Get ready to celebrate the many benefits of hemp at the Asheville Hemp Fest, returning to Pack Square Park from April 20th to April 22nd, 2023! Hosted by TheMariFairy, the festival is a three-day extravaganza of education, entertainment, and community engagement.

Asheville is known for its vibrant hemp industry, and the Asheville Hemp Fest is the perfect opportunity to learn more about this amazing plant. Attendees can expect to explore vendor booths showcasing a wide range of local businesses and hemp products, including natural remedies for health and wellness. Live music performances from talented local and regional artists is scheduled for all three days including performances from The Snozzberries, Fractured Frames, Granola Funk Express, and Rah Digga, as well as delicious options from the food trucks on site.

But that’s not all! The festival will also feature workshops and seminars led by Ed Rosenthal, where attendees can learn about the latest developments in the hemp industry, and more. And of course, the festival is open to all ages and is an alcohol-free event, so everyone can join in on the fun.

“We’re thrilled to bring back the Asheville Hemp Fest for another year of celebration and education,” said Festival Director Beau Ballard. “Hemp is an incredible plant with so many benefits, and we want to provide a platform for people to learn more about it and connect with like-minded individuals in our community.”

If you’re interested in reserving a vendor booth, email Kitty Savage at [email protected] for availability. Tickets for the festival are on sale now and can be purchased on the ticket co at theticketing.co/e/ashevillehempfest. Given the expected large turnout, it’s recommended to purchase tickets in advance.

For more information, visit the Asheville Hemp Fest website at www.ashevillehempfest.com or follow them on social media. And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Beau Ballard at [email protected] or call (828)-989-9581.

Don’t miss out on the Asheville Hemp Fest – it’s going to be a blast!

Kids’ Comedy Tour: Wildly funny, this educational and entertaining tour features the perfect blend of Asheville’s history and kid-centric comedy. Geared specifically toward the 5–12 year old crowd, you’ll explore the town with our famously outlandish tour guides leading the way.

• Perfect for birthday parties
• Makes for memorable school field trips
• Tickets are $27 per person
• Beverages available for purchase at the LaZoom Room
• Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue

An enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Luzene Hill advocates for Indigenous sovereignty—linguistically, culturally, and individually. Revelate builds upon Hill’s investigation of pre-contact cultures. This has led Hill to incorporate the idea of Ollin, the Nahuatl word for the natural rhythms of the universe, in Aztec cosmology in her work. Before Europeans arrived in North America, Indigenous societies were predominantly matrilineal. Women were considered sacred, involved in the decision-making process, and thrived within communities holding a worldview based on equilibrium.

Ollin emphasizes that we are in constant state of motion and discovery. Adopted as an educational framework, particularly in social justice and ethnic studies, Ollin guides individuals through a process of reflection, action, reconciliation, and transformation. This exhibition combines Hill’s use of mylar safety blankets alongside recent drawings. Capes constructed of mylar burst with energy and rustle with subtle sound, the shining material a signifier of care, awareness, displacement, and presence. Though Hill works primarily in sculpture, drawing has increasingly become an essential part of her practice as she seeks to communicate themes of feminine and Indigenous power across her entire body of work. The energy within her drawings extends to the bursts of light reflecting from her capes or the accumulation of materials in other installation works.

Luzene Hill was born in Atlanta, GA, in 1946. She received her bachelor of fine art and master of fine art from Western Carolina University. She lives and works on the Qualla Boundary, Cherokee, NC.

Natural Collector is organized by the Asheville Art Museum. IMAGE: Christian Burchard, Untitled (nesting bowls), 1998, madrone burl, various from 6 × 6 × 6 to ⅜ × ⅜ × ⅜ inches. Gift of Fleur S. Bresler, 2021.76.01.

Natural Collector | Gifts of Fleur S. Bresler features around 15 artworks from the collection of Fleur S. Bresler, which include important examples of modern and contemporary American craft including wood and fiber art, as well as glass and ceramics. These works that were generously donated by contemporary craft collector Bresler to the Asheville Art Museum over the years reflect her strong interest in wood-based art and themes of nature. According to Associate Curator Whitney Richardson, “This exhibition highlights artworks that consider the natural element from which they were created or replicate known flora and fauna in unexpected materials. The selection of objects displayed illustrates how Bresler’s eye for collecting craft not only draws attention to nature and artists’ interest in it, but also accentuates her role as a natural collector with an intuitive ability to identify themes and ideas that speak to one another.” This exhibition presents work from the Collection representing the first generation of American wood turners like Rude Osolnik and Ed Moulthrop, as well as those that came after and learned from them, such as Philip Moulthrop, John Jordan, and local Western North Carolina (WNC) artist Stoney Lamar. Other WNC-based artists in Natural Collector include Anne Lemanski, whose paper sculpture of a snake captures the viewer’s imagination, and Michael Sherrill’s multimedia work that tricks the eye with its similarity to true-to-life berries. Also represented are beadwork and sculpture by Joyce J. Scott and Jack and Linda Fifield.

