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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.
Testing Site Locations in Buncombe County: Appointment required at these sites
South West Buncombe
58 Apac Dr., Asheville (Buncombe County Sports Park)
Every Thursday
9:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.
Beginning October 7, the three-hour documentary-styled art installation Question Bridge: Black Males will be on view at the Asheville Art Museum. This innovative transmedia project facilitates a dialogue between Black men from diverse and contending backgrounds, and creates a platform for them to represent and redefine Black male identity in America. The work will be on view during regular public hours from October 7, 2020 through March 15, 2021.
Question Bridge: Black Males is a project that explores critically challenging issues within the African American male community by instigating a transmedia conversation among Black men across geographic, economic, generational, educational, and social strata of American society. Question Bridge provides a safe setting for necessary, honest expression and healing dialogue on themes that divide, unite, and puzzle Black males today in the United States.
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The Asheville Art Museum presents Fantastical Forms: Ceramics as Sculpture on view at the Museum November 4, 2020 through April 5, 2021. The 25 works in this exhibition—curated by associate curator Whitney Richardson—highlight the Museum’s Collection of sculptural ceramics from the last two decades of the 20th century to the present. Each work illustrates the artist’s ability to push beyond the utilitarian and transition ceramics into the world of sculpture.
North and South Carolina artists featured include Elma McBride Johnson, Neil Noland, Norm Schulman, Virginia Scotchie, Cynthia Bringle, Jane Palmer, Michael Sherrill, and Akira Satake. Works by American artists Don Reitz, Robert Chapman Turner, Karen Karnes, Toshiko Takaezu, Bill Griffith, and Xavier Toubes are also featured in the exhibition.
Best of all, Porch Portraits by Suzanne will donate $15 of every session to our great friends at Flat Rock Playhouse. My goal is to raise $15,000 for the Playhouse by the end of the year so any money over and above the price of $65 will go straight to them.
Perhaps most exciting, an extremely generous Playhouse donor has agreed to a MATCHING GIFT CAMPAIGN up to $36,000.18! This incredibly generous donation draws on the magic of Chai, the Jewish belief that multiples of 18 bring good luck. Meaning that every session booked will result in at least $30 for the wonderful folks at Flat Rock Playhouse.
For decades, Flat Rock Playhouse has been opening their collective hearts and sharing their fabulous talents to bring joy and entertainment to western North Carolina. This is an opportunity to show our gratitude at a time when they really need our support.
Together, let’s make magic happen! Help us kick off this campaign by contributing today.
Asheville Gallery of Art’s December show, “#ArtSquared,” is amulti-artist show featuring a variety of original square paintings by gallery members. The show runs December 3-29 during gallery hours, 12-5 p.m. Thursday thru Sunday. You can also make arrangements for a private tour by emailing a request to [email protected].
Ten Asheville area art galleries. A new gallery experience online daily from 5-6 pm each weekday beginning December 2nd through December 15th.
Sleight of Hand, curated by Center for Craft 2020 Curatorial Fellow Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy, centralizes humor in the creative exploration of some of our most pressing contemporary social issues. On view beginning October 23 in the Bresler Family Gallery, the show highlights six artists of color currently working in mixed media, primarily clay, to approach issues like culture, race, tradition, and resilience through irreverent, absurd, ironic, cute, anthropomorphized, and eccentric objects.
In her statement about the show, Vizcarrondo-Laboy, includes two definitions for the phrase “sleight of hand”: “a cleverly executed trick or deception,” and “a conjuring trick requiring manual dexterity.” The show’s six artists draw viewers into their works through their use of whimsical forms, only to reveal deeply serious issues tied to current events and conversations. Vizcarrondo-Laboy explains, “For these artists, humor is not merely an aesthetic strategy; it is also a tool of resistance, resilience, and healing.”
“We are so pleased to have supported Vizcarrondo-Laboy through the Center’s 2020 Curatorial Fellowship program,” says Center for Craft Assistant Director and Curator Marilyn Zapf. “Her visionary, thoughtful, and research-driven approach to Sleight of Hand presents and contextualizes current artistic strategies and timely conversations in craft that propels the field forward.”
