Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.

Walking in This World is a sequel to Julia Cameron’s* ground breaking book The Artist’s Way. Filled with insights, motivations, and revelations this 12-week program brings clarity and understanding to creatives and those who would like a more artful life.
Meeting once a week on Zoom, this book club will study and share the readings and tasks in each chapter. Discussions and the use of break-out rooms for small group interactions will help us get to know each other and lend the support that we all need to keep going and learning about ourselves and our creative gifts.
There are no-prerequisites. The program is for people who are embarking on or continuing a creative path; it is an individual journey.
Supplies:
- a copy of Walking in This World. Available on Amazon and Kindle, but if possible, please order from your local bookstore.
- An 8 1/2 x 11” notebook for morning pages
- paper and pen when you come to class.
Author Julia Cameron is an international teacher of the creative process and an author of more than 40 books. She has inspired millions to overcome their challenges and reach their creative goals. juliacameronlive.com
About the Facilitator Pamela Atkinson, Artist and Art Educator:
Besides painting, Pam has developed learning projects for school districts, participated in a variety of grant programs, and was the administrator of a successful, youth art program. To see her artwork go to pamelaatkinson.net.
“Creativity has enriched my life since I was a small child. Making a painting, teaching art, or appreciating the gifts of others, have all given meaning and substance to my world. Julia’s teachings have been a guiding light on my journey.”
Cook teams of 4-6 individuals are invited to bring ingredients and prepare meals onsite or bring meals that have been prepared elsewhere. To meet our dietary standards, we ask that each meal provides a meat, vegetable and starch.
Requirements:
- Background Check
- Brief orientation prior to service
- Ability to Multi-Task
- Friendly Demeanor
Health & Safety:
- We are asking volunteers to wear/bring their own face mask if you have not been fully vaccinated
- Temperatures will be checked and a COVID-19 disclosure will be signed at the volunteer entrance
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Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?
Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.
ABCCM Transformation Village provides up to 100 beds of transitional housing and will provide emergency shelter beds, post Covid-19. Transforming lives is through four developmental phases called Steps to Success including stabilization, life skills, education and reintegration. We are honored to report that 8 out of 10 leave us with a living wage job and permanent housing.
Transformation Village gives hope, healing, health and a home to single women, mothers with children, and female Veterans experiencing homelessness. We provide residents a fresh start and a place to heal surrounded and supported by Christian love, trust, education and companionship.
We are seeking energetic volunteers to prepare and serve meals for our residents for lunch and dinner. This opportunity provides you with the chance to prepare meals in our commercial kitchen alongside our trained staff while serving the women and children of Transformation Village.

