Calendar of Events

The Biltmore Estate has been planning the largest exhibition in its historic gardens for almost a decade. And finally, last week, Chihuly at Biltmore opened with a mega installation of glass sculptures from the famous artist Dale Chihuly. Tens of thousands of glass pieces from all around the world reside in 14 locations around the Estate (which is the very first large-scale N.C. Chihuly installation).

The exhibition is up from now until Oct. 7th, free admission with a Biltmore day pass (and free for annual pass holders). Chihuly at Nightis a special, ongoing event where the glass sculptures are lit up, plus live music in the gardens + a wine bar. Tickets are $37.50 for kids + range from $65 – 75 for adults ($10 discount for pass holders).

Three new works were blown just for Biltmore, and 6 new compositions were put together.

Toot! Toot! Experience Day Out With Thomas like never before at Tweetsie Railroad. Ride the train behind Thomas the Tank Engine, meet Sir Topham Hat, play in Imagination Station, and enjoy storytelling and live music! PLUS have a full day at Tweetsie Railroad with amusement rides, deer park zoo, panning for gold, live entertainment and more!
This event takes place from June 8 to June 17, 2018. Tickets include one ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, Thomas & Friends themed activities and admission to the theme park. Free for children age 2 and under, $30 for children age 3-12, and $45 for adults age 13 and older.

arth Skin is based upon the forms and textures of the earth using inspiration from aerial photography of Western North Carolina and topographical maps of local areas, including Pisgah National Forest and Balsam Range. Created by ceramic artists Trish Salmon and Crystal Allen, Earth Skin includes wall structures and pieces designed for mantles, shelves and tables. All works are available for purchase and a portion of the sales will be donated to The North Carolina Arboretum Society.

About the Artists

Trish Salmon

Trish has been studying clay for many years through the various classes available to her when she lived in the Atlanta area. Taking classes at Penland was a life changing experience and a turning point in her desire to become a studio ceramicist. She and her husband moved to Western North Carolina in 2007, and she has pursued her claywork full time after her career as a kitchen designer. Immediately after retirement, she enrolled in Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program in clay where she received her Associate’s Degree in 2014. She currently is a member of the Odyssey Coop Gallery in the River Arts District in Asheville, NC. She is also a founding member of Artisans on Main in downtown Weaverville where her studio is and where her work is primarily displayed.

Crystal Allen

Before discovering ceramics, Crystal earned a degree in Graphic Art and Design. She has also taught calligraphy, dabbled in watercolors and and learned how to felt, dye and spin natural fibers from her own llamas and sheep. Most recently, Crystal completed the Professional Crafts: Clay Associates degree at Haywood Community College.  Her pottery is primarily functional, with altered or hand built additions. Her pieces are produced in her studio, one of her favorite places on earth!

Event Type: Local Event
Event Category: Art & Culture
Contact: Grovewood Village
Contact Phone: (828) 253-7651
Link: https://www.grovewood.com/

Falling, a solo exhibition of contemporary paintings by Michael Francis Reagan, opens at Grovewood Gallery on Saturday, June 9, with an artist’s reception from 2-5pm (free and open to the public). This show will feature acrylic paintings on canvas from Reagan’s popular Falling Series, inspired by a haunting memory of a childhood encounter with a mourning dove that had fallen from the sky. This exhibition will remain on view through Sunday, July 15, 2018.

Reagan received a degree in art and American literature and an MFA in painting from the University of Arkansas. Aside from his paintings, Reagan has established himself as one of American’s leading mapmakers. As a freelance illustrator, he has been employed by major publications such as National Geographic, The New Yorker, Smithsonian magazine, Travel and Leisure, and The New York Times. Reagan’s bird paintings and environmental maps continue to be commissioned by Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, The National Parks of America, and other conservation organizations.

