Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.

Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.

Friday, May 15, 2020
Online Writing Workshop with Seema Reza
May 15 @ 12:00 pm – 12:45 pm
online

New registration process for online workshops!

  1. Register for any workshop (except for May 1st, children’s workshops on May 12th and 26th, and our monthly workshop with the Strathmore) by clicking here.
  2. Wait for your registration to be approved, then follow the instructions in your email.
Slow Art Fridays Asheville Art Museum
May 15 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum via Zoom

SLOW ART FRIDAYS

Each Friday at 12pm while the Museum is closed, docents lead virtual, in-depth conversations about a few artworks in our Collection or special exhibitions. The goal is simple: slow down, discover the joy of looking at art, and talk about the experience with others. Topics, artworks, and self-guided questions are posted on the Museum’s website in advance for participants, or for those wishing to have a self-guided experience on their own. Space is limited; to register, email Kristi McMillan, director of learning & engagement, or call 828.253.3227 x122.

FILLS Quickly —register early in week.

Bearfootin’ Virtual Reveal
May 15 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Virtual

New for 2020, the annual Bearfootin’ Public Art Walk will reveal the new creations virtually! The Bearfootin’ Bears arrive as blank slates before local artists transform each in a spectacular fashion, with creative themes ranging from Mona Lisa to Blue Ridge Mountain scenery, with each bear highlighting a different local nonprofit. The reveal party will take place on Downtown Hendersonville’s Facebook page as a Facebook Live broadcast.

Women Photographers +Bloggers Welcome Event
May 15 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Battery Park Book Exchange

Let’s toast to new friends and a successful future for WIB. Our official first meetup! Leave the laptops at home for this one – this is all about meeting new friends and getting to know each other.

Our host – the Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne bar is looking forward to our arrival! They encourage us to take pictures of each other, the space and any of their staff – but please do not take pictures of other patrons.

I will be purchasing a bottle (or so) of champagne to toast our first event as well as a few of their famous boards. Please be prepared to purchase & pay for any additional drinks or food you may like while we are there. Keep in mind that this is a local business and they are letting us in on a normally busy night for them – we want to support them!

Thank you 🙏 and please feel free to message me with any questions.

Formal Friday, a fancy online comedy show
May 15 @ 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Online

 

Image may contain: possible text that says 'Modelface Comedy Presents Formal Friday Instagram Live 8pm EST @ModelfaceComedy Venmo @modelface-comed comedy All donations will be shared Join a group of the best dressed comedians for a fancy night of high-clas -class laughs'

A fancy formal live comedy show on the internet featuring 10 very well dressed comedians!

Live streaming on Instagram on @ModelfaceComedy
The show is free but tips are appreciated and will be divided among all the comics on the show.
Paypal [email protected]
Venmo @modelface-comedy

Saturday, May 16, 2020
AAAC Connects
May 16 all-day

Asheville Area Arts Council

During these unprecedented times of necessary physical distancing to stop the spread of COVID-19 the Asheville Area Arts Council recognizes the continued need for connection. This video interview series is a way to connect, support each other, and eventually archive this moment during a global pandemic. How are artists, musicians, actors, and makers surviving (and sometimes thriving) right now? The answers are as varied as the forms of expression present in our community.

We would like to reflect on the diversity of our community in this series, so if you would like to nominate someone for us to interview please email [email protected].

Asheville Art Museum Summer Art Camp To Go!
May 16 all-day
online classes

Summer Art Camp To Go!

Join us for Summer Art Camp To Go! Sessions are available for K–12 students. Each weekly session includes several age-appropriate art projects using a variety of materials to engage students in an exploration of art through creativity and imagination. Enrollment is limited, and registration is required.Registration includes instructional videos for each project, art materials, and daily virtual classes. Virtual classes—beginning at 10am via Zoom—include time for inspiration, Q&A, and sharing. Streaming instructional videos and creative challenges are designed to provide hours of creative engagement at your own pace each day. All art materials necessary for each session are available for curbside pickup at the Museum the week before each session begins; if you prefer to ship materials to your home, then two weeks’ advance registration is required. Registration starts this Monday. For more information, email Sharon McRorie, education programs manager, or call 828.253.3227 x124.

