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.
School of Art & Design Alumni Invitational Exhibition
Exhibition: February 13 – May 4, 2018
Reception: February 15, 2018
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the College of Fine & Performing Arts, the WCU Fine Art Museum invites 12 accomplished alumni of the School of Art & Design back to campus for this exhibition. Exhibiting artists include Amy M. Anderson, Connie Bostic, Mary Charles Griffin, Luzene Hill, Sally Jacobs, Cole Johnson, Dakota Ling, Jeff Marley, Olivia Mears, Tom Pazderka, Byron Tenesaca, and Preston Tolbert.
Image Caption: Tom Pazderka, Angels of the New Light, 2017, ash, charcoal, and oil on burned panel, 43 x 43 in
Willie Cole: Soles and Boards
Exhibition: January 16 – May 4, 2018
Since 1989, Willie Cole has employed the image of the clothes iron in his work. Cole morphs this utilitarian object to represent and reference a range of associations from African masks to scarification to slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. This exhibition presents prints from Cole’s time working at Highpoint Editions in Minneapolis, Minnesota from 2011-2012.
Image Caption: Image Courtesy of Highpoint Editions and Willie Cole
Asheville Gallery of Art’s February show features the work of two new members, Ana Blanton and Zoe Schumaker. Though they paint in two different styles and mediums, the artists’ work represents the inspiration each derives from nature. The show runs February 1-28 during gallery hours, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday. The gallery, located at 82 Patton Avenue in Asheville, across from Pritchard Park, will host a reception for the artists on Friday, February 2, from 5-8 p.m. Everyone is cordially invited to stop by.
“When I process ideas, I see them as layers of images rather than words, and as my thoughts become imagery, I feel more comfortable expressing myself through abstract form,” says Ana Blanton. Of her latest series of mixed-media paintings she says, “In this series I am more interested in representing the sense and feel of light in nature. It is about exploring the sense of energy and movement that is unique to light traveling through air, water, and objects in nature or a simple still life.”
Blanton, who has lived in Asheville since 1997, has a BA in Art Studio from Mars Hill University. She studied Art Conservation at University of Madrid, Spain, and mural painting and mural Conservation at the International School of Mural Painting Miguel Farre, Barcelona, Spain.
Zoe Schumaker says, “From an early age, I tried to capture the beauty I saw by drawing and photographing my surroundings.” Raised in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Northern California, the artist spent many afternoons immersed in imaginative drawings of the mountains, lakes and forests, and the animals that live there.
Schumaker rediscovered her passion for painting upon moving to the Blue Ridge Mountains in 2005. “As I explored the area, I started bringing my backpack kit of pastels. It was not long before I decided to pursue art full time.” The artist teaches painting at the John C. Campbell Folk School and is active in several regional environmental non-profits. She frequently donates her work to support these causes. “Nature is my muse. I hope my paintings capture the joy and reverence I feel for our beautiful home.”
The featured works by Blanton and Schumaker, as well as the paintings of the other 29 gallery members will be on display and for sale through the month of February. For further information about this show, you can contact Asheville Gallery of Art at (828) 251-5796, visit the gallery website at www.ashevillegallery-of-art.com, or go to the gallery Facebook page.
Asheville, prepare for a little Chai Pani by the river. For the first time in eight years, the beloved downtown Indian street food restaurant that spawned a restaurant group is undergoing a month-long renovation. But fear not, dear chaat lovers, as there’s a pop-up in store to fill the Chai Pani-sized hole in your heart. ’Chotta Chai Pani’, a three week pop-up from Meherwan Irani and the Chai Pani team, will be coming to Riverside Drive throughout the month of February. Featuring mainstay favorites alongside additions from MG Road and Botiwalla, the pop-up menu includes a bevy of hits from around the restaurant group, previously unavailable at Chai Pani Asheville, including the Mumbai Club, Frankies, Pav Bhaji, sweet handpies from Buxton Hall’s lead pastry chef Ashley Capps and more, as well as the return of the beloved Kheema Pav (Sloppy Jai lovers, rejoice!). The pop-up will be open 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Asheville’s Jangling Sparrows play a rare local gig, with an upcoming performance at French Broad Brewing, 101 Fairview Rd., Friday, February 16. Showtime:6:00pm. Free show. Info: (828) 277-0222 or visit http://www.frenchbroadbrewery.
