“Wood, Warp and Weft,” a new exhibit featuring wood turning by Bob Carls and weaving by Amy Sharpe, opens at the Whitby Gift Shop and Gallery on Sunday, July 20, 2008

“Wood, Warp and Weft” is the third of four gallery shows hosted in 2008 by the Whitby Gift Shop and Gallery at The Art and Heritage Place at Saint Benedict’s Monastery. The exhibit features wood turning by Bob Carls, and weaving by Amy Sharpe. The show opens on Sunday, July 20, with an introduction of the artists at 2 p.m. The exhibition continues through August 31, 2008.

Bob Carls has been creating turned wood vessels for over 20 years. His work--influenced by his background in sculpture, photography and music--incorporates a range of woodworking processes; his pieces can be found in the permanent collections of the Minnesota State Historical Society, St. Paul, Minn., and Waage Art Center, Fergus Falls, Minn., as well as in corporate and private collections worldwide.

Amy Sharpe, along with her husband, Bob Carls, has owned and operated Ripple River Gallery near their home near Bay Lake, Minn., since the summer of 2000. Amy, a professional writer-turned-weaver, creates one-of-a-kind pieces with available materials and features her weavings in her gallery.

The Art and Heritage Place is located at Saint Benedict’s Monastery, 104 Chapel Lane, St. Joseph, Minn. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 3:30 p.m.; closed Mondays. The Art and Heritage Place is also home to the Haehn Museum, presenting periodic displays related to the Sisters’ history and ministries, and to Whitby Gift Shop, featuring the Sisters’ and other local artisans’ handmade items. For more information, please call 320-363-7100.