We invite you to embark on a journey that transcends the ordinary. Our webinar, “Unlocking the Power of Scent: Aromatherapy through the Lens of Ayurveda,” is a gateway to a world where the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda meets the therapeutic art of aromatherapy. In this enriching two-hour live session with Ayurvedic physician Vasant Lad, BAM&S, MASc we will explore the profound connection between scent, healing, and whole mind-body balance. Discover how the therapeutic effects of smell can elevate your life, and gain the skills to incorporate these ancient sciences into your modern-day existence.
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.
Saturday, April
27, 2024
Celebrate the New Oklawaha Birding Trail
Equine Yoga + Trail Ride with Cathy Woods
Less Plastic Asheville Challenge
NC Arboretum Hiking Trails
Spring 2024 Student Art + Ceramics Sale
Spring Plant Sale
2024 Mountain Science Expo
Art Exhibition: Hammer and Hope
Breakthrough Breathwork Meditation Workshop with Sound Baths
Hybrid: Unlock the Power of Scent: Aromatherapy in Ayurveda
Knock Doors with Buncombe County Democrats
Li’l Boogers: Kids Comedy Tour
Native Azalea Day
OUTPOST: WALLFLOWER MAKERS’ MARKET
Preservers, Innovators, and Rescuers of Culture in Chiapas
The Weaverville Art Safari
World Tai Chi Day + Qigong Day
Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred
Artists + Writers Coffee
Bill Popper Memorial Wildflower Hike
North Carolina Winery Tour Adventures
Tuckasegee River Excursion
12th Annual Face Jug Show
American Art in the Atomic Age: 1940-1960
Giraffe Tall Tales: True Stories About the World’s Tallest Animal
Honoring Nature: Early Southern Appalachian Landscape Painting
Joseph Fiore: Black Mountain College Paintings
Junk Journal Workshop
Peace Gardens and Market Spring Fling
Smoky Mountain Relay
The Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway are pleased to announce their Earth Day celebration of the new Birding Trail on the Oklawaha Greenway. A mini-class in techno-birding, a ribbon cutting ceremony, and a bird walk will all be part of the festivities. The Friends group designed the Birding Trail project to enhance the greenway and the rich bird habitat it preserves. The Trail was recently completed thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Henderson County, support from the City of Hendersonville, Henderson County, and MountainTrue.
The Oklawaha Birding Trail is a series of colorful interpretive signs containing information about birding as well as QR codes that lead to more interesting facts. Topics include what birds you might see, and what habitats they need. In addition, the greenway boasts three eBird hotspots — areas of high bird activity. The hotspots are located at the south end in Jackson Park, the north end in the Berkeley parking area, and near the red kiosk (from the Patton Park access).
The April 27th events will be held rain or shine and include:
9:00am – mini-class on eBird and Merlin, which are two free online resources from Cornell University, to help you identify the birds you see and hear. Meet instructor Cathy Ford at the Patton Park gazebo near the skateboard park. (Bring your smart phone and binoculars if you have them)
10:00am – ribbon cutting at the Birding Trail Welcome sign on the greenway (after crossing N. Main St. from Patton Park)
10:15 to 11:00 – walk along the new Birding Trail with Cathy Ford and other volunteers.
“The 3 ½ – mile Oklawaha Greenway connects several large parks, and runs along Mud Creek, which provides a variety of habitats for birds, especially during spring and fall migration,” according to Cathy Ford, avid birder and member of the Friends group. To find the trail on your own, look for the Welcome sign installed on the Patton Park access near N. Main St. From there, check for birds on the wooden birding platform and find another sign near the native plant garden at the red kiosk. From there, visitors can walk north or south on the greenway for more signs to learn about birds; and the forests, meadows, wetlands and creek banks they use year-round.
For more information about the Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway, please visit https://www.friendsofoklawaha.org/
Join Cathy Woods, Author of “Yoga for Riders,” creator of Body, Mind, Equine™ and international presenter, for a retreat day of yoga, equestrian mindfulness, and trail riding at Tryon International Equestrian Center located in beautiful Western North Carolina.
