Calendar of Events

The 2018 Cashiers Designer Showhouse will take place from July 27th – August 5th at a wonderful, historic home that truly embodies all that is Cashiers. Worthy of being preserved and appreciated, the home is an elegant estate with a traditional gothic style, making it the ideal palette for local and visiting design professionals that the Cashiers Historical Society, in partnership with Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine, have invited to unleash their creativity. The enriching week full of energy and style will kick off with an Opening Night Gala on July 27th, feature numerous lectures, book signings, and workshops throughout the week with notable artists and designers, and will close off with a Closing Croquet Brunch on August 5th with Mark D. Sikes.

For the seventh consecutive year, the Asheville Habitat ReStore at 31 Meadow Road near Biltmore Village is encouraging residents to show off their creativity and talent for a chance to win in the ReStore ReUse Contest. Garden shed, artist studio, chicken coop…tree house, playhouse, tiny house…if you recently built a structure like this using predominantly reused building materials, Habitat wants to know. The contest runs July 1-August 31 and submissions must be sent electronically. Information and entry form will be available on ashevillehabitat.org starting July 1 st . The purpose of the contest is to showcase innovative building projects constructed predominantly of used building materials. “Our customers often tell us about the projects they make using materials purchased at the ReStore. This contest is a great way to showcase their projects and inspire others to reuse, recycle and repurpose usable materials,” said Scott Stetson, ReStore General Manager. Five judges will select winners in the following categories: Furniture, Homesteading, Live and/or Work Space, Home Décor, Youth (age 16 and under), and Best in Show. Winners will be announced in mid-September.

Students at the Visual Arts Preschool at Roots + Wings School of Art and Design engage with pre-K education fundamentals through a dynamic, arts based curriculum. Literacy, numeracy, social skills, community building, cultural and environmental studies are approached through an art and design thinking lens, as students explore learning concepts experientially across multiple platforms.

The Roots + Wings Visual Arts Preschool ‘Best of 2018’ collection is a cross section of the diverse pre-K education program and includes investigations into art movements, community and culture, storytelling, and creative play.

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

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

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

The Lexington Glassworks serves as the backdrop for the ultimate local music, art, and beer experience. Join us the 1st Friday of each month from 5-8 pm, April through December for a fun-filled evening of glassblowing, craft beer, and bluegrass.

This month we will be featuring The Greenliners and Foothills Brewing.

This event is a part of the 1st Friday Art Walk in the Downtown Asheville Art District and the Summer of Glass.

Asheville, NC—Momentum Gallery in downtown Asheville is pleased to participate in the Summer of Glass, a WNC celebration of glass art in conjunction with the Dale Chihuly exhibition at the Biltmore Estate, May-October 2018. The gallery exhibition, Reflections (July 1-August 25) nods to the Gilded Age, a period during the late 19th Century when the Biltmore Estate was conceived and constructed by railway tycoon George Vanderbilt. This curated exhibition features recent work by some of the country’s top contemporary glass artists with many of the works in the collection speaking to Vanderbilt’s aesthetic of opulence, grandeur, and beauty. Other conceptual pieces examine concepts of memory and history, referencing the “downstairs” or “behind the scenes” of the palatial mansion as well. Sophisticated sculptures and stylish wall pieces incorporate a variety of glass techniques and explore the intricate detailing, ornamentation, and drama indicative of the Gilded Age. This Exhibit is free and open to the public.

Reflections includes works by: Thor & Jennifer Bueno, Amber Cowan, Jennifer Halvorson, Alli Hoag, Joanna Manousis, Andy Paiko, Kit Paulson, Pablo Soto, and Tim Tate.

LEAF Downtown celebrates communities, creativity, diversity and families in
the heart of downtown Asheville & showcases dynamic musical talent, immersive cultural arts
performances and local handcraft & culinary artists. LEAF Downtown will further the goals of
inclusivity, community partnership and economic vitality in the greater Asheville area, while
driving the greater LEAF Community Arts mission to connect cultures & create community

through music & arts. Visit theLEAF.org/downtown for more info on this inclusive, family-
friendly, FREE event!

4TH ANNUAL LEAF DOWNTOWN AVL LINEUP:
Maceo Parker, Grandmaster Flash
Wax Tailor (Solo & Special Guests)
Maggie Koerner, Victory Boyd, Free Planet Radio
LEAF Funk Mixtape Allstars, Tall Tall Trees, Supatight
Ben Phan & The Soul Symphony, I,Star, Brie Capone
King Garbage, Nex Millen, Hope Giffin, Red Leg Husky, Liz Teague Band
Blue Ridge Pride Drag Show, Unifire Theater, NU Paradigm
Voted by WNC as the #1 Nonprofit Serving the Arts, #1 Music Festival, #1 Camping Festival, #1
Kids Festival, #1 Music-Related Nonprofit & #1 Cultural Arts Event, LEAF Community Arts is a
non-profit organization in which all donations & festival proceeds support cultural arts education
programming locally & globally! Since 2004, LEAF Schools & Streets has served over 55,000
youth with programs in over 20 Western North Carolina locations. LEAF International features
cultural preservation programs in 10 countries worldwide. Your attendance at LEAF not only
provides you with an amazing weekend experience with friends and family, but provides a
platform for fostering the growth of our youth into creative leaders in their communities
worldwide. Join the movement @ theLEAF.org

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

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

The #1 most requested musical at FRP and international phenomenon…MAMMA MIA!