Members: $85, Non-Members: $95 (additional charge for shipping materials)

Fundraiser: Buncombe County Schools Family Resource Center Toilet Paper Art Auction
May 16 all-day
online
Can you spare one sheet of toilet paper and 10 minutes of your time?

The Asheville Area Arts Council and Buncombe County Schools have partnered to raise funds to purchase art supplies for the Buncombe County Schools Family Resource Center.

Artists and community members are encouraged to submit a single piece of toilet paper with original art created on it to be auctioned online. ALL proceeds will go towards the purchase of art supplies for families in need.

CALLING ALL CREATIVES!

Participants may submit up to 3 works of art. Art should be submitted no later than May 11 and mailed no later than May 16. Bidding will take place starting at noon on May 14 and will end at midnight May 23.

See the submission form to enter your artwork and to get mailing instructions.

Grant Opportunities for the Crafts
May 16 all-day
online
The Craft Futures Fund will fund up to $30,000 each month from May 2020 – October 2020 to support craft-based education projects. These one-time, unrestricted grants of $5,000 will be disbursed to craft-based education projects that envision and build new futures for craft.
More Online w/ Asheville Museum at Home
May 16 all-day
Asheville Museum Online

We’ll update this page with virtual tours, children’s activities, and more, as we continue to develop content to provide inspiration, calm, comfort, and yes, even some fun during this unprecedented time.

Reopening Resources for the Creative Sector
May 16 all-day
online

Asheville Area Arts Council

In addition to our COVID resources page, AAAC has a new Reopening Resources page to assist the creative sector with the reopening process. We will continue to add to this page as more information becomes available.
Urge Support for H1068 and Arts Funding During COVID-19
May 16 all-day
online

New NC Arts Funding Bill Needs Support

Joint Caucus on Arts and Arts Education Co-Chairs Rep. Becky Carney and Rep. Jeffrey Elmore are joined by Rep. Michele Presnell and Rep. Susan Fisher as primary sponsors of H1068, the new legislation that would allocate $3 million to arts organizations negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through the NC Arts Council.
Vessels of Hope Fundraiser for The Village Potters Clay Center
May 16 all-day
The Village Potters Clay Center

VESSELS OF HOPE: A CALL FOR HELP FROM THE VILLAGE POTTERS CLAY CENTER

Sarah Wells Rolland is making 500 vessels in fundraiser for TVPCC.

Sustaining TVPCC through this season of closure has become my primary job. I have applied for multiple loans, EIDL, PPP, from my personal bank, and now we wait. I am filled with hope! I believe that what we began here in 2011 is just now becoming fully grown.

So, I asked myself, What can I do? Vessels of Hope came to me immediately and I knew I had to do it. I am personally embarking on a challenging labor of love, making 500 vessels, each unique just like you. I am asking you to become a vessel of hope with me and our wonderful community for The Village Potters Clay Center.”

Sarah will be at the wheel making these Vessels of Hope for the next 12 weeks, and glazing them using a broad palette. Every vessel will vary in shape, surface and color, each one unique. They will be fired regularly as there are enough for a kiln load, expecting at least 4 firings among the large gas kiln, the new Rolland kiln, and the Kazegama wood ash kiln at TVPCC to complete this project.

As this is written, Sarah has made 121 vessels, and 120 are already purchased. During this process, pictures and videos of Sarah making the vessels will be posted to social media and shared with benefactors, so we all feel connected and continue to nurture hope in this time. When the vessels are all completed, The Village Potters team and volunteers will gather and pack them, but there will be no specific allocation of pots to people. Locals will be welcome to come by and pick up their vessel, and whether for shipping or pick up, pots will be distributed from the packed boxes, so nobody will know which pot they receive until the box is opened .

Sarah’s goal is for 500 benefactors, people who believe in the mission at The Village Potters Clay Center, and who are in a position to help. A minimum donation of $100 is asked for each Vessel of Hope, which includes shipping. For those who are able and would like to purchase more than one as gifts, individual pick up or shipping may be arranged. *10% of the proceeds generated through this project will be donated to artists in the River Arts District who are also struggling to stay open.

