Calendar of Events

It’s that time again! Time for another fundraiser to benefit our sweet Noah McFall. We didn’t reach our goal last time….so we are doing it again, but this time with a little twist. We are going back to the 80’s! Come dressed to impress with your best 80’s flashback attire! $10.00 at the door, and all money goes to benefit Noah. More raffles, and it’s also Karaoke night, with Marc Keller playing all the greatest hits from the 80’s. Be ready to sing some Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson, Prince, Culture Club, Kim Carnes, The Police, Def Leopard, Whitney Houston, etc… and dance the night away. Let’s again show our sweet Noah how much he is loved. Spread the word and let’s make this one as big as the Black Tie Affair! I can’t wait to see everyone with their 80’s attire! It’s going to be so much fun!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1002031203332028/

When reflecting on the current state of the environment, it seems that we have entered into times of seismic sorrows. Carbon emissions, water pollution, fracking, and changing climate patterns all point to a troubling reality with serious consequences for human and non-human populations. Through weavings, installations, sculpture, and print, artists Rena Detrixhe and Tali Weinberg (Tulsa, OK) explore the complex relationship between humans and the planet, offering insights, expressing grief, and creating space for resilience and change.

In Time of Seismic Sorrows is curated by Marilyn Zapf and organized by the Center for Craft. The Center for Craft is supported in part by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The South has always been home to a blend of cultures — from Native Americans here by 14,000 years ago to Europeans 500 years ago, followed by Africans forced to migrate. By 1500, cultures in the South included Creek, Cherokee, Catawba, Choctaw, Chitimacha, and Coushatta, from Europe English, Scottish, Irish, and German, and Africans from Senegal to Congo. Baskets were integral in daily life, as agricultural equipment for gathering, sifting, storing, and serving the finished product or as receptacles for tools, clothes, sacred objects, and even infants.

Initially each culture had its own preferred basket material and method of manufacture — twilled rivercane for Native Americans, plaited oak for Europeans, and coiled grasses for Africans. Interaction between groups spurred adaptations to changing circumstances, such as the use of white oak by the Cherokee in the 1800s, as rivercane stands were decimated by European settlements. Native Americans also adopted the European picnic, flower, egg, and market baskets to sell in the 20th-century art market. Native and European Americans wove honeysuckle into baskets after 1854, when introduced from Japan. By the 17th century African Americans discovered bulrush along the coasts, coiling it into large, round “fanners” to winnow rice. Later bulrush was one medium among sweetgrass, pine needles, and palmetto, giving rise to the name “sweetgrass baskets” along the coast.

Baskets were woven not only for use in the fields and homes or for sale in art galleries but also as a connection to ancestors and spirits, as designs were said to come from inside one’s head, from memories of one’s mother’s motifs, or from the Creator. Indeed, working with one’s hands in nature to gather materials and to form them into a basket was considered spiritually and physically healthy, becoming a part of the practice of occupational therapy around World War I.

Today, basketweavers in the South from all three traditions are teaching the next generation to continue this art. Artists from across the region work with old and new materials in old and new forms, innovating for their legacy, for art’s sake, and for political causes, as embodied in the varied vessels in this gallery and epitomized in the virtuosic miniature examples in the case at right.

The Pisgah High Band is having their Mattress Fundraiser on Saturday December 8th! Even if you’re not in the market for a mattress this year, please SHARE this with your friends and family!
—What is a Mattress Fundraiser?—since 2005, CFS the original Mattress Fundraiser has raised 30 million dollars for school programs all over the USA.
We will turn the Pisgah High Gym Lobby into a mattress showroom from 10am-5pm.
-over 25 mattress sets will be on display for you to try. Orders will be taken on the day of the sale.
-new, name brands for less than retail (Simmons, and other National brands)
-all sizes & styles available (latex, gel memory foam, hybrid)
-adjustable power bases, premium pillows, & Infinity Massage Chairs
-full manufacturer warranties
-local pick up or delivery is offered two weeks after the event
-cash, check, and credit cards are accepted
No Credit needed Financing is available. Deferred interest Financing is available.
***EVERY purchase supports the program, even if you just want a pillow! It’s just like shopping at a nice retail store, but YOU get to save $$ AND help support the Program!***
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytBCYhdINjA

https://www.facebook.com/events/262379084443843/

As Virginia Woolf said, “one cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” Food and water are essential for survival, but mankind’s relationship to food has transformed over time from one of sustenance to one laden with personal and cultural significance.