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This City of Asheville is launching the Less Plastic Asheville Challenge to encourage residents to reduce their consumption of single-use plastics. The campaign has two key features, a social media challenge called Less Plastic Bingo and a Pass on Plastic Pledge. The City will provide information on the impacts of single-use plastic on our community and tips for how our residents can understand and reduce their consumption of single-use plastics at tabling events around town and on our social media platforms. Those participating in the social media challenge can post photos and videos of themselves taking action to reduce single-use plastic consumption. Those who take the pledge will make commitments to sustainable lifestyle choices such as using reusable grocery bags and refusing single-use plastics. Residents who participate in either the Less Plastic Bingo Challenge or Pass on Plastic Pledge will win great prizes! The Less Plastic Asheville Challenge will begin in February 14, 2024 and end May 31, 2024. Follow the link at the top of the page to learn more about how you can participate and win these great sustainable items.
BackgroundIn October 2022, Asheville City Council directed the Sustainability Department to take a phased approach to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic. The first phase included an update to Chapter 15 of the City Code to prohibit the use of plastic bags in curbside brush and leaf collection. This ordinance change was approved by City Council on January 10, 2023 and was implemented August 1, 2023. For more information about this change and resources available check out this sanitation webpage. The second phase included further analysis and stakeholder engagement with area businesses, residents and city staff to inform a recommendation on additional single-use plastic reduction strategies surrounding plastic bags at point of sale and expanded polystyrene (StyrofoamTM) disposable foodware products. To see the results of this engagement read this blog post. On September 22, 2023 the North Carolina General Assembly approved the state budget that included a law prohibiting local governments from banning single-use plastic products. Due to this regulation, the City cannot adopt an ordinance banning plastic bags or expanded polystyrene (StyrofoamTM) takeout containers. Instead, the City is providing information and resources to residents and businesses to reduce single-use plastic consumption voluntarily through the Less Plastic Asheville Challenge. For more information on the previous plastic-reduction projects go to this webpage.
Less Plastic Asheville ChallengeTo reduce single-use plastic consumption and litter in our community it will take all of us! We invite you to join us, have a little fun and earn some prizes in the process! There are two ways to participate in the Less Plastic Asheville Challenge. You can take the Pass on Plastic Pledge and/or play Less Plastic Asheville Bingo. The pledge asks for you to commit to changes in your life to reduce your own plastic footprint, and the Bingo Challenge asks you to spread the word and help educate and inspire others about the issue through social media. The Pass on Plastic PledgeThe Pass on Plastic Pledge asks you to look at your own habits regarding single-use plastics and commit to practices that cut down your consumption, simple acts that improve our community and the environment. By taking this pledge, you are taking the charge to reduce your own plastic consumption. You can do this in a number of ways and the City of Asheville is here to inspire, support and cheer you on! When you commit to any one of the sustainable practices in the pledge, you will win plastic reducing prizes from the City. Your actions alone can reduce hundreds of pounds of plastic waste every year! By taking this pledge, you are showing that you care about the health, cleanliness, and pristine environment of our home in Asheville. It’s a big deal, and the City of Asheville thanks you. Take the Pass on Plastic Pledge
Less Plastic Asheville BingoThis bingo game is a social media challenge. It’s a fun way for you to help spread the word about single-use plastics, and to inspire the people around you to make changes and support sustainable businesses and habits. When you sign up, you will be emailed a bingo card. Once you have your card, follow the steps below in order to earn your swag.
Sign up below to receive your Less Plastic Bingo Card. |
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Located within the wildly-popular and botanically beautiful Southern Appalachian Mountains, The North Carolina Arboretum offers more than 10 miles of hiking trails that connect to many other area attractions such as Lake Powhatan, the Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visitors of all ages and abilities can enjoy their hiking experience at the Arboretum as trail options include easy, moderate, and difficult challenge levels. All trails are dog-friendly and visitors are asked to adhere to the proper waste disposing procedures for pets.
Part of a running group that would like to use the Arboretum as a starting point or parking location? Please review our Running Group Guidance and email [email protected] with any questions.
A wide variety of functional and decorative pottery, prints, and other artwork created by UNC Asheville students will be on sale in the S. Tucker Cooke Gallery of Owen Hall on April 26 and 27.
The sale will be open to the public from 4 to 8 p.m. on April 26 and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 27.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Department of Art
BULLINGTON GARDENS Plant sale
Mountain Science Expo 2024
Join us for a free STEM-oriented science festival where you can interact with scientists, explore nature, and grow your curiosity!