More from Sarah Wells Rolland: “These “Vessels of Hope” are a joyous creative pursuit for me personally, and you can be a part. I thank you for your love and support!”

The Village Potters Clay Center Team: Sarah Wells Rolland, George Rolland, Lori Theriault, Judi Harwood, Julia Mann, Christine Henry, Tori Motyl, and Lindsey Mudge,

NC Center for Nonprofits: Keep Calm and Carry On: Crisis Communications Tips and Strategies
May 16 @ 11:15 am – 11:45 am
podcast

Keep Calm and Carry On: Crisis Communications Tips and Strategies

Transparent communication is valued by many nonprofit teams. In times of prosperity, calm teams have plenty of time to craft thoughtful messages to stakeholders. All bets are off in a crisis: the need to be transparent remains, but time is of the essence. This webinar explores practical tips and strategies to stay on message during a crisis and focus on the most important messages and most effective methods.

https://www.ncnonprofits.org/events/keep-calm-and-carry-crisis-communications-tips-and-strategies

Virtual: Arts & Crafts Workshop: Zentangle®-Beyond the Basics
May 16 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
online

Instructor: Susan Goodman

Skill Level: Basic Zentangle® skills required

Materials & Tools Needed: To make this workshops accessible to women under stay-at-home orders, students will use materials commonly available at home: one piece of 4.5″ x 4.5″ or larger paper (a Zentangle® apprentice tile, card stock, or other heavy paper is ideal, but any paper will work), pens (Sakura, gel, or rollerball pens are ideal, but ballpoint pens will work), and a pencil. Students are also strongly encouraged to have a tortillon. Students may purchase some Zentangle® supplies locally from Cheap Joe’s, Michaels, or Joann, or, if time allows, order them from Susan Goodman, the instructor. If you would like to purchase supplies from Susan, please contact her at [email protected] or 954-770-6739 at least 4 days prior to the workshop. ​

In this workshop, Certified Zentangle Teacher® Susan Goodman will re-acquaint you with the basics of Zentangle®. Then, you will continue to build your skills by learning more complicated tangles and adding color, shading, and highlighting to your piece.

Students are encouraged to build their practice by taking multiple Beyond the Basics workshops. Susan will present new tangles in each workshop.

Note: This workshop will be conducted using Zoom, an online meeting tool. You must have access to a computer, tablet, smart phone, or other internet-accessible device, as well as the internet. Instructions for accessing the workshop will be provided after registration.​

​

Women Photographers +Bloggers Welcome Event
May 16 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Battery Park Book Exchange

Let’s toast to new friends and a successful future for WIB. Our official first meetup! Leave the laptops at home for this one – this is all about meeting new friends and getting to know each other.

Our host – the Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne bar is looking forward to our arrival! They encourage us to take pictures of each other, the space and any of their staff – but please do not take pictures of other patrons.

I will be purchasing a bottle (or so) of champagne to toast our first event as well as a few of their famous boards. Please be prepared to purchase & pay for any additional drinks or food you may like while we are there. Keep in mind that this is a local business and they are letting us in on a normally busy night for them – we want to support them!

Thank you 🙏 and please feel free to message me with any questions.

Sunday, May 17, 2020
AAAC Connects
May 17 all-day

Asheville Area Arts Council

During these unprecedented times of necessary physical distancing to stop the spread of COVID-19 the Asheville Area Arts Council recognizes the continued need for connection. This video interview series is a way to connect, support each other, and eventually archive this moment during a global pandemic. How are artists, musicians, actors, and makers surviving (and sometimes thriving) right now? The answers are as varied as the forms of expression present in our community.

We would like to reflect on the diversity of our community in this series, so if you would like to nominate someone for us to interview please email [email protected].

Asheville Art Museum Summer Art Camp To Go!
May 17 all-day
online classes

Summer Art Camp To Go!