A Matter of Taste explores depictions of food and drink in art and reveals how images of fruits and vegetables can function as complex metaphors for excess, status, memory, and politics. Drawn from southern museums and private collections, this exhibition showcases over 35 paintings, decorative arts, and works on paper by artists such as Andy Warhol, Wayne Thiebaud, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Claes Oldenburg.

This show spans 400 years and multiple continents, revealing the evolving role of food and drink in various media and cultural contexts. While depictions of fruit and vegetables appeared in ancient times, still life painting as an independent genre dates to 16th-century Holland.

In 19th-century America, still life paintings remained popular but evolved in terms of subject matter, media, and message. Painters such as Thomas Wightman, George Forster, and De Scott Evans embraced Dutch still lifes and used food as commentary on the current political climate and the transient state of the human condition.

Illustrated newspapers led to an increase of cartoons by artists such as Winslow Homer and William Hogarth, who utilized food and drink as social satire. The 20th-century modern art movement further changed the perception of food. The culture of mass production enabled Pop artists to elevate seemingly mundane foodstuffs to high art. Yet, other contemporary artists explored the symbolic and nostalgic role of food seen in works by Tim Tate, Linda Armstrong, and Laquita Thomson.

Visitors will also experience an elaborately set dining table fit for a sumptuous feast. Dining became its own art form over time and communicated one’s social standing and wealth. Each of the table’s six place settings represent a different culture and offer a glimpse into global dining customs. Selective drinkware will accompany this section revealing how tea sets and even punch bowls reflected an owner’s prestige.

Calling All Pet Lovers! Miss Marlee, the Min-Pin wants to invite you and your two-legged friends to a fun Christmas Costume Pawty, Photoshoot Event with Santa Claus, and Fundraiser for The Asheville Humane Society.

The Pet Costume Pawty will be juried and winners in categories with receive treats & prizes. In addition, Catawba will be donating $1 for each pint of Zombie White Ale to the Asheville Humane Society.

Forever Friends Photography Services will be offering Photoshoot Sessions from 12 pm-4 pm on a first-come-first-serve basis. Each high-quality digital image will be processed and emailed to you for you to download and easily print. $30 for the photoshoot. We also donate 10% of the proceeds to the Asheville Humane Society.

So bring your Furry Friends in costume, pack up the kids and be prepared for a Howling Good Time!
For more information, call Jim Neugass, at 828-707-8757 or [email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/events/2147002851986961/

Join local author Jarrett Rutland as he launches his picture book, CHILLY DA VINCI, at the Hop Ice Cream Cafe!

Chilly da Vinci is a self-declared inventor penguin. What does this mean? While others do “penguin” things, Chilly instead builds machines that don’t work…yet! This inventive, funny book encourages young readers to keep on trying even when they encounter failure.

“Painting With a Purpose” is a fundraiser event open to the public for everyone age ten and up. This month’s PWAP goes to The Arc of Buncombe, with 50% of the proceeds going towards their cause, whose mission is to empower individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in our community.

Each attendee will enjoy two hours of painting a 16″ x 20″ canvas with their talented team of instructors available to guide you every step of the way, while you eat drink and have fun!

We welcome you to spread the word to make this an amazingly successful event!

https://www.facebook.com/events/248865165804890/

When reflecting on the current state of the environment, it seems that we have entered into times of seismic sorrows. Carbon emissions, water pollution, fracking, and changing climate patterns all point to a troubling reality with serious consequences for human and non-human populations. Through weavings, installations, sculpture, and print, artists Rena Detrixhe and Tali Weinberg (Tulsa, OK) explore the complex relationship between humans and the planet, offering insights, expressing grief, and creating space for resilience and change.