The exhibition updates the irreverent approaches of anti-establishment Bay Area Funk artists like Robert Arneson and David Gilhooly with a new group of young, emerging artists shifting the field and future of ceramics to re-centralize makers of color within an ever-diversifying landscape of visual arts.
Artists in the exhibition include Chicago-based Salvador Jiménez-Flores, whose piece, La resistencia de los nopales híbridos (The Resistance of the Hybrid Cacti), explicitly references Arneson’s iconoclastic self-portraiture, while also commenting on Jiménez-Flores’ own Mexican heritage and issues facing the Latinx community. Los Angeles-based artist Diana Yesenio Alvarado slyly remixes symbols familiar from popular culture, like clowns and Disney characters, to explore the sometimes contradictory depths of human experiences, particularly in her hometown of East L.A. Iraqi-American artist Maryam Yousif’s Puabi Palms Pot playfully imagines a figure of ancient history, Queen Puabi of Sumer, as a famous modern-day pop star whose visage graces ceramic vessels festooned with iconography of the Middle Eastern landscape.
Besides the ceramic works, the exhibition also features a video installation from Colombian-American artist Natalia Arbalaez, as well as a two-dimensional painted work from Mexican-American artist Yvette Mayorga, which also incorporate the history and uses of ceramics, both traditionally and experimentally.
This is the second exhibition from this year’s 2020 Curatorial Fellowship recipients. Each year, the Curatorial Fellowship recognizes up-and-coming curators working at the cutting edge of craft. Three recipients organize shows at the Center for Craft as part of the Center’s larger conversation around craft and its evolution. Learn more at centerforcraft.org.
A virtual tour of the exhibition is scheduled for Thursday, December 3 from 6-7 p.m. The event is free, but donations of $5-10 are suggested and will support future programming. The Center is offering free, unguided visits and affordable tours of its exhibitions to the public. Guests can pre-register for a 30-minute visit to explore the current exhibitions, learn more about the Center’s national impact in their Craft Research Fund Study Collection, and enjoy interactive activities.
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This year the Asheville Area Arts Council is offering $500 micro-grants for arts-based projects specifically focused on community hope and healing. These can be projects that bring joy to our local community, and/or projects that actively engage community members in safe activities following state and local health restrictions.
Arts and culture are a fundamental part of our community. They help us connect with one another and better understand history, people, and new ideas. When people become involved in the design, creation, and upkeep of places, they develop a vested interest in using and maintaining these spaces. When neighbors have a true sense of “ownership” or connection to the places they frequent, the community becomes a better place to live, work, and visit. According to Americans for the Arts (AFTA), “86% of participants who took part in community-based art want to be involved in future projects, and people living where these art projects occurred were more than twice as likely to be civically engaged as those whose neighborhoods did not have projects.”
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Tribute Companies is requesting Artist Qualifications for a permanent art mural(s) for their mixed-use development, The Ironwood, located on Asheland/Coxe Avenue in Downtown Asheville.
This artwork should do the following:
● Create excitement and interest for the area. ● Honor the diversity of Asheville’s Southside community. ● Celebrate the vital role of African American history and culture in Asheville. ● Connect visually to the site through interpretation of historical and cultural aspects. ● Be durable, low maintenance, and appropriate to the location. Integral to creating this artwork(s), is the artists’ willingness to learn about the community and have a dialogue with interested community members to help inspire and guide content creation. A range of materials/applications will be considered, including painted murals and digitally printed murals. If digital, the work must be vector based, printable, and scalable to the site specifications. |
Time is Running Out for 2021 Health Insurance Through ACA
Affordable Care Act “Obamacare” Open Enrollment Ends Dec. 15th
Pisgah Legal Services (PLS), and its Enrollment Partners of WNC, are offering free assistance to people in the 18-county mountain region, helping them review their options and sign up for plans. The COVID-19 outbreak is making health care coverage even more important in these difficult times.