Asheville Gallery of Art March 2022 Exhibit, New Members Show“Color Dance” will feature works by four new gallery members: Anne Marie Brown, Raquel Egosi, JoAnn Pippin, and Cindy Shaw. The show will run March 1-31 during gallery hours, 11am-6pm. An event to meet the artists will be held at the gallery on First Friday, March 4, from 5-8pm at 82 Patton Avenue. These four exciting artists have selected “Color Dance” as the theme for their show. Paintings are generally static and are confined within a frame. The combined creative energy of these artists has seemingly moved beyond these limits, to create beautiful expressions of dynamic, moving shapes, captured within a spatial environment. They wish their works to evoke thoughts, emotions, and awareness to celebrate the sentient meaning of life. Please join us for “Color Dance” to revel in the paintings presented by these new gallery artists. They will deliver dynamic color, vibrancy, and hue into scenes that will dance their way into your heart. Anne Marie Brown began painting when, as a florist, she would paint small watercolors of her floral designs. She has exhibited in outdoor shows for over ten years and has had exhibitions in numerous galleries. Now settled in the mountains, she is inspired to paint the sweeping vistas and flora and fauna within. Anne Marie works in watercolor, gouache, oil, and acrylic, and hopes the images that touch her heart and canvas will touch yours as well. Color is music to my eyes. The song that is created on the canvas makes my heart dance. Raquel EgosiRaquel’s art career began in 1996 in Brazil. Studying with acclaimed artists and attending a variety of painting classes, she was active in her local art community, collaborating and setting up art shows. She currently participates regularly in gallery shows and museum exhibitions. Her art sells internationally, and she leads workshops for mixed media techniques in both the United States and overseas. Constructed using a variety of mixed media, my compositions are exceedingly rich in color and texture, with partial or fully figurative and abstract elements. JoAnn Pippin, her passion is to explore different watercolor techniques, with her subjects. Her paintings have been exhibited in juried art shows throughout the US, and her focus is on color, composition, and texture, to create light and mood through technique. The theme “Color Dance” is especially meaningful to watercolorists, because we literally watch color dance and blend when we add wet paint to wet paper. It is not simply mixing colors on the palette and placing them in our work, but the excitement of observing the action as they blend and mingle to create wonderful new hues. Cindy Shaw originally trained as an Architect and worked for many years on projects as well as teaching. However, when her husband’s career took her to rural Italy, she purchased art supplies and began to paint. While there, she enjoyed exploring the Italian countryside and capturing “le viste belle!”. Returning home to the USA, she has continued to grow and develop as an impressionist artist over the past decade. “Color adds depth and meaning, not only to our paintings, but also to our outlook on life. Color can be joyful, dramatic, and exciting.”
Black Mountain College: Idea + Place
Lower Level Gallery with Companion Digital Exhibition
How can an idea inform a place? How can a place inform an idea? Would Black Mountain College have had the same identity and lifespan if it had been located in the urban Northeast, the desert Southwest, or coastal California? How did BMC’s rather isolated, rural, and mountainous setting during the era of the Great Depression and the Jim Crow South influence the college community’s decision-making and the evolution of ideas upon which it was based?
This exhibition seeks to delve into these questions and others by exploring the places of Black Mountain College: its two very different campuses, its influential predecessor the Bauhaus in Germany, and the post-BMC diaspora. Curated by Alice Sebrell, Director of Preservation
adVANCE! Modernism, Black Liberation + Black Mountain College
Upper Level Gallery with Companion Digital Exhibition
Featuring the work of contemporary sculptor Larry Paul King in conversation with Black Mountain College modernist masters including Jacob Lawrence, Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence, Josef Albers, Leo Krikorian, and Sewell Sillman. Premiering three Jacob Lawrence lithographs new to the BMCM+AC permanent collection. adVANCE! celebrates Black Mountain College’s role in early civil rights and the ongoing role of Black, modernist artists in the pursuit of liberation and justice.
Curated by Marie T. Cochran, Founder of the Affrilachian Artist Project
$5 Highland pints
$5 Kids taco with chips and salsa Peace Love Tacos
$5 Kids nuggets & fries Buxton Chicken Palace
$5 Grassfed all beef hot dog with chips Farm Dogs
$5 Chicken & rice with veggies Bun Intended
$3.50 for a kiddie scoop or under $5 for a single scoop from The Hop!
| We are excited to bring our annual State of Downtown Luncheon back to an in-person event on Tuesday, March 8 beginning at 11:30am. Thanks to our presenting sponsor, First Bank, as well as the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville for making this possible.
At the meeting, you’ll hear from the Asheville Downtown Association on its recent issues survey (see above), as well as focus areas for 2022 and get a sneak peak at our Importance of Downtown Project. City of Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer and Buncombe County Commission Chair Brownie Newman will also make presentations on downtown initiatives and priorities. We are limiting tickets to allow for social distancing and will follow any other guidelines in place at the time of the event. Tickets include a boxed lunch. More information and tickets available here. |
Many parents worry that they may have to sacrifice retirement contributions to be able to send their kids to college. But is that really the case? Senior Financial Planner Al Davis will lead a free, informational webinar exploring that question plus:
- How to manage college savings along with other financial priorities – saving for retirement, family vacations, paying off debt?
- Should you plan to save the full amount of expected college expenses for your children?
- Are there ways to save that are flexible for college or retirement, depending on what you need and when?
- Should you consider equity in your home as a source of funding for college?
- Is student loan debt bad?
About the Presenter
Al Davis is a CERIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNING TM professional providing comprehensive support for clients across their financial lives from college and retirement to taxes and estate planning since 2010. Al left commercial banking to found Davis Financial Planning out of a desire to provide a more complete, transparent, and flexible approach to helping everyday people achieve their financial dreams. He is an Enrolled Agent with the IRS allowing him to communicate with the agency on behalf of his clients. Al is known for his passion for the impact financial planning can have on people’s lives and his commitment to the Asheville community at large.
About Davis Financial Planning
Davis Financial Planning is a fee-only financial planning firm based in beautiful downtown Asheville. We love seeing our clients discover what’s possible for themselves and their family through the financial planning process. We offer professional, independent, and objective tax and financial planning services without bias from outside compensation. We do not receive or accept commissions, referral fees, or third-party incentives.