The Mountain Science Expo is a part of the larger NC Science Festival, a state-wide and month-long event dedicated to celebrating the impact of science educationally, culturally, and economically on our state. The NC Science Festival and the Mountain Science Expo hope to inspire children to pursue—and adults to support—the sciences, such that North Carolina can lead the country and the world as a place of innovation and learning. This year’s theme, in fact, is “State of Innovation,” highlighting how science is being driven forward within North Carolina.
Exhibitors
Through the Mountain Science Expo, we aim to support STEM education by providing an opportunity for all ages to interact with scientists and science educators in a hands-on and wonder-filled environment. Participating exhibitors include:
- ecoEXPLORE
- Project Explore
- The National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI)
- The North Carolina Department of Air Quality (NCDAQ)
- The WNC Nature Center
- UNCA STEAM Labs
- The Highlands Biological Foundation
- The Asheville Museum of Science (AMOS)
- The Cradle of Forestry
- And more!
Native Azalea Day
Participants in the 2024 Mountain Science Expo will also have the opportunity to visit the North Carolina Arboretum’s Azalea Collections for a special Native Azalea Day event. This event will feature additional exhibitors, including local horticultural organizations, artists, and ecoEXPLORE educators. The Azalea Collections are remote and normally only accessible by trail. Access to them for the event will be eased via ADA accessible vans.
Golden Tickets
Kids can get special Golden Tickets! Simply check out a science book from your local library, and you’ll receive a Golden Ticket good for free parking the day of the event.
There is no additional cost to attend Mountain Science Expo beyond our standard parking fee. As always, Arboretum Society members and their accompanying guests can enter for FREE (guests must be in member vehicles to receive free entry).
Historians estimate that skilled Black artisans outnumbered their white counterparts in the antebellum South by a margin of five to one. However, despite their presence and prevalence in all corners of the pre-industrial trade and craft fields, the stories of these skilled workers go largely unacknowledged.
Borrowing its title from a Black culture and politics magazine of the same name, Hammer and Hope celebrates the life and labor of Black chairmakers in early America. Featuring the work of two contemporary furniture makers – Robell Awake and Charlie Ryland – the pieces in this exhibition are based on the artists’ research into ladderback chairs created by the Poynors, a multigenerational family of free and enslaved craftspeople working in central Tennessee between the early nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Through the objects featured in Hammer and Hope, Awake and Ryland explore, reinterpret, and reimagine what the field of furniture-making today would look like had the history and legacy of the Poynors – and countless others that have been subject to a similar pattern of erasure – been celebrated rather than hidden. Hammer and Hope represents Awake and Ryland’s attempts, in their own words, “at fighting erasure by making objects that engage with these long-suppressed stories.”
Robell Awake and Charlie Ryland are recipients of the Center for Craft’s 2022 Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship. This substantial mid-career grant is awarded to two artists to support research projects that advance, expand, and support the creation of new research and knowledge through craft practice.
Embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and inner healing through our groundbreaking Breathwork Meditation Workshop including 2 Sound Baths! During this immersive experience you will be guided through a powerful Breathwork practice to help you massively release stress, heal past wounds and traumas, access deeper levels of awareness, and connect more profoundly to Source.
Led by two professional highly experienced facilitators with over 50 years experience between them, this workshop will
deepen your connection with your breath and unlock its incredible potential for physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Join a group of like-minded individuals on the path to self-discovery in a supportive nurturing environment on the beautiful island in Marshall on one of the world’s oldest rivers.
You may come to the full day (10am-4.30pm, $120 ) which includes two Breathwork Meditation Sessions with sound baths and a session of Self-discovery. You may also come to the first Breathwork Meditation Session with sound bath only (10am-1pm, $60) or the second Breathwork Session with sound bath only (1.30pm-4.30pm, $60).
Register at www.breakthroughbreathwork.com/events
In this transformative webinar, you will explore the essence of gandha (Sanskrit for smell) and the profound impact it holds from an Ayurvedic perspective. Together, we will explore a range of herbal and essential oils used in aromatherapy, unlocking the wisdom to discern when and how to use them, tailored to your unique dosha – Vata, Pitta, or Kapha. By the end of this session, you will possess a deeper understanding of the therapeutic potential of scent and how it can enhance your well-being.