Join us for Summer Art Camp To Go! Sessions are available for K–12 students. Each weekly session includes several age-appropriate art projects using a variety of materials to engage students in an exploration of art through creativity and imagination. Enrollment is limited, and registration is required.Registration includes instructional videos for each project, art materials, and daily virtual classes. Virtual classes—beginning at 10am via Zoom—include time for inspiration, Q&A, and sharing. Streaming instructional videos and creative challenges are designed to provide hours of creative engagement at your own pace each day. All art materials necessary for each session are available for curbside pickup at the Museum the week before each session begins; if you prefer to ship materials to your home, then two weeks’ advance registration is required. Registration starts this Monday. For more information, email Sharon McRorie, education programs manager, or call 828.253.3227 x124.

Members: $85, Non-Members: $95 (additional charge for shipping materials)

Fundraiser: Buncombe County Schools Family Resource Center Toilet Paper Art Auction
May 17 all-day
online
Can you spare one sheet of toilet paper and 10 minutes of your time?

The Asheville Area Arts Council and Buncombe County Schools have partnered to raise funds to purchase art supplies for the Buncombe County Schools Family Resource Center.

Artists and community members are encouraged to submit a single piece of toilet paper with original art created on it to be auctioned online. ALL proceeds will go towards the purchase of art supplies for families in need.

CALLING ALL CREATIVES!

Participants may submit up to 3 works of art. Art should be submitted no later than May 11 and mailed no later than May 16. Bidding will take place starting at noon on May 14 and will end at midnight May 23.

See the submission form to enter your artwork and to get mailing instructions.

Grant Opportunities for the Crafts
May 17 all-day
online
The Craft Futures Fund will fund up to $30,000 each month from May 2020 – October 2020 to support craft-based education projects. These one-time, unrestricted grants of $5,000 will be disbursed to craft-based education projects that envision and build new futures for craft.
More Online w/ Asheville Museum at Home
May 17 all-day
Asheville Museum Online

We’ll update this page with virtual tours, children’s activities, and more, as we continue to develop content to provide inspiration, calm, comfort, and yes, even some fun during this unprecedented time.

Reopening Resources for the Creative Sector
May 17 all-day
online

Asheville Area Arts Council

In addition to our COVID resources page, AAAC has a new Reopening Resources page to assist the creative sector with the reopening process. We will continue to add to this page as more information becomes available.
Urge Support for H1068 and Arts Funding During COVID-19
May 17 all-day
online

New NC Arts Funding Bill Needs Support

Joint Caucus on Arts and Arts Education Co-Chairs Rep. Becky Carney and Rep. Jeffrey Elmore are joined by Rep. Michele Presnell and Rep. Susan Fisher as primary sponsors of H1068, the new legislation that would allocate $3 million to arts organizations negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through the NC Arts Council.
SoulCollage®: Build Your Practice at Home (Online Workshop)
May 17 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
online

SoulCollage®: Build Your Practice at Home (Online Workshop)

Instructor: Marcia Gleason, LCSW

Skill Level: All

Materials & Tools Needed: To make this workshops accessible to women under stay-at-home orders, students will use materials commonly available at home: three pieces of 8” x 5” paper (the heavier, the better; cardstock, cardboard, and matboard are ideal, but regular paper will work), magazines or books with lots of images (that you’re willing to cut up!), scissors (small, sharp scissors are ideal, but any regular scissors will work), and glue (rubber cement or glue sticks are ideal, but any glue will work). If students have SoulCollage® materials, they are encouraged to bring them to the class.

During this period of sheltering, we are offering a unique opportunity to tap into your creativity to inspire and guide your personal journey. Uncertain times invite us to slow down and use our intuition and creativity to explore our lives.

SoulCollage® was developed by Seena Frost, M. Div., M.A., in the 1980’s as a way to learn about oneself through the collage process. Cards are made by tearing or cutting pictures from magazines or old picture books. The process itself is simple, yet engaging, and the results are oftentimes profound.

In this workshop, SoulCollage® facilitator, Marcia Gleason, LCSW, will explain (or review if you already have a SoulCollage® practice) the fundamental principles of Soul Collage® and, then, show you how to create and access wisdom through your own deck of cards.

No artistic experience necessary!

Already have a SoulCollage® practice? Please consider joining us as well for some focused creative time—and a new perspective on your cards! You’ll continue gaining insights at each workshop!