Arguably the most talented of the three Lange brother artists, TL Lange was an actual rockstar in Atlanta before he was an art rockstar in Asheville. “He was going to participate in the Fall Studio Stroll (2001) but something came up. He dropped a couple of cardboard jericho cases with random unstretched canvases & paper pieces for me to sell. This work is from that batch. It has never been viewed by the public before; some are for sale & others are only being shown.” –Stephen Lange. Twenty of these TL Lange paintings will be included in this exhibition as well as prints of Anonymous Bathers, one of his most noteworthy creations.TL Lange was born and raised in Charleston before studying drawing and painting at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. After spending about five years in Atlanta, where he first made a name for himself in the art world, he moved to North Carolina where he maintained his home and atelier until his untimely death at the age of 36. Lange started his work with “concrete visions”, and actually began several paintings at one time. He tried to allow some form of synchronicity to determine his next decision. As the artist said, “I make marks for the sake of themselves. I create error that I find attractive in all of our everyday lives. However, I leave it hanging three marks shy of discernment. What I mean by that is that I choose that it not be understood or to be scrutinized by its detail or its adherence to reality—only to be seen for its sense and its nostalgic response without my personal sentiment.” A figurative and abstract artist, TL Lange had exhibited in numerous, prominent galleries in his young career. A condensed list includes Artworks Gallery (Salt Lake City, UT), Art Works (Atlanta, GA), Human Arts Gallery (Atlanta, GA), Landsdell Gallery (Atlanta, GA) and Art Dallas (Dallas, TX), Mary Bell Galleries (Chicago, IL) and Foster White Galleries (Seattle, WA). TL Lange’s remarkable artwork can be found in many private, corporate, and public collections including Wentworth Galleries, Larson Juhl Frames, and Saks Fifth Avenue Corporation and Microsoft Corporation.

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This month we’re discussing Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey. The Leicester Library Book Discussion Group meets the second Tuesday of each month at 1 pm in the Community Room at the library. Masks and social distancing required. Newcomers welcome! |
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021-June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 2:45-6pm
K-6th graders.
Does your child enjoy having fun and making new friends? Offering
arts, crafts, special events, homework assistance and more!
Families currently enrolled in the school system’s reduced or free
meal program, please contact your recreation center for discount
fee information.
Locations: Burton, Grant, Montford, Shiloh, Stephens-Lee