Their recently-released 140 Nickels album was just voted to the “Best Indie Album of 2017” list by the L.A. Music Critic Awards, who raved, “Watch for these guys near the top of the Americana music scene!” The album is available for purchase atwww.janglingsparrows.com and has received stellar reviews from national publications No Depression, The Alternate Root, Music Connection and more, plus national/international airplay.
(ASHEVILLE, NC) – Asheville’s Jangling Sparrows play a rare local gig, with an upcoming performance at French Broad Brewing, 101 Fairview Rd., Friday, February 16. Showtime: 6:00pm. Free show. Info: (828) 277-0222 or visit http://www.frenchbroadbrewery.com/.
Their recently-released 140 Nickels album was just voted to the “Best Indie Album of 2017” list by the L.A. Music Critic Awards, who raved, “Watch for these guys near the top of the Americana music scene!” The album is available for purchase at www.janglingsparrows.com and has received stellar reviews from national publications No Depression, The Alternate Root, Music Connection and more, plus national/international airplay.
Andy Woodhull, who’s appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, CONAN, and featured in his own Half Hour Comedy Central Special, is set perform two shows in Asheville on Friday, February 16th. Opening for Andy will be Maddie Wiener.
Andy Woodhull
Andy Recently appeared on Conan on TBS the same year his half hour special premiered on Comedy Central. In 2014, he was the first comedian to make his network television debut on the Tonight Show: Staring Jimmy Fallon. He has also recently appeared on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, and Gotham Comedy Live on AXS. In 2009, he appeared on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham.
Andy has appeared at many comedy festivals and contests including, the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, The Maui Comedy Festival, Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, and The Great American Comedy Festival. He has been featured on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom radio show, and was a semi-finalist in CMT’s “Next Big Comic”. He won the Best of the Midwest Competition at Gilda’s Laugh Fest in 2010. His 2012 album release “Lucy” was named top 10 comedy albums of the year by comedyreviews.com. His newest release “Step Parenting” spent time in the top 20 comedy albums on iTunes.
Andy is a former resident of Chicago, where he was named one of four comedians to watch by the Chicago Tribune.
Maddie Wiener
One of the youngest comics in North Carolina, Maddie Wiener has opened for Rich Vos, Josh Blue, and John Evans, and is a regular at Goodnights Comedy Club. Her dark and witty comedy has been the subject of multiple articles published by The Piedmont Sundial, Raleigh&Company, and The Daily Tarheel.
Veteran comics have described her as “a natural writer with a quirky performance style that is abrasive and likeable at the same time.” Since she was 16 she has been traveling around North Carolina performing at clubs such as Goodnights, the Charlotte Comedy Zone, and Dead Crow Comedy Room.
VALENTINE’S FRIDAY COMEDY SPECIAL W/ ANDY WOODHULL – FUNNY BUSINESS @ THE GREY EAGLE
Friday, February 16th @ 7:00pm & 9:30pm
$15 advance / $18 at the door
Tickets @ http://www.ashevillefunnybusiness.com/
9 to 5 The Musical
Music and lyrics by Dolly Parton; Book by Patricia Resnick; Directed by Jerry Crouch
February 9-March 4, 2018
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 2:30 pm; Additional Thursday performances at 7:30 pm
Working 9 to 5, three female employees team up to dream up ways they could rid themselves of their horrible chauvinistic boss. These ladies live out their wildest fantasy to give him the boot and, while he is out of commission, take control of the company. There’s nothing these ladies can’t do!
