Opportunities

Michael Manes is the director and co-owner of Blue Spiral 1 (Asheville, NC) – one of the Southeast’s most established galleries of contemporary fine art and craft. Celebrating 35 years of business, Michael has been with the gallery since 2010. Michael earned his BFA from the Columbus College of Art and Design and started his career in Ohio at the Columbus Museum of Art, moving on to the exhibitions departments at the Akron Art Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Before turning back to curating, he was artist-in-residence at a private school in Cleveland, teaching grades K-5. After moving to Asheville, Manes became involved with the Asheville Area Arts Council (former Vice Chair and currently on the Advisory Board and serves as a chair of The Arts Coalition), the Center for Craft, and Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center where he currently is co-vice-chair. Manes is a graduate of Leadership Asheville and currently facilitates the Downtown Arts District (DAD). Manes brings experience from the sectors of education, art museums, art installation, and art consultation, having worked with numerous artists, non-profit organizations, and art and craft collectors. Manes currently lives in Weaverville, NC with his wife Hanna, son Harvey, and three pups Ella, Mabel, and Chili Dog.

Rachel Saul Rearick has a demonstrated commitment to creating inclusive spaces in the arts throughout her career, which has included a focus on leveraging support for the advancement of artists. Rachel is passionate about craft from both the materials and community standpoint, and appreciates the lineage and kinship that exist within the field.

In the summer of 2021, she rejoined Contemporary Craft as the Executive Director and is responsible for leading the organization towards their strategic goals and the expansion of their programming. In addition to her full-time role, she serves as an adjunct faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University.

Previously, Rachel served as the Arts and Culture Manager for Allegheny County Airport Authority; the Arts, Culture, and History Specialist for the City of Pittsburgh and was Co-Founder of KuratedPgh, a retail gallery that focused on fine art and functional craft. Rachel serves as the President of the Board of Directors at Shiftworks (formerly the Office of Public Art), and also sits on the Art Advisory Committee for the Sports and Exhibition Authority. She is an artist member of both the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Print Group. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Gannon University with a focus on organizational leadership, and a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from Edinboro University with a focus on Printmaking and a Minor in Art History.