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.

Thursday, April 20, 2023
PATIO: Okapi
Apr 20 @ 5:00 pm
The Grey Eagle
– ALL AGES
– LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED

OKAPI
Okapi is an avant-rock songwriting duo that utilizes upright bass, cello, and voice. Their raw and intricate compositions are cathartic but inviting, carrying honest and satirical messages that aim to stimulate a universal confrontation with reality, while encouraging consciousness, healthy growth, and individual empowerment in the curious and attentive observer.
Live Music with Aaron Lafalce
Apr 20 @ 6:00 pm
131 Main Restaurant
Every Thursday
Not Rocket Science Trivia at Highland Brewing Downtown
Apr 20 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Highland Brewing Downtown

Trivia, Singo, tailgate games, and more! Our games are sure to challenge you, but c’mon… it’s not rocket science!

Public Tour: Altruistic Genius: Buckminster Fuller’s Plans to Save the Planet
Apr 20 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Free for Members or included with Museum admission. Registration is not required.
Join us for a guided tour of our new exhibition. Altruistic Genius brings the inventions and designs of R. Buckminster Fuller (Milton, MA 1895–1983, Los Angeles, CA) to Western North Carolina and introduces visitors to Fuller’s strategies for the sustainability of humans and the planet relating to housing, transportation, mathematics, and engineering.

COCKTAIL CLASS: “No Sleep ‘Til Manhattan”
Apr 20 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Oak & Grist Distilling Company

LED BY ELLE BLACKBURN, O&G BAR MANAGER

NO SLEEP TILL… well, Manhattan! If we weren’t overtly clear, April’s Cocktail Classes will cover the classic stirred cocktail (and its many, many variations), the Manhattan. Utilize O&G whiskies, explore a curated selection of vermouth, and use that knowledge to stir your way to interesting and innovative Manhattans to make at home! We will provide everything you need for the class & afterward, you will have the chance to stock your home bar (using a special discount) while you sip on a Manhattan of your own creation! As always, if you plan on having a cocktail before class, make sure to get here early!

There are options for both paired and solo tickets, so if you’re coming with a friend, please make sure you purchase the correct ticket. One ticket per participant is required. Classes are capped at a maximum of 12 people per class.

As a special treat, we will have Mother’s Pizza here slinging delicious Neapolitan Pizza so you can snack before, during, or after class!

Please direct any and all questions to [email protected] and we’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO KNOW

All O&G Cocktail Classes are 21+. Photo IDs are required to participate in our Cocktail Classes so make sure you bring yours to each class. Don’t forget to arrive early to get settled in & sip on a cocktail before the class starts.

Please reach out to [email protected] about any allergies or accessibility accommodations when booking the event and we will do our best to accommodate.

Doors open at 6:30 pm before the start of the event and will start promptly at 7:00 pm. Classes are taught in pairs and make for the perfect night out for couples, besties, or families. Paired tickets are offered at a discounted price!

There are options for both paired and solo tickets, so if you’re coming with a friend, please make sure you purchase the correct ticket. One ticket per participant is required. Classes are capped at a maximum of 12 people per class.

Oak and Grist Distilling Co. reserves the right to refuse service to any guest who appears or acknowledges to be intoxicated.

All cocktail class students will receive a complimentary barware goodie, take-home recipes, a hand-crafted cocktail, & a 15% discount in our Bottle Shop so you can keep your home bar stocked!

OUTPOST: Bearly Dead
Apr 20 @ 7:00 pm
The Outpost

– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
– RAIN OR SHINE

Bearly Dead is an all-star cast of players with deep roots in the New England jam & festival scene. While the band plays all of the Grateful Dead classics, they also dive into an extended catalog, which may include any song that any member of the Dead ever performed. With over 230 songs in rotation and new material being added all the time, Bearly Dead performs wildly different setlists every night and ensures that each show is a unique experience. With no designated “Jerry” or “Bobby”, this band is able to breathe new life into songs with their fresh, high-energy approach to them. Bearly Dead is a setlist-nerd’s dream!