“This is the most critical open enrollment period of my career, and I’ve been at Pisgah Legal Services for all of them,” says Jackie Kiger, Chief Operations Officer. “With high unemployment and the fact that North Carolina hasn’t expanded Medicaid, there are many more uninsured people. We are seeing people who have lost jobs, income, and insurance and who are struggling with the unemployment benefit system.”
Appointments Still Available with PLS or Go Directly to Healthcare.Gov
Appointments can be made online at www.pisgahlegal.org/aca or by calling (828) 210-3404. For the safety of consumers, staff and volunteers, all appointments are currently being conducted by phone. Depending on where you live in WNC, some of Pisgah Legal’s ACA Partners may be offering in-person appointments.
Shannon Cornelius, Pisgah Legal’s Health Justice Program Director, says, “We are seeing very strong interest this year in sign-ups, but we still have some openings for safe and contact-free help with our trained assisters. There is still time to make an appointment if you act quickly.”
Cornelius also says that people can also go directly to the Health Insurance Marketplace, www.healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596, if they ready to sign up on their own.
Financial assistance is still available to those who qualify. Last year, more than 90 percent of North Carolinians who enrolled for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace received financial assistance to make their plans more affordable. Subsidies are based on household taxable income and may be difficult for consumers to calculate themselves. Pisgah Legal can help with this process and can factor in unemployment benefits if needed. Pisgah Legal can also answer questions about other coverage, such as COBRA, and help people apply for Medicaid and CHIP.
Pisgah Legal and other Enrollment Partners of WNC participating organizations give local residents free, unbiased health insurance information and enrollment assistance in the NC Health Insurance Marketplace. These organizations include: Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Mountain Projects, Inc., Western Carolina Medical Society, and Pisgah Legal Services.
The ACA – also known as “Obamacare” – is the law that ensures access to quality, affordable health insurance on the Health Insurance Marketplace. With these plans, consumers are protected and:
Since 1978, nonprofit Pisgah Legal Services has provided free civil legal aid to help people with low incomes seek justice and meet their basic needs including preventing homelessness, stopping domestic violence and securing health care. Pisgah Legal Services provides a broad array of free, civil legal services in 11 WNC counties, and offers immigration law services in 18 counties. Last year PLS served more than 18,000 people across the mountain region.
PLS has offices in Asheville, Burnsville, Brevard, Hendersonville, Marshall, and Rutherfordton and is now opening a new Highlands/Cashiers office to serve people in Macon and Jackson counties. Pisgah Legal has 32 attorneys on staff and relies heavily on the pro bono legal services of more than 300 volunteer attorneys.
Pisgah Legal Services continues to serve clients during the COVID-19 outbreak. For more information, visit www.pisgahlegal.org to apply for help online or make a gift in support of this important work.
With Nature-Connected Community
Led by Luke McLaughlin
Ten month program running March – December of 2021.
One, four-day weekend, per month.
Blue Ridge Mountains, near Asheville, North Carolina
(traditional Cherokee territory )
This year the Asheville Area Arts Council is offering $500 micro-grants for arts-based projects specifically focused on community hope and healing. These can be projects that bring joy to our local community, and/or projects that actively engage community members in safe activities following state and local health restrictions.
Arts and culture are a fundamental part of our community. They help us connect with one another and better understand history, people, and new ideas. When people become involved in the design, creation, and upkeep of places, they develop a vested interest in using and maintaining these spaces. When neighbors have a true sense of “ownership” or connection to the places they frequent, the community becomes a better place to live, work, and visit. According to Americans for the Arts (AFTA), “86% of participants who took part in community-based art want to be involved in future projects, and people living where these art projects occurred were more than twice as likely to be civically engaged as those whose neighborhoods did not have projects.”