What you will learn in this webinar is not just knowledge; it’s the power to heal, rejuvenate, and elevate your consciousness through the wisdom of Ayurveda and aromatherapy.
Topics we will cover in this webinar
In this webinar, we’ll embark on a transformative exploration together:
Gain insight into the profound concept of Ganda and how it influences your senses and overall well-being.
Explore the world of herbal and essential oils, learning when and how to use them to restore balance based on your dosha.
Discover the ancient Tanmatra philosophy and how it shapes your sensory experiences.
Engage in interactive discussions and Q&A sessions with our knowledgeable instructors.
Calling all Buncombe County Democrats!
Join us for an afternoon of knocking on doors and talking with your Democratic neighbors.
After you’ve signed up to canvass, register for an online training on canvassing with MiniVan. https://www.mobilize.us/ncdems/event/602441/
Explore Asheville with the whole family!
Age Restrictions
All Ages Welcome!
(Content is geared towards ages 5-12 years old)
Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Children 3 and under do not need a ticket if they are sitting in an adults lap.
Duration
60 Minutes
What’s Included
Crazy funny guide
Off-bus characters
Fun facts about Asheville
Age-appropriate jokes
About
Now’s your chance to bring the whole family on the big purple bus! Educational and entertaining, LaZoom’s Kids’ Comedy tour features a perfect blend of Asheville information and kid-centric comedy. Geared specifically towards the 5-12 year old crowd, you’ll learn about our city’s history and see the sights in true LaZoom style – complete with our famously outlandish tour guides, hilarious comedy skits, and all sorts of special appearances! Perfect for birthday parties or school field trips, it’s the best thing to do with your kids in Asheville. It’s a show on wheels!
The tour is 60 minutes long and includes no stops. The tour is hosted by a zany tour guide, and along the way other characters will hop on the bus and perform kid-centric sketches (Candy Pirate, Ninja, and a Levitator) The tour is not only fun – it’s educational! Kids and adults will learn new and interesting facts about Asheville along the way. There must be 1 adult for every 4 children. We do not allow any unaccompanied children. Children 3 and under do not need a ticket if they are sitting in an adults lap.
Waitlist
If your desired time and availability is full, then please give us a call to be added to the waitlist.
Native Azalea Day
April 27, 2024
Visit the gardens this spring for Native Azalea Day, an invitation to celebrate and experience azaleas through the eyes of plant enthusiasts, botanists, and artists. In partnership with the Mountain Science Exposition, Native Azalea Day plans to bring even more excitement in its second year! For one day only, visitors can observe as plein air artists capture the scene in paint and pen, learn about the garden and its collection on a walking tour, and participate in hands-on activities for children and adults.
A shuttle to the Collection will be available between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., departing to and from the Baker Visitor Center throughout the event. Visitors are also welcome to walk to the Native Azalea Collection from the Gatehouse Parking Lot using Old Mill Road to Bent Creek Road, or can park at the Baker Visitor Center and walk down Running Cedar Road to Bent Creek Road. Walkers should be prepared to travel one mile over unpaved roads and paths.
All activities, unless otherwise noted, are included with general admission fees.
| Time | Event / Activity | Notes |
| 10:00 AM | Event begins | |
| 10:00 AM | Shuttle service begins | |
| 10:30 AM | Walking tour with Carson Ellis, Curator of the National Native Azalea Collection | Pre-registration required; limited to 12 participants |
| 12:00 AM | Cyanotype demonstration by Callisa Lawn | |
| 12:30 PM | Walking tour with volunteer docent | Pre-registration required; limited to 12 participants |
| 2:30 PM | Walking tour with volunteer docent | Pre-registration required; limited to 12 participants |
| 3:00 PM | Shuttle service ends, last shuttle departs Native Azalea Collection
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– RAIN OR SHINE
A locally run, BIPOC-owned makers’ market focused on supporting artists, growers, and makers in the WNC area. Featuring vintage clothing, handmade jewelry, house plants, fruits veggies, and so much more!
Preservers, Innovators, and Rescuers of Culture in Chiapas features eleven textiles by acclaimed Indigenous artisanas (artists) from Chiapas, Mexico commissioned by US-based fiber artists and activist Aram Han Sifuentes. As part of their 2022 Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship, Han Sifuentes traveled to Chiapas to understand the function of garments and textiles within the social and cultural context of the area and to learn the traditional practice of backstrap weaving. Through the works on view, combined with a series of interviews Han Sifuentes conducted during her research, visitors learn about the artisanas and their role as preservers, rescuers, and innovators of culture and as protectors of Mayan ancestral knowledge. Together, these works present an approach to connecting and learning about culture through craft practices.