Founded during an intense snowstorm in April 2015, Bearly Dead played its first show at Church of Boston, marking the beginning of its hallowed Wednesday Night Residency. In September of that year, Church was sold and the band found a new home on Wednesday nights at Thunder Road in Somerville. During their 5 years at Thunder Road, Bearly Dead was nominated twice for the Boston Music Award’s “Live Music Residency of the Year,” and burst onto the scene as New England’s premier Grateful Dead tribute band. The phrase “Never Miss A Wednesday Show” became ubiquitous around Boston…and you really never knew what might happen! Bearly Dead’s Wednesday Night Residency at Thunder Road continued unabated every week since its inception in September 2015 until the club’s closing in 2020. Thunder Road was a beacon to all musicians on Wednesday nights to join in the fun, with notable appearances by Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), Paul Wolstencroft (Slightly Stoopid), Steve Molitz (Particle/Phil Lesh & Friends), Kebbi Williams (Tedeschi Trucks Band), Rob Compa (Dopapod), Hayley Jane (Hayley Jane & The Primates), Johnny Trama (Dub Apocalypse), and Gary Backstrom (Gary Backstrom Band); and a surprise appearance by Jerry Garcia’s “Wolf” guitar in 2018 on Jerry Garcia’s birthday! The Wednesday Night Residency was briefly revived in 2021 at The Burren and Sonia before officially ending in May 2022.

Silverados Season Kickoff Party w/ Empire Strikes Brass
Apr 20 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Silverados

4/20 TRINITY PHARMS HEMP CO SEASON KICKOFF PARTY AT SILVERADOS MUSIC PARK FEATURING EMPIRE STRIKES BASS WITH SPECIAL GUESTS CHILLTONIC AND JOSH CLARK’S VISIBLE SPECTRUM.

Speakeasy Improv Presents: Improv Jams
Apr 20 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Story Palor


Come out the third Thursday night for these FREE monthly improv jam sessions. What better place to test out your improv skills than in a low stakes setting among friends.

PALMYRA
Apr 20 @ 7:30 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

Drawing from the sounds of Appalachia and Midwestern Americana, Palmyra captures the collective spirit of three Virginia natives, Teddy (he/him), Manoa (he/him), and Sasha (they/them). With an ever-expanding sonic palette, Palmyra’s live set explores the fusion of traditional folk string instruments, three part harmonies and foot percussion.

The burgeoning trio sounds like a distant cousin of the progressive folk band, Punch Brothers, mixed with elements of Fleet Foxes or the Avett Brothers. Palmyra’s songs are intimate and contemplative, with three-part vocal arrangements that allow them to create the illusion of a full, larger-than-three ensemble.

HAPPY AGAIN TOUR JUDAH + THE LION
Apr 20 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel

Judah and the Lion’s Revival comes at a moment of rejuvenation and evolution for the band, both personally and professionally, with a world looking to get back to normal. Judah Akers and
Brian Macdonald return with the band’s fourth album that aims to channel the energy and spirit presented at the beginning of the group’s journey.

Revival is a collection of songs that speaks to the band’s return to innocence and hope through reclamation. They look inwards on life’s changes as a group that still finds energy in innocence
after touring for 8 years and reaching heights on the Billboard charts and earning awards like iHeart Music’s Best New Alternative Rock Artist of the Year in 2018.

“It’s learning to let go of things that are out of our control,” Judah said, reflecting on working with his therapist through anxiety and depression. “Finding purity in life again. For all of us, we’re
gifted innocence when we’re born, and at some point in our lives, be it through choices or tragedy, innocence is robbed. Second innocence is where we’re not given it, but we choose to take it.”

In their last release, Pep Talks, Judah processed the loss of stability with his family. In the leadup to Revival, he was able to process his grief and anxieties alone in his home. The band toured nonstop for eight years, giving the project everything they had. Being primarily on the road prior to 2020 created a misunderstanding of where they were individually and their connection to feeling at home.

“Being home and not getting to mask my emotions with being on tour and being around crowds was big,” Judah said. “It’s an easy distraction because you can avoid dealing with it emotionally. You can get on stage and perform, and everything’s fine.”

Brian also had a journey in finding peace and putting in work to feel complete in a different emotional environment. His wife attended a graduate program in Sweden, thousands of miles from the home they made. As the world slowed to a halt, he had to find comfort in Visby Island’s cold, lonely, and grey terrain.