In Time of Seismic Sorrows is curated by Marilyn Zapf and organized by the Center for Craft. The Center for Craft is supported in part by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The South has always been home to a blend of cultures — from Native Americans here by 14,000 years ago to Europeans 500 years ago, followed by Africans forced to migrate. By 1500, cultures in the South included Creek, Cherokee, Catawba, Choctaw, Chitimacha, and Coushatta, from Europe English, Scottish, Irish, and German, and Africans from Senegal to Congo. Baskets were integral in daily life, as agricultural equipment for gathering, sifting, storing, and serving the finished product or as receptacles for tools, clothes, sacred objects, and even infants.

Initially each culture had its own preferred basket material and method of manufacture — twilled rivercane for Native Americans, plaited oak for Europeans, and coiled grasses for Africans. Interaction between groups spurred adaptations to changing circumstances, such as the use of white oak by the Cherokee in the 1800s, as rivercane stands were decimated by European settlements. Native Americans also adopted the European picnic, flower, egg, and market baskets to sell in the 20th-century art market. Native and European Americans wove honeysuckle into baskets after 1854, when introduced from Japan. By the 17th century African Americans discovered bulrush along the coasts, coiling it into large, round “fanners” to winnow rice. Later bulrush was one medium among sweetgrass, pine needles, and palmetto, giving rise to the name “sweetgrass baskets” along the coast.

Baskets were woven not only for use in the fields and homes or for sale in art galleries but also as a connection to ancestors and spirits, as designs were said to come from inside one’s head, from memories of one’s mother’s motifs, or from the Creator. Indeed, working with one’s hands in nature to gather materials and to form them into a basket was considered spiritually and physically healthy, becoming a part of the practice of occupational therapy around World War I.

Today, basketweavers in the South from all three traditions are teaching the next generation to continue this art. Artists from across the region work with old and new materials in old and new forms, innovating for their legacy, for art’s sake, and for political causes, as embodied in the varied vessels in this gallery and epitomized in the virtuosic miniature examples in the case at right.

As Virginia Woolf said, “one cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” Food and water are essential for survival, but mankind’s relationship to food has transformed over time from one of sustenance to one laden with personal and cultural significance.

A Matter of Taste explores depictions of food and drink in art and reveals how images of fruits and vegetables can function as complex metaphors for excess, status, memory, and politics. Drawn from southern museums and private collections, this exhibition showcases over 35 paintings, decorative arts, and works on paper by artists such as Andy Warhol, Wayne Thiebaud, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Claes Oldenburg.

This show spans 400 years and multiple continents, revealing the evolving role of food and drink in various media and cultural contexts. While depictions of fruit and vegetables appeared in ancient times, still life painting as an independent genre dates to 16th-century Holland.

In 19th-century America, still life paintings remained popular but evolved in terms of subject matter, media, and message. Painters such as Thomas Wightman, George Forster, and De Scott Evans embraced Dutch still lifes and used food as commentary on the current political climate and the transient state of the human condition.

Illustrated newspapers led to an increase of cartoons by artists such as Winslow Homer and William Hogarth, who utilized food and drink as social satire. The 20th-century modern art movement further changed the perception of food. The culture of mass production enabled Pop artists to elevate seemingly mundane foodstuffs to high art. Yet, other contemporary artists explored the symbolic and nostalgic role of food seen in works by Tim Tate, Linda Armstrong, and Laquita Thomson.

Visitors will also experience an elaborately set dining table fit for a sumptuous feast. Dining became its own art form over time and communicated one’s social standing and wealth. Each of the table’s six place settings represent a different culture and offer a glimpse into global dining customs. Selective drinkware will accompany this section revealing how tea sets and even punch bowls reflected an owner’s prestige.

