The Peppermint Bear Scavenger Hunt will take you on a fun-filled bear hunt through downtown Hendersonville looking for Peppermint Bear’s lost bear cubs, who are hiding out in the shops, Get your map at the Visitor Center, then head out to find all of the cubs and get a stamp at each location after you’ve found the bear, return completed entry forms to the Visitor Center to be eligible for great prizes!

Guided tours will be at 10:30 AM each day.

$15 adults, $10 students, $10 seniors (65+), free 4 and under

Self-guided tours will be from 1-3 PM each day with a volunteer in the house to answer questions.

$8 adults, $5 students, $5 seniors (65+), free 4 and under

All tours include hot chocolate and cookies and a visit with the Heritage Weavers & Fiber Artists.

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.

Throughout the history of painting from the mid-19th century forward, artists have used an endless variety of approaches to record their world. Beyond the Lens: Photorealist Perspectives on Looking, Seeing, and Painting continues this thread, offering an opportunity to explore a singular and still forceful aspect of American art. Photorealism shares many of the approaches of historical and modernist realism, with a twist. The use of the camera as a basic tool for organizing visual information in advance of painterly expression is now quite common, but Photorealists embraced the camera as the focal point in their creative process. Beyond the Lens presents key works from the collection of Louis K. and Susan Pear Meisel, bringing together paintings and works on paper dating from the 1970s to the present to focus on this profoundly influential art movement. The exhibition includes work by highly acclaimed formative artists of the movement such as Charles Bell, Robert Bechtle, Tom Blackwell, Richard Estes, Audrey Flack, and Ralph Goings as well as paintings by the successive generations of Photorealist artists Anthony Brunelli, Davis Cone, Bertrand Meniel, Rod Penner, and Raphaella Spence. Featured artworks in the exhibition include diverse subject matters, but the primary focus is on the common and every day: urban scenes, “portraits” of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, still life compositions using toys, food, candy wrappers, and salt and pepper shakers. All provide opportunities for virtuoso studies in how light, reflection, and the camera as intermediary shapes our perception of the material world. This multigenerational survey demonstrates how the 35-mm camera, and later technological advances in digital image-making, informed and impacted the painterly gesture. Taken together, the paintings and works on paper in Beyond the Lens show how simply spellbinding these virtuosic works of art can be. “Beyond the Lens offers a fascinating look into the Photorealism movement and delves into the profound connection between the artists’ observation and creative process,” says Pamela L. Myers, Executive Director of Asheville Art Museum. “We are delighted to present this curated collection of artworks encapsulating the creative vision and technical precision that defines this artistic genre.” Photorealism found its roots in the late 1960s in California and New York, coexisting with an explosion of new ideas in art-making that included Conceptual, Pop, Minimalism, Land and Performance Art. At first, representational realism coexisted with the thematic and conceptual explosion but was eventually relegated to the margins regarding critical and curatorial attention. Often misunderstood and sometimes negatively criticized or lampooned as a betrayal of modernism’s commitment to abstraction, the artists involved in Photorealism remained committed explorers of the trail they had blazed. In the decades of the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century, realistic and symbolic painting experienced a renaissance, as contemporary artists are increasingly drawn to narrative and storytelling. Concurrently, using a camera as a preparatory tool equally legitimate and valuable as pencils and pens has made the rubric of Photorealism increasingly relevant. This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and guest curated by Terrie Sultan. This exhibition is sponsored in part by Jim and Julia Calkins Peterson.

The Asheville Art Museum is thrilled to announce a captivating December Live Music Series, bringing a harmonious fusion of art and music to the galleries. This unique series showcases Western North Carolina-based musicians Jessie Meltz, Monique Pinelli, and Laura Boswell. Audience members are invited to immerse themselves in an unparalleled cultural experience as our galleries transform into an intimate setting for these exceptional live performances. “The December Live Music Series aims to create an ambiance where visual and auditory senses intertwine, providing a memorable and enriching experience for all attendees,” says Adult Programs and Community Outreach Manager Magdalena Van Thienen. Harpist Jessie Meltz will kick off the series and play a wide repertoire to provide audiences with an eclectic musical experience. Monique Pinelli will perform a diverse set of holiday and classical music on the violin. The series will conclude with an enchanting folk-classical performance on the guitar by Laura Boswell. The December Live Music Series is free for Museum Members or included in Museum admission. Tickets are available for purchase in advance but are not required. December Live Music Series Schedule: Monique Pinelli Monday, December 11 • 11am–2pm Wednesday, December 13 • 11am–2pm On violin, Monique Pinelli will play holiday and classical music in the exhibitions Beyond the Lens: Photorealist Perspectives on Looking, Seeing, and Painting and Intersections in American Art.