“The big thing for me was re-learning what ‘home’ means,” Brian said. “Leaving my home and trying to make a new one and realizing that home wasn’t a physical place for me.”

When they came back together, their fulfillment alone proved to change not just themselves but how they fit together. Founding member Nate Zuercher informed them he was leaving the group, changing dynamics for a group of friends making music together for over a decade. Brian picked up the banjo, trying his best to fill the void Nate left but making his playing be his own and offering a new style.

The loss of a key member helped Brian and Judah grow further in reinvigorating their partnership. It brought new energy to their songwriting and collaboration. In the Fall of 2021, Judah & Brian invited their longtime friends and touring musicians with them to record at Echo Mountain in Asheville, North Carolina.

“It was one of the most fun times we had in the studio,” Brian said. “There was a lot of freedom to it, and it felt like a retreat. We were all in it.”

The Sadies
Apr 20 @ 8:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY

THE SADIES

Without doubt or qualification, The Sadies are one of this continent’s greatest extant rock ’n’ roll bands — just as they have been for the last quarter-century. Versatile and imaginative, they skip from astral psychedelia to shuffling bucolics and leap from puckish pop to righteous garage-rock without losing momentum or mastery. Their albums deliver masterclasses on pointed songwriting, lockstep harmonies, and a devil-may-care attitude to expectations and past successes.  With their new album – Colder Streams – out now, check out what Shindig Magazine calls “a stone-cold masterpiece”.
Friday, April 21, 2023
Asheville Art Museum 75th Anniversary Spring Annual Fund
Apr 21 all-day
online w/ Asheville Art Museum

Celebrate with us by contributing to the future of the arts in Western North Carolina.

 

Make your 75th Anniversary Spring Annual Fund donation today!

! The Diamond Anniversary is a time to honor our rich heritage and—more importantly—envision our future as the premier visual arts organization in this vibrant, creative region.

 

Founded in 1948 by a group of local artists to showcase the scope and depth of creativity in Western North Carolina (WNC), the Museum brings art of international significance to the region and encourages lively, diverse dialogue.

 

The Museum’s original home was a modest, unheated, three-room building on Charlotte Street in the former sales office of Dr. E.W. Grove. The building was designed by Richard Sharp Smith and provided to the Museum by the City of Asheville. Exhibitions by local painters and sculptors could only be staged in warmer weather, and Sunday afternoon receptions gave the community an opportunity to view original art and to listen to artists talk about their work. By the 1950s, the Museum had become an invaluable part of Asheville’s cultural life. It also began acquiring artworks for its Collection.

 

Three quarters of a century later, the Museum has evolved into the preeminent cultural and educational hub for WNC—welcoming tens of thousands of visitors annually, hosting several major exhibitions each year, holding scores of special programs, and housing its Collection of more than 7,500 works in its state-of-the-art Pack Square location. From its humble beginnings on Charlotte Street to its breathtaking permanent home in the heart of downtown Asheville, the Museum has remained dedicated to Its mission to engage, enlighten, and inspire individuals and enrich the community through dynamic experiences in American art of the 20th and 21st centuries.

 

The Asheville Art Museum was built, cherished, and supported by the community throughout the past 75 years. Our anniversary celebration will give back through community partnerships and special programs, and by creating new reasons to visit or become a Member. We hope you’ll join us at one (or all) of our Diamond Anniversary special events: the 2023 Gala on June 17th, the 75th Anniversary Community Day Celebration in August, and the 75th Anniversary Dance Party in November!

 

Asheville Regional Airport: art exhibit highlighting local artists
Apr 21 all-day
Asheville Regional Airport (AVL)

Edge, the newest exhibit showing in the airport art gallery, is open to the public now through July 21, 2022. The local art is unique, bold and is sure to capture the imaginations of its viewers.

The local artists’ work featured in this exhibit consist of many different mediums. Diane Bronstein creates complex and mesmerizing pieces with photographs, embroidery floss and other materials. Susan Devitt uses bold colors and vivid details to capture the beauty and possibilities of nature with her acrylic paintings. Jen Pacicci crafts peaceful and majestic collages of landscapes using watercolor and torn paper. Kurt Ross designs clay vessels of varying materials and glazes that are each unique in their thoughtful and clean design. Paul Silverman presents ceramic figures of various tools and vintage items that trick the eye in their realistic appearance and awe with their attention to detail.