Laura Story wrote the No. 1 worship hit “Indescribable” which was recorded in 2004 by Chris Tomlin. Soon after, she signed an artist deal with the INO Records and her 2008 national debut won a Dove Award for Inspirational Album and earned Laura two consecutive nominations for Female Vocalist of the Year while suffering through personal hardships. “Life is filled with things you don’t expect, but the Bible tells us to respond by trusting God and continuing to worship Him. This is how faith works, and God has proven to be faithful.” Singing and teaching in churches across the United States, Western Europe, and South America, Laura believes through music and prayer, this is her chance to share the gospel. Presented by Heart for Families as a special “date night” event.
On February 17-18, Pamella O’Connor will be demonstrating paper gathering techniques used to create texture on her signature line of hanji flower lamps. Hanji is traditional handmade paper from Korea, made from the inner bark of Paper Mulberry, a shrub-like tree that grows throughout Asia.
Gardening in the Mountains presents:
All About Pruning—Tool Selection and Tool Sharpening
NC Cooperative Extension
Buncombe County Center
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC
Presenter: Alan Wagner, Extension Master Gardener SM Volunteer
Pruning in the landscape requires different methods than pruning tomatoes or bonsai. Many gardeners
and homeowners are uncertain about when, why, and how to prune shrubs and trees. Pruning requires
time-tested technique, good sharp tools, and knowledge of the right time to prune different kinds of
plants. And pruning requires practice.
Join Alan Wagner as he demonstrates the tools, techniques, and principles of pruning shrubs and small
trees. If weather permits, some outdoor demonstrations may be possible.
There will also be a session on how to sharpen your pruning tools, so bring them with you.
This program will be offered twice, once on Thursday, February 15, and once on Saturday, February 17.
Both programs begin at 10 a.m. and are at the Cooperative Extension office.
The talk is free but registration is requested by calling 828-255-5522
LINING: SHEATHING
Exhibition: January 16 – May 4
Reception: Thursday, April 19 from 5-7pm
Lining: Sheathing is a large-scale installation about the tactile and protective qualities of textiles by collaborators Denise Bookwalter and Lee Running. The artists have been working together for five years, creating installations and artist books that include printed fabric, handmade paper, woodblock prints, custom garments and embroidery. This installation has been developed in residencies at Penland School of Crafts, Penland NC, Constellation Studios, Lincoln NE, and Small Craft Advisory Press, Tallahassee FL. The focal point of the installation is a room-size tent suspended beneath a skylight. The tent is made from large printed and dyed textile panels which create a space that viewers can enter. Viewers are invited to try on one of the handmade garments and view the series of eight queen bed sized woodblock prints on handmade paper. For the exhibition at the WCU Fine Art Museum, Bookwalter and Running will also create a three-story site-specific window installation for the atrium of the Bardo Arts Center.
MUSEUM HOURS: Tues-Fri 10am-4pm/ Th 10am-7pm
Closed weekends & University holidays
828.227.ARTS
Image Caption: Detail: Denise Bookwalter, Lee Emma Running, “LINING:SHEATHING”, 2011
To mark the 10th Anniversary of the Windgate Fellowship, the Center for Craft awarded a total of ten, $10,000 Project Grants. This exhibition showcases how the next generation of craft artists used their funds to explore scale, installation, and community practice.
Artists: Andrea Donnelly (Richmond, VA), Josh Copus (Marshall, NC), Dustin Farnsworth (Montreal, QC), Brian Fleetwood (La Mesilla, NM), Ani Geragosian (Salem, MA), Adam Ledford (Philadelphia, PA), Rebecca Manson (Bedford Hills, NY), Rachel Mauser (Louisville, KY), Aaron McIntosh (Richmond, VA), and Mark Reigelman II (Brooklyn, NY).