Many ornamental perennials perform better when they are periodically divided, and this practice provides more plants to share or plant back in the garden. Learn what perennials need to be divided and when and how.
Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?
Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.
Creative Peacemakers is an after-school program sponsored by St.George’s Episcopal Church serving children from the Deaverview Apartment Community. The mission of Creative Peacemakers is to bring peace to communities by helping children practice peacemaking through cooperative play, loving relationships, and creative expression. We provide opportunities for nurture, healing, empowerment, and building resilience.
We are seeking volunteers to assist us in our small after school program for children in West Asheville in low-income housing. We provide a safe and nourishing environment, healthy snacks, and creative activities. Our program currently meets during the school year on most Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:00-5:00pm. You may volunteer for one or two days a week.
Volunteer Responsibilities:
- Assist with serving snacks
- Interact with children during activity time
- Supervise games and outdoor free time
- For people with background in education, there is also an opportunity to assist with curriculum development and program planning and administration
Requirements:
- Background check
- Orientation booklets will be provided
- Masks are required if unvaccinated
Location:
Deaverview Apartment Community Center
275 Deaverview Rd.
Asheville, NC 28806
Health & Safety:
- Hand washing stations are available
- Hand sanitizer is available
Montford Pre-Teen Afterschool Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021 – June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
5th-6th graders.
New program designed to meet the needs of your pre-teen.
Providing time dedicated to school assignments, life skills, arts,
communication, leadership, fitness, nutrition, and loads of fun.
Location: Montford
Teen Leadership Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021-June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
6th-9th graders.
Looking for a cool and enriching alternative for your Teen to attend
this school year? We offer creative activities, diverse projects,
field trips, and more.
Locations: Grant, Shiloh, Stephens-Lee
Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?
Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.
Literacy Together (formerly the Literacy Council of Buncombe County) is a nonprofit organization working with children, youth, and adults to increase comprehensive literacy and English language skills through access to literacy resources and specialized instruction by trained volunteer tutors. Literacy Together relies on volunteer tutors to offer students personal instruction and high-quality materials through various programs.
The Youth Literacy Program is seeking tutors to meet with students K-5 twice a week for 50 minutes, between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm. The Youth Literacy Program works with two after-school programs that primarily serve youth of color. The two locations are in Asheville.
Youth Literacy tutors work with children from low-income families who read, write, and/or spell below their grade level. Tutors in this program complete an initial orientation and a 16-20 hours training, which includes some pre-course work and/or homework (short articles to read, short videos to watch). They then receive follow-up support and the option to attend in-service training throughout their tutoring commitment. Youth Literacy tutors commit to working with their students for at least one school year.
Time Commitment:
- Twice a week for 50-minute sessions between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm.
- Youth Literacy tutors commit to working with their students for at least one school year.
Requirements:
- GED or High School diploma
- Excellent customer service skills
- Ability to work patiently with various levels of literacy skills
- Access to reliable internet
- Ability to navigate virtual meetings with minimal distractions
- Complete a background check
Training:
- Tutors must complete 16-20 hours of training prior to being assigned a student

Intro to Guitar with Melissa McKinney – Students will receive a solid foundation in beginner rhythm guitar for vocalists. Chords, Rhythm patterns, and basic theory will be introduced while learning songs with an uplifting message. Students will also learn to play the song that the Songwriting Class will be writing and will record it in the One Mic Studio.
Tuesdays from 4pm-5pm at LEAF Global Experience (19 Eagle St, Asheville, NC, 28801)
*Dates/times subject to change – interested in attending this class but unsure if it works with your schedule, or if it suits your student’s skill level? Reach out to us at [email protected]! We are always looking to adapt and expand our class schedules to accommodate new students!
Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?
Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.
Getting Back to the Basics/Project Lighten Up is a unique summer and afterschool educational opportunity for low-income and minority youth that supports students’ recreational and educational learning. We provide meaningful educational support and develop self-esteem in a positive environment through mentoring and enriching activities.
Project Lighten Up is seeking in-person volunteers to assist students attending the afterschool program during the school year with spelling and reading 1-2 times a week for 1 hour.
Time Commitment:
- Commitment to a 5-week session
- Volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of 1 shift per week
- Volunteers choose from one, 1-hour session per week OR two, 30-minute sessions per week
- Volunteer shifts are Tuesdays & Thursdays between 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
- Please arrive 15 minutes prior to shift start for health screening and transition time
Requirements/Training:
- Respond above to the opportunity
- Answer all health/safety and opportunity related questions prior to submitting your response
- Phone interview with the program director
- Volunteer application
- Complete a background check
- Attend training by program staff
- Adheres to all CDC guidelines and safety protocols
Skillset:
- Enjoys working with youth in different grade levels
- Enjoys working in a learning environment
- Remains patient and calm with students experiencing technical or learning challenges
- Demonstrates a positive attitude and empathy for students and Lighten Up team
- Non-judgmental, fair, firm, and friendly
- Models excellent verbal and non-verbal communication
Health/Safety:
- Health and safety screening prior to every shift start:
- List of health and safety questions asked
- Temperatures taken
- We are asking volunteers to wear/bring their own face covering (masks available upon request)
- Fabric or disposable face mask
- Asking volunteers to maintain a physical distance of 6 feet or more when possible
- Note: there are times when the volunteer task requires volunteers to engage with students closer than 6 feet. Please do not sign up if you feel uncomfortable.
- Volunteers will be asked to adhere to proper hand hygiene

Taught by Janice Schreiber
Ages 5-7
Feb 8-Mar 29, 2022 | Tuesdays
Join us on our way to imaginationland! Students will learn the basics of performance technique, explore exciting characterizations, and use their bodies, voices, and imaginations to bring stories and characters to life. Some of our favorite cartoon and real life characters just might make an appearance! Tuition will be $125.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.

