Join us for the 2023 Annual Convention of the Buncombe Democrats!

We’ll meet to elect officers at the county level, select members to represent us at the state executive committee, discuss resolutions, hear updates from elected officials, and a lot more.

Join us for a day of Democratic organizing in the Ferguson Auditorium of AB Tech. Doors and registration will open at 9:30am. Agenda and additional documentation coming soon.

The beginning of the year is a great time for Ashevillians of all ages to explore, connect, and discover. Asheville Parks & Recreation  (APR)’s new winter-spring program guide is filled with registration dates, information, and listings for hundreds of fitness and active living offerings, sports and clubs, arts and culture programs, out-of-school time activities, outdoor recreation, special events, parks and facilities’ hours of operation, and more.

The free guide is available at all APR community centers and online as a PDF or enhanced digital flipbook. Community members may also download the APR app for iPhone or search programs on avlREC.com.

Winter-Spring 2023 Guide Highlights

• Exercise at fitness centers with a free membership (through June 30, 2023).

• Walk, roll, or run your way to 50 miles in February and March during the Fit 50 Challenge for a free T-shirt.

• Celebrate Black Legacy Month with food, art, and festivals throughout the city in February.

• Meet neighbors over cards, board games, bingo, trivia contests, and community meals.

• Get an up-close look at big trucks, small trucks, transit buses, construction rigs, rescue vehicles, and public works equipment during Truck City AVL on April 15.

• Experience the fun, fellowship, fitness, arts, and competition of Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and Silver Arts Classic for local adults over 50..

• Flex creativity at art, painting, writing, scrapbooking, and crafting classes.

• Connect with neighbors over sports such as basketball, flag football, volleyball, pickleball, tennis, and archery for kids, teens, and adults.

• Enjoy the honor of dirty hands with community garden workdays and Green Thumbs Garden Club at Grove Street Community Center’s greenhouse.

• Witness the power of gravity at the Montford Pinewood Derby in May.

• Refine square, tap, line, and West African dance skills at multiple locations.

• And so much more!

Peter Werner will be demonstrating his tips and techniques for traditional broom-tying in the lobby of the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visitors are encouraged to watch and ask questions while the demonstrators work and talk about their creative process! Call ahead for the latest updates: 828-298-7928.

PREVIEW WED 19 1-3 pm

Estate Fundraiser featuring items donated by Guild members + supporters and WNC Bridge estate clients.

The Asheville Symphony Guild is a subsidiary of the Asheville Symphony Society and falls under its 501 (c) 3 determination as a not-for-profit institution.

Mission: The Asheville Symphony Guild (hereafter “the Guild”) works to support the Asheville Symphony Society by raising funds for the Symphony, sponsoring music education programs in area schools, encouraging an interest in music among Guild members and area residents, and providing opportunities to socialize with friends both old and new in the greater Asheville and Buncombe County community.

Food Scraps Drop Off

The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is offering a FREE Food Scrap Drop-Off program in

two locations for all Buncombe County residents.  This organic matter will be collected and turned into good clean compost, keeping it OUT of our landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Register for Food Scraps Drop Off

Need a handy kitchen countertop food scrap bin?  Let us know on the registration form! We’ll be having bin giveaways at city and county facilities and would love to give you one.

Locations

West Asheville Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the south side of the building

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

Library open hours

Stephens-Lee Recreation Center “Food Scrap Shed” next to the Community Garden on the North side of the parking lot

30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville

• • Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.

Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the east side of the parking lot

749 Fairview Road, Asheville

• • Dawn – Dusk

Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander

• • • • Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
      • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm

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.

Celebrate Earth Day with Hendo Earth Fest

The City of Hendersonville Environmental Sustainability Board encourages you to mark your calendars for April 22nd! The first-ever Hendo Earth Fest is taking place in downtown Hendersonville on Earth Day from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Local organizations and environmental champions will educate, entertain, and raise awareness of the need to protect our planet for future generations.

The festival is sponsored by the Hendersonville Environmental Sustainability Board (ESB) in association with the Blue Ridge EV Club, Team ECCO, Conserving Carolina, Mountain True, Caregivers of Mother Earth, and Earth Caring Ministry of Trinity Presbyterian Church.

What: Hendo Earth Fest

When: Saturday, April 22, 2023 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Where: Main Street between 4th and 6th Avenues and 5th Avenue between N. Wall Street and King Street

The ESB has coordinated exhibits that educate and inform residents and visitors about our natural environment in a fun, festive atmosphere.

The Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team ECCO exhibits located on the 500 block of Main Street will focus on education, enrichment, and exploration of the ocean world.

The ESB exhibits located on the 400 block will provide hands-on activities and demonstrations designed to educate, renew and expand action to protect our Western North Carolina environment and natural resources.

The Blue Ridge EV Club vehicles and exhibits on Fifth Avenue will highlight electric transportation and systems. 2023 is the year of the Electric Vehicle!

Come join your friends and neighbors to celebrate Earth Day at the very first Hendo Earth Fest!

FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND UPDATES ON THE EVENT WEBPAGE!

Join the Asheville Museum of History on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22 at 10am for our first in-person event of the year! We invite you to join us in person at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNCA. This hybrid event also airs via Zoom if you cannot attend. It will be recorded and available for later viewing.

