Raging Rapid Art Gallery

Raging Rapids Art Gallery fills a need in Elkhorn City
Posted: Saturday, November 22, 2014 12:00 am
ELKHORN CITY — The Raging Rapids Art Gallery in Elkhorn City held
its Grand Opening over Memorial Day Weekend 2013. But Trent Hylton,
proprietor, says he has been an artist all his life.
A self-taught artist, Trent says, “I’ve just been a huge fan of art
— drawing and creativity — all of it. A couple of years ago, I
decided to open up an art gallery and it’s been pretty good. My
grandparents, they moved to Elkhorn City in the ‘60s and bought the
building. It’s one of the oldest buildings in Elkhorn. My mother
had a video store there at one time and it’s seen a million
different businesses!”
Assisting Trent at the gallery is Marica Casey, who came to the
gallery in time for the Grand Opening. “I went down to check it out
and thought, ‘This is just what Elkhorn needs,’” she says.
Marica says she was looking for something to do to stay busy and
asked Trent if she could help with the opening.
“He said, ‘Yes,’ and we’ve been going at it ever since,” Marica
said. “I’ve painted my whole life. From the time I could pick up a
pencil, I was going to be an artist. And Trent is a fantastic
artist. He has great ability — he’s got a gift, he really does.”
The gallery, located on Russell Street, is overflowing with
paintings, sculptures, pottery and found art. A “dragon,” a piece
of found art created from bones, hangs from the ceiling. It was
once a stage prop for the Bloodroots Barter Band. Some of the art
displayed includes works by J.D. Hall, Abdala Faye, Amy McDougal,
Shannon Blankenship, Ray Harm and others, as well as Trent and
Marica.
Besides art shows, poetry reading and musical events are also held
at the gallery.
“We really need backers for the gallery,” Marica said. “We’re
starving artists! This is a grass roots gallery. We do not charge
anyone to show their art and there is no charge for anyone who
wants to come in and use our supplies to do their artwork. There
are seven rooms in the building and we are just using one. We need
more room, but don’t have the finances to expand.”
“There is so much talent in this area ... in all art ... and people
don’t even realize it,” Trent said. “They just say, ‘Oh, it’s just
a hobby of mine.’ We all see art differently ... and creative
expression is one of the most important things about life. So,
however you view the world, that’s your art.”
“It may not click with me, but it might click with you,” added
Marica. “We are very inclusive.”
For the first time, this fall, Trent and Marica partnered with
Artists Collaborative Theatre on making the costumes for the play,
“Alice in Wonderland.”
“Marica handled most of the costumes and I did a lot of the stage
props and puppetry and things like that,”Trent said. “We were on a
complete shoestring budget, too, using found art, cardboard and a
lot of hot glue! I’m pretty sure both of us went through about six
nervous breakdowns.” One of his creations was a Humpty Dumpty egg
that was so big it wouldn’t fit through the door; he also made the
Mock Turtle, the Cheshire Cat and others.
“I made 37 costumes in three weeks ... ripping something apart and
making it into something else,” Marica added.
Trent and Marica hope to collaborate with ACT again.
Trent is the son of Jeff and Kimberly Owens Hylton of Elkhorn City.
He is a graduate of Elkhorn City Elementary and East Ridge High
School.
Marica was born at the old Methodist Hospital in Pikeville, the
daughter of Gary Feldpusch of Elkhorn City and the late Goldie
Marie Ratliff. Gary, who was born on John Moore Branch, made a
career in the Army and the family moved around quite a bit. “I’ve
been in more schools than there are grades,” Marica says. “But this
was always home base.”
Marica has two daughters, Amy McDougal of Pikeville, an artist and
published poet, and Danielle Casey, a pre-pharmacy student.
“We had a world-famous artist at our anniversary last year,” Marica
said. “His name is Abdala Faye; he’s from Senegal. He has studied
all over the world and has shown all over the world. We’re hoping
he will move down here and if we can bring him in, we can start
bringing more artists in from other areas. This is also part of
rejuvenating Elkhorn City.”
“We’ve very involved in things to do with the town and trying to
ensure Elkhorn’s future,” Trent said. “It’s given us the idea that
it could become — almost — the art capital of Eastern Kentucky.
We’re working on it ... we’re definitely working on it.”
Although the Raging Rapids Art Galley has closed its doors for the
winter, watch for it to be back in full bloom in the spring!
Nancy M. Goss may be reached at (606) 437-4054 or
aneeveryday@gmail.com.