This fun and high-energy class combines the three fundamentals of musical theatre, acting, singing, and dance, in an accessible and exciting way! With a focus on singing technique, musicality, movement, and storytelling, students will learn new skills and make friends as they develop songs from Broadway musicals. No prior experience is necessary. With new material every semester, this class can (and should) be taken multiple times!
Instructor: Anna Kimmell
Notes: This class will be held outdoors when the weather allows. When indoors, all students and staff will be required to wear masks.

Taught by Jon Monastero
Ages 10-13
Feb 8-Mar 29, 2022 | Tuesdays
This weekly workshop is an exciting, challenging, inspiring, and fun way for students to push themselves. We will dance, sing, act, not act, be and not be, immersed in the topsy-turvy, upside-down and messy world of the clown. Please dress to move. Tuition will be $175.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.
Youth Acting: And Scene!
Taught by Michael Jorizzo
Ages 8-12
Feb 8-Mar 29, 2022 | Tuesdays
Learn how to bring scripts to life! During this class, students will explore short scenes and learn to analyze scripts, make strong acting choices, and create compelling characters. Students pick their favorite scenes for a showcase during the final class. Tuition will be $175.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.
Join Habitat for Humanity for a month of fundraising events on behalf of our “Spring into Action” project benefitting Dodd Meadows!
Compete against your friends and family—$20 donation. Win the trophy and prizes!
March 8 @ 2nd Act from 5-8pm
March 16 @ Dry Falls Brewery from 5-8pm
March 22 @ South Rock Sports Grill from 5-8pm
March 26 @ Oklawaha Brewery from 3-5pm
Hendersonville Habitat for Humanity is pleased to announce a month-long fundraising campaign, “Spring into Action” for Dodd Meadows Playground project. Proceeds raised for this project will go to improve and expand the play area for our growing Dodd Meadows Community.
A key mission of Habitat’s work is to support the local community by building safe, affordable homes for underserved communities. This includes serving the next generation of children to ensure happy, active and healthy lives, and is why the Dodd Meadows Neighborhood Playground Project needs your help! Playgrounds are an incredible place for children to run, play, and exercise, formulating the basis for future health and wellness. Our goal is to raise an incredible $100,500 which will go to the following:
- New Athletic Field— $6,500
- Improved Safety Ground Cover— $55,000
- New Picnic Area with Tables and Shade Trees — $4,000
- Safety Handrails for Steps to Playground — $3,000
- Playground Equipment — $15,000
- Safety Fence for Play Area — $17,000
Cook teams of 4-6 individuals are invited to bring ingredients and prepare meals onsite or bring meals that have been prepared elsewhere. To meet our dietary standards, we ask that each meal provides a meat, vegetable and starch.
Requirements:
- Background Check
- Brief orientation prior to service
- Ability to Multi-Task
- Friendly Demeanor
Health & Safety:
- We are asking volunteers to wear/bring their own face mask if you have not been fully vaccinated
- Temperatures will be checked and a COVID-19 disclosure will be signed at the volunteer entrance
-
Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?
Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.
ABCCM Transformation Village provides up to 100 beds of transitional housing and will provide emergency shelter beds, post Covid-19. Transforming lives is through four developmental phases called Steps to Success including stabilization, life skills, education and reintegration. We are honored to report that 8 out of 10 leave us with a living wage job and permanent housing.
Transformation Village gives hope, healing, health and a home to single women, mothers with children, and female Veterans experiencing homelessness. We provide residents a fresh start and a place to heal surrounded and supported by Christian love, trust, education and companionship.
We are seeking energetic volunteers to prepare and serve meals for our residents for lunch and dinner. This opportunity provides you with the chance to prepare meals in our commercial kitchen alongside our trained staff while serving the women and children of Transformation Village.