 

“The Edge exhibit welcomes travelers and residents to Asheville with a vibrant and unique display this spring at AVL,” said Alexandra Ingle, Brand and Experience Designer at AVL and curator of the gallery. “We are excited at each gallery opening to bring a fresh taste of our talented WNC art community into the airport.”

 

Artwork can be purchased from the gallery by emailing [email protected]. Details about the program and how to apply can be found on the airport’s website at flyavl.com.

CALL FOR ARTISTS! Story Parlor’s Story/Arts Residency
Apr 21 all-day
online w/ Story Parlor

Offered for BIPOC, LGTBQIA+, and individuals from other historically marginalized communities—the residency invites artists to present a three-week performance featuring the core elements of storytelling through art, collaboration, and exploration of the human condition.
Applications due April 30.

About the STORY/ARTS RESIDENCY

Story Parlor’s residencies exist to champion the creative work of locally-based artists and art groups hailing from BIPOC, LGTBQIA+, and other historically marginalized communities in the quest to amplify and bridge together the diverse fabric of voices in Asheville.

Specifically, the Story/Arts residency aims to provide a platform that showcases the transformative and healing powers of storytelling through all art mediums, while tending to the core values of Story Parlor’s mission, which include:

• Connecting audiences and artists from varying creative backgrounds and interests

• Informing, inspiring, and invigorating through the arts

• Promoting and fostering self-inquiry and mindfulness

• Cultivating creative exchange and cultural insight

• Fostering authenticity and inclusiveness

In addition to public performances and/or workshops, artists-in-residence receive dedicated rehearsal time in the space; an artist stipend; creativity coaching sessions; marketing and promotion; and more.

Applications for the 2023 summer residency are below and due no later than April 30, with preference given to applicants who cross disciplines, embrace collaboration, and present a residency proposal that embodies the core elements of storytelling through all art forms.

LEAF Visiting Teaching Artists May 2023 Catalog
Apr 21 all-day
online
Mother Earth Food: Local + sustainable food delivered to your door
Apr 21 all-day
online w/ Organic Growers School
OGS Ad

Mother Earth Food:

Local & sustainable food delivered to your door!

 

Ever wish your favorite items from your local farmers market could be delivered to your door? Mother Earth Food makes that possible!

Mother Earth Food is a family-owned, grocery home delivery service featuring local organic food from farmers and food artisans from Asheville and across Western North Carolina. Mother Earth Food delivers organic and sustainably raised vegetables, meats, eggs, dairy, baked goods, prepared meals, wellness items, and pantry items to those living in Western NC.

“We believe that supporting locally raised and produced food is how we can best change our food system and help our community move towards a healthier and more sustainable future. By partnering with Mother Earth Food, you dramatically lessen the miles that your food travels to get to your plate. It is estimated that meals in the U.S. travel about 1,500 miles to get from farm to plate, while local meals travel an average of 50 miles. The environmental and economic ripple effect from what we do is not only changing our community… it’s changing the world! We’re lessening our carbon footprint by bringing the Farmer’s Market to your door!” – MEF Team.

 

Use the coupon code “OGS25” to get $25 off your first order.

Spring Photo Contest: “Spring Trails”
Apr 21 all-day
Chimney Rock State Park

NC State Parks’ Year of the Trail continues with a celebration of how our trails transform each spring. Bring your camera on your next excursion in the park and capture budding wildflowers, spring hikers, or whatever you encounter along the way. You may even win a prize for your efforts!

GREAT PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO 3 WINNING ENTRIES

1st Prize: The winning photo will be our Facebook cover photo for two weeks, and the photographer will receive two annual passes to Chimney Rock State Park and lunch for four at the Old Rock Café.

2nd Prize: After the first place photo, the second place photo will be our Facebook cover photo for one week. The photographer will receive one annual pass to Chimney Rock State Park and lunch for two at the Old Rock Café.

3rd Prize: The third place photographer will receive two adult day passes (or one family pack of day passes) to Chimney Rock State Park and lunch for two at the Old Rock Café.