Christmas fundraiser for the Tryon Summer Youth Theater

As a Director, Chris Tinkler knows how important the Tryon Summer Youth Theater is for kids—and families of those kids. It’s a character-building experience for the youngsters, bonding with their co-actors, taking responsibility not only for themselves, but for the final dazzling production. What a joy to witness all the hard work and incredible talent of our local youth come to fruition.

For the last three years an anonymous donor from the Polk County Community Foundation has made it possible for the Friday night show tickets to be just $5 each. This made a huge difference for the families of the performers. Now all the children in the family could attend; Grandma and Grandpa, and aunts and uncles and cousins and friends and neighbors—all could afford to experience live theater and applaud these amazing, hardworking kids.

Tinkler’s goal is to make all seats—for all performances—just $5. And to help with that goal, he’s staging a one-man show at the TLT Workshop: Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory”. The story takes place in the 1930s and describes a period in the lives of the seven-year-old narrator and an elderly woman who is his distant cousin and best friend. The narrative focuses on friendship and the joy of giving during the Christmas season.

The show runs for three performances, December 7 & 8 at 7:30pm, and December 9 at 3:00pm. Come early for some light hors d’oeuvres and holiday cheer and show your support for our area youth! Tickets are $25 and can be ordered online at www.tltinfo.org.The Workshop box office (516 S. Trade St. in Tryon), is also open between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm, December 3 through December 8, or you can call 828-0859-2466 for more information.

https://www.facebook.com/events/372117746693359/

When reflecting on the current state of the environment, it seems that we have entered into times of seismic sorrows. Carbon emissions, water pollution, fracking, and changing climate patterns all point to a troubling reality with serious consequences for human and non-human populations. Through weavings, installations, sculpture, and print, artists Rena Detrixhe and Tali Weinberg (Tulsa, OK) explore the complex relationship between humans and the planet, offering insights, expressing grief, and creating space for resilience and change.

In Time of Seismic Sorrows is curated by Marilyn Zapf and organized by the Center for Craft. The Center for Craft is supported in part by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The South has always been home to a blend of cultures — from Native Americans here by 14,000 years ago to Europeans 500 years ago, followed by Africans forced to migrate. By 1500, cultures in the South included Creek, Cherokee, Catawba, Choctaw, Chitimacha, and Coushatta, from Europe English, Scottish, Irish, and German, and Africans from Senegal to Congo. Baskets were integral in daily life, as agricultural equipment for gathering, sifting, storing, and serving the finished product or as receptacles for tools, clothes, sacred objects, and even infants.

Initially each culture had its own preferred basket material and method of manufacture — twilled rivercane for Native Americans, plaited oak for Europeans, and coiled grasses for Africans. Interaction between groups spurred adaptations to changing circumstances, such as the use of white oak by the Cherokee in the 1800s, as rivercane stands were decimated by European settlements. Native Americans also adopted the European picnic, flower, egg, and market baskets to sell in the 20th-century art market. Native and European Americans wove honeysuckle into baskets after 1854, when introduced from Japan. By the 17th century African Americans discovered bulrush along the coasts, coiling it into large, round “fanners” to winnow rice. Later bulrush was one medium among sweetgrass, pine needles, and palmetto, giving rise to the name “sweetgrass baskets” along the coast.

Baskets were woven not only for use in the fields and homes or for sale in art galleries but also as a connection to ancestors and spirits, as designs were said to come from inside one’s head, from memories of one’s mother’s motifs, or from the Creator. Indeed, working with one’s hands in nature to gather materials and to form them into a basket was considered spiritually and physically healthy, becoming a part of the practice of occupational therapy around World War I.

Today, basketweavers in the South from all three traditions are teaching the next generation to continue this art. Artists from across the region work with old and new materials in old and new forms, innovating for their legacy, for art’s sake, and for political causes, as embodied in the varied vessels in this gallery and epitomized in the virtuosic miniature examples in the case at right.

As Virginia Woolf said, “one cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” Food and water are essential for survival, but mankind’s relationship to food has transformed over time from one of sustenance to one laden with personal and cultural significance.

