Mike Helsabeck Finds His Niche in Davidson County’s Thriving Arts Scene
arts, culture, davidson county, mike helsabeck, north carolina ducks unlimited, north carolina wildlife resources commission, painting,
Four years ago, Mike Helsabeck painted a duck on a license plate as a casual favor for a friend.
This talented musician and 20-year veteran of the radio business had never dabbled in art, so he was as surprised as anyone when people started raving about his work.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission soon requested his paintings for its calendar, and North Carolina Ducks Unlimited selected him as Artist of the Year.
“The right folks saw the work, and I guess I never looked back,” he says. “It’s been one lucky break after another.”
Today, Helsabeck owns The Mike Helsabeck Collection, a gallery and shop in Lexington that sells his paintings and prints as well as signature items – his own wine collection, coffee, puzzles, furniture, bottled water – that feature his artwork. He also sells work by a variety of other local and regional artists.
“Never in a million years would I have dreamed I would be painting for a living and that people would actually want to buy what I painted,” says Helsabeck, an avid outdoorsman. “That is still amazing to me.”
In addition to being selected for the cover of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s 25th Anniversary calendar – his second consecutive appearance on the cover – Helsabeck was chosen again in 2007 as North Carolina’s Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year. His wildlife artwork has helped to raise money for conservation groups such as the North Carolina Wildlife Habitat Fund and the National Wild Turkey Federation, and his paintings have been featured by the outdoor retail giant Bass Pro Shops.
Helsabeck is in good company in Davidson County, where nationally recognized galleries have been cropping up all over in recent years.
The venerable gallery of Bob Timberlake – the nationally renowned painter of rural landscapes – is also based in Lexington, and the specialty shop of Dempsey Essick, known as the “hummingbird artist,” can be found in downtown Welcome, N.C.
Other regional galleries include Full Moon Pottery in Reeds, Moose Hollow Pottery in Thomasville, the Stephen Sebastian gallery in Thomasville, Wide West Gallery in Lexington and Southern Spirit Gallery in Denton.
“There’s a long tradition of artists and craftspeople here,” says Erik Salzwedel, executive director of the Arts United for Davidson County, a nonprofit organization that sponsors educational programs in schools and provides grant support to arts organizations throughout the county.
“Out of the tradition of sharing and creating have come several people who have really turned the arts into a business, such as Bob Timberlake, Dempsey Essick, Mike Helsabeck and Stephen Sebastian,” Salzwedel says.
“As their names go out into the world, they enhance the image of Davidson County.”
Toby Hagmaier, owner of Southern Spirit Gallery in Denton, sells handmade items from all over North Carolina, including art and crafts made by more than 25 Davidson County artists – from stained glass and woodwork to pottery and jewelry.
“I think Davidson County is an area that’s definitely gaining recognition,” she says. “There are a huge amount of artists here, and the handmade things that people buy today will be the heirlooms of tomorrow.”
Story by Rebecca Denton
Photo by Todd Bennett