Paul Wong, Carbon, silver and gold, 2016, pigmented linen and cotton pulp, publisher: Dieu Donné, New York, edition 3/25, 18 × 11 inches. Gift of Dieu Donné, New York, 2022.27.06. © Paul Wong.

On View March 8 through July 24, 2023
The Van Winkle Law Firm Gallery • Level 1

Paper is an essential part of the art-making process for many artists, serving as the base for drawing, painting, printmaking, and other forms of art. As a substrate, paper can vary in weight, absorbency, color, size, and other aspects. Since industrialization, paper has primarily been produced through mechanical means that allow for consistency and affordability.

What happens, then, when an artist chooses to return to the foundations of paper, wherein it is made by hand using pulps, fibers, and dyes that reflect the human element through variations, inconsistencies, flaws, and surprises? Certain artists have sought out these qualities and embraced them, making paper not just a support on which to work, but fully a medium in and of itself.

Pulp Potential: Works in Handmade Paper is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and curated by Hilary Schroeder, former assistant curator, with assistance from Alexis Meldrum, curatorial assistant. Special thanks to Dieu Donné, New York, NY.

Included with admission

Back by popular demand, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibition offers guests:

• An opportunity to view rarely-seen treasures from the Biltmore collection
• A first-hand look at the Vanderbilts’ lifestyle
• Deeper insights into George, Edith, and Cornelia’s personalities, both at home and on their extensive travels

Access to exhibitions at The Biltmore Legacy is included with Biltmore daytime admission.

In the past 50 years in the United States and beyond, artists have sought to break down social and political hierarchies that include issues of identity, gender, power, race, authority, and authenticity. Unsurprisingly, these decades generated a reconsideration of the idea of pattern and decoration as a third option to figuration and abstraction in art. From 1972 to 1985, artists in the Pattern and Decoration movement worked to expand the visual vocabulary of contemporary art to include ethnically and culturally diverse options that eradicated the barriers between fine art and craft and questioned the dominant minimalist aesthetic. These artists did so by incorporating opulence and bold intricacies garnered from such wide-ranging inspirations as United States quilt-making and Islamic architecture. Too Much Is Just Right: The Legacy of Pattern and Decoration features more than 70 artworks in an array of media from both the original time frame of the Pattern and Decoration movement, as well as contemporary artworks created between 1985 and the present. The artworks in this exhibition demonstrate the vibrant and varied approaches to pattern and decoration in art. Artworks from the 21st century elucidate contemporary perspectives on the employment of pattern to inform visual vocabularies and investigations of diverse themes in the present day. Artworks drawn from the Asheville Art Museum’s Collection join select major loans and feature Pattern and Decoration artists Valerie Jaudon, Joyce Kozloff, Robert Kushner, and Miriam Schapiro, as well as Anni Albers, Elizabeth Alexander, Sanford Biggers, Tawny Chatmon, Margaret Curtis, Mary Engel, Cathy Fussell, Samantha Hennekke, John Himmelfarb, Anne Lemanski, Rashaad Newsome, Peter Olson, Don Reitz, Sarah Sense, Billie Ruth Sudduth, Mickalene Thomas, Shoku Teruyama, Anna Valdez, Kehinde Wiley, and more. This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and guest curated by Marilyn Laufer & Tom Butler.

During this weekend art experience, we will explore how to use natural dyes to create a limitless array of colors, hues, and values on fabric. Using natural indigo, madder, and weld, we will create an entire rainbow of colors!

We will dye both silk and cotton fibers and you will discover how to mordant (prepare) these different fibers for dyeing. You are welcome to bring in your own small natural fiber items to dye.

In this two-day course, you will create a color wheel using natural indigo, madder, and weld. You’ll learn to create resists on fabric using wooden shapes and shibori techniques and use pH to shift colors. Learn to measure out and start a dye pot based on the weight of fiber. This Adult Studio is supportive programming for our exhibition Pulp Potential: Works in Handmade Paper.

Reserve your spot soon; there’s only capacity for 12 participants per class.

In this weekend, we will explore how using natural dyes we can create limitless different colors, hues, and values on fabric. Using natural indigo, madder, and weld, we can create an entire rainbow of colors! We will dye both silk and cotton fibers and you will learn how to prepare these different types of fibers for dyeing. You are welcome to bring in your own small natural fiber items to dye.

