RIP - John Payne

I had a brief and vague relationship with John, meeting him last year when he was recovering from his first stroke, but the moments shared certainly had a great effect on me (not to mention his incredible sculptures). He spoke of being cavalier in his youth, reminding me to pay more attention to my peers in the community. Always cracking jokes, even with his worsening condition, it was hard to catch him without a grin. The photo above was taken of him, a month before his passing, at the Art Stroll in the River Arts District, of Asheville, NC, outside of the Wedge; his dream-come-true. Both the Citizen-Times and the Mountain Xpress wrote a piece about him. My sincerest regards go out to his son and family.