Work out for free at Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center
Apr 21 all-day
Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center

Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) recently renovated fitness centers at Linwood Crump Shiloh and Stephens-Lee community centers – and community members can enjoy use of cardio equipment, exercise machines, free weights, open gym time, and more through June 30, 2023. During this time, APR will waive membership and daily pass fees so more people can access the necessities for a regular fitness routine. Locals can sign up online or at either community center to receive a fitness center key fob that can be scanned at either location.

 

“Our team is committed to creating spaces in which everyone feels welcome,” according to D. Tyrell McGirt, APR Director. “We are in the community building business. The gyms and fitness rooms at these two locations are filled with everything you’d expect from other top-notch fitness facilities and dedicated to body positivity and accessible wellness. By waiving the cost to use them for the first six months of the year, we hope more friends and neighbors will be able to connect with each other and maintain healthy lifestyles.”

Work out for free at Stephens-Lee Community Center
Apr 21 all-day
Stephens-Lee Community Center

Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) recently renovated fitness centers at Linwood Crump Shiloh and Stephens-Lee community centers – and community members can enjoy use of cardio equipment, exercise machines, free weights, open gym time, and more through June 30, 2023. During this time, APR will waive membership and daily pass fees so more people can access the necessities for a regular fitness routine. Locals can sign up online or at either community center to receive a fitness center key fob that can be scanned at either location.

 

“Our team is committed to creating spaces in which everyone feels welcome,” according to D. Tyrell McGirt, APR Director. “We are in the community building business. The gyms and fitness rooms at these two locations are filled with everything you’d expect from other top-notch fitness facilities and dedicated to body positivity and accessible wellness. By waiving the cost to use them for the first six months of the year, we hope more friends and neighbors will be able to connect with each other and maintain healthy lifestyles.”

Exhibition on Display: Attributes
Apr 21 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Folk Art Center

 

Michelle Tway – fiber
Timothy Bridges – fiber
Martine House – mixed media
Noel Yovovich – metal
Deb Herman – fiber

The Focus Gallery is located on the second level of the Folk Art Center. The Folk Art Center is located at Milepost 382 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, just north of the Highway 70 entrance in east Asheville, NC. 

This exhibition is hosted by the Southern Highland Craft Guild. The Guild is a non-profit, educational organization established in 1930 to cultivate the crafts and makers of the Southern Highlands for the purpose of shared resources, education, marketing, and conservation. The Southern Highland Craft Guild is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. 

Exhibition on Display: Follow the Thread by Tapestry Weavers South
Apr 21 @ 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Folk Art Center
woven tapestry landscapes, notecards

 

The Main Gallery is located on the second level of the Folk Art Center. The Folk Art Center is located at Milepost 382 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, just north of the Highway 70 entrance in east Asheville, NC. 

This exhibition is hosted by the Southern Highland Craft Guild. The Guild is a non-profit, educational organization established in 1930 to cultivate the crafts and makers of the Southern Highlands for the purpose of shared resources, education, marketing, and conservation. The Southern Highland Craft Guild is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. 

Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Apr 21 @ 8:30 am
Biltmore Estate

Included with admission

Embark on a scenic journey across George Vanderbilt’s Italy with a large-scale outdoor display that combines brilliant botanical designs with authentic messages written by Vanderbilt himself.

Beautifully handcrafted of natural elements, each sculptural postcard depicts a location or landmark Vanderbilt visited more than a century ago. This captivating complement to Biltmore’s Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition reveals Vanderbilt’s passions for travel, culture, architecture, and art as well as his personal experience of such renowned Italian cities as Milan, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Vatican City.

Adding to the charm and visual appeal of Ciao! From Italy—sure to be a hit among kids of all ages—is the G-scale model train that travels in and out of each postcard in this enlightening display!

An Abundance of Riches
Apr 21 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

Andrea Rich’s intricately designed, carved, and printed woodcuts draw viewers in for an up-close look.

Some of the artist’s earliest memories are of drawing animals. Childhood encounters with pets, livestock, and wildlife, including birds, deer, and toads, created a lasting connection to the natural world. Through encounters with creatures both tame and wild, Rich developed a fascination and a compassion for animals integral to her art.

“My prints are a visual record of the intriguing creatures that have enriched my life. The woodcut process challenges me to focus on the essence of my subjects. At the same time, I am drawn to the smell of the wood, its texture and grain, and the pleasure I experience while carving. I begin working on a block of wood and realize later that hours have passed without notice.”