School of Art & Design Alumni Invitational Exhibition
Exhibition: February 13 – May 4, 2018
Reception: February 15, 2018
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the College of Fine & Performing Arts, the WCU Fine Art Museum invites 12 accomplished alumni of the School of Art & Design back to campus for this exhibition. Exhibiting artists include Amy M. Anderson, Connie Bostic, Mary Charles Griffin, Luzene Hill, Sally Jacobs, Cole Johnson, Dakota Ling, Jeff Marley, Olivia Mears, Tom Pazderka, Byron Tenesaca, and Preston Tolbert.
Image Caption: Tom Pazderka, Angels of the New Light, 2017, ash, charcoal, and oil on burned panel, 43 x 43 in
Willie Cole: Soles and Boards
Exhibition: January 16 – May 4, 2018
Since 1989, Willie Cole has employed the image of the clothes iron in his work. Cole morphs this utilitarian object to represent and reference a range of associations from African masks to scarification to slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. This exhibition presents prints from Cole’s time working at Highpoint Editions in Minneapolis, Minnesota from 2011-2012.
Image Caption: Image Courtesy of Highpoint Editions and Willie Cole
Asheville Gallery of Art’s February show features the work of two new members, Ana Blanton and Zoe Schumaker. Though they paint in two different styles and mediums, the artists’ work represents the inspiration each derives from nature. The show runs February 1-28 during gallery hours, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday. The gallery, located at 82 Patton Avenue in Asheville, across from Pritchard Park, will host a reception for the artists on Friday, February 2, from 5-8 p.m. Everyone is cordially invited to stop by.
“When I process ideas, I see them as layers of images rather than words, and as my thoughts become imagery, I feel more comfortable expressing myself through abstract form,” says Ana Blanton. Of her latest series of mixed-media paintings she says, “In this series I am more interested in representing the sense and feel of light in nature. It is about exploring the sense of energy and movement that is unique to light traveling through air, water, and objects in nature or a simple still life.”
Blanton, who has lived in Asheville since 1997, has a BA in Art Studio from Mars Hill University. She studied Art Conservation at University of Madrid, Spain, and mural painting and mural Conservation at the International School of Mural Painting Miguel Farre, Barcelona, Spain.
Zoe Schumaker says, “From an early age, I tried to capture the beauty I saw by drawing and photographing my surroundings.” Raised in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Northern California, the artist spent many afternoons immersed in imaginative drawings of the mountains, lakes and forests, and the animals that live there.
Schumaker rediscovered her passion for painting upon moving to the Blue Ridge Mountains in 2005. “As I explored the area, I started bringing my backpack kit of pastels. It was not long before I decided to pursue art full time.” The artist teaches painting at the John C. Campbell Folk School and is active in several regional environmental non-profits. She frequently donates her work to support these causes. “Nature is my muse. I hope my paintings capture the joy and reverence I feel for our beautiful home.”
The featured works by Blanton and Schumaker, as well as the paintings of the other 29 gallery members will be on display and for sale through the month of February. For further information about this show, you can contact Asheville Gallery of Art at (828) 251-5796, visit the gallery website at www.ashevillegallery-of-art.com, or go to the gallery Facebook page.
North Carolina journalist releases debut novel
11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at Haywood County Public Library in Waynesville
Set amid the windswept prairies of Wyoming and rounded mountains of southwest Virginia, “Shadows of Flowers” is a debut novel about love, loss and the power of place from award-winning journalist Holly Kays.
It follows the story of Virginia native Dana Stullman, whose world turns upside down when her boyfriend dies in a car accident in the final days of their time as students at Virginia Tech. At 22, she finds herself moving across the country to escape reminders of the tragedy and the life that preceded it. Becoming lonelier than she could have imagined, Dana finds solace in an unexpected friendship, but her life remains paralyzed until a crisis in the wind-swept Wyoming wilderness forces her to confront the past and choose her path into the future.