Han Sifuentes is interested in backstrap weaving because it is one of the oldest forms used across cultures. The vibrant hues and elaborate designs of each textile express the artisanas identities and medium to tell their stories. To understand how these values manifested in textiles made in Chiapas, Han Sifuentes invited the artisanas to create whatever weaving they desired over the course of three months. This is unique because most textiles in the area are created to meet tourist-driven and marketplace demands. Incorporating traditional backstrap weaving and natural dye techniques, some artisans created textiles to rescue or reintroduce weaving practices that are almost or completely lost in their communities, while others were created through material and conceptual experimentation. This range of approaches reflects how artistanas are constantly innovating while at the same time honoring and keeping to tradition.
Preservers, Innovators, and Rescuers of Culture in Chiapas is on view from November 17, 2023 to July 13, 2024.
Aram Han Sifuentes is a recipient of the Center for Craft’s 2022 Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship. This substantial mid-career grant is awarded to two artists to support research projects that advance, expand, and support the creation of new research and knowledge through craft practice.
The featured artisanas include: Juana Victoria Hernandez Gomez from San Juan Cancuc, Maria Josefina Gómez Sanchez and Maria de Jesus Gómez Sanchez from Oxchujk (Oxchuc), Marcela Gómez Diaz and Cecilia Gómez Diaz from San Andrés Larráinzar, Rosa Margarita Enríquez Bolóm from Huixtán, Cristina García Pérez from Chalchihuitán, Susana Maria Gómez Gonzalez, Maria Gonzalez Guillén, and Anastacia Juana Gómez Gonzalez from Zinacantán, Angelica Leticia Gómez Santiz from Pantelhó, and Susana Guadalupe Méndez Santiz from Aldama
About The Art Safari
(Our SPRING Art Safari is April 27 & 28, 10AM to 5PM)
The Weaverville Art Safari is one of the longest-running studio tours in Western North Carolina. And, was one of the first in the Asheville area!
Twice-a-year, this juried studio tour takes place the last weekend of April and the first weekend of November. Widely recognized for the quality of the artistry work, our Art Safari also gives guests the unique opportunity to meander through this beautiful area. You’ll enjoy meeting our artists and seeing the spaces where they work and live. The Weaverville Art Safari is a favorite of both locals and visitors; drawing thousands of art lovers to our area each year!
The Weaverville Art Safari appreciates the diversity of human beings and does not discriminate based on race, age, religion, ability, marital status, sexual orientation, sex or gender identity.
World Tai Chi Day & Qigong Day!
ALL are welcome at this FREE event that is open to the public on April 27th. You’ll meet up with others at the Carrier Park pavilion. Classes will be held from 10am – 3pm. This event is to help introduce new people to the various forms of Tai Chi, or Taiji, practice. Learn why the ancient form of Tai Chi offers benefits for everyone- no experience necessary.
Sigal Music Museum’s current special exhibition, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred, highlights items from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, which hails from all over the world. Showing November 2023 – May 2024, Worlds Apart uses a diverse range of historical instruments, objects, and visuals to bring together musical narratives from seemingly disparate parts of the globe.
Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred aims to increase public access to historical instruments from around the world and improve visitors’ understanding of musical traditions at the global level. Expanding beyond the typical parameters of the Western musical canon, Worlds Apart seeks to expose audiences to musical instruments and customs that are often overlooked or exotified. The instruments and other exhibit materials will offer visitors new perspectives on global music and a chance to consider how music is used for prayer and leisure in cultures around the world. By celebrating these stories, the museum intends to further its mission to collect and preserve historical musical instruments, objects, and information, which engage and enrich people of all ages through exhibits, performances, and experiential programs.
Displaying various objects from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred focuses on international musical instruments and cultures, celebrating rites and traditions with ancient histories and contemporary legacies. Frank Edwinn, a successful basso in the mid-20th century, studied and toured internationally, eventually settling in North Carolina, where he taught music at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Throughout his life, he purchased various objects from around the world, aiming to expose students, and himself, to the wide and wonderful world of musical instruments. This impressive collection occupies a unique position for educating audiences unfamiliar with the vast scope of global music.