Intro to Ukulele with Melissa McKinney – Students will receive a solid foundation in beginner Ukulele skills for vocalists. Chords, Rhythm patterns, and basic theory will be introduced through songs with an uplifting message. Students will also learn to play the song that the Songwriting Class will be writing and get to record it in the One Mic Studio.
*Dates/times subject to change – interested in attending this class but unsure if it works with your schedule, or if it suits your student’s skill level? Reach out to us at [email protected]! We are always looking to adapt and expand our class schedules to accommodate new students!

Build your acting toolbox in this class exploring technique and performance in a playful and safe environment. With an emphasis on improvisation, text analysis, and character development, students will breathe life into dynamic scenes and monologues. This class balances ensemble-based work with individual coaching as teen actors prepare an informal performance to share with friends and family at the end of the semester. No experience required.
Instructor: Anna Kimmell
Notes: This class will be held outdoors when the weather allows. When indoors, all students and staff will be required to wear masks.

This event is a free event, but registration is required. Click here to register. The link required to attend will be emailed to registrants prior to the event. Pre-order Fitz and Cleo Get Creative from Malaprop’s to get a signed and personalized copy. Please request signing and/or personalization in the “comments” section during checkout.
If you decide to attend and purchase the authors’ books, we ask that you purchase from Malaprop’s. When you do this you make it possible for us to continue hosting author events and you keep more dollars in our community. You may also support our work by purchasing a gift card or making a donation of any amount below. Thank you!
The dynamo team behind Llama Destroys the World continue their delightful and hilarious ghostly hijinks in their early reader graphic novel series, perfect for fans of Elephant & Piggie and Narwhal & Jelly. These two know how to keep spirits high and the good times rolling! In their first-ever second book, join the most adorable apparitions this way of the afterlife through ten gut-busting creative farces, including flexing their storytelling muscles with ghost stories, songwriting, and directing their first film.
Jonathan Stutzman is the author of numerous books for children, including Fitz and Cleo, Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse, Llama Destroys the World, Santa Baby, and Don’t Feed the Coos, as well as the Tiny T-Rex series. He received his masters at Temple University for film and digital media. He lives in Lititz, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Heather Fox.
Heather Fox is an illustrator and graphic designer, creating art in pen and ink, digital, and gouache. She is the illustrator of Fitz and Cleo, Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse, Llama Destroys the World, Santa Baby, and Don’t Feed the Coos. She lives in Lititz, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Jonathan Stutzman.
Join us online for a presentation and discussion about life for transgender people and misconceptions that they face.
The Seminars for Humanity series will focus on topics that are frequently misperceived and difficult to approach. Each seminar will be presented by a professional on the subject and allow attendees to ask questions and express opinions in a non-judgemental atmosphere.
This seminar will be presented by Takira Rose.
To attend, email [email protected] for the Zoom link.

Join Asheville Women in Tech online! Bring your favorite beverage and talk about tech or anything you want! Need help finding a job? Working on a project? Do you need help learning? Want to present to the group? Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro, let’s chat!

