Welcome to your new home, Samson and Bonita!  The two red foxes will be joining the other residents of the WNC Nature Center and are coming to us from Izzie’s Pond Sanctuary in Liberty, S.C.

Samson and Bonita have something more in common than their new home.  They are both less than a year old and were both injured as a result of being caught in leg-hold traps and each has three legs, which means they would not be able to survive in the wild but can live safely in a zoo environment.

“The Nature Center has long provided excellent care for animals that, for one reason or another, could not live in the wild,” said WNC Nature Center Director Chris Gentile. “We are so excited to be able to welcome red foxes back to our Center.”

Come say “Hi!” to Samson and Bonita at the WNC Nature center beginning Feb. 11, when they’ll enter their new habitat for the first time.

For complete schedule: 2021 Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships presented by General Shale – Southern Conference (soconsports.com)

The Asheville Art Museum announces Meeting the Moon, an exhibition featuring prints, photographs, ceramics, sculptures, and more from the Museum’s Collection. This exhibition will be on view in the Asheville Art Museum’s McClinton Gallery February 3 through July 26, 2021.

2021 marks the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Apollo space program at NASA, but its inception was hardly the beginning of humankind’s fascination with Earth’s only moon. Before space travel existed, the moon—its shape, its mystery, and the face we see in it—inspired countless artists. Once astronauts landed on the moon and we saw our world from a new perspective, a surge of creativity flooded the American art scene, in paintings, prints, sculpture, music, crafts, film, and poetry.

This exhibition, whose title is taken from a 1913 Robert Frost poem, examines artwork in the Asheville Art Museum’s Collection of artists who were inspired by the unknown, then increasingly familiar moon. Meeting the Moon includes works by nationally renowned artists Newcomb Pottery, James Rosenquist, Maltby Sykes, Paul Soldner, John Lewis, Richard Ritter (Bakersville, NC), and Mark Peiser (Penland, NC). Western North Carolina artists include Jane Peiser (Penland, NC), Jak Brewer (Zionville, NC), Dirck Cruser (Asheville, NC), George Peterson (Lake Toxaway, NC), John B. Neff (NC), and Maud Gatewood (Yanceyville, NC).

“Meeting the Moon offers the opportunity to combine science and popular culture with works of art in the Museum’s Collection,” says Whitney Richardson, associate curator. “I think all visitors will find something that draws them into this exhibition, whether it’s the artwork, poetry, music, or science of space travel. It’s such an affirmation of humanity to find these mysteries, like the moon, which enchant us all.”

This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and curated by Whitney Richardson, associate curator. Visit ashevilleart.org for more information about this and other exhibitions.

The Blood Connection’s (TBC) local blood supply is low because the wintry weather has caused consecutive days of low donor turnout. In order to best serve local hospital patients who rely on blood donors, TBC needs a stable blood supply.

In addition, winter weather is wreaking havoc in many communities across the country. Thousands of people are being impacted in states like Texas and Louisiana where some blood centers have had to completely shut down, creating a critical need for blood donations. Despite the winter weather, patients in those impacted hospitals are still in great need of blood products, and blood donors in this community can become a lifeline for them.

The Blood Connection has received several pleas for help from blood centers in Texas, who are struggling to meet their local hospitals’ needs because of the continued winter weather. TBC wants to be in a position to help if more donations start to come in.

This exhibition features archival objects from the Theodore Dreier Sr. Document Collection presented alongside artworks from the Museum’s Black Mountain College Collection to explore the connections between artworks and ephemera. This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and curated by lydia see, fall 2020 curatorial fellow, with support from a Digitizing Hidden Collections grant through the Council on Library and Information Resources.

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.

The Blood Connection’s (TBC) local blood supply is low because the wintry weather has caused consecutive days of low donor turnout. In order to best serve local hospital patients who rely on blood donors, TBC needs a stable blood supply.

In addition, winter weather is wreaking havoc in many communities across the country. Thousands of people are being impacted in states like Texas and Louisiana where some blood centers have had to completely shut down, creating a critical need for blood donations. Despite the winter weather, patients in those impacted hospitals are still in great need of blood products, and blood donors in this community can become a lifeline for them.