Rich uses a centuries-old medium that requires one carved wood panel for each color – varying from one to sixteen – necessary to develop the composition. These panels are painstakingly aligned one atop another sequentially and pulled through a printing press to create the final woodcut.

The subjects of Rich’s woodcuts range from the wilderness of the Australian outback and the lush tropical Amazon forests to the roaring rivers of Yellowstone Park. Rich has traveled worldwide to study wildlife habitats and these varied firsthand experiences are reflected in her work.

Among Rich’s many achievements are international recognition for her woodcut prints, including a 2009 Award of Excellence from the Society of Animal Artists and a 2009 Medal of Excellence from the Artists for Conservation Foundation. She was named Master Artist by the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in 2006. In 2010 her work was featured in a solo exhibition at the Mass Audubon Visual Arts Center, Canton, Massachusetts. Rich is a member of the California Society of Printmakers, Artists for Nature Foundation, the Society of Animal Artists, and Society of Wildlife Artists.

In 2000 Rich designated the Woodson Art Museum as the repository for her artistic oeuvre. An Abundance of Riches is drawn from these holdings, which include an example of each of her woodcuts created since the mid-1980s.

IN PERSON WORKSHOP: “The Teapot” with Sarah Wells Rolland
Apr 21 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
The Village Potters Clay Center

The Teapot with Sarah Wells Rolland

Week-Long Workshop

Day/Time: Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm (open studio hours until 6pm)

 

The Teapot is every functional potters glorious pursuit and Sarah loves to explore the unique challenges that come with the making of teapots. It can be  fun and does not have to be an intimidating. In this workshop we will explore all the elements of a teapot; multiple forms, pouring spouts. lids and approaches to handles. This class is designed to meet you where you are and equip you to push and refine your teapot making skills.

This class is going to be fun and lively. We will have an inspiring slide presentation where we study design elements of wonderful teapots made by potters who have truly mastered  them. We will be challenged and loving it!

The weeklong workshop includes lively demonstrations, “what if ” critiques, interactive discussion, sharing with each other and concentrated time at the wheel.

During our week we will cover:

  • Throwing with excellence
  • Form and Function
  • Integrated Design
  • Balance
  • A good pour
  • Multiple approaches to spouts
  • Handles, overhead, behind, and lugs for Reed or cane handles
  • Inset lids and overhang lids. Lids that fit well and are integrated in the design of the pot.

This class is designed for the potter that wants to push into new territory and expand their skill set and it will not disappoint. By the end of the week you will be more skilled, have honed your eye for design, balance and function  and be an even more passionate potter.

*An intermediate skill set is highly recommended. If you are a seasoned beginner and can center, open, and control clay when making walls you are ready for this class and take your skills to another level.: Potter should be able to effectively center, open and make multiple shapes.

Several weeks before the workshop you will receive the details of what to expect, what to bring, materials list, and directions to the studio.

Please contact The Village Potters Clay Center if you have any questions about this workshop.

Click HERE for suggested accommodations located near The Village Potters Clay Center.

Cancellation Policy:

  1. Cancellation up to 45 days prior to the start of class, students receive a full refund (minus a $75 administrative fee).
  2. Cancellation within 45-0 days of the start of class, students receive no refund.
Spring Student Art and Ceramics Sale
Apr 21 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
UNCA Campus-. Tucker Cooke Gallery, Owen Hall

The UNC Asheville Student Art and Ceramics Sale will be held Friday, April 21 from 4 to 8 p.m., and on Saturday, April 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the S. Tucker Cooke Gallery, Owen Hall.

A wide variety of functional and decorative pottery, prints and other artwork created by UNC Asheville students will be on sale. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Department of Art and Art History.

The Sale is open to the public.  Payment must be by cash or check.