“When I moved to Wyoming after a lifetime of living and playing in the Appalachian Mountains, the grandeur and beauty of the Rocky Mountain landscape left me dumfounded on a daily basis. It would have been impossible to leave Wyoming without the urge to somehow memorialize that place in writing. Pairing that setting with a powerful fictional story like Dana’s lends a strength to this novel that I enjoyed writing and I hope others will enjoy reading,” Kays said. “Dana’s situation is particular, but the themes it unearths are universal — the unrelenting need to reconcile past with present, the search for God and the innate desire for community.”
Thoughtfully developed characters that bring to vivid life the severe beauty of the Rocky Mountains, rough-and-tumble charm of the small town of Buffalo and Dana’s place on this landscape make this book a must-read. Fueled by an economy of words and eye for detail honed during her years as a reporter, Kays writes with a deliberate and original voice where every word counts.
Holly Kays is a writer and journalist living in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Having earned more than 20 state and national awards during her news reporting career thus far, she covers a range of topics for the regional newsmagazine The Smoky Mountain News and explores the area’s many hiking trails with her four-legged best friend whenever possible. Originally from Williamsport, Maryland, she is a graduate of Virginia Tech’s creative writing and natural resources programs, and a former reporter for The Buffalo Bulletin. This is her first book.
“Shadows of Flowers” is a 144-page softcover book published by The Smoky Mountain News and available online at www.paypal.me/hollykays for $12 plus $3 for shipping within the U.S.; $4 shipping for two to five books. It is in stock in Waynesville at Blue Ridge Books and Earthworks Gallery; in Sylva at City Lights Bookstore and Sylva Market; in Franklin at Books Unlimited; and at Firestorm Books & Coffee in Asheville.
Shadows of Flowers is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shadowsofflowers and the first chapter is posted on the author’s blog at www.adventuringwithjesus.wordpress.com/2017/11/24/sneak-a-peek-at-first-pages.
Asheville, prepare for a little Chai Pani by the river. For the first time in eight years, the beloved downtown Indian street food restaurant that spawned a restaurant group is undergoing a month-long renovation. But fear not, dear chaat lovers, as there’s a pop-up in store to fill the Chai Pani-sized hole in your heart. ’Chotta Chai Pani’, a three week pop-up from Meherwan Irani and the Chai Pani team, will be coming to Riverside Drive throughout the month of February. Featuring mainstay favorites alongside additions from MG Road and Botiwalla, the pop-up menu includes a bevy of hits from around the restaurant group, previously unavailable at Chai Pani Asheville, including the Mumbai Club, Frankies, Pav Bhaji, sweet handpies from Buxton Hall’s lead pastry chef Ashley Capps and more, as well as the return of the beloved Kheema Pav (Sloppy Jai lovers, rejoice!). The pop-up will be open 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
This year, PSABC is pleased to offer five unique properties located in Dr. E. W. Grove’s residential park nestled at the base of Sunset Mountain. Included in this year’s tour is 51 Lawrence Place, circa 1913, an excellent example of Shingle style architecture of the notable Asheville firm Smith and Carrier and is known for its association with several prominent citizens of Asheville in the first half of the twentieth century. The interior of the home retains most of the original floor plan as shown in the 1913 Smith drawings including the grand living room, which retains all of the detailing as originally built.
Tickets are $35 for non-members or $25 for members.
Contact Jessie Landl at 828-254-2343 for more information or to purchase tickets.
This tour is part of the 31st National Arts & Crafts Conference at the Omni Grove Park Inn. You can register for the conference HERE or purchase $10 tickets for the 3 selling shows (Antiques Show, Contemporary Craftsfirms Show, and the Books, Magazines & More Show) at the door.
Recommended for children 5+ and their families.
Bring your family to the Center for Craft for a fun, free afternoon of interactive gallery tours and hands-on art making! Children and their guardians are invited for kid-friendly gallery tours (each hour on the hour) and a short activity inspired by the work in Scale Up: 10 Years, 10 Fellows, 10 Projects.
Self-guided activities will also be available all afternoon. Did we mention treats? We will have treats on hand!