Romare Bearden (Charlotte, NC 1911–1988 New York, NY), African American writer and artist, is renowned for his collages. He constantly experimented with various techniques to achieve his artistic goals throughout his career. This exhibition highlights works on paper and explores his most frequently used mediums, including screen-printing, lithography, hand-colored etching, collagraph, monotype, relief print, photomontage, and collage.

Bearden’s work reflects his improvisational approach to his practice. He considered his process akin to that of jazz and blues composers. Starting with an open mind, he would let an idea evolve spontaneously.

“Romare Bearden: Ways of Working highlights Bearden’s unique artistic practice and masterful storytelling through art,” says Pamela L. Myers, Executive Director of the Asheville Art Museum. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Jerald Melberg Gallery to present these extraordinary works on paper in conversation with Bearden’s collage Sunset Express, 1984 in the Museum Collection (on view in the Museum’s SECU Collection Hall). This exhibition will also provide a glimpse into the cultural histories and personal interests that influenced his art-making practice, and we hope it encourages introspection and dialogue with our visitors.”

Jerald Melberg states, “Romare Bearden’s groundbreaking artistic practice continues to captivate audiences worldwide. With an unparalleled legacy of creativity and innovation, Bearden’s contributions to art remain deeply influential years beyond his life.” We have enjoyed organizing this exhibition with the Asheville Art Museum to showcase his artistic genius and inspire visitors from the Western North Carolina region and beyond.”

This exhibition is made possible in part by the Judy Appleton Fund. Many thanks to the Jerald Melberg Gallery for the loan of these important artworks and to Mary and Jerald Melberg for their long-standing support of the arts, artists, and the Asheville Art Museum.

ONSITE | Monday, December 11, 1 – 4 p.m. | $45 Adult Non-Member (Arboretum member discount applies!) Pre-registration Required.

Find inspiration in fall’s beautiful leaves in this half day class that covers the basics of eco-printing. Artist Joyce Tromba helps you learn how to select and test leaves and other plant material for making permanent prints on paper. We will walk around the arboretum and pick some leaves for our printing. Then while our papers are processing you will learn how to make a lovely star book that can be used as an ornament on your tree. You will take home a collection of papers to use in card, ornament and book making this season.

Pre-register for this small-group experience through the form linked below and staff will  be in touch to finalize registration and payment.

The official 2023 Gingerbread display begins on Monday, November 27, 2023 and will continue through Tuesday, January 2, 2024. Explore an array of exquisite gingerbread houses meticulously crafted by talented competitors from across the nation in the grandest gingerbread house competition of all.

Guests not staying at the Resort are invited to view the display after 4:00 p.m. on Sundays or anytime Monday through Thursday, based on parking availability and excluding holidays and the following dates: December 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 and January 1. All Fridays and Saturdays are reserved for registered resort guests and those that have confirmed dining reservations. Display access is subject to hotel capacity, including pedestrian traffic. Please note that only Registered Resort Pets will be permitted. No outside pets will be allowed. Before travelling to the property, visit our Facebook page to verify display access is open for public viewing. CLICK FOR LIVE PROPERTY UPDATES

HOLIDAY PARKING PROGRAM

Since the inception of the Holiday Parking Partner program in 2013, we have been honored to contribute over $923,000 to not-for-profit partners in Buncombe County, North Carolina. During the Fall & Holiday season, there is no complimentary parking on property. From October 1, 2023 – January 2, 2024, parking rates are as follows:

• Valet Parking: $35 for day parking & overnight guests
• Self-Parking: $25 for day parking & overnight guests

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

It all began with a small group of gingerbread houses built by community members in 1992 as another way to celebrate the holiday season with no plans to continue the following year. There was no possible way to know that more than two decades later The Omni Grove Park Inn National Gingerbread House Competition™ would be one of the nation’s most celebrated and competitive holiday events.

As the event grew, so did the caliber of judges and competitors. Our panel of judges represents nationally renowned food and media professionals and the level of competition has attracted the highest quality of design, artistry and pastry expertise. The competition has merited broadcast coverage by NBC’s TODAY Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, the Travel Channel, and the Food Network.

The Gingerbread Display has grown in more than just entries; it has become a true family holiday tradition. From the very young to the very young at heart, the reaction to this magical experience is the same – one of wonder, awe and delight.

Candidates are beginning to file for state and local elections in 2024 and they need treasurers! These state-mandated roles are vital, interesting, and also mostly easy work you can do in your pajamas.

Does that sound like you? Come to this session to get a picture of what campaign finance volunteering looks like, some useful pointers, and start to get connected to campaigns in need. Veteran local treasurers will provide information and answer questions. Whether it’s your first time considering it or you’re a multi-campaign vet, consider attending!