A Matter of Taste explores depictions of food and drink in art and reveals how images of fruits and vegetables can function as complex metaphors for excess, status, memory, and politics. Drawn from southern museums and private collections, this exhibition showcases over 35 paintings, decorative arts, and works on paper by artists such as Andy Warhol, Wayne Thiebaud, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Claes Oldenburg.

This show spans 400 years and multiple continents, revealing the evolving role of food and drink in various media and cultural contexts. While depictions of fruit and vegetables appeared in ancient times, still life painting as an independent genre dates to 16th-century Holland.

In 19th-century America, still life paintings remained popular but evolved in terms of subject matter, media, and message. Painters such as Thomas Wightman, George Forster, and De Scott Evans embraced Dutch still lifes and used food as commentary on the current political climate and the transient state of the human condition.

Illustrated newspapers led to an increase of cartoons by artists such as Winslow Homer and William Hogarth, who utilized food and drink as social satire. The 20th-century modern art movement further changed the perception of food. The culture of mass production enabled Pop artists to elevate seemingly mundane foodstuffs to high art. Yet, other contemporary artists explored the symbolic and nostalgic role of food seen in works by Tim Tate, Linda Armstrong, and Laquita Thomson.

Visitors will also experience an elaborately set dining table fit for a sumptuous feast. Dining became its own art form over time and communicated one’s social standing and wealth. Each of the table’s six place settings represent a different culture and offer a glimpse into global dining customs. Selective drinkware will accompany this section revealing how tea sets and even punch bowls reflected an owner’s prestige.

Ministry
Carpenter Brut
Alien Weaponry
Show : 7:15pm
Doors : 6:30pm
$30 – $33
Ages 18+

Public Onsale Begins:
Friday, June 8, 2018 12:00 PM

Tickets & Info: www.theorangepeel.net/event/ministry/

Ministry’s Al Joursengen, the acclaimed pioneer of industrial music, doesn’t muck around, doesn’t sugar-coat, doesn’t pull punches. He’s highly opinionated, exceptionally well read and articulate on subjects ranging from politics to alien conspiracies to American history to his beloved Chicago Blackhawks/Bulls/White Sox/Bears. He is an avid follower of NASA scientist David S. McKay, ancient civilizations scholar Zecharia Sitchin, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Scottish writer/archaeologist/scientist Graham Hancock. During a layover at the Las Vegas airport this past summer, Jourgensen spotted U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff, introduced himself, and took full advantage of the encounter to let the Congressman know of his views on tax reform and the possible perils of redistribution of wealth, the current obstruction of the “Russia-gate” investigation by the House Intelligence Committee lead by Republican Chair Devin Nunes, and to inquire about the status of the possible impeachment of the President, on not only obstruction and collusion charges, but for treason.

You see, Al Jourgensen is angry, really angry about what’s going on in America – sexual abuse and the disrespect of women in our society, the waning respect for the U.S. Constitution, the growing acceptance of one’s opinions replacing facts, the decline of the our leaders’ sense of morals, ethics and personal responsibility to the country and to their constituents, and the mad man in the White House. Yeah, Al is angry, and that takes us straight to Ministry’s upcoming album AmeriKKKant.

Before all of that, the industrial machine that is Ministry has manufactured immense amounts of sound during its 30+ years of musical artistry. Initially coming into existence in 1981, Ministry was to be the lifetime passion project of front runner and founder Al Jourgensen. Often associated with ideas and imagery that are easily recognized today, in part because of Jourgensen’s insanely dreaded hair, pitch black attire, vampiric glasses, and exquisite top hat, the band has become incredibly symbolic. But like any creature cursed with the gift of creativity, “Uncle Al” has shed his skin several times over the decades. The development of Ministry and all of Al Jourgensen projects has been purely organic, which is a huge reason why the masses following his projects are so vast.

Often referred to as one of the founders of Industrial Music, the true outlook of Ministry as well as Jourgensen’s other projects, is far more fluid than just one specific genre. Surgical Meth Machine, Revolting Cocks, and anything Al “Fucking” Jourgensen has produced all explore different realms of sound and thought.