And, UNCA’s Ramsey Library Special Collections is now processing the Edwinn’s papers and a few recordings that will be accessible next semester!
Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM
TFAC Pavilion (park/enter at rear of building)
Free drop-in event
Popper Tract
Distance: 3 miles
Difficulty: (6/10 difficulty) Moderate. Several steep inclines and stream-crossings
Cost: FREE
Registration: Pre-registration is REQUIRED
We invite you to join us for a memorial hike to honor and remember our friend Bill Popper and his dedication to preserving the 573-acre Prices Creek Preserve in Yancey County that he loved so much.
This hike is a perennial favorite, taking participants through our Price’s Creek Preserve where an astounding array of ephemeral wildflowers can be found this time of year. Participants will hike through mature northern hardwood forest along a trail following the babbling Price’s Creek. Midway along the trail – a spur trail leads up to a picturesque cascade where we will stop for a leisurely picnic lunch.
NOTE: Due to limited parking availability, we will be hard capping this hike at 12 participants. Please register each party member individually to ensure we do not go over this number.
We will meet at a public parking area before carpooling to Price’s Creek Preserve. If you are willing to be a driver, please let me know in the comments section of your registration.
If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected].
Join us for a North Carolina winery tour and celebrate a date night, bachelorette party, retirement, family, or a weekend away while sampling our favorite local beverages along the way. Our standard tour includes visits to three Asheville area vineyards. With safe and reliable transportation provided, you can sit back, relax and just have fun.
Included:
- Round trip transportation*
- Three vineyard visits
- Tastings at two of your three stops. Let’s just say that the pours at the first couple of locations are generous so we like to leave the third-stop beverage choice up to you.
- Time commitment = up to 5 hours
Want to include specific vineyards on your Asheville wine tours? If you have “must-see” wineries in mind or want to craft a full day catered to your group’s interests, we’re always happy to create a custom experience. Reach out any time!
TAKE A TRAIN RIDE ALONG SIDE THE BEAUTIFUL NANTAHALA RIVER ON OUR NANTAHALA GORGE EXCURSION! DEPARTING FROM BRYSON CITY, THIS 4½ HOUR ROUNDTRIP EXCURSION CARRIES YOU 44 MILES TO THE NANTAHALA GORGE AND BACK AGAIN ARRIVING AT OUR BRYSON CITY DEPOT.
Ride this excursion via Steam or Diesel locomotive power!
Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains while traveling along the Tennessee and Nantahala (nan-tuh-HAY-luh) River. The historic trellis bridge Fontana Trestle takes you across Fontana Lake and into the beautiful Nantahala Gorge. Onboard dining is available in First Class Seating and selecting from our First Class dining menu options OR you can pre-purchase a box lunch option to make this an amazing unique moving dining experience. Arrive at our layover destination in the heart of the Nantahala Gorge for a one-hour layover where you can relax by the river or enjoy sightseeing!
Itinerary
| 30m before departure | Boarding begins at Bryson City Depot |
| See schedule for departure time | Depart Bryson City, NC |
| 1h 45m | Reach top of the line |
| 2h 00m | Begin return |
| 2h 30m—3h 30m | Layover |
| 3h 30m | Depart Layover |
| 4h 30m | Arrive at Bryson City Depot |
| Time from Departure | Activity |
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Mark your calendars for the 12th Annual Face Jug Show at American Folk Art & Framing! And join us all month long as we celebrate a storied regional tradition: the wild, weird, and culturally iconic Face Jug!
The face jug began to appear in these parts in the very early 1800s. In those days, self-sufficiency ruled and handmade, locally-crafted clayware was common. Our regional soils contain all the elements needed to make hardy clay and our forests plenty of wood for the fueling of kilns. Over the years, popularity of these face vessels has waxed and waned, but the tradition has managed to survive and even thrive. Today, face jugs are an eagerly sought after & widely collected part of our mountain heritage. Wood-fired kilns remain the popular favorite, but there are some who experiment with gas- or electric-fired kilns, either for convenience, curiosity, or to achieve bright colors.