Who should attend: Anyone interested in volunteering as a campaign treasurer

Candidates are beginning to file for state and local elections in 2024 and they need treasurers! These state-mandated roles are vital, interesting, and also mostly easy work you can do in your pajamas.

Does that sound like you? Come to this session to get a picture of what campaign finance volunteering looks like, some useful pointers, and start to get connected to campaigns in need. Veteran local treasurers will provide information and answer questions. Whether it’s your first time considering it or you’re a multi-campaign vet, consider attending!

Who should attend: Anyone interested in volunteering as a campaign treasurer

Candidates are beginning to file for state and local elections in 2024 and they need treasurers! These state-mandated roles are vital, interesting, and also mostly easy work you can do in your pajamas.

Does that sound like you? Come to this session to get a picture of what campaign finance volunteering looks like, some useful pointers, and start to get connected to campaigns in need. Veteran local treasurers will provide information and answer questions. Whether it’s your first time considering it or you’re a multi-campaign vet, consider attending!

Who should attend: Anyone interested in volunteering as a campaign treasurer.

Festival of Lights offers two different experiences for attendees: a drive-thru and a walk-thru. The walk-thru dates will take place on Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 from 6-8 p.m. and the drive-thru will be taking place nightly from Dec. 4 – Dec. 23 from 6-9 p.m.

The walk-thru nights (Dec. 2 and 3) will consist of fun holiday crafts, kettlecorn, hot chocolate and the spectacular light show. Admission to the walk-thru nights is only $5 for adults, and children 16 and under get in free, making it an affordable and joyful outing for families to celebrate the holiday season together. Please note that parking for the walk-thru nights will be available at Charles T. Koontz Intermediate School. This is only a short walk from Lake Julian Park. Cars will not be permitted to enter the park unless they have a need for ADA accessible parking. Guests are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and to dress warmly.

The drive-thru nights (Dec. 4 – Dec. 23) allow you to stay in the comfort of your own car while oooh-ing and ah-ing at the beautiful lights around Lake Julian Park. As participants drive throughout the park, they can tune into their favorite seasonal music on the radio. Admission is $10 per car for personal vehicles, $25 for sprinter vans, trailblazers, and conversion vans, and $50 for busses and motorcoaches. Purchased tickets will be valid for one-time use on any night of the festival; tickets are not date specific.

Join us in celebrating 10 Years of Winter Lights ❅

❅ November 17 through December 31!

7 Seconds
Catbite
Blind Adam & The Federal League

Ages 18+

Bouncing Souls Tickets | Asheville, NC | The Orange Peel (etix.com)

Music Movie Mondays:
A Hard Day’s Night
For Immediate Release: The feature film debut from The Beatles,
A Hard Day’s Night captures the humor, exuberance and musical
genius of The group at the height of the Beatlemania
phenomenon. A special December 11 screening as part of the
Music Movie Mondays series at Grail Movie House will be
hosted by Asheville author and music journalist Bill Kopp.
In 1964, pop music wasn’t taken especially seriously (Nor, it should
be emphasized, were pop musicians). Such things were considered
ephemeral. Difficult as it might be to imagine, even The Beatles were
seen as something of a flash in the proverbial pan. Even they thought
so: asked in an interview how long they predicted it would be until
the bubble burst, one of them replied, “Five years.” But as we now know, although The Beatles broke up in 1969, their impact
upon music, pop culture and culture-in-general endures.
Canny observers must have had some sense of all this even in 1964, when The Beatles broke through globally. So it was that the
four – all of them in their twenties – were signed to a motion picture deal. No actors among them, The Beatles were nonetheless
seen as the perfect group to star in a film. And while said film could easily have been a teen-exploitation reel, The Beatles’ film
debut had the good fortune to have been written and directed by people who actually got it.
Screenwriter Alun Owen went so far as to travel with the group from gig to gig, picking up ideas from the whirlwind lives that
John, Paul, George and Ringo were living at the peak of Beatlemania. And director Richard Lester had no interest in making an
empty-headed film. Add to that the fact that the four Beatles – especially drummer Ringo Starr – seemed remarkably natural in
front of the camera. So it was that a classic was made: A Hard Day’s Night.
A Hard Day’s Night manages to be funny, clever, coherent and possessing of an almost documentary level of accuracy with
regard to what Beatlemania was like. But above all, it’s fun. A rousing critical success, the black-and-white film made on a
modest budget quickly became a major box-office hit. Nearly 60 years after its release, A Hard Day’s Night continues to delight
audiences. And this special screening of The Beatles’ first feature film also presents a chance to watch the film with fellow
Beatles fans. And a post-screening discussion led by author and music journalist Bill Kopp provides an opportunity to share
thoughts and insight on the film.
As part of the Music Movie Mondays series, Grail Moviehouse in Asheville hosts a special one-night-only showing of the film.
Presented by Asheville-based speaker, author and music journalist Bill Kopp, the evening will include a screening of the film
followed by an interactive discussion.