Learn to mordant (prepare) natural fibers for dyeing. Create a color wheel using these 3 natural dyes. Learn to create resists on fabric using wooden shapes and shibori techniques. Use pH to shift colors. Learn to measure out and start a dye pot based on weight of fiber.

Reserve your spot soon; there’s only capacity for 12 per class. Pre-registration is required.

Join a certified forest therapy guide for a relaxing 2.5-hour stroll through the forest on the peaceful Arboretum grounds. Through a series of invitations, you’ll have the opportunity to be present in the moment, deepening your connection with nature and community, and enjoying the many gifts nature has to offer. Your guide will share mindfulness practices designed to connect you more deeply to your inner landscapes, as well as the world around you. Inspired by Shinrin-Yoku, the Japanese art of immersing oneself in a forest environment, a forest bathing walk invites you to spend time in nature in a way that invites healing for ourselves, our fraught ecosystems, and our community. It is true nature therapy!

• Special, discounted rate of $45/person (includes parking!)
• Occurs on select dates each month
• Max group size is 15 for a more intimate experience

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with a guided trail walk! April through October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks are limited to 15 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..

Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

There is no pre-registration; walks are first-come first served and sign up sheets are located in the Baker Visitors Center.

Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.

Know Before You Go

• Guided Trail Walks are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age.
• Guided Trail Walks are rain or shine and all participants should be dressed comfortably and for the weather.
• Hikes cover 1-2 miles and last 1.5-2 hours.
• Well-behaved leashed pets are welcome to accompany their owners. In the rare case that a pet is disruptive or negatively impacts the experience, the pet and its owner may be asked to excuse themselves from the guided walk.
• COVID-19 Safety: In order to hear the guide and fully participate in the trail walk, participants will be in close proximity to one another for extended periods of time. While face coverings are not required, participants should use their best judgement to keep themselves and others safe while enjoying the trails. Individuals who are experiencing flu-like symptoms or suspect they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should not participate.
• At this time, no more than 6 spaces may be filled by a single family/group through pre-registration for any one Guided Trail Walk. If additional spaces are available on the day of the Walk, additional members of the family/group may participate. We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming larger groups in the future.

Workshop meets for 3 hours on 2 consecutive Saturdays: April 22nd & 29th, 1:30 – 4:30 pm

$145, all supplies and materials included

A hands on exploration of cold wax medium techniques and its numerous applications for your mark making tool box and art making practice.

This cold wax workshop is for both those who are new to cold wax, as well as those who want to further explore the versatility of this popular medium. Cold wax may be used as a stand-alone medium in collage or mixed media, but is most frequently mixed with oil paints & other pigmented media. Incorporating cold wax medium into oil paint is also a great way to enhance your understanding of color theory, pigment and the lightfast (opacity & transparency) qualities of paint.

We will also discuss traditional and non-traditional tools for application, substrates and surfaces, studio safety and drying agents. Come see how to make this medium work for you in your own art practice, or just to try something new!

Email [email protected] for more extensive details and registration. All attendees will receive a printed summary of the class – including materials/techniques/topics covered.

From the songbook of Johnny Cash comes this unique musical about love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, and the healing power of home and family. More than two dozen classic hits including “I Walk The Line,” “A Boy Named Sue,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” and, of course, “Ring of Fire.” Performed by a multi-talented cast, Ring of Fire paints a musical portrait of ‘The Man in Black’ that promises to be a foot-stompin’, crowd-pleasin’ salute to a unique musical legend!

From the songbook of Johnny Cash comes this unique musical about love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, and the healing power of home and family. More than two dozen classic hits including “I Walk the Line,” “A Boy Named Sue,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” and, of course, “Ring of Fire.” Performed by a multi-talented cast.

Director Ben Hope adds “Having spent many years working on various productions of Ring of Fire (this production will be my personal 10th!), The most extraordinary thing I keep finding about Mr. Cash is how unanimously loved he is, even now, 20 years since his death. No other project seems to attract such a varied and enthusiastic crowd as the music of Johnny Cash. I think it’s because he wrote for the ordinary. His words and music are authentic and simple, and he speaks plainly about things we all connect with. He was fallible, with personal demons and shortcomings. He makes us feel like our own imperfections are normal and mundane, and he teaches us that there’s beauty and hope, even in despair. I love Johnny Cash, and I know Flat Rock audiences are going to love Ring of Fire’.”

Don’t miss this inspiring story, all the great music, and an evening of iconic Johnny Cash!