At the heart of our Annual Face Jug Show are traditional creators like Walter Fleming, who at 86 claims the title of the oldest working potter in the state of North Carolina and still hand-digs his clay off his property in the foothills. Wayne Hewell, a 5th generation potter in the mountains of Georgia, creates expressive jugs complete with corn cob stoppers from his own farm. His family’s pottery, still in operation today, began in 1850 and nearly every member of the Hewell clan has worked there for a time.
But what would a show celebrating the Face Jug be without variety? Texan Carl Block takes the Appalachian face jug in a very different direction and incorporates influences from Mexican folk art and his own free-spirited irreverence. 7th generation North Carolina potter Michael Gates creates both historically informed vessels inspired by his ancestors and wildly colorful ‘tattooed’ face jugs that express more of his personal style. Wisconsin potter Joel Huntley puts his own spin on what have commonly been referred to as ‘ugly jugs’ by creating beautifully-refined and delicately-featured face vessels in softly colorful glazes.
“For us, this is the most wonderful time of the year,” says gallery owner Julia L. Mills. “All month long, we get to share this unique pottery tradition with folks that have never encountered it before, and we get to reconnect with many of our most loyal collectors. Opening day is also just an incredible rush; it’s the only day of the year we open the gallery late, because we already know the phone will be ringing off the hook once the clock strikes noon.”
12 potters will be featured in the 2024 Face Jug show, including: Wayne Hewell • Mike Ball • Ben J. North • Michael Gates • Tim Whitten • Carl Block • Vicki Miller • Stacy Lambert • Walter Fleming • Steve Abee • Joel Huntley • Stephen Harrison
Whether you can visit the gallery in person or only online, please join us as we celebrate this storied pottery tradition at American Folk Art. The 12th Annual Face Jug Show will debut on the gallery website: WWW.AMERIFOLK.COM at 11 AM, Wednesday April 10th. For a full hour, the entire show will be available for previewing before phone sales begin promptly at noon. Remaining face jugs will be on view in the gallery from Friday, April 12th through Wednesday, May 1st, 2024
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| Images: Left: Minna Wright Citron, Squid Under Pier, 1948, color etching, soft-ground, and engraving on paper, edition 42/50, 15 x 17 7/8 inches, 2010 Collections Circle purchase, Asheville Art Museum. © Estate of Minna Citron/Licensed by VAGA at ARS, New York. Right: Dorothy Dehner, Woman #2, 1954, watercolor and ink on paper, 22 3/4 x 18”, courtesy of Dolan Maxwell. |
The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to announce the upcoming exhibition American Art in the Atomic Age: 1940–1960, which explores the groundbreaking contributions of artists who worked at the experimental printmaking studio Atelier 17 in the wake of World War II. Co-curated by Marilyn Laufer and Tom Butler, American Art in the Atomic Age which draws from the holdings of Dolan/Maxwell, the Asheville Art Museum Collection, and private collections will be on view from November 10, 2023–April 29, 2024.
Atelier 17 operated in New York for fifteen years, between 1940 and 1955. The studio’s founder, Stanley William Hayter (1901–1988) established the workshop in Paris but relocated to New York just as the Nazi occupation of Paris began in 1940. Hayter’s new studio attracted European emigrants like André Masson, Yves Tanguy, and Joan Miró, as well as American artists like Dorothy Dehner, Judith Rothschild, and Karl Schrag, allowing for an exchange of artistic ideas and processes between European and American artists.
The Asheville Art Museum will present over 100 works that exemplify the cross-cultural exchange and profound social and political impact of Atelier 17 on American art. Prints made at Atelier 17—including those by Stanley William Hayter, Louise Nevelson, and Perle Fine—will be in conversation with works by European Surrealists who were working at the studio in the 1940s and 1950s. The exhibition will also feature a selection of domestic mid-century objects that exemplify how the ideas and aesthetics of post-war abstraction became a part of everyday life.
Why do giraffes have such long necks? What is the purpose of their spots? Where do they live and what do they eat? Do they make sounds?
Dr Monica Bond has been studying giraffes in Tanzania (East Africa) for more than 12 years and has written numerous scientific articles as well as a children’s book about giraffes. She will share her knowledge about the world’s tallest animal in this multi-media presentation.
The Wild Nature Institute and the Weaverville Community Center for Creative and Healthy Living welcome Dr. Monica Bond to the Community Center at 60 Lakeshore Drive, Weaverville on Saturday April 27, 11:00 AM to 12 Noon.
