Please note: Nature Connects^®: Art with LEGO^® Bricks has been postponed until July; however, the exhibit will have an extended schedule and will be open until November 1. We look forward to seeing you!

The Arboretum is excited to welcome back the widely popular traveling exhibit, Nature Connects^®: Art with LEGO^® Bricks by Sean Kenney. Featuring 14 larger-than-life-size sculptures place created with nearly 500,000 LEGO Bricks, this family-friendly exhibit draws inspiration from the living world and combines art, play and science to create an inspiring intersection of education, entertainment and the environment. New sculptures include a 5-foot tall colorful peacock, giant dragonfly, bonsai tree and more!

The Fairy trail is open Monday thru Saturday, 9am-4pm. We encourage all visitors to be patient as there will be limits to the number of people allowed on the trail at the same time. While the trail is outdoors, there are some small spaces and we want to ensure our guests and fairies are safe. Please practice appropriate social distancing and bring a mask in case. Masks are not required, but are considerate in a close area. Our restrooms are not open to the public at this time. Please make arrangements prior to visiting.

Rules of the trail:

Do not move or rearrange fairy displays. The fairies are very fond of their own decorating.

Do not leave trash on the trail. Fairies do not like litter in their town.

Please ensure children and pets are supervised at all times. Dogs and loud noises can scare the fairies into hiding.

Do not disturb wildlife or vegetation. The fairies depend on the vegetation to build their homes.

The trail is one way only. Please stay on the trail at all times.

The Fairies can’t wait to see you all here!

P.S. the Fairies would like us to remind you that we are a non-profit and donations are greatly appreciated. Help us keep the fairies living in the style with which they’ve become accustomed.

After an extensive remodeling project, Tax Collections’ lobby has been expanded and can accommodate in-person services while adhering to social distancing requirements. Per our Stay Safe, Stay Smart order, we ask that you wear a face covering while inside County facilities. If you do not have a face covering, we can provide one. We also ask that if you have any symptoms of COVID-19, you use one of our alternative methods of accessing our services.

Overall, Buncombe County has taken precautions and audited our public-facing facilities to determine the safest way to operate. As a result, here are some of our countywide precautions:

• Installation of plexiglass barriers for public-based work
• Increased sanitation and cleaning of County facilities
• Public accessibility of hand sanitizer and disposable face coverings
• Social distancing markers and signage
• Comprehensive internal procedures for employees to foster a safe workplace, including a daily employee self-screening tool

Tax Collections’ alternative means of services remain available, and we encourage the public to use those methods when possible. To look up property information or your tax amount due, visit buncombecounty.org/tax.

You can make tax payments:

• Online
• By phone: 1-877-690-3729, jurisdiction code 4301 (If payments are made online or by phone with an electronic check, no service fees apply.)
• By mail: PO Box 3140, Asheville, NC 28802
• Dropboxes:
  • Driveway of the Family Justice Center, 35 Woodfin Street, Asheville
  • Next to the Tax Department Office Entrance, 94 Coxe Ave.

If you have additional questions, you can contact Tax Collections via email at [email protected] or call (828) 250-4910.

ATTENTION: There is a new screening and scheduling process for the testing sites that must be completed prior to arrival. The new process allows people to schedule their testing time in advance, avoid long wait times, and offers a quicker turnaround time for test results.

If you DO NOT HAVE a healthcare provider who offers testing for COVID-19 and you meet criteria to get tested, there are several ways to find testing near you.

1. People in Buncombe County can access testing by completing the Buncombe County Self-Checker online at www.buncombeready.org to set up an appointment at one of the county’s open-air, drive-through sites. Residents may also call the Ready Team at (828) 419-0095 from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm., Monday – Friday to be pre-screened for testing at these sites. Language services are available over the phone.

2. You can call the Buncombe County nurse line at (828) 250-5300 to find out where you can get tested (Press OPTION #1 to speak with a nurse) from 8 am to 5:30 pm.

Buncombe County is providing COVID-19 testing for anyone that lives, works, or learns in Buncombe County and is experiencing symptoms or has been identified as a close contact to someone with COVID-19 or is a member of a high-risk group who has suspected exposure to a person with COVID-19.

Spanish medical interpreters will be at the testing sites. The sites are designed as drive-through sites, but those who walk up or take the bus will have access to these services.