Interconnected – mutually joined or related : having internal connections between the parts or elements

We are all interconnected. Intrinsically interwoven with each other, with nature, with the animals, with our biosphere, the rest of the entire universe, and Spirit, God, or divinity, we cannot be excluded from the fabric of creation.
When we live in a way that honors this connection, we are healthy and in balance with the world and within ourselves. The golden rule is to ‘do unto others, as you would have them do unto you’, because what we do to others, we do to ourselves. Whether it be harmful, or helpful, the effects of our deeds are felt throughout the fabric of reality, and always ripple back to their source.
One of the many challenges we face in current civilization is widespread depression. Depression is a symptom of isolation, loneliness, and a feeling of not belonging. Our current dominant social model is one of ‘each one for himself’, and extreme independence. The notions of ‘us vs them’ that stem from isolation, can lead to xenophobia, racism, hatred, and other diseases of the spirit.

Re-membering our inherent interconnection is a powerful anecdote for the malaise of isolation.

Interconnection is one of the strongest recurring themes within the Visionary Art movement. This genre of art attempts to bring healing to the schisms of society, and remind humanity that we are not separate, nor alone.  Some people call it “medicine art” or “spiritual art”. Visionary artists share a common longing to open hearts and minds with their art, and help people remember how connected and integrated we all are.

Visionary art is only recently emerging from the underground, and has morphed over the past decade from loosely meaning “self-taught” or “psychedelic”, into a multi-cultural exploration, uplifting and showcasing the spirit, while revealing the interconnections between humanity and the entirety of creation.
The artists exhibited here express interconnection in differing ways, from the basic geometric template that the world is formed around, the plant & animal kingdoms, the realms of spirits, fae, and devas, to the outer reaches of the cosmos.

Participating artists: Andy Reed,  Annie Bennett, Ashley Spero, Chris Sheehan, CJ Randall, Dillon Endico, Ka Amorastreya, Marina Jessica, Mark Hanf, Ryan O’Sullivan

The opening reception for Interconnected will be Friday, June 1, 2018 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm in the Thom Robinson and Ray Griffin Exhibition Space.  An artist talk will start at 6:30 pm.

Father’s Day is June 17th. Self-directed do-it-yourself activity. Sponsored by Drs. Reid & Reid, Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics.

This exquisite, interactive exhibit is designed to inspire and educate visitors about the storied history and evocative power of scent while taking them on a full sensory journey, literally! Blending flora, fashion and science, Making Scents showcases some of Mother Nature’s most fragrant botanicals and unveils the plants and flowers behind some of the world’s most iconic perfumes. Visitors will explore the mysterious power of the sense of smell, learn about the artistry and science behind the fragrance industry and even compose their own basic fragrance.

From traditional harvest and extraction methods to chemical combinations of synthetic fragrances, Making Scents uncovers the technical processes behind fragrance creation through an immersive, multisensory experience. Art, passion and craft come together inside the exhibit’s iconic bottle display, which showcases the unique designs of more than 100 perfume bottles, some dating back to ancient the Greek and Roman eras. By integrating horticulture, history and pop culture, Making Scents is sure to enlighten the senses and engage the minds of visitors about the fragrance industry and the living world in a fun, dynamic way.

Calling all current and prospective students, industry influencers, business professionals, and network leaders!

As a leader in your field, join us at The North Carolina Arboretum and invite others in your circle of influence to Meet Montreat — an event designed to showcase the adult undergraduate and graduate degree programs available on Montreat College’s Asheville campus or online.

Hear stories and interact with those who have experienced the transformational impact of a Montreat College education.
Meet Dr. Paul Maurer, president of Montreat College, as he shares his vision for Montreat College’s School of Adult and Graduate Studies.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. Guests are welcome to arrive at 4:30 p.m. to explore the grounds. Food and refreshments will be provided.