The event is FREE and all ages are welcome.
In the early 1900s, travel by train and automobile became more accessible in the United States, leading to an increase in tourism and a revitalized interest in landscape painting. The relative ease of transportation, as well as the creation of National Parks, allowed people to experience the breathtaking landscapes of the United States in new ways. Artists traveled along popular routes, recording the terrain they encountered.
This exhibition explores the sublime natural landscapes of the Smokey Mountains of Western North Carolina and Tennessee. While there were several regional schools of painting around this time, this group is largely from the Midwest and many of the artists trained at the Art Institute of Chicago or in New York City. Through their travels, they captured waterfalls, sunsets, thunderstorms, autumn foliage, lush green summers, and snow-covered mountains—elements that were novel for viewers from cities and rural areas. Though some of these paintings include people, they are usually used for scale and painted with little to no detail, highlighting the magnificence of nature.
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Rudolph F. Ingerle, Mirrored Mountain, not dated, oil on canvas, 28 × 32 inches. Courtesy of Allen & Barry Huffman, Asheville Art Museum. |
11am – 5pm Tuesday through Saturday
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Joseph Fiore (1925-2008) first enrolled at Black Mountain College for the Summer Session of 1946, the summer that Josef Albers invited Jacob Lawrence to teach painting at BMC. Over the next three years, Fiore also studied with Ilya Bolotowsky, Willem de Kooning, and Jean Varda. In 1949, after Josef and Anni Albers’ departure, Joe was invited to join the faculty, and he taught painting and drawing until 1956 when the college leaders decided to close.
After BMC closed, Joe and his wife Mary, whom he met and married at BMC, moved to New York City. There he became involved with the 10th Street art scene of the late 1950s and 1960s, a group of galleries that exhibited the work of young artists on the rise. Eventually he resumed his teaching career at the Philadelphia College of Art, Maryland Institute College of Art, and the National Academy.
In May of 2001, Joseph Fiore was awarded the Andrew Carnegie Prize at the National Academy of Design in New York. The Carnegie Prize is awarded “for painting” at the National Academy’s Members’ Show.
This exhibition consists of paintings in our collection donated by the artist and by The Falcon Foundation. All of the paintings were made at Black Mountain College and show Fiore’s distinctive use of color and his ability to work comfortably in the spaces between abstraction and representation.
Curated by Alice Sebrell, Director of Preservation
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In this creative class, you’ll learn the basics of junk journalling and altered books. This art form combines mixed media art, upcycling, journaling, and scrapbooking with an edge! All supplies are provided, but feel free to bring your own elements if you’d like (photos, old books, lace or fabric, pieces of ephemera..whatever speaks to YOU). Space is limited. Please call 828-250-6482 to register today. Huge thanks to the Friends of the Weaverville Library for sponsoring this super fun workshop! |
47 Bryant St, Asheville, NC, United States, North Carolina 28806
See Facebook Event HERE
Join us in our yearly celebration of spring, the arts, the environment, sustainability, community & so much more.
Event Highlights:
Dozens of local vendors offering unique hand-crafted goods
Local Food Trucks & The Hop Ice Cream to keep you fueled for the fun
Live Music performed in the gardens
Take home seedlings that are chemical-free and naturally grown
Date: Saturday, April 27th
Time: 11 AM till dusk
Location: Peace Gardens & Market
We’ll kick the day off with a puppet performance from Asheville Creative Arts for the kiddos of all ages!
NOC serves as the finish line for the popular Smoky Mountain Relay Race! Join racers and spectators for a celebration and after party at Big Wesser!
About the Race
SOLD OUT! JOIN OUR WAITING LIST AND YOU MIGHT GET LUCKY!!
A scenic, wild, team adventure in the mountains of Western North Carolina, the Smoky Mountain Relay is an adventure that is not to be missed. This course will challenge you and your friends with tough legs and reward you with stories to last a lifetime. Choose from 6 person, 9 person, or 12 person teams to split up the 36 legs.
The 200-mile+ course begins at the Pink Beds Trail Loop picnic area just outside of Brevard, NC In the Pisgah National Forest and ends on our main campus in Bryson City.
Race Information & Registration: Please visit SmokyMountainRelay.com for more information on registration and pricing.