Ring of Fire is presented by WHKP and Carolina Ace Hardware. Flat Rock Playhouse’s 2023 Season is supported by Charlotte & Bob Otto, Optimum, WHKP, and WTZQ as well as the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. www.NCArts.org

For a complete lineup with show descriptions and to purchase tickets, visit www.flatrockplayhouse.org.

Come join the Swannanoa Library Anime Club at our first meeting: Saturday, March 25th at 2:00 pm! We’ll meet the 4th Saturday of every month to watch anime, discuss manga, create crafts, and even try some fun snacks!

“This is a phenomenon.”- New York Magazine, Sara Holdren

All rise for Academy Award® winner Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork. The New York Times Critic’s Pick TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is “the most successful American play in Broadway history” (60 Minutes). With direction by Tony Award® winner Bartlett Sher, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD — “the greatest novel of all time” (Chicago Tribune) — has quickly become “one of the greatest plays in history” (NPR).

Emmy Award®-winning actor Richard Thomas will play the role of Atticus Finch in the National Tour.

Wanna hear the best local music ​and​ drink the best local beers? Hop aboard LaZoom’s Purple Bus and rock out with a local band while we take you on a journey to Asheville’s premiere local breweries.

Promotion: Tyler’s Amazing Balancing Act

We have been looking up to him from the beginning . . . the lanky 6’ 7’’ man of the mountains, who came bearing old-world gifts that have enriched modern lives beyond measure.  Connie Regan-Blake first met Ray Hicks on October 14, 1973 in Jonesborough, Tennessee. It was an afternoon that changed her life . . . and the course of storytelling in the United States. The setting was the first National Storytelling Festival. Come listen to stories of how Ray became the face of traditional Appalachian Mountain storytelling along with reflections on Connie’s long friendship with the Hicks family and her own personal storytelling journey.

Connie Regan-Blake is one of America’s most celebrated storytellers. She has captivated the hearts and imaginations of children and adults all across the globe with her powerful performances and workshops. Entertaining audiences in 47 states, 18 countries, and 6 continents, Connie brings the wisdom, humor and drama of stories to main stage concert halls, schools, festivals, libraries and into the corporate world.

Doors open at 6:30pm for the 7pm performance. Seating is general admission. Online ticket sales end 1 hour prior to performance time. There may still be tickets available for purchase in the office after online sales have ended. Contact BMCA for information – 828.669.0930.

From the songbook of Johnny Cash comes this unique musical about love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, and the healing power of home and family. More than two dozen classic hits including “I Walk The Line,” “A Boy Named Sue,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” and, of course, “Ring of Fire.” Performed by a multi-talented cast, Ring of Fire paints a musical portrait of ‘The Man in Black’ that promises to be a foot-stompin’, crowd-pleasin’ salute to a unique musical legend!

To attend a Tret Fure concert is to be drawn into warmth, to family, to shared humanity. Tret sings from the depth of our collective experience with vision for a world that could be and gratitude for the simple gifts of the world as it is. Not only a prolific songwriter, Tret Fure is a poet, artist and storyteller whose career spans five decades. An icon of the women’s and folk music scenes, Fure is preparing to release her 18th album, “The Language of Love.

DIFFERENT STROKES! PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTIVE PRESENTS

THREE SIX NINE MONOLOGUE AND SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL features a curated selection of original pieces written by emerging Black Playwrights, primarily from our emerging Black Playwright’s program, A Different Myth. Join us for nine evenings of heart-warming, dramatic, funny, heart-breaking, and provocative short plays and monologues. Three Six Nine features represents 3 weekends, 6 short plays, and 9 monologues. No two weekends will be the same, and neither will you. Join us as we mix and match 12 pieces over the course of 90 minutes on 9 very different evenings.

April 6-8, 2023
April 13-15, 2023
April 20-22, 2023
at 7:30 p.m. each evening

Music, Book, & Story by Steve Martin; Music, Lyrics, & Story by Edie Brickell

Set in our very own Blue Ridge Mountains, Bright Star tells the story of Alice at two different points in her life: as a young girl in the mountains, and 22 years later as the well-to-do editor of a successful Asheville magazine. A serendipitous encounter inspires Alice to face her past, and a stunning realization changes her life forever. Bright Star is based on the Grammy Award-winning bluegrass album, Love Has Come for You, and centers particularly on the song “Iron Mountain Baby.” Be sure to listen also for the song with our namesake – “Asheville”!

Content Warning: Bright Star contains swearing, language that some may find blasphemous, incidental drinking and smoking, and kidnapping.

Accessibility:

All performances: Accessible wheelchair/scooter seating available.

Saturday, May 6, 2023: ASL-Interpreted Performance