An Abstract Classicist: California Hard-Edge
Apr 21 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Bender Gallery
Johal’s process is part painstaking and part intuitive. She begins by arranging cut out shapes or creating sketches of the overall composition, which is of utmost importance, balanced and full of energy. She then transfers the design onto a sanded canvas using tape, templates, or other tools to achieve a clean hard edge. Now the music begins. Using high quality acrylic paints, Johal spontaneously applies color to the canvas, letting the music guide her choices. Her understanding of Color Theory is instinctive yet effective and, along with her forms, creates a kind of dance on the surface.
Angela Johal (b.1962), US, has a Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) Magna Cum Laude from San Jose State University in San Jose, CA. Johal has taken part in solo and group exhibitions in prestigious institutes and such as de Young Museum, San Francisco, SFMOMA Artist’s Gallery, San Francisco and in art galleries in LA, Boston, NY, Montreal, and more.
Broom Making | Live Demo at the Folk Art Center
Apr 21 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Folk Art Center

Peter Werner will be demonstrating his tips and techniques for traditional broom-tying in the lobby of the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visitors are encouraged to watch and ask questions while the demonstrators work and talk about their creative process! Call ahead for the latest updates: 828-298-7928.

Exhibition: NEO MINERALIA
Apr 21 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft

Photo credit:

Sae Honda. Courtesy of the Artist.

NEO MINERALIA suggests that recent rock formations no longer fit within the traditional groups: Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary. Instead, the Anthropocene, the era of human influence on the climate and environment, has introduced two post-natural rocks: Synthetic and Digital.

NEO MINERALIA presents a selection of new geological specimens crafted by ten international artists exploring rocks as reflections of our effects on human and nonhuman ecologies. By embedding synthetic materials (plastics, e-waste) and layers of data points (critical, financial, social) into the craftsmanship of these artifacts, the artists transgress the definition of rocks, turning them from passive aggregates of minerals into metaphorical aggregates of data. Within their apparent “rockness” we can decode hopes, warnings, and speculative future scenarios.

The featured works stemming from places as varied as Mexico, Japan, Poland, and Australia (including a curated artists’ books library), collectively signal a new era of planetary and geological consciousness where we are asked to read, feel, and listen to rocks in new ways.

Exhibition: Something earned, Something left behind
Apr 21 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft

Photo credit:

J Diamond, “Pony II,” 2022. Courtesy of the Artist

Something earned, Something left behind is an exhibition of objecthood; a critical analysis of the transactional and political languages of everyday and culturally significant objects. This exhibition challenges a history of exclusion and inclusion of People of Color (POC) and their narratives from the canon of craft based on subject matter. It dissects this history’s origins and precedent as an economic transaction to gain access to white spaces.

Racial and ethnic identity influences the way individuals perceive themselves, the way others perceive them, and the way they choose to behave. For this reason, People of Color are expected to perform certain roles in order to fit into hegemonic institutions. These roles can be an active shrinking of themselves and the racialized part of them, or a personal exploitation of their racialized selves. This exhibition addresses and redresses the ways narrowed populations have been included, and the ways in which they have been asked to participate.

Together, this work creates space for and legitimizes POC narratives with depth and care. The exhibiting artists’ practices work against institutionalized expectations of POC work, expanding discourse and inserting new subjectivity into the canon of craft art. It engages with a community hungry for the revitalization and resuscitation of non-Western voices within art spaces. This exhibition challenges the expectations of art from artists of marginalized backgrounds and embraces a new subjectivity of interrogating one’s inherited experiences.

Exhibition: Crafting Denim
Apr 21 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft

Photo credit:

Photograph by Bowery Blue Makers

Jeans – with their standardized pockets, rivets, and denim – are so much a part of everyday wardrobes that they are easy to overlook. Yet, in workshops across the nation, independent makers are reevaluating the garment and creating jeans by hand, using antiquated equipment and denim woven on midcentury looms. Crafting Denim explores how and why jeans have come to exist at the intersections of industry and craft, modernity, and tradition.

A product of industrial factory production for over a century, jeans are being recast by a new cohort of small-scale makers including craftspeople like Ryan Martin of W.H. Ranch Dungarees, Takayuki Echigoya of Bowery Blue Makers, and Sarah Yarborough and Victor Lytvinenko of Raleigh Denim, who favor choice materials and small-batch fabrication. The jeans they make merge craft traditions with industry and extend the conversation between hand and machine.

Each maker creates a distinctive product but shares a deep appreciation for materials, tools, history, and denim. These jeans are in dialogue with the past and in line with contemporary interests in sustainability. The small workshops featured here are sites of innovation and preservation, and visitors are invited to take a close look at an everyday item and imagine alternative contexts for making and living in our own clothes.