For more information about SoulCollage®, visit Marcia’s SoulCollage® website and the official SoulCollage® website.

​​Note: These workshops will be conducted using Zoom, an online meeting tool. You must have access to a computer, tablet, smart phone, or other internet-accessible device, as well as the internet. Instructions for accessing the workshop will be provided after registration.​

Women Photographers +Bloggers Welcome Event
May 17 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Battery Park Book Exchange

Let’s toast to new friends and a successful future for WIB. Our official first meetup! Leave the laptops at home for this one – this is all about meeting new friends and getting to know each other.

Our host – the Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne bar is looking forward to our arrival! They encourage us to take pictures of each other, the space and any of their staff – but please do not take pictures of other patrons.

I will be purchasing a bottle (or so) of champagne to toast our first event as well as a few of their famous boards. Please be prepared to purchase & pay for any additional drinks or food you may like while we are there. Keep in mind that this is a local business and they are letting us in on a normally busy night for them – we want to support them!

Thank you 🙏 and please feel free to message me with any questions.

Monday, May 18, 2020
Fundraiser: Buncombe County Schools Family Resource Center Toilet Paper Art Auction
May 18 all-day
online
Can you spare one sheet of toilet paper and 10 minutes of your time?

The Asheville Area Arts Council and Buncombe County Schools have partnered to raise funds to purchase art supplies for the Buncombe County Schools Family Resource Center.

Artists and community members are encouraged to submit a single piece of toilet paper with original art created on it to be auctioned online. ALL proceeds will go towards the purchase of art supplies for families in need.

CALLING ALL CREATIVES!

Participants may submit up to 3 works of art. Art should be submitted no later than May 11 and mailed no later than May 16. Bidding will take place starting at noon on May 14 and will end at midnight May 23.

See the submission form to enter your artwork and to get mailing instructions.

Reopening Resources for the Creative Sector
May 18 all-day
online

Asheville Area Arts Council

In addition to our COVID resources page, AAAC has a new Reopening Resources page to assist the creative sector with the reopening process. We will continue to add to this page as more information becomes available.
Women Photographers +Bloggers Welcome Event
May 18 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Battery Park Book Exchange

Let’s toast to new friends and a successful future for WIB. Our official first meetup! Leave the laptops at home for this one – this is all about meeting new friends and getting to know each other.

Our host – the Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne bar is looking forward to our arrival! They encourage us to take pictures of each other, the space and any of their staff – but please do not take pictures of other patrons.

I will be purchasing a bottle (or so) of champagne to toast our first event as well as a few of their famous boards. Please be prepared to purchase & pay for any additional drinks or food you may like while we are there. Keep in mind that this is a local business and they are letting us in on a normally busy night for them – we want to support them!

Thank you 🙏 and please feel free to message me with any questions.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020
ARTS Day 2020 North Carolina’s Annual Conference of Art & Action
May 19 all-day
Edenton Street UMC

ARTS Day Logo

ARTS Day is a gathering of artists and arts leaders from across the state to convene as peers and prepare for action, then meet with their elected representatives at the NC General Assembly to deliver a message about the ARTS that is simple, inclusive, and positive. But ARTS Day is more than a collection of speakers and meetings with lawmakers, it is the annual culmination of a movement. The mission of Arts NC is to unite people and communities to strengthen and celebrate a creative North Carolina, an idea that is embodied in our annual two-day conference.

Fundraiser: Buncombe County Schools Family Resource Center Toilet Paper Art Auction
May 19 all-day
online
Can you spare one sheet of toilet paper and 10 minutes of your time?

The Asheville Area Arts Council and Buncombe County Schools have partnered to raise funds to purchase art supplies for the Buncombe County Schools Family Resource Center.

Artists and community members are encouraged to submit a single piece of toilet paper with original art created on it to be auctioned online. ALL proceeds will go towards the purchase of art supplies for families in need.

CALLING ALL CREATIVES!

Participants may submit up to 3 works of art. Art should be submitted no later than May 11 and mailed no later than May 16. Bidding will take place starting at noon on May 14 and will end at midnight May 23.

See the submission form to enter your artwork and to get mailing instructions.