In the year 1981 in Chicago Illinois, Ministry was initially born. With an original line up of Al Jourgensen doing lead vocals, guitar, programming and overall production, Stephen George on drums, Robert Roberts on keyboards and backing vocals, and John Davis also on keyboards and backing vocals. New sounds were constantly being developed in the 80’s especially as technology improved. At first the band had a very catchy, synth-pop sound. They began by releasing four 12” singles on Wax Track! Records starting in 1981, and released their first LP “With Sympathy” in 1983 via Arista Records.

As time progressed however, so did Ministry, and they quickly developed a harsher, and even more stylized industrial sound that they soon became infamous for. In the mid to late 80’s the band gained a progressively greater following as it released albums Twitch (1986), The Land of Rape and Honey (1988), and The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste (1989). The darker, heavier sound that Ministry had developed into was often a direct reflection upon modern concepts, society, and politics. It was also during this time that Al Jourgensen himself reached one of his many peaks of creativity and branched off into what would be one of his many side-projects: Revolting Cocks. He also began producing a vast amount of other music by artists similar to his realm in one way or another such as Nivek Ogre/Skinny Puppy, The Reverend Horton Heat, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, Cheap Trick and Red Hot Chili Peppers. With the release of Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and The Way to Suck Eggs (1992), Ministry hit an all time high in the mainstream musical realm and even received a Grammy nomination. Filth Pig was released in 1994 and by then Ministry had not only grown a solid fanbase, but a solid reputation as well.

Famous for a hellaciously unique talent and sound, pure heinous insanity while on tour, and endless energy filled performances at countless festivals, Ministry had developed a cult following and would go on to release several more records throughout the years before eventually taking a hiatus. On December 23rd, 2012 then guitarist Mike Scaccia suffered a heart attack and passed away. It was not long after this that Jourgensen took what was to be an indefinite leave from doing anything Ministry related as he could not bare to continue without Scaccia. It wasn’t until recently that Jourgensen decided that if the circumstances were right, he would consider reawakening Ministry to release something new to the world.

Now, in 2017 Ministry has reunited, revamped its line-up, signed to Nuclear Blast Records, recently returned from a full world tour, and is now preparing to release their 14th studio album, AmeriKKKant, on March 9th 2018. Society and Politics have taken a turn for the insane and frightening in the United States and across the globe, leaving much inspiration and frustration for Ministry to draw from. Jourgensen remembers his shock while witnessing everyone and everything around him during the recent election process, and awoke on the morning of November 9th 2016 proclaiming: “We are making a fuckin’ album – right now.”

AmeriKKKant, like all Ministry projects, is an organic reflection of not just the band’s talent and sounds, but of the society in which we all live and breathe. Jourgensen says “I’ve spoken my piece on the societal conditions that would elect such a blithering idiot. It’s not an anti-Trump album, it’s like a- ‘did you pay attention in School? Does anybody have any intellectual curiosity anymore?’- album. [It’s] basically just holding up a mirror to ourselves and saying: ‘Look at this, is this what you really want to be?’”

With a new line up, incredibly full sound, and some might say a return to the roots of Ministry, the band is prepared to release a record that is socially relevant and sonically effective. Fans can look forward to a hearty future for not just Ministry, but Surgical Meth Machine, and Revolting Cocks as well. There is simply too much insanity in this world for Jourgensen not to speak his mind and keep our senses alive with his vast array of decibels and visuals: “I’m afraid for the stupidity of not embracing nonsense. I think nonsense is a great escape from the rigors of being in life’s hamster wheel.”

www.ministryband.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjEC49hTitI

https://www.facebook.com/events/1596528863806807/

When reflecting on the current state of the environment, it seems that we have entered into times of seismic sorrows. Carbon emissions, water pollution, fracking, and changing climate patterns all point to a troubling reality with serious consequences for human and non-human populations. Through weavings, installations, sculpture, and print, artists Rena Detrixhe and Tali Weinberg (Tulsa, OK) explore the complex relationship between humans and the planet, offering insights, expressing grief, and creating space for resilience and change.