This event is held in conjunction with the exhibition Scale Up: 10 Years, 10 Fellows, 10 Projects, on view January 19 – July 28, 2018 at the Center for Craft. http://www.craftcreativitydesign.org/scaleup/
Scale Up is curated and organized by the Center for Craft. The Windgate Fellowship is administered by the Center for Craft and supported by the Windgate Fund at the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. The Center for Craft is supported in part by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Exhibition programming is supported in part by Sara and Bill Morgan.
Scale Up Family Fun Day
Saturday, February 17 2-5 p.m.
Recommended for children 5+ and their families
We have many engaging events scheduled in conjunction with our new exhibition, Scale Up: 10 Years, 10 Fellows, 10 Projects. All events are free and open to the public (suggested donation $3-5). Registration recommended, drop-ins welcome.
Events are held at the Center for Craft, located at 67 Broadway Street, Asheville, North Carolina 28801
Amanda Kabak, winner of the Arcturus & Chicago Review of Books Al-Simak Award for fiction, will visit Asheville on February 17 to read from her innovative LGBTQIA+ debut novel, The Mathematics of Change.
The Mathematics of Change is an emotional page-turner featuring three women-identified characters at midlife whose lives are at critical crossroads—their pasts and their futures intersecting in ways that create both drama and opportunity. Kabak’s characters hold deep-seated ideas of who they are, but they are forced to question these ideas in different and very difficult ways. “Change is inevitable,” says Kabak, “but that doesn’t make it easy, especially on an emotional level. When that change sparks self-reflection and doubt, it is even worse.”
As an own-voices novel, Mathematics has strong appeals to feminist and LGBTQIA+ readers. It offers important reflections on female friendship, looking at the intimate connections women make with each other in order to survive and learn about themselves and what they want. It investigates the fluidity of sexuality for women-identified people, as well as the intersections of gender identity, emotional intimacy, and sexuality. Central protagonist Mitch is a woman not often represented in fiction—woman-identifying, masculine-presenting, with an unexpectedly fluid sexuality, whose intellect is continuously confronted by deeply emotional connection. This is a book that shows women as they are: human, flawed, fierce, and the genuine movers in their own lives and their communities.
Chicago native Amanda Kabak is a Pushcart Prize nominee and the 2017 winner of the Chicago Review of Books Al-Simak Award for Fiction. She has had stories published in Midwestern Gothic, The Quotable, Perceptions Magazine, and other print and online periodicals.
Firestorm Books and Coffee (610 Hayward Road) will host Kabak’s reading on February 17 at 3:00 p.m. The author will answer questions from the audience and sign copies of her novel following the reading. Local novelist Sarah Blackman (Hex; Mother Box and Other Tales) will introduce Kabak and moderate the question-and-answer period.
For more information about Amanda Kabak and The Mathematics of Change, please visit http://mathematicsofchangebook.com. For review copies, interview requests, or other inquiries, contact Ruth Homrighaus of Brain Mill Press at 920-246-2453 or via e-mail to [email protected].
9 to 5 The Musical
Music and lyrics by Dolly Parton; Book by Patricia Resnick; Directed by Jerry Crouch
February 9-March 4, 2018
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 2:30 pm; Additional Thursday performances at 7:30 pm
Working 9 to 5, three female employees team up to dream up ways they could rid themselves of their horrible chauvinistic boss. These ladies live out their wildest fantasy to give him the boot and, while he is out of commission, take control of the company. There’s nothing these ladies can’t do!
THE GENUINE
Based out of Winston-Salem, NC, The Genuine is an Indie/Americana trio, blending harmony heavy vocals & punchy melodies supported by creative rhythmic foundation.
CALEN PERKINS
Calen is a versatile singer-songwriter and guitarist with a hearty appetite for catchy melodies, infectious rhythms and emotive lyrics that describe his socially conscious worldview, penchant for travel and longing for connection.