The Blood Connection has received several pleas for help from blood centers in Texas, who are struggling to meet their local hospitals’ needs because of the continued winter weather. TBC wants to be in a position to help if more donations start to come in.

March is Red Cross Month, and for more than 130 years, heroic American Red Cross volunteers have provided hope and urgent relief to families in communities across the country.
This March the community is invited to join in the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross and be
someone’s hero by rolling up a sleeve to give blood.
According to the Red Cross, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds to respond to
patient emergencies. Accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients,
and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease may all require blood.
All blood types are needed.
Be a hero in your community by rolling up a sleeve….

To make an appointment or to learn more, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor
App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood
Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Completion of a RapidPass® online health history
questionnaire is encouraged to help speed up the donation process. To get started, follow the
instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App. A blood donor card
or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who
are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh
at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High
school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height
and weight requirements.

The lecture will be followed by four additional virtual events featuring Woodford on Thursdays, March 11 and 25, and April 8 and 15 from 1-2 p.m.  Those free-to-the-public sessions, held under the theme “When All God’s Children Get Together:  Fostering Racial Justice Book Club with Ann Woodford,” will address several topics covered in the author’s new book.

Participants, who can register at https://aarp.cvent.com/AnnWoodfordBookClub, will discuss subjects listed below with facilitators and Woodford:

March 11–General Overview.  How African American people in this region compare to nationwide:  race relations and racial disparities.

March 25–History of Ethnic Cleansing in Georgia and how it led to African American people coming to Western North Carolina (includes other national cleansings, the Green Book and a coup in Wilmington, N.C.)

April 8–What is White Privilege and how it can make a difference; Using your power to make a difference.

April 15–Steps that can be taken to smooth race relations locally and beyond.

As a child in a segregated, one-room, one-teacher “colored/negro” elementary school in the small mountain town of Andrews, N..C. Woodward’s talents as an artist were discovered by one of her teachers.  Soon, she was using oils, pencil, charcoal and ink as she drew remarkable scenes of people, animals and landscapes, which has led to a long career as an artist.  Eventually, her creativity knew no boundaries, as she has excelled as a writer, designer, entrepreneur and speaker.  Learn more about Woodford at her website, https://anntree.com.

Event participants can find her book at the library, various local and national online sellers or on her website.  While the book is recommended, it is not required to participate.

https://www.aarp.cvent.com/AnnWoodfordBookClub

Join us for Animoday! Every Monday all day. Listen to anime music, play anime games, watch anime, and talk anime!

“We want to make our drive-up food giveaways as accessible as possible with a  new time frame,” shares Megan Burnett, Community Outreach Manager. “We hope that if you need food for your pet that you’ll come see us!”

Pet owners who need pet food are invited to the following drive-thru giveaways:

• Monday, March 8, 2pm-5:30pm, Blue Ridge Humane Society Adoption Center, located at 88 Centipede Lane, Hendersonville, NC.
• Tuesday, March 23, 3pm-5:30pm, Interfaith Assistance Ministry, 310 Freeman Street, Hendersonville, NC as part of Drive-Thru Tuesday.
• Saturday, March 27, 10am-1pm, at the Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County Parking Lot, located at 304 Ashe St, Hendersonville, NC.

Cat and dog food will be distributed first come, first serve, as supplies last to those in need or affected by COVID-19. Social distancing and protective measures will be taken by all staff and we ask the public to do the same during the drive-thru pick-up. Masks are required to be worn during pick-up. Additional resources and supplies will also be available first come, first serve.

If a pet owner is in need of food but unable to attend the pick-up, please call or text the BRHS helpline at (828) 393-5832.

Since June 2020, Blue Ridge Humane has hosted distributions on a monthly basis to provide pet food for the community in response to COVID-19, feeding over 2,800 pets though the free giveaways and providing over 30,000 lbs of pet food to local food banks through BRHS’s community outreach programs, where BRHS has seen a 30 percent increase in demand for pet food assistance.