As American forces withdrew from Afghanistan last summer, preparations were already underway to resettle many Afghans in the United States. In this ongoing process, several individuals and families have been relocated to western North Carolina. This is not the first time, however, that displaced groups have found a home in the mountains. From the Waldensians who founded the Town of Valdese in the 1890s, to Lao, Hmong, Ukrainians, and other groups resettling after the Vietnam War and other global developments, many displaced individuals seeking better lives have established homes and communities in WNC. This event aims to tell their stories in light of the present moment as we witness another humanitarian crisis and war on Ukraine.
About the Speakers:
Reverend Dr Kevin Frederick is a retired Presbyterian Pastor who served the Waldensian Presbyterian Church in Valdese, NC, for 13 years from 2007 to 2021. He had served churches in Tennessee, Mississippi, and North Carolina before coming to Valdese. As an educator and a historian, he researched extensively the 850-year history of the Waldensians and spent three months on a sabbatical in 2015 researching that history in Italy, Germany, France, and Switzerland. In 2018, he authored the book, With Their Backs Against the Mountains: 850 years of the Waldensian Witness. He has spoken numerous times on Waldensian history and continues an affiliation with the Waldensian Museum in Valdese.
Katy Clune is the Virginia state folklorist and director of the Virginia Folklife Program at Virginia Humanities. Previously, she worked as director of communications for Duke University’s arts initiative and as communications manager for The Textile Museum in Washington, DC. She has a MA in folklore from UNC Chapel Hill and a BA in art history from UC Berkeley. As the child of a foreign service officer, Clune grew up mostly overseas, but now calls Charlottesville, VA, home. Clune notes that Morganton, NC, is a city of about 16,500 tucked in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains—and since the end of the Vietnam War, a growing number of first- and second-generation refugees and immigrants from Laos call it home. Clune will share an overview of her MA thesis research completed in 2015 that illustrates, through the experience of the Phapphayboun family, how traditional foodways help strengthen and maintain Laotian identity in this new context thousands of miles away from Laos.
Noele Aabye serves as the Refugee Resettlement Case Coordinator for Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte in its Western Region Office in Asheville. She started on August 30, 2021 and oversees the Afghan evacuee situation for Catholic Charities in Buncombe County. She served at Pisgah Legal Services for six years prior to coming to Catholic Charities.
Jesse Boeckermann is the Western Region Director of Catholic Charities, which helps people in need in the 12 westernmost counties of North Carolina from Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Yancey Counties and all counties west to the borders. Jesse started at Catholic Charities in January of 2021.
The Western Region Office of Catholic Charities has been doing refugee resettlement work for over five years in the Asheville area, serving refugees from eastern Europe (Ukraine, Russia, Moldova) and central America, including Guatemala. As the refugee resettlement placement program in Asheville, Catholic Charities was tasked with resettling 40 Afghan evacuees starting in October after the Taliban took over Afghanistan this summer. Our refugee resettlement staff of three people and overall Western Region Office staff of eight employees and two interns have work tirelessly over the last five months to serve the Afghan evacuees with housing, food, clothing, transportation, and a variety of other services to help them transition to life in the United States and the Asheville area.
Oksana Love emigrated from Lviv, Ukraine to western North Carolina with her family in 2001. She recommends these organizations to aid and assist current Ukrainian refugees and those affected by this war:
- RAZOM: The current emergency response is focused on purchasing medical supplies for critical situations like blood loss and other tactical medicine items: https://razomforukraine.org/razom-emergency-response/
- The Department of State conducts a fundraising campaign to address the humanitarian needs of the people affected by the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Funds collected through the GoFundMe platform will be distributed to reputable relief organizations identified and vetted by GoFundMe as well as organizations recommended by the U.S. Department of State. The private sector and the general public can help the people in Ukraine by visiting http://ow.ly/i2VI50I5m5U.
- World Central Kitchen: WCK serving thousands of meals to Ukrainian families fleeing home as well as those who remain in the country: https://wck.org/
- The Ukrainian Red Cross: All funds will be used to help those in need, affected by armed conflict, blood collection, mobilization of volunteers and resources, and emergency activities: redcross.org.ua/en/donate
Tickets: By donation. Please consider a donation of $5 for WNCHA members/$10 for general admission. Several no-cost, community funded-tickets are available as well. Donations will be shared with Catholic Charities to support their work with Afghan refugees. For other ways to support this mission, see https://ccdoc.org/images/ForStaffOnly/Volunteers/Supporting_Afghan_Evacuees_-_Current_Update.pdf
Register: https://www.wnchistory.org/event/wncha-history-hour-refugees-and-resettlement-in-wnc/
Viewing: Registrants will receive a Zoom link with which to view the program. It will also be recorded and available to watch on our website.
(Images: Waldensians in Valdese for the first Christmas in 1893, from Maxine McCall and Kays Gary, What Mean These Stones?: A Centennial Celebration of Valdese, North Carolina (1993); A Pi Mai (Lao New Year) celebration in Morganton, NC, photo by Katy Clune)
Western North Carolina Historical Association received an American Rescue Plan Humanities Grant from North Carolina Humanities, www.nchumanities.org. Funding for this grant was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act economic stabilization plan. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of North Carolina Humaniti





