Published 12:06 am Thursday, September 4, 2025
By Karen Kistler
Karen Kistler
karen.kistler@salisburypost.com
 
SALISBURY — Waterworks Visual Arts Center is revving up for a new exhibit, one that is celebrating the artistry and passion of the automobile.
The exhibition, titled “The Spark That Drives Us,” will open Sept. 15 and continue through Feb. 28, 2026, with Cloninger Ford serving as the major sponsor.
The exhibit, curated by Anne Scott Clement, executive director of Waterworks Visual Arts Center and Heidi Mraz, internationally acclaimed contemporary fine artist and automotive documentarian, will feature five world-class automotive artists.
These are Stefan Johansson, Formula 1 driver and three-time LeMans champion turned painter capturing the adrenaline of racing; Heidi Mraz, mixed-media narratives uncovering the soul behind the machine and author; Michael Furman, a renowned photographer revealing the sculptural elegance of automotive design and an author; Dan McCrary, a watercolorist spotlighting the fine details of automotive styling; and Richard Pietruska, a sculptor blending fantasy and form to evoke timeless allure and professor at the ArtCenter College of Design, premier school for car designers.
An opening reception will be at Waterworks on Friday, Sept. 19, from 5:30-7 p.m., with all of the artists attending, said Clement, adding she hopes people will come and meet them then.
The reception is free and open to everyone, something she said Waterworks is very proud of.
“Since we are a membership organization, members are extremely important to us to make art available for all people and so there is never a barrier of cost,” she said.  
She did add that donations are always greatly appreciated.
During the reception, Clement said rather than having each artist speak, she would introduce them and then they would be in their particular gallery space giving the community an opportunity to visit with them. She said she would encourage attendees to “introduce themselves to the artists and strike up a conversation,” and, if you want a photo taken with them, just ask.
“We want as many people to get to meet them as possible,” said Clement, and wants to “encourage people to feel comfortable about approaching them.”
In addition to the artwork, visitors can see two rare collector cars, the 1957 Dawson Ferret, from three-time NASCAR Cup Champion Ray Evernham and the 1950 Martin Stationette, on loan from the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tenn.
The stationette, Clement said, “was designed to be a commuter car back in the ’50s. It never came to be produced, but this was the prototype for it.” 
Clement said as the new exhibit was arriving, art movers were there to de-install and pack up the Modern Masterpieces exhibit.
“It’s been an extraordinary exhibition,” which, she said, drew 80,000 people. After having that exhibit, Clement said, what do you do next? And that was when they decided it was the right time to do the car exhibit, a theme they had been considering for four or five years, one that would be really different with some really incredible artists.
There’s a lot of interest in cars with NASCAR being close by, along with downtown car shows and other car-related events, plus, Clement said they wanted to get more men involved, noting that “80 percent of the people that come here are women,” which she said is true of most any cultural event. “It’s usually mostly women, and so we really wanted to appeal to the men and get them excited about something, and so, what do you do,” she asked. “You find something that’s of interest to them,” adding that this show is a complete 180 from what they had just hosted.
She met Mraz who said the automobile exhibit could be done, and they have worked together for approximately six months and gotten the exhibit put together.
Clement said through it, she has “learned a lot about people that collect cars and these wonderful collections, and I’ve met some really incredible people along the way that have collections that I never even knew existed and they’ve been so kind to open up their showrooms with their collections in it.”
The exhibit title, “The Spark That Drives Us,” she said, is “talking about the spark that has driven them to do what they do as artists.”
That work will range from some large-scale pieces by Mraz. One is a collage of a Porsche, and each piece is cut in the shape of a butterfly, said Clement, with all the pieces of material related to Porsche. 
She also noted the watercolor pieces, the photography and the miniature sculptures, some of which she said are large and long and would be displayed on a wall shelf.
“It’s going to be really cool,” she said. “I’m excited.”
While they won’t be having the entire Salisbury School System visiting, Clement said they would continue their curriculum based, fifth grade Art Stops Program with every fifth grader in Rowan County visiting at no cost to the schools, as it is funded through a grant with the Margaret C. Woodson Foundation, touching about 2,200 children. 
During the visit, children receive a docent led tour and then go to the studios and do a related hands-on art activity.  
In conjunction with the exhibit, the center will be hosting Cool Cars and Coffee events on the third Saturday of September through December.
Cindy Sisson, who serves as executive director of the nonprofit Women in Motorsports North America and has held prominent positions in the industry, is serving as guest curator for this event. 
The artists will be at the Sept. 20 Cool Cars and Coffee, which will be from 8-11 a.m. with the museum opening at 10 a.m.
“People are welcome to come in and see the show, meet the artists, just have a fun day,” said Clement.
Car clubs will be coming and have cars on display in the F&M parking lot in front of Waterworks and if that fills, she said there would be space in the back lot, all on a first come, first served basis.
All are welcome to bring their cars; however, Clement did say she is asking people to make a reservation so they have an idea who’s coming and what type of car is being brought.
She did say the coffee and cars is a temporary event and is not something they would continue doing in the future.
 

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