In Time of Seismic Sorrows is curated by Marilyn Zapf and organized by the Center for Craft. The Center for Craft is supported in part by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The South has always been home to a blend of cultures — from Native Americans here by 14,000 years ago to Europeans 500 years ago, followed by Africans forced to migrate. By 1500, cultures in the South included Creek, Cherokee, Catawba, Choctaw, Chitimacha, and Coushatta, from Europe English, Scottish, Irish, and German, and Africans from Senegal to Congo. Baskets were integral in daily life, as agricultural equipment for gathering, sifting, storing, and serving the finished product or as receptacles for tools, clothes, sacred objects, and even infants.

Initially each culture had its own preferred basket material and method of manufacture — twilled rivercane for Native Americans, plaited oak for Europeans, and coiled grasses for Africans. Interaction between groups spurred adaptations to changing circumstances, such as the use of white oak by the Cherokee in the 1800s, as rivercane stands were decimated by European settlements. Native Americans also adopted the European picnic, flower, egg, and market baskets to sell in the 20th-century art market. Native and European Americans wove honeysuckle into baskets after 1854, when introduced from Japan. By the 17th century African Americans discovered bulrush along the coasts, coiling it into large, round “fanners” to winnow rice. Later bulrush was one medium among sweetgrass, pine needles, and palmetto, giving rise to the name “sweetgrass baskets” along the coast.

Baskets were woven not only for use in the fields and homes or for sale in art galleries but also as a connection to ancestors and spirits, as designs were said to come from inside one’s head, from memories of one’s mother’s motifs, or from the Creator. Indeed, working with one’s hands in nature to gather materials and to form them into a basket was considered spiritually and physically healthy, becoming a part of the practice of occupational therapy around World War I.

Today, basketweavers in the South from all three traditions are teaching the next generation to continue this art. Artists from across the region work with old and new materials in old and new forms, innovating for their legacy, for art’s sake, and for political causes, as embodied in the varied vessels in this gallery and epitomized in the virtuosic miniature examples in the case at right.

As Virginia Woolf said, “one cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” Food and water are essential for survival, but mankind’s relationship to food has transformed over time from one of sustenance to one laden with personal and cultural significance.

A Matter of Taste explores depictions of food and drink in art and reveals how images of fruits and vegetables can function as complex metaphors for excess, status, memory, and politics. Drawn from southern museums and private collections, this exhibition showcases over 35 paintings, decorative arts, and works on paper by artists such as Andy Warhol, Wayne Thiebaud, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Claes Oldenburg.

This show spans 400 years and multiple continents, revealing the evolving role of food and drink in various media and cultural contexts. While depictions of fruit and vegetables appeared in ancient times, still life painting as an independent genre dates to 16th-century Holland.

In 19th-century America, still life paintings remained popular but evolved in terms of subject matter, media, and message. Painters such as Thomas Wightman, George Forster, and De Scott Evans embraced Dutch still lifes and used food as commentary on the current political climate and the transient state of the human condition.

Illustrated newspapers led to an increase of cartoons by artists such as Winslow Homer and William Hogarth, who utilized food and drink as social satire. The 20th-century modern art movement further changed the perception of food. The culture of mass production enabled Pop artists to elevate seemingly mundane foodstuffs to high art. Yet, other contemporary artists explored the symbolic and nostalgic role of food seen in works by Tim Tate, Linda Armstrong, and Laquita Thomson.

Visitors will also experience an elaborately set dining table fit for a sumptuous feast. Dining became its own art form over time and communicated one’s social standing and wealth. Each of the table’s six place settings represent a different culture and offer a glimpse into global dining customs. Selective drinkware will accompany this section revealing how tea sets and even punch bowls reflected an owner’s prestige.