The Blue Ridge Humane Society, Inc., is a 501(c)3 animal welfare organization started in 1950 dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of life for animals in Henderson County and our neighboring communities. BRHS cares for pets awaiting adoption and in foster homes; offers low-cost vaccine clinics, animal education programs, pet training classes, and youth education and projects; coordinates community pet food assistance, emergency vet assistance, and the Spay Neuter Incentive Program (SNIP), which is a collaboration with Henderson County, the City of Hendersonville, and the Henderson County Animal Services Center.

Spend your afternoons creating in the bright and spacious studio at the Museum! Explore a range of artistic processes using artwork on view from the Museum’s Collection and special exhibitions for inspiration. Space is limited to small groups of up to eight students; face coverings and social distancing are required. Generous support for this program is provided by Walnut Cove Member Association. More info and register by March 1 at

 January 25 – March 22

A play from away! Explore improvisation, characterization, voice and speech, costume design, and more as you create an original virtual play! With an emphasis on creativity and personal expression, students will meet in weekly live online classes to develop, memorize, and film their role in the play. At the end of the semester, each actor’s part will be edited together to create a virtual performance!

Mondays from 5:30 – 6:15 PM EST
Grades: 3rd – 5th
Virtual Platform: Zoom
Instructor: Tania Battista
Tuition: $150*
REGISTRATION OPENS DEC. 10
10% off before Jan. 1

Hendersonville Racquet Club is offering a six week series of classes for adult beginner tennis players.  Try Tennis is a tennis instruction program for beginners.  The Monday night classes are 6 pm.  The cost is $40 for the six weeks and includes six hours of instruction, a tennis racquet and a Try Tennis t-shirt.

“Try Tennis is a great program we do in partnership with the NC USTA.  Their help allows new players to get from couch to court in six weeks at less than half the price it would normally cost…plus participants get a t-shirt and racquet! We will teach you the right way to play with certified tennis pros.  This is a great program to get into tennis for adults.” stated HRC Director of Adult Programs Cre Still.

Hendersonville Racquet Club is a six acre complex that includes 7 outdoor tennis courts, 3 arena tennis courts, four racquetball courts, three pickleball courts, an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, group fitness room and outdoor leisure area by Shaw’s Creek and pond.

Lights… Camera… Acting! Explore the fundamentals of on-camera acting in a nine week course led by professional actor and producer Marlane Barnes. Best known for her work on Sons of Anarchy and Mad Men, Marlane will coach actors through scenes from real-world TV and film scripts. Learn on-camera tips and technique, scale your performances from stage to screen, explore your type, and hone your on-camera and self-tape skills. No experience required.

We are offering you and your friends the opportunity to join us and refresh your musical and associated skills.

We are asking everyone who joins us to contribute $50 to pay for expenses and help raise funds in order to resume auditions and rehearsals in September. Please send a check for $50 to Carolina Concert Choir, P.O. Box 962, Hendersonville, NC 28793 or use the PayPal link below.

Spring Agenda:

​

March 1: Intro to Stephen Paulus’ “Prayers and Remembrances” for the 9/11 Concert**

with Dr. Michael Lancaster

March 8: “The Vocal Mechanism and How to Care for It”

with Dr. Neuenschwander, ENT

March 15: “Lyrics Methodology – Ken Burns Civil War Theme put to Psalm”

with Aloha Smith

March 22: “The World History of Music in 30 Minutes”

with Virginia Erwin

March 22: “The Sacred Harp and the American Shaped Note Tradition”

Alan Bowen

April 5: Intro to René Clausen’s “Memorial” for the 9/11 Concert**

Dr. Michael Lancaster

April 12: “Breathing and Vocal Stretching Exercises”

with Katie Cilluffo

April 19: “Creating Artistic Videos on your Smart Phone”

with Diane Dean, Pres. Henderson Arts League Member

April 26: “Your Instrument as Your Voice”

with the Hendersonville Symphony

May 3: “The Role of Your Arts Council in Promoting the Arts”

with Hannah Duncan, ED Arts Council

**It is very helpful to purchase the CDs to learn and read the lyrics for the “Prayers and Remembrances” concert classes.

CD for René Clausen – “Memorial” – Concordia Recordings

CD for Stephen Paulus – “Far in the Heavens” – True Concord Voices & Orchestra with Eric Holtan, Conductor