Matinees: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00PM

Evenings: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30PM. Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00PM

Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage
2661 Greenville Highway Flat Rock, NC 28731

This exhibit showcases the work of three leading fiber artists who explore Western North Carolina’s mountains, meadows and marshes using fabrics and fibers. Their quilted wall art offers a link to familiar images of this region, echoing the Arboretum’s role of connecting people with plants. Through their diverse styles, construction methods and subject matter, artists Mary Stori, Judy Simmons and Kate Weston add a contemporary twist to the area’s rich and storied quilt-making tradition. Their exhibit features  pieces of varying sizes, from large focal-point wall hangings to medium-sized wall art to small work suitable for tabletop display. All pieces are for sale, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting The North Carolina Arboretum Society.

About the Artists

Mary Stori

From her home in Clyde, N.C., Mary creates botanical and organic themed art quilts using artisian-made, hand-dyed cotton, linen, silk and rayon fabrics. She also utilizes hand-felted and hand-dyed wool as rich backdrops, offering texture and depth to her work. Bead embellishment is another one of her trademarks. Learn more on her website.

Judy Simmons

Judy creates her own fabric in her Fletcher, N.C. studio using surface design techniques, including fabric marbling, dyeing, color lifting and silk screening. Much of the imagery in her work utilizes her own photography printed on fabric. To learn more about Judy, please click here.

Kate Weston

From her home in Statesville, N.C., Kate focuses on the creation of complex cloth through the application of dye, paint and embellishment, such as fabric overlay or manipulation and the application of non-fiber materials.  Coupled with skillful machine quilting, Kate’s works create and stunning interplay of color and texture. Please visit Kate’s website to learn more.

Pioneer Women Painters of the River District, curated by Sara Ledonne, is a group exhibit which will highlight five Warehouse Studio artists from the mid 90s. These adventurous, creative, inspirational women found themselves under one roof, painting energetic, extraordinary, thought provoking abstracts.
In the 80’s, Marie Hudson opened her studio in the RAD. She was one of the first artists to plant roots in what has become one of the most popular locations for artists in Asheville. Hudson’s art resonates in the community. Hundreds of locals have collected her art over the years.
Mary Charles Griffin, an abstract expressionist artist that goes by the name of Charlie, is a 91-year-old dynamo who graduated from Western Carolina University with her master’s in studio painting when she was 77. “I started painting professionally after my children left home in 1980. I can’t hear, see or speak, but otherwise I am in pretty good shape for my age.” -Charlie Griffin
“I moved again to a studio in the Riverlink building in 1991. With the leadership of Karen Cragnolian ( Riverlink) and Gayle McCarthy (Highwater Clay) I helped organize the first, soon to be River Arts District, Open Studios. There were five participating artists at that time.” – Betty Clark
“This building, these studios, these women were my first introduction to the artists of Asheville and the River District. It was not yet called the River ARTS District…there were no coffee shops, breweries, or restaurants  like today…It was still pretty sketchy after dark if you ventured further down toward what is now Pink Dog… I moved into Warehouse Studios in the fall of 1998, right after I moved to Asheville from Seattle.   At that time, there were only about 20 artists in the RAD, scattered in the old buildings.  Marie Hudson, Betty Clark , Charlie Griffin and I had been working studios at Warehouse long before there was anything else down there. We became friends as well as critics for each other’s work.”- Barbara Fisher
This exhibit aims to recreate the experience of discovering this artistic hot bed, and pay homage to those early Asheville pioneer women painters. The opening reception for Pioneer Women Painters of the River District will be August 3, 2018 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm.  Sara Ledonne will give a curator’s talk at 6:30.
Participating artists: Betty Clark, Marie Hudson, Mary Charles “Charlie” Griffin, Barbara Fisher, Dawn Rentz

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

If you’ve recently built a structure from predominantly reused building materials, the Asheville Habitat ReStore wants to know. Projects can include garden sheds, artist studios, benches, chicken coops, playhouses and much more. Share your projects with the Habitat ReStore to help showcase innovative building projects made with reused materials and show off your creativity and talent for your chance to win in the 7th annual ReStore ReUse Contest. The contest runs July 1st through August 31st. For information and submission guidelines, visit ashevillehabitat.org

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