When reflecting on the current state of the environment, it seems that we have entered into times of seismic sorrows. Carbon emissions, water pollution, fracking, and changing climate patterns all point to a troubling reality with serious consequences for human and non-human populations. Through weavings, installations, sculpture, and print, artists Rena Detrixhe and Tali Weinberg (Tulsa, OK) explore the complex relationship between humans and the planet, offering insights, expressing grief, and creating space for resilience and change.

In Time of Seismic Sorrows is curated by Marilyn Zapf and organized by the Center for Craft. The Center for Craft is supported in part by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The South has always been home to a blend of cultures — from Native Americans here by 14,000 years ago to Europeans 500 years ago, followed by Africans forced to migrate. By 1500, cultures in the South included Creek, Cherokee, Catawba, Choctaw, Chitimacha, and Coushatta, from Europe English, Scottish, Irish, and German, and Africans from Senegal to Congo. Baskets were integral in daily life, as agricultural equipment for gathering, sifting, storing, and serving the finished product or as receptacles for tools, clothes, sacred objects, and even infants.

Initially each culture had its own preferred basket material and method of manufacture — twilled rivercane for Native Americans, plaited oak for Europeans, and coiled grasses for Africans. Interaction between groups spurred adaptations to changing circumstances, such as the use of white oak by the Cherokee in the 1800s, as rivercane stands were decimated by European settlements. Native Americans also adopted the European picnic, flower, egg, and market baskets to sell in the 20th-century art market. Native and European Americans wove honeysuckle into baskets after 1854, when introduced from Japan. By the 17th century African Americans discovered bulrush along the coasts, coiling it into large, round “fanners” to winnow rice. Later bulrush was one medium among sweetgrass, pine needles, and palmetto, giving rise to the name “sweetgrass baskets” along the coast.

Baskets were woven not only for use in the fields and homes or for sale in art galleries but also as a connection to ancestors and spirits, as designs were said to come from inside one’s head, from memories of one’s mother’s motifs, or from the Creator. Indeed, working with one’s hands in nature to gather materials and to form them into a basket was considered spiritually and physically healthy, becoming a part of the practice of occupational therapy around World War I.

Today, basketweavers in the South from all three traditions are teaching the next generation to continue this art. Artists from across the region work with old and new materials in old and new forms, innovating for their legacy, for art’s sake, and for political causes, as embodied in the varied vessels in this gallery and epitomized in the virtuosic miniature examples in the case at right.

As Virginia Woolf said, “one cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” Food and water are essential for survival, but mankind’s relationship to food has transformed over time from one of sustenance to one laden with personal and cultural significance.

A Matter of Taste explores depictions of food and drink in art and reveals how images of fruits and vegetables can function as complex metaphors for excess, status, memory, and politics. Drawn from southern museums and private collections, this exhibition showcases over 35 paintings, decorative arts, and works on paper by artists such as Andy Warhol, Wayne Thiebaud, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Claes Oldenburg.

This show spans 400 years and multiple continents, revealing the evolving role of food and drink in various media and cultural contexts. While depictions of fruit and vegetables appeared in ancient times, still life painting as an independent genre dates to 16th-century Holland.

In 19th-century America, still life paintings remained popular but evolved in terms of subject matter, media, and message. Painters such as Thomas Wightman, George Forster, and De Scott Evans embraced Dutch still lifes and used food as commentary on the current political climate and the transient state of the human condition.

Illustrated newspapers led to an increase of cartoons by artists such as Winslow Homer and William Hogarth, who utilized food and drink as social satire. The 20th-century modern art movement further changed the perception of food. The culture of mass production enabled Pop artists to elevate seemingly mundane foodstuffs to high art. Yet, other contemporary artists explored the symbolic and nostalgic role of food seen in works by Tim Tate, Linda Armstrong, and Laquita Thomson.

Visitors will also experience an elaborately set dining table fit for a sumptuous feast. Dining became its own art form over time and communicated one’s social standing and wealth. Each of the table’s six place settings represent a different culture and offer a glimpse into global dining customs. Selective drinkware will accompany this section revealing how tea sets and even punch bowls reflected an owner’s prestige.