“Going to the movies has always been a kind of communal
experience,” says Kopp, host of Music Movie Mondays.
“Especially in this post-lockdown era, the opportunity to not only
watch a film but then to discuss it with others is something even
more special. And music-related films lend themselves
remarkably well to this shared, interactive experience.”
Music Movie Mondays is a monthly series moderated by Bill Kopp, hosted by Grail Movie House
and sponsored by AshevilleFM. Music Movie Mondays presents a special screening of A Hard
Day’s Night on Monday, Dec. 11 @ 7 pm. The program will feature a brief introduction. Then we’ll watch the film together;
afterward, we’ll engage in a moderated discussion.
The one-night-only screening of A Hard Day’s Night is the latest in the ongoing popular series of Music Movie Mondays at
Grail Moviehouse. Every month, we’ll watch and discuss new releases, classics and cult favorites.

The Most Wonderful Tour of the Year is coming to Bon Secours Wellness Arena this holiday season! Come celebrate the holidays with the world’s biggest a cappella act 🎁

Mike Guggino and Barrett Smith, members of the Grammy Award winning band Steep Canyon Rangers, have been performing traditional Italian folk music on the mandolin and guitar for nearly two decades. When Mike and Barrett are touring with the band, they host “Italian Night” performances at local restaurants, music venues, and house concerts. Over the years, these widely popular events have provided them the perfect setting to develop their own unique musical expression of these exotic, Italian folk songs

Steve Miller has been an enlivening presence on the American music scene for more than half a century – and, in the course of that era, his releases have sold tens of millions of records and been streamed several billion times. Miller’s Greatest Hits 1974-78 received the RIAA Diamond Award with sales of more than fifteen million copies. It is among the 25 best-selling albums of all time.

At the start of his career, Miller soon became a mainstay of the San Francisco music scene that upended American culture in the late ’60s. With albums like Children of the Future, Sailor and Brave New World, Miller perfected a psychedelic blues sound that drew on the deepest sources of American roots music and simultaneously articulated a compelling vision of what music – and, indeed, society – could be in the years to come.

Then, in the ’70s, Miller crafted a brand of pure pop that was smart, polished, exciting and irresistible – and that dominated radio in a way that few artists have ever managed. Hit followed hit in what seemed like an endless flow: “The Joker,” “Take the Money and Run,” “Rock’n Me,” “Fly Like an Eagle,” “Jet Airliner,” “Jungle Love,” “Swingtown” and “Abracadabra,” among them. To this day, those songs are instantly recognizable when they crop up online or on the radio – and impossible not to sing along with. Their hooks are the very definition of indelible.

Running through Miller’s distinctive catalog is a combination of virtuosity and song craft. And that’s no accident. His parents were jazz aficionados – not to mention close friends of Les Paul and Mary Ford – so, as a budding guitarist, Miller absorbed valuable lessons from that musical tradition. When the family moved to Texas, Miller deepened his education in the blues, eventually relocating to Chicago, where he played with Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy and Paul Butterfield. That range of sources informs his music to this day.

In recent years, Miller has fully immersed himself in the blues and its many byways. As he has always done, he continues to find creative outlets for the full panoply of his musical passions. On his successful tours with the Steve Miller Band, he complements the commercial peaks of his extensive catalogue with lesser-known songs that expand his fans’ awareness of the range of his work. As a member of the Board of Directors at Jazz at Lincoln Center, he has curated and headlined a series of shows that explore themes like the bridge from blues to jazz in the music of guitar great T-Bone Walker; the distinctive sounds of the blues triangle of Memphis, Texas and Chicago; the resonances between the singular musical creations of Ma Rainey and Miles Davis; the deep American roots music of Appalachia; and Cannonball Adderley and the Blues. In addition, at the request of Wynton Marsalis, he is defining a blues pedagogy for Jazz at Lincoln Center. He is also a member of the visiting committee of the Department of Musical Instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Indeed, five of his guitars were displayed in “Play It Loud: The Instruments of Rock and Roll,” a groundbreaking exhibition at the Met that ran for six months in 2019. Miller was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 and has been elected for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022. He has recently begun to open his vaults for the first time, releasing the acclaimed Welcome to the Vault box set in
2019 and Breaking Ground Live! August 3, 1977 in 2021.

With each listen the beauty and immediacy of Miller’s work, whether at its most playful or most serious, is palpable. As always, whether he was riding the top of the charts or traveling the endless blue highways of American music, you can hear him playing and singing with conviction and precision, passion and eloquence, making music that is at once immediately accessible, thrillingly alive in the present, respectful of the past, and more than able to stand the test of time.