NATIVIBES STUDIO & ART GALLERY - WILD AT ART
Ben Kolb is the owner, resident artist and instructor of Nativibes Studio & Art Gallery in Mannington, WV, specializing in hand-pounded metal, carved bone and abalone shell, as well as other unique hand-painted wearable art pieces. In addition to his jewelry collection, he offers nature-inspired, folk impressionism paintings, along with unique watercolor, coffee and coal collections utilizing a variety of materials that are framed in sleek black or recycled barnwood. Commissions available upon request. Ben is also an active SSA creative team member directing many of the runway productions.
What Are Nativibes?
by Ben Kolb
Barefoot, communing with the forest floor
A primal connection with those who came before
Races of people thought not of waste and greed
Lending their spirits to fulfilling what they need
To thrive, survive life's journey, the reward
One love for each other, for Earth's accord
Left ancient markings long gone to the eyes
Still felt in the souls of those who can recognize
The love they shared in the stories told
Around scores of pyres ten thousand years old
Hunt, gather, make their own tools with pride
Respect for the bounty great spirits provide
In touch with themselves, in touch with the land
All life has value in the hearts of ancient man
Their beats still echo through the terrain today
Once the trappings of lux are stripped away
Use what one must to live and take heed
The wisest can discern between comfort and need
Sometimes one must look to long gone tribes
To know the land, thyself, find one's own Nativibes