The AAAC is excited to welcome the kindergartners of Ira B. Jones Elementary into the Hall Gallery. The kindergarten classes are working on a new social studies unit called Our Community. In this unit they will be exploring questions like: Why do people work? How we can help our community? What are our community’s needs and wants? The students will be learning about different kinds of neighborhoods like rural, city, suburban, and why they are important.
In art class the students will apply their understanding of these topics by creating a paper collage of their neighborhood. They will use various paper shapes to create a collage of a neighborhood. The neighborhoods will “link” together with a road that “unites” us all as one community.
The creations inspired by this lessons will be on display Monday – Friday, 10 am – 5 pm from May 4 – June 29, 2018.

Process is a collaborative exhibit by Erica Stankwytch Bailey, Asheville Makers, The Bright Angle with special guest artist Emily Rogstad.
This exhibition offers insight into the working worlds of creative collaborations and independent makers. Artifacts demonstrating inception of idea, design and making will be shown alongside finished pieces to illustrate the inherent value of the creative process.
“The creative process is not just iterative; it’s also recursive. It plays out “in the large” and “in the small”—in defining the broadest goals and concepts and refining the smallest details. It branches like a tree, and each choice has ramifications, which may not be known in advance.” -Dubberly Design Office
Erica Stankwytch Bailey is a Metalsmith and small business owner who designs and makes handmade artisan jewelry. Many of her pieces are inspired by an intense fascination with the building blocks of our world, most specifically molecular and crystalline structures.
The Bright Angle is a modern design company focused on showcasing the process and story behind the makers and products. At The Bright  Angle we emphasize practical utility and technology to offer handmade lifestyle goods through carefully curated designer-maker collaborations.
Emily Rogstad graduated in 2013 with a BFA in Metalsmithing + Jewelry from Maine College of Art. After some traveling she moved to Penland School of Crafts for two years for the Core Fellowship. Now a resident of Asheville, North Carolina she spends her time maintaining an inquisitive studio practice, and enjoying the mountains. She is currently the new Design Resident with The Bright Angle.
Asheville Makers is a makerspace in the Asheville area. They are a community of tinkerers, makers, engineers, educators, scientists, artists, hackers, geeks, etc. Anyone who is, aspires to be, or just wants to hang around with local smart, creative, friendly mad scientist folk is welcome!
Process will be open in the Front Gallery of the Refinery Creator Space from June 1 – July 27, 2018 with an opening reception on Friday, June 1 from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm.

The Asheville Art Museum is excited to present Red Hot in the Blue Ridge, an exhibition being held in conjunction with Western North Carolina’s community-wide Summer of Glass celebration. On view at the Asheville Art Museum On the Slope at 175 Biltmore Avenue May 19 – September 30, 2018, Red Hot in the Blue Ridge celebrates Western North Carolina’s unique place in the history of American Studio Glass. Many other organizations and galleries across WNC are also hosting glass-focused events, programs and exhibitions during the region’s Summer of Glass celebration, which coincides with a new exhibition at Biltmore of multi-media artist Dale Chihuly’s monumental glass sculptures.  Visit www.ashevilleart.org for details.

2018 marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center. As the last exhibition to be held in our 56 Broadway gallery before we move to 120 College Street on Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville, Shared History highlights not just the museum’s origins, collection, programs, and exhibitions but also the many ways that this organization has created a space for connection and experimentation. This fulfills our early promise to BMC alumni to be not merely a museum memorializing the past, but a center geared towards building community and fostering forward-thinking creativity in the present. An Opening Reception will be held on June 1st from 5:30PM – 8PM, with a Gallery Talk by Exhibition Curator, Erin Dickey, at 6:30PM. We welcome all who have been a part of our history, and hope that new audiences will gain insight into the scope of BMCM+AC’s reach, both locally and around the globe. This event is FREE and Open to the Public

Falling, a solo exhibition of contemporary paintings by Michael
Francis Reagan, opens at Grovewood Gallery in Asheville on Saturday, June 9, with an artist’s reception
from 2-5pm (free and open to the public). This show will feature acrylic paintings on canvas from
Reagan’s popular Falling Series, inspired by a haunting memory of a childhood encounter with a
mourning dove that had fallen from the sky. This exhibition will remain on view through Sunday, July 15,
2018.