More information about COVID-19 testing in Buncombe County can be found at www.buncombeready.org

When a friend gave Toland Sand a stained glass studio in 1977, he embarked upon a journey that would lead him to explore the myriad qualities that define glass as a medium. Sand’s 43 years as a sculptor has resulted in works of stained glass, blown glass, and every combination in between. A pioneer in utilizing the unique properties of dichroic glass, Sand begins his current sculpture with optical crystal and dichroic coated glass, hand worked by grinding in ever finer stages until a polish is achieved. Seeking balance, harmony, and symmetry, with an accent on deconstructed form, his work inhabits the symbolic, the cosmic, and the mystery. Sand is inspired by his peers as well as artists such as Isamu Noguchi, David Smith, Henry Moore, and Mark Rothko.
Sand’s work can be found numerous public and private collections including the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass, Neenah, WI, Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, TN, Imagine Museum, Sarasota, FL, and others.

Bender Gallery continues to be open and welcoming visitors into our gallery in limited numbers and with facemasks, of course. We remain dedicated to supporting our artists during these unprecedented times by making ourselves available almost anytime you wish to speak with us to answer questions and sharing their work online and through social media. We and our artists thank you for your support!

In the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, Kwame Brathwaite used photography to popularize the political slogan “Black Is Beautiful.” This exhibition—the first ever dedicated to Brathwaite’s remarkable career—tells the story of a key figure of the second Harlem Renaissance.

Inspired by the writings of activist and Black nationalist Marcus Garvey, Brathwaite and his older brother, Elombe Brath, founded the African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) and the Grandassa Models, a modeling agency for Black women.

This exhibition returns us to the Naturally fashion shows of the 1960s walked by Grandassa models and produced by the African American artists, designers, musicians, hairdressers, writers, and jazz lovers of AJASS.

Images have power, and this is an important example of a creative collective formed in order to radically shift the dominant narrative at midcentury.

Exhibition organized by Aperture, New York and Kwame S. Brathwaite.

The Central Asheville Restoration Plan will investigate and find solutions to water quality issues within three streams that originate near downtown Asheville and flow through the River Arts District. The streams —Town Branch, Bacoate Branch, and Haith Branch— all empty into a section of the French Broad River in Asheville that is a common recreation destination. The year-long study will result in a nine-element watershed restoration plan that RiverLink and partners can use to guide their work to improve water quality in the French Broad River and its tributaries.

RiverLink and Blue Earth Engineering present the Central Asheville Watershed Restoration Plan (CAWRP). The CAWRP is the result of a year-long study to investigate and find solutions to water quality issues within three streams that originate near downtown Asheville and flow into the French Broad River in the River Arts District. The study team will give a 45-minute presentation followed by a discussion.

Register at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwoc–prDguHdaHodZay6enO8XFdBxYoOJy?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=2cdc85a1-4316-4796-8690-6a3b9bbe0243

“Shine and Dine” on the railway! We cordially invite you to hop on board The Carolina Shine, GSMR’s All-Adult First Class Moonshine Car! We will be proudly serving hand crafted, triple-distilled, craft moonshine. Some of the smoothest tasting moonshine in the Carolinas!

Offered on the Nantahala Gorge excursion, this shine and dine experience begins in a renovated First Class train fleet car, The Carolina Shine. The interior features copper lined walls filled with the history of moonshining in North Carolina. Learn about the proud tradition that the Appalachians established when bootlegging was an acceptable way of life and local home brews were the best in town. Read about Swain County’s very own Major Redmond, the most famous mountain moonshine outlaw of the 19th century.

Once your appetite for knowledge is satisfied, enjoy sample tastings of flavors like Apple Pie, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, and Strawberry moonshine. If the samples are not enough, there will be plenty of Moonshine infused cocktails like Copper Cola or Moonshiner’s Mimosa available for purchase.

GSMR is excited to feature multiple craft NC based distilleries to serve our guests only the best! Each jar is handcrafted and authentically infused with real fruit, the way moonshine was meant to be made.

Passengers will also enjoy a full service All-Adult First Class ride with an attendant serving GSMR’s freshly cooked pulled pork barbeque rubbed with Cajun spices then slow-roasted to perfection served with southern sweet cornbread muffin with honey butter, coleslaw, and cinnamon apples then finish with a delicious piece of Sea Salt Caramel Cheesecake. Riders will also receive their very own Carolina Shine mason drinking jar, refillable with soda beverages and tea throughout the day, and a souvenir GSMR tote bag (1 per couple/party).

The Bob Moog Foundation is also excited to welcome shoppers back into the Moogseum Store in downtown Asheville, NC. While the exhibit space will remain closed until North Carolina enters phase 3, the store offers a wide variety of synth-inspired merchandise from magnets, t-shirts and pint glasses, to books, hats and vinyl records. The Moogseum Store will be open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm.

To ensure the safety of guests, extensive cleaning measures and CDC guidelines will be followed by staff, and both staff and visitors will be required to wear cloth or disposable face coverings.

Celebrate White Duck Taco Shop’s Arden store Reopening. Hours may vary.

School aged children receive a free taco!