Western North Carolina has a human history dating at least 10,000 years, and every generation has interacted with or shaped the mountainous landscape in some way. Many of the interactions have been harmonious, while at other times, humans have altered or damaged the land. As a result, several individuals and organizations have also fervently worked to conserve or protect the resources and revered places in this area we call home. It is impossible to discuss all of these trends and events in one program, but we are proud to present an (incomplete) environmental history of WNC with a great lineup of knowledgeable experts and stewards.

Tickets: $5 for AMoH/OLLI members/ $10 for General Admission. We also have no-cost, community-funded tickets available. We want our events to be accessible to as many people as possible. If you are able please consider making a donation along with your ticket purchase. These donations are placed in our Community Fund, which allows us to offer tickets at no cost to those who would not be able to attend otherwise.

Viewing: In-Person attendees will receive a confirmation email and all attendees will receive a Zoom link with which to view the program. The recording will be available on our website.

About the Speakers:

John Ross  is the author of more than a dozen books focusing on environmental history, including Through The Mountains: The French Broad River and Time.

Ross’ presentation will discuss the French Broad region and some of its specific environmental challenges and successes.

Donald Edward Davis, PhD., is an independent scholar and environmental historian. He has authored or edited seven books, including The American Chestnut: An Environmental History and Where There Are Mountains: An Environmental History of the Southern Appalachians.

Davis’ presentation is entitled Mountains of Resilience: Revisioning Environmental History in the Southern Appalachians.

Danny Bernstein is a hike leader for the Carolina Mountain Club, Friends of the Smokies, and the Asheville Camino group. She’s written several outdoor books including DuPont Forest: A History.

Bernstein will present the history of the Carolina Mountain Club.

Join the Western North Carolina Historical Association on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22 at 10am for our first in-person event of the year! We invite you to join us in person at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNCA. This hybrid event also airs via Zoom if you cannot attend. It will be recorded and available for later viewing. Western North Carolina has a human history dating at least 10,000 years, and every generation has interacted with or shaped the mountainous landscape in some way. Many of the interactions have been harmonious, while at other times, humans have altered or damaged the land. As a result, several individuals and organizations have also fervently worked to conserve or protect the resources and revered places in this area we call home. It is impossible to discuss all of these trends and events in one program, but we are proud to present an (incomplete) environmental history of WNC with a great lineup of knowledgeable experts and stewards.

Viewing: In-Person attendees will receive a confirmation email and all attendees will receive a Zoom link with which to view the program. The recording will be available on our website.

Explore Biltmore House with an Audio Guide that introduces you to the Vanderbilt family and their magnificent home’s history, architecture, and collections of fine art and furnishings.

PLUS: Immersive, multi-sensory Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition created by Grande Experiences

PLUS: FREE next-day access to Biltmore’s Gardens and Grounds

This visit includes access to:

• Italian Renaissance Alive at Amherst at Deerpark®
• 8,000 Acres of Gardens and Grounds for two consecutive days
• Antler Hill Village & Winery
• Complimentary Wine Tastings at the Winery
• Tastings require a Day-of-Visit Reservation, which can be made by:
  • Scanning the QR Code found in your Estate Guide
  • Visiting any Guest Services location
• Complimentary parking

Art Exhibition: Italian Renaissance Alive

This fascinating experience takes you on a spellbinding tour of Italy, fully immersing you in the beauty and brilliance of iconic masterworks from the greatest artistic period in history

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

• Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
• 90-Minutes – tours run daily
• 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
• $39 per person (ages 13+ only)

Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth—a family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement!

Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, Maker Faire is an all-ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. All of these “makers” come to Maker Faire to show what they have made and to share what they have learned. With an emphasis on interactive, hands-on exhibits, people of all ages will leave inspired to make something of their own!

Presenters: Alison Sage, Extension Master Gardener^SM Volunteers

Who doesn’t enjoy watching birds flock back into the garden once spring returns, or when summer is in full bloom, or as the fall harvest rolls in, or even in winter when birds scurry up and down trees in search of bug? This talk will cover ways to convert your garden into a year round bird paradise. Easy ways to provide for bird necessities: habitat, food, safety, and water will be discussed. Also, a gentle walk around the grounds of the Extension Center will highlight some of what the Master Gardeners do to encourage a safe habitat for birds.

Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately as part of this presentation will be held outside, weather permitting.

The Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands is held twice every year (July & October) in downtown Asheville, North Carolina at Harrah’s Cherokee Center. It brings together hundreds of makers in what has become a key event for craft. These events are unique in that they offer attendees the opportunity to connect with the artists by purchasing directly from them. In an age of mass production and global imports, the connection to fine American craft and the individual maker is often lost but more significant than ever.

Hosted in downtown Asheville at Harrah’s Cherokee Center, artisans will fill both the concourse and arena levels of the venue, exhibiting a variety of craft ranging from contemporary to traditional in works of clay, wood, metal, glass, fiber, natural materials, paper, leather, mixed media, and jewelry. Join us for this unique shopping experience and enjoy live music and craft demonstrations during your visit. $10 tickets are available for individual days, online or at the door. Children under 12 are free.

Parking

The streets of Asheville will be bustling and parking can sometimes be problematic. In addition to Harrah’s Cherokee Center-Asheville’s parking garage below the building, the Asheville Chamber of Commerce parking lot is available (an 8-minute walk to the Craft Fair). For street parking, please utilize Asheville’s parking app for a real-time display of open parking spaces downtown. Asheville Parking App

On Saturday & Sunday, the following school parking lots will be empty for you to use:
Asheville Middle, Isaac Dickson, Montford North Star

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community. The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am. No RSVP needed, just drop by! Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

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.