The Museum was closed for nearly six full months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing severe losses in revenue. Though we are now open, uncertainty still looms, and it will take a dedicated effort to recover to a position of strength and stability. Thanks to a generous grant from a longtime foundation supporter, the Museum has established the Asheville Art Museum COVID-19 Relief Fund and matching challenge to encourage additional operational support during this difficult year. We invite you to participate in the challenge and help secure the Museum’s future as we work to serve our community through engagement with the arts.
Through December 31, 2020, all Annual Fund donations and upgraded memberships will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $75,000. Give any amount to the Annual Fund, and boost your impact at this critical time with the one-to-one match. You may also join the Masterpiece Society or renew at another upgraded membership level. Any gift in addition to your current renewal will be matched by this fund and will count toward your membership
As we move toward the Holiday season, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has released guidance for fall-related events. The guidance was developed with the goal of safer holiday breaks for college students and private social gatherings.
SeekHealing, an Asheville, NC-based 501(c)3 working to reduce drug overdoses and deaths of despair by providing free-of-charge mental health and holistic healing services, invites you to this informative yet playful and real dive into human connection and why the social bonds we form (or struggle to form) are so important to our health and happiness both as individuals and as communities at-large.
This online event will feature renowned speakers, including Dr. Gabor Maté, discussing the neuroscience research behind human connection and the challenging social issues it can heal, interactive sessions to practice relating and communication skills, live music to dance to, Yoga and meditation, a ‘Local Love’ silent auction, and much more. Details and tickets can be found at our website.
Did you know that Amazon’s net sales for Q4 are expected to be $121 Billion and to grow 38% compared with fourth quarter 2019 numbers? Clearly in this pandemic, they are the big winner. Y’all… there has NEVER been a more critical year to SHOP LOCAL! Please show your love and support of our amazing local business community which truly has all you could ever need- a vintage dress, wall tapestry, piece of pottery, growler of beer or endless gift cards to your favorite Asheville restaurants. Get some ideas here: shops , restaurants , breweries , and more.
Things are looking a little different this winter holiday season. Show & Tell has gone virtual, bringing the holiday pop up shop you know and love Home For the Holidays!
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Although we are going to miss decking the halls, we are so excited to reach a wider audience with our online presence and are thrilled to showcase the best in handmade, vintage, fair trade, and packaged bites from Asheville, NC and beyond.
Apply by Jan. 11 | Visual artists, applications are now open for the 2021 Southern Prize & State Fellowships. $80,000 in cash awards and residencies at The Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences will be awarded to celebrate the highest quality artistic work being created in the South.
The Southern Equality Studios special grant round is dedicated to resourcing and celebrating LGBTQ artists and creatives across the LGBTQ South who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or people of color). Grants of up to $500 will support BIPOC LGBTQ Southern artists working on a wide range of creative projects.
These new grant rounds are part of CSE’s Southern Equality Fund, which has been making grassroots grants across the LGBTQ South since 2015. Since its inception, the Southern Equality Fund has prioritized supporting work led by BIPOC, transgender, and rural organizers.
Have you seen an inspiring BIPOC LGBTQ artists in your community, or are you a creative who could use grant support? If so, we want to hear from you!
We are specifically seeking nominations for artists or creatives efforts who are:
Kimpton Hotel Arras and local artists today unveiled, “Ode to Buskers & Asheville Music,” a locally created, life-size stainless steel sculpture located outdoors on the corner of Lexington and Patton at Kimpton Hotel Arras. Inspired by the city’s vibrant street musicians and their lively drum circles, artists Chukk Bruursema and Ash Knight sought to bring the unique rhythms of Asheville to life through this striking, collaborative piece, which was commissioned by the hotel.
“Asheville Music,” the large steel djembe drum sculpted by Chukk Bruursema, has West African roots, where the djembe is traditionally played as part of an ensemble, invoking feelings of community and togetherness. Adorning the drum is “Asheville Music,” Ash Knight’s five musical buskers depicted playing the spoons, the string washtub, jug, washboard, and the fiddle, with a dog observing from the ground below.
“We are pleased to officially introduce the “Ode to Buskers & Asheville Music” sculpture, a defining art piece that truly represents the spirit of our city, to the Asheville community,” said Kimpton Hotel Arras General Manager David McCartney. “This piece is an exciting addition to the hotel and expands our local artwork program, which works to highlight and supporting the work of local artists and purveyors.”
Following the unveiling, tours of the additional local artwork displayed throughout the hotel were offered with the artists in attendance to speak to their pieces, including John Wayne Jackson and Peter Roux. Kimpton Hotel Arras commissioned more than a dozen pieces of local artwork curated by local art consultant Liz Barr of Art Resouces.
Click HERE to view photos of “Ode to Buskers & Asheville Music” from the unveiling.
Grove Arcade is thrilled to announce the return of its annual Winter Wonderland holiday celebration.
The Arcade has transformed into a wreath-bedecked showcase for Asheville’s finest local craftspeople and retailers. Smells of pine and holly will greet visitors as they tour—at a proper social distance!—Asheville’s stunning art deco gem to discover one-of-a-kind, handcrafted local gifts, enjoy holiday-themed beverages and dining specials, and winter-y feels within the warm Grove Arcade halls. Specially curated Christmas standards and the most extravagant holiday decorations in town will transport visitors to a truly unforgettable winter paradise.
We will be hosting a local MANNA Food Bank Drive! Drop-off barrels will be placed around several areas of the Arcade to be collected and distributed by MANNA to help during these uncertain times.
For the enjoyment and safety of everyone, Grove Arcade will be taking appropriate COVID-19 precautions during Winter Wonderland. All visitors and employees will be required to follow the CDC’s health recommendations, including social distancing and mask wearing.
Enjoy a safe and jolly visit to Grove Arcade’s Winter Wonderland! And from all of us at Grove Arcade, Happy Holidays!
The ACA is still the law, and Pisgah Legal is again helping people across WNC understand their options and sign up for Affordable Care Act Health Insurance. Open Enrollment only lasts six weeks – so don’t delay!
There are no charges for our services.
Be prepared to get swept up in a new fiber weaving direction: historic Broom Making with Mark Hendry of Blue Ridge, GA.
You’ll be whisked away for a wonderful 3-day weekend, learning to craft various styles of stunning handmade whisk brooms with Mark Hendry of Mountain Heritage Craft.
You will learn the historic handcraft of making brooms sans machinery, as it was done in the 18th century.
Each day students will explore fun, functional & highly decorative whisk designs, plaiting techniques, ways of adding color and at least 4 different construction methods and styles, culminating in a hearty cache of whisks to take home, along with the know-how to create more on your own.
These highly useful beautiful gems of the sweeper world make fantastic gifts, as well as being very fun and satisfying to make.
All levels welcome. Some hand strength required.
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Wake, Mel Chin’s giant animatronic sculpture, installed in New York City’s Times Square last summer, will be on view in Asheville through March 15, 2021, at 44 Collier Avenue. Chin, a WNC based conceptual artist, was named a MacArthur Fellow in September 2019.
Wake was commissioned as part of Mel Chin: All Over the Place, a multi-site survey of his works from across many decades that took place in several New York City locations. A collaborative group, led by UNC Asheville’s STEAM Studio and The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, formed to plan and raise funds for the sculpture to be seen locally.
Wake – 60 feet long, 34 feet wide and 24 feet high, conceived and designed by the artist – was engineered, sculpted and fabricated by an interdisciplinary team of UNC Asheville students, faculty, staff and community artists led by Chin. The sculpture is interactive and features decks and places to sit and contemplate.
Wake evokes the hull of a shipwreck crossed with the skeletal remains of a marine mammal. The structure is linked with a carved, 21-foot-tall animatronic sculpture, accurately derived from a figurehead of the opera star Jenny Lind that was once mounted on the 19th century clipper ship, USS Nightingale. Jenny Lind moves subtly as she breathes and scans the sky.
Visitors can experience Wake daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 44 Collier Avenue. For more details and a schedule of